May 1, 2015 • Seaside Signal • seasidesignal.com • 11A Middle schoolers go head to head in friendly cook-off Event held as part of 4-H After-school Cooking Program By Katherine Lacaze Seaside Signal Six middle school stu- dents, comprising three teams, clashed in the kitchen for a friendly cook-off that exhibited and tested their skills through making stir-fry and smoothies. The competition, held at the Seaside High School culinary arts room April 22, ZDVWKH¿QDOHRIDIRXUZHHN 4-H After-school Cooking Program. The free program, hosted by the Oregon State University Extension Ser- vice, is put on every year in Seaside for sixth- through eighth-graders, and students don’t have to be involved with the larger Clatsop Coun- ty 4-H Club to participate. “What we’re trying to teach the kids is kitchen safe- ty, chopping skills and to not be afraid to try new things and just to be creative in the kitchen,” said Sandra Carl- son, the 4-H coordinator for Clatsop County. The program always cul- minates in a cook-off, held WKH IRXUWK DQG ¿QDO ZHHN During the three preceding weeks, the students learned chopping skills by making quesadillas, salsa and gua- camole; were instructed in making bread dough for piz- zas; and practiced their cook- off dishes. The recipes vary from year to year, but the fundamental principles being taught often remain the same, Carlson said. Previously the program was held at the Bob Chisholm Community Center, but be- cause the space also was be- ing used for other programs – which was not ideal for ei- ther group – the program was moved to the high school this year, Carlson said. “We’re extremely thank- ful to be able to use this space,” she added. For the competition, the teams had to make a stir- fry, rice and smoothie or infused water – although all the teams chose to make smoothies this time. Each team was required to use a different stir-fry recipe that they pre-selected, and it KDG WR FRQWDLQ WKUHH WR ¿YH chopped vegetables. Team Anonymous, which included seventh-grader Kara Spell and eighth-grader Cori Biamont, cooked a pork pineapple stir-fry and made a strawberry smoothie with pineapple. KATHERINE LACAZE PHOTO Eighth-grader Madelynn Brown serves a panel of judges plates of stir fry for them to taste and evaluate during a cook-off held as part of the 4-H After-school Cooking Program. Brown and her teammate, Dalton Smith (not pictured), made a Thai curry dish with pork, along with a banana vanilla smoothie. KATHERINE LACAZE PHOTO Seventh-graders Briana Fraley, left, and Kayla Vowels made up team Vegetarian Vampires for the 4-H After-school Cooking Program cook-off held April 22 at the Seaside High School culinary arts room. The cook-off was the finale of a four-week long program put on by the Oregon State University Extension Service. Seventh-graders Kayla Vowels and Briana Fraley, the Vegetarian Vampires, made a spicy chicken stir-fry and a banana smoothie using a sugar substitute. Lastly, eighth-graders Dalton Smith and Made- lynn Brown, the No Brainers team, made a Thai curry pork stir-fry and banana vanilla smoothie. The judges evaluated the teams on etiquette, cre- ativity and teamwork while they were cooking and then judged the dishes for pre- VHQWDWLRQWH[WXUHDQGÀDYRU The judges consisted of Tita Montero, a city councilor and the Seaside Downtown Development Association executive director; Dar- ren Gooch, Sunset Empire Park & Recreation District IT and marketing manager; Rod Nichols, a North Coast Food Web board member; Mary Gaffrey, who former- ly worked in food service in the Astoria School District; and Mary Blake, a Master Gardner and North Coast Food Web board member. Some of the judges were repeats, while others volun- teered their services for the ¿UVWWLPH “I’ve always wanted to be a judge on a cooking show,” said Montero, one of the ¿UVWWLPHUV DGGLQJ VKH QRZ had been given a similar op- portunity. %ODNH H[SUHVVHG VSHFL¿F appreciation for a program that teaches children to cook. “To experience kids pre- Seaside School District to implement college savings awareness program side’s going to be a pilot, and it doesn’t really surprise me because we are very The Seaside School Dis- receptive to anything that WULFWLVRQHRI¿YHGLVWULFWVWR helps the kids,” said Angela pilot a state program to raise Fairless, a member of Sea- DZDUHQHVVDERXWWKHEHQH¿W side Heights’ Parent-Teach- of families getting a head er Organization. start on college savings. With both Seaside The Oregon College Sav- Heights and Gearhart ele- ings Plan, which is part of the mentary schools participat- Oregon 529 College Savings ing, the program will impact Network, announced the Be more than 700 students. College Ready program just “Parents sort of get the recently. The program will idea of college savings at kick off in September. that kindergarten age when “We really want to fos- they’re dropping their kids ter a college-going culture RIIIRUWKH¿UVWWLPH7KHUH¶V in our state and we want to something that sort of clicks make sure that every kid in,” Parker said. “Our goal who wants to should have is, if that doesn’t click in, the opportunity to go re- if you hear about it at your gardless of money, or family school, it’s going to click in. situation or anything else,” So that’s why the elementa- said Michael Parker, execu- ries are so important to us at tive director of the Oregon this time.” 529 College Savings Net- The state’s goal with the work. “We want every kid 529 program, Parker said, is to know that they can be to have compound interest college ready, regardless of working for people rather their situation.” than against them. A fami- The Oregon College ly can save about $35,000 Savings Plan chose Seaside by putting aside $200 per School District because the month for 10 years at a 7 group was looking for geo- percent rate of return, earn- graphic diversity and vary- ing approximately an extra ing district sizes when pi- $11,000 in interest. In con- loting the Be College Ready trast, borrowing $35,000 at a program. Also, the Confed- 6.8 percent interest rate and eration of Oregon School paying it off over 10 years Administrators suggested equals $400 per month. Seaside would embrace the The program starts by program, Parker said. VFKRROV EHFRPLQJ FHUWL¿HG “It’s awesome that Sea- as 529 College Savings By Katherine Lacaze Seaside Signal Schools. To become certi- ¿HG WKH VFKRRO PXVW VKDUH information about the Ore- gon College Savings Plan on its website, have savings plan materials available LQ WKH PDLQ RI¿FH VKDUH monthly updates with stu- dents and parents and host an informational session about college funding for parents and the local com- munity. The schools, in return, will receive homework folders, pencils, pens, book- marks and posters each year. ,QWKH¿UVW\HDUHDFKVFKRRO also will receive a $529 do- nation to its predetermined classroom fund and a 529 VFKRRO FHUWL¿FDWH 7KH designation is meant to be a reminder to save for college. “It’s good to give parents and students a goal for the future beyond elementary school, high school,” Gearhart Elementary School Principal Juli Wozniak said. “When we have a goal, sometimes we make different choices, posi- tive choices.” Fairless agreed. “When we visualize our- selves doing something, when we think we can do it, when we talk about doing it, it becomes much more possible and likely to happen,” she said. The program will involve educating parents about how to plan for future college ex- penses, motivating kids with classroom materials and partnering with local busi- ness and civic organizations to reinforce the message that it’s important to save for col- lege as early as possible. What that means for Sea- side is “we’re going to work with everybody,” Parker said. “It’s not just going to be a school-based event. We want the community to be involved as well.” “It’s totally nonideologi- cal, it’s totally nonpartisan; SHRSOHMXVWVHHWKHEHQH¿W´ said John Valley, the out- reach director of Oregon 529 College Savings Net- work. In addition to Seaside, the Be College Ready will be piloted in the Hermis- ton, Grants Pass, McMinn- ville and North Clackamas school districts. The goal is to expand the kindergarten WKURXJK¿IWKJUDGHSURJUDP every year and ultimately offer it to every school dis- trict statewide. “We do also want to make sure we touch base with those parents of older kids who can get informa- WLRQ IURP XV UHJDUGLQJ ¿- nancial aid and scholarship opportunities,” Parker said. For more information about the Oregon College Savings Plan, visit www.Or- egonCollegeSavings.com, call 866-772-8464, or go the program’s Facebook page. KATHERINE LACAZE PHOTO Eighth-grader Dalton Smith cooks meat for a stir fry during a cook- off held as part of the 4-H After-school Cooking Program on April 22. Smith teamed up with Madelynn Brown (not pictured) and the judges determined the No Brainers, as they called themselves, excelled in the area of flavor and texture for their dish and drink. paring food for themselves and also for other people is a real, real privilege,” she said. The judges determined team Anonymous excelled in the areas of kitchen etiquette and teamwork; the No Brain- HUV SODFHG ¿UVW IRU WKH WH[- WXUHDQGÀDYRURIWKHLUIRRG and the Vegetarian Vampires were noted for their delicious VPRRWKLH ÀDYRU DQG H[FHS- tional presentation. They each were given a gift bag from the OSU Extension Service. 4-H Program Assistant Jared Delay and volunteers Katie Paaso and Michael Hinton were on site to mon- itor the students. Paaso, who has been in- volved with 4-H for 37 years, had a simple answer to why she’s stuck with it so long: “the kids.” “When you look at them and you think, ‘this is our future,’ ... then you think, ‘we’re not going to be half bad, after all,’” she said. SHS marks Earth Day Seaside High School students collect garbage around the high school campus for Earth Day, and finished the school day by planting a cherry blossom tree. Senior photographer Whitney McQuilliams recorded the event for posterity.