Teens Seek More Green For Study Of Grass Burning

Thu., Sept. 18, 1997

Amy Scribner Staff writer

For four Spokane students, $25,000 is pocket change compared to what they’re aiming for.

Eli Penberthy, Erin Richardson, Klara Bowman and Lindsey Watts turned heads the past school year as Sacajawea Middle School eighth-graders. The foursome was awarded the $25,000 Bayer/National Science Foundation Community Innovation Award to research their grass-burning science project.

Now they’re upping the ante to a couple hundred thousand dollars.

It began when science teacher Virginia Ledgerwood-Kral asked her class to identify a community problem. The girls chose grass burning, proposing that farmers reduce the smoke from their torched fields by trimming their crops down to an inch before burning.

The bluegrass clippings, they reasoned, could be used to make paper, with the profit offsetting the cost to farmers for cutting and bundling the grass.

“It’s certainly a farmer’s answer, and a positive answer,” said Ledgerwood-Kral, who is still meeting with the girls in the mornings to work on the project. They have moved on this year to Ferris and Lewis and Clark high schools.

The $25,000 award has been used to make a video that details the girls’ idea. They’re still editing the footage and designing an accompanying brochure, but they say they’re not stopping there.

“The long-term goal is to actually see a pulp plant built in this area,” said Ledgerwood-Kral.

To that end, the girls traveled with Ledgerwood-Kral to Sacramento, Calif., this summer to observe paper being made from bluegrass clippings. The paper should arrive in Spokane any day and will then be shipped off to members of the Legislature and business community for review.

In addition, they’ve applied for an Environmental Protection Agency grant for $200,000 to keep their research going until a paper plant is built. The grant request was co-written by Washington State University, which has been working with the team on their research.

“Never in my wildest dreams did I ever consider this a possibility,” said Ledgerwood-Kral.

“It’s been a real positive thing for Spokane to be recognized for these girls’ work.”

Sixth-, seventh- and eighth-graders interested in entering this year’s Bayer/National Science Foundation competition can request a guidebook by calling 1-800-291-6020 or checking the website at www.nsf.gov/bayer-nsf-award.htm.

Bands to perform at Libby

The Libby Teen Center will sponsor a show featuring three local high school bands this Saturday from 8:30 to 11:30 p.m.

Smash Velvet, a Central Valley High band, will play along with Gonzaga Prep’s Junkets and Little Felix, a group featured earlier this year at the city’s Battle of the Bands. This is the first in what program coordinator Dan White hopes will be a series of concerts highlighting area teen bands. Those interested in playing in future shows should call the center at 536-8152.

The concert is open to all teenagers for a cover charge of $4. Identification will be required.

The Libby Teen Center is located at 2900 E. First. It is open for all teens from 3 to 10 p.m. Tuesdays through Thursdays and 3 to 11 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays.

, DataTimes MEMO: The Education Notebook is a regular feature of the South Side Voice. Please let us know about interesting programs and activities, and the achievements of students, teachers, administrators, staff and volunteers at schools on Spokane’s South Side and in Cheney, Medical Lake and the Liberty School District. Contact Amy Scribner, South Side Voice, P.O. Box 2160, Spokane, WA 99210. Or call 459-5439. Fax 459-5482.

The Education Notebook is a regular feature of the South Side Voice. Please let us know about interesting programs and activities, and the achievements of students, teachers, administrators, staff and volunteers at schools on Spokane’s South Side and in Cheney, Medical Lake and the Liberty School District. Contact Amy Scribner, South Side Voice, P.O. Box 2160, Spokane, WA 99210. Or call 459-5439. Fax 459-5482.

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