Names of Note: Elementary spellers nail their words. Modesto CEO earns an award
Sixth-graders Mansa Awuah and Luna Salvador topped the annual elementary school spelling bee for Stanislaus County on Wednesday, Oct. 30.
They will advance to the state championship in Stockton on May 9, 2020. Alternate Deetya Thogarucheeti will go if one of the top two cannot.
Mansa attends Our Lady of Fatima Catholic School in Modesto. Luna is a student at Walnut School in Turlock. Deetya is a fifth-grader at Lakewood School in Modesto.
The county Office of Education had 77 students from 48 schools at the bee, held at Enochs High School. Teacher Chris Dempsey of La Loma Junior High School served as spelling master with help from 40 volunteer proctors.
Among the words the champions spelled correctly were “obsequious,” “rapscallion,” “turgescent” and “prestissimo.”
Stan State to honor Grover
Modesto businessman Jeff Grover, a former Stanislaus County supervisor, will receive the latest Champions of the America Dream award Monday, Nov. 4.
It was established in 1997 by the Porges Family Foundation and the California State University, Stanislaus, College of Business Administration.
Grover is founder and CEO at Solecon Industrial Contractors. It has provided plumbing, heating, air conditioning and other services to commercial and industrial customers since 1981. Grover served on the county board from 2002 to 2010.
The award will be presented at 4 p.m. Monday in the Snider Recital Hall on the Turlock campus. It will include an onstage interview with Grover. Admission is free, but attendees are asked to RSVP online.
The foundation was created Norm Porges, founder of Prime Shine Car Wash, a leading regional chain. It was sold last year to Mister Car Wash, a national chain.
Names of Note recognizes people and organizations for their contribution to their communities. Submit items to jholland@modbee.com.
This story was originally published November 2, 2019 at 3:07 PM.
