Students honor veterans in 2008 essay contest

Patriotic Pen and Democracy contest winners are pictured at the award ceremony with (left) Acting Middle School Principal Cynthia Benedict, Acting High School School Principal Thomas Bongiovi and Port Jervis Mayor Gary Lopriore.

Nine Port Jervis students were honored by the Tri-State VFW Naval Ship for winning this year's Voice of Democracy and Patriotic Pen youth essay contests.

At the high school level, this year's Democracy contest theme was My Role in Honoring America's Veterans. Port Jervis High School junior Amanda Balch won first place. Balch also won first place in the county-level competition and went on to win second place at the district level. Second-place honors went to freshman Melissa Bright. Classmate Edward Saletto earned the third-place award.

Students at Port Jervis Middle School competed in the Patriotic Pen competition. Eighth-grader Chelsea Lynn Gessner won first place locally with her essay on the theme, Why Am I an American Patriot?
Fellow eighth graders James K. Flynn won second place, followed by Kristen Smith who received third-place honors.

At the seventh-grade level, first-place honors went to Evan Bailey. Janet Burigo placed second and Mackenzie Decker placed third.

Endorsed by the National Association of Secondary School Principals, the annual competition gives students nationwide the opportunity to write essays expressing their views on democracy and patriotism. Annually, more than 115,000 students participate in the contest.