ATHENS, Ohio -- The winners of the WOUB-TV Reading Rainbow Young Writers and Illustrators Contest were recently announced. Over 100 children from kindergarten through third grade participated. The contest was open for entries from January to April 2003 and the winners were chosen the first week of April. The four first-place winning stories are now being judged for the National Reading Rainbow Contest. The guidelines for the contest instructed children to write and illustrate their own stories.

After the 12 finalists were chosen, prizes were given during WOUB's "Station Celebration" where the children and their families were invited to the Ohio University Telecommunications Center to participate in a pizza party, read their stories on WOUB-AM Athens, create a video featuring themselves reading their very own stories and to take a tour of the Telecommunications Center.

All other entrants received a book and a Reading Rainbow certificate signed by "Reading Rainbow" host, LeVar Burton. The winners circle includes a first, second and third place for kindergarten through third graders.

Carolyn Bailey Lewis, Director and General Manager of WOUB Radio and Television, also wrote a personal letter to parents and principals of each child winning the local contest. "We are truly proud of each child," Lewis says, "and congratulate them on this achievement."

Community Outreach Literacy Coordinator Denise Birchfield says, "We had a lot of entries this year, with many showcasing the creative talents of children in southeastern Ohio and throughout the region. The stories are such a pleasure to read. It's a great opportunity for children to use their imaginations and express themselves."

The illustrated books of the following first place winners will be eligible for the National Reading Rainbow Contest conducted by PBS. The National Contest will be judged by authors, illustrators, publishers and educators. Winners will be selected in June 2003.

Kindergarten

1st Place: Kayla Bruenderman, "Sun Smile," Marietta, Ohio

2nd Place: McKinsey Sanders, "Sam, Max and Cheesey," Gallipolis, Ohio

3rd Place: Devin Hillyer, "If I Caught A Big Whale," Athens, Ohio

First Grade

1st Place: Jordan Curtin, "Trees," Newark, Ohio

2nd Place: Victoria Slabinski, "The Big Rescue," Cambridge, Ohio

3rd Place: Caleb Eakle, "The Swamp Monster," Parkersburg, W.Va.

Second Grade

1st Place: Brittany Caplan, "Freaky Friday," Circleville, Ohio

2nd Place: Dalton Flanagan, "Erik's Mountain," Nashport, Ohio

3rd Place: Mallory Giannamore, "The Dog Swim Team," Steubenville, Ohio

Third Grade

1st Place: Logan Black, "The True Story of Miracle and Midnight," Gallipolis, Ohio

2nd Place: Adam Kenney, "The Bird Who Couldn't Fly," Newport, Ohio

3rd Place: Andrew Gibbons, "Beatrice and Hamlet Go For Lunch," Millfield, Ohio

For more information, contact Community Outreach Literacy Coordinator Denise Birchfield at (740) 593-0113 or visit the WOUB Web site at www.woub.org/kids .

The Ohio University Telecommunications Center, a unit of the College of Communication, operates two television stations-WOUB-TV/Channel 20 in Athens and WOUC-TV/Channel 44 in Cambridge-one cable channel-WOUB II, and six radio stations-WOUB-1340 AM, WOUB-91.3 FM, WOUC-89.1 FM, WOUH-91.9 FM, WOUL-89.1 FM and WOUZ-90.1 FM.

The Center, a trusted community resource, uses the power of noncommercial television, radio and other media, such as the World Wide Web, to enrich the lives of children and adults in southeastern Ohio, western West Virginia, and eastern Kentucky through quality programs and educational services that inform, enlighten, inspire, and entertain.