CHATSWORTH SCIENCE TEAM ALSO HITS HOMER.

Byline: DENNIS MCCARTHY 

Odds and ends from around the Valley:

It would have been easy to overlook the other big event going on at Chatsworth High School on Thursday morning, but Principal Jeff Davis wasn't about to let that happen.

While the school's much-heralded city championship baseball team met in the parents lounge to watch the TV coverage of the Major League Baseball draft -- two Chatsworth players were chosen in the top 12 picks -- the less than heralded science team was picking up a trophy of its own in the next room.

A team of four ninth-graders came up with a science game they call Elemanium that beat out about 6,000 other team entries in the city to win the Los Angeles Unified School District's Integrated Coordinated Science Award.

"I'm not smart enough to understand it, but they tell me it's based on the periodic table of elements," Davis said, laughing as he went back and forth between rooms to praise both teams.

The athletes in any high school always get the lion's share of adulation and attention, but the kids on the academic teams work just as hard and successfully to bring pride to their school, Davis figures.

"They deserve the recognition, too," the principal said. Yes, they do.

So, congratulations to baseball players Mike Moustakas, picked second by the Kansas City Royals, and Matt Dominguez, who went 12th to the Florida Marlins.

And congratulations to the award-winning science team of Eric Zisfain, Derek Lau, Jonathan Ching, and Zi Ma.

You guys showed a lot of class when you gave the $2,000 your team won back to the school to help support other academic teams on campus.

While we're giving a pat on the back to people and groups who do great work, but seldom get the recognition for it, I'd like to give a big thank-you to the Valley University Women.

For the last 58 years, this local group of education-minded women have provided scholarships to hundreds of hardworking high school students in the San Fernando Valley, many of whom thought college was financially out of reach for them.

"Many have overcome substantial obstacles, such as poverty, family difficulties and cultural barriers, to succeed in high school to become what they are today," said Doris Dent, scholarship chairwoman for the organization, founded in 1945.

As always, the women want all the credit to go to the 16 students who earned the $1,500 scholarships this year, not to themselves for providing them. Nice touch.

So, congratulations to Loren Diaz, Melissa Medina and Tracy Lee from Burbank High School; Meredith Anderson and Dianne Pulido from Burroughs High; Angeline Chen and Melissa Zanit from El Camino Real High; and Gladys Rodriquez from North Hollywood High.

Also, Gina Hong and Jayme Zahavi from Taft High; Suejung Shin and Jason Hong from Granada Hills High; Dianna Delgado and Joana Samson from Sylmar Math/Science; Dorothy Tulanont from Van Nuys Magnet; and Ryan Luong from Sherman Oaks Center for Enriched Studies.

For more information on Valley University Women, call co-president Sara Coyle at [phone].

And finally, if you're a local history buff, stop by the Canoga Park/Owensmouth Historical Society this Sunday from 2:30 to 5 p.m. and help it celebrate Canoga Park's 95th birthday.

"Many members of pioneer families from the area will be there, and the public is invited," said Jean Jauck, president of the society at 7248 Owensmouth Ave.

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Photo:

Chatsworth High School freshmen, from left, Jonathan Ching, Derek Lau, Eric Zisfain and Zi Ma on Thursday hold a $2,000 check they won for their Elemanium game that won the LAUSD science challenge.

Michael Owen Baker/Staff Photographer