COMMUNITY NEWS EL CAMINO REAL TAKES FOURTH IN ENVIROTHON.

A team from El Camino Real High School took fourth place last week at the annual Canon Envirothon, California's best showing in its 14-year history in the environmental-education competition.

More than 250 teenagers -- grouped into five-person teams from 44 U.S. states and eight Canadian provinces -- competed for $75,000 in scholarships and prizes.

Each student from the California team - known as the Solar Knights and Moonlit Maidens - received a $2,000 scholarship, a Canon camera, and a medal.

Students on the El Camino Real team were Robert Best, Irene Seliverstov, Cathy Nguyen, Sam Leiboff and Daniel Nomanim. Advisers were Scott Holloway and Sheri Best.

The 2006 event is the first time that a California team has made it to the Top Five.

Fans of 93.9 KZLA-FM radio raised more than $100,000 last month at their third annual Tilden's Children Charity Ride for L.A. Family Housing, a charity that benefits homeless children. The motorcycle ride started at three Harley-Davidson dealerships in Los Angeles and ended at the Canyon Club in Agoura Hills.

``We cannot thank everyone at KZLA enough for their great support,'' said Vivian Ramirez, interim CEO of L.A. Family Housing. ``Most especially, thank you to their radio listeners. These funds will help hundreds of homeless kids.''

KZLA listeners provided the money by buying $50 raffle tickets, and Debbie Shvetzov of Orange County won a Harley-Davidson motorcycle.

Amber C. Campbell, a student at Sylmar High School, will take part in the International Youth Democracy Summit this week in Washington, D.C. She and 300 other students from across the country will also visit Colonial Jamestown and Williamsburg.

The students also will attend seminars conducted by leading historians and high-level government officials. In Jamestown, they will also participate in a project on civic engagement and debate how the history of Jamestown applies to current issues.

Summit officials chose Campbell because of her involvement with the Upward Bound program for minority students.

Alejandro J. Urrutia-Gamez of Van Nuys earned a $2,000 college scholarship from the Marine Technology Society, an international group of marine engineers and ocean technologists.

Urrutia-Gamez came to the United States from El Salvador when he was in eighth grade. He graduated in June from Francis Polytechnic High School with a 4.0 grade-point average in 2006 and has been accepted at the University of California, San Diego.