Press Releases

Contact: Public Relations Department
Suffolk County Water Authority
PO Box 37
Oakdale NY 11769
(631) 563-0296

June 15, 1999
Water Week Slogan Contest Winners Honored

With just four words, Aamna Hussain of Bay Shore turned a homework assignment into a countywide victory in the Suffolk County Water Authority's Eighth Annual Water Week Slogan Contest. The eighth grader was officially honored for her slogan, "DRINK WATER -- IT'S NATURAL," along with grade level winners from around the county, at an Awards Ceremony held at the SCWA Laboratory in Hauppauge on Thursday, June 3.

Aamna attends South Middle School in Brentwood. Heather Wallace, her science teacher, submitted her entry, which the SCWA chose last month as its overall winning slogan for 1999. The Authority also designated two Amityville residents, Melissa Cox and Erich G. Stumpel, as well as Matt Cavanaugh of Islip Terrace, Kelly Collins of Bayport and Ashley Vohs of Port Jefferson Station, as this year's grade level winners.

As proud principals, teachers, parents, and other relatives looked on, SCWA Chairman Michael LoGrande congratulated the winners and presented them with award certificates, gift certificates for U.S. Savings Bonds and other prizes. Many of the guests remained for a tour of the Authority's state-of-the-art New York State Certified Laboratory. The event also featured a demonstration of a groundwater simulator by Kevin Dunn, director of the Office of Environmental Outreach at the Suffolk County Department of Health Services.

"The educators, students and families who got involved in our contest this year are doing a fine job of helping Suffolk residents respect our water resource and understand our system, the largest in the nation based entirely upon groundwater," LoGrande said. "We will print the winning slogans, which were chosen from hundreds of entries, in the next bill insert we'll be sending to our 340,000 residential and business customers, and Aamna's slogan will be used throughout the year. We are also featuring all six slogans on our website at www.scwa.com."

Erich Stumpel, the third grade winner, attends St. Martin of Tours School in Amityville. His slogan, "LET'S ALL USE OUR BRAINS -- DON'T POUR CHEMICALS DOWN OUR DRAINS!" enabled both his school and his teacher, Patricia Laurencot, to add another Slogan Contest victory to those of previous years.

Erich's neighbor, Melissa Cox, who attends Great Neck Road Elementary School in Copiague, won on the fourth grade level with "WATER -- KEEP IT FLOWING; IT'LL KEEP YOU GOING!" Melissa's teacher is Patricia Rech.

Matt Cavanaugh's winning slogan in the contest, a Groundwater Guardian activity, was "DO YOUR SHARE; SHOW YOU CARE; SAVE WATER." He is Janice Laube's student in the fifth grade at Ruth C. Kinney School in Islip Terrace.

Kelly Collins, a sixth grader at Prince of Peace School in Sayville, won with "OUR WATER IS SUPREME, SO DO YOUR BEST TO KEEP IT CLEAN." Her teacher is Marie Cronogue.

Seventh grader Ashley Vohs attends JFK Middle School in Port Jefferson Station. Her teacher, Beth Dimino, now has back-to-back Slogan Contest victories to her credit as last year's seventh grade winner was also one of her students. Ashley's winning entry was "THE BEST DRINK COMES OUT OF YOUR SINK - WATER."

The Suffolk County Water Authority is a public benefit corporation operating by virtue of the Public Authorities Law of the State of New York. Serving about 80% of Suffolk's residents, it operates without taxing power on a non-profit basis.