The Santa Paula Elementary School District team of Robin Holcombe, Tricia Purcell and Yvonne Segovia were obviously on the straight and narrow, but it was “criminology” that put them behind the bars of a Bee loss.New and welcome participants the Santa Paula Community Bank team of Robin Araiza, Bernice A. Suniga and Dan Givens were the fourth group out when “lieutenant” proved to be a rank higher than their spelling abilities.With only two teams left, the death match between the Santa Paula Rotary Club - John Blanchard, Doug Caldwell and Elias Valdes - and the Santa Paula Times team was launched and excitement rose as each team parried words back and forth.Early on when faced with “obelisk” Valdes threw down the $20 required to buy off a word, noting, “It’s a good investment,” although the Rotary team went on to show they were a pillar of determination.The Santa Paula Times team of Kelly, Ratcliff and Skutley stuck to their guns - albeit at time firing blanks - but Bee rules mandate that when it is down to the two finalists the other team must spell the word correctly to try to capture the trophy.Although their spelling was creative the Rotary team couldn’t even borrow the wherewithal to overcome “pasticcio” and the word was passed to the Santa Paula Times team, which spelled it correctly. “Aioli” proved to be the delicious word when it brought victory to the Santa Paula Times team, whose members who enjoy Italian cooking - and menu reading - were able to mix the correct spelling together.The Santa Paula Times team captured the trophy and generously let the second place Rotary Club team look at it from a distance, the old rivalry bringing forth the longtime Bee threat used by the two groups: “You’re toast!” - this year spread with aioli. “One man’s toast,” said Rotary team member Valdes, “is another’s man second.”
|
Pictured above left to right are Kathryn Bornhauser (FLAIR Coordinator), Don Johnson (Santa Paula Times), Spelling Bee Karin, Pronouncer Leslie Nichols, winning team members Suzi Skutley, Peggy Kelly, and Marianne Ratcliff (photo by Debbie Johnson). |
Can you spell ‘aioli’? BEE Championship a tasty victory for SP Times team
June 03, 2009
Santa Paula News
By Peggy Kelly
Santa Paula TimesIt was tasty victory when the Santa Paula Times team of Peggy Kelly, Marianne Ratcliff and Suzi Skutley spelled “aioli” and recaptured the trophy - which admittedly they hadn’t held for a while - at the FLAIR Spelling Bee held May 27 at the Limoneira Pavilion.The highly contested 20th Annual Santa Paula Times Executive Spelling Bee for FLAIR (Family Literacy Aid In Reading) offered supporters a chance to take part in a silent auction and purchase Lucky Eggs, as well as to listen to the various Bee teams mingle and mangle the English language.FLAIR Executive Coordinator Kathryn Bornhauser welcomed the crowd and noted Debbie and Don Johnson, owners of the Santa Paula Times, have been longtime strong supporters of the literacy program. “Generous,” she added, “is spelled Limoneira, and generous applies to you all here” in support of FLAIR.Karen Magana was the bee with the stinging gavel that let spellers know they were out, and Jeanne Orcutt, Barry Cooper and Jean McGregor were the judges.Spellers were soothed by pre-Bee musical entertainment offered by Xavier “Big X” Montes and Cooper, and then Master of Ceremonies Don Johnson, editor/publisher of the Santa Paula Times, explained the rules of the spelling game.Johnson introduced VIP - Very Important Pronouncer - Santa Paula Theater Center Board President Leslie Nichols, whose perfect way with words and soothing voice helped the players as they strived to spell contest words, even those never heard of before... and never to be heard of again.Hollenback Family Dentistry, the multi-year Bee champion team of Kent Hollenback DDS, Connor Hollenback and Dr. Catarina Castaneda were certainly responsive to another win, but alas not “attuned” to victory and became the first team out.Soroptimist International of Santa Paula team members Meegan Huff, Barbara Kroon and Donna Stewart were game, but found themselves going in spelling circles when it came to “cylindrical” and heard the dreaded Bee buzz.
