North Las Vegan’s recipe impresses judges in contest

Talana Watkins of North Las Vegas recently finished in second place in the 2007 Winning Taste Recipe Contest sponsored by Pilgrim's Pride. Watkins, a mother of three and a part-time personal assistant, submitted a recipe for Southwest chicken egg rolls.

Original recipes using fresh chicken were submitted in five categories: appetizer/snack, main dish/entree, light eating, grilling, and quick and easy. Recipes were judged on taste, originality, ease of preparation and appearance. The winners shared more than $50,000 in prizes including a barbecue grill, cookware and cutlery.

Karen Gulkin of Simpsonville, S.C., was the grand prize winner with a recipe for tortilla-crusted chicken rellenos with cilantro. The Winning Taste Recipe Contest began in 1989 to encourage creative cooking with fresh chicken.

In other news:

* Lorena Ochoa, a student at the College of Southern Nevada, was awarded the postsecondary bronze medal in photography at the 2007 SkillsUSA Championships in June in Kansas City, Mo.

More than 5,000 students from high school and college technical education programs participated in 87 occupational and leadership contests at the competition.

The contests are judged by industry leaders from businesses, corporations, trade associations and unions. SkillsUSA, a nonprofit organization, encourages students, teachers and industries to work together to ensure a skilled workforce.

* Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts Las Vegas student Ryan Hernandez, 18, is one of 350 college students awarded a $1,000 scholarship from the Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation. The scholarship recipients were selected based on their academic success and community service during the past year. The foundation awards 400 scholarships annually through the Coca-Cola Two-Year Colleges Scholarship Program.

* Las Vegan Tena Beth Thompson's original short story "True Love" is featured in the latest entry in the "Chicken Soup for the Soul" book series. "Chicken Soup for the Soul in Menopause: Living and Laughing Through Hot Flashes and Hormones," is a collection of stories written by women who have gone through menopause.

* Rod Miller, a science teacher at Silverado High School, attended the Maury Project Workshop offered by the United States Naval Academy July 9-20. The workshop, which features lectures, hands-on material and field trips, aims to help teachers develop their skills in oceanography.

If you know of a worthy candidate for this column, mail information to Newsmakers, Las Vegas Review-Journal, P.O. Box 70, Las Vegas, NV 89125-0070, or send faxes to 383-4676.