By Eileen Oldfield Staff Writer
Learning that her artwork would be featured in Somerset County’s 2008 Anti-Drug Calendar, and won one of the eight second-place drawing awards was a complete surprise for Auten Road Intermediate School sixth-grader Aniela Perez.
”My mouth literally dropped, and I made this wincing noise,” said Aniela. “I had no idea they would choose my picture.”
Aniela’s drawing, featured for July, uses the message “Just Walk AwayIt’s better to lose a friend than your life,” and depicts a girl refusing a cigarette.
”I was ecstatic,” said Aniela’s father, Bert Perez. “I went ahead and mentioned it to my co-workers. It’s nice to see talent translate into something like this, especially for such a great program.”
Aniela originally drew the poster during fifth grade; her DARE officer, Chris Weckenman, selected the drawing as one of the best from the school. The drawings were then brought to Somerset County Prosecutor Wayne Forrest and a panel of six judges. According to Capt. Jack Bennett, Somerset County DARE coordinator, picking the county’s best artists isn’t an easy task.
Despite winning a CD-cover contest last year, and having her artwork featured on the Artsonia Web site, www.artsonia.com, having her artwork featured still shocked Aniela.
”It was kind of weird,” said Aniela. “I never really got an award like this and thought I would be picked.”
”I’m as proud as any parent would be,” said Julie Perez, Aniela’s mother. “I think the parents were more excited than the kids.”
The Somersest County Bar Association awards Aniela a $100 savings bond for her artwork, which she hopes to use for art supplies. According to Ms. Perez, Aniela has been taking lessons for six years.
The county distributes the 8,000 calendars to fifth graders countywide, with extra calendars going to government buildings including municipal buildings and police stations. The calendars cost between $8,000 and $9,000 to print, with funding coming from forfeited drug money, said Capt. Bennett.
