MEXICO – Nine Mountain Valley Middle School students traveled to Brewer High School on May 7 to participate in the Maine State Middle School Science Fair. They were accompanied by John Wallace, science fair coordinator, and Leanne Virgin, parent of sixth-grader Kelcie Virgin, went along as a chaperone.

The state science fair is held each year on the first Saturday in May. Tom Burber and Frank Page of Brewer Middle School are the organizers.

Middle schools in central, southern and eastern Maine send participants each year. The entrants can enter a problem-solving project in physical science, biological science or an invention. Many of the schools hold local science fairs, take their top projects to a regional fair and to the state fair.

Each middle school can bring a maximum of five projects and/or inventions in the sixth, seventh and eighth grades for a total of 15 projects.

Each entry is judged by three judges to determine first, second and third places and an honorable mention at each grade level and in each category.

The organizers also invite numerous businesses and organizations from the Bangor area to judge projects that are related to their products or services and give their own awards.

Students who received state awards were Nate Papsadora, second place, grade six, physical science; Ben Higley, third, grade six, biological science; Kelcie Virgin, Eureka Award, grade six, physical science.

Also, Darby Hamilton, first, grade six, physical science, and the Challenger Space Science Award; Carl Zurhorst, grade seven, Engineering Excellence Award, trophy and a $50 gift card, 2005 ZF Lemforder Corp. Innovative Award, a plaque, and the 2005 Maine Middle School Science Fair, first, Inventions Award, plaque and $100 to school science department.

Also, Zachary McPhee and Tyler Hutchins, grade seven, invention; Robert Buotte, grade seven, physical science; and McKenize Parr, grade seven, biological science.