MOUNTAIN LION WARNING: Three mountain lion sightings in the past two weeks prompted Danville police to ask residents to use caution around their homes and when out in nature.
The recent sightings all occurred in areas of town with few people, and none were confirmed to be mountain lions. In March there were several sightings reported in Pleasanton.
Since 1890, there have been 14 mountain lion attacks in California. A total of 16 people were injured, six killed. The last California attack was in January in Humboldt County.
According to the state Department of Fish and Game, pets should always be secured and never fed outside.
The department recommends residents not hike alone and that homeowners trim brush to reduce hiding places, keep small pets and children inside, install motion-sensitive lighting around houses, protect sheep and goats with sturdy, covered shelter; and not allow pets outside at dawn, dusk, or at night.
If a mountain lion is an immediate danger to people, pets or property, call 911.
For answers to questions, call Fish and Game at 707-944-5531 or visit http://www.dfg.ca.gov.
— MediaNews
Danville
MONTE VISTA STUDENTS WIN SCIENCE AWARDS: Two senior sweepstakes winners of this year’s Tri-Valley Science and Engineering Fair, both juniors at Monte Vista High School, won five major awards at the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair held in New Mexico on May 13 to 18.
As winners of the March Tri-Valley Fair sponsored by Lawrence Livermore Laboratory, the two students qualified to compete at the Albuquerque competition, which drew more than 1,500 students from more than 50 countries.
Richard Li, a junior at Monte Vista High School in Danville, won multiple awards for his project: “A Novel Approach to Rapid Diagnosis of Cancer.” His award-winning project explains how a protein could diagnose cancer.
At the fair held in Albuquerque, he won a $500 prize for best in category, fourth place in chemistry, $100 from the American Association for Clinical Chemistry’ a $5,000 annual tuition scholarship and a paid summer internship from Albany College of Pharmacy at Union University, N.Y.; and a $120,000 tuition scholarship from Drexel University in Pennsylvania.
Yuyang John Mei, also a junior at Monte Vista, received a paid summer internship sponsored by Agilent Technologies for his project: “A Novel Pathway for PTEN Chemo Sensitization” that unravels a protein to help fight cancer.
— Kelly Gust
