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The 82-year-old Harlie, who retired from the Naval Air Crops Reserve as a lieutenant commander, was given the Korean War Service Medal from the Republic of South Korea.

"It’s funny to be getting this medal after 50 years and when we’re in another war," Harlie said.

The medal was originally offered in 1951, but U.S. law at the time prevented the military from wearing medals issued by foreign governments.

Harlie was first a pilot in World War II, flying a PB4Y-2 in the Pacific Theater, then joined the reserves when the war was over.

He never expected to be called back to active duty. But at the age of 30, with a wife and two children, the Korean War broke out, and he was called back.

They gave him the same kind of plane, a PB4Y-2 four-engine bomber that he had flown in WWII.

"I really felt that with a new war, I should have had a new plane," Harlie said with a laugh.

It was only later, when a fuel leak seemed to make the plane list to one side, that Harlie and his crew realized the old plane’s wing was full of sand.

Harlie and his crew of 10 flew tough duty.

Their job as part of Operation Stranglehold was to drop flares that lit up the North Korean night so that fighter planes below could strafe the trains and trucks bringing supplies to enemy troops.

There were no lights and no air-traffic controls.

"You felt like you were up there all alone," Harlie said.

It was dangerous and uncomfortable in the planes.

Sometimes, temperatures dropped to minus-40 degrees.

This war was the first time, Harlie said, he thought he might not make it back.

But Harlie did, becoming a test pilot for Goodyear and then for Boeing.

"Flying," he said, "was a hobby of mine that got completely out of hand."

Congratulations, Harlie.

Lightning strike
You want to get kids to appreciate science?

Zap the principal with lightning.

That’s exactly what happened at Spring Hill School when Principal SYLVIE HILL agreed to be hit with bolts of lightning as part of the Santa Cruz Institute of Physics’ Outreach program.

Students from kindergarten to sixth grade watched in awe as Sylvie donned a giant suit of armor and took a few direct hits of lightning.

Scientists used a Tesla Coil, which generates electric arcs about 5 feet in length to make the lightning. The coil takes output from 120 volts and steps it up to extremely high voltage. Voltage can get to be well above 1 million volts.

The demonstration was organized by teacher JENNIFER RIDDLE and was designed as part of a program to help students develop a passion for science.

Said Hill: "If being electrocuted awakens just one child’s interest in science, it was worth every moment."

One shot
Looks like the women of the Valley Gardens Golf Club could give the LPGA a run for its money.

On March 10, member BARBARA WRIGHT hit a hole-in-one on the 9th hole using a 5 wood.

It was the second time this year someone from the club has made a hole-in-one shot.

Others in her foursome were ARDIS DEANE, BERNICE HERMAN and LORRAINE JOBST.

Barbara started playing golf when she was 14 years old and attending East High School in Wichita, Kan. While working at a concession stand at a par-3 course, she used borrowed clubs from her uncle to learn to play.

The putting surface wasn’t even grass.

It was sand.

Some of that toughness rubbed off on another golfer. One of Barbara’s high school classmates was Marylin Smith, who would go on to be founder of the LPGA.

If I had a hammer
The girls of today may soon be the builders of tomorrow if a recent construction contest is any indication.

BRENDA SHAFFER, HARRIET CANASTRA and GAIL GOBLE from the National Association of Women in Construction sponsored a building contest for Junior Girl Scout Troop 1045 in Santa Cruz.

The girls were given 100 Legos, some aluminum foil, a piece of string, some cardboard and an hour to build a project.

Then, GABE GUEVERA, DOUG EVANS and TERRY KAISE from local construction companies interviewed the girls and judged the projects.

JESSICA WEATHERLY won first place for her construction of the Twin Towers. TESSA GREENFIELD took second place with her construction of a draw bridge that really opened.

Troop leader is JANET BACON.

Shirts happen
The kids at DeLaveaga Elementary School are looking pretty sharp thanks to a local company, NHS.

BOB DENIKE from the skateboard/snowboard/apparel company donated T-shirts with the company’s Santa Cruz logo on them to the entire student body.

The shirts were used to promote the school’s E-scrip program which will help raise much needed funds for the school.

T-shirts were passed out by board members of the school’s parent-teacher council. They included LYNN YORK, TAMARA CUMMINGS and JOAN PELLETIER.

New ‘Paint’
If you needed a reason to go to San Francisco, now you have one.

Felton resident KELLY HOUSTON is playing the Ben Rumson role in 42nd Street Moon’s production of "Paint Your Wagon." The show runs at the Eureka Theatre through April 13.

Kelly plays the role immortalized by Lee Marvin in the 1969 movie by the same name.

For tickets, call 415-978-2787 or visit www.42ndSt.Moon.org.

Listening in space
When a group of scientists trek to the Arecibo radio telescope in Puerto Rico to listen for alien signals as part of the famous SETI project, it will include local researcher PAUL DEMOREST.

Paul is a doctoral candidate in physics at UC Berkeley and is working at the Space Sciences Center on campus. He attended Sequoia Elementary School and Scotts Valley Middle School and graduated from Soquel High School with honors. He lives in Berkeley.

Paul’s brother, TIM DEMOREST, and his parents, DAVE AND NANCY DEMOREST, still live in Soquel.

This is Paul’s second trip to Arecibo with the SETI Project.

Dublin bound
UC Santa Cruz astronomy and astrophysics professor JOHN FAULKNER is headed to Dublin to present the Roger Tayler Memorial Lecture before the Royal Astronomical Society.

The invitation is quite an honor considering that the lecture series was designed to honor Tayler, a highly regarded physicist and astronomer who died in 1997.

John will give a talk called, "Standing on the Shoulders of Dwarfs." The title is a twist on one of Isaac Newton’s most famous remarks that Faulkner has used to describe his work on the structure and evolution of stars.

Woman in science
Professor of astronomy CLAIRE MAX, who holds an appointment at UC Santa Cruz, has been inducted into the Alameda County Women’s Hall of Fame. Claire lives in Berkeley and was honored for her work on optic systems for large telescopes used to minimize the blurring effects of turbulence in Earth’s atmosphere.

Leadership talks
Motivational speakers TERRI SCHNEIDER AND HEIDI VANDEGRIFT were the guest speakers for the Santa Cruz Chamber of Commerce Women in Business organization’s quarterly luncheon.

Also in attendance were CATHERINE MARCOTTE, program leader for the Young Women’s Leadership Alliance, and young members of the group. The organization focuses on putting teen women in leadership roles and needs new sponsorship, according to ANNETTE MCGARITY. If you want to help, call Beth Meyer at ETR Associates at 438-4060, Ext. 218.

Growing agriculture
CATHERINE "RACHEL" BARR of Freedom has been awarded a scholarship from the Santa Cruz County Farm Bureau. Rachel won the $2,000 Jimmie Cox Memorial Scholarship and is attending Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo. The scholarship is awarded to a student who plans to, or is studying, agriculture.

Rachel is majoring in food science and her goal is to work as an inspector with the FDA or the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Her parents are KATIE AND JONATHAN BARR of Freedom.

Picture perfect
Local writer JANE PARKS-MCKAY has been selected to exhibit one of her photographs in the "Images of Filoli" exhibit, which runs April 4-19. Jane’s photograph is called "Peace" and is part of an exhibit that will benefit the idyllic Filoli mansion and gardens in Woodside. Another of Jane’s photographs, "Betsy’s Garden," will be sold as a postcard at the event. The photograph is in memory of Jane’s late mother, Betsy, who enjoyed Filoli at many Christmas events. For information, call 364-8300.

High honors
KALI CRESS PETERSON, a graduate of Harbor High School and UC Berkeley, has been accepted at Carneige Mellon for graduate work in gerontology. She also was awarded a $10,000-per-semester C.C. Cooper scholarship. She also was accepted at USC’s graduate school of gerontology and graduate school of public policy.

Kali grew up in Live Oak and is the daughter of CATHY CRESS AND PETE PETERSON of Live Oak.

Kali lives in Los Angeles.

Dean’s list
On the dean’s list at Asuza Pacific University are ELISE PERRY of Boulder Creek; STEFFAN SNODGRASS, SARAH SNODGRASS and ROBIN HARROLD of Santa Cruz; JANELLE LARKIN of Scotts Valley and JOANNA DIAS of Soquel.

Got a story to tell, an event to report, an award to announce? Write to Peggy Townsend at 207 Church St., Santa Cruz, CA 95060; fax to 429-9620; e-mail to ptownsend@santa-cruz.com; or call 429-2488.

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