Sculptural Magic

Artist Tom Otterness creates a world of fantasy in his Brooklyn studio.

When I was walking to Tom Otterness’s studio in Brooklyn, New York, there were no signs, no shops, and no people on the streets of his neighborhood of mostly warehouse buildings. The doors are all unmarked and there are only a few windows.

But when Mr. Otterness opened the plain door to his workshop, I felt like Alice, stepping into Wonderland. My jaw dropped as he gave me a tour. I could barely contain my excitement!

There were models of sculptures he’d finished—both large and small—and models of sculptures still in the works. There were little clay people and whimsical giants. There was even a tiny model of the huge metal Millipede he made for the Ulrich Museum in Wichita, Kansas, his hometown.

The most memorable sculptures I saw Mr. Otterness working on were a collection of broken hearts he is making for San Francisco General Hospital. Each piece is heart-shaped, but they also have arms and legs and faces like people—people who’ve been banged up and need help.

One heart was on crutches, one was in a wheelchair with a bandaged toe, and two hearts sat side-by-side, one comforting the other. There was also a heart with its own stethoscope plugged into its ears, listening. When I saw it, it made me realize that though our hearts can break, they can also heal.

When I asked Mr. Otterness about what inspires his work, he told me an anecdote about why he made a big bear sculpture. When his daughter was young, he said, she had a teddy bear. Whenever Mr. Otterness did something she didn't like, she threw the teddy bear down and punished it. So he made a bear sculpture “because I think that was the way she thought of me," he explained, “as a big bear.

I was interviewing Mr. Otterness because of his connection to the Scholastic Art and Writing Awards. I was covering the awards ceremony later in the week. Mr. Otterness was not only presenting the Lifetime Achievement Award, he was a recipient of the award last year. Even more cool, I learned that as a high school student, Mr. Otterness was a Scholastic Art and Writing winner! He says the award helped give him his start as a professional artist.

By the end of my visit and interview, I felt like I had been on a private field trip in Tom Otterness’s personal playground. His sculptures are so kid-friendly you can touch them and sometimes even climb on them and get inside. He never puts a red velvet rope or "Do Not Touch" sign in front of his work. And now, whenever I’m walking down the street and see a plain door, I wonder what kind of magic might be behind it.

—Grace McManus

Lakers Win NBA Finals!

L.A. team defeats Boston Celtics in last minutes of Game 7.

Last night the Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Boston Celtics to win the NBA Championship title for 2010. The Game 7 score was 83-79 in a game that stayed close most of the four quarters of play.

The Lakers came from behind in this action packed game. In fact, they were down by 13 points in the second half.

Laker Kobe Bryant, who was named MVP and now has his 5th NBA title, made only 6 of his 24 shots last night, but recovered 15 rebounds. He only made 3 of 14 shots in the first half. Bryant was playing with a broken finger and fluid in his knee.

“I was getting real, real tired,” Kobe said after the game. “And the more I pushed, the more it got away from me. I’m really glad my teammates got us back in the game and I’m happy I made even one shot.”

The interesting thing, for me, watching this game, is that I watched it right after losing my own baseball championship game by two points. After a loss, you examine the game and try to figure out how the win got away from you. You can have a fabulous team, as the Celtics do, and yet on any given day, you don’t know how things are going to work out.

Ron Artest of the Celtics scored 20 points, but the Celtics shooting guards were playing at their worst last night. Ray Allen hit only 3 of 14 shots and hit just 2 of 7 three-pointers.

Everyone watching knows that the Celtics came very close to pulling off a Final win. But we were all left to wonder—would it have turned out differently if Celtics guard Kendrick Perkins hadn’t been sidelined with an injury? Did the Lakers simply want the title more? Were the Celtics outmatched?

Earlier in the week Bryant laid it out.

“The challenge is to win the championship,” Bryant said. “The Celtics are in the way. They feel the same way about us.”

I think we can all agree, though, that the Celtics showed a lot of fight. They gave us a terrific NBA Finals because down to that last minute, it could have gone either way. Both teams also gave fans some really great games!

That’s little consolation to the Celtics, but as I sat in the back of my car, going home after my own championship loss, my grandfather put it into perspective for me.

“Joe you’ve got to learn to lose as well as win,” he said.

—Joseph O’Connor

PHOTO: Los Angeles Lakers guard Derek Fisher (center) holds the Larry O'Brien Trophy as Kobe Bryant (right) holds the MVP trophy during celebrations after beating the Boston Celtics 83-79 in Game 7 of the NBA basketball finals Thursday, June 17, 2010, in Los Angeles. At second left is Lakers' Sasha Vujacic. (PHOTO Credit: Mark J. Terrill/AP Images)

NBA Finals!

Forget LeBron! The action is between Lakers and Celtics.

Most basketball news the past few months has focused on whether or not LeBron James will stay with the Cleveland Cavaliers once he becomes a free agent July 1. In fact, I live in NYC, where sports enthusiasts are in a frenzy over the Knicks’ attempts to lure LeBron to the Big Apple.

But forget all that! The NBA Finals is now tied 3 games each between long-time rivals Los Angeles Lakers and Boston Celtics. Right now, that’s the most exciting news in basketball! LeBron who?

In an upset last night, the Lakers beat the Boston Celtics 89-67 in Game 6 of the NBA finals. Now, for only the fifth time in NBA Final history, we are going to see a Game 7. And, after all, is there anyone who doesn’t love a Game 7?

The Laker win last night has upped the stakes to a winner-take-all game on Thursday in L.A. The Lakers went into Game 6 as the underdogs. Now they are the comeback kids. But don’t count out the Celtics. They began the entire tournament as the underdog team.

The Celtics played at their worst for Game 6. On top of that, Kendrick Perkins injured his right knee in the first quarter, and it looks like he won’t be available for Game 7.

This will be the first Game 7 for Lakers star, Kobe Bryant, who was really on his game last night, scoring 26 points and nabbing 11 rebounds.

Boston is one win away from their second title in three years, but the Lakers will have the home court advantage for Game 7.

“It’s a game we have to win,” Bryant said. “It’s as simple as that.”

I’m certainly going to be watching on Thursday night. What about you?

—Joseph O’Connor

PHOTO: The Celtics' Nate Robinson gets his shot blocked by the Lakers' Lamar Odom in the second half of Game 6 of the NBA Finals Tuesday. (Photo Credit: Zuma/NewsCom)

Obama on Oil Spill: What Do You Think?

New Orleans Kid Reporter sees oil spill troubles first hand.

Fifty seven days since the BP oil spill began and 75 days until the fifth anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, I watched President Barack Obama address the nation from the Oval Office in the White House last night. The President focused on three main aspects of the oil spill: cleaning up the oil, recovering and restoring the gulf coast, and making sure there is not another catastrophe like this one in the future.

I live in the New Orleans area and have family all over the Gulf Coast. I have seen first hand the long-term recovery from the Hurricane Katrina disaster in 2005. Unfortunately the Gulf Coast is again in need of help, this time from the nation’s worst environmental disaster.

The impact of this disaster may be more widespread than the hurricane and consequent flooding, and the recovery may take much longer.

“Unlike an earthquake or a hurricane, it is not a single event that does its damage in a matter of minutes or days,” President Obama said of the oil spill. “The millions of gallons of oil that have spilled into the Gulf of Mexico are more like an epidemic, one that we will be fighting for months and even years.”

I wanted the President to scold BP for not having any plan for such a disaster and he did just that.

“I will meet with the chairman of BP and inform him that he is to set aside whatever resources are required to compensate the workers and businesses who have been harmed by his company’s recklessness,” President Obama said, calling the company “reckless.”

That fund will be administered by a third party and not by the oil company, he said.

“BP will pay for the impact this spill has had on the region,” President Obama promised.

I was glad to hear the President explain the need for a long-term recovery plan as well. He put Ray Mabus, the Secretary of the Navy and a former governor of Mississippi in charge of a newly formed Gulf Coast Restoration Plan.

He also seemed to understand that the negative impact on the land and waters of the Gulf Coast area directly affects the people who make their livings—and their lives—here.

“I’ve seen empty docks and restaurants with fewer customers—even in areas where the beaches are not yet affected,” said the President who has made four visit to the area since the spill. “The sadness and anger [the people here] feel is not just about the money they’ve lost. It’s about a wrenching anxiety that their way of life may be lost.”

Finally, President Obama talked about how to prevent another catastrophe like this one from ever happening again. I heard the President use strong language to express the nation’s need to develop clean energy and alternative energy sources.

“Each day, we send nearly $1 billion of our wealth to foreign countries for their oil,” he said. “And today, as we look to the Gulf, we see an entire way of life being threatened by a menacing cloud of black crude. We cannot consign our children to this future. The tragedy unfolding on our coast is the most painful and powerful reminder yet that the time to embrace a clean energy future is now.”

I can only hope that this latest catastrophe will help us all finally realize we must make the changes needed to end our dependence on fossil fuels now. Perhaps the oil industry jobs that are lost in the Gulf now can be replaced by jobs that are related to clean energy.

“Now is the moment for this generation to embark on a national mission to unleash American innovation and seize control of our own destiny,” the President said.

I agree. What do you think? (Send in your comments in the Comment section below.)

—Abigayle Lista

PHOTO: Oil-covered pelicans sit in a pen waiting to be cleaned at a rescue center facility set up by the International Bird Rescue Research Center in Fort Jackson, Louisiana, June 7, 2010. Two hundred and ninety two birds have been brought to the center over a six week period. (Photo: REUTERS/Sean Gardner)

Healthy Eating Homestyle

How does your family stay healthy? Send comments below!

Eating healthy has always been a top priority for my family. Every Saturday we visit our local Farmers Market. We also all work in the vegetable patch my dad started four years ago at the community garden, and we are part of a farm share, where we can get meat and eggs.

I’ve learned that eating healthy doesn’t always mean doing without sweet breakfast cereals or beverages. It just means finding other, just as good, food.

It’s awesome to visit the Farmers Market. We have gotten to know the farmers and we get to see other people from our community. In other words, we get to buy delicious food while visiting with friends!

As part of a farm share, my family gets some of the crops as they are harvested. Depending on the season, we get different food. For example, in the summer we get kale and—my personal favorite—watermelon. In the winter we tend to get granola and meat.

My mom loves to make apple pie during the fall, and guess where we get the best apples? At the market!

Whether you love helping pick out the fruits that will go in your lunch, or you like to get involved in your community, everyone loves the farmers market.

In our home garden, I especially love when we grow tomatoes. We are really successful with those. In the summer my friends and I help collect the hundreds of juicy, red, vitamin-c-filled fruits. We eat them all the time after that. We can put them in anything: salads, sandwiches, salsa, and sometimes tomato sauce!

We plant cucumbers that turn out really big and really good. We plant lettuce and basil, which we always turn into pesto. We have a really big chard crop every year as well.

I have loved broccoli since I was 4 years old and we grow that as well. This year we are growing cilantro, too. We even have mint leaves that we can turn into a really good tea. Later this afternoon I am planting rosemary for us to use in tomato sauce later this year.

I enjoy growing our garden and shopping in the market. We get to have fun and stay fit and healthy. I have learned important skills and information about food as well.

I also want to share a recipe with you.

My Favorite Salad

Ingredients: Lettuce, Tomato, Half a Cucumber, Olive Oil, Vinegar

How to make it:

    1. Wash your lettuce, tomato, and cucumber half.

    2. Cut your lettuce leaves into a bite size for your salad. Make sure you off cut all rotten parts of the leaves.

    3. Cut the tops off of your tomato and then cut the tomato into slices.

    4. Peel cucumber half and cut it into slices.

    5. Put tomato slices, lettuce leaves, and cucumber slices in a salad bowl.

    6. Season the salad with olive oil and vinegar.

    7. Enjoy!

—Ana Deluca-Mayne

PHOTO: Ana's homemade salad, using ingredients from her garden! (Photo Courtesy Ana Deluca-Mayne)

Get a Taste of Mexico!

At the President's guest house for another tasty state visit.

A dancer stomped and twirled to the rhythm of the music being played in a courtyard filled with sunlight. Brightly decorated tables dotted the area. The atmosphere was festive for the second official state visit of the Obama presidency.

Called “A Taste of Mexico,” this cultural event for kids was held at Blair House, the President's official guest house just across the street from the White House. The event celebrated the upcoming visit of the President of Mexico Felipe Calderón. It was hosted by Capricia Marshall, Chief of Protocol of the United States.

The music was good, but the food was better. The highlight of the event was getting to learn about Mexican cuisine first-hand—both the preparing and the eating!

Guided by guest chef Patricia Jinich and several White House chefs, we (the kids) were separated into four groups, one group at each of four tables.

The first group was charged with making delicious corn tortillas. When everyone was finished making their tortillas, a bell rang, and each group moved on to the next table.

The second table was devoted to beans. My group learned about all the different kinds of beans, how they were cooked, what foods they were good with. Once we were finished, the bell rang again and we moved on.

At the third table, we made our own salsa with various ingredients. At the fourth table, we finished making the batter for a delicious looking sponge cake.

Once we had finished making and learning about the Mexican delicacies, we went outside to the tables in the courtyard, where some interesting beverages awaited. There was a drink called Agua de Jamaica, which was actually hibiscus flower water. Another was Agua de Limón, otherwise known as fresh lime-water. The last was named Agua de Horchata, or water with rice, vanilla, almond, and cinnamon.

We conversed and tasted the exquisite drinks until the food came. That was when all conversation stopped.

The food was wonderful. Our handmade tortillas had been united with a scrumptiously seasoned bean puree, Mexican sour cream, Farmer's cheese and avocado to form a Mexican dish called Enfrijoladas con crema queso y aguacate. This dish was improved even more as we added our personal salsas to the mix.

Last, but certainly not least, came the dessert: A sponge cake decorated with a dollop of whipped cream, Mexican chocolate shavings, and fresh strawberries. It was an absolute melt in your mouth confection dubbed Pastel de tres leches de vanilla con crema batida y fresas con rallado de chocolate Mexicano.

A mouthful both to say and to eat, yet delicious nonetheless. As they say in Mexico: ¡Buen apetito!

Be sure to check out my video interview with the Chief of Protocol and head chef of the event!

—Nick Berray

PHOTOS: (TOP) Kid Reporter Nick Berray (left) works on dessert. (BOTTOM) Handmade tortillas made by kids at "A Taste of Mexico" event before going into the kitchen to be cooked. (Photos Courtesy Nick Berray)