Anti-meth poster contest winner announced

ROYAL CITY — The winner of the Columbia Basin Herald meth prevention campaign poster contest is establishing her name as a talented artist at 16 years old.

Royal High School junior Lydia McCubbins was surprised with a PlayStation 3 and video game Monday during art class for her winning entry in the poster contest. The prize was delivered by Columbia Basin Herald Publisher Harlan Beagley and Managing Editor Bill Stevenson.

McCubbins also won the Columbia Basin Farmers' Market and Craft Bazaar poster contest in April and won second place prize in the annual Columbia Basin High School Art Show. The awards all came during her second year in art class.

"I can always count on her to come up with a good idea and a quality piece of work," said teacher Mike Holmes. "I think she's somebody that sets an example for the rest of my students with her focus and effort."

McCubbins said to make the poster, which is a mock promotion for the drug, she received help from her mother and conducted research on the drug.

"I just got on a couple of Web sites that told me about it," she said.

The poster heading says, "Looking for a good time?" and then asks questions such as, "Do you enjoy the sensation of bugs crawling under your skin?" "Is suffering from paranoid delusions, internal bleeding or severe memory impairment something you have always dreamed of?" and "Want to look years or even decades older than you are but suffer from acne and welts on your skin?"

"If this is your idea of fun, try meth," the poster concludes.

The Columbia Basin Herald is a co-sponsor of the contest, part of a meth prevention campaign. A committee helped select the winning entry from students in kindergarten through 12th grade living in Grant and Adams counties.

"I think her artwork shows she has a lot of talent and it's nice to see students using that talent to promote meth prevention," said Beagley.

Beagley thanked co-sponsors of the campaign, which included the Grant County Sheriff's Office, Genie Industries, Moses Lake School District, Adams County, Grant County Commissioners, Moses Lake, Ephrata, Columbia Colstor, Basic American Foods, Venue Magazine, KULE 92.3 FM, Moses Lake Police and The Ritzville-Adams County Journal.

"I'm really happy that the combined efforts of these community-minded business leaders made this possible," Beagley said.

McCubbins said she plans to attend Brigham Young University after graduation and become a writer of young adult novels.

"I was thinking maybe I'd like to be able to illustrate my books," she said.

Holmes said if McCubbins decides to continue with art during her senior year, he is going to offer her the option of independent study.

"She came to me with talent," he said. "When I first saw her, I identified her as somebody who has high artistic talent."