National Gumdrop Day was on Feb.15. Gumdrops are a chewy candy that are madde with gelatin and sugar coated. The origin of the gumdrop is a mystery, but legend has it that the gumdrop was created in 1801. Percy S. Truesdell, chemist and candy manufacturer, gets credit for making the first gumdrop, according to National Day calendar. He was known as the gumdrop king.

Scientists are developing toilets that do not use water. Water is a limited resource, but each year 1.5 trillion gallons of clean drinking water are flushed down toilets in the United States.

Three promising types of waterless toilets are solar toilets, composting toilets, and bio-toilets. Each of these toilets recycle human waste into something useable.

Solar toilets burn up waste using the energy of the sun. Waste is cooked until it becomes a charcoal-like substance called “bio char,” which can be used as fertilizer. 

Yesenia Browning has ridden horses for five years. She started riding horses when she was in first grade.  For a girl at her age, she didn’t find riding horses hard. If I was her I would have found it very difficult.            

Yesenia started riding because she has loved horses since she was little. Her neighbors have horses and they teach adults and kids to ride. They even enter in rodeos. 

Tolleson Elementary School District Superintendent Lupita Hightower has been nominated recently to help build a school in Constanza, Dominican Republic. Hightower is one of 50 participants who will be helping lay cinder blocks for the school.

Participants in the Lifetouch Memory Mission include parents, teachers, principals, PTA and NAESP members, school board members, the superintendent and employees of Lifetouch. 

High school students who are enrolled during the 2016-2017 school year are eligible to enter the Valley Metro Design A Transit Wrap Student Art Contest. The contest deadline is Feb.17, 2017 at 5 p.m.

Black History Month is celebrated annually in the United States during February. Black history month is also known as African-American History Month. 

Black history month is a month to remember all those important African-American people in history that have fought for their rights as US citizens. Martin Luther King Jr. fought for his rights. He is remembered for his, “I have a dream” speech.