Stacy Seiler, 10, of Huntington Beach has...

Stacy Seiler, 10, of Huntington Beach has been named a semifinalist

in the Huggable Heroes program, a recognition program sponsored by

Build-A-Bear Workshop that honors children who go to extraordinary

lengths to improve their communities. Build-A-Bear Workshop is

recognizing Stacy for raising money for Tsunami relief.

Stacy is one of 123 children throughout the United States and

Canada named as a semifinalist. The contest will be narrowed down to

29 finalists and, ultimately, to 12 Huggable Heroes.

Finalists will be announced on the Build-A-Bear Workshop website

and the public is invited to vote for one Huggable Hero who will be

named one of the 12 honorees. Voting will take place from April 15 to

May 2 on the Build-A-Bear Workshop website, www.buildabear.com.

Nine teachers from Huntington Beach schools have been honored as

Educators of the Month by Duke’s Restaurant. The Educator of the

Month program recognizes outstanding teachers and administrators

nominated from public elementary schools in the Huntington Beach City

School District.

Barbara Collins of Dwyer Elementary, Kathy McCallum of Eader

Elementary, Tracey Nelson of Hawes Elementary, Paula Fullerton of

Huntington Seacliff Elementary, Jeannie Heptig of Kettler Elementary,

Andy Filbeck of Moffett Elementary, Monica Nash of Perry Elementary,

Bill King of Peterson Elementary and Normajean Janssen of Smith

Elementary were each chosen as Educators of the Month. Honorees

receive a complimentary dinner for two, valued at $60.

* NEIGHBORS is news about Huntington Beach people achieving and

doing good in the community. To submit information to this feature,

please send it to the Independent, Attn.: Neighbors, 1375 Sunflower

Ave., Costa Mesa, CA, 92626; fax it to (714) 966-4667; or e-mail it

to [email protected].