By DIANE GASPER-O'BRIEN

dobrien@dailynews.net

Fort Hays State University's inaugural Space Week will conclude Saturday with a model rocket launch for the public.

Paul Adams, director of FHSU's Science and Mathematics Education Institute, said some FHSU groups plan to launch rockets and are inviting members of the public to do the same.

Registration for the launch will be at 8 a.m., with launching to begin at about 9 a.m.

Location for the event is a field just off 230th Avenue just north of the university farm. From U.S. 183 Bypass, turn west on 230th Avenue, then turn right into the open field.

Directions and an aerial map, as well as more information on Space Week, can be found at www.fhsu.edu/scimathcenter/spaceweek.shtml.

Prizes will be awarded in several categories, such as top three altitudes and most realistic looking.

Essay contest under way

An essay contest sponsored by a popular Italian restaurant will win some lucky student a trip to New York.

The grand prize from the 13th annual Pasta Tales essay writing contest sponsored by Olive Garden is a three-day trip to New York and a $2,500 savings bond.

Students in kindergarten through 12th grade are asked to write an essay from 50 to 250 words answering the question, "How would you use the Internet to change your community for the better?"

Entries must include the writer's name, complete address, phone number with area code, grade, date of birth -- including year -- and a statement that the work is their own.

Entries must be submitted either online or postmarked by Dec. 5 and sent to Pasta Tales, PMB 2000, 6278 N. Federal Highway, Fort Lauderdale FL, 33308-1916.

A winner will be chosen at each grade level and will receive a $500 savings bond and a free family dinner at their local Olive Garden.

More information is available online at www.olivegarden.com/company/community/pasta_tales.asp.

Plainville students to get free pizza

Jennie Finnessy's kindergarten class at Plainville Elementary School was one of five Kansas classrooms to win a pizza party sponsored by Agri-land and the Kansas Foundation for Agriculture in the Classroom.

Students from classrooms that visited Agri-land, an educational playground for youth at the Kansas State Fair in Hutchinson, earlier this month were able to enter into a drawing for the pizza party.

Representatives from KFAC will provide the pizza for the classrooms sometime this year and give a "Slice of Ag" presentation, a lesson plan that teaches youth about agriculture.