NASA ASTRONAUT AT GES NASA FAMILY NIGHT
Tuesday night, the Greenville Elementary School hosted NASA Family Night. The big event of the evening was a presentation from retired NASA Astronaut Roger Crouch. He spoke to a gymnasium full of students, teachers, parents and community members about the process of traveling into space. Another NASA Member assisted him, via live feed with the Distance Learning Network, at the Glenn Research Center in Ohio.
Crouch commented on Greenville Elementary being chosen a NASA Explorer School, and how this benefits the students by giving them a sense of importance and the inspiration to want to contribute. Crouch said it was wonderful to see parents at NASA Family Night encouraging their children to be a part of this explorer school. He explained that parents, along with community support for the school to help the students, makes an unbeatable team.
Crouch began his career with NASA in 1962. He commented on one of the honors as being chosen as an astronaut is talking to kids, and how they are usually fascinated by two things in particular: the past involving dinosaurs and the future involving space travel. He believes that when you talk about space, you get them interested in science and math and technology, and it's just incredible how enthusiastic they become and how much they want to be a part of it.
The Greenville Elementary School was one of only 25 schools selected nationwide to be part of the NASA Explorer School program last year. Among other things, this partnership allows students to participate in digital conferences and curriculum with scientists and engineers at NASA.
POCAHONTAS VILLAGE BOARD MARCH MEETING
The Pocahontas Village Board voted unanimously to approve the Ordinance of Annexation of Fred and Molly Clayton. The property at 601 Blaine St. has a demolition order and is ready for work to begin. The Board approved the purchase of fish to restock the lake. They will be picked up the first part of April.
Two Indian Head drawings were brought before the board for consideration. The chairmen of committees proposed letting the elementary school children vote on which image to paint on the water tower. The Board agreed and the issue will go to the school.
When a resident of Pocahontas has trouble with their water or sewer lines, the expense and burden of proof that it is a village problem will be on the homeowner. They must hire a plumber and eliminate their side as the problem. If the plumber finds that it is a Village issue, the plumber will be instructed to bill the Village.
The Pocahontas Village Board then announced some events taking place in April:
Carlisle Syntec will hold an Easter Egg Hunt in the Park on Sunday, April 1st.
The National Road Association will hold a Bake Sale at the Pocahontas Village Hall on Saturday, April 7 from 8 a.m. to noon.
The Pocahontas Fire Department will host an Easter Egg Hunt on Sunday, April 8th.
Curb Trash Day will be held in Pocahontas on Tuesday April 17th.
SHIMKUS ANNOUNCES INVESTMENT IN VANDALIA
Infrastructure for a new city-owned development site in Vandalia, that will include an ethanol plant, has received a huge boost from Congressman John Shimkus. He recently revealed that the U.S. Department of Commerce's Economic Development Administration (EDA) has approved more than $1.5 million in federal funding. It will cover half of the cost for a project that will create 40 jobs and generate $100 million in private investment.
Shimkus commented that it was the efforts of Vandalia City Mayor Rick Gottman and Fred Walker of the South Central Illinois Regional Planning and Development Commission that made this investment by the EDA a reality. Gottman said this grant will provide a significant boost to economic growth in the community, to further develop the west interchange for industrial and commercial use.
