Lesterville Wishlist
Here is a site where you can read just the basic request from the Lesterville School District for most of the Ameren/FERC fine money. First, I would like to thank Shelley Powers for making this available to all of us at the wrong end of a small copper wire.
Anyone who ever bought a Missouri Lottery ticket should realize that your chance of winning something from this process is pretty good, so I don't blame Lesterville R-4 for trying to win the jackpot. My wife worked for the Lesterville school for 15 years before retiring in 2003 , so I'm aware of the lack of money to operate a quality school.
Notice that on the prioritized list that the first 9 items don't have anything to do with teaching/learning. I know that you need a good environment to be able to teach/learn, but if any funding is available from this process I would sure hope it had a direct effect on some students learning. Notice that on the list a lawn mower is more important than science equipment.
The school has spent tens of thousands of dollars over the last 10 years on technology and yet still sends out a school news letter by mail, the schools web site is not only very basic but you can't find any email addresses on the web site, and as far as I know no current student or recent graduate (or faculty member) has a web site. It would be wonderful if some of this Ameren money really made a difference in the area of science education, but I'm from Missouri and you would have to "show me".
The only thing on this list that would effect my "quality of life" is the Community Center. Remember I told you this was going to be fun.
While I'm on this rant, there is still a month to submit a recommendation to Ameren for these funds. I sure hope someone out there has some better ideas than what has been requested.
Here's a chance to change the "quality of life" of a lot of folks and to help protect the Black River environment, but the main thing we need is some good ideas. Anybody out there thinking?
posted by staff @ 8:13 AM
4 comments
4 Comments:
Hi Lee,
I too have been sitting here all morning downloading the various proposals. . . . very frustrating, isn't it! Thank goodness Shelley was kind enough to convert the Lesterville School proposal. It truly is a "feeding frenzy" isn't it?
Just a comment on your comment: "Looks like I'm the only business in Lesterville to make a request. Every governmental or quasi-governmental agency in Reynolds County jumped on the gravy wagon." Could that be because it was all kept very "hush-hush" and none of the businesses were aware of the secret meetings and the proposal process until very recently? I fault all government bodies, local & state, for this failure to inform the public.
On a side note: Once again, high speed internet access would eliminate the County Assessor's need for expensive aerial photographic equipment. (Proposal for $38,000) Unless I'm dreaming, basic Google Earth is FREE and Google Earth Pro has an initial (one time only fee) of $400. As you know, live-time satellite imagery, 3D maps, etc. are already available world wide via Google. One would think that someone in our county government would know these things. I must say that if it's good enough for Homeland Security, I bet it might work for Reynolds county.
Unless and until quality high-speed internet access is available, the powers that be at the school will never realize the importance of computer technology education for our rural students and how the lack thereof will perpetuate and exacerbate their failures in the modern world. My Father always had a saying, "They don't know, that they don't know, that they don't know." If you follow the logic in those words, I think you'll understand what I'm getting at . . . the teachers and administrators do not see the importance because it is not available to them, either. Therefore, they don't know the importance of including it in the proposal for funding.
Oh well, back to downloading. At this rate I might complete downloads by New Years Day if I'm lucky. . .
Glee
The school has had a T1 line for the internet since the last 1990s. This is paid for by one of those strange taxes on you phone bill. So the schools knows about broadband, they have it.
Lee
You're welcome. In fact, I don't know why I didn't think of it sooner, but under http://missourigreen.com/proposals/ you'll find that I'm not uploading all the proposals, unzipped, and in a state that you can review the directory contents and just download what you'd like.
I don't live in the area and feel unqualified to make a comment on this process (though with Ste Genevieve, one wonders). I do like your internet proposal, and would like to see wireless extended to Johnson's and make this into a true learning environment. I must admit, also, that my natural proclivity favors the Nature Conservancy wish item.
Anyway, as the directory will be expanding as I upload new proposal folders.
Happy New Year
Shelley
Sorry, I'm _now_ uploading...
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