Earth – the stormy frontier?

Fifth-grade science is pretty turbulent these days.

Hurricanes, typhoons, monster storms – they’re all part of a new curriculum unit on water cycles for fifth-graders. Wekiva Elementary science lab teacher Julie Gabrovic recently debuted the program for her pupils at the planetarium at Seminole State College.

Developed in partnership with Derek Demeter, director of the Seminole State College Planetarium and Holli Riebeek, Sigma Space NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Earth Observatory/Terra Education & Public Outreach, it is intended to be implemented statewide as part of the elementary science curriculum.

As part of the program, Gabrovic and Demeter spent a week at the Goddard Space Center in Maryland. Their stay was funded through NASA’s Terra Mission, which emphasizes collaboration between educators and planetariums.

The Terra Mission relies on Terra, a satellite launched in 1999 to study how different parts of the Earth work together to create an overall system.

Want to see some of that the students experienced? Check out Gabrovic’s Planetarium Project page.

SunRail Groundbreaking

Great turnout this morning for the SunRail groundbreaking in Altamonte Springs. The Sentinel estimated the crowd at about 500. I’ll let them tell you about the event – click that link to read the article – and I’ll show you some photos.

Altamonte Mayor Pat Bates was there (that’s her in the pic below – scroll down, okay? – with State Sen. David Simmons and Altamonte City Commissioner Gardner Hussey) along with County Commission Chair Brenda Carey, Commissioner Carlton Henley (that’s him at the microphone), Longwood Mayor Joe Durso, Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer and Orange County Mayor Teresa Jacobs.

Congressional reps and political opposites John Mica and Corrine Brown not only worked on the rail project together for years, they sat next to each other and shared speaking duties. That photo and many others will be on our website soon, so check ’em out! And by the way, check out our virtual magazine too!

Here Comes the Train

Don't miss the ground-breaking ceremony for SunRail this Friday -- a major milestone in the long and winding track SunRail has traveled so far.

It'll be a while (2014, by state DOT's estimates) before we can buy tickets to ride, even on the first segment of the project, but we can see shovels go into the ground this week. Some 200 people have already RSVP'd , per DOT Public Info Officer Steve Olson.

A who's who of regional dignitaries will also be there, including Altamonte Springs city officials, Carlton Henley and others from the Seminole County Commission, Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer, Orange County Mayor Teresa Jacobs, U.S. Reps. John Mica Corrinne Brown, Florida Transportation Secretary Ananth Prasad and officials from counties along the route from Volusia to Osceola.

Here are the basics:

• When: 10 a.m.
• Where: Future home of the Altamonte Springs SunRail station, corner of State Road 436 and Ronald Reagan Boulevard
  
• RSVP: 407-487-4035

Check out the invitation/image for additional details, including driving directions, or view it here on SunRail's website.

MLK parade in Sanford

Behind the scenes this morning as marchers lined up for the MLK Day parade in Sanford:

From AmvetsPost 17, Mary Hayes and James Melton:

Showing the flag!

Supervisor of Elections Michael Ertel with Voter Outreach Manager Joe Culotta.

Yay for Midway Elementary!



Bundle up, it's chilly!

SOE Michael Ertel with the Seminole Democrats' Black Caucus: