The Space Center is Off the District's Bond

This Photograph shows the moment Mrs. Abernathey,
Chief Imagineer of the Imaginarium's Office of Little Girl's Dreams,
heard the news that the Space Center was removed from the November Bond.

Hello Troops,
A sadness descended across the Imaginarium and Wonderland yesterday when word of the Space Center's removal from the district bond was announced. The workday buzz in the Imaginarium's offices fell silent as hundreds of employees huddled around their wireless sets listening to reports.

Thousands took to the streets to show their support. The Imaginarium's switchboard lit up with hundreds of incoming calls of condolence. Storm clouds formed and reports of hail and high winds were received. Many claimed sure knowledge that this was the end - the sky was surely preparing to fall.

Betty Block, capture the moment she heard the news, as painted by Munch LaRuss. Betty collapsed after the painting was finished. Holding still in her state of shock for the four hours Munch required to finish the painting, was more than Betty's delicate constitution could endure.

Then a calm voice was heard over the radios and loud speakers. Mr. Williamson spoke from the Imaginarium's Observation Deck.

"Troops, this is Mr. Williamson. I want to begin by thanking the Alpine School District for their support in putting us on the bond in the first place. In these troubled financial times, putting a Space Education Center on a building proposal was visionary and risky. With so many pressing needs in the District, it became impossible to justify the costs, especially with a new high school in Lehi being added to the funding list.

For twenty years the Space Center has received the full support of the district. Being taken from the bond in no way changes that fact. And to be honest, I support the district's decision. It is the right decision and I'm in full support. Taxpayers money must be spent on the district's most pressing needs.

So, what is next? The Space Center continues with its award winning programs. We will continue to provide the best field trip in Utah. We will continue our camps and classes. And, because we won't be moving into a new building, we will take our savings and begin an extensive remodeling program for all our ships. In addition to remodeling, I'm announcing plans to start the design of a new 8 person simulator. This new ship will take the Center from five to six simulators. The sun is rising on the Center. Awesome things are coming and I'm very excited.

Now it is time to move forward on the Center's most ambitious projects to date. In 18 months the Space Center will have a new look - all thanks to your support.

What can you do to help?

1. Come to our camps. Come to our classes. Bring parties here. The Space Center is allowed to keep 100% of the money we generate. That money comes from you.

2. Spread the word to everyone you know that the Space Center is an awesome place for birthday parties, parties, camps and classes. I don't want to spend any of our precious funds for advertising. We rely on word of mouth advertising and that means YOUR words coming out of YOUR MOUTH.

3. Keep reading The Troubadour for news. Keep informed.

Now, its time to roll up our sleeves and get to work. The best days of the Space Center lie before us and there is little time to sleep.

Thanks for your Support!

Mr. Williamson


And Now, with everyone's nerves calmed and the sky firmly reattached to the firmament above, let's relax and enjoy the latest from the Imaginarium.

The Imaginarium's Office of Fabricated Weather offers the following forecasts

Leadership Camp. Day 1

Hello Troops,

There be giants among us.

Today was day one of the Leadership Camp. Our oldest campers (15-17 year olds) descended on the Center, sleeping bags and pillows in hand. They tower in size when compared to the fragile 10 -14 year olds we've had on the previous seven camps.

Awesome, is the word I would use to describe my first impression. They are well mannered. They follow directions. And best of all, you don't have to give explicit directions for every movement. They are old enough to handle complex thought and multiple directions given at one time.

"Stand, Breath, brush your teeth, get a drink, put your shoes here, line up here, march in single file, you sleep here, you sleep there, no talking." Those are the kind of directions we give to our younglings.

"Get ready for bed. Report to the Voyager for sleeping assingments." Those are the condensed instructions we can give to the older campers. Their more mature minds fill in the rest.

It's 12:03 A.M. and all is quiet. It's time for bed.

How about a few thoughts from the Imaginarium?

Oreo Art

Seeking Enlightenment at the Wonderland Station

Monday and the Start of our Last Extended Camp Week.

Hello Troops,
This is our last week of extended camps. After that, we have a few weeks off so the school's custodians can get the school ready for the school year.

Have you ever wondered what our staff and volunteers do when not at the Center during their summer vacation? Well, today I thought I'd answer that nagging question.


With the Space Center closing for its annual 2 week vacation our staff and volunteers may find other things to occupy their time There's always the Orangeage Shop here in Wonderland where new friendships bloom over chilled glasses of citrus delight and witty repertoire.



Several of our staff will have to hit the books and relearn everything they've forgotten during the long summer vacation.


A few have arranged other employment to hold them over until the Center reopens. Please help when you can. You can recognize a Space Center volunteer or employee by their pale skin (from being in the simulators all day) and their over use of 'big' words used in complex sentences (highly unusual for their age).

"Hello Sir, I can see you've an interest in reading the news of the day. For a few shillings I can satisfy that desire. Shall we complete a transaction that will be mutually beneficial to us both?"

I know a few of our brighter and more capable volunteers will be honing their acting skills on Pleasant Grove's streets performing scenes from Shakespeare. For a few quarters they will delight you with scenes from Romeo and Juliet, Hamlet and various other Tudor favorites. They've been taught to take good measure of their audience's intelligence before they begin. This helps them adjust their delivery to match their audience's capacity to understand the complex structure of the language. This is accomplished by standing before them and shouting insults in Elizabethan tongue then watching for a reaction.

"Thou beslubbering bat-fowling canker-blossom!"
"Thou impertinent knotty-pated miscreant!"

If expressions of shock and horror are not forthcoming, then they slow their delivery and enunciate their words in hopes the simple minded capture the scene's essence and meaning.

Others in our Troupe of Troubadours will embrace their two weeks of freedom and strike out on their own to discover what adventures Fortuna has for them in her Basket of Fates and Fortunes. Considering volunteers are unpaid and the Center's employees live on starvation wages, our staff use creative methods to travel with little coin. The ability to run and jump are a plus when attempting to board a moving freight train.


Others in our volunteer and staff corps will use their vacation time for other pursuits. A few will dust off their Red Ryder BB guns and take up defensive positions outside the town to protect our citizens from marauders and bandits. Big Brown UPS trucks are a favorite target not to mention bears disguised as dogs and mountain lions disguised as cats.

You can find them anytime between August 1 and August 16 on the roof of Macy's Grocery Store (between 9:00 and 11:00 A.M.). They break for lunch then move to the town's southern boundary and take positions on the Maverick Gas Station's roof . The evening is spent at Discovery Park picking off Indians disguised as joggers and tennis players.

What will you be doing while the Space Center vacations?

See you in the trenches.

Mr. W