Spring Vacation, Our New Benches and The Great Wall of the Space Center.

Hello Troops,

It is a beautiful Easter Sunday here in Pleasant Grove. I see a busy week full of classes, planetarium shows, missions, screams, laughs, and cheers in my rear view mirror. Ahead, and as far as a week stretches over the horizon, I see the calm open fields of Spring Vacation.

The Space Center is closed until April 16. While not all of us have this week of Spring Vacation, those of us working and going to school in the Alpine School District get a beautiful seven nights of wistful sleep and seven days with nothing more to occupy our time than the passing thought of what to do next.

I will be in the office daily to keep up on emails and phone calls. If I don't, I'll regret the almost insurmountable deluge which would surely be waiting on my desk and computer upon my return Monday next. Don't pity me. There is something I enjoy about being alone at the Space Center and kept company by the ghosts of missions past and present. I get more done and can set my hours.

Tyler Gardner finish his Eagle Project for the Space Center and Central School yesterday. I asked him to replace the park benches that sat in the school's lobby for as far back as I remember.

The Benches which occupied the school's lobby since the fist seconds were counted in time.
I've heard Brigham Young sat on one of them, and if you look closely behind the bench on the
right you'll find Egyptian hieroglyphics carved into the wood .
I believe the carving says "Bakara is a blessing to Banafrit whom Osiris loves"

Tyler built two beautiful new benches for the lobby. They are modern in design and graffiti free.
He and his fellows did an excellent job. In fact, they are so well done, I'm charging a small fee for their use. You may pay per sitting or pay a monthly fee for the privilege of resting your backside upon them.

I let Tyler sit on his benches for free so I could take these pictures.

Tyler on bench one near the school's front doors.
Charge: 0.25 cents for just sitting with a 0.10 cents per minute charge afterwords.
The 25 cent just sitting down fee applies only to this bench because of the beautiful
view one has of the school's front sidewalk and lawn.

Tyler sitting on bench 2.
Fee: 0.10 cents per minute with an additional charge for
using the handy electrical plug
found beside the bench.

The Space Center is happy to take your bench reservations. When calling, please identify which bench you'd like to reserve (front with the scenic view or library). Don't forget to include your arrival and departure times. Please have your credit card ready for the down payment. Be sure to book early for weekend use.

"I came to school early and sat on the Space Center's new benches without paying."

Local businessman may want to consider advertising near our two new benches. Please contact the Space Center's office for details.

Disrespect Rampant at the Space Center?

I decided to run home for a few minutes early Saturday morning after the campers were back in their ships and off to the four corners of the known universe. I always appoint someone to be in charge while I'm away. Dave Daymont was that person on Saturday.

I wrote "Gone Home for a minute. Dave Daymont in Charge" on the white board behind my desk notifying everyone of who was in charge. Dave Daymont is the Phoenix Set Director. Everyone knows that the "in charge" person carries my authority. Dave took advantage of his "in charge" status and added a few things to my note as seen in the photograph below:

Dave added the following three orders to my notification:

1. "The Phoenix always wins". The Space Center's Outstanding Performance Trophy is awarded after every Overnight Camp to the simulator that gets the best overall scores from the campers as written on their post camp survey form. Dave's order simply states that the Phoenix will always win. Dave's order is Space Center law until I return to the office.
2. "Never Say Bad Things About the Phoenix" was Dave's second order.
3. "Bring Gifts to Dave Daily" was his third order. While some might consider this bribery, I look at it as a way to show respect to someone I consider worthy enough to be left in charge of the Space Education Center in my absence. Shouldn't someone with whom I've placed such trust deserve gifts from his or her subordinates?

Sadly, someone without scruples and a shred of human decency took an erasable marker and defiled Dave's mandates as shown in the photograph below:


Sadly, others were overheard taking Dave's name in vain and speaking rudely of the Phoenix. The offender's names were placed on the white board: Miranda, The Demontress and The Red Blemish.

Another sick individual added the following to Order 1: "unless the Voyager is flying". Rumor has it that Jon Parker was the culprit. Dave was visibly upset by the ordeal and had to go lay down for a few minutes to recover. Chelsey Roberts was running the Phoenix at the time so Dave's absence was not noticed by the Phoenix Overnight Crew.

One would expect The Demontress and "M" the Destroyer of Worlds to be involved in this conspiracy, but The Red Blemish - our scooter transported superhero sworn to uphold the law and protect the week and confused? There is something not right at the Space Center and I will get to the bottom of this, rest assured.

An Update on the Great Wall of the Space Center

Drywall and taping was on Friday's agenda for the Space Education Center's Great Wall currently under construction in the school's Commons area. Mudding and sanding will be next, topped off by a few coats of paint. Soon troops, soon and the wall will be finished and our Digitarium Planetarium will have its new quiet home.





Mr. W.

The Space Center Paid What for this Thermos? Has Mr. Williamson No Shame for his Actions?

Hello Troops,
Yes, that's one expensive thermos. Care to take an educated guess? What would you expect to pay for this white thermos? Notice there are no cartoon characters decorating the outside cylinder. Why buy a thermos for your milk, coffee, hot chocolate etc without pictures of your favorite cartoon characters? When I was a kid at Canyon Lake Elementary School in Rapid City, South Dakota I had a Johnny Quest lunch box with a Johnny Quest thermos. Standing alongside Johnny was his best friend Hadji and Bandit the dog.

What would I pay today to get my Johnny Quest lunch box and thermos back? I'm thinking $50.00 real American money. So if I'd pay $50 for a vintage Johnny Quest lunch box and thermos, what would I pay for a plain white unremarkable thermos?

I asked Jon Parker (Voyager Flight Director) what he thought this white thermos was worth. Jon appreciates a good vintage lunch box. You rarely find him coming to work without his Amazing Hulk lunchbox.


Jon looked at the picture of the thermos I had just purchased for the Space Center and nearly fainted to the ground at the price.

"You paid WHAT?" he exclaimed after coming around. We had to use the extra strong smelling salts from the big First Aid kit. Everyone in the room agreed that I was the perfect example of Government waste.

"What did you pay for this plastic ruler?" Stacy asked sarcastically. "$200.00?"

"But this isn't your run of the mill lunchbox thermos." I stood my ground with determination. "This is a Cryogenic Liquid Nitrogen Dewar 10 Liter 1C0- 10 D."

"A What?" The staff spoke in unison. They were perplexed by my use of scientific words.

"This is a Cryogenic Liquid Nitrogen Dewar 10 Liter 1C0- 10 D," I repeated myself. The words fell from my tongue with ease. They were impressed. Heck, I even impressed myself, and that isn't easy to do.

Jon raised his hand to speak for the rest of the staff. "What do you carry in Cryogenic Liquid Nitrogen Dewar 10 Liter 1C0- 10 D?"

"Liquid nitrogen, of course."

Stacy laughed. "Of course, why didn't the rest of us think of that? But come on, $430 dollars for a thermos to carry liquid nitrogen? Are you crazy? Think of what we could have bought for that kind of money."

"It will allow us to do liquid nitrogen science demonstrations for our field trip lessons." My explanation didn't seem to sway them to my way of thinking. I resigned myself to the fact that my staff would always be skeptical toward my nearly $500 thermos.

By the way, I thought you readers of the Troubadour, and true fans of the Space Center might like to see the other flight director's lunch boxes so Jon doesn't feel picked on.

Zac's Lunchbox (Magellan Set Director)
He is a closeted Jetsons fan.
I'll tell you a secret, I think he's got a crush on Rosie the Robot.

Emily's favorite lunchbox (Voyager and Odyssey Flight Director). She rarely arrives at the Center without her Barbie lunchbox complete with a Ken Thermos and an assortment of decadent delicacies. Emily and her Barbie lunch box are well known at BYU's Cougareat where some mistake her for BYU's Homecoming Queen. Emily rarely if ever corrects their misunderstanding.

Stacy's Lunchbox (Galileo Set Director).
Careful, she also carries her live fishing bait in this box.

Christine's Lunchbox (Odyssey Set Director) with
Woodstock Thermos. Christine always shares, just in case you
arrive at the Center hungry.

Dave's Lunchbox (Phoenix Set Director)
Always carries a Thermos full of Mt. Dew, a BLT sandwich and a Twinkie.

Megan's lunchbox. Megan doesn't get a thermos

until she learns how to drink from one without spilling!

And life moves on at the Space Center.

Have a Happy Easter!
Mr. W.

The Volunteer Club Meets for Keyboard Training and the Space Center's Great Wall Under Construction

The Home for our Special Volunteers
(a crow caws in the distance)

Hello Troops,
Flight Directors Emily, Megan and Jon held a special training meeting on Monday, April 2 for the Space Center's special volunteers. The training was held in the computer lab at Central School - home of the Space Education Center.

"Our special volunteers enjoy the time we give them away from the day to day drudge of the Home for Special Volunteers," Emily said. Emily started this special training program last month. She says her special program is a win win for all. "The Space Center wins because we get a better trained staff who require less supervision. The volunteers win because good volunteers get released time from the home on a more regular basis."

Megan and Jon walked the volunteers across the marshlands and bog to the school for the training meeting. There was a bit of a crisis along the way. One of the smaller volunteers was pushed off the well worn path and fell into the marsh. He was up to his neck in mud and muck before Jon successfully pulled him back to dry land with a rope and hook.

" 'bout lost one," Jon meekly confessed to Emily when they arrived. Emily stood outside waiting. She was aghast at the boy's mud pie appearance.

"We've had this conversation before," Emily reminded him. "Lose just one more and you're through."

Jon glanced down at his feet, embarrassed at the dressing down he was given in front of the volunteers. He spoke in his defense, "You can't blame me for...."

"Stop right there," Emily held out her hand as if to strike. Jon winced backward. "Don't start - we still haven't found that boy you lost along the path two years ago." Megan smirked. She's been after Jon's position for several years now. Anything that makes Jon look incompetent and untrustworthy betters the odds of her removing him from his position.

The volunteers marched through the school's halls and into the computer lab.


Each was assigned to a computer. James sat down, licked his lips, mumbled "glass and aluminum" and leaned forward to touch his tongue to the computer. Some people like to smell things. James likes to taste things.

"NO!" Jon spoke sharply. James stopped abruptly - his tongue 1/2 inch from the screen.

"James was going to lick the screen again," Marissa giggled. James kicked her from under the table. Marissa yelped.


"STOP IT!" Jon spoke even more sharply. He caught Emily glancing at him questioningly from the white board. He heard Megan smirking. James went back to chewing on his yellow shirt sleeve - a tactic suggested by his therapist to help overcome the urge.



Jorden raised his hand. "What's today's lesson on?" he asked. Jorden likes to smile. His nickname at the Home is 'Smiler'.

"Good question, ten points for the Blue Team because of Jorden's good question," Emily snapped her fingers and ten points appeared on the Home's House Tally Board. Matthew patted Jorden on the back. Jorden's smile broadened to stretch from ear to ear. Seeing his face contort like that can take you slightly off your mark if you've not seen him do it before.

"STOP IT!" Jon barked. "Smile normally."

"Smiling normally," Jorden's smile released its broad hold on his face, returning his ears to their normal position.

Emily cleared her throat and continued. She was careful not to look at Jorden. "We are going to practice our keyboarding. The biggest problem volunteers have at the Space Center is keyboarding and spelling. We flight directors need volunteers who can keyboard quickly and spell reliably.


Al sat up smartly and spoke out of turn without raising his hand. "I keyboard quick and can spell Reliable."
Kimball smirked. He knew that Al had a hard enough time just finding the home row on the keyboard, let alone type anything readable. Nathan starting making monkey faces and noises. He sat on Al's right. No one knows why, but Nathan makes monkey faces and noises when he feels threatened. Keyboards threaten Nathan - with all the buttons and the consequences for not pushing each one correctly.

"What is that?" Emily questioned, pointing toward Al.

"His name is Nathan," Jon answered. "He's somewhat new to the Home for Special Volunteers. He makes those faces and noises when he feels threatened. Just ignore him. He stops after awhile if you ignore him ."

"I'm not referring to Nathan," Emily moved closer to Al. "What is that on HIS face!?"

"A beard," Jon answered.

"And what is a beard doing on the face of a Space Center volunteer?"

"Is there a policy against it?"

"If there isn't then there should be."

"I'll consult Mr. Williamson on the matter - shall I?" Jon moved toward the door.

"Let's get through this class first." Emily walked back to the white board. "Hands on the home row............"

"STOP THAT!" Jon reached out and stopped James from licking the back of his chair.

Emily continued. "And begin.... A, S, D, F....."

The Space Center's Great Wall.
One of the Space Center's New and Marvelous Wonders

The Great Wall of the Space Center is under construction. This new wonder will divide and separate the school's commons area from the 6th grade hallway. The commons is where the Space Center's Digitarium Planetarium is housed. Noise from the hallways is a constant disturbance during the Space Center's planetarium shows. This new and wonderful wall will solve the noise problem.

In addition to the wall, the Space Center is installing black out curtains in the commons. The black out curtains will completely darken the room. Having a dark room is a real plus because of the tiny pinpricks in the planetarium's fabric dome. The pinpricks let in tiny points of room light into the dome. Each point of light is seen as an extra star in the night sky. I'm sure you get the picture.

The Alpine School District Maintenance Shop is building the wall. It should be finished by week's end. We are all very excited.