American Competitive Initiative and FIRST

[David Brinza]

This opinion column (http://www.baxterbulletin.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070813/OPINION01/708130309) appears in today's Baxter Bulletin in Mountain Home, Arkansas.

Thanks to Team 16 (Bomb Squad), FIRST makes a big impact on its local community, a community that speaks out proudly about the vision for FIRST. The American Competitive Initiative can provide the funds to encourage high-tech development in the US. Investing some of these funds in programs like FIRST will inspire our youth to become the researchers and inventors to lead the high-tech charge into the future.

P.S. My oldest son, Matthew, an alumnus of the Bomb Squad, just graduated from UCSB with a B.S. in Computer Science. His brother, Clayton, is entering his senior year at MHHS and is also a member of the Bomb Squad. They are why I got involved in FIRST...

[Cynette]

That article is dead on with its connection between the American Competitive Initiatve and FIRST. I am very impressed that your newspaper editorial staff so aptly made the link. Do you know if the writer had a personal connection to FIRST?

This article should be forwarded to every newspaper with a list of local teams so other regions can "make the connection!"

[David Brinza]

That article is dead on with its connection between the American Competitive Initiatve and FIRST. I am very impressed that your newspaper editorial staff so aptly made the link. Do you know if the writer had a personal connection to FIRST?
Team 16 (Bomb Squad) has a big following in Mountain Home and they do get very good local press coverage. They are National Chairman's Award winners and they've made a big impact on the community: through FIRST Lego League tournaments, involvement of Baxter Healthcare engineers and the parents, teachers and staff at MHHS. Bomb Squad rocks Mountain Home!

I do hope other communities with FIRST teams can get the word into their local press. That sort of exposure raises awareness in the public and in local goverment. Just think of a letter to the editor of your newspaper as doing a "bonus" homework problem.

P.S. I might be worthwhile reading some of the comments following the opinion article. People are pretty finicky when it comes to the federal government spending their tax dollars!!