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Bob
Odell
State Senator
District 8
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August 18, 2008
Senator Odell is Chairman of Ways and Means, a
member of the Energy, Environment and Economic Development
Committee, and the Finance Committee. |
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Capital Comments from
State Senator Bob Odell
Summer breaks for the Congress may stir back and forth
debates on TV talk programs, but going along with Congressman Paul Hodes
in
Newport
and Claremont
last Monday was time well spent. I
find meeting with community groups, municipal officials and taking plant
tours is extremely informative and helpful in thinking about decisions
made in Concord that have an impact on each organization.
Our tour began with a stop at the weeklong Robotics Camp that was
in its first day at the Newport
Tool & Technology Resource
Center
located on the third floor of the Eagle Block.
When we entered the center, your attention was immediately drawn
to little machines going back and forth across the floor. Later on, we learned that the robots had been put together that
morning and were already being controlled remotely.
Sounds impossible, and for a totally non technology oriented
person, it seemed the same to me.
Behind this robot building project was much more. A
Manchester
New Hampshire
based company, INTELITEK, was partnering with the Economic Corporation
of Newport (ECON) and others to use a proven educational strategy to
help youngsters become interested in technology and science by
successfully building what I would call a fairly sophisticated robot.
The students were between the ages of 9 and 14.
Some had been to other science camps or outside of school
learning environments. Others
were trying it for the first time.
Students were divided into two person teams with the assignment
of building their robot. There
were power point presentations basic to everyone’s understanding their
assignment and the resources available.
One resource was a large plastic box filled with wires, wheels,
erector set style pieces, screws and bolts and nuts and the like.
Each box held all the elements necessary to build a robot but one
designed to the creative instincts of each team. One box with everything
you needed to design, build and program your robot.
It reminded me of a long time ago when many of us as teenagers
hoped for a chemistry set at Christmas time … just a whole lot more
sophisticated. Plus there
were computers for students to program their robots to do their tasks.
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The drive from the Robotics Camp to Latva Machine, Inc. was a very natural
transition from youngsters preparing for their educational and
professional futures while at Latva there is a need for employees with
those very skills the youngsters at the camp were learning.
Led today by Mitch Latva, the company was started by Mitch’s
father in 1979 and the company now has 132 employees.
Their products are used globally providing high quality, precision
parts for military, aerospace and industrial customers.
Very importantly, too, is that the company buys some products
needed in its manufacturing processes from other area businesses.
Our region has a long and proud history of “job shops”
providing employment for hundreds of men and women with high skill levels
manufacturing products to be used around the world.
A UNH study a few years ago by Professor Ross Gittell showed that
the highest paid sector of the employment base in Sullivan
County
were jobs in the precision machine field.
The lack of skilled applicants with the needed training impacts the
ability of businesses to grow and in turn add to the prosperity of the
region. From Governor Lynch on
down, including Congressman Hodes and me as we learned once again after
meeting with Mitch Latva and touring his business, all of us have a role
in advancing training programs at every level of education so that we will
have trained employees for our highest income employment sector for the future. No job is more
important for our region.
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The third stop was the City Council chambers in Claremont. The Congressman presented a
replica of a check for $211,500 to the city for the building of a new
community recreation center. In
seeking this grant, he emphasized that he relied on his staff for research
on projects that merit financial support from the federal government, and
makes sure there is a good purpose to be achieved and there was long term
value in the project. The
community recreation center met his criteria and will benefit from the
grant … evidence of intergovernmental cooperation with a real public
purpose that will benefit Claremont
families.
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