A horrifying fact is that there are currently 1.300,000 jobs available in the US without trained engineering and technology people to fill them. Brian explained, "The world is flat (a famous best selling book title) because computers, the Internet and education are leveling the playing field". We all learned that when we go through the drive through at McDonalds, our picture is taken as well as our order and they are routed through Colorado Springs with the order ending up at the order area and the picture with the drive through attendant.

Another interesting thing Brian told us was that the engineering and technology department at CLC directly affects the Brainerd Area Workplace. He then went on to talk about a new partnership between the college and the schools that will promote interest in engineering and technology fields among students. It is called Project Lead the Way and is already in place in the Brainerd School system with the high school fully embracing the concept. In fact they applied for and received a $60,000 grant to implement it this year.

The program begins in the middle school, is entitled Gateway to Technology, and encourages hands on activities that develop an interest. This is continued through the summer when students can participate in week long camps. The one held at the Staples Campus last summer was very well attended and produced some very interesting projects that somewhat resemble this little dohickey that Brian brought along. This is actually a Stiring Engine. The most interesting thing about Brian's presentation was his discussion of nanotechnology (beam me up Scotty is looming). Some predictions of its effect include computers a million times more powerful, devices capable of storing the Library of Congress, hundreds of new cancer curing drugs and materials one hundred times stronger than steel. It is defined as "The willful manipulation of matter at the atomic level to create better and entirely new materials, devices and systems." Brian was here to ask members of the business community to become involved in the committee necessary to continue implementation of Project Lead the Way.

• We had two happy fines today. Pam Sachs paid two dollars to keep our President from being fined today. She was very proud of him--he had to stop at four different places before he could find the right place to vote. The little East Gull Lake group helped him find his way though.
• Dave Burggraff thought he would write in John Raboin's name on the ballot to keep busy and maybe away from the meetings on Wednesday. This could have been brought on by John's announcing that he wrote himself in on the ballot.
• Welcome back Greg Straka and Tom Steiger.
• Thanks Julia Sullivan for cleaning out the junk drawer. Well if it was at home it would be a drawer but this was the plastic tub cleaning. Steve thought some of the ancient documents should have been preserved for posterity.
• Dave Clausen's happy fine is related to his ability to control himself when four hornets stung him in front of his young son and he managed to say only "Darn it!"
• A wise politician decided to be exempt from fines today by taking notes. That worked for him but didn't work for the two poor souls sitting on either side of him. Brian Jelinski is definitely going to encourage people to move around any way.

Kari Barnes and her assistant Cathy Picek are the go-to folks for Pipe and Drape information.

Need awards? Did you lose your pin? Tami Webb is the person in charge of awards and meeting paraphernalia.