The Pantagraph from Bloomington, Illinois • Page 3

www.pantagraph.com The Pantagraph Monday, December 15, 2003 A3 CENTRAL ILLINOIS I fl I 1 C. wiinNifm 'rinini )wytoaaa Rifling nrtik i The PantagraphLORI ANN COOK Sen. John Edwards, center, gave a hug to John Mellencamp during a campaign stop at the home of David Dorris in rural Downs. Melleiiearif puts spotlit! mini Mwisirfi 3 A large crowd gathered at the grand opening of the Challenger Learning Center in Bloomington Sunday were Jeff and Katie Warner of Naperville with their daughters Claire, 4, and Ella, 1. The center is named OARING SPIRIT "I cry at every (center dedication), but they are tears of joy.

What might have been a tremendous loss is very rewarding now." June Scobee Rodgers widow of astronaut Dick Scobee shirt sleeves rolled up, Edwards attacked Bush as a president who caters to "insiders" while "putting the tax burden squarely on the backs" of mid die-class Americans. "They can't take it. They are, 1 struggling," Edwards said. Edwards spoke on other issues as well. Speech highlights I He said the Bush administration should include other nations in the rebuilding of Iraq instead of shutting them out.

"We want to show the rest ok the world we are not, in fact selfish," he said. I He pledged to end what he sees as two public school systems where the quality of education a child receives depends on the neighborhood in which he lives. On Sunday, Scobee Rodgers saw the dream come true for the 50th time, as Bloomington's center was opened and dedicated. "They (the June Challenger Scobee crew) would be Rodaers thrilled to know Koa.ers their mission was not lost in vain," Scobee Rodgers said. "I cry at every (center dedication), but they are tears of joy.

What might have been a tremendous loss is very rewarding now." January marks the 18th anniversary of the Challenger disaster. In 1986, shortly after takeoff the shuttle exploded, killing the entire crew. The center is not only dedicated to the astronauts, but also to Joseph F. Warner, who lost his life last year when his small plane crashed after takeoff. Warner was one of many who were instrumental in creating the center and raising the money needed to build it.

So far, $1.3 Widow uplifted by dedication of flight center By Karen Blatter kblatteriSpantagraph.com BLOOMINGTON June Scobee Rodgers' eyes light up as she looks around the briefing room of the Challenger Learning Center at Prairie Aviation Museum. The smell of fresh-cut wood lingers, new chairs wait to be filled and she knows the mission continues. About 17 years ago, Scobee Rodgers started working on the goal started by her husband, Commander Dick Scobee, and the other six crew members of the space shuttle Challenger. She teamed up with the other families to make sure NASA's mission didn't end and created the Challenger Learning Center network a hands-on learning center for children using a space flight theme. The PantagraphLORI ANN COOK afternoon.

Among the guests for Jeff's father, Joe Warner. cus on teamwork and math and science skills. The dedication featured a rose ceremony to remember the crews of the Challenger and the Columbia, which exploded during its return to Earth on Feb. 1, with yellow roses. Warner was remembered with a white rose.

"Joe Warner would have been very proud and very humbled that this magnificent Challenger Learning Center was dedicated to him," said Warner's wife, Rose Stadel. "It was his dream. I know he is watching from above as his dream is taking flight today." Scobee Rodgers said at first there were people who didn't think the learning center project would work. She said the rewards come when a student is taught and learns something in a way they wouldn't be able to do in the classroom. "It's a major celebration," Scobee Rodgers said.

"There is no anniversary, birthday or party that shares the joy in seeing a community bring a learning center to the youth." I Musician sings at fund-raiser for candidate By Scott Richardson srichardsonpanfagrapri.com DOWNS A rural home just east of this small town in southern McLean County provided the backdrop and rock star John Mellencamp provided the music for a fund-raiser for Democratic presidential contender John Edwards Sunday night. Before Mellencamp ended a brief concert with his hit "Small Town," Edwards told a cheering crowd of 250 his candidacy underscores the fact a small-town boy can still strive to be president. "I still believe in an America where the son of a mill worker can beat the son of a president in a race for the White House," said Edwards, 50, a U.S. senator from North Carolina and former civil trial lawyer. "We are going to end George Bush's presidency and send him back to Texas." Edwards, who was making his second appearance in McLean County since summer, was silent in public comments about the capture of Saddam Hussein.

In a prepared statement released earlier Sunday, he called the development "good news" and commended the members of the American armed forces, "not just today but every day." Edwards said he hopes Saddam cooperates in finding weapons of mass destruction and other members of his government still at large. Edwards said the Iraqi people should take the lead on prosecution of their former dictator with help of the international community to lend credibility to the process. There were no kind words for Bush during his speech. Instead, with collar open and OurNeighbors million of the $2 million goal has been collected. Scobee Rodgers was among several people who spoke at the invitation-only dedication Sunday.

More than 300 people attended. Public open houses will be on Tuesday and Wednesday. The center is designed with fifth- through eighth-grade students in mind and includes training for teachers and classroom preparation materials. The four possible missions fo iX Volunteer restores planes of past P7 I "if Li-. I Edwards said he will launch a program, "College for Everyone," to provide free tuition to public universities and community colleges to students willing to work.

I He called for reforms to make health care accessible and affordable. He cited flie fact that 12 million children have no health care insurance and called for an end to the "unholy alliance between tjie White House, HMOs and big drug companies." Edwards, who supports action, said he will put federal judges in place who understand the need to continue to enforce civil rights legislation. I On a similar note, he called for an end to discrimination against women who are paid 75 cents on the dollar for doiiig the same work as men. The event, hosted by Bloomington civil lawyer David Dorris, raised more than $50,000 for the Edwards campaign, organizers said. Mellencamp, who has been critical of the Bush administration, has played at fund-raisers for several Democratic candidates "Paul Simon had that quality of moral courage in abundance," Kennedy said from the flower-covered stage.

Simon's casket sat in front of it, topped by the art work of his grandchildren. "He couldn't have cared less about the games of politics; that's why he was successful in politics," Kennedy told the crowd. A number of mourners chartered planes or drove to this college town, which is about 120 miles from the nearest major airport. Among those attending were Illinois Dick Durbin and former Wyoming Sen. Alan Simpson who both were among the speakers Lt.

Gov. Pat Quinn, Chicago mayor Richard M. Daley, former U.S. Commerce Secretary Bill Daley, Rep. Rahm Emanuel, Rep.

Jerry Costello, former U.S. Labor Secretary Lynn Martin and former U.S. Rep. Glenn Poshard. Bill Clinton, originally scheduled to speak, sent his regrets after bad weather grounded his plane.

Thousands attend Paul Simon service The PantagraphDAVID PROEBER John Ohler of rural Bloomington is overseeing efforts to repaint several of the Bloomington Prairie Aviation Museum's historic aircraft. At upper right was a U.S. Navy F-4N Phantom jet that has revealed a wealth of history as Ohler and other volunteers carefully sanded off gray paint used to preserve the aircraft in storage. By Eric Freehllnq businessilipantagrdph.com BLOOMINGTON The Prairie Aviation Museum in Bloomington didn't know what it had when it took delivery of the vintage F-4N Phantom jet. The jet was swathed in gray preservative paint that obscured its markings and insignia.

The National Naval Museum in Pen-sacola, told the museum the F-4N served as a technical trainer, but no further information was available. Its true history turned out to be more interesting and a bit more personal for one of the museum's volunteers. John Ohler, who is in charge of the local museum's volunteer aircraft restoration program, and his fellow volunteers got to work, sanding off the gray paint in preparation for repainting the Phantom. Ohler said they were surprised to find a lightning bolt on the craft's tail. Research showed the insignia matched that used by the Chargers, who flew off the aircraft carrier USS Midway Further digging turned up the fact that Springfield native and Illinois State University graduate John Ensch flew a similar aircraft when he was shot down and captured during the Vietnam War.

And to make it a completely "unbelievable ride," said Ohler, one of his fellow volunteers, Pete Troesch, went to ISU with Ensch. Such discoveries remind Ohler, a U.S. Army veteran who never worked on airplanes before February, why he spends so much time helping the local museum restore aircraft. "This year, I've put in close to 1,300 hours myself because there's just so much work to be done," said Ohler, who retired in October 2001 as materials project manager at the Maytag plant in Galesburg. "For an old lonely Maytag repairman like me, this has been a ride and a half," said Ohler, who lives in rural Bloomington.

Research required Ohler said research is just as important as stripping paint and rust when restoring the museum's "static aircraft" displays. That's because the museum is under a contractual obligation to restore an aircraft to its original flying condition, including color schemes and squadron insignia. That's a requirement of the National Naval Museum and the National Air Force Museum, which lend such aircraft to museums and other institutions. ASSOCIATED PRESS CARBONDALE Paul Simon was revered in life for his modesty, but Sunday he was honored in a grand memorial service filled with dignitaries who paid tribute to the former senator as a tireless advocate for the oppressed. Simon's plain pine casket rested at one end of Southern Illinois University's sports are na, which was mostly filled for the two-hour service that included the thunder of a 60-piece orchestra and the rousing I strains ol "Battle Hymn of the Repub Paul Simon lic, "America the Beautiful," and Beethoven's "Ode to Joy." More than 3,500 people were there.

Massachusetts Sen. Ted Kennedy, who headed a list of speakers at the public service, compared Simon to his brother Robert Kennedy. 4 1. physical effort, Ohler said, mental labor is needed to research the aircraft's history, the better able to restore them with the unit markings and insignia they once bore. But research is needed for more than knowing what to paint and where.

Ohler said at times the restorers must make their own airplane components. "I'm rebuilding one of the landing gear doors on the F-4, which was badly corroded," said Ohler. Restorers will remove a damaged piece and create a blueprint of it. Then they will build another piece using high-grade aluminum supplied by Sono-mag Corp. in Normal.

Others who have helped out restoration efforts with their talents or materials include commercial artist Michael White of Secor, who has hand-painted insignias on the A-4 Marine plane, the Paint Depot in Bloomington and Piercy Auto and Truck Body of Carlock. "It's really been amazing. Since I started this, people have come forward and said, 'How can I help?" said Ohler. "Anytime anybody wants to help us, we are more than willing to accept their services and donations." "All the details need to be put back on the aircraft the way it was when it was in federal service," said Ohler. And there's usually a time limit involved.

Failure to restore the aircraft to specs can get the offending party banned from ever receiving another aircraft. Ohler and his band of volunteers have their work cut out for them. The museum presently boasts a UH-1 Huey helicopter and a Marine Sea Cobra helicopter, a T-38 jet trainer, an A-4 Marine attack jet, an A7A Navy fighter, the Phantom, and a T-33 jet trainer. All need a lot of work, except the two helicopters, which are nearly completely restored. Five volunteers, including retired Marine aviator David Wilson and former airplane crew chiefs Troesch and Dale Martin, join Ohler.

Other volunteer workers sometimes assist. "They come in and sign themselves up for a specific project, and they're here for a day or a half day, which is always very helpful to us," Ohler said. Volunteers spend long hours sanding off the preservative paint and preparing the aircraft for restoration. In addition to the.