Back to class at Iowa Central
Officials help launch new buildingBy IAN SCHMIT Messenger staff writer
Article Photos
When bipartisan bickering is set aside, Iowa's legislators can manage to do something meaningful for the state.
This was the point made Tuesday by Rep. Tom Latham, R-Ames and Deomcratic Sen. Tom Harkin at the grand opening ceremony of Iowa Central Community College's new Bioscience and Health Sciences building.
"This is what happens when people work together across party lines - none of that matters when we're working for Iowa," said Latham.
The grand opening coincided with the first day of classes atthe community college.
The new building, which will concentrate on training students in the health and renewable fuels fields, is the culmination of four years of effort on the part of the Iowa Central board of trustees, faculty and staff, numerous state and national legislators, as well as many others.
"When it comes to things like this there are no parties, we just work together for the state of Iowa," said Harkin.
The building's construction was funded by an $18 million bond issue approved by voters in in June 2007.
It now occupies 34,632 square feet near the entrance of the community college on Triton Drive and cost a total of $9,383,884. It will house a new biofuels testing laboratory - a one-of-a-kind facility, according to Harkin.
"The college can take a lot of pride in the new biofuels testing laboratory," he said. "This is the only lab of its kind on any college campus anywhere in the United States of America."
The Bioscience and Health Sciences building is also one of Iowa's few elite Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design gold-certified buildings and employs many sustainable technologies, including use of a geothermal rainwater retention pond and use of structural insulated panels for quick construction and energy efficiency.
"It strikes me that every outstanding institution needs to have a trademark building that everyone recognizes," said Harkin, "The University of Iowa has the Old Capitol building, the University of Northern Iowa has the UNI-Dome, now Iowa Central has this building, the Bioscience and Health Sciences building."
According to Lt. Gov. Patty Judge, the new building is an asset to Iowa in meeting the demand for qualified workers in both the biofuels industry, in which Iowa is the leader, and the health care field.
"We know that the state's success is directly linked to the quality of education students receive at institutions just like this one," she said. "It brings two great fields under one roof and lays the groundwork for a better tomorrow."
Judge said the building would also play a role in testing the growing amount of renewable fuels produced in Iowa. She said Iowa is the nation's No. 1 producer of ethanol and the second largest producer of biodiesel.
"This is a great day for Fort Dodge. It's a good day for central Iowa, and I believe it's a good day for our state as a whole, because this center is going to help us meet some of the challenges we are facing," said Judge.
Contact Ian Schmit at (515) 573-2141 or ischmit@messengernews.net
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Barleycorn
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09-02-09 7:46 PM
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Harkin and Latham. What a pair. "When we work across party lines . . . " That is what you are SUPPOSED to do. Don't you get it? Tell Grassley that. One of Iowa's biggest embarrassments.
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justwords
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09-02-09 1:51 PM
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"When it comes to things like this there are no parties, we just work together for the state of Iowa," said Harkin. (And when he says WE, what he really means is us the taxpayers and voters, right? We are the ones that made that happen it had nothing to do with THEM!)
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