Sen. Carper’s Schedule for Tuesday, February 22, 2005

Wilmington, DE – Senator Tom Carper will discuss the current state of Amtrak and the Bush administration’s proposal to “zero out” funding for the national railroad in this year’s budget during the keynote address at a Policy Forum at University of Delaware on Tuesday, February 22, 2005. Senator Carper’s address will focus on how Congress should try to fix Amtrak and invest more heavily in inter-city passenger rail, as well as his opposition to the Bush administration’s suggestion to “reform Amtrak by bankruptcy.” The forum, “Interurban Rail Transportation: Moving People and Goods in the 21st Century,” brings together elected officials and rail transportation operators, experts, advocates, and planners to identify strategies for enhancing rail-corridor services and to develop a specific agenda for the Mid-Atlantic portion of the Northeast Corridor. Senator Carper will also announce $425,000 in federal funds for the Center for the Study of Metals in the Environment at the University of Delaware. The Center is a consortium of scientists and engineers, originally established to assist the EPA in examining and understanding the behavior of, and risks posed by, metals in the environment. Since 2001, over $3 million have been appropriated to the Center by the federal government, and this new funding will continue the support of those programs. Joining the Senator will be the Center’s Director, Herb Allen, and Dr. David Roselle, President of the University of Delaware. A tour of Dr. Allen’s lab will be given after the announcement. Next, Senator Carper will join 400 people at Newark High School to honor music teacher Lloyd H. Ross, who is retiring after 34 years. The Senator will present Mr. Ross with a Congressional Record Statement, recognizing his many years of dedicated service. This event is a surprise for Mr. Ross! The Senator will end his day at Delaware Technical and Community College in Dover, where he will host his 4th Annual Academy Information Night. Delaware high school students with dreams of attending the nation’s elite service academies will talk to academy representatives, hear from the Senator, and also from Mr. Gardea Christian, Delaware’s newest appointee to the Naval Academy. Tuesday, February 22, 2005 9:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m. Keynote Address at Rail Transportation Policy Forum John H. Clayton Conference Center University of Delaware Newark 12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m. Appropriation Announcement Center for the Study of Metals in the Environment 103 P.S. duPont Hall – The Green University of Delaware Newark *Reporters should park in the Visitors Center parking lot on South College Avenue. 1:15 p.m. – 2:00 p.m. Congressional Record Statement Presentation Newark High School Auditorium 750 East Delaware Avenue Newark 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. Academy Information Night Delaware Technical & Community College Education and Technology Building, Terry Campus 100 Campus Drive Dover