Dictionary Project for Clay County -

Learning to define and spell words, exploring the world through maps, and discovering facts about weights and measures are just a few activities that third, fourth, and fifth graders in Vigo and Clay county schools can participate in, because now each student has a dictionary.

The youngsters are the beneficiaries of the Dictionary Project, established in response to the needs of the community as determined by the Compass II report. The Compass II study, funded in part by the Community Foundation in conjunction with United Way of the Wabash Valley and Indiana State University, identified literacy as one of the six areas of community need.

As one way to address this need, the Community Foundation partnered with the Terre Haute Rotary Club and the Brazil Rotary Club to deliver more than 3,700 dictionaries in Vigo County and 360 dictionaries in Clay County. The partnership enabled businessmen and women to serve as role models to the students and express the importance of spelling in day-to-day life.

This year the Dictionary Project was funded from the James R. Piker, Ada A. Piker and Virginia M. Ginter Memorial Funds. This project continues to expand, and in 2006 it will include Clay, Vigo and Sullivan counties.

To learn more about this project please visit www.dictionaryproject.org.

Charles B. Hall Memorial

A native of Brazil, Indiana, Charles B. Hall was a Tuskegee Airman. In January 1943, he became one of the first black pilots assigned to combat duty with the 99th Pursuit Squadron in North Africa, and is accredited as the first African American to destroy an enemy plane during the Second World War.

A fund has been established in the Wabash Valley Community Foundation to collect tax deductible donations for the Charles B. Hall Memorial to be constructed in Brazil, Indiana. The memorial will be located on the southwest corner of the intersection of US 40 and SR 59. Along with a monument dedicated to the courageous service of Major Hall, a park like setting will complete the grounds.

Justice Center Clock

A fund has been established in the Wabash Valley Community Foundation to collect donations for the Justice Center Clock Fund. This fund will be used to purchase a new clock that will be installed at the Clay County Justice Center in Brazil, Indiana.