COURTHOUSE BUILDING TO BE LEASED TO NASA GROUP.Byline: Jim Skeen Staff Writer PALMDALE - A newly formed institute is eyeing a portion of the former Palmdale civic courthouse as a base for its operations to promote science and technology education among youngsters. At its Wednesday meeting, the Palmdale City Council will consider leasing roughly a third of the former courthouse for $1 a year to AERO Institute. The proposed lease agreement, which would last one year with three one-year extension options, covers 5,800 square feet of the courthouse, including two courtrooms. ``We will use it for conducting classes, outreach programs, conferences and training,'' said Phil Smith Philip (Phil) Arnold Smith (April 22, 1952 – July 30, 2002) was an American professional basketball player who played for 9 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA). , chief executive officer of California Space Grant Foundation, one of the institute's participants. The institute is working on programs aimed at inspiring kindergarten through high school students to pursue science, math and technical careers, as well as providing technical, undergraduate and graduate training. AERO - short for Aerospace Education Research Operations - evolved out of concerns over the lack of engineering and technical training opportunities in the Antelope Valley This article is about the Los Angeles County region. For the census-designated place in Wyoming, see Antelope Valley-Crestview, Wyoming. The Antelope Valley . The institute, formed about 18 months ago, is a strategic partnership comprised of NASA NASA: see National Aeronautics and Space Administration. NASA in full National Aeronautics and Space Administration Independent U.S. Dryden Flight Research Center The Dryden Flight Research Center (DFRC), located inside Edwards Air Force Base, is an aeronautical research center operated by NASA. On March 26, 1976 it was named in honor of the late Hugh L. at Edwards Air Force Base Edwards Air Force Base, U.S. military installation, 301,000 acres (121,805 hectares), S Calif., NE of Lancaster; est. 1933. It is one of the largest air force bases in the United States and has the world's longest runway. ; the California Space Grant Foundation, a California nonprofit corporation nonprofit corporation n. an organization incorporated under state laws and approved by both the state's Secretary of State and its taxing authority as operating for educational, charitable, social, religious, civic or humanitarian purposes. ; the California Space Grant Consortium, part of the NASA-sponsored National Space Grant Foundation with more than 800 affiliate colleges and universities; NASA Ames Research Center NASA Ames Research Center (ARC) is a NASA facility located at Moffett Federal Airfield, which covers 43 acres at the borders of the cities of Mountain View and Sunnyvale in California. This research center is most commonly called NASA Ames. ; and the California Space Institute of the University of California The University of California has a combined student body of more than 191,000 students, over 1,340,000 living alumni, and a combined systemwide and campus endowment of just over $7.3 billion (8th largest in the United States). . The Palmdale courthouse, located at the southwest corner of 9th Street East and Avenue Q-10, opened in February 2001, bringing back civil cases to the Antelope Valley for the first time in 11 years. For lack of room in the old Lancaster courthouse at Avenue J-2 and 10th Street West, civil cases had been transferred out of the Antelope Valley, and half the valley's criminal cases are heard in courts in Van Nuys or elsewhere. Los Angeles County moved its civil court operations to the new Michael D. Antonovich Michael Dennis Antonovich (born 1939 in Los Angeles, California) is a member of the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors representing the Fifth District, which covers northern Los Angeles County, the Antelope, Santa Clarita, Pasadena, and parts of the San Fernando and San Antelope Valley Courthouse late last year, leaving the Palmdale complex vacant. ``We don't anticipate making any significant changes to the rooms,'' Smith said. ``It's a very modern building.'' The rest of the courthouse complex will be used to help consolidate city offices that are now located away from the Civic Center, including the city's personnel office, Mayor Jim Ledford said. The proposed lease agreement is similar to the agreement the city had with Los Angeles County. While the lease is only for a dollar a year, the institute would be responsible for the operations and upkeep of the complex, including utilities, Ledford said. Jim Skeen, (661) 267-5743 james.skeen(at)dailynews.com CAPTION(S): photo Photo: The former Palmdale civic courthouse will be leased in part to a NASA educational institute. Gene Blevins/Special to the Daily News |
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