Week of August 6, 2014 through aUGUST 12, 2014
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Volume 10 Number 32
www.losfresnosnews.net
Chamber Topic: SpaceX Brownsville
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RestoreThe TexasCoast .org is Unveiled Launch Pad One Step Closer to Flights off the shores of Boca Chica Beach
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Lady Falcons Win Highway 83 Volleyball Championship
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ntroduced by Cameron County Commissioner David Garza, Cameron County Administrative Assistant David Garcia addressed a room full of Los Fresnos Area Chamber members and guests, during their July 29 meeting at he Cameron County Annex buildingto discuss the long process in convincing SpaceX to consider this area as a launch site for their private rocket company. “The hardest thing was to clear Federal Aviation Administration FAA regulations�, commented Garcia who has led the way locally for this project. He said the venture will bring in new opportunities and visitors to the area and a huge economic impact to lower Valley. Boca Chica Beach is the considered location for the launch site and it was one of 10 sites considered by NASA as far back as the 1950’s. The Open Beach Act is to be amended to allow temporary closure of the public beaches at Boca Chica for each launch. SpaceX plans to publicly advertise closures prior to launches. Commissioner Garza mentioned a round table discussion in Washington with state and national leaders, including Nancy Pelosi, to dispel the “border in crisis� images created by the media and the promotion that the area is safe for visitors and the project is welcome here. Garcia discussed the Environmental Impact Statement EIS which has been reviewed by 60-70 agencies to assure the protection of the local environment and wildlife. SpaceX is based in Hawthorne, CA and is the only commercial launch corporation to connect with the International Space Station with payload deliveries. The company’s founder, Elon Musk is also the developer of PayPal and other ventures. “SpaceX is sort of like the UPS of space,� Commissioner Garza humorously added. Garcia added, “The EIS is the most important part of the process; you don’t pass, you don’t have a project�. He projected a timeline of the project dating from the beginning in March of 2011 through the scheduled first launch sometime in 2016. Various environmental impact study results were discussed and it was pointed out that Musk sits on the board of one of the largest environmental groups and is committed to protecting the environment.
Clarifying, the group was told that the Falcon 9 rocket name was derived, not from the local football team mascot, but rather from the Star Wars starship “the Millennium Falcon� which was Musk’s favorite childhood movie. The rocket has a built-in compartment specifically designed to hold school science projects to be sent into space. The group watched a slide show presentation developed by the Brownsville Economic Development Council on the project entitled
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“Transforming Destiny�. New Chamber Director Val Champion introduced himself to the group and shared his past history with chambers in Caracas, Venezuela and Brownsville. He is determined to provide education sessions and mixers to advance community interests. Members and guests were welcomed to the meeting. The next chamber meeting witll be held on August 26. The location will be announced later.
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