Edwards Secures $250,000 for Camp Hearne Makeover

econnor — Tue, 08 Jan 2008 12:11:31 -0700

Jan 8, 2008

Camp Hearne to Get Makeover Courtesy of DC Funds

Camp Hearne will look quite different in the coming months, and in some ways, a lot similar to prior decades.

Nearly a quarter of a million dollars was earmarked in the recent appropriations bill for the former German POW camp, and will go towards the creation of a visitor center, paths for walking and biking, replica buildings and a veterans memorial.

Congressman Chet Edwards got a firsthand look at Camp Hearne and heard from local leaders on the vision for the future.

"I think it's going to be awfully important for Robertson County. It'll help to attract tourists here, and at the same time, preserve an important part of Robertson County's role in World War II."

Some preliminary work on the site will get underway soon, and once the money from Washington arrives, officials say it'll take about a year to make all the improvements.

"We're trying to put all these pieces together so that we can come up with a true, interpretive plan that will give insight and educate people as to what actually rural America did during the war," said Cathy Lazarus with Roll Call: Friends of Camp Hearne, a non-profit group that has been working to turn the old camp into a tourist attraction.

Items in the visitors center will include educational glimpses into life at the camp and its social and economic impact, as students will be encouraged to come visit.

Hands on activities being discussed include a German card game regularly played, short wave radio guides and an archaeological treasure hunt.

More than 5,000 prisoners of war were held at Camp Hearne from 1942 until 1946, mostly Germans.

Working Hard for Robertson County

Kat — Fri, 02 Jun 2006 11:55:42 -0700

Working Hard for Robertson County

Chet has secured $425,000 for the Army Corps of Engineers to do flood control studies on the Little Brazos River and $150,000 for flood control plans on the Middle Brazos River, with the goal of avoiding the devastating flood damage if 2004.

Chet toured the affected areas of Robertson County that year, bringing Corps officials with him to survey the damage.

As a member of the Rural Health Care Coalition, Chet is working to protect rural hospitals from hurtful budget cuts.

Chet is fighting to save vocational education funding and opposes taking tax dollars away from public schools to subsidize wealthy private schools.

Chet supports legislation that will bring affordable high-speed Internet access to our rural communities.

Chet Edwards For Congress - Robertson County

Edwards Secures $250,000 for Camp Hearne Makeover

Working Hard for Robertson County