Mediatech Foundation

What takes place at Mediatech? Here are some photos.

We’ve received just over $550 for the stairstep memorial, as of 2/25. When we receive a donation, we send a note of acknowledgement. If you have made a donation and have not heard from us, please call or email warren at mediatech.org.

From Warren Buckleitner: I received a sad call from a family, about Gregory DeStefano (see below). If you’d like to contribute toward the $1000 stairstep, please send a check made out to Mediatech Foundation to 118 Main Street 2nd Floor, Flemington, NJ 08822.

From http://www.c-n.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080204/NEWS04/802040345/1039

Gregory ‘Greg’ DeStefano Jr., 16, beloved son

WHITEHOUSE — Gregory “Greg” DeStefano Jr., 16, passed away unexpectedly on Wednesday morning (Jan. 30, 2008) in the city of Lewistown, Pa. Greg was born Dec. 15, 1991, in Flemington, to parents Gregory DeStefano of Whitehouse and Tina Bailey of Lewistown, Pa.

He was a sophomore at Hunterdon Central Regional High School who enjoyed playing football, wrestling, skateboarding and fishing. But most of all, he loved hanging out with his friends in Flemington.

Greg leaves behind to cherish his memory, his loving father, Greg; twin brother, Vinnie; sisters, Jaime and Jill; niece, Lilyana; and nephew, Jackson. He was preceded in death by his paternal grandparents, Vincent and Arline DeStefano.

Greg was the beloved son of Tina; loving brother of Jason, Justin and Timmy; caring uncle of Cameron, T.J., Chase, and Desiree; and cherished grandson of Shirley and Timothy McConnell.

Greg was a handsome, loving young man who was philosophical and wise beyond his years. Greg was the protector; always taking care of someone else and putting his family and friends first. He was like a brother to everyone who knew him. He was the type of person you could always count on to make you smile. Greg was a real tough guy with a heart of gold, and he will be sadly missed by his family and many friends.

Prayers will be said 8:30 a.m. Thursday at the Bridgewater Funeral Home, 707 E. Main St., Bridgewater, followed by 10:30 Mass at St. Ann’s Church in Raritan. Burial will follow at St. Bernard Cemetery in Bridgewater. Visiting hours will be from 7 to 9 p.m. Tuesday and from 2 to 4 p.m. and 7 to 9 p.m. Wednesday at the funeral home.

In lieu of flowers, memorial funds have been established in Greg’s name for the Mediatech Foundation, 118 Main St., 2nd floor Flemington, NJ 08822. Mediatech is a nonprofit organization designed to provide a safe environment for middle and high school students of Hunterdon County, while fostering creativity, learning and socialization. Our goal is to have his name engraved on one of the 18 steps leading up to the center. For more information you may contact Mediatech at (908) 284-2006 or visit Web site at www.mediatech.org

Announcing:Educational Web 2.0 and Internet Safety

The Internet has become an amazing place. It’s a huge world of information, sitting at your fingertips. And it has an amazing educational potential for both children and adults alike. At the same time, many parents fear that their children may become more adept at using the Internet than they are. This course aims to help prevent that, by introducing parents and children to educational tools on the Internet together, and by helping both parents and children to learn ethical and safe Internet behavior.

Rather than blocking our children from the Internet,
let’s teach them how to use it responsibly!

Dates: 6 week session; Mondays, February 11, 18, 25, March 10, 17, 24
Time: 10-11 a.m.
Location: Mediatech (above the Flemington Library)
Instructor: Michele Bernhard
Minimum Age: 8 years old
Cost: Free, but note that a daily donation to cover the costs of the instructor is greatly appreciated in order to continue these types of classes.

Due to a limited number of computer stations, please call the instructor (Michele at 908-303-9135) directly to reserve a seat.

About the Instructor:
Michele is a certified elementary education and special education teacher, with over 10 years of classroom experience. She has taught computer classes through the ETTC for the past six years, and recently began teaching classes for Hunterdon County’s Adult Education Commission. As a mother of two daughters, Michele strongly believes that it is better to teach safe and responsible Internet behavior, rather than simply preventing children and teenagers from having access.

According a Reuters story today (Dec. 30) “more than half of Americans visited a library in the past year with many of them drawn in by the computers rather than the books.”

“Of the 53 percent of U.S. adults who said they visited a library in 2007, the biggest users were young adults aged 18 to 30 in the tech-loving group known as Generation Y, the survey by the Pew Internet & American Life Project said.

“These findings turn our thinking about libraries upside down,” said Leigh Estabrook, a professor emerita at the University of Illinois and co-author of a report on the survey results.

“Internet use seems to create an information hunger and it is information-savvy young people who are most likely to visit libraries,” she said.

Internet users were more than twice as likely to patronize libraries as non-Internet users, according to the survey.

More than two-thirds of library visitors in all age groups said they used computers while at the library.

Sixty-five percent of them looked up information on the Internet while 62 percent used computers to check into the library’s resources.

Public libraries now offer virtual homework help, special gaming software programs, and some librarians even have created characters in the Second Life virtual world, Estabrook said. Libraries also remain a community hub or gathering place in many neighborhoods, she said.

The survey showed 62 percent of Generation Y respondents said they visited a public library in the past year, with a steady decline in usage according to age. Some 57 percent of adults aged 43 to 52 said they visited a library in 2007, followed by 46 percent of adults aged 53 to 61; 42 percent of adults aged 62 to 71; and just 32 percent of adults over 72.

“We were surprised by these findings, particularly in relation to Generation Y,” said Lee Rainie, co-author of the study and director of the Pew project. In 1996 a survey by the Benton Foundation found young adults saw libraries becoming less relevant in the future.

“Scroll forward 10 years and their younger brothers and sisters are now the most avid library users,” Rainie said.

The survey of 2,796 Americans was conducted by telephone from late June through early September and has a margin of error of plus or minus 2.5 percentage points. It was funded by the federal Institute of Museum and Library Services, an agency that offers federal support for U.S. libraries and museums.

Here’s a tentative schedule for the 2008 Mediatech Board meetings.

2008 Board of Trustee Meetings in the Community Room

March 10, Monday night, 5:30 PM
May 19, Monday night
August 11, Monday Night — Annual Fund Raiser Dinner
Sept 22, Monday night
December 8, Monday Night — Annual Elections and Pot Luck

The public is welcome at our board meetings.

We’re having a New Year’s party, with Sarah Klingler.

Where: Mediatech
When: Dec 31, 7 PM - 12:30 AM
What: Movies, Rock Band and a Guitar Hero contest.

7:30 to 9:00 Movie: Ratatouille
9:00 Guitar Hero Contest begins
10:30 Rock Band contest

PARENTS: Please bring cookies, snacks, and so on.

Today I’ll be testing “Smarty Pants” by EA, and Ratchet and Clank on the PS3, for anyone who is interested.