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Page 12B THE BEACON May 2018 Rube Goldberg Title Captured by Area Schools The Ripley County Engineering Academy, Division II Champion Paul Thole, Ripley County Engineering coach, and Cheryll Obendorf, Ex- ecutive Director, Genesis: Pathways to Success The seventh Annual Re- gional Rube Goldberg Ma- chine Contest was hosted by Genesis: Pathways to Success (GPS), Kids Discovery Fac- tory and Jac-Cen-Del Com- munity School Corporation on March 3 at Jac-Cen-Del High School. Guests were amazed at the crazy contraptions mid- dle and high school students had created with the theme of “Pour a Bowl of Cereal.” In Division II (high school), the Ripley County Engi- neering Academy captured first place and also won the People’s Choice, Spirit of Rube Goldberg, Teamwork and Judge’s Awards. The team will advance to the National Division II Rube Goldberg Celebrating April 23 FREE FOOD AND DRINKS! Accepting aluminum CANS ONLY at 6980 St. Rt. 128 Opening Early at this location only! 7:30am - 5:30pm SPECIAL PRICING ON EARTH DAY!! Cincinnati, Ohio 513-574-9518 513-451-1134 Machine Contest scheduled for April 21 at the Museum of Science and Industry, Chi- cago. Other winners in Division I included the second place winner, Batesville Middle School, and third place win- ner, Milan Middle School. Jac-Cen-Del Junior High School was awarded the Peer Award. In Division II, Coach Tim Mauzy’s Batesville High School Team placed second and was awarded the Creative Spark Award. Finishing in third place was Jac-Cen-Del High School’s team coached by Anthony Moorman. The Peer Award in Division II went to Coach Craig Hughes and his team from Batesville High School. The awards ceremony included special recognition of Paul Thole, coach of the Ripley County Engineering Academy, for inspiring young engineers through Rube Gold- berg for more than 20 years. Thole was the inspiration for the regional contest held each year at Jac-Cen-Del, and he is retiring at the end of the cur- rent school year. Many of his former students, some of them now studying to be engineers and some working as engi- neers, were in the audience to show their appreciation. “It’s fun to win,” said Mr. Thole. “But it’s more fun to get to know the students and see them grow and use their creativity.” Other teams competing in the regional contest represent- ed South Ripley Junior High School, St. Louis School, and Milan High School. Kids Discovery Factory’s had mobile exhibits for younger children, engaging them in STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math) activities. The first national Rube Goldberg Machine Contest was launched in 1988. Na- tionwide television, radio, and printed media attention promotes the growth of the contest to make it bigger and better each year. By John Hawley Purdue Extension Educator [email protected] Lowering Soil pH in Your Garden No two plants are the same. Some like shady spots, others like full sun. Some love wa- ter; others need it in measured doses. Then you have plants with love for alkaline soils, such as maple or honey locust trees and others like azaleas and dogwood who love acidic soils. With this in mind, it is important that we account for the varied needs of our plants. For those that need a quick step back into biology (no shame in that) let’s review what defines acidic and alkaline soils. Acidic soils are those below a pH level of 7 (which is neutral). Many plants prefer a soil pH near 5.5 or 6. Alkaline soils are those above a pH level of 7. Other plants can thrive with pH levels of 7.5 or above. In our area, folks are often working to lower the pH of their soil. Several of the soils tests I have worked on this past year ar