The following story appeared in the Crawfordsville Journal. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Amtrak recognizes local teens for community service Doug Hunt Education Reporter LINDEN - The Amtrak station student cleanup project marvels no other Crawfordsville High School classroom experience to generate so much state and national attention and awards. Monon Railroad Historical-Technical Society members showed their appreciation Saturday afternoon. The group presented "Golden Spike" awards for seniors Natalie Davis and Matt Kelsey, and former student Paul Utterback, in their effort to beautify/renovate the area around the Amtrak station, located on North Green Street, Crawfordsville. "We wanted to give the award to them for their efforts to preserve the history and legacy of the Monon," Monon member Robert Straw said. Kelsey and Utterback were unable to attend the ceremony in the association's world headquarters at Linden, near the Linden railroad museum. The Linden headquarters home was opened in 2000. A Crawfordsville High School delegation consisting of seniors Davis and Jess Meyer, and junior Eric Hutson attended the ceremony, as well as teacher Helen Hudson. Utterback, a 2005 Crawfordsville graduate, launched the idea in January 2005 to renovate the Crawfordsville Amtrak station and, at the same time, help learn about and promote rail travel. Students quickly adopted Utterback's idea as a problem-based learning experience in Hudson's honors English classes . Students continue to maintain the area. It is unusual for young people to not only clean up the Amtrak area but to also take an active interest in learning about and promoting rail transportation, Monon Railroad Historical-Techinical Society president Frank Van Bree said. Amtrak's "Champion of the Rails" award in October 2006 was the last national recognition the students received. This is the only national award Amtrak gives to non-Amtrak employees each year. Amtrak had paid for the Crawfordsville delegations' train ride to the awards luncheon at Washington, D.C. Other awards include the National Association of Railroad Passengers' citizen award in April 2006, only the second time NARP had given the award; and Indiana High Speed Rail Association's annual Jolene M. Molitoris Golden Spike Award in September 2005. Since the project started, the students have met with local, state and national politicians, as well as national Amtrak officials, and also contacted the White House to urge more funding for rail transportation. Prior to receiving the NARP award, the students had traveled to different=Washington offices of elected officials to promote the efficiency, especially with fuel costs, and pollution that could be drastically cut with a rail transportation system. One rail official had told the students their work had increased ridership at the Crawfordsville station by 33 percent, Hudson said. The project became a symbol of what students can do to improve their community, she said. "I wanted the kids to have a stake in this project and to work to promote train riding," Hudson said. An estimated 100 students had been involved with the project since it started. The current group students working with the project this school year is about 55. On Friday Cristine M. Klinka and Dennis Hodges spoke to Hudson's classes. Klika, former Indiana Department of Transportation commissioner, was named last year as Indiana High Speed Rail Association executive director. She replaced W. Dennis Hodges, who now serves as the association's vice president of membership and marketing. Klika told the class members that highway transportation costs exceeded rail expenses. For example, Klika said an interchange connecting Ind. 47 to Interstate 74 would cost about $14 million. The students are currently organizing a April 28 Amtrak trip to Chicago, which includes a Cubs' baseball game. The students are trying to get as many people to ride the train that day, Davis said. For further information contact Hudson at 362-2340. Davis has put together a work program so groups of students can take turns keeping the station grounds maintained. Recent vandalism to an information stand the students installed inside the station and other related problems caused a need for people to check the station on a regular basis, Davis said. Hutson would like to see the project continue for years to come. "I didn't want to see a project one or two classes did and have it fade away," he said. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------