Town Hall Meeting to address base issues Published Sept. 16, 2009 By Airman 1st Class William A. O'Brien 95th Air Base Wing Public Affairs EDWARDS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. -- Col. Jerry Gandy, 95th Air Base Wing commander, will hold a Town Hall Meeting in the base Conference Center Sept. 21, from 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. The meeting is open to all members of Team Edwards, including families. Colonel Gandy will address school information; deployed spouses resources; and dormitory, housing and road construction during the meeting. He will also take questions from attendees. The colonel will discuss the following support programs the Airman and Family Readiness Center offers to families. - Hearts Apart - Pre-deployment briefings - Post-deployment briefings - Morale Calls - E-Mail, Computers, and Video-Teleconference Calls: - Car Care Because We Care - Give Parents a Break - Phone Home Card - Information and Referral Services - Deployment Line - Local Parent/School deployment support - Key Spouse Program For more information about these programs or any other programs offered by the Airman and Family Readiness Center, call Tech. Sgt. David Ah Sing at 277-2419. According to S. Nat Adams, Desert Junior/Senior High School principal, EAFB schools have incurred a 20 percent budget decrease over the past two years. Colonel Gandy will open discussion on this subject. The Muroc Joint Unified School District superintendent is scheduled to be in attendance as well as principals from both Irving L. Branch Elementary School and Desert Junior-Senior High School to address what the schools are doing to mitigate the affects of those cuts and how community members can help. Community outreach programs and other volunteer efforts have aided school administration in their efforts to mitigate the impact of the budget cuts. Despite recent cuts, the Western Association of Schools and Colleges Accrediting Commission for Schools said that students of Edwards schools receive a distinguished private education at a public school cost during their last visit. For more information about the school, call 258-4411. The commander will also address ongoing housing projects, which demolished old housing units and constructed nearly 800 new units in their place, within the last 11 years. The project is scheduled to be completed in March of 2010. Upon the project's completion, new roads, utility infrastructure and a community park will be built. Following the briefing, Colonel Gandy will open the floor to any questions attendees have about these topics or any other concerns.