WILL PRESENT NEARLY $4 MILLION FOR IMPORTANT PROJECTS IN THE GAINESVILLE AREA

Washington, Mar 4, 2005 -

Rep. Cliff Stearns (R-Ocala) is holding a series of town meetings in Alachua County on Saturday March 5, 2005.  During three of these meetings, Stearns will present "checks" to the representatives of five projects for which he obtained funding in Congress.  The recipients of the checks include the City of Gainesville, Alachua County, the Gainesville Airport, the University of Florida, and a private group working with the University of Florida.  "I am pleased that I was able to obtain funding for these important programs, and I look forward to continuing to support these and other important projects in Alachua County," said Stearns.

The projects and recipients are:

9:00 a.m. Alachua Town Meeting

$3 Million for Banyan Biomarkers -- In cooperation with the University of Florida, Banyan Biomarkers of Gainesville is working on a non-invasive blood test that rapidly diagnoses the severity of traumatic brain injury (TBI).  The TBI test examines proteins released in the bloodstream after a head injury to determine the extent of damage.

10:30 a.m. Archer Town Meeting

$300,00 for Gainesville Airport -- Funding will assist the airport in expanding its multi-modal facility at the passenger terminal, improving passenger transportation, vehicle lanes, and areas for picking up and dropping off passengers.

3:00 p.m. Gainesville Town Meeting

$350,000 for the City of Gainesville  -- The City of Gainesville's Depot Regional Stormwater Park is a broadly developed, multi-faceted initiative designed to revitalize an area of downtown Gainesville.  At the center of this plan is a master stormwater facility that will also serve as an urban park.

$250,000 for Inter-Agency Communications -- The City of Gainesville and Alachua County have been working together on a Joint Communications project to improve command and control, and communications for rapid information sharing in the area of public safety.

$1 Million for Infrastructure Program -- In response to terrorist threats, we are developing effective means for protecting America civilians, military personnel, and facilities from the threat of explosive terrorist attacks.  The University's Infrastructure Protection program involves developing new construction materials and structural components to ensure the survivability of vital structures such as buildings, bridges, dams, and power grids.