Publisher's Note

by Lori Murphy

Our imagination is the only limit to what we can hope to have in the future.
—Charles Kettering*

It is great to be a kid these days—and on the northshore, it is getting even better! As our community blossoms this spring, our very own Children’s Museum will begin coming into focus. Under the guiding hand of the Junior League of Greater Covington, much of the groundwork has been done. For the past four years, League volunteers have toured facilities, researched exhibits, outlined wish lists and called upon visionaries across the community to join with them. When Kevin Davis unveiled the Koop Drive trailhead plans, with the museum as its centerpiece, it was clear that the project is on full steam ahead.

Designed to appeal to families with children ages 2-13, the Children’s Museum of St. Tammany will feature exhibits and programs that stimulate curiosity and creativity and nurture a desire for lifelong learning. The programming will focus on hands-on, learning-by-doing experiences.

Through a grant from the St. Tammany Tourism Commission, the architectural firm of Fauntleroy and Latham was hired to design the museum and its surroundings. The Junior League has pledged $50,000 towards the effort and has named the Children’s Museum as a signature project, but its members can’t do it alone. A capital campaign is set to launch this year with private, corporate and foundation donors as its first prospects. You can show your support by marking your calendar now for the soirée at the Castine Center on Sunday, April 27.

It is a Charles Kettering spirit of cooperation and investment in imagination that will bring the Children’s Museum of St. Tammany to fruition. I applaud the League for its leadership on the project and the parish government for its collaborative spirit in bringing such a gift to the northshore.

Let’s open our minds to the extraordinary. We will live the future we imagine.

p.s. Happy New Year to all!

*Charles Kettering was an engineer and inventor. This Buckeye (sorry, Tigers) gave so many gifts to society it is impossible to list them all, but they include the spark plug and automatic transmission, the portable electric generator and Freon for air conditioning and refrigeration. He was one of the founders of the Sloan-Kettering Institute, now part of the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. He is best remembered as an advocate for cooperation in education and development.