Rep. Hastert tapped a computer keyboard, and the NuMI beam profile flashed onto the first screen above the stage. Rep. Oberstar and DOE Office of Science Director Raymond Orbach together tapped another key, and maps on the second screen showed the beam path from the lab to the far detector in the Soudan Underground Laboratory. Fermilab Director Michael Witherell declared: "MINOS has started."

The ovation that followed set the stage for a poignant perspective from the final speaker of the NuMI/MINOS dedication ceremony on Friday afternoon. Stan Wojcicki of Stanford University read the comments of his experiment co-spokesperson, Doug Michael of CalTech, who had planned to attend but remained in Los Angeles to undergo chemo-therapy treatment for recently-diagnosed multiple non-Hodgkins lymphoma.

Through Wojcicki, Michael thanked "the American people for funding our research." He added that as he has experienced his recent diagnosis and treatment: "I marvel at the technology available in 21st-century medical care, technology first developed in our field of high-energy physics, or developed by people trained in high-energy physics."

The dedication ceremony, followed by a lab-wide party in the Atrium, capped a development process for the neutrino experiment extending back to 1995. NuMI/MINOS will send neutrinos 450 miles through the earth from the lab to the 6,000-ton detector located a half-mile underground in the Soudan Underground Laboratory. Rep. Oberstar's father was a miner who worked in the Soudan mine, and the congressman drew a parallel between mining iron ore and mining scientific ore in the disrtrict he represents in Congress.

"The miners extracted nature's hidden treasures from the oldest matter on earth," Oberstar said. "Now scientists will wrest from that same rock the oldest matter in the universe, dating back to the big bang. It's a fascinating contrast."

Addressing the larger picture of the future of research, Hastert emphasized that "to remain near the top, we must continue to look at the next step, at new discoveries and new information." Orbach directly addressed the issue of Fermilab's future: "This is the best high-energy physics lab in the world. The Office of Science and your government intend to keep it that way."

And in remarks to an informal gathering of the media following the ceremony, Hastert directly addressed the issue of the Linear Collider: "If we can afford it, we'll do it."

- Mike Perricone

The doors open at 5:30 p.m., and the contest will start at approximately 7:00pm. It takes about 45 minutes to build the wood and paper Delta Dart. All pieces are precut and color-coded. A twisted rubber band acts as the power source for this flying spectacle. All materials are provided by the Fermilab Barnstormers free of charge to those under 12 years old, and $1 for those over 12. The contest is divided into two age groups, and the longest flight gets first pick of a wide assortment of prizes. Plan to arrive at 5:30 p.m. to build your "world-beater" model.

The Barnstormers will be on hand to lend expert building and flying assistance. "Expect to have a good time and get a taste of the model airplane world that Fermilab has to offer," said Jim Zagel of the Accelerator Division and president of the Fermilab Barnstormers.

So what make a good Delta Dart? "In some cases luck," Zagel said. "If you follow the instructions, use an appropriate amount of glue, and have a little luck, your airplane will fly great."

- Eric Bland