LVCC was honored to support the official unveiling of the DREAM BIG wall mural on Saturday, September 24, with a ribbon-cutting ceremony. The mural, on the rear wall facing North K Street and Railroad Avenue, housing Common Point Non-Profit Center and the Tri-Valley Food Pantry, was commissioned by Alan and Mary Burnham, principals of AMAEAB and owners of the building, and features the likeness of five astronauts with ties to Lawrence Livermore and Sandia National Laboratories in Livermore and to the Tri-Valley – Leroy Chiao, Jose Hernandez, Tammy Jernigan, Ellen Ochoa, and Jeff Wisoff.  Hernandez, Jernigan, Ochoa, and Wisoff participated in the event with a message from Chiao in Houston who sent his well wishes.

Also, a featured guest was Janice Bishop who served at the SETI Institute and NASA Ames Research Center investigating meteorites and Mars-analog rocks and their relationships to the origin of life.

The event was well-attended by the public including families and children that stood in lines later for photo ops and autographs with each astronaut.  The strong roots of science and technology in the region is often talked about, but on this day, it was inspirational to see, hear, and meet in-person four living astronauts here in our community.

All photos were provided by Ron Essex Photography.