Latest news with #KenWilliams
Associated Press
22-05-2025
- Science
- Associated Press
VGTel, Inc. (OTC: VGTL) Signs Letter of Intent with Arizona Elementary School, Launching Youth-Focused Astronomy Pilot Program for Fall 2025
LANDER, Wyo., May 22, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- VGTel, Inc. (OTC: VGTL) is pleased to announce the signing of a Letter of Intent (LOI) with an elementary school in Arizona, officially launching its Youth Astronomy Pilot Program beginning in the Fall 2025 school year. Full details of the participating school and partners will be disclosed in a forthcoming press release. This initiative is part of VGTel's broader mission to inspire and empower the next generation through space-based education. At the core of this effort is a simple truth: our children are the future, and by bringing the wonders of the universe into their classrooms, we can ignite curiosity and lay the foundation for lifelong learning in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). The program will provide real-time astronomy experiences during school hours, allowing educators to tap into live galactic events and incorporate them directly into their curriculum. From active solar observation to the tracking of distant galaxies and cosmic events, VGTel's system gives students a front-row seat to the universe, all from within the classroom. 'We believe that access to the stars should not be limited by location or budget,' said Ken Williams, CEO of VGTel, Inc. 'By providing real-time astronomy tools and content, we're not just teaching science, we're inspiring the next generation of scientists, engineers, and dreamers.' To make daytime astronomy possible, VGTel will host a dedicated telescope on the opposite side of the planet, enabling North America and South America classrooms to observe the night sky in real-time while school is in session. VGTel will also deliver real-time media from our U.S. based solar camera that streams time-lapse footage of solar activity, helping students explore phenomena like solar flares and sunspots, bringing astrophysics down to Earth in a way that's interactive and educational. Average Celestial Events (Visible by Earth-Based Telescopes) During the pilot program, VGTel, Inc. works closely with the participating school to integrate real-time astronomy into the classroom environment. VGTel provides technical expertise and support, streaming equipment to adapt to display projectors, monitor, and access to live solar and deep-sky imagery. Teachers receive guidance on how to incorporate this content into their STEM curriculum, while students engage with cosmic events in real time, often for the first time. Throughout the program, VGTel gathers feedback from educators and staff to refine the system, ensuring it is both educationally impactful and easy to use. The goal is to create a scalable model for future nationwide implementation. As interest from schools continues to grow, VGTel, Inc. plans to expand its astronomy education model both nationally and internationally, establishing a robust network of academic partners. Following the pilot program, participating schools will have the option to subscribe to a full educational package that includes live-streamed astronomy content, real-time galactic event tracking, solar activity timelapses, and access to a secured library of curated digital media. The subscription price is undetermined at present. A key innovation in this offering will be the integration of VGTel's proprietary meme coin, which will serve as a ledger tool to verify access, catalog content, and provide digital proof of ownership for the photons and electrons that make up each media file—assets we consider intellectual property. This blockchain-backed system will enhance transparency, streamline billing, reduce operational costs, and create a foundation for long-term media rights management in education. The platform is designed to align with emerging federal and state STEM initiatives, making it a powerful candidate for public and private funding. By integrating advanced technology, blockchain-based transparency, and STEM-aligned curricula, VGTel is not only enhancing the way students experience space—it's creating a sustainable, scalable educational infrastructure for the future. The potential market is substantial: ● United States: Approximately 95,852 public K–12 schools ● North America: Including Canada and Mexico, the number increases significantly. ● South America: Countries like Brazil and Argentina have extensive K–12 education systems, with Brazil alone having thousands of schools Community colleges and universities also represent a major opportunity. Many of these institutions lack the budget or infrastructure to implement advanced astronomy or real-time sky monitoring programs, making them ideal candidates for VGTel's affordable, subscription-based service. For inquiries about joining the program, please contact: Ken Williams, CEO, VGTel, Inc. Mark Hanson, Chief Astronomy Officer [email protected] X: About VGTel, Inc. VGTel, Inc. (OTC: VGTL) is a publicly traded company focused on advanced astronomy, atmospheric monitoring, and space-based education technologies. With a commitment to innovation and outreach, VGTel is building a global network to unlock real-time views of the universe, bringing the stars into homes, schools, and research institutions around the world. Legal Notice Regarding Forward-Looking Statements: This press release contains forward-looking information within the meaning of section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and is subject to the safe harbor created by those sections. This material contains statements about expected future events and/or financial results that are forward-looking in nature and subject to risks and uncertainties. That includes the possibility that the business outlined in this press release cannot be concluded for some reason. That could be as a result of technical, installation, permitting or other problems that were not anticipated. Such forward-looking statements by definition involve risks, uncertainties and other factors, which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of VGTel, Inc to be materially different from the statements made herein. Except for any obligation under the U.S. federal securities laws, VGTel, Inc undertakes no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statement as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.
Chicago Tribune
23-03-2025
- Sport
- Chicago Tribune
Winning isn't everything, as Chicago White Sox fans have learned in 125 years. But you can still have fun.
A large photograph of former President Barack Obama with former Chicago White Sox general manager Ken Williams and several players and employees still graces the walls of the team's spring training facility at Camelback Ranch. It seems like a lifetime ago to many Sox fans, but 20 years ago, their heroes ruled the baseball world and Obama, with a No. 1 Sox jersey, was the leader of the free world. It might have been the greatest season in the 125-year history of the Sox, a franchise associated with the game's darkest scandal and one that often plays in the shadows of the crosstown Cubs. It's a season in sharp contrast to last year's 121-loss campaign, the worst in modern-day history. As the Sox celebrate their 125th season in 2025, they can look back at moments grand and ghastly, from the 1919 Black Sox to the Go-Go Sox of 1959, from Disco Demolition in 1979 to Winning Ugly in 1983. It's not easy being a Sox fan, as original owner Charles Comiskey offered in his ghost-written autobiography, 'Commy,' when revealing the risks of putting a team here when the American League began in 1901. 'It had been predicted that the South Side would prove a morgue for any league team,' he wrote. 'As South Siders had never given any evidence of taking kindly to the national pastime.' The Sox won the World Series in their sixth season in 1906, beating the hated Cubs in a six-game series and earning praise as the 'Hitless Wonders' for their paltry .230 average. Four years later, they moved into a new ballpark at the corner of 35th Street and Shields Avenue, described as the 'Baseball Palace of the World' that would later be named after Comiskey. If it seemed like the Sox would be a team to reckon with for decades, that was only natural. Instead, they would only win two more World Series — 1917 and 2005 — leaving their hard-bitten fans disappointed more often than not. But those hard times made the good years that much sweeter. A season could be memorable without a pennant. Dick Allen 'saved' the franchise in 1972, turning his reputation around in an MVP season that included his memorable 'Chili Dog home run' against the hated New York Yankees. The Sox won 87 games and finished in second place, 5 ½ games out of first that season. But who cared? A man with a plan was at work and a proud fan group could hold their heads high again. 1977's South Side Hit Men won the hearts of fans despite a glaring lack of pitching and defense, the pillars of winning baseball. They simply outslugged everyone, setting off the exploding scoreboard, taking curtain calls and sending the crowd into a frenzy with the silly, but catchy, lullaby, 'Na, Na, Na, Na, Hey, Hey, Goodbye,' after an opposing pitcher was removed. They wound up 90-72 and in third place, 12 games out of first. But who cared? As long as Harry Caray was hanging out of the TV booth, Nancy Faust was on the organ and players such as Richie Zisk and Oscar Gamble were aiming for the roof, everyone was happy. It happened again 13 years later in 1990, the final year of the old ballpark, when a young, scrappy team led by Carlton Fisk and Jack McDowell won 94 games and challenged the mighty Oakland A's all summer long. That team finished second, nine games back. But who cared? The Sox sent the ballpark off with a party that went on and on. Tears were shed after the final out, as players walked around the outfield, saluting fans with sunlight gleaming through the arches. Time moved on, and the White Sox got a new ballpark across the street, a shiny ballmall with an upper deck so steep vendors were designated as honorary sherpas. Under many names, including its latest iteration — Rate Field — it would never be as beloved as old Comiskey Park. Even now, current boss Jerry Reinsdorf is trying to get a newer, shinier park in the South Loop with the help of other people's money. Many fear Reinsdorf — or his heirs — will ultimately sell to a billionaire with no Chicago ties who will move the team to another town, ending a longtime South Side tradition and leaving fans without a local team to root for besides the Cubs. Not that that would ever happen. The teams change and the old ballpark is history, but Sox fans haven't changed. 1 of 13 Gus Doukas, 20, Gene Bak, Leo Tonkl, 21, and Bill Loewe, 20, all of Chicago, entertain themselves as they wait to purchase tickets at Comiskey Park on Oct. 1, 1959, for Game 1 of the World Series between the White Sox and the Los Angeles Dodgers. (Tom Kinahan/Chicago Tribune) They are the same people whose parents and grandparents came to Comiskey to watch Nellie Fox and Luis Aparicio turn a double play. Or see Frank Thomas smack a double into the gap or Mark Buerhle confound hitters while working quickly, the way God meant baseball to be played. You didn't have to be a superstar to earn the respect of Sox fans. You just had to work hard and be accountable. Former Tribune writer Bill Granger wrote that the Sox, unlike the Cubs, were always the 'workingman's team' and Comiskey Park was the one place where people gathered to 'put aside the cudgels of hatred, put aside the bleakness of everyday life, put aside everything petty to move in their separate ways to seats to watch serious baseball. Everyday life — sometimes low and mean and as back-breaking as digging a ditch — took a time out on those lingering summer Sunday afternoons and on those bright Wednesday nights of hope and cheer.' Sox history is dotted with colorful nicknames such as 'No Neck,' 'Pudge' and 'Yermínator.' It includes short stories such as the shirtless father and son who attacked an opposing coach, mysterious bullets that hit fans in the left field bleachers, Nolan Ryan's noogie to Robin Ventura, Tony Phillips punching a Milwaukee Brewers fan, and the greatest moment in Cubs-Sox history: the brawl that began when Cubs catcher Michael Barrett clocked catcher A.J. Pierzynski after a collision at home. Characters were plenty — from Minnie Miñoso to Ozzie Guillén — and legacies were built and stayed strong. Groundskeeper Roger 'Sodfather' Bossard followed in his father's footsteps. His worst nightmare happened when the field was torn up in a Disco Demolition promotion gone awry, but he still has a black-and-white photo of the carnage in his office. There were controversies, of course, from the White Flag trade in 1997 to the LaRoche family drama, where Adam LaRoche retired because the team stopped letting his young son, Drake, have a locker in the clubhouse. Caray and Jimmy Piersall became a legendary duo without a filter, earning the wrath of manager Tony La Russa and the love of Sox Nation. Caray left for the Cubs booth when Reinsdorf called him 'scum' while celebrating the Sox's 1983 division title and later apologized for the language, though not the thought. Former owner Bill Veeck, the greatest salesman in baseball history, boycotted the ballpark in his final years after co-owner Eddie Einhorn slighted Veeck by saying he and Reinsdorf would turn the team into a 'high-class organization.' Sox fans now chant 'Sell the Team' to the owner who once replaced Andy the Clown with mascots Ribbie and Roobarb, who let broadcaster Jason Benetti leave the team he loved for a job in Detroit, and who foisted boorish and fan-unfriendly Terry Bevington on them with a team that was capable of winning with even a mediocre manager. From messages on the 'Soxogram,' to the various caps and uniforms, to bleachers showers and fireworks, watching games was never run of the mill. Even during the 121-loss disaster of 2024, the Sox made themselves heard. This might not be the season Sox fans have dreamed about, but if they can somehow find the spirit of those teams from 1972, 1977, 1990 and other memorable seasons, no one will care. Winning isn't everything, as Sox fans have learned the hard way. But you can still have fun at the old ballpark.
