奥州市水沢区羽田町の市立羽田小学校（三田卓郎校長、児童１４１人）で５日、国際リニアコライダー（ＩＬＣ）計画に関する出前講座が開かれた。同校はＩＬＣ候補地の北上山地に近く、新幹線の駅があるなど、ＩＬＣ実現を見据えたまちづくりを進める上で、重要な役割を果たす地区とも言われている。講師を務めた奥州市ＩＬＣ推進室の職員らは、無限の可能性を秘めるＩＬＣを誘致する意義を伝えた。
　地元周辺に関わりがあるＩＬＣについて学ぼうと、同校ＰＴＡ会員研修会（今野裕記会長）が企画。３〜６年生の児童１０６人とＰＴＡ会員約３０人が、同推進室の渡辺浩太郎主事と、ＩＬＣ国際化推進員アンナ・トマスさん＝米オレゴン州出身＝の話に耳を傾けた。
　「ＩＬＣが実現すると国際化が進み、外国人の友達ができる。外国語を学ぶチャンスになる」とトマスさん。渡辺主事は「誘致が順調に進めば、みんなが�y歳をすぎるころに運用開始となる。水沢江刺駅周辺を中心に発展が進み、スーパーマーケットや映画館などいろいろな施設ができるかもしれない」と期待をふくらませた。
　「ＩＬＣは何の役に立つのか」「施設の建設で自然が破壊されないか」などの疑問や不安に対しても丁寧に説明。渡辺主事は「建設費用は莫大だが、経済効果はそれ以上と試算されている。事前調査で自然や地域への影響を最小限にとどめるようにするなど、皆さんと考え一緒に進めることができれば」とまとめた。
　児童会長の６年小野寺駿君（１２）は「ＩＬＣができる意味や何ができるかなど、分かりやすく教えてもらいよかった」と話していた。

写真＝羽田小学校の児童たちにＩＬＣ計画の意義を伝えるアンナ・トマスさん

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Hada Elementary School (Close to ILC Candidate Site) Learns about ILC

On November 5th, a talk about the ILC was held at Hada Elementary School in Mizusawa, Oshu （Principal Takuro Mita, 141 students）. The Hada area is said to have an important role in city planning for the ILC because it contains a bullet train station and is close to the Kitakami mountain ILC candidate site. The two lecturers from Oshu City ILC Promotion Division taught about the importance of attracting the ILC, which holds infinite possibilities.

The event was planned as a Hada Elementary PTA training session to learn about the ILC and its close relationship to the area. 106 3rd through 6th grade students about 30 PTA members listened to the talk by Oshu ILC Promotion Division employees Kotaro Watanabe and Anna Thomas (from Oregon, USA).

“When the ILC is realized, this area will become more international and you can made friends with foreign people, and have the chance to learn foreign languages,” said Thomas. Watanabe fanned expectations for the ILC, saying “If all goes according to plan, the ILC will start its run when you are all in your twenties. The area around Mizusawa-Esashi shinkansen station will develop: maybe facilities like supermarkets and movie theaters will get built.”

The lecturers also carefully explained about questions and doubts like “What good will the ILC do?” and “Won`t building the ILC be destructive to nature?” Watanabe noted that, “While the cost of building is considerable, the calculated economic benefits will surpass that. We`ll keep the effect on nature and the area at a minimum by conducting surveys beforehand: we want to move forward with everyone`s involvement.”

Student body president Shun Onodera (age 12, 6th grader) said “It was good because they taught about why the ILC will be built in a way that was easy to understand.”

Photo = Anna Thomas, who convey the significance of the ILC plan to schoolchildren of Hada elementary school