By Hugh Turnbull

When the move into the new Creswell Middle School facility took place last year, Linda Tharp found that her spacious new social studies room lacked maps. The large world map in her room at the former school could not be removed from the wall.

Hoping to have a new world map in place in her new classroom for the last few months before her retirement at the end of the 2008-2009 school year, Tharp applied to the Creswell Education Foundation for funding to purchase a map.

That was not to be, but the world map recently arrived for Tharp's replacement Rob Jerome.

CEF had turned first to Raven Maps in Medford, which had an "Educators' Special" offer of four superb maps at a great price. Unfortunately, Raven had no large world map, but they suggested that CEF contact National Geographic.

CEF decided to order the Raven "Special" maps, which needed to be mounted on corrugated polypropylene for easy moving between classrooms, and the NG "World Political Mural Map."

CMS custodians Steve Ford and Del Beswick applied a primer coat to the east wall of Jerome's room, and school secretary Kathi Jackson put her wallpapering skills to work applying the world map to the classroom wall.

Jerome said that the map has transformed his room. He anticipates sharing the Raven maps with other CMS social studies teachers, but is keeping a watchful eye on the Oregon topographic map.

"None of our textbooks are this accurate," he exclaimed, excited that all the maps are state-of-the-art and totally up to date.