"Economic vitality of rural America depends on local business and community leaders having resources to increase economic opportunities and improve quality of life," said Conner. "These loan and grant investments will allow for creation and retention of thousands of rural jobs, Connor said."

     In conjunction with today's announcement USDA signed a $1 billion guarantee note with a lender who will pay an annual fee for federal guarantee, a portion of which will be available for REDLG program. The signing of guarantee will provide an estimated $52 million in funding for REDLG program.

     An additional $3.4 million in loan funds will be used to assist local re-lending intermediaries establish or expand revolving loan funds to support business development or expansions. Grants totaling $1 million will be made available to local public broadcasting stations for educating viewers on rural matters.

      The loans and free federal grants will support economic and community development and assist in creation or saving of over 3,000 rural jobs as part of Bush Administration's ongoing efforts to spur economic development in rural areas.

Life is ironic and this irony can be reflected in picture right before you. Take a glimpse and be amused by things that it is telling you. Its voice may be inaudible but its language is clear. They say that picture paints a thousand words. And its words are so enchanting that it drags you to contemplation. If eyes have been regarded as windows to our soul then, pictures are mirrors to our past and doors to our future. Why are they interrelated? Perhaps, reason is that we must look back at them in order to see what’s ahead.

We cherish our pictures and we want to preserve every bit of it because every bit is a piece of puzzle that makes us up. Pictures are our priceless possession. They are trails of our past. Every picture may mean a precious moment, event or treasured person.