2010 Census kicks off with office opening in North Platte

NORTH PLATTE -- The U.S. Census bureau will launch community operations this week to conduct the 2010 Census in the North Platte area. A local Spirit of Community Celebration will feature North Platte Mayor Marc Kaschke, Lt. Governor Rick Sheehy, Buffalo Bill Cody (Bruce Richman), and Ben Franklin (Michael Davis) who will talk about the power of community members to bring about a complete census, the largest peacetime operation conducted for the federal government. The event will take place on Tuesday, December 8th, at 214 East 5th Street, North Platte, Nebraska at 11] am.

With the count just four months away, Census operations will become increasingly visible in local communities. Offices will organize communication with the public on census activities, as well as recruit, hire and train workers to conduct outreach operations. The entire operation will impact federal, state and local funding as well as the reapportionment of congressional seats in the U.S. House of Representatives.

"Our operations will play a very active role in reaching out to people where they live and encouraging them to complete their Census forms, said Regional Census Director Cathy L. Lacy. "We want residents to understand what activity to expect in the coming months. We also want to make sure they know that filling out their forms is safe, easy and important and that funding for roads, schools, and social programs is at stake."

During the celebration, participants will highlight the theme "Its in our hands" with colorful posters, banners and activities. They will also provide information that explains how every member of the community can contribute to the count.

Mandated by the Constitution, and taking place every decade since 1790, the Census is a count of everyone living in the United States. The confidentiality of Census information is protected by law, Title 13, U.S. Code, Section 9 of the Constitution. All Census bureau employees, including the Census workers who collect the information, have taken an oath of confidentiality and are subject to a jail term, fine, or both for disclosing any information that could identify a respondent or household. This level of confidentiality also extends to prohibitions against sharing information with other government agencies. For more information about the Census visit www.2010Census.gov.