G.R.A.A.

                        Goddard Retirees & Alumni Association
                          P.O. Box 163, Seabrook, MD 20703

AUGUST 1999                    http://gewa.gsfc.nasa.gov/~graa                 16th Year of Publication

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS:
August 10, 1999               11:30 a.m., GRAA Regular Luncheon, RecCenter, $8 per person - CALL Alberta                                          301-937-7762 for reservations.
September 14,1999          NO MONTHLY LUNCHEON - ANNUAL CRAB FEAST (See Details Below)
September 14,1999          6:00 p.m., GRAA ANNUAL CRAB FEAST - RecCenter - $18.00 PER PERSON
                                        MENU: ALL YOU CAN EAT CRABS, CRAB SOUP, HAMBURGERS,                                         HOTDOGS, COLE SLAW, POTATO SALAD, SOFTDRINKS,                                         BEER/TEA/COFFEE/WINE, DESSERT - CALL ALBERTA 301-937-7762 FOR                                         RESERVATIONS!
October 12,1999             The October Regular Luncheon will be dedicated to an IMP Reunion                                         but all are invited. See details under Dr. Pieper's comments. Call ALBERTA                                         301-937-7762 FOR RESERVATIONS
November 9,1999           11:30 a.m. GRAA LUNCHEON, Rec Center - Special Colloquiurn by Frank                                         McDonald, a rerun of his 40th Anniversary Colloquium - CALL ALBERTA FOR                                         RESERVATIONS - 301-937-7762.
November 14,1999          Queen of the West - Sternwheeler Cruising on the Columbia, Willamette and Snake                                         Rivers, included tours to Hells Canyon, Mount Hood via railroad, and many others.                                         Limited cabin space. 7 days $1,850 plus $ 124 port charges and estimated $400                                         round trip air to Portland, Oregon. $300 per person deposit required at time of                                         reservation. Call Alberta for brochures and information (301) 937-7762
12/26/99 -1/3/00             Lima Peru - Cuzco - Machu Picchu - $2499 per person - Call Alberta 301-937-7762                                         for details.
12/28/99 -1/3/00             Aurora Millennium in Canada - Churchill, Manitoba Canada - all activities at Churchill
                                        Northern Studies Center - 7 Days - 6 Nights - $1649 plus taxes per person. Call                                         Alberta 301-937-7762 for details.

MAIL STUFFERS FOR JULY: Wilma Chigas, Bob & Mary Wilson, Robert E.Wilson, Rose McChesney, Bob Wigand, Marty Eiband, Paul Pashby, & E. Montgomery.

TREASURER'S REPORT: Donations were received from Gideon Serbu, Bill Doles, Ray Sumser, John Sullivan, Ron Britner, Bill Dewell, Charlie Marcus, Carol Lundregan, Al Glorioso, Phil Yaffee, Tony Grandi, Ralph Lieberman, Bill Mathis, Art Anderson and John Quill. GRAA's account balances as of 6/30/99 totaled $10,864.06.

COMMENTS FROM DR. PIEPER: For no apparent reason, the July GRAA Luncheon drew a great crowd - 63 people showed up. There was no special program so people must have come just to see their friends, or maybe they somehow knew that Barney would be cooking steaks. The lunch was great, as usual. We were all especially pleased that Pat Kelly and Maceo Leatherwood, two of Goddard's finest artists, joined us .... One note though, as of Sunday before the lunch, 21 people had called in to Alberta that they were coming. On Monday that number went up to 41. 63 people came! Barney had added 10 as a cushion, but he really was put to the test to take care of the additional dozen! So PLEASE call Alberta by Sunday if possible (certainly by Monday) if you plan to come to lunch. It's the only reason we ask you to call and it's the least we can do for Barney and Bea, who do such a great job for us.

Paul Marcotte has reported that the IMP reunion firmly scheduled October 12 will have Paul Butler, Frank McDonald, Norm Ness, and Jerry Madden all present. Everybody who had anything to do with IMP (and that must mean most of GSFC of those days) is welcome and requested to be present. Bar opens at 11:30 a.m., lunch about 12:00 Noon, and it can go on as long as you IMPsters all want it to go.

APOLLO MOON LANDING 30th ANNIVERSARY DINNER HELD 7/20/99 AT GODDARD'S REC CENTER: Approximately 149 GSFC employees, retirees and guests attended this activity. There were several team members from out-of-town - believe Ray Davis from Georgia traveled the farthest to get here. The evening was designed to provide a forum for everyone to network with no formal speeches. Richard Sade, as former Director of Tracking and Data Systems, GSFC, welcomed the group. While everyone was dining on baked chicken and ham with all the trimmings, twenty $20 cash awards, the three bottles GSFC 40th Anniversary wine packet and seven other items were presented as door prizes. The evening ended about 9:30 p.m. Everyone had a great time and are looking forward to the 35th in five years! Elaine Montgomery assisted Alberta in the registration.

COMMENTS RECEIVED FROM KEITH WALTERS RE: DREAMS, HOPES, REALITIES BOOK: "Just finished reading (actually skimmed some parts) of the above book- Enjoyed it immensely, since many of the photos before 1979 were mine or I'd seen them since our photofolks made them. The writing was very good but a bit tekkie for the general public, perhaps. But remember the films we in photo made? The PIO folks wanted gee whiz and little green men in the GSFC movies; the engineers wanted metric measurements and lots of high speed movies showing stuff flying off of spacecraft in the DTC; the scientists wanted ionosphere measurements. Point is, you can't keep everyone happy. Good job, though, I'll treasure it."

GEWA SPECIAL EVENTS: (Contact: Catherine Simkins 301-286-3304)
9th Annual Fall Crafts Fair - Bldg 8 Audit. - Sept. 23,1999 - 10 AM til 2 PM. If interested, call Catherine
End-of-the-Fiscal-Year Crab Feast - GSFC RecCenter - Sept. 24,1999 - 5 PM til 9 PM
    Steamed Crabs plus a traditional picnic menu (hot dogs/burgers, etc.) will be served. A DJ, games, & cash
    ($$$) door prizes will add to everyone's good time. (SHOULD NOT BE CONFUSED W/GRAA's CRAB     FEAST).
Children's Holiday Party- Bldg 8 Audit. - Dec. 11, 1999 - 12 Noon til 5 PM. This popular event features
    door prizes, refreshments, personalized gift, a special visit and color photo w/Santa. Mrs. Claus, clowns,
    balloon animals, movies, magic show, etc. All for only $5 per child!
New Year's Eve Millennium Gala - GSFC RecCenter - Dec. 31,1999 - 7 PM til 1 AM
     "Cocktail attire required" - premier evening - catered buffet dinner, beer/wine/sodas, entertainment/prizes,
     Yellow Brick Road Band for dancing - Continental breakfast - Tickets limited - Flyer/details in September.

LETTERS WE GET LETTERS!
HARRY J. GOETT: Rec'd a short note requesting three copies of the "Dreams, Hopes & Realities" book - copies should be on the way to you in Los Altos Hills, California.
RAYMOND J. SUMSER: "Will never forget his days or the people of GSFC" - and to GRAA "Keep up the good work"
WILLIAM E. DOLES: Presently living in Crystal River, Florida - retired from Goddard in 1973 after 35 years.
ART ANDERSON: Appreciates all the good work that the GRAA volunteers do in getting out the Newsletter & the Directory. Since having a heart attack in mid-March, has slowed down a bit but has made time to contact old friends, thanks to the GRAA Directory. Will be moving out of the area soon (Pennsylvania in summer & Florida in winter). Appreciates all the good work that permits all of us to keep up with the GSFC & each other.
FREDERICK KOLB: Enjoys reading the publication every month - keeps him up-to-date with all that is going on. Presently living in Tucson, Arizona.
RALPH W. LIEBERMANN: Sends thanks to all those who put in time and effort in getting the Newsletter out - sends a special thanks to Bob & Mary Wilson, Frank Wrigley & Bob Miller, some of his former Code 815 friends. Presently living in Las Vegas - purchased a beautiful home with little grass to cut - Keeps busy with his amateur radio (KC4RAF) and computer. Says there's plenty of activity in Las Vegas, lots of shows and gambling and they don't pull in the sidewalks at nine o'clock
BILL MATHIS: "How time flies! Twenty-five years have passed since I worked at Goddard - truly appreciates the good work of the retirees and their family members do in assembling and mailing the Newsletters. However, as time goes on, fails to recognize fewer and fewer names. However, feels we all share a common bond, many fond memories of challenging work and accomplishments at GSFC." Presently resides in Venice, Florida, a golf course community still doing some consulting with government businesses but in the process of phasing out.
RONALD 0. BRITNER: Presently living in Bedford, PA - hasn't been hooked in to the Internet yet but got two nice 20lb gobblers this spring. Prefers to spend waking hours in the woods. Your question "Is it true NASA is going to launch a scientific study to prove the Universe is really only about 10,000 years old?" (The answer according to Dr. Pieper is 'No')
A. ARMAN: Rec'd note mentioning what a great time he and his wife had on the recent group trip to Las Vegas especially the excellent planning of Alberta's CMA organization plus a special thanks to those who were kind enough to take them home from the airport at 12:30 a.m. "It's refreshing to realize that kindness and 'treating your fellow man with friendship' still exists in this time of speed and excess."
Marion "LOU' NOORDZY: Sends thanks to every one for the newsletter and a special thanks to the stuffers. (Sorry to be so late on your address change - trust it has been done by this time)

OBITS:
NEWCHY MIGNONE: Died June 9,1999 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Worked in the Space Applications Branch of the Procurement Division, GSFC, from 1967 -1974 - (Info received recently from his close friends, Tom & Mary Canning).
JAMES A. COOLEY: Died in April, 1997.
HARRY L. GERWIN: Died June 27,1999 - Retired in June 1972, was Project Manager on the ATS F+G.

ADOPT-A-ROAD - Even tho only three responded, thanks to Elaine Bobbitt, Elaine Montgomery and Bob Wigand, the event was a success - five huge bags were filled and turned in - so join the next clean-up group.

VISITOR CENTER GIFT SHOP-HELP WANTED! Must be able to work weekends and one/two days a week from 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. Call Janet 301-286-6476 or Melvin Kurtz 301-286-8498.

ATTACHMENT: NARFE MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION