NOTE: NEW BADGE/CARD POLICY FOR GRAA MEMBERS - (Details on Last Page)

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS:

April 8, 2003        GRAA Regular Luncheon - ll:30 am - RecCenter - Pls call 30l-937-7762 for reservations - Guest Speaker: Dr. Ed Wollack,                               GSFC - Lab. for Astronomy & Solar Physics - Subj: WMAP Proj. - (*See Dr. Pieper's Comments Below)

April l6, 2003       12^TH ANNUAL SPRING CRAFTS FAIR - l0 AM to 2 PM - Bldg 8 Auditorium - $l5 Registration Fee Per Space - Open to                               Govt. Retirees/Contractor Employees/ Family & Friends (Handmade Articles Only) - Pls Contact C. Simkins, - email -                               csimkins@pop400.gsfc.nasa.gov - for info/forms -

May l3, 2003       GRAA Regular Luncheon - ll:30 am - RecCenter - Pls call 30l-937-7762 for reservations -- Guest Speaker: Bill Davenport,                               GSFC Retiree - Author of Mystery Novel "Dragons Die at Dawn" - Published as a Print On Demand (POD) Book l2/2000                               (Will Discuss and Answer Questions Based on Personal Experience w/POD Publishing)

June l0, 2003        GRAA Regular Luncheon - ll:30 am - RecCenter - Pls call Alberta 30l-937-7762 for reservations -

July 8, 2003         GRAA Regular Luncheon - ll:30 am - RecCenter - Pls call Alberta 30l-937-7762 for reservations --

July 9 - 2l, 2003   THAILAND - New Year Festival - $300 Deposit due now - Balance by May, 2003 - Call 30l-286-8565Oct.

Sep. 25-29,2003   BRANSON, MO - 5 DAYS - This is a "GO"-40 seats available call Alberta 30l-937-7762 for details.

Oct. l0-l2, 2003    NACA Reunion - Cleveland, OH - If interested, pls contact Marty Eiband, GRAA Member, ASAP -

                              30l-474-7683. or see (Memo from NACA Reunion V. Chairman plus Registration Form Attached)

Oct. 26 - Nov. 9   Switzerland/France/Italy/Austria/Munich (Germany) - $2409 pp (Includes air transportation/tour

                              director/hotels/hotel service charges/tips/baggage handling/local taxes/motor coach, etc.)

                              A $300 deposit due now - Final payment due 7/l5/03 - Call Pat GEWA Store 30l-286-8565 - .

COMMENTS FROM GRAA'S PRESIDENT, DR. PIEPER: Nearly l00 people attended our March luncheon, which served as a fine testimonial and farewell to Les Meredeith, one of the Center's true pioneers. Memory-filled talks were made by George Ludwig and Frank McDonald about Les's days as Jim Van Allen's first graduate student at the Univ. of Iowa and his work at NRL prior to the founding of Goddard. Letters from Dave Atlas and Steve Holt were read and further kudos- came from Tom Cline, Norman Ness, Jack Townsend, Elaine Montgomery and John Ormes. Rosalee Ludwig spoke of her long and deep friendship with Marilyn Meredith. All in all, it was a very nice tribute to Les, who contributed so much to space and earth sciences at Goddard.

For many of us old timers, COBE was one of NASA and Goddard's great projects. Its measurements of the cosmic background radiation solidified the Big Bang theory of the origin of the universe. Now a successor to COBE, the Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe, WMAP, has returned far more detailed images that contain the earliest glimpse of the universe after the Big Bang and show fascinating things about the origin of the universe and its galaxies. By exploiting these clues, precise constraints can be derived concerning the age, mass density and the geometry of the early universe.

The following GRAA members were elected at the last Luncheon to serve on the GRAA Board. Thanks to each and every one that participated in this exercise. Further discussion regarding this election of the Board will be done at the April Meeting.

                                            Dick Baker                                 Barbara Hamilton                          Bob Wigand
                                            Charlie Boyle                            Bob Morrissey
                                            Ron Browning                          George Pieper

TREASURER'S REPORT; Donations were received from Richard White, Andrew Mazurick, Bill Shaffer, John Thole, Charlie White and Glenn Harris

MAIL STUFFERS FOR MARCH; George Abid, Mary & Bob Wilson, Rose McChesney, Marge Gustafson, Eloise Tarter, Frank Wrigley, William Shields, Ewald Schmidt, Hugh O'Donnell, Roland Van Allen and Martin Eiband.

LETTERS WE GET LETTERS!!!

GEORGE HARRIS - of Viera-Melbourne, FL. - After 24 years left the high desert of New Mexico for the Atlantic coast of Florida. Came to roost close to the places where GSFC Manned Fighters spent many many happy hours as young engineers supporting Project Mercury, Gemini, Apollo and later in life Shuttle missions. Lives about 25 minutes from the CAPE and spends odd hours finding and visiting watering holes. From that period, is pleased to report that Bernards Surf still exists with the drinks and beef as good as ever - lives in a place called "The Indian River Colony Club" - if in the area - invites all to give a call. (Address change noted)

EVELYN PETERS: of Tamarac, FL - sent note mentioning how much she enjoys receiving the Newsletter - (incorrect address noted - hopefully corrected for next editions)

WHITE, RICHARD & JOY of Martinsburg, WVA - Sends hello to everyone - still enjoys retirement - enjoys reading articles in the Newsletter and sends thanks to all responsible for the publication - happy about the continued success of the Hubble Space Telescope and hope the follow-on Telescope progresses well.

ITEM OF INTEREST: Received the following information recently from Tony Rossi - "Ed Mercanti has been in the Baltimore VA Rehabilitation & Extended Care Facility, 3900 Loch Raven Blvd, Baltimore, MD 2l2l8 - since October 30, 2003. If any of you would like more information, please contact Tony Rossi, casadelsol@toad.net "

OBITS:

HOYT, BEATRICE (BEA): Beloved wife of Barney, the RecCenter Manager, passed away Wednesday, February 26, 2003. (In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Michael Hoyt Memorial Fund and mailed to Barney at l2702 Cherry Wood Lane, Bowie, MD 20775. This fund benefits Bea's Great Grandchildren - Michael, Bea's grandson died suddenly in December.

NEW BADGE/CARD POLICY FOR ALL GRAA MEMBERS; - A new policy issued by NASA HQ, effective at Goddard on February 3, 2003, calls for the replacement of the current "NASA Retiree Badge" with a wallet-sized identification card. While the new cards will not afford retirees automatic access to the Center , they will facilitate the issuance of badges for retirees and their guests. Retirees wanting to access the Center must stop at the Receptionist Desk in Bldg 9 (Main Gate) sign in and obtain an Official Visitor Badge. The following procedures apply: (l) Retiree badges will not be honored at the Center's gates. Retirees may only access the Center after being processed for an Official Visitor Badge on each visit, (2) Your Official Visitor Badge should be displayed at all times while on the Center and deposited in one of the drop boxes at the gates as you exit the Center, (3) When attending an event at the GSFC Rec Center, please ensure you have a ticket or have provided your name and the names of your guests to the event sponsor. Your NASA Retiree ID Card will be honored at all NASA Centers; however, you should check with the respective Center's Security Office for information concerning access procedures. Please remember to have the card with you to exchange because other Centers are not easily able to verify your retirement status. If you have questions regard this new policy, pls contact the GSFC Security Office at 30l-286-SAFE (7233).

P.S. (Additional Comment from Dr. Pieper) It is strongly recommended that all retirees get the new GSFC ID - however, a special arrangement has been made with the Security Office that will allow those not eligible for the ID card (spouses, alumni,etc.) to be admitted through the Soil Conservation RD gate to our monthly luncheons if each shows one's name is on a list provided by Alberta to the Security Office and each shows a valid picture ID (Driver's License, etc.) It has always been important to call Alberta for a luncheon reservation to get a proper head count. Now - if you're not on the list you can't get in.

                                                                            __________  UPDATE ___________ 

After this Newsletter went to press, and the Iraq war started, new, tighter security measures were announced concerning all visitors (including retirees) to GSFC. Visitors to the Main Site arriving between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m. on weekdays must now check in for processing at the Visitor Center. (During off hours they will still be processed at the Bldg. 9 Gatehouse.) 
ARRANGEMENTS ARE BEING MADE TO OPEN THE REAR GATE OF THE REC CENTER (GATE 13) ON GOOD LUCK ROAD FOR THE APRIL 8TH GRAA LUNCHEON. RESERVATIONS SHOULD STILL BE MADE.