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Black History Month 2004: “The Long Walk To Freedom”Continued from page 4for, future legal cases thatsuccessfully argued against separateeducational systems in this country.Following the film, the audienceattentively watched an enactmentof a courtroom scene in the case,Brown v. Board of Education, wherethe NAACP legal defense team, ledby Thurgood Marshall and portrayedby Al Jefferson, and the State ofSouth Carolina School Board legalteam, led by Charles Davis enactedby Jay Fox argued the merits of the“separate but equal” law before theSupreme Court of the United States.Pete Castellano, Stan Ciurczak andRich Mendell portrayed the justicesof the Supreme Court. The rest, asyou know, is history.The tireless resolve of the TechnicalCenter’s Black History MonthPlanning Committee, under thedirection of Patricia D. King, madethis month-long presentation possible.“Soul Food” was served after the program commemorating the 50th Anniversary of the historic caseBrown v. Board of Education.Thanks go out for the diligent effortsof the committee: Cecil Callender,Bessie Johnson, Stacie Graves,Kenneth Hitchens, ThomasenaBrown, Samuel Wilson, MaudiePowell, Latasha Reddick, ChinitaRoundtree-Coleman, Al Jefferson,Jay Fox, and Ray Stover; and thehelp of others like Verna Artis, CarolHewitt, Willy Bridges, RonaldHeist, Holly Baker, Ken Beisel,Annette Harrell, Carl Genna, LanaHaug, Anna Kertz, Bobby Nichols,and many more who contributedto making this year’s programs asuccess and educational experience.Words of gratitude are extended toDr. Anne Harlan, Technical CenterDirector, and all management stafffor allowing Center employees theopportunity to present and attendthe events. Appreciation also isextended to the local schools andcommunity leaders who attendedvarious programs. In summary, theseactivities combined with the “SoulFood” that was served after the reenactment to nourish our bodies andminds as a diverse workforce.Lana Haug (left) and Leona Wilkes (right) at the 2004 Black History Month festivities.WJHTC Intercom, April-May 2004 5

FAA Corporate Mentoring Program is UnderwayBy Faith AwadThe Corporate Mentoring Programis a web-based online mentoringprogram that supports the FAA FlightPlan’s Organizational Excellenceinitiative. The automated programwill facilitate the management ofthe FAA’s entire mentoring process,regionally and globally with 24/7accessibility via the Internet for allparticipating employees.first step in the pilot phase of theCorporate Mentoring Program hasbeen completed and the responsewas overwhelming. Employeesselected to participate in the pilotphase of the program will be notifiedand expected to begin the program inearly April. There is a start-up fee of 35.40 per employee, which coversthe system maintenance fees.The Office of Civil Rights launchedthe pilot phase registration for theCorporate Mentoring Program. Thepilot phase began on March 5. TheThe pilot phase will last six months.After the program is completed andevaluated, the program graduallywill be expanded to all employeeswho wish to participate and have thesupport of their organization.To learn more about the program, visitthe Corporate Mentoring Programpage at http://mentoring.colaboro.wsor contact one of the localcoordinators at the Technical Center:Lana Haug, 485-4285, CarolynPokres, 485-8944, Faith Awad,485-6675, Pat Maier, 485-4669, andJamaal Lipscomb, 485-7812.U.S. Representatives Mica and LoBiondo Tour TSA LabsBy Pete CastellanoTechnical Center for the purpose oftouring the Transportation SecurityAdministration (TSA) laboratories.They were given a private tour thatincluded access to cutting-edgesecurity technology in various stagesof development, much of it classified.U.S. Representative John Mica (R-FL), flankedby Representative Frank LoBiondo (R-NJ),speaks to reporters during their visit to theCenter on March 29.On March 29, U.S. RepresentativesJohn Mica (R-FL), and FrankLoBiondo (R-NJ) visited the6 WJHTC Intercom, April-May 2004Following their tour, RepresentativesMica and LoBiondo held a pressconference in the TechnicalBuilding Atrium. Both men praisedthe excellent work being doneat the Center in the security andsafety areas. They pledged thatCongress would continue toprovide the appropriate fundingfor Center projects and programs.Representative Mica did expressconcern, however, that Congresshad used some of the past fundingthat was earmarked specificallyfor security technology for otherpurposes, such as salary expensesfor baggage screeners. Theypledged to ensure that the 150million contained in the currentDOT reauthorization will go towardsdeveloping and deploying securitytechnology that will help deter futureterrorist attacks.Referencing the terrorist attacks ofSeptember 11, 2001, Mica notedthat the effects of another aviationbased attack would be absolutelydevastating, not only for the country,but also for the economy in general,and for the aviation industry inparticular. “We can’t afford to fail,”Mica said, just as the aviation industryis entering a period of recovery from9/11. Both Mica and LoBiondo werevery pleased with the work beingperformed in the Technical Center’slabs, and they want to ensure that theproper attention, focus, and resourcesremain devoted to developing newsecurity technology and deploying itto the field, as quickly as possible.

Employee Profile:“Mr. NJ” Bodybuilding Works at the Tech CenterBy Barbara Harris-ParaI guess many of us had no ideathat we had such a famous personworking here. His name is LamarCorbitt, and the National AmateurBodybuilders Association (NABBA)named him winner of the Mr. NewJersey bodybuilding contest the pasttwo years in a row. Doing this was noeasy feat.It took Lamar years of training,beginning with wrestling in the 135-lb.class at Egg Harbor Township HighSchool, continuing through to liftingweights and, finally, bodybuilding.These sports led Lamar to “powerlifting,” which helped him toachieve the title of Mr. New Jerseybodybuilder after just a few years ofcompetition, at the age of 30.Lamar’s schedule would make mostof us cringe. He is up at 4:30 a.m. sohe can get to the gym before work.He puts in a full day as an electricalengineer at the Technical Center, andthen goes back to the gym to work asa trainer until 6:30 p.m. Once he getshome he has dinner, spends sometime with his wife and young son, andgoes to sleep by 8:30 p.m.Eventually, Lamar hopes to competein the national bodybuilding contests,which are held in Harrisburg, PA.His biggest dream is to go to the Mr.Universe contest, which will requirea lot of work on his part, but alsopresents huge sponsorships.Developing one’s physique is verytime consuming, says Lamar. “I didn’tget the 42” chest, 29” waist withbiceps that are about 15 1 2” aroundwithout a lot of dedicated work”. Foodand diet also play a big role as herefuses to use any steroids or drugsto attain his physique.Lamar learned bodybuilding thehard way, by trial and error. The bestadvice he has for others who areLamar Corbitt, the National AmateurBodybuilders Association (NABBA) winner ofthe Mr. New Jersey bodybuilding contestinterested in bodybuilding is, “Don’tbe afraid to ask for help”. Lamarindicated that he liked “changingpeople’s lives for the better.”42 Years of PublicServiceJoe Jones (far right) retired fromthe FAA on May 1st. A few yearsago he and Dave Maslanka hadthe opportunity to meet formerPresident Bill Clinton outside theFAA hangar.WJHTC Intercom, April-May 2004 7

Dick Battaglia Retires after 43 Years of Public ServiceBy Stan CiurczakRichard (Dick) Battaglia, theenterprise security manager for theFAA William J. Hughes TechnicalCenter, retired on May 3, from theFAA after 43 years of public service.This includes 8 years in the militaryand 35 years in the FAA.Dick is a licensed commercialpilot, and a licensed aircraft enginemechanic. He joined the U.S. Navyin 1959 as a flight engineer. UncleSam assigned him to antisubmarinewarfare duty during the Cuban MissileCrisis, which required flying 15-hourpatrols. He left the Navy in 1967.He began his career at theFAA National Aviation FacilitiesExperimental Center (NAFEC) asan aircraft and aerospace technician(mechanic) in October 1968. Afterone year, he went to work in theairport operations center, whichoversees airport operations andmaintains communications withCenter management. He became themanager of the Operations Centerin 1987. From that position he waspromoted to the position of head ofenterprise security for the TechnicalCenter.There isn’t anything Dick didn’t likeabout working here. When he passedthrough the gate each morning, hefelt so lucky to work here that he feltlike he should get down and kiss theground. He is proud to have beenassociated with the Tech Center andits employees, where he said heDick Battaglia, right, boarding an F-16 and preparing for takeoff, center. The oldNAFEC flight line below.8 WJHTC Intercom, April-May 2004experienced, “far more good timesthan bad times”.He said he would miss workingin a premier facility that has beeninstrumental in developing many,many aviation accomplishments.“Anytime you get on a plane, you seethings the Center has developed ortested,” he said. Dick said he wouldmiss his friends and the half-hourlunch breaks. He plans to continueworking during his retirement.

WJHTC Intercom, April-May 2004 9

National Cancer Control MonthBy Carole BralskiApril is designated as “NationalCancer Control Month”.In 1938, the United States Congresspassed a joint resolution requestingthat the President issue an annualproclamation declaring the month ofApril as cancer control month. Thus,each year the President of the UnitedStates makes this proclamation tohighlight advances against cancerand rededicate the nation to fightingthis disease.However, for the American CancerSociety (ACS), every month iscancer control month as it worksyear-round to fulfill its mission ofeliminating cancer as a major healthproblem. Cancer control is a broadarray of organized activities at thelocal state, regional or nationallevel that have a positive impacton reducing the human burdenof cancer. Examples of activitiesconducted at ACS include: updatingACS guidelines on various types ofcancers and nutritional information;planning campaigns; conductingtelephone surveys of 11 to 18year-olds and their parents aboutsun exposure activities and sunprotection behaviors; working withAirlifeline, a national organization thatprovides cancer patients with freetransportation to and from medicaltreatment facilities; expanding the “ICan Cope” education program, anddeveloping the ACS Cancer SurvivorsNetwork, a free 24-hour telephonebased information and supportsystem and a web-based system.Healthy behavior can greatly reducethe risk of cancer. To protect againstthis disease, Americans can makesmart choices to improve their healthand reduce the risk of cancer throughdiet and fitness and avoiding the useof tobacco, excessive drinking andexposure to sun. Since 1991, the5-a-Day for Better Health Programhas spread the message that eatingfive or more servings of fruits andvegetables can improve health andthe odds of survival for all ages.In observance of Cancer ControlMonth, the Technical Center heldits annual Blood Chemistry AnalysisScreening in the Center’s cafeteria onApril 14 and April 21, and encouragedall employees to partake in thispreventative health screening.Preventative health screening is vitalto early detection and treatment ofcancer. Screening can detect manyforms of cancer, allowing patients toseek treatment and defeat the cancerbefore it spreads.The Cancer Information Service, afree public service of the NationalCancer Institute (NCI) and theNational Institute of Health,operates as a national resourcefor information pertaining to cancerand can be contacted at 1-800-4CANCER or visit its website at http://www.cancer.gov.FAA Administrator’s Award WinnersContinued from page 3 Gary Graybill, Office ofEnterprise Performance Stacey Hamilton,Maintenance ServicesDivision Stacie Graves, Airport andAircraft Safety Division Vienna Drago, Civil RightsOfficeModel Work EnvironmentEmployee of the YearRosanne Weiss, Airport and AircraftSafety Division10 WJHTC Intercom, April-May 2004John LaPointeRosanne Weiss

May 13 is Asian Pacific Day at the Technical CenterBy Paul TanMay 13 has been designated asAsian Pacific Day 2004 at the FAAWilliam J. Hughes Technical Center.All are invited to come and join thecelebration activities for Asian PacificAmerican Heritage Month.The Asian Pacific American Coalition(APAC) has planned a two-hourprogram in the auditorium, from1 p.m. to 3 p.m., on May 13. Theprogram will include Chinese musicinstruments and music, Indiandances, Korean dances, Japanesedances, and Western musicinstruments and music. Attendees willbe invited to sample Chinese, Indian,Japanese, Korean, Thai, Vietnameseand Singapore foods after theprogram.APAC also has planned an exhibitionin the atrium of scenic pictures of the“River South” region of China in honorof Asian Pacific American HeritageMonth. After the May festivities, APACplans to give away these beautifulpictures.The officers of APAC are:Dr. Paul Tan, PresidentMr. Ayaz Ahmad, Vice PresidentMrs. Cristina Tan, SecretaryMrs. Anny Cheung, TreasurerMr. Rong Wang, Arts DirectorPlease contact Dr. Paul Tan onextension 5-6665 if you have anyquestions on APAC or the celebrationactivities.Brief History of Asian Pacific AmericanHeritage MonthMay is Asian Pacific American(APA) Heritage Month, acelebration of Asians and PacificIslanders in the United States. U.S.Representatives Frank Horton ofNew York and Norman Y. Minetaof California introduced a HouseResolution in 1977 that calledupon the President to proclaimthe first ten days of May as Asian/Pacific Heritage Week. U.S.Senators Daniel Inouye and SparkMatsunaga introduced a similar billin the Senate the following month.Both were passed, and PresidentJimmy Carter signed a JointResolution designating the annualBy Paul Tancelebration in 1978.The holiday was expanded furtherin 1990 when President GeorgeH. W. Bush designated May to beAsian Pacific American HeritageMonth. May was chosen tocommemorate the immigration ofthe first Japanese immigrants to theUnited States in 1843.Currently, there are 60 AsianPacific American ethnic subgroupsrepresenting a vast array oflanguages and cultures. The AsianPacific American ethnic subgroupsare listed in the following table:Asian Pacific American Ethnic ndonesianPapua New GuineanBikini inianKwajalein ayanSolomon IslanderCernamMaldavianSri LankanChineseMariana IslanderTahitianCosmopolitanMarshall IslanderTaiwaneseEniwetok IslanderMarshalleseTarawa ian ganHawai’ianNepaliTrukeseHmongNew Hebrides IslanderVietnameseIndianOkinawanYapeseWJHTC Intercom, April-May 2004 11

Building the International Space StationBy Barbara Harris-ParaA 16-nation coalition has been formedto assemble more than two millionparts into an international spacestation that will be larger than twofootball fields, twenty stories talland will weigh millions of pounds. Itwill generate nearly 120 kilowatts ofelectricity through its solar surfaces.The Wright Brothers taught peoplehow to fly by the seat of their pants,but how would one go about trainingpeople to build a space station andfly in outer space? Astronauts learnhow to assemble items underwaterin order to simulate doing the sameprocedures without gravity. Artificialintelligence activities also are used todevelop hands-on projects.A little more than a year ago, flightswere going to the space station ata rate of 14 per year, but since theColumbia breakup, only the Russianshave made flights to the station. Muchneeded supplies will have to wait untilthe U.S. sends another craft. JackBacon mentioned that the spacestation has a 30 percent chance ofgetting hit by a meteor shower, andits life expectation should be fivetimes that of the Russian Mira.With recent non-manned travelto Mars, and Hubbell telescopepictures of the next galaxy beingbeamed back to earth, will we everuse the space station as it wasfirst designed? Will NASA devise areplacement vehicle for the agingspace shuttles? Will time travel toother galaxies be the next frontier inspace? All these questions and morecannot be addressed until we havea means to get into outer space andback safely.Editor’s Note: Last year thelocal chapter of the IEEE heard apresentation by Dr. Jack Bacon, thegrandson of aviation pioneers DavidL. Bacon and Grace Dunlap. Baconworks at the NASA Johnson SpaceCenter as the systems integrationlead of numerous Russian andAmerican spacecraft. NASA spaceshuttles have been grounded sincethe loss of the Columbia 14 monthsago, leaving the Soyuz missionsand unpiloted Russian Progresscargo ships as the sole way toexchange crews and deliver suppliesto the station. Resident crewswere reduced from three to two toconserve resources, particularlywater, previously carried by shuttles.A mission on April 18 was one of thetwice-yearly taxi flights that take upa fresh Soyuz craft to serve as theemergency lifeboat for the station.The members of the 16-nationpartnership that sponsors the spacestation are considering a Russianproposal to extend missions, from 6months to a year, starting in October.ATO Finance BriefingBy Maudie M. PowellEmployees of FAA organizationsat the William J. Hughes TechnicalCenter learned about the initialfinancial plans and processes thatthe Air Traffic Organization (ATO)currently uses, and proposes to usein the future, as it envisions operatingthe ATO as a commercial business.Members of the ATO Transition Teamfor Finance who visited the TechnicalCenter on March 30 and presenteda 2-hour briefing were: ChristopherReese, former acting vice presidentfor ATO finance and transition leadfor finance; Penny Mefford, actingdirector of finance for planning andanalysis; Rob Tucker, director offinance for capital expenditures; andJohn Rybka, financial team wiringgroup co-lead.12 WJHTC Intercom, April-May 2004Christopher Reese presentedan overview of the ATO FinanceTransition and emphasized thestrong financial focus in the chieffinancial officer position. He said theATO Transition Team for Financehas educated the vice presidents(VPs) on their organization’s missionand assigned resources, and willdevelop at least one metric for eachVP. An initial introduction was maderegarding business planning protocoland integrated planning that drivesbudget requests as new approachesto financing for the ATO. The conceptof “income” above and beyond theTrust Fund is going to be pursued asa new, influential factor that changesjobs in the ATO. Attention will beredirected to “how we spend ourmoney instead of how we get it” withthe focus on expenditures instead ofobligations.The concept of “unit cost data” hasbeen a primary focus for PennyMefford in serving the new ATO. Sheis exploring many financial analysesthat offer integrated information onresou

will "close the book on fuel tank explosions." Following the fuel tank explosion that brought down TWA Flight 800 in 1996, fuel tank safety became a major priority for the FAA. A team headed by Dick Hill, including Bill Cavage, Steve Summer, Mike Burns and Rob Morrison of the Fire Safety Branch, designed a simple