Tulsa District Record

December 1996 Page 1

TULSA

DISTRICT RECORD

December 1996

Vol. 19, No. 12

Runway

Project a

Runaway

Partnering

Success

Article by Peggy Massey

Central Oklahoma Area Office

Photos courtesy of Sverdrup Civil Inc.

Sverdrup Civil Inc., workers installing new box culvert to accommodate water

drainage on the northwest area of the Runway extension construction site at

Tinker Air Force Base.

T.J. Campbell Construction Company

employees performing excavation for

storm drain piping as a part of the foundation and dirtwork required for the extension of the runway.

THE CROSSWIND RUNWAY PROJECT AT TINKER AIR FORCE BASE has been one of

the best large construction projects that I’ve seen in my 28-year career.

Though there were many opportunities for schedule slips which would have

“

impacted vital flying missions, virtually every key milestone was hit dead center – a

tribute to our pavement engineers, the Corps of Engineers, airfield management,

Sverdrup Civil Inc. and their paving contractor, T. J. Campbell.” Those were the words

of Col. Robert L. Bartlow, commander of the 72nd Civil Engineering Group at Tinker

Air Force Base.

It’s true – the planes flew, flight schedules were met, a change of command

bringing in brass from north, south, east and west went off without a hitch and the

Stealth bomber even paid a visit. But, construction workers on the Crosswind Runway

at Tinker Air Force Base kept right on schedule, with no lost-time accidents and in spite

of record rainfall during the month of August. The project replaced the intersection of

the Crosswind and Main Runways at Tinker, and widened and extended the Crosswind

Runway.

Tinker has heavy aircraft traffic because of its mission and central location in the

United States. It is an important stopping point for aircraft coming in for maintenance

and refueling from west to east or north to south. The contractor and the Corps had to

keep that primary mission in mind. While execution of the project was done without a

glitch, John Russell, Tinker airfield manager, attributed the success at maintaining flight

See Runway, page 4
Tulsa District Record

Page 2 December 1996

will distribute a document titled “Tulsa District, FY96 in Review.” Public Affairs Office is working with each division and

office to capture the many, many successes of the past fiscal year

so that we can celebrate and build on them. I am anxious for you

to see and appreciate what you and your fellow team members

throughout the District accomplished last year. You set and met

high standards!

Helen and I wish you and your families a safe and wonderful

holiday season.

Everyone should be extremely proud

of the district’s final Combined Federal

Campaign contribution of $69,500!! I

thank you for your generosity, but

more importantly, many less fortunate

Americans thank you. Ed Rossman, Pam Shelton

and Burgin Towe deserve a great round of applause for their tremendous efforts in administering this year’s campaign.

Our project offices at Fort Gibson, Hugo and Canton Lakes

have sponsored special deer hunts for handicapped hunters this

fall. These have been outstanding events which greatly benefitted the hunters and the communities involved. I commend all

who have been involved in these hunts for your selfless, caring

service.

On Nov. 19, EPA Region VI celebrated the completion of

clean-up at the Southern Shipbuilding Superfund site at Sidell,

La. This site was cleaned up in a mere 18 months following its

listing on the National Priority List (8 to 12 years is the norm!).

This success was a direct result of a superb team effort by the

New Orleans and Tulsa Districts. Many members of the district

contributed, but none more than John Weatherly and Ramona

Wagner. Well done!

Installation of the new telephone system in the district headquarters building has been a major challenge, with the expected

growing pains. The operation, however, was very well organized and orchestrated. We all owe a great deal to the dedication

and commitment of Marc Masnor and his team. Thanks for a

super job!

Col. Jim Hickey, district engineer, Far East District, had tremendous praise for the support Woody Bargar is giving his district as a stand-in resident engineer. Col. Hickey was extremely

complimentary of Woody’s customer support focus. Thanks for

a great job representing the Corps and the Tulsa District, Woody!

I also want to commend Lanny Pricer for an outstanding

job supporting U.S. Forces in Bosnia as part of the USACE

CREST Team. By the time you read this, Lanny should be home

from his deployment. Well done, Lanny!

The Tulsa District Record is an unofficial publication authorized by AR 360-81. Contents are not necessarily official views of, or endorsed by, the

U.S. Government, Department of Defense, Department of the Army, or Tulsa District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. It is published monthly using

offset lithography. Printed circulation: 1,700.

918/669-7366

FAX 669-7368

 Colonel’s

Corner

Col. Timothy Sanford

District Engineer

District

Pride

Tulsa District Record: Contributions of articles, graphics and photographs are encouraged. All manuscripts are

subject to editing and rewriting.

Spotlight

Photographer

Janice Orvis

District Engineer

Col. Timothy Sanford

Public Affairs Officer

W. Ross Adkins

Editor

Mary Beth Hudson

Printing Coordinator

Jim Laster

U.S. Army Engineer District, Tulsa

Editor, Public Affairs Office, P.O. Box 61

Tulsa, OK 74121-0061

See Pride, page 9

FISCAL YEAR ‘97 IS OFF TO A FAST START! I am proud to see

tremendous efforts across the district to meet the goals we

have set for ourselves in serving customers and improving

our business processes. You are aggressively attacking project

execution. We also have numerous new efforts in progress such

as Operation and Maintenance initiatives to stretch our resources

further, a marketing campaign to build and sustain a viable

workload for the district and the Corps, installation support initiatives to improve how we interact with and support our military

customers, and improvements to help us take full advantage of

technology.

These efforts are in perfect synch with the direction our new

Chief of Engineers, Lt. Gen. Ballard, is moving the Corps. He is

focussed on improving our delivery of support to customers in

every area of mission execution and in taking full advantage of

all Corps resources to accomplish this support. You are leading

the way in FY97. Keep up the great work!

I know you will do this by what I see and experience every

day of the year. Every day, and everywhere I go in the district, I

see superb mission execution. At the end of November, I spent a

day at the Truscott Lake Project and was reminded of why I am

so proud to be your district engineer. I saw performance that is

reflective of the entire district. I saw a team of professionals who

had many challenges but faced each of them with innovation,

selflessness and dedication to excellence. Their pride was evident in the way they dealt with customers, in the condition of

their equipment and facilities, and in the enthusiasm they reflected in their voices and smiles. I see this same spirit throughout the district. You are the District’s credentials!! Thank

you for representing the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers so

professionally in all you do.

On the Dec. 18, I will conduct a town hall meeting and our

traditional Holiday Update. In conjunction with this briefing, we
Tulsa District Record

December 1996 Page 3

Dignitaries Dig Dirt

Fry Creeks Project Begins

U.S. Representative Steve Largent,

Senator Don Nickles and Col. Timothy

Sanford prepare for the groundbreaking

of the long-awaited Fry Creeks Project

in Bixby, Okla. Construction is scheduled to begin this month.

CONSTRUCTION ON THE LONGAWAITED $14 MILLION FRY CREEKS

PROJECT in Bixby, Okla., should

begin this month, officials announced during a groundbreaking ceremony held on

Oct. 31. Completion is expected within

three years.

The groundbreaking was attended by

federal, county and city officials including

Rep. Steve Largent, Sen. Don Nickles,

Bixby Mayor Joe Williams and Col.

Timothy Sanford.

Tulsa District begin studying the Fry

Creek drainage basins in 1970 as a local

flood project, but Bixby could not afford

it. Following the 1974 flood, the district

began studying it as a federal flood control

project. It will be funded 70 percent by

federal money, with the remaining cost

split among Bixby, Tulsa and Tulsa

County.

Editor’s note: Most information for this article was taken from an article which appeared in the Tulsa World Nov. 1, “Fry Creek Projects to Begin,” written by P. J.

Lassek.

“This will make Bixby a better place

to live,” said Col. Timothy Sanford at the

ceremony. “This will not only reduce

flooding, but insurance costs.”

The project will enlarge and realign

4.3 miles of the Fry Creek channels, diverting drainage directly into the Arkansas

River instead of first dumping it into

Haikey Creek and its tributary.

“We out here know all too well about

flooding,” said, Joe Williams, Bixby

mayor. “Flood waters destroy homes, furnishings, landscaping, crops and gardens,

but even worse, those waters will destroy

your peace of mind. At the sight of rain,

you wonder if you’re going to flood this

time.”

The contractor, Sherwood Construction Inc. of Catoosa, Okla., plans to start

moving dirt in January. More than 2.2

million cubic yards of dirt will be excavated with this project.

LEADing the Way

Russell Holeman, LEAD Instructor

district can get the Facilitator’s Handbook from Russell Holeman

(E-Mail: Russell.K.Holeman@usace.army.mil) at Tulsa District.

Members of a LEAD Refresher Training team work together

in a problem solving exercise during their two-day training.

Team members include (clockwise from left): John Anthony,

Texoma Project office; Jim Harris, Operations Division; Barbara Cravens, Public Affairs Office; Jim Fry, El Dorado Lake

Office; Marie Buster, Hydrology & Hydraulics Branch; and

Christine Roye, Resource Management Office. In this particular exercise, team members were prohibited from writing

or talking as they attempted to solve the problem.

RIDING A BICYCLE, they say, is simple; once you learn how,

you never forget. The same cannot be said of management skills. Too often, the tools crucial for successful

leadership become rusty when underused. The Tulsa District has

developed its own solution to this problem by offering a Leadership Education and Development refresher course.

This course, developed by a district LEAD facilitator, emphasizes the key aspects of the original LEAD course, including

communication, values, counseling and conflict management.

The two-day session provides managers an opportunity to reevaluate their approach to their work’s never-ending challenges.

The first session was held in October, and 18 individuals

participated. Response was positive, and a second session is

planned for next spring, with future classes to follow.

The LEAD refresher course has been tailored for use by the

Corps of Engineers, and has been reviewed and accepted by the

Civilian Leadership Training Division at Fort Leavenworth. Facilitators who would like to consider this course for use at their
Tulsa District Record

Page 4 December 1996

. . . Runway

from page 1

Racing against time as the storm clouds gather, the T.J.

Campbell Construction Company crew places concrete for

Tinker Air Force Base Runway 12/30 and Taxiway E intersection.

Campbell crew at work – concrete finishing on a runway lane

placement for the Tinker Air Force Base Runway extension.

schedules to keeping the operators in the loop, giving them

plenty of lead time to prepare for the down times.

 The project was critical to Tinker, and needed to be started

quickly. The base was one of the installations under review by

the Base Realignment and Closure Commission, and the runway

project would be a major factor in the analysis. To be considered

a fully operational air field for the purposes of Air Force operations, two complete runways must exist. With the extension of

the Crosswind Runway, Tinker would have that distinction and

the capability of receiving any aircraft flying today, including the

space shuttle.

The short time to get the project designed and constructed

dictated the need for a design-build contract. The critical nature

of the project and its tight time schedule made it a perfect

partnering candidate. At monthly meetings, all stakeholders in

the project identified their unique requirements and concerns.

Methods and management systems were established.

Design approval meetings were held at Tinker AFB so field

problems could be addressed and investigated during this phase.

Bob McCollum, Tulsa District’s project manager, spent from

September 1995 to January 1996 at Central Oklahoma Area Office. He said, “This project shows what can be accomplished

with partnering on a fast track when the team players are working

hard to resolve the issues as they arise.”

Partnering made it possible to meet the first phase of construction and to start the northwest extension area on the double

box culvert – critical to the runway’s drainage – before all of the

design was completed. The schedule to complete the extension

was extremely tight, and there were many areas that could cause

failure. Partnering met this challenge.

Jim Fulk, Sverdrup senior project manager, noted the benefits of the partnering effort. “To design and build a runway extension and upgrade project on an active airfield and maintain the

excellent safety record and schedule results speaks highly for the

partnering team coordination efforts,” he said.

And Tinker is a very active airfield. The AWAC and Navy

TACCOMO wings are permanently based there, and planes arrive from all directions for repairs and upgrades. Partial and

emergency landing facilities had to be maintained at all times

during construction. The contract was phased so that the northwest extension of the Crosswind Runway would be completed to

provide emergency landing capabilities during the reconstruction

of the intersection of the Crosswind and Main Runways.

The rebuilding of the intersection was a critical component

in the construction process. In order to keep the business of

Tinker on track, there had to be close coordination of several organizations. Arrangements had to be made to park the AWAC

and TACCMO aircraft at alternate locations and to provide security for them. Landings of aircraft arriving for maintenance

needed to be phased to maintain an orderly flow for the Tinker

maintenance workforce.

There was also the need to replace the entire intersection on

the runway in lieu of just half, as originally planned in the contract. This was necessary because the future repair of the Main

Runway would necessitate closing down the air field for a second

time in two years. So a modification to the contract was issued

to replace 500 feet of the full width of the intersection with 12

inches of concrete paving. This created the problem of doubling

the concrete placement without increasing the time allowed.

“The intersection outage was the most risky part of the

project,” Rex Huffman, Sverdrup vice president and manager of

construction operations, said. “Coordination among the Corps of

Engineers, Air Force, Sverdrup and all its subcontractors was essential; it was a real pleasure to see the entire team perform so

flawlessly,” he added.

The restrictions and cost to the government dictated that the

runway could be closed for a maximum of 30 days. The cost for

every additional day of closure would be $93,000.00 per day.

Because of the cost of moving the aircraft out and paying for

parking space, it was crucial that the move be coordinated

months in advance and that the contractor execute the construction of the intersection starting on August 1, and complete the

work the last of August 1996. Also, before the intersection could
Tulsa District Record

December 1996 Page 5

Partnering Pays Off – Many of those involved in the

successful partnering effort which helped make the Tinker runway project so successful are shown here.

Some members of the Partnering team visiting the project

and standing on the runway on which aircraft will land at

Tinker Air Force Base are, left to right, Carl Sparks, area engineer, Central Oklahoma Area Office; Jim Fulk, Sverdrup

Civil Inc.; Bryan Dean, Shirley Johnson, John Granchie and

Peggy Massey, all of Central Oklahoma Area Office; and

Tony Stein and Scott Beckett, both of Sverdrup Civil.

Among those attending the last partnering meeting and coordinating final details, are, clockwise, Steve Heinly, superintendent, Consolidated Electrical Contractors and Engineers

Inc.; Jerry Walker, field superintendent, T.J. Campbell Construction Company; Byron Griffin, project manager, Consolidated Electrical Contractors and Engineers Inc.; Bob

McCollum, project manager, Tulsa District; Mark Harbaugh,

Air Force project engineer; Tom Logsdon, assistant chief,

Engineering and Construction Division, and former area engineer of Central Oklahoma Area Office; Clyde Holbird, quality assurance representative, COAO; Rex Huffman, vice

president, Sverdrup Civil Inc.; and John Russell, airfield manager, Tinker Air Force Base. Not pictured, but a vital member

of the partnering team, is T.J. Campbell, president, T.J.

Campbell Construction Company Inc.

Photos by Janice Orvis

be closed for demolition, the extension had to be completed so

aircraft emergency landings could take place.

To coordinate the intersection, a scheduling meeting was

held in which an hour-by-hour and day-by-day placement plan

was developed to ensure the work could be completed on time.

Preparatory work, such as saw cutting the pavement to be removed in advance of the actual construction start could be done,

under-pavement drains laid out, and construction material staged.

The last plane would leave after being repaired and the new

Ultimately, on the first of August, the work began. Drainage

was planned so that adverse weather would not delay the completion. During the time of construction, rainfall exceeded all previous records for the month of August and there were no delays.

“The schedule was followed and, through intensive management and 24-hour, around-the-clock operations, the intersection

was completed and could have been used two days ahead of the

required date,” Chris Dean, office engineer, COAO, said.

“Under any standard of the construction industry, this part of

the project was a great success,” Tom Logsdon, Engineering and

Construction Division assistant chief and former COAO area engineer, said. “The credit must go to the coordinated planning and

the management of Sverdrup and the local paving subcontractor,

T.J. Campbell Construction Company. Through effective management and by starting early and working late, they were able to

perform two days of scheduled placement in one day. With the

various things that can go wrong with concrete mixes, temperatures, and rain, it is common for work to have to be redone, and

that was not necessary on this part of the contract,” Logsdon

added.

“While each contract has its challenges, never has a large

contract which could impact the base’s mission so critically gone

so well,” said Carl Sparks, COAO area engineer. “It truly demonstrates the potential and benefits of the partnering process including problem solving, resolution of issues, and keeping everyone informed of the project’s current status which is so necessary

in continuing the base’s mission.”

 Col. Timothy Sanford, district commander, summed it up

when he said, “We are delivering a top quality product to the Air

Force. It was a superb example of Corps, contractor, and base

CE teamwork!”

A ribbon cutting ceremony is scheduled for Dec. 11.

“ The Crosswind Runway project at

Tinker Air Force Base has been one of

the best large construction projects that

I’ve seen in my 28-year career.

Though there were many opportunities

for schedule slips which would have

impacted vital flying missions, virtually

every key milestone was hit dead center.

– Col. Robert Bartlow

”

planes needing repairs would land. The pavement breakers were

then to move onto the runway and begin their work.

The morning that work was to start, there was an additional

delay. The Navy TACCMO wing had a change of command,

and there was a delay getting the Navy band’s plane off along

with the dignitaries flown in for the ceremony.
Tulsa District Record

Page 6 December 1996

Article by Barbara Cravens, Public Affairs Office

Photos by Jim Montgomery, Fort Gibson Project Office

Darvin McClellan and Sandy Stiles, park rangers, addressing S

the hunters during the pre-hunt briefing.

EVEN DISABLED HUNTERS GATHERED AT FORT GIBSON LAKE’S

WHITEHORN COVE on the weekend of October 25 and 26

for the lake’s first “handicap hunt.” The hunters, ranging

in age from their 20s to their 60s, were Jim Bracey, Steve

Fisicaro, Marshall Greckler,John Lebow, Rick McLaughlin,

Gene Pogue and Forrest Smittle. Oklahoma Handicapped Sportsman Association President Debbie Hayes and her husband, Jerry,

and Edward Buzzard and Ken Carter, association coordinators,

helped the Corps and were present for either the orientation on

Friday, Oct. 25, or during the hunt on Saturday, Oct. 26.

Fort Gibson rangers Sandy Stiles and Darvin McClellan

planned and coordinated the hunt with assistance from fellow

rangers, Tom Heathcock, Jeff Seward and Jim Montgomery.

Hunter John LeBow in blind constructed by Boy Scout Jesse

Hardcastle for his Eagle Scout Project.

Fort Gibson Holds

Deer Hunt for

Hunters

With Disabilities

Volunteers and merchants from Oklahoma communities of Pryor,

Muskogee and Wagoner provided food and supplies for the hunters. Boy Scout troop 637 constructed blinds for the hunters’ use.

McClellan and Stiles briefed hunters on regulations and

hunting safety during Friday’s orientation and registration. The

hunters drew for the location of their blinds and were provided

with instructions for the hunt. Fort Gibson rangers set up the

blinds in food plot areas where deer have either been sighted or

there had been evidence of their presence. The areas were located on land near Whitehorn Cove once leased to the Boy

Scouts.

On Saturday morning, hunters gathered at Whitehorn Cove

where they were greeted by Col. Sanford, and served coffee, orange juice and doughnuts. The hunters were each given a

walkie-talkie and then transported by Corps rangers to their

blinds. They hunted in the morning, returned to Whitehorn Cove

for a chili lunch – prepared and served by Fort Gibson personnel

and volunteers – then returned to their blinds until dusk.

If you measure success by the number of deer taken at Fort

Gibson Project Office’s first deer hunt for disabled sportsmen,

then you could view this activity as a failure; no deer were taken.

But if you measure success by the enjoyment had by all who

planned and participated in the event, then Fort Gibson’s efforts

were a tremendous success.

All the hunters provided compliments for Fort Gibson’s

hunt. Gene Pogue, one of the hunters, said that this was the best

special hunt he had attended and he had been to seven others.

“Everyone – from the colonel to the rangers – did a great job,” he

said.

Fort Gibson plans to host the special hunt annually. Plans

are also underway for a youth hunt next year.
Tulsa District Record

December 1996 Page 7

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Tulsa District Record

Page 8 December 1996

From the Mail.

No, he

doesn't

have to

use a

wheelchair

– John

Weatherly,

Customer

Care Employee,

just felt

comfortable in the

medical

surroundings afforded by

the district

office’s

first aid room. He said he was hoping a

picture such as this would spark some

sympathy – and possibly Christmas

gifts – from those who saw it.

J

UST A FEW OF THE BLANKS on the Customer Care nomination tell most of

the story:

Nominee: John M. Weatherly Jr.

Period of Customer Action: All his life,

but more specifically this year

Customer: Tulsa District

What those blanks don’t tell is that

Weatherly has also been fighting cancer.

Weatherly, a senior contracting specialist

in Contracting Division, has been named

Customer Care Employee for the fourth

quarter, fiscal year 1996. According to

the nomination, Weatherly usually works

at least 60 hours per week, and more during year-end closing.

Arlene Smith, contracting specialist

who works with Weatherly in awarding

and working the district’s HTRW contracts, was one of his nominators. She

stated, “John has always been extremely

dedicated. He gives the term ‘driver’ a

meaning that few people in this world

could match. He works tirelessly at a job

with few rewards.”

During the last year, Weatherly has

undergone major surgery twice and minor

surgery three times, plus chemotherapy

and radiation treatments. Smith states,

“He planned trips around doctors’ appointments, and delayed some procedures

until his office schedule permitted. He has

Cancer and Customer Care

always had a positive – often humorous –

outlook on what he has had to go

through.”

Vicky Weatherly, John’s wife, says

that she has encouraged him to take some

time off to let his body recuperate. Her

pleas have fallen on deaf ears. She says

he continues to report to work because his

customers mean a lot to him, and their satisfaction with Contracting Division and

Tulsa District is one of his top priorities.

To Col. Sandord from Lt. Col. John

Whisler, Nashville District:

I would personally like to thank you

and your staff for the warm welcome the

district’s CEFMS Oversite Committee received during their recent visit. My staff

will be able to use the information you

shared with them to be better prepared for

the CEFMS transition.

Please pass along a special thanks to

Lt. Col. Thomas Frendak, Jackie

Goranson and Frank Simms for all their

coordination and overseeing of the visit.

Thanks again, and let me know if our

district can be of any service to you in the

future.

To Dorothy Gardner, Heyburn Lake,

from Becky Berry, East Central Village

Resource Center, Tulsa, Okla.:

On behalf of East Central Village, I

would like to thank you and Mr. Ramsey

for coming to the Resource Center and

providing the wildlife activity during our

open house on Oct. 18. The children really enjoyed the video and displays. We

appreciate your time and effort in bringing

this to our community.

To Kenny Whitehead, Fall River, from

Melinda Owens, Kansas Health and

Safety Extension Corps, excerpted:

We would like to express our appreciation for your stellar performance at the

Kansas State Fair. Your water safety program was very creative, entertaining and

informative for all ages.

We would like to thank you for volunteering your time so unselfishly for the

State Fair presentation. We realize you

had to present your program under less

then optimum conditions, such as the

sweltering heat and uncertainty about an

audience. However, you did not hesitate

at the chance to get your water safety message to the public.

Also, my friend and I are still very interested in teaching some water safety

programs for children. Let us know when

we can start helping you out by teaching

some programs in this area. Give us a

call, and let us know what we can do to

help.

Personnel Notes

October 1996

Hello

Teresa Edminsten, RM, F&A Branch

Shawnna Roberts, RM, F&A Branch

Mildred Robinson, RM, F&A Branch

Goodbye

Harold Billings, EC, Design Branch

Michael Corkran, PL, Environmental Analysis

and Support Branch

John Crotts, OD, Physical Support Branch

Debbie Dick, OD, Tenkiller Project Office

Jimmy Godwin, OD, Ft. Gibson Project Office

Jerry Lawson, EC, HTRW Resident Office

Susan Meites, CT, Contracts Branch

Frank Palmieri, EC, Design Branch

Virgil Reed, OD, Robert S. Kerr Project Office

Mary Shepardson, RM, F&A Branch

James Sinor, OD, Robert S. Kerr Project Office

Michael Vickers, EC, Cost Engineering Branch

Promotions

Donald Dixon, OD, Tenkiller Project Office

William Dunlap, OD, Eufaula Project Office

Kent Grimes, OD, Eufaula Project Office

David Hays, SO

Tom Heathcock, OD, Ft. Gibson Project Office

Terry Holt, OD, Marion Project Office

Lance Perdue, OD, Physical Support Branch

Peat Robinson, OD, Chloride Control Project

Michael Schrick, OD, Keystone Project Office

Michael Southern, EC, Geotechnical Branch

Sandra Stiles, OD, Fort Gibson Project Office

James Vandergriff, OD, Texoma Project Office

Peggy Vangorp, RM, F&A Branch

Michael Ware, OD, Regulatory Branch

Cheryl Wickson, RM. F&A Branch
Tulsa District Record

December 1996 Page 9

Recycling

Results

Safety Notes

October 1996 Savings

KWHs of energy

 24,139

Gallons of water 41,213

Cubic yards of landfill 19.43

Pounds of air pollution 353

Month Trees Tons of Amount

Saved Paper Made

Jan. 97 5.7 $143.00

Feb. 109 6.4 160.34

March 135 7.9 158.74

April 136 8.0 151.96

May 118 6.9 115.31

June 130 7.6 128.09

July 107 6.3 108.37

August 186 10.9 199.74

Sept. 113 6.6 108.89

Oct. 100 5.9 100.25

 Totals 1231 72.2 $1,374.69

Judy Barker, Safety Office

THE HOLIDAY SEASON IS A TIME OF JOY AND FUN, PRESENTS AND SURPRISES, BUT BEWARE of the extra hazards the holidays bring – more traffic accidents, home fires,falls, accidental poisonings and accidents with toys. Each December, there are

about 8,000 accidental deaths.

Holiday traffic is terrible! When driving make safety your #1 job. Be courteous,

respect the rights of other drivers and pedestrians, and expect the unexpected from pedestrians who have “holidays” on their mind.

Be sure your car is holiday safe! Brakes should be adjusted. Lights should all be

working properly. Wipers and defrosters should be in top shape. The exhaust system

should be checked for leaks. Tires should have enough tread to bite into snow, although

chains give best control on snow-covered roads. The battery and ignition system should

be in A-1 condition for rugged winter starts.

Holidays bring a dangerous combination – drinking and driving. More than

half the automobile accidents that occur during the holidays involve people who have

been drinking. If you do drink alcohol during the holidays, choose a designated driver.

Giving a party? Be a friend first, then a host. Provide non-alcoholic drinks for

your guests who may not want alcohol. Plan to “close the bar” at least one hour before

the end of the party.

Homes are America’s #1 fire hazard (especially during the holiday season).

The cold weather of the holiday season puts extra demands on your heating system.

Check your furnace, portable heaters, chimney and fireplaces. Don’t burn gift wrappings, tissue or evergreens in fireplace.

Outdoor lighting can cause fires. Use lights approved for outdoors, check for

Underwiter’s Laboratory (UL) label. Make sure circuits are not overloaded.

Christmas trees are hazards. An eight-foot pine can burn completely in just 27

seconds and create tremendous heat. If you buy your tree early, keep it in a cool place

as long as possible. Check lights; look for loose sockets and broken or frayed wires.

Turn lights off when you leave home. SPECIAL TIP – Never use glass wool (angel

hair) in combination with spray-on flocking snow; the combination is highly combustible.

Make your home “fall-free” for the holidays. Outside steps, sidewalks and driveways should be kept free of ice and snow; spread sand, kitty litter or salt to prevent slips.

Inside stairways should be kept clear for walking; hand rails should be kept free of

decorations. Ladders – not stools or chairs – should be used for those out-of-reach

decorating jobs. Toys, boxes, paper, etc., become tripping hazards when left on floors.

The holiday season also means special care should be taken to prevent accidental poisonings. Plants and greens, used for decoration, may be poisonous, such as

Jerusalem cherry and poinsettia plants. Foreign-made toys may be painted with leadbased paint. Chemistry sets and science kits often contain chemicals which may be

harmful if ingested.

Children need special protection from holiday hazards. Toys which are intended to bring pleasure can bring injury and death. Select toys to suit the age, abilities

and temperament of the child. Infants and toddlers should have toys too large to be

swallowed; no sharp edges, hidden pins or wires should be on them. Toys that shoot

projectiles or that are sharp should be reserved for older children. Electrical toys should

have UL label. Check all toys (especially imported ones) to be certain they are nonflammable.

Don’t let an accident mar your holiday season.

THINK SAFETY all the time.

Have a safe and merry Christmas and a safe and happy new year!

. . . Pride

from page 2

I’ll end this month’s column with an

excerpt from a letter received recently

from Ron Barnett, director of Environmental Quality at Fort Sill. It, too, is an

example of why I’m so proud to be your

district engineer.

The staff of the Tulsa District Corps of Engineers have

proven through their performance, attitude, and professionalism that customer satisfaction

is much more than “lip service.” . . .

Obviously it is a “team effort” on their part and you have

an excellent team. However, I

would like to specifically recognize Ms. Elizabeth Joyner

for her superb support of the

Fort Sill DEQ mission as our

project manager.

Another individual who

must be recognized is Mr. Hal

Capshaw, who agreed to take

on the mission of Environmental Coordinator and numerous

other duties at Fort Chaffee.

He has an impossible task and

has done a great job.

Have a Wonderful Holiday Season!

Accidents Don’t Take Holidays
Tulsa District Record

Page 10 December 1996

F

Tulsa

amily

Condolences

Family additions

Adam Lee Flenniken, born

Oct. 26 – son of Larry and

Mindy Flenniken and

brother of Joseph. Larry is a

hydraulic engineer in H&H Branch, Engineering and Construction Division.

Dillon Ray Chaloupek, born Nov. 7 –

brother of Dusty and son of Jim and

Debbie Chaloupek. Debbie is a park

ranger at Canton Project Office.

Marci Lynae Howerton, born Sept. 23 –

daughter of Rick and Dixene Howerton.

Dixene is administrative clerk Canton

Project Office.

Dec. 10-12 Marketing

Class, Tulsa & Little

Rock Districts

Dec. 11 Ribbon Cutting, Longhorn Army

Ammunition Plant

Dec. 13 Holiday Dinner/Dance

Dec. 16 Retirement Ceremony

Dec. 18 Holiday Update

Dec. 25 Christmas

Jan. 30 Prayer Breakfast

To family and friends of Robert William Whitley, retiree, who passed away

Sept. 29. He worked for the Corps for 37

years, and retired in 1975 from Contracting Division.

To Penny Huston, Contract Administration Branch, on the Oct. 24 death of

her mother, Rubye Broyles.

To family and friends of James

Melson, retiree, who died Nov. 7.

To Johnie Dudley, park ranger at Canton Lake, on the Nov. 16 death of her

mother, Dosia Dudley.

To Margaret Johanning on the death

of her father, Earl Flanagan. Margaret

works in Planning Division and is currently detailed to Operations Division.

To Barbara Cravens, Public Affairs

Office, on the Nov. 27 death of her grandmother, Ellen Dunegan.

Congratulations

To Don Hatfield, retiree, who recently

received an award for a suggestion made

while working for the Corps at Lac Que

Parle Project, St. Paul District, in 1991/

1992.

Happy Birthday!

To Larura Cravens who turned 100

years old on November 21. She is the

grandmother of Barbara Cravens, Public

Affairs Office. THE CORPS FAMILY WAS WELL REPRESENTED IN THE ANNUAL TULSA RUN,

held this year on October 26. The

15-kilometer road race saw 24 runners

who were employees, retirees, family

members, etc.

Some “bragging rights” from the race:

J. D. Stigall placed in the top 100 of

the Female Masters division;

Ready, Set, Run!!

Steve Siegele finished 121st out of

3,768 finishers, in under 60 minutes, and

in the top 25 of his age group;

Hal Capshaw placed in the top 25 of

his age group and in the top 25 of his

weight group;

Wayne Morgan placed in the top 25

of his age group; and

They ALL finished the race!!!!!

1-800-453-8907

Questions for the

Human Resources

Office in Fort Worth?

Some “Corps Connected” runners were, left to right, front row, Mickey Blackwell,

Ed Rossman, Janet McCormick, Carol Roadifer, Hal Capshaw, Randy Bratcher.

Second row, Gene Lilly and Charles Wilson. Top row, A. W. Gibson, Capt. Ed King,

Lt. Col. Frendak, John Horn, Col. Timothy Sanford and Kathleen Rossman.

Calendar
Tulsa District Record

December 1996 Page 11

Responses

Editor’s note: We recently asked retirees to share news of their lives now or

memories of their time in the district

with readers. Here are some of their responses. More will be printed in future

issues.

etiree

As your records will show, I am one

of the few remaining that started Tulsa

District (1939). Many before you have

cleared the line that others might see. A

lifetime of memories is dwarfed by the

collective accomplishments, and that of

the Tulsa District has been outstanding. I

am humble and proud to have been a part

of it.

For the past few years, I’ve been in

the ranching business – quarter horses and

cattle.

Lawrence Martin (colonizer)

Cleveland, Okla.

Mr. Collins is blind and unable to

read the Tulsa District Record himself but

I (his daughter) or his granddaughter will

read any news to him because, in spite of

his handicap, he is always interested in all

events that are relative to him. He shares

his memories of working in Tulsa, and often wonders where someone with whom

he worked is now.

Elaine Horton (James Collins’ daughter)

Abilene, Texas

I was pleased to read the new dredge

boat was named Mr. Pat. He was a great

person. I worked under W. L. Boland and

Mr. Pat at Robert S. Kerr and W. D. Mayo

Dams.

I attend Presbyterian Church, Masonic Lodge, Men’s Garden Club, Senior

Men’s Club of Arlington, NARFE, AARP,

Tarrant County Senior Citizens Alliance

and other duties as assigned.

Harold W. Chandler (colonizer)

Arlington, Texas

Janice and I sold our Tulsa home and

for six months have been building our

new home southwest of Stillwater. We

just finished it and are ready to relax for

awhile. We did the plumbing, electrical

and HVAC ourselves (with the help of

friends and family). A plumber’s wife

told me any fool can do plumbing with

PVC, so with that encouragement, I

jumped in and did it. She was right.

Marvin Fly, Stillwater, Okla.

I don’t like to be the bearer of sad

news, but my wife, Ruby Lee, is dying in

a nursing home from Parkinson’s disease

and strokes. Her doctors believe she will

die in 3-6 months. Many retirees knew us

while I was in Tulsa from its beginning in

1939 until 1961. I'd like to hear from

some of them. My address is 5840

Meletio Lane, Dallas, Texas 75230.

Robert Buffington

I joined the Tulsa District when the

first District Engineer was assigned, and I

think I was there 1940 to 1972. I worked

under W. L. Boland about 20-25 years,

and really enjoyed the work. I do not

know anyone that I can remember still

working in the Tulsa District. I am 94

years of age, and love to get the Tulsa

Record.

Roy Long, Anderson, Ind.

I am 82 years old now. A policeman

told me to stop driving. He said I had

lived a long time, and he’d like to see me

live a lot longer, and the best way to do

that would be to quit driving. So, I wonder how he would like to beg the neighbors for rides. I think it’s going to shorten

my life more than driving would. If I

could, I’d move back to Kansas (state, that

is).

Veda Milner, Tulsa, Okla.

At present, I am learning to cook,

wash, pack and carry, etc. Anna Frances,

my wife of 47 years, slipped on a gravel

drive in Sand Springs Oct. 5, 1996, at 10

p.m. I met her in emergency at St.

Francis. A horrible x-ray photo, bad

weekend, five screws and three days later,

I took her home and found out she had

learned to boss. Hard cast on Oct. 19,

1996, four more weeks with foot and cast

elevated. Then she gets a walking cast. I

can’t wait. I am getting sympathy from

lots of people but they laugh when I cry.

Jack White, Bristow, Okla.

Since retiring in 1983, I have done

some traveling, fished some, fought several brush fires, presided at monthly town

meetings as mayor. Built an addition on

my daughter’s house in Wichita Falls,

Texas. In between all of these things, we

raised a good garden, took care of our animals and poultry. Help the neighbors

when asked. Be my wife’s chauffeur in

her ceramic business. Keep up with my

Masonic activities. Had the Morton

Building Company put a new roof on my

cabin. Went on a couple of float trips with

the Corps barge.

While at the Corps of Engineers since

1956, there were many good times and a

few rough times, but as I’ve always said,

“The Corps is a good place to work.”

Joe Thompson, Beggs, Okla.

Floyd is in a nursing home. He had a

stroke 8 1⁄2 years ago. He still thinks he is

at the dam working. He does enjoy anything pertaining to his work and fellow

employees who worked with him.

Mrs. Floyd Nix, Denison, Texas

After retiring almost seven years ago,

I began a tour operator company, taking

Americans to the Austrian Alps for winter

sports. During summer months, I brought

Europeans to the U.S. for tours of our

great American west. I have recently

closed the tour business to concentrate on

restoring and selling my car collection.

Next stop, British Virgin Islands.

George Starch, Tulsa

Lost my wife, Christine, of 43 years,

to Lou Gehrig’s disease June 26, 1995.

Have moved to a mountain home above

the Ouchita River in Arkansas. Peaceful,

quiet, satisfying. Rafting river, fishing

and plenty of hiking.

Walter Wails, Mt Ida, Ark.

My father, a colonizer of Tulsa District, was the resident engineer for construction of Camp Gruber, the first RE at

Tinker and Pantex, as well as RE for construction of Wister, Tenkiller, Eufaula,

R.S. Kerr and W. D. Mayo Dams. He and

my mother are both in nursing homes

now. The Tulsa District was a major part

of their lives.

Webster Boland Jr., Sanger, Tex.

I am enjoying retirement very much.

I do miss the people that I would see every

day while working. Still playing golf and

keeping busy traveling. I would recommend retirement to anyone considering it.

Douglas Melton, Tulsa
Tulsa District Record

Page 12 December 1996

Department of the Army

Tulsa District, Corps of Engineers

P.O. Box 61

Tulsa, OK 74121-0061

Our Vision: Be the Corps standard in customer care and professionalism.

Bob McCollum, PPMD, and Norma

Brewer, retiree, do the

Volksmarch at the year-end picnic.

Smoke Gets in Your Eyes – E&C employees, Jeris

Sample, Steve Rous and Tom Hensley, cook hamburgers, hot

dogs and bratwurst for the fiscal-year-end picnic held in October. The picnic was paid for with money raised from recycling efforts.

Picnic

Pics TULSA AND KANSAS CITY DISTRICTS COMBINE FORCES EACH

YEAR TO SPREAD THE CORPS WATER SAFETY MESSAGE to

people attending the Kansas State Fair. Park rangers from

the Kansas area of the Tulsa District and personnel from the Kansas City District set up and staff a water safety exhibit at the annual 10-day fair.

More than 22,000 fair goers visited the Corps exhibit this

year. That is an average of 200 people per hour who stopped by

to either chat or pick up water safety information. Nearly 15,000

water safety promotional items were distributed.

Many water safety demonstrations were also given as rangers participated in the fair’s “Kansas’ Largest Outdoor Classroom” exhibit. There, scouts and school children were taught to

wear life jackets and how to make rescue throw-line bags from

milk jugs.

The Kansas State Fair continues to be a major opportunity

for the Corps to reach thousands of people with our water safety

message.

It’s a Great State Fair

Article and photos by Terry Holt, Marion Project Office

Park Ranger Kenny Whitehead talks to visitors to the Corps

booth at the Kansas State Fair. Other rangers working the

exhibit include Marty Ramirez, Terry Lyons, Steve Lesslie

and Terry Holt. Kansas City District representatives were

Mike Carey anf Gary Foster.