The COMARA Newsletter |
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COMARA.org -
COMSAT Alumni & Retirees Association
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July 2008 |
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For those that have paid their dues for 2008 and even 2009 we salute you! Good on you. But if you have not yet paid your dues as mid-year approaches, please pull out your checkbook and send us a check for $20. Amazingly this will cover dues for both 2008 and 2009. If you wonder about the value of belonging to Comara just read below the key report from Comara Officers Jack Hannon and Bob Kinzie about their VERY IMPORTANT meeting with Lockheed Martin. Please make your check out to COMARA, write "Dues" on the memo line and send off to
COMARA,
PO Box 34594
Bethesda, MD 20827.
The 2008 COMARA Reunion and Annual meeting has been scheduled for late afternoon on Sunday September 28, 2008. This meeting will be once again held at "That's Amore" restaurant in Rockville, MD. That's Amore is located at 15201 Shady Grove Road, Rockville, MD 20850. It is easily accessed from I-270 and has more than adequate parking. Last years combined annual/reunion meeting was a success that was complemented by all those that attended. The menu and cost will be finalized in August just prior to the event. Hopefully the cost will not differ from last year. Please SAVE the date.
COMARA will once again attend a National Philharmonic Orchestra concert at Strathmore in its 2008-09 season and have the use of the wonderful VIP Lounge just off the concert hall. Our concert this coming season will be on Saturday, February 28, 2009, and will feature the Rodrigo "Concierto de Aranjuez," a very melodic piece for guitar and orchestra. (Jack Hannon guarantees that you will love it!) Also on the program is the short Prokofiev symphony No. 1, the "Classical Symphony," and Ravel's Mother Goose Suite. The financial arrangements have changed, because another group defaulted on them and left them with a whole passel of empty seats at a sold-out concert. This year premier tickets will cost $47.20 each. This still represents a 20% discount off the regular ticket prices, and is a considerable bargain for a top-level symphony concert in the D.C. area at a very attractive venue. There are lower-priced seats available; inquire of Jack Hannon: 703-505-3385 (C).
We need to know by the time of the Social and Annual Meeting on September 28 just how many are coming, to make final arrangements with the Strathmore Group Sales Manager. So prior to Sept. 28 do send your check payable to "COMARA" to
COMARA
PO Box 34594
Bethesda, MD 20827
Maury Mechanick has agreed to serve out the remaining term of Ted O'Brien, who resigned recently. Maury's term goes until the 2009 election. Please welcome him.
It's time once again to elect three members of the 9-member COMARA Board of Directors, each for a three-year term. The terms expire in 2008 for Tom Kirkendall, Denis Curtin, and Bob Kinzie If you know of someone that you think would make a good candidate for service on the Board, please obtain his or her consent to stand for election, write a very short "background" note on the candidate, focused largely on their service while at COMSAT, and send to Webmaster@comara.org no later than Friday, August 15. Thanks for considering this.
Jack Hannon and Bob Kinzie from the COMARA Board recently visited with a senior member of Lockheed Martin's Human Resources staff to address future retiree medical benefits issues that might arise due to the following:
While the LM representative could not reveal any confidential or advance information, the feedback provided was reassuring. No major changes are expected in retiree medical benefits in 2008-09 that might significantly affect COMARA members. It was emphasized that everyone should be certain to read the Annual Enrollment materials that will be mailed this coming fall.
The new EEOC rule does not seem to be a major factor in LM's current thinking. They recognize, for example, that the cost to LM for medical coverage for Medicare-eligible retirees is appreciably lower than for the younger, pre-Medicare-eligible ones.
We were heartened to learn that there are several ways in which the previous COMSAT retiree medical and pension programs proved to be better than the current LM company standard, and that LM has consistently grandfathered all of the relevant COMSAT retiree benefit provisions.
The COMARA team felt that there was a useful exchange of views with the LM representative, and that it was "useful" to demonstrate to LM that COMARA "is there" and keeping close tabs on developments that might impact upon retiree benefits. And we were grateful that LM's representative greeted us cordially and was quite informative.
If you had "vested pension rights" when you left COMSAT before being eligible for retirement, you have pensions rights from Lockheed Martin. Please be aware that your full pension right is available when you turn 62, if you have accrued ten years of service at COMSAT, whereas the standard Lockheed Martin pension availability in such circumstances does not occur until age 65. You do not need to wait until then. Contact the Lockheed Martin Service Center (866-562-2363). Also, under the COMSAT pension plan, which Lockheed Martin is honoring, those of you with ten years of service can draw reduced pension benefits anytime after you turn 55, but with significant reductions over what you will receive if you wait until age 62. If you did not have ten years of service at COMSAT but do have "vested pension rights," you must wait until age 65 to claim the benefit.
Shingles is a disease that is caused by the same virus that causes chicken pox (usually) in children. Shingles shows up suddenly by lesions on the skin and inflammation of nerves beneath the skin. Early treatment (within 24 hours of the onset) may reduce the pain and duration, but many people experience significant pain for six months or more. Shingles can affect young adults, but there is increasing risk as people age. Anyone who has had a significant case says they would have paid almost any amount to have avoided the pain.
Two years ago, the CDC announced a trial period for a shingles vaccine for people over the age of 60. In April 2008, the CDC recommends the vaccine for adults 60 years and older. While the risk of a second shingles outbreak is low, there are many older people who have had a second outbreak.
The shingles vaccine is reported to prevent outbreaks in over 60% of the subjects, and greatly reduces the severity of an outbreak for those who still get shingles. The cost of the vaccine appears to be about $150. The amount covered by insurance varies, and is expected to change with the recent CDC recommendation. Check with your doctor and insurance to determine procedures and expected payment. More information is available at the websites listed below. Note: This information is provided for educational purposes; COMARA does not give medical advice.
Shingles Vaccine - What You Need To Know [PDF]
Washington Post: CDC Recommends Shingles Vaccine for Those Over 60
ACIP: Shingles (Herpes Zoster) Vaccination
The Society of Satellite Professionals International (SSPI) Board has endorsed the Satellite Hall of Fame and Museum undertaking and is devising a strategy so that fundraising for this project will not interfere with the Society of Satellite Professionals International own fundraising needs. We have had contacts with a Space Camp enterprise in Huntsville Alabama and with a Museum in New York City, but if anyone has ideas about other organizations to contact please advise Joe Pelton at joepelton@verizon.net or at 703 536-6985. At some point this activity and the Comara Legacy project might be joined together if we are successful in this effort.
NASA is currently preparing for a Hubble Space Telescope repair mission to take place later this year. One of the Astronaut tasks will involve replacing the original Nickel Hydrogen (NiH2) batteries that were launched in 1990. Burt Edelson joined NASA as Associate Administrator for Space Science and Applications in 1982. He called his former colleges at COMSAT Laboratories to indicate his concern that the current NASA plan was to launch the Hubble with Nickel Cadmium batteries, which would have to be replaced within 5 years involving a costly Shuttle Mission (approx $500M). He was familiar with the Laboratories NiH2 program headed by Jim Dunlop and Joe Stockel, and asked if the technology would provide a longer lifetime, and if it would be available in time for the planned launch. Backed by these discussions, Burt worked to make the change, and the rest is history. The COMSAT Labs Battery group (now Lockheed's COMSAT Technical Services Battery Lab headed by Dr. Hari Vaidyanathan) has supported NASA in monitoring the in-orbit battery performance, and has been able to demonstrate that the battery health was nominal, and replacement could be postponed with obvious major financial cost savings. Burt Edelson's vision, and his confidence in the advice provided by the COMSAT Labs experts has been a real part of the 18-year success of the NASA Hubble Space Telescope.
Died in early June. Santiago Astrain was a Chilean national who was a man of prominence in his own country and was the President of Entel Chile that provides telecommunications and energy for the country. He, along with John Johnson played a key role in the definitive arrangement negotiations in Washington, D.C. in 1968. He was elected the first Secretary General of Intelsat and then was elected the first Secretary General of Intelsat and then its first elected Director General. He served in his various roles for over a decade, during which time INTELSAT experienced unprecedented growth as the Intelsat V, VA and VI satellite series were deployed. The management of Intelsat was successfully and smoothly transferred from Comsat to the Intelsat Executive Organ during his tenure as Secretary General and then Director General. Santiago Astrain was awarded the Arthur C. Clarke Award for Lifetime Achievement and many other awards during his lifetime.
Bill Patterson has donated an Inmarsat Standard B terminal to the Legacy effort.
Television broadcast today is a mix of analog and digital channels. The analog channels will cease to exist in February 2009. There are a lot of television spot announcements these days that show a television screen fading to black. Do you need to do anything to keep this from happening to you? The ads only apply to older television sets that do not have a digital tuner, and to households that receive programs using an antenna If you get your television programs from a satellite, cable, or fiber optic service provider, you can ignore these commercials and the rest of this article.
You can begin to enjoy the extra digital programs already being broadcast over the air now. Get a coupon for one of the DTV converter boxes and it will only cost about $20. This won't turn your standard definition set into HD, but you should get extra channels and probably better quality. The converter boxes tune the digital signals and display a signal compatible with your analog set on channel 3 or 4, or video/audio component. Visit web site https://www.dtv2009.gov/ and order up to two free coupons (worth $40 each).
You may be surprised to learn of the number of digital signals that are already being broadcast. Most network stations already broadcast at least two digital signals in addition to the analog signal. PBS station WETA has four digital signals. People in the Washington-Baltimore area can probably get at least 25 digital channels today using an external antenna.
There is an interesting site, http://www.antennaweb.org that will give you information about the number of digital television broadcast signals available at your house right now. Visit the site, enter your house address, and the site will provide a display of signals that may be available if there are no obstructions. The direction to the television broadcast antenna and the distance are displayed. This site is the starting point to help you estimate what you may be able to receive over the air.
If you are already using a DTV converter box and would like to share your experience, send it to webmaster@comara.org and we'll add your contributions to the web site. If you have any questions about this, you can send them to the same address.
Lucius (Luke) Battle
Harry Gross
Paul Helfgott
Charles Ippolito (Claudette Ippolito)
Valerie Knight (Ivor Knight)
Elisabeth Martin (John L. Martin, Jr.)
Harriet McLucas (John McLucas)
Akos Revesz
Louis P. Stephens
Carolyn Daganhardt
May they rest in peace.
Hello friends; greetings from India. After leaving COMSAT in 1995, I consulted very successfully for more than 4 years (primarily with LM and, in France, with Matra Marconi ). Realizing that my kids needed me around more, early in 2000, I joined Draper Lab in Cambridge, MA. as a Principal Scientist in their Opto-electronics Department. At the end of 2004, I retired to do independent research (primarily in theoretical physics, but still nearly 1/2 time in experimental projects related to energy).
I have been at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) in Bangalore, India for 2 and a half years now (US dollars still go a long way here). I have set up US and Indian trusts to help support the research and my students. I would not recommend the move to anybody who doesn't have God's guidance in the task. Fortunately, I did. Things are going extremely well and I feel that my mind is more actively learning than at any time since graduate school. I hope that all of you are as happy and productive.
When six-foot-one George Huson retired from COMSAT's Spacecraft Lab, he continued playing volleyball at Bauer Drive Community Center. In 1990 Maryland Senior Olympics (MdSO) added volleyball to its events and George joined a team to play at Towson University. Since then he has played in the annual competitions. To improve his "blocking," he tried jumping events and turned out to be a good high jumper. The two best competitors in each five-year age group in state games are eligible to compete in semiannual national games, and George has represented Maryland in six Senior Olympics game, most recently in July, 2007 in Louisville, Kentucky, where over 12,000 athletes over 50 years of age competed. In the 75 - 80year event George jumped a chest-high 3 ft. 11 inches, the 3rd place height (5th place ribbon overall) against 14 or so other jumpers. He also got a 6th place ribbon in the 50-yd. Butterfly event, and a 6th place ribbon with a Tennessee volleyball team. Yeah, George!!!
The 2008 Maryland Senior Olympics, organized by the Montgomery County Recreation Department, will be held this September. All Marylanders over 50 are encouraged to enter and compete. The events are to take place in a number of locations, mostly in Montgomery County. Would-be competitors are welcome to contact George at Husaon1@Eathlink.net or at 301-330-5049. [Editors' note: Or contact George and congratulate him on these stunning performances!]
Post Office said it's gonna change our address.
Woa! What a mess. Are you taking our house?
And even our mouse?
No! No! They said.
But! No more Orange Park!
Orange Park is dead! They said.
But, said we. That's where we are!
Said they with a sigh, We just found that out.
So don't be so lame. Just change the name.
And We Did!
Comara Board Member Joe Pelton has been busy destroying trees to produce more paper. His 25th book Space Exploration and Astronaut Safety (AIAA) is now selling well, his 26th book License to Orbit: The Future of Commercial Space has just gone to his publisher (Apogee Books) and he has just signed a contract for his 27th book To the Stars: A 21st Century Guide to Space -- a text he is editing for the International Space University. His study for the FAA on commercial space flight safety where he is cooperating with the Aerospace Corporation and MIT is set to go to Congress by year end as well.
Bert Falkofske remains at the Cameron Glen Nursing Home in Reston, where his doctors are working to "unfreeze" his vocal cords so he can talk again. Be grateful for all your blessings, and pray for him and his family.. Burt was featured in the Cameron Glen Connection
Marion has made an amazing comeback from her serious cancer condition, has been living at home for several months, and has now been able to return to volunteering two days a week at Washington Hospital Center in Arlington. She welcomes your phone calls at (703) 536-3925.
Brent Jacocks reports that Edith Ford will turn 90 in August.
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Please send us information about what you're doing for a future COMARA Newsletter! Best wishes for a great summer 2008!
-The COMARA Board of Directors
Copyright 2008 by COMSAT Alumni & Retirees Association. All rights reserved.
COMARA, PO Box 34594, Bethesda, MD 20827