Headwaters UpdateUS Army Corps of Engineers, Pittsburgh District, Vol. 2, Issue 3, September 2011

Corps helps build

Flight 93 Memorial

Asset Management – Risk trumps prevention

Recreation at Corps lakes

US Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District

COL William GrahamDistrict Commander

Public Affairs Chief

Jeffrey Hawk

EditorSheila Tunney

LayoutScott Frechione & Sheila Tunney

Public Affairs Office412-395-7500

www.lrp.usace.army.mil

Headwaters Update is a quarterly publication of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Pittsburgh District. It is produced for electronic distribution by the Public Affairs Office. Views and opinions expressed in the Headwaters Update are not neces-sarily those of the Department of the Army or the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Submissions may be sent to CELRP-PA@ usace.army.mil for con-sideration in upcoming editions. Stories submit-ted should be in a Word document format. All photographs should include a caption and be high resolution (at least 4x6 inches and 300 dpi).

Vehicles on Route 18 North pass by a PennDOT message board promoting water and vehicle safety messages. The Shenango Lake staff stepped up its water safety campaign ef-forts by partnering with PennDOT to ensure safety messages were being delivered. (Photo by Richard Egger, Shenango)

Shenango Lake thinks outside the box, unique partnership increases water safety awareness

By Eric Schreckengost, Shenango Over the 4th of July weekend, Shenango

River Lake continued to step up its water safety efforts with a unique partnership. Lead Ranger Richard Egger and Ranger Eric Schreckengost partnered with the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation to increase awareness of both water and vehicle safety over the busy recre-ational holiday.

A highway message board placed on Route 18 North just before the intersection of Route 258 and 18 displayed the safety messages “Life Jackets = Safety” and “Seatbelt = Safety.” Lo-cated a quarter mile from Shenango, this sign reached approximately 42,000 water safety contacts during the holiday weekend.

The message board was setup Wednesday June 29, and continues to run. Shenango River Lake will continue to further its efforts to increase water safety awareness by seeking out new and unique partnerships.

Cov

er

Forty-three visitors came for M.J. Kirwan Visitor Center’s program “Snakes Alive!” on June 11 to spend up close and personal time with some slithery friends. (Photos by Julie Stone, Kirwan)

SSSSSSSNAKES ALIVE!

2

An artist’s rendition of the Flight 93 National Memorial in Shanks-ville, Pa., graces our cover. The Corps of Engineers provided construction manage-ment for Phase I of the memorial, which was completed in time for a dedication ceremony on Sept. 10. See pages 12-13 for more photos.

By Mark Keppler, LoyalhannaIn the photo, above Bobber the Water Safety Dog draws a

crowd as Loyalhanna and Conemaugh staffs provide support to Saltsburg Borough’s “National Night Out” event on Aug. 2. This nationwide program was introduced in 1984 to height-en awareness and partnerships in local anti-crime efforts. In 2010, the program involved 37 million people in all 50 states, U.S. territories and on military installations. The project staff provided rescue throw bag instruction along with water safety material to families and residents of the borough. The Corps’ presence added to the spirit of community camaraderie. The event included free food, games, contests, raffles and a family movie on the canal.

Bobber’s National Night Out

Groups improve East Branch fishingOn June 4, East Branch Park Rangers Art Myers and Kahla Yetzer, the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commis-sion, East Branch Habitat Group, and Johnsonburg Boy Scouts constructed 20 porcupine crib fish habitats to be placed in East Branch Lake to enhance fishing opportuni-ties. (Photo by Gary Froelich, East Branch)

Mosquito Discovery Dayunveils lake’s charms

By Dianne Kolodziejski, Mosquito Mosquito’s “Lakeview Discovery Day” on July 23 at the Lakeview Recreation Area was a day full of discovery, activities and educa-tional programs. Corps employees held a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the grand opening of the new fishing pier, which was covered by a local television station (Day of Discovery: Explor-ing Mosquito Lake Park). Visitors enjoyed boating and water safety activities--despite the heat. Birds in Flight rehabilitator Heather Mer-ritt’s owls and hawks were well received and information stations manned by attending agencies included Trumbull County Metro Parks, Trumbull County Soil and Water Con-servation Service, Mosquito State Park, Ohio Division of Watercraft and the Coast Guard Auxiliary. Mosquito Lake volunteers offered birding information and a close-up view from a spot-ting scope of purple martins who put on an exciting aerial show. Of course, cameo appearances from Bob-ber the Water Safety Dog were extremely popular and the last event of the day was an interpretive walk on the nature trail. Support from the District Office, Michael J. Kirwan Dam, Berlin Lake, and Shenango Lake was a key component to the day’s success.

Birds in Flight rehabilitator Heather Merritt brought owls and hawks to the festivities. (Photos by Jason Cote, Shenango)

3

Tygart Lake park rangers emphasize water safety throughout GraftonStory and photos by April Hawkey and Christina Fox, Tygart

On May 30, Tygart Lake staff members participated in the 144th annual Memorial Day Parade celebration in Grafton, W.Va. Park Rangers April Hawkey and Christina Fox distributed Safe Passage activity books to approximately 1,800 spectators. Bobber, the Water Safety Dog was also featured riding in the park ranger vehicle decorated with water safety banners.

Tygart Lake park rangers visited with Anna Jarvis’s 2nd grade students at Tygart Lake State Park on June 3. Nearly 125 students learned about the importance of the proper use of life jackets by participating in a water safety program. Each child tried on a life jacket to demonstrate proper fit. Safe boating techniques such as water rescue were also thoroughly covered. Each participant was pro-vided with a goody bag to help them remember water safety throughout the summer.

On June 11, Fox and Hawkey took part in the special event, “Hooked on Fishing, Not on Drugs” at Tygart Lake State Park. Bobber the Water Safety Dog made a special appearance to help promote the Corps’ water safety mes-sage. Parents and children enjoyed hands on participa-tion and were edu-cated on choosing and fitting the best life jacket for their activity. Attendees tried on various styles of life jackets and received water safety materials and

Hooked On Fish

Students learn about lifejackets

Clockwise from left: Bobber and Tygart Lake staff members prepare for the Grafton, W.Va. Memorial Day Parade. Tygart rangers attended the Hooked on Fishing event at Tygart Lake State Park. Ranger April Hawkey taught elemen-tary students how a life jacket should fit.

giveaways. The event was a success with nearly 130 people in attendance.

4

Kinzua, locals ‘take out the trash’ during reservoir clean up

Corps of Engineers staff part-nered with several other local enti-ties to conduct the annual Allegh-eny Reservoir Cleanup on June 11. Primary agency partners providing litter pickup crews and transport/pickup boats included the U.S. For-est Service, PA Fish and Boat Com-mission, PNC, Northwest Savings

Bank, Wal-Mart, Allegheny Outfit-ters, Warren Young Professionals, and Warren County Probation.

Kinzua team members Rodney Daum, resource manager, and Steve Lauser, park ranger, also provided a project boat for trans-port and trash collection to the centralized disposal site at Roper Hollow Boat Launch. A total of 63 volunteers walked more than 25

This is the first record of a grass carp caught at Conemaugh Lake. The fish are introduced into waterways to control vegetation.

shoreline miles in search of trash and debris. One 10-cubic-yard dumpster was filled to capacity, and several large items– including two floating docks – were collected and transported for appropriate disposal.

The event was deemed a great success by all participants. Popular sites along Allegheny Reservoir were cleaned up, promoting good environmental stewardship, and enhancing the quality of future visitor’s outdoor experiences.

Catch of the Day! 26-pounder snagged at Conemaugh

The Corps of Engineers, several local agen-cies and volunteers took part in the Allegh-eny Reservoir clean up in June to promote environmental stewardship. Sixty-three vol-unteers participated by clearing the shore-line of enough debris to fill the 10-cubic-yard dumpster above.

Story and photo by Mark Keppler, ConemuaghA triploid grass carp, or white amur (Ctenopharyngodon

idella, pictured at left), was caught this summer at Conem-augh River Lake.

The fish is a member of the minnow family native to the lower Amur River, which flows through Siberia and China.

Worldwide, grass carp have been introduced into more than 20 countries to control vegetation in waterways. This is the first record of one being caught at Conemaugh River Lake.

A custom made carp bait was used to snag the fish, which weighed in at 26 pounds, 3 ounces, and was 41 inch-es long. After measurement, the fish was released. The larg-est one caught in the state, according to PA Fish and Boat Commission documents, was approximately 54 pounds.

Story and photos by Steve Lauser, Kinzua

5

A 43-inch muskie was caught at Mahoning Creek Lake in July. This angler said it will be mounted on his wall. He said he wanted to release the fish, but for whatever reason, the muskie didn’t survive capture.

Mahoning muskies make magnificent memories

Story and photo by Grover Pegg, Mahoning In mid July at Mahoning Creek Lake the weather was hot, but so were the muskies. Some anglers say the warm weather makes the fish strike, while others say that when the surface water temperature reaches 79 degrees, the muskies go on a feeding frenzy. Whatever the case, at least five muskies were caught and released, and one was kept for display. Several avid anglers hit the water at 5 a.m. to spe-cifically target the robust muskie.

Thank-a-Vet bike run honors veterans at Kinzua

Clockwise from top left: Shawn Castro (center), Kinzua, and District Engineer Col. William Graham present Warren County Veterans Program Director Ed Burris with a check for $12,900, which was raised as part of a Hometown Heroes charity motorcycle dice run that Castro organized. Hundreds of bikers participated in the Thank-A-Vet Dice Run which crossed Kinzua Dam on July 24. Castro (left) assembles a motorcycle on stage, which was later raffled. Nearly 4,000 tickets were sold. Festivities sup-porting the cause included a country music concert and rib fest, which raised more than $12,000 for local veterans. (Photos courtesy of Shawn Castro, Kinzua)

Warm weather increases trophy fish catch at local Corps lake

6

Corps, Donora partner for sewer project

Washington County Commissioner Diana Irey (left), Congressman Mark Critz (second from left), and District Engineer Col. William Graham look on as Donora Mayor John “Chummy” Lignelli signs the Project Partnership Agreement. (Photo by Scott Frechione, PAO)

On June 20, District Engineer Col. William Graham met with Congressman Mark Critz and representatives from the Borough of Donora for a Project Partnership Agreement ceremony at the Donora Municipal Build-ing.

The Donora Place Plan Sewer Extension Project, consists of 27,400 linear feet of new sewer line for the Borough of Donora in Washington County. The estimated cost is $2.9 million. The Corps is providing $89,000 of Section 313, South Central Pennsylvania Environmental Improvement Program funding to sup-port the design of the project.

The Borough of Donora currently has no sanitary sewerage facilities. This project, which is already underway, will eliminate the discharge of untreated or partially treated sewage and will improve groundwater and surface water quality. In addition to addressing the public health and safety concerns, the project is ex-pected to encourage development in Donora, where in the past the lack of sewerage facilities prevented it.

Also representing the Corps at the meeting was

Karen Auer, district executive liaison, and Marie Mc-Cullough, project manager. Though the Corps only provided three percent of the funding for this project, Col. Graham stressed the importance of the partner-ship between the district, Washington County, the Borough of Donora, and Congressman Critz.

Flashback photo: 1987 visitor assistance courseFirst Row: George Turak, Bob Oslick, Rene Berberich, Kelly Martin Hardinger, Karen Estock, Melissa Salsgiver, Pete O’Connell, Roger Dalo, Dennis Millin.

Second Row: Bill Wilson, Amy Keitzer-Wallace, Dianne Kolodziejski, Nancy Mullen, Susie Toman, Dennis Probst, Rick Miller, Pat Monheim, Parks Swartz-fager, Jeff Cornelius, Mike Bradley. Third row: Art Myers, Jimmy Shusko, Mark Glass, Herb Allen, maybe Chuck Brudowsky, John Derby, (unknown), maybe Doug Krider, probably Rod Daum, (unknown), Mike Estock, Tim Noss.

Many thanks to Pete O’Connell, re-tired Northern Area Supervisor, who

submitted this picture from a 1987 visitor assistance course. Thanks also

go to Bob John, Natural Resource Management Branch, and Pat Kline, Mahoning, who helped identify most

of the individuals.

Story and photo by Scott Frechione, PAO

7

By Scott Frechione, PAO Capt. Laura Schroeder is neither the typical graduate student nor the typical Army officer working with the Army Corps of Engineers. “I’m not in some sort of official type of position as most people seem to think,” said Schroeder, a 10-year Army veteran and West Point grad. “My assignment with the Army right now is to be a stu-dent,” she said. Schroeder is part of the Army’s Advanced Civil Schooling pro-gram, which pays for her to attend graduate school. She is studying civil and envi-ronmental engineering at Carnegie Mellon University and started working as an intern with the district earlier this summer. How-ever, she was not required to do an internship to earn her degree or as part of the Army program. “When I found out there was a district office for the Corps so close to CMU, I saw it as an opportunity to reduce my learning curve. I con-tacted Col. Graham about possibly coming in this summer and intern-ing with the Corps of Engineers,” said Schroeder. While she could have been lounging around this summer, Schroeder decided to work profes-

sionally with the Corps of Engi-neers as a way to prepare for her future after graduate school. “I don’t know if I’m crazy or if I’m motivated, or whatever, but I needed to rebalance my work life…I thought it was the most beneficial way to spend the summer,” said Schroeder, who believes there’s a good chance she’ll be deployed to Afghanistan sometime after her graduation. After completing her spring semester with a short break, Schro-eder began working at the district office in June. She did several rota-tions in the Engineering Construc-tion – Techncial Services Division, visited many district projects, and most recently learned about pro-gram and project management and the Business Resource Division. This “buffet” type of internship, she said, has given her an under-standing of how the individual branches and sections work to make a Corps of Engineers district whole. It will also add to the experi-cence she gained as a geospatial in-formation instructor at the National Geospatial Intelligence Agency, in staff/command positions with active duty engineer units, and during her one-year deployment to Ramadi, Iraq in 2004-2005. Schroeder, a Baltimore-area na-tive, said she will finish her intern-ship with the district at the end of July, go back into student mode and graduate from CMU in December. In return for the advanced degree, she’s required to serve ap-proximately four years in the Army. But for now, she said, she is simply trying to learn as much as she can.

West Point grad, Carnegie Mellon student interns with Corps

By Ashley Petraglia, BR-E The leadership development program is an excellent opportunity for district employees to learn fun-damental skills that will assist in career development and becoming a leader within the organization. In addition to receiving training on leadership and self and team development, students are exposed to a variety of Pittsburgh District programs. This year’s curriculum included an educational visit to Youghiogheny Lake and the Flight 93 National Memorial. In the photo above, National Park Service Superintendent Keith Newlin is pictured with the LDP Class of 2011. The picture was taken along the memorial walkway leading to the the white marble wall inscribed with the names of the 40 passengers and crew mem-bers who died aboard Flight 93. In the background is the Sacred Ground that still contains remains from the crash. The memorial of-ficially opened to the public the weekend of September 11, 2011. Newlin, who is in charge of all of the national parks in western Pennsylvania, described the coordi-nation and leadership skills needed for overseeing construction of a sensitive project like the Flight 93 memorial.

LDP visits Flight 93 Memorial

Photo courtesy of LDP 2011

8

Project manager ‘Rides with the 40’ As Phase 1 of the Flight 93

Memorial nears completion, Corps of Engineers Construction Man-ager Bryan Ciccocioppo thought he would take some time off.

Instead of taking a vacation, he was invited to “Ride with the 40” from San Francisco to Shanksville, Pa. to honor the heroes of Flight 93.

According to Ciccocioppo, the families of Flight 93 asked him to take part in the 10-day motorcycle ride across the country.

Ciccocioppo and Sara Hillegas, who make up the Corps’ Flight 93 Construction Management Team, were invited to the Flight 93 Ad-visory Commission meeting and were recognized for their dedica-tion to the project. At the meeting, Ken Nacke, brother of Flight 93 passenger Louis Nacke, discussed

By Dan Jones, PAO

During his Ride with the 40 trip, Bryan Cicco-cioppo (right) and Erich Bay hold a Flight 93 commemora-tive flag. Bay’s wife, Lorraine G. Bay, was a flight attendent on the flight. (Photo courtesy of Bryan Ciccocioppo, Construction)

the “Ride with the 40” and the patches he had made to raise funds. He invited Ciccocioppo and Hil-legas to join the ride.

“It was good, because it made me feel like a part of the team accomplishing this mission,” said Ciccocioppo. “I know we had a big part in the construction. But being invited to their meeting and then on the ride was more than just ‘business as usual’ to me, it was an honor.”

The purpose of the 10th anniver-sary ride is to raise $250,000 for the Flight 93 National Memorial and to bring the Flight 93 National Memorial to Americans who are unable to visit Shanksville.

“If I can help raise funds - that would be good too, but I want more people to come out and see what we built and hopefully get some-thing out of it. I also want to show

the National Park Service and the Flight 93 Advisory committee that the Corps of Engineers team has a dedication to the project beyond a business standpoint,” he said. “It is not possible to spend a year and half working on something like this without it becoming something more.”

Their journey, which began Aug. 29 at the San Francisco Internation-al Airport, included five core riders who were being joined by hundreds of other riders throughout the trip.

“Spending time at the memorial reminds you of how ephemeral our existence can be. You have to take chances and have adventures while you can,” he said. “I also want to see more of my country, and I think that seeing it on a 100-cubic inch V-twin Victory Vegas would be a great way of accomplishing that goal...unless it rains a lot.”

9

LRP to reach back, support Afghanistan mission

The multi-disciplined reach back engineer team includes Pittsburgh District staff, Afghanistan Engineering District North staff (including Afghanistan National Police project mangers), engineering lead ar-chitects and a bid package manager. First Row: James Elliott, Gwen-dolyn Hannam, Marc Glowczewski, Kevin Logan, Mona Waldeck, and Lance Faerber. Second row: Matt Bird, Robert Douglas, Karlene Bodnar, Tim Shea, and Drew Lange. (Photos courtesy of Mark Jones, Engineering)

By Mark Jones, Engineering The Pittsburgh District sent a multi-disciplined team to Kabul, Afghanistan to begin coordinating the district’s sup-port of the Corps’ construction and engineering efforts in Afghanistan. Pittsburgh’s Kevin Logan, Program Management, and Marc Glowczewski, Civil Design, will be in Kabul and Jalalabad for a week to meet with the Afghanistan District

Kevin Logan (right)and Marc Glowcz-eski (left) make a site visit with Tim Shea, TAN ANP Program Deputy.

A microburst, a severe storm with winds over 70 mph, struck at M.J. Kirwan Dam & Reservoir on July 19. Eight power poles snapped or blew over on the embank-ment of the dam.

A microburst is a small downburst with an outflow less than 2½ miles (4 kilometers) in horizontal diameter and lasts two to five minutes. Despite their small size, micro bursts can produce destructive winds up to 168 mph (270 km/h). Also, they create hazardous conditions for pilots and have been responsible for several disasters. (Photos by Julie Stone, MJ Kirwan)

North, Afghanistan National Police (ANP) Project Manage-ment and Engineering teams. The visit will include face to face meetings with staffs from United States Forces Afghanistan (USFOR-A), Joint Program Integration Office (JPIO), and the primary customer, Combined Security Transition Command - Af-ghanistan (CSTC-A), site visits and Section 886 contracting briefings. This visit is an essential step in facilitating effec-tive and successful reach back of engineering and contract-ing services that the Pittsburgh and fellow Lakes and Rivers Division districts can provide to support the USACE ANP effort.

Microburst downs eight power poles at Kirwan

10

(Microburst graphic and description courtesy of National Weather Service.)

District supports disasterrelief, clean up efforts

Maj. Gen. Todd T. Semonite, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers South Atlantic Division Commander, meets with Michael F. Byrne, Federal Emergency Management Agency, about on-going recovery opera-tions following tornadoes that struck Central Alabama on April 27. (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers photo by Jeffrey Henon)

By Scott Frechione, PAOMany employees from the Pittsburgh district de-

ployed to Alabama and Missouri amid some of the nation’s most devasting natural disasters this year. The Corps teamed with the Federal Emergency Man-agement Agency (FEMA) to help with flooding and tornados, which affected millions of people. Each FEMA deployment lasts for 30 days, though employees can elect to have the deployment extended.

Waterways Inspector George Brkovich, Lock and Dam Operator Timothy Jones, and Park Ranger Kevin Nogroski deployed to Alabama in May (see story page 15). They helped with the debris management mission, which includes separating debris piles and operating in debris clean up and disposal.

Shaun Eshelman, district maintenance mechanic, deployed to Birmingham in May to help with hauling and installing temporary housing units for locals who lost their homes during the severe storms.

T.J. Fichera, emergency management chief, also deployed in May to serve as an Emergency Support Functions Coordinator in Alabama.

District members supported FEMA in the Jop-lin, Mo., area as well. Maintenance Worker William Lynch, Derrickboat Operator Mark Sporrer, and Dis-trict Welder Benedict Heisel deployed in June to help support the debris clean up mission.

In total the district deployed approximately 30 em-ployees during the disasters.

Scouts, volunteers improve fish habitat at Tionesta

Story and photos by Jason Quinn, Tionesta On June 17, Tionesta Lake Park Rangers Jason Bowers and Jason Quinn, the PA Fish and Boat Com-mission and volunteers from Cub Scout Pack 82 constructed and installed 20 vertical plank fish habitat structures to enhance fishing opportunities at Tionesta Lake. Donated Christmas trees from Tionesta resi-dents, Wal-Mart (Warrren, Pa.), and from the Tionesta Lighthouse Island were used to supplement the plank structures. Additional fishing habitats were created in May with trees and concrete block donated by Kline Broth-ers Masonry Contractors, Tionesta. The locations of these and previously placed fish habitat structures can be found by searching the PA Fish and Boat Commis-sion Website.

Above: Vertical plank fish habitat structures built and constructed by volunteers and Cub Scout Pack 82 in June await transport and place-ment in the lake. Below: A Bobcat loads a fish habitat onto a boat.

11

Photo essay by Dan Jones*, PAO

A worker at the Flight 93 National Memorial clears water from underneath the visitor’s shelter, the walls of which are constructed of concrete formed to look like hand-hewn hemlock. Inset: Wood grain is evident on closer inspection.

Corps helps build

Flight 93 memorial

Construction Manager Bryan Ciccocioppo (foreground) inspects the placement of con-crete formwork and rebar for walkways at the memorial.

Above: Flags and other tribute items are left at the site regularly.

Left: Visitors have been drawn to the site long before the construction of the permanent memo-rial began in March 2010.

A worker at the Flight 93 National Memorial clears water from underneath the visitor’s shelter, the walls of which are constructed of concrete formed to look like hand-hewn hemlock. Inset: Wood grain is evident on closer inspection.

Construction Manager Bryan Ciccocioppo holds a sample of the marble that was considered for use along the flight path wall. The wall will be inscribed with Flight 93 passengers and crew names.

Above: The plaza where visitors can look out upon the Sacred Ground is surrounded by a “moat.” The walls be-neath it are also formed to resemble hand-hewn hemlock wood.

Left: Construction Manager Sara Hillegas gives Pittsburgh District Engineer Col. William Graham a tour and up-date on construction at the memorial in August 2010. The rebar shown to their right, is the support structure for the flight path wall.

Above: Flight 93 passenger and crew family members have their own parking lot and path, which leads from the lot to the Flight Path Wall. (*Photo by Bryan Cic-cocioppo, Construction) Right: A team of workers pour and finish concrete on a walkway.

Story and photos by Julie Stone, Kirwan Michael J. Kirwan Dam held its 2nd Annual Water Safety Bonanza June 25 at the West Branch State Park Swim Beach. In spite of cooler temper-atures and cloudy skies, 215 participants enjoyed games, activities, kayaking, jet ski and pontoon rides, and demonstrations by the Portage County Dive Team and the Lake Milton K-9 Search and Rescue Dog Team.

Kirwan hosts 2nd annual Water Safety Bonanza

Clockwise from top left: Lake Milton State Park K-9 Officer Chuck Stoudt demonstrates his dog, Rico, responding to a violent offender. Bobber the Water Safety Dog was a big attraction for small children at the event. A Kent State University Adventure Recre-ation kayak instructor gives directions and water safety information to kayakers at the swim beach during the event. From left to right, Kirwan Re-source Manager Doug Krider, Northern Area Manager Pete O’Connell and his wife Mary Lou, and West Branch State Park Manager John Wilder, were on hand to lend support to the water safety event.

14

Rangers test boater smarts during ‘Wear It! West Branch’ Berlin Lake Park Ranger Kat Fatula (above) assisted rangers at Michael J. Kirwan Dam with “Wear It! West Branch” boater education Aug. 7. Armed with give-aways, Corps rangers approached boaters on the lake, asked basic boating questions, and gave out prizes for correct answers. Boat-ers enjoyed the activity and prizes and learned a few things too! (Photos by Julie Stone, Kirwan)

Purple martins nested at Crooked Creek Lake this summer. Employ-ees at the project have managed a purple martin program for several years, and this was the first successful roost. The nestlings, before they had feathers, were banded by Ken Monday. (Photos by Marjorie Van Tassel)

Purple Martins find new home, thrive at Crooked Creek

Brkovich deploys for FEMA disaster mission

Houses in Tuscaloosa, Ala., were destroyed by tornadoes in the region. (Photo by George Brkovich, Regulatory)

By Scott Frechione, PAODistrict Waterways Inspector George Brkovich

deployed to Alabama from May 21-June 19 to help the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ debris clearance and removal mission with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) during the spring 2011 tornado season.

The Corps of Engineers often works with FEMA during times of natural and man-made disasters. Employees receive taskers from FEMA directing the Corps on which counties/municipalities request Corps assistance.

Brkovich first arrived in Birmingham at FEMA’s Recovery Field Office. It was there that he and other Corps employees received their gear, such as uniforms and cell phones that would be used during their deployment.

Tuscaloosa, the site where Brkovich was as-signed, had approximately forty deaths. Tornadoes caused damags in an 80-mile long by one-mile wide are, both in and around the city, according to Brkov-ich.

While in Tuscaloosa, he served as a Quality As-surance Inspector who supervised contractors and ensured FEMA’s rules were being followed con-cerning debris cleanup.

USACE’s debris management mission within Alabama included the disposal of an estimated 3.5 million cubic yards of debris.

“De-bris goes to certain landfills for environ-mental pur-poses, and it’s up to us to oversee everything because of the federal money being spent on the project,” said Brkovich. “We are FEMA’s eyes and ears as to what is going on in the field.”

15

The Trumbull County Summer Sizzle Family Fun Day was held on Aug. 6 at the Trumbull County Agriculture and Family Education Center in Cortland, Ohio. “Summer Sizzle” is a family event highlighting water safety, agriculture, horticulture, silvi-culture, conservation, fishing, gardening and outdoor activities. Mosquito Creek Lake Rangers Tom McAfoose and Marilyn Hahn, and Economist Joe DeLucia of the Plan Formulation and Economic Section provided an information booth on Army Corps of Engineers programs including water safety, local flood damage reduction, stream bank protection, aquatic ecosystem res-toration and other Corps’ programs at the event.

This free, one-day event featured activities and games for the entire family, including a kids’ fish-ing derby, BB gun shoot, archery shoot, trail walks, hay wagon rides, cornhole toss, disc golf toss, pet-ting zoo, children’s “Make It and Take It” crafts, and a scarecrow

Corps helps Trumbull’s ‘Summer Sizzle’

decorating contest. In addition to the information booth provided by the Army Corps, there was a farmers’ market, plant sale, and tours of the Ohio State Extension/Master Gardeners’ Re-search and Demonstration Garden and the recently finished children’s garden, Sun Place Special.

Summer Sizzle was presented by the Trumbull County Tourism Bureau, Cortland Banks, Trumbull County Office of Elderly Affairs, Farm Service Agency, Federation of Trumbull County Sportsman Clubs, Trout Unlimited, the Ohio State University’s local Extension Office, Trumbull County Farm Bureau, Trumbull County Food and Agriculture Committee, Trumbull County Antique Tractor Associa-tion, 4-H clubs, Trumbull County Master Gardeners, Northeast Ohio Christmas Tree Growers, Grace Fellowship Church, City of Cort-land, Trumbull County MetroParks, Cortland Rotary, Trumbull County Commissioners, and the Trum-bull Soil and Water Conservation District.

Story and photo by Joe DeLucia,

The 911th Operations Group, Pittsburgh, brought more than 130 Airmen to Youghiogheny River Lake’s Mill Run Campground on Aug. 12-14 for combat survival training.

“The Air Force Reserve unit wanted to have a combat survival training program that was more realistic to prepare their troops for deployment,” said Youghiogheny Resource Manager Brian Luprek.

After reviewing several sites, the unit’s leaders and Luprek decided to use Mill Run, because it had the ideal terrain, isolation, and infrastructure required for their exercises. The campground also has low occupancy rates in the late summer due to the lake draw down, which leaves the beach and boat ramp out of the water.

Throughout the weekend, Airmen completed training in navigation principles, movement techniques, escape and evasion, signaling/flaring/operation of distress marker lights, and first aid treatment in the field.

“The training worked out well and we hope to be able to support our troops with additional training opportunities when public use of our facilities is low,” said Luprek.

Air Force trains at Yough site

By Emily Potter, Youghiogheny

Members of the 911th Operations Group practice land navigation skills at Mill Run Campground at Youghiogheny Riv-er Lake in August. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Jonathan Hehnly)

16

(Read more at http://bit.ly/r3Cvqb)

As Pittsburgh hosted the 31st National Veterans Wheelchair Games, many people volunteered their time to help make the games a success. For some, it was manning the souve-nir booth or registering the athletes, but for one U.S. Army Corps of Engineers employee, these games provided an op-portunity to use skills that few have.

John Decolati, an accountant with the Pittsburgh District’s Resource Manage-ment office, used his skills as an Ama-teur Softball Association (ASA) Umpire to help with the Wheelchair Games.

“I just wanted to give back,” said Decolati, who has been umpiring for 37 years. “My dad was a Navy veteran and I wanted to give them my time.”

After submitting his umpires resume, the Glassport, Pa., native was asked to umpire for the games. Although being new to the Veteran’s Wheelchair Games, he had umpired a wheelchair softball exhibition game played in Pittsburgh in 2006 as part of the Major League Base-ball All-Star Fan fest.

“Just watching these athletes was very emotional for me,” he said. “When you see someone in a wheelchair, you think about the disabilities, but after one inning I realized the abilities were

there.”Organized wheelchair softball began

in South Dakota in the mid-1970s and the National Wheelchair Softball Asso-ciation was founded in 1976. Although it has been around for more than 40 years, wheelchair softball has only been a part of the Veteran’s Wheelchair Games since 1997.

Decolati umpired in five qualifying games and based on his performance was asked to be the first-base umpire for the bronze medal game.

Wheelchair softball is similar to recreation league softball, but it does

have some differences. An umpire usu-ally watches the base and listens for the “pop” of the ball in a player’s glove. With wheelchair softball, umpires can’t rely on sound and have to watch the player’s wheel as it touches the base.

Decolati began umpiring at 13 as a summer job to make some extra money. During college, he ran a softball league at Bethany College, W.Va.

“As the years went on I got more involved,” he said. “What started as a teen job is now an enjoyable hobby that permits me to work with all age groups and get exercise at the same time.”

He added staying cool under pressure and remembering you are only as good as your last call are the keys to being a successful umpire. Besides umpiring, Decolati also referees football through-out western Pennsylvania.

“I wouldn’t be here without the men-toring and training I have received from some of the other ASA umpires such as Bill Connelly who passed away in 2010, after a lengthy battle with cancer.”

One of the biggest differences between ASA softball and the Veterans Wheelchair Olympic softball is the interaction with the players.

“In rec leagues you don’t really get to interact with the players, you show up, do the game and then leave,” he said.

He had the chance to interact with many of the players, after being invited to the closing ceremonies by another

umpire.“I got to interact with the

athletes,” he said. “I talked with some of the players who made an impact on me. One of the players gave me a jersey with the num-ber ‘2,’ this was in honor of the second time I umpired wheelchair softball.”

At the conclusion of the games, Decolati was asked to consider umpiring in the games in Richmond, Va., next year.

“I am thinking about doing it again next year.” He added. “I got more out of this then I ever anticipated.”

Story and photos by Dan Jones, PAO

Decolati calls a play during a softball game during the National Wheelchair Games at the Pittsburgh Convention Center.

Decolati umps veterans’ wheelchair games

The Pittsburgh Convention Center was chosen as the softball venue for the National Veterans Wheelchair Games. John Decolati, served as umpire during the competition.

17

Story and photo by Cory Hoffman, Shenango On Aug. 13, nearly 30 Shenango River Lake visitors joined former Corps ranger Chris Mosebach for what he said was “an easy 45 min-ute walk to learn about the legends, lore, and love of Pennsylvania woodlands” along the Coonie Trail. When he retired from the Corps, Mosebach was the resource manag-er at Kinzua Dam, but had worked at Shenango with the project’s first Park Ranger, Francis “Coonie” Lamphear, the trail’s namesake. Mosebach now works as an educator for The Mercer County Conservation District, and held a similar event at Shenango earlier this year. During this walk, he described many natural resources found along the Shenango River that Delaware Indians would have used for suste-nance, medicine, and enjoyment. He pointed out the Jerusalem artichoke, a species of sunflower, as a great source of carbohydrates. When the group encountered a white oak tree, he went into great

detail about the process of making bread from flour produced by its acorns. Mosebach also explained the importance of the Tulip poplar, a tree Native Americans would have used to craft a canoe to float the river. What many visitors found very interesting was his telling of how the Norway spruce, a non-native conifer species, made its way into Pennsylvania. He explained that travelling salesmen who came through Penn-sylvania in the early 1900s to sell “25-cent frying pans” would also show their customers this new, ex-otic tree that would provide shade and protection from winter winds to their homes. To everyone’s enjoyment, Mosebach inspired three young girls to sing Woody Guthrie’s clas-sic folk song,“This Land is Your Land” while walking along the trail. The staff at Shenango Lake said they were glad to have Mosebach provide such a great, educational event.

Former Army Corps of Engineers Ranger Chris Mosebach led Shenango River Lake visitors on a Coonie Trail nature walk in August.

Mosebach walk explains legends, lore, love of Pennsylvania woods

Great Lakes and Rivers Division’s new commander, Col. Margaret W. Burcham, and Pittsburgh District Engineer Col. William Graham take time for photos after Burcham took command at a ceremony at the Free-dom Center in Cincinnati. (Photo by Rachel Haring, LRD PAO)

Division welcomes new commander

Col. Margaret W. Burcham received command of the Great Lakes and Ohio River Division of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers during a formal ceremony Sept. 19. Burcham, a 1982 West Point graduate faces no small task. The division has 4,800 employees working in seven engineer districts. It is charged with directing federal water resource development in the Great Lakes and Ohio River basins with infrastructure valued at more than $80 billion.

The annual budget is more than $2 billion for hydropower plants, dams, flood rehabilitation and water conservation. In addition, the division is responsible for military construction in Ohio, Kentucky, Indiana, Illinois and Michigan.

Burcham, who served most recently as the Chief of the Joint Capabilities Division of the Re-sources, Assessments and Force Management Directorate, is the eighth commander of the Great Lakes and Ohio River Division and the first permanent female com-mander.

She replaces Maj. Gen. John Peabody, who served the division for three years.-- LRD PAO

18

Shenango summer fest draws 900

By Curtis Cozad, ShenangoOn July 15, the 8th Annual Les-

lie Sparano Summer Fest took place at the Mahaney Recreation Area at Shenango River Lake. The U.S. Army Corps of Engi-neers, Mercer County Behavioral Health Commission, U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary, PA Fish and Boat Commis-sion and countless volunteers worked together to make the event possible.

The event is held in honor of Leslie Sparano, who was a social worker for

Clockwise from above: Balloon animals and hats were part of the fun during Shenango’s summer fest. A band provided entertainment during the day. Josh Bridge, Environmental, escorted Bobber the Water Safety Dog and Smokey the Bear. (Photos by Janie Egger, Shenango Volunteer)

Groups come together for food, fun and remembrancethe Mercer County Behavioral Health Commission and was tragically killed in an automobile accident. Her family and co-workers wanted to have some type of special event for her clients in her memory, and the an-nual Summer Fest was born.

Summer Fest provides unique recreational opportunities for people with disabilities and their families who otherwise may not be able to enjoy the outdoors.

This year, 900 people participated

in the day’s activities, which included fishing, carnival games, live music, a picnic lunch, and appearances by Bob-ber the Water Safety Dog and Smokey the Bear. Participants also had an opportuni-ty to go for a boat ride on the Shenan-go Queen, a charter pontoon boat donated by R.C.’s Marina, and other pontoon boats provided by volunteers. The Shenango staff received sup-port from rangers at Berlin, Mosquito, and M.J. Kirwan lakes.

The Great Lakes and Ohio River Division (LRD) hosted a Value Engineering Module I Training Workshop in July at the Pittsburgh District. The course was taught by approved Society of American Value Engineers (SAVE) International Module I Instructor Scot McClintock, of Faithful and Gould. Students from the Pacific Ocean Division and Buffalo, Chicago, Detroit, Kansas City and Pitts-burgh Districts attended. Khalid Durrani, the LRD proponent of value engineering, also attended as a student. Students had the option of taking the SAVE Certification Associate Value Specialist exam at the end of the course. --Steve Frost, Engineering

19

20

Asset Management Risk trumps prevention

With a backlog in critical main-tenance approaching $400 million, the aging 23 locks and dams on the upper Ohio, Monongahela and Al-legheny rivers could use all the at-tention they can get. The Pittsburgh District operates and maintains the oldest, largest and arguably most fatigued navigation system in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ national inventory. Yet in Fiscal Year 2013, not much major work will be done to upkeep Pittsburgh facilities.

The Corps’ National Asset Man-

agement Team calculated that downstream projects in neighboring Huntington District deserve priority due to the risk of failure and the resulting consequences.

“I think it’s a good thing. We need to put maintenance dollars where they’re needed most in the entire Ohio River system,” said Don Fogel, the Corps’ maintenance chief in Pitts-burgh. “Asset management identi-fies the worst of the worst.”

Risk is used to prioritize mainte-nance work on lock and dam proj-

ects throughout the nation. The program rates navigation proj-ects on a grad-ing scale based on reliability. There are no A-rated projects, which basically equates to the condition of a new facil-ity. There are plenty of Ds and Fs, which are defined as “deficient” and “failing.”

The new risk-informed, systematic way to assign prior-ity deviates from the past district-centric, preventative maintenance approach.

“We used to schedule work according to preventative main-tenance cycles,” said Fogel. “We knew, for example, that every seven to ten years, we’d need to work on the emptying valves. Ninety percent of our maintenance was scheduled according to a time-table.”

The preventative approach was effective at catching maintenance issues before they became a major threat to the Pittsburgh system’s reliability, but risk factors didn’t weigh as heavily in maintenance scheduling. Prioritizing risk on a regional basis means some local systems may suffer.

“We’ve done a good job in Pittsburgh of preventing big main-tenance problems,” said Fogel. “There’s very little maintenance coming to Pittsburgh in the next few years, which means our system will continue to deteriorate.”

Still, applied across the national inventory, the asset management program aspires to invest limited taxpayer dollars where they will reduce the greatest risks and return the most investment. “The focus is not on our portion of the system, but on the system as a whole,” said Fogel.

By Jeff Hawk, PAO

Above: Employees from Pittsburgh District’s Repair Team smooth concrete at C.W. Bill Young Lock and Dam on the Allegheny River. (Photo by Dan Jones, PAO) Top Corner: A major rehab of Emsworth Locks and Dams, Ohio River, continues. (Photo by Jeff Hawk, PAO)

Shallow Land Disposal Area

East Branch Dam contracts open

Allegheny River system changes

Upon completion of the first phase of the Flight 93 National Memorial, construction managers Bryan Cic-cocioppo and Sara Hillegas wanted to leave a token of their appreciation at the memorial. Since the Corps was involved in the initial construction of the memori-al, they decided to leave a Corps of Engineers hard hat in one of the nooks along the wall leading up to the Flight Path Wall. Ciccocioppo decided to have many Corps employees who were involved in the construc-tion, from contracting and regulatory to project man-agement and office of counsel, sign the hard hat. The hard hat will be collected with other momentos left behind. But, it will remain at the site for many years to come and visitors will know that the Corps of Engi-neers had a small part in the creation of this tribute to the heroes of Flight 93.

Corps leaves tribute at Memorial

District rocked by August quakeAn earthquake that hit Fredericksburg, Va., on Aug.

23, was felt throughout the Pittsburgh District.Within hours, visual inspections were completed at

navigation and reservoir facilities to assess the pos-sible impacts of the 5.9-magnitude earthquake.

Reservoir and lock operators looked for cracks in concrete or other signs of distress. (As of press date, no damage has been reported.)

Vibrations were reported by Corps personnel as far west as Berlin Lake in Alliance, Ohio, and as far north as Kinzua Dam and Allegheny Reservoir near Warren, Pa.

The district policy states that an immediate inspec-tion must be conducted if earthquake movement at or near the dam site is strong enough to be noticed by a person at rest.

“If we feel it, we inspect,” said Col. William Gra-ham, the Corps’ district engineer in Pittsburgh.

Specifically, the district must inspect facilities if the Richter Magnitude is 5.0 or greater and the epicenter is within a 30-mile radius.

Things are moving along at East Branch Dam. The site development design was completed in June 2011. The Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works concurred with initiation of construction on Aug. 5. The site development contract bid opening was awared Sept. 29 to Tab Construction Company, Inc., for $2.9 million. The cutoff wall contract design was initiated, but completion of the wall by 2017 is funding dependent.

Photo by Bryan Ciccocioppo, Construction

The president’s budget, which was released in Febru-ary, severely decreased the Allegheny River System’s budget. In Fiscal Year 2011, the system got $8.4 million. In 2012, only $4 million is programmed to operate eight locks and dams. As a result of the decreased funding, a decision was made in March which would close Locks 8 and 9 to river traffic (except for commercial appoint-ments) and decreased hours of operations at the six other locks. The changes eliminated 18 manning positions and are slated to take effect in late October.

The Corps and its contractor, Cabrera Services Inc., began excavation in August to remove radiological con-taminants at the Shallow Land Disposal Area (SLDA) in Parks Township, Pa. The Pittsburgh District is partner-ing with the Buffalo District to manage the clean up the radioactive waste at the site under the Formerly Utilized Sites Remedial Action Program (FUSRAP). More infor-mation about SLDA is available online at http://www.lrp.usace.army.mil/fusrap/slda.htm.

On Aug. 31, the Pittsburgh District and Allegheny County Sanitary Authority (ALCOSAN) held a public meeting to update the public about the Pine Hollow Stream Removal Project.

This $6.9-million project will prevent combined sewer overflows, which have been the primary cause of sewer system backups in hundreds of homes in Stowe Township and McKees Rocks Borough.

It will also reduce the health hazard associated with basement back-ups for residents in these communities.

“We appreciate people’s patience as we work to complete this project. The long-term benefits to the residents, businesses and environment in the com-munities and surrounding areas will far outweigh the short-term impacts during construction,” said Col. William Graham, Pittsburgh District Engineer.

Pine Hollow stream removal

21

Story and photo by Kirk McWilliams, Lower Mon On Aug. 23, the Lower Mon Area Office hosted a site visit and gave tours of the ongoing construction and concrete batch plant at Charleroi to visitors from Latin America. The group consisted of employees from the Latin American operations of Euclid Chemical and Holcim Cement, including local representatives from Euclid’s Cleveland office. Shawn Soltis and Glenn Bush gave presentations and directed the tour at the locks and batch plant. Euclid and Holcim supply admixtures and cementi-tious materials for concrete production to the Lower Mon Batch Plant.

Shawn Soltis (center) and Jeff Watkins (left) from the Lower Mon Area Office provide an information briefing about the project.

Three district employees were named Women of the Year in August by the Pittsburgh Federal Execu-tive Board.

Mary Ann Wylie, left, Lake Project Assistant at Loyalhanna and Conemaugh Lakes was cited for her excellence in administrative and management support functions at both projects in 2010. During that year, Wylie transitioned three different temporary resource managers and kept things running smoothly.

Sara Hillegas, center, construction field engi-neer, was cited for her outstanding work on the Flight 93 National Memorial. Hillegas stepped into the roles of construction management representative and quality control representative on the project shortly after being hired in 2010, and was recognized for her contributions in the mission’s success.

Ashley Petraglia, right, environmental resource specialist, was cited for exemplary work on the Monongahela River and Cattaraugus Creek initial watershed assessments, environmental infrastructure planning, and the Upper Monongahela River Initial Appraisal. With only three years under her belt, Petra-glia has shown tremendous professional growth and considered a “go-to” employee of the Environmental Branch.

Nominees and award winners for the annual awards must have above average job performance, the ability to inspire teamwork, productivity, and set standards of work performance, evidence of efforts toward individual self development, and sustained dependable performance.--PAO

WOMEN OF YEAR!District ladies bring home three Federal Executive Board awards

Potter named LRD Chittenden winner

Youghiogheny River Lake Ranger Emily Potter was selected as the Lakes and Rivers Division’s Chief of En-gineers 2011 Hiram M. Chittenden Award for Interpretive Excellence. The award recognizes exceptional

interpretive services and outreach programs at Corps’ civil works projects. Potter was specifically cited for her creativ-ity and inspiration to others by the Corps’ Directorate of Civil Works, Michael Ensch, for her creation of the “Cache In – Trash Out” event at Crooked Creek Lake.

Though not selected as the national award winner, Pot-ter will be formally recognized in front of Corps and other federal agency peers during the November 2011 Excellence in Interpretation Awards Ceremony at the National Associa-tion for Interpretive Workshop in St. Paul, Minn.

“This is a great honor for the District,” said Brian Luprek, acting Southern Area Manager. --PAO

Lower Mon hosts Latin tour

22

Wage Grade: Scott Waters Maxwell Lock

and Dam

Employees of the 4th Quarter

GS: Marc Glowczewski

Civil Design

Excellence in Government

The Locks and Dams Branch of the Pittsburgh District hosted the 2011 Divi-sion Lockmasters Meeting in May.

The meeting was attended by representatives from the Great Lakes and Ohio River Division (LRD) Headquarters, the Corps of Engineers Research and Development Cen-ter, plus the following Engineer Districts: Pittsburgh, Buffalo, Louisville, Nashville, Detroit, Huntington, St. Paul, Seattle, Jacksonville, Galveston and Little Rock.

The meeting is held every two years and has grown to include a nationwide audience. Each meeting is held at a different LRD District.

During the three-day conference, many presenta-tions were given on a wide variety of topics including: the Inland Marine Transportation System, Federal Equipment Management System, Asset Management, Water Management, Lock Operation Management Ap-plication, the Uniform Program, and the Lower Ohio Flooding Update.

The Lockmaster Meetings play a vital part in keep-ing Corps districts in sync with each other and sharing ideas. A tour of Consol Energy’s Alicia Landing Facil-ity on the Monongahela River was also included in the conference.

Lockmasters meet in PittsburghBy Don Zeiler, Emsworth

Above and left: Corps lockmasters had a tour of Alicia Landing, a highly automated intermodal facility that unloads train cars and transfers coal to barges heading for market. Attendees also had a tow boat ride up the Monongahela River to view the new PA Turnpike 43 bridge, just south of Brownsville, Pa. (Photos by Dan Butcher, LRD)

The following Pittsburgh District employees were honored at this year’s Excellence in Government awards:

Jeff Benedict, PlanningJoe Premozic, EngineeringKirk McWilliams, Lower Mon OfficeKathy Christ, Northern Area OfficeJudi Sistek, Program ManagementChris Miller, EngineeringFabiana Burrell, RegulatoryJohn Dilla, Montgomery Locks & DamPaul Lewis, Shenango River LakeRyan Fisher, Management InitiativesMegan DeMarchi, ContractingMarvin Ruhl, EngineeringShekinah Bailey, Real EstateOlean Lockhart, Engineering

Newly promoted Maj. Christopher “C.J.” Scott, Program Manage-ment, is joined by his family after the official ceremony on the edge of the Allegheny River. (Photo by Dan Jones, PAO.)

23

Mosquito Creek Lake’s control tower is the “Pot of Gold” at the end of the rainbow after severe thunderstorms subsided giving way to a beautiful August evening on the lake. (Photo by lake visitor - Mike Mainhart - Submitted by Dianne Kolodziejeski, Mosquito.)

STEP Ranger Doug Ringer strikes a pose with some safe boat-ers on MJ Kirwan Reservoir during the Labor Day weekend. (Photo by Julie Stone, Kirwan)

Tionesta’s STEP Rangers Tim Campion (playing the role of Bobber the Water Safety Dog) and Ben Hornberger pose for the camera during the Indian Festival Parade in Tionesta, Pa. (Photo by Jason Bowers, Tionesta)

A production assistant puts a microphone on Charles Weight (right), Monongahela Lock and Dam 3, during the taping of the televi-sion program “Off Limits” at the Braddock Locks and Dam in June. Weight provided commentary on how underwater divers in-spect and repair locks. The show is expected to air on the Travel Channel in December. (Photo by Sheila Tunney, PAO)

Chad Richards, Elliot Porter, Tammy Washing-ton and Excelena Whitaker take time for a fun photo while deployed to Afghanistan Engineer District South. (Photo courtesy of Tammy Washington, Program Management)

Headwaters Snapshots

Project Manager Craig Carney’s

son Quinlan takes a wagon catnap during

the district’s “Corps Day” in June. Said

Carney, “Ken-nywood did him

in.” (Photo by Craig Carney)