District to remove military practice rounds from beach areas on Martha s Vineyard

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1 Source to Sea Expedition Page 8 Earth Day Page 10 Yankee Voices...2 Recovery Act Funding...3 Daughters/Sons to Work...4 Paulyne Dick Remembered...6 Lewis and Clark Visit...9 Recreation Areas Open...11 Dredging Up the Past...12 US Army Corps of Engineers New England District Volume 43, No. 7 Yankee Engineer District to remove military practice rounds from beach areas on Martha s Vineyard By Timothy Dugan Public Affairs The Trustees of Reservations, the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation, Dukes County, the town of Edgartown, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers are working together to make beach areas on Martha s Vineyard safer for the public to enjoy this summer. A time critical removal action will be conducted this spring to search for and remove military practice munitions from South Beach 100 feet out from the shoreline into the water and at the Cape Poge Wildlife Refuge in the shallow water along the shoreline, the shore and the dunes from Simons Point to 1,000 feet north of Shear Pen Pond, including the mudflats and pond areas of Drunkards Cove and Shear Pen Pond. The cost of this effort is about $800,000 and is funded through emergency funding provided by the Defense Environmental Restoration Program to clean up Formerly Used Defense Sites. The beach areas were used for practice bombing training during the World War II era. The Corps of Engineers New England District conducted a removal action in 1989/1990 at South Beach removing munitions from the beach and dune areas. The dynamic nature of the beach with ocean currents and tides have caused more practice munitions rounds (expended rocket motor bodies ranging in size from 2.5 inches to 5 inches), to appear in shoreline waters at the ocean bottom. The effort this spring is to find and remove the munitions to make the beaches safer for the public. The Corps contractor, EODT and subcontractor VRHabilis, under the direction of the U.S. Army Engineering and Support Center, Huntsville, Ala., will perform the time critical removal action at both sites. Work will be conducted during the work week only and is scheduled to be completed prior to the island summer tourist season starting in mid-june. EODT will install signs notifying the public of what actions to take should they find any object that looks like, or they believe to be, a Continued on page 7 The search is on for munitions at Martha's Vineyard beaches. (Photo by T. Daley)

2 2 Yank ankee Voices Paul Marinelli at the Founder's Day Ice Cream Social Fundraiser Founder s Day June 29 Save the Date! Get ready for Founder s Day! The New England District annual celebration will be observed on Monday, June 29. This year s event marks the 234th anniversary of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. All employees are encouraged to attend Founder s Day with their family and friends to celebrate our origins and good fortune. The official ceremony is tentatively scheduled for 9 a.m., at Castle Park, Hanscom Air Force Base, with activities immediately following. Plan now to put aside your work for the day. Join the fun and come to Founder s Day 2009! Stay tuned for more details Retirees are welcome to attend. Please contact Kathy Bucciarelli at to sign up. Sympathy to Greg Buteau, Project Management, on the passing of his brother, Stephen Buteau, April 17. to Park Ranger James West (Tully Lake) and his wife, Autumn, on the passing of her father, Gerald "Chipper" T. Kuzmeskus, April 18. to Randy LeCuyer, Construction/Operations, on the passing of his mother, Helen LeCuyer, May 1. to the family of Distinguished Civilian Gallery Member, Paulyne Dick, who passed away May 3. See story on page 6. to Mark Vance, Engineering/Planning, on the passing of his brother, John Michael Vance, May 12. Congratulations to Thomaston Dam Park Ranger John Haluchak and his wife, Shannon, on the birth of their first child, son Dillon John Haluchak, April 16. to Steve Dermody and his wife, Beth, on the birth of their son, Ryan Daniel Dermody, May 14. He joins his big brother, Matthew, in the family circle....to Andrea Clotz-Pittman, Logistics, and her husband, Ed, on the birth of their first child, son Jacob Shawn, May 21. Words Worth Repeating The sun does not shine for a few trees and flowers, but for the wide world's joy. - Henry Ward Beecher Be cautious. Opportunity does the knocking for temptation too. - Al Batt is an authorized unofficial Army newspaper under provisions of AR published monthly. Views and opinions expressed are not necessarily those of the Department of the Army. Contributions from readers are solicited, but publication depends on judgment of the editor. No payment will be made for contributions. Published by the Public Affairs Office, New England District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, 696 Virginia Road, Concord MA , Printed by the offset method on recyclable paper by the Defense Printing Office in Boston, Mass. Circulation The can be found on the World Wide Web at District Commander: Col. Philip T. Feir Chief, Public Affairs: Larry B. Rosenberg Editor: Ann Marie R. Harvie Media Relations Officer: Timothy J. Dugan Public Affairs Specialist: Sally M. Rigione

3 New England District to get $35.4 million The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has released a listing of Civil Works projects to be funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of The legislation, signed into law by President Barack Obama on Feb. 17, appropriated $4.6 billion to the Corps for its Civil Works program. The $4.6 billion is distributed in the following program accounts: Operation and Maintenance, $2.075 billion; Construction, $2 billion; Mississippi River and Tributaries, $375 million; Formerly Utilized Sites Remedial Action Program, $100 million; Investigations, $25 million; Regulatory Program, $25 million. Economists estimate that Corps Recovery Act projects will create or maintain approximately 57,400 direct construction industry jobs and an additional 64,000 indirect and induced jobs in firms supplying or supporting the construction and the businesses that sell goods and services to these workers and their families. The Corps list of Recovery Act-funded Civil Works projects includes approximately 178 construction projects, 892 Operation and Maintenance projects, 45 Mississippi River and Tributaries projects, 67 Investigations projects, and nine projects under the Formerly Utilized Sites Remedial 3 Corps of Engineers releases information on Recovery Act-funded Civil Works projects Action Program (FUSRAP). Regulatory Program funds are distributed to Corps districts based upon workload. All projects on the lists have received appropriated funds in prior years Energy and Water Development Appropriations acts. No project on the lists is a new start. The projects selected represent a set of productive investments that will contribute to economic development and aquatic ecosystem restoration. Consistent with congressional guidance that the Corps' allocation of Recovery Act funds maximize national benefits, the Corps made its allocation of Recovery Act construction funds based on the economic and environmental return of its ongoing projects. The projects also meet the five criteria enumerated in the Congressional report accompanying the Recovery Act, namely that the projects: Be obligated/executed quickly; Result in high, immediate employment; Have little schedule risk; Be executed by contract or direct hire of temporary labor; and Complete a project phase, a project, an element, or will provide a useful service that does not require additional Continued on page 6 File photo. (Inset) Sagamore Bridge in Buzzards Bay, Mass., and the Former Shpack Landfill Site in Norton and Attleboro, Mass., are both slated to receive Recovery Act Funding.

4 4 Photos by Brian Murphy Lt. Col. Stephen Lefebvre (right) assists his son, Tyler, during the Building Big presentation. Engineering and science dominate EEO kids event Science, engineering and fun were the order of the day on April 24 for 30 children who came to Concord Park for the New England District s annual, Take Your Daughters and Sons to Work Day. Sheila Harvey (left), with some help from Katia DaSilva, shows a group of children how to use a compass during the orienteering exercise. The event, which is one of the most popular for the District s children, is sponsored by the Federal Women s Program and the Equal Employment Opportunity Office. Jacqueline DiDomenico and Heather Sullivan headed this year s event. After a healthy snack and a quick ice breaking exercise, Lt. Col. Stephen Lefebvre, Deputy Commander, welcomed the children and gave them a summary of what they could expect during the day. After welcoming remarks, participants were split into three groups and rotated through three fun-filled morning sessions. John Kedzierski and Janet Lane led the Building Big presentation. Kids got the chance to build their own structure out of paper and test its surprising strength. Participants also learned how and why bridges stand up. Kedzierski and Lane also showed videos and photos of a variety of bridges before the children did some hands on construction that taught them about various forces and loads that act on a bridge or building. Sheila Harvey and Rick Kristoff took some compasses and map coordinates outside and had the children perform an orienteering exercise. Orienteering is a sport in which orienteers use an accurate, detailed map and a compass to

5 5 find points in the landscape. After a brief training session on the use of a map and compass, the children used their new skills to find items hidden throughout the Concord Park grounds. In a perfect blend of creativity and science, Coral Siligato showed the children how to make really cool designs on T- shirts while learning about color separation during the Chromatography presentation. After a quick briefing on how color separation works, Siligato passed out colored permanent markers for the children to use to design their tee shirts. Once their designs were finished, adult volunteers sprinkled the shirts with rubbing alcohol that separated the colors of the markers and created interesting designs. After a pizza lunch, the children cycled through a second set of three fun and educational activities. George Claflin and Sheila Harvey gave a presentation on landfills, teaching the children how a sanitary landfill is built, waste reduction and recycling. The session ended with the children making their own landfill with edible materials that also doubled as their afternoon snack. Rick Kristoff and Tina Chaisson taught children the importance of building and maintaining bird feeders during the birds and birdhouses lesson. The children learned some fun and educational bird facts about common Massachusetts birds as well as ways to identify them. Kristoff and Chaisson also assisted participants in building their own bird feeders using recycled 2-liter soda bottles. Car racing with an engineering twist made Janet Lane s can car session fun and exciting for the children. Using cans of many varieties, pencils, rubber bands, paper clips, tape, soap and beads, the children designed their own can cars. After the cars were completed, the children wound them up and raced them. At the end of the day, the children went home with arms full of projects that they made themselves, smiles on their faces, and a new appreciation for engineering and science. Nicholas D'Antuono tests the strength of his structure with books during the Building Big presentation. Rick Kristoff (right) shows Hannah Sullivan how to make a bird feeder. George Claflin (left) explains landfills to Shanai Barboza-Irizarry. After making can cars, Shannon McMillan and Jack Siligato race their new inventions on the conference room table. Jack Larocque proudly shows off the T-shirt that he made during the Chromatography program.

6 6 Corps of Engineers releases information on Recovery Act-funded Civil Works projects Continued from page 3 funding. Recovery Act funds will be used to complete increments of work on previously started projects and in some cases to complete such projects. The projects are distributed very broadly across the United States. The distribution of selected projects spreads the employment and other economic benefits across the nation. The lists of projects and additional information on the Corps role in the Recovery Act are available on the Web at In the Corps New England District, the legislation appropriated $35.4 million in the six state region. This does not include any funds for Regulatory which will be distributed nationally based upon workload. The $35.4 million is distributed in the following programs: Investigations $240,000; Construction $5.2 million; Operations and Maintenance $25 million; and FUSRAP $5 million. We look forward to working with our federal, state, regional and local partners to carry out these important projects for our Nation in a timely and efficient manner, said Col. Philip T. Feir, Commander of the Corps New England District. New England District s Civil Works Program encompasses a wide range of areas including flood damage reduction, operations and maintenance dredging, environmental remediation, and environmental restoration. Some of the larger projects funded under this program include: Fox Point Hurricane Barrier, Providence, Rhode Island $4 million to issue a contract to complete repairs to pump number 5 and building repairs to return the project to operational status. Woonsocket Local Protection Project, Woonsocket, Rhode Island $3.7 million to issue a contract to complete deficiency repairs of extensive vegetation removal along the dikes and adjacent to the flood wall, replace gate cables, and paint Woonsocket Falls dam. Cape Cod Canal, Buzzards Bay, Mass. $2.8 million to issue a contract to complete deck repairs for the Sagamore Bridge over the Cape Cod Canal. Former Shpack Landfill Site, Norton and Attleboro, Mass. $5 million to fully fund and complete a remedial action contract for removal of contaminated material at the former landfill site. Bass Harbor, Tremont, Maine $1.3 million to dredge an 8-foot anchorage and expand the upper 6-foot anchorage for the commercial fishing fleet. Much of the other funding will go toward smaller-sized projects for needed work at the many of the Corpsmanaged flood damage reduction projects in New England. (Headquarters Press Release) DCG Member remembered for her professionalism The New England District team was saddened to learn of the passing of Distinguished Civilian Gallery member Paulyne Dick, May 3. Miss Dick earned a well-deserved reputation as an outstanding authority on government procurement laws and regulations in her position as attorney in the Office of Counsel. Her high competence and talent for resolving problems with foresight and imagination led to her being appointed Assistant Division Counsel in During her more than 31 years of federal service with the Corps, Miss Dick received many citations for work excellence. She retired in 1976.

7 Continued from page 1 munitions item. The public should immediately follow the three R s; Recognize the object as potentially hazardous, Retreat from the area without touching or moving the item, and immediately Report the item to the local police by calling 911. The Corps Huntsville Center is the Corps Center of Expertise for Ordnance and Explosives projects. The Corps New England District has project management responsibility for the entire project and provides direction, funding, oversight, and public relations coordination. Background of Little Neck/Cape Poge Beach The property that comprises the former Cape Poge Little Neck Bomb Target Site on Chappaquiddick Island in the town of Edgartown, Mass., consists of approximately 141 acres. The site is a barrier beach consisting of a strip of land surrounded on two sides by water. The United States acquired four leasehold interests in approximately 141 acres beginning July 1, The leases were acquired by the Department of the Navy for the purpose of a bombing target area in connection with the 1st Naval District flight training program at Naval Air Station Quonset Point, Rhode Island and Naval Auxiliary Air Station Martha's Vineyard, Mass. The leases ran to June 30, Three leases were renewed for one-year terms through June 30, 1947 and one lease was renewed for oneyear terms through June 30, Prior to 1944, Chappaquiddick Island and Cape Poge were used for agricultural purposes and as a summer resort. One lease was terminated on March 31, The other three leases were terminated on May 18, A release was executed by each property owner on the termination of each lease. The site is currently owned and managed by the Trustees of Reservations. The town of Edgartown owns a 2- acre parcel north of Simmons Point where the jetties are located and seven residents own portions north of Shear Pen Pond. The Trustees of Reservations is a charitable corporation whose mission is preserving, for public use and enjoyment, properties of exceptional scenic, historic, and ecological value in Massachusetts. The Trustees of Reservations acquired most of Cape Poge in the 1950s and 1960s. The 7 District to remove military practice rounds from Martha s Vineyard Cape Poge Wildlife Refuge site is open to the public for recreational use. The site contains over-land (sand) vehicle and walking trails, as well as beaches. The site is also used for hunting, canoeing, kayaking, and fishing. Military practice ordnance, MK23s, have been found at the site regularly. Background of South Beach The property that comprises South Beach consists of 3 miles of beach area. The Department of the Navy leased approximately acres for military training at South Beach. The gunnery range was used by Naval Air Station Quonset Point, Rhode Island for aerial machine gun and rocket firing practice. An observation bunker, an oval shaped target and other support features were constructed within a few yards of the ocean. A large portion of the beach has eroded, causing the bunker, and oval track to be approximately 150 yards off shore. South Beach was remediated in 1989/1990 by the Corps of Engineers under a removal response. The Inventory Project Report for South Beach was amended to extend the boundaries of the project to include the Norton Point and Wasque Point Beach areas as a result of the discovery of two suspected high explosives filled 100 pound bombs at Wasque Point, one in March 2008, and the second one in March Practice munitions found in the waters offshore at South Beach itself are 2.5 inch to 5 inch expended rocket motor bodies. The New England District Corps of Engineers will implement a Long Term Monitoring Program and Remedial Investigations at both the South Beach and the Cape Poge Little Neck projects. Long Term Monitoring activities include actions such as annual awareness training, signage, information pamphlets, institutional controls, five year reviews, etc. Remedial Investigation activities include geophysical work, sampling, etc. to determine the nature and extent (type, quantity, and location) of munitions offshore. The New England District Corps of Engineers working with the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection and Corps contractors have developed educational awareness training for the TTOR and DCR employees. Practice rounds that have been recovered on the beaches of Martha's Vineyard. (Photo by T. Daley)

8 8 Paddlers cruise along the Quinebaug River during the April 25 Source to Sea Expedition event. Source to Sea Expedition focuses on fun, environmental awareness Several New England District project offices partnered with the Last Green Valley Organization, the state of Connectictut's Long Island Sound Study Partnership, and the Appalachian Mountain Club, Worcester Chapter, to hold a series of events through April and May to celebrate the region s natural resources and to promote environmental education. Thirty-six events held over an eight week period, called the 2009 Source to Sea Expedition, promote the recreational aspects of natural water resources on the Thames River Basin, but also promote educational awareness of issues that can affect water quality and quality of life. This is the first year that the event has taken place. Several booths and displays on environmental education and water safety were present at each event. The celebrations began with Earth Day at West Thompson Lake in Connecticut on April 11. East Brimfield and Westville Lakes in Massachusetts held an annual spring volunteer clean up and trail day on April 18. Hodges Photos by C.J. Allen New England District officials kick off the Quinebaug River National Canoe Trail ceremony at East Brimfield Lake.

9 9 Children play with an interactive exhibit during the Source to Sea event at West Thompson Lake. Village Dam in Massachusetts held a dedication of a new car top boat ramp at Greenbriar Park. Lt. Col. Stephen Lefebvre, Deputy Commander, and his son, Tyler, attended the Quinebaug River Kick Off ceremony and paddle event at Lake Siog Park at the East Brimfield Lake project. East Brimfield is home to the Quinebaug River Canoe Trail, a nationally recognized National Recreation Trail in the National Trail System, he said. More than 100,000 visitors come to East Brimfield every year. The Source to Sea Expedition is a great way of showing how the American public can take advantage of these federal lands and waters that we manage for them. The town of Brimfield Trail Committee held a 5k run/walk on the Grand Trunk Trail at East Brimfield Lake on April 25 to continue the Source to Sea activities. The Sturbridge Lion s Club sponsored a river race that ended at Westville Lake Park on April 26. The final event that the New England District participated in was the Quinebaug River Paddle 2 that ended at West Thompson Lake Park on May 2. At the end of the paddle, the public was invited to attend a family fun day at the park. According to Park Ranger Thomas Chamberland, the event s success is attributable to a great deal of planning from all parties involved. A lot of work and organization went into developing this event, including determining which section of the river(s) are canoe able, portages, pollution/environmental areas of concern, and existing events all along the corridor, he said. The idea of the Source to Sea event began over two years ago when several of the event s sponsors read an article about a Boy Scout Troop that had a summer program of canoeing from their town down to the mouth of the Thames River. The Last Green Valley organization held a series of meetings with groups and organizations involved with the rivers of the basin, to include the New England District, and through those meetings the Source to Sea Expedition developed. Lewis and Clark is a hit in Northborough Park Rangers Delia Vogel (left) and Viola Bramel visited the Peaslee School in Northborough, Mass., on April 17, to talk to the 5th grade class about the Lewis and Clark expedition. The Park Rangers brought period costumes and animal exhibits to help illustrate what it would be like to live in those times. (Photo by Sue Seppa)

10 10 Photo by Tom Chamberland Jim Lamoth, on tractor, loads Corps vehicle with sand to haul down to the Grand Trunk Trail. District project offices hold Earth Day events New England District project offices in Massachusetts and Connecticut celebrated Earth Day and volunteerism in April and May with clean up events. More than 300 volunteers came out to the projects and worked on improvement projects that saved the government nearly $40,000 in labor and donated materials. West Thompson Lake in Connecticut held its 17th annual Earth Day activities on April 11. One hundred fifty four volunteers and four Corps employees completed numerous projects to include spreading 12 yards of mulch, staining a new gate and fence, removing high water debris, and picking up 50 large bags of trash and 20 tires. In addition, the campground received five dump truck loads of firewood for the upcoming season. The volunteers at West Thompson saved the federal government a whopping $11,433 in labor. West Hill Dam in Massachusetts cohosted an event with their environmental partners, the Bay State Trail Riders, Inc., called Trail Maintenance Work Day, on April 11. The Bay State Boy Scout Troop 25 spreads mulch during the West Thompson Lake event. Photo by Michelle Dwyer Trail Riders, Inc., has held a cooperative agreement with New England District for the maintenance of Woodland Trail at the dam since 1993 and has made it an annual event to come out to perform the maintenance work in honor of Earth Day. Fifteen volunteers and one Corps employee spent three hours working on the trail, saving the federal government $699 in labor. East Brimfield and Westville Lakes in Massachusetts held their eighth annual volunteer trail and Earth Day event, April 18. Fifty-two volunteers and six Corps employees completed 11 projects. The volunteers saved the federal government $2,877 in labor and $1,200 in value for equipment donations. Work included debris clean up, community loop trail maintenance, trash pick up and drainage swale maintenance. New England District retiree Tom Ayau, Engineering/Planning, rolled up his sleeves and helped with the clean up efforts. The Cape Cod Canal Team in Massachusetts joined forces with their longtime environmental partners, AmeriCorps Cape Cod and co-hosted the 2009 Cape Cod Canal Clean Up Day, April 25. Approximately 300 volunteers and four Corps employees walked along the canal and picked up 157 bags of trash,

11 11 saving the federal government an incredible $20,822 in labor. This year was the ninth year that the two agencies collaborated on this annual Earth Day celebration. Buffumville Lake in Massachusetts held their 18th annual Jr. Ranger/Scout Cleanup/Pizza Party on May 9. Twenty volunteers and two employees got their hands dirty and cleaned up the entire boat ramp, parking lots, both sides of the causeway road, the entire park and part of the trail. The debris picked up by volunteers filled a large dumpster. Their Photo by John Pribilla AmeriCorps Cape Cod volunteers pick up trash during the Cape Cod Canal Clean Up Day event. hard work saved the federal government $ in labor. Earth Day celebrations have been held in the United States since 1970 and have grown as a worldwide event to celebrate the environment. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers celebrates Earth Day in accordance with U.S. Army s Strategy for the Environment. The theme this year was "Sustaining the Environment for a Secure Future." The strategy may be viewed by going to ESOH/doc/ArmyEnvStrategy.pdf. Photo by Becky Kalagher Volunteers from the Bay State Trail Riders, Inc., take a break from trail maintenance work at West Hill Dam. New England Federal Recreation Areas Open by Timothy Dugan, Public Affairs All of the recreation areas at the 31 federal flood damage reduction reservoirs in New England operated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers are now open to the public. Most areas offer a wide range of recreational opportunities, including picnicking, swimming, boating, fishing and hunting, while a few also provide facilities for overnight camping. Fishing is permitted at all federal flood damage reduction reservoirs in Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Vermont. The only requirement to fish the lakes is a state license and adherence to state regulations. Trout, bass, pickerel, hornpout and perch inhabit most reservoirs, while a few areas have their own specialties. Many of the areas are stocked by state fish and game agencies to provide some of the finest fishing in the region. Developed facilities, including beaches, picnic areas, athletic fields and campgrounds are available at some locations. Many are open to individuals or small groups free of charge on a first come, first serve basis. A nominal fee is charged to reserve covered picnic shelters. Large groups may be required to obtain user permits for a small fee. Some areas collect a user fee from the weekend before Memorial Day to the weekend after Labor Day. For a brochure about recreational opportunities, including directions to each site, write to the New England District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, ATTN: Public Affairs Office, 696 Virginia Road, Concord, MA For more information about Corps recreation and activities check the website at: recreati.htm

12 Dredging up the past... Bill Scully (center) presents Bunker Hill plaques to Dr. Patricia Morris (left) and Margy Erickson for their efforts during the Women's History Month Celebration on March 22, Models wearing period costumes in the background are Eva Marie D'Antuono, Gail (Blaton) Gumtow, Janet Brayden, Angie Vanaria, Ann Marie Harvie, Dottie Bolduc, Sheila Winston- Vincuilla, and Jane Kotelly. Public Affairs Office New England District U.S. Army Corps of Engineers 696 Virginia Road Concord, MA Meter Code 40 First Class U.S. Postage Paid Concord, MA Permit No. 494