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Vol. 37 No. 1 A monthly publication of the Los Angeles District of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers August 2007
Cheering Academic Success
Written by Greg Fuderer
 Bob Walker (back to camera) and Rick Andre talk to a student about her Hollenbeck Science Fair project.
A few years after Hollenbeck’s designation as a math and science magnet school in 1998, Simonsen, a teacher and Co-Coordinator of the school’s Science Fair along with Fred Quintrell, talks proudly about the academic success he has seen and helped nurture.
“‘You must get higher test scores’ doesn’t motivate students,” Simonsen said. “You have to give them something they can own. They look to be validated.”
As he briefed the judges before the competition, Simonsen suggested that they would be viewed as more than academic advisors. “When people from industry and academics take time to review their work and talk to them about it, that validates what they’ve done,” he told them. “You have rock star status.”
Several U.S. Army Corps of Engineers members earned rock star status when they judged some of the 274 projects at the school’s science fair for sixth-, seventh- and eighth-graders. They were among the three dozen or so who reviewed projects with titles like Do people remember black and white better than color? and How does the pH of the LA River affect the diversity of species found at a particular site? and Why are native amphibian species not establishing populations at urban storm water ponds?
The judges came away impressed.
“I enjoyed each of the students I interviewed,” said Rick Andre, a hydraulics engineer for the Corps in Los Angeles, who was judging for a second year. “You could see that they were surprised and pleased with how much they had learned.” The students Andre interviewed weren’t the only ones who had learned.
 Excitement shows on the faces of two young scientists as they describe to Dan White the process they used and the results they discovered.
In the intervening years, Simonsen saw one, then three, then seven and most recently 11 students receive awards at the LA County Science Fair. Many of them advanced to state competition.
That success has helped establish a culture of expecting more from projects going to state competition, Simonsen said. “The bar just keeps getting higher, that’s due to you being here, helping us,” he told the judges.
Another of those helping contribute to Hollenbeck’s success was Vicki Castro, who was principal at school until January, 2006. “She really opened the door for us,” Simonsen said. “She helped secure funding for equipment and allowed time for teachers to do research with the students.”
Ruben Duenas, who was instrumental in establishing Hollenbeck as a magnet school, spoke of some of the difficulties the students face in completing their projects. “We held fund-raisers, and teachers donated their own money to buy equipment,” he said. He spoke about another equally if not more important type of contribution. “At high school, students all have mentors, and the more mentorship, the better quality the work,” he said, highlighting the benefits of the judges’ involvement. Duenas stressed the importance of teaching young students to apply the scientific method. “What better way to learn it than to spend a year doing it?” he asked.
Simonsen also emphasized the learning process when he briefed the judges: “Don’t think of the projects as finished, but as a starting point,” he said.
Regardless of the perceived state of completion, Ron Lockman was pleased. “I’m impressed with the thoroughness of the projects,” said the Corps biologist. “At first glance I thought, ‘These could have been a little better.’ Then I thought of some of the graphs I’ve seen in EAs and thought, ‘These look pretty good.’”
Lockman said it was satisfying to see scientific methods applied to local problems like trash on the street and bacteria in water. “Kids want to know about the environments they play in,” he said. “These are social issues.”
Throughout the morning, student volunteers went to classrooms to tell budding scientists that some “rock stars” were waiting in the gym to talk to them about their projects. Some seemed shy or unsure when first confronted with a panel of scientific experts. By the end of the interviews, however, most students appeared relaxed and confident. They seemed to have taken Duenas’ words to heart: “You are the expert on your project.”
Simonsen related an incident where they were short on student volunteers. “I went to get a student one time, and the classmates were all cheering for their friend’s academic success,” he said. “That’s something you don’t see very often.”
The judges in a sense demonstrated one aspect of Simonsen’s comment on service, giving back to the community.
“What every teacher lives for is to have a student say ‘I want to do this’,” he said. “You will always find the time to help them.”
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 Formula for the future: Red + white + blue – hyphens = America
Written by Kim Matthews
 O. Oliver Goodall runs a pre-flight check at Godman Field in Kentucky during WWII
In a Los Angeles District’s Black History month presentation in February, Tuskegee Airman O. Oliver Goodall gave a brief history of the Tuskegee Airmen and their dual fight in both a war against foreign enemies overseas and against racism in America.
Goodall cited some of the Squadron’s achievements, including the Airmen’s rebellion against segregation at an all-white officers’ club, then looked across the audience and stated, “We have come a long way since that time.”
 O. Oliver Goodall accepts a bust of a Tuskegee airman from COL Alex Dornstauder
In 1945, he was asked the same thing, answering simply, “American.” Goodall argued with his questioners that despite having many nationalities as part of his heritage, he was American. Period. He said that everyone is all mixed up racially, but that’s what makes us American.
Goodall said he loves America. He went through hell to protect it, and he would go through hell again to keep it.
 O. Oliver Goodall accepts a District coin from COL Alex Dornstauder
Goodall talked about some things he’d learned about life from an early age that influenced how he’d lived his life. Communicate, talk, listen. The only way to end wars of any kind – government, race, family – is to ask questions to learn about the other side.
“Give discipline and expect high things from your children and it will make them a better person. Ask them why they’re not at the top, and what their ambition is, and how they’re going to get there. The younger generation is our future. Encourage, brow-beat, whatever it takes, to get them moving,” he told the District members.
 COL Alex Dornstauder explains the tradition behind a coin challenge
At the end of the talk, COL Alex Dornstauder presented Goodall with a District coin, explaining its history “should we ever find ourselves [together] in an establishment that serves alcohol.” The colonel went on to say that the senior officer in the group slams a presentation coin down on the bar, challenging any new junior officers to show their coin or buy a drink, knowing they can’t meet the call. After several rounds and enjoying his last free beer from them, the higher-ranked officer then presents the newbies with coins of their own to carry on the tradition.
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SABERS to SATELLITES: The Corps Maintains Military History Through the Fort Huachuca Neighborhood Revitalization Project
Written by Sherrie Stewart
 Standing on the tongue and grooved, plank porch of the Miles House transports visitors to another time and into another way of life. The full-width porch faces west toward the green of the sloping parade grounds where sabers once slapped against tall, black boots and the echo of hooves marked the return of the Sixth Cavalry from the search for renegade Apaches. In the distance to the north, the gray, stone stables and mule barn still stand holding the trap door used for hangings. Just inside the front door, a mounted plaque reveals the home’s history. The two-story adobe structure was built in 1884, traditionally used for field officer’s quarters, and originally cost $4500 to construct. The house was named for Lt. Gen. Nelson Miles who commanded the 6th Cavalry at Fort Huachuca. Geronimo surrendered to him there in 1886. In the freshly painted living room, workmen carefully sand and re-varnish the red oak hardwood floors as part of the final touches of the house’s restoration in preparation for its next occupants.
Just down the street, angular supports hold up the disintegrating south side of the Wiley House. Out back, Glenn Gangaware, the Adobe Superintendent for Mean Design, directs the on-site manufacture of adobe blocks to rebuild and tie the new construction into the old walls. “We use the same adobe, but increase the density to about 720 p.s.i. and rotate the blocks every fourth course to better tie in and support the structure,” Glen explains. “Cracks in the upper walls allowed moisture to deteriorate the adobe near the base causing the wall to begin collapsing.” After the walls are repaired, stucco is applied to the exterior to protect the new construction.
Inside the kitchen, John Taylor of the Corp’s Tucson Resident Office points out how new wiring is being hidden behind baseboards and door facings. The plaster appears grooved out to accept the new wire, then walls are repaired as necessary before the facings are reinstalled. This way the integrity of the original walls remains, while safer and more efficient electric wiring accommodates today’s electronic lifestyle.
Every effort is taken to protect the historical integrity of these homes by restoring rather than discarding any original components. “Many of the windows are still original,” Mike Brown notes. “You can tell by the wavy or wrinkled glass and the lead weights.” As the Project Engineer for the Fort Huachuca field office, Brown knows this project intimately.
New base housing on Fort Huachuca enveloped a small cluster of older houses situated in a neighborhood called Cavalry Park. These homes, originally used as living quarters for high ranking officers also served as a hospital and a morgue over the last century.
To preserve the integrity of the area, an entire neighborhood including ten of these two-story adobe houses began with Phase One of the Fort Huachuca Neighborhood Revitalization Project in the summer of 2006. Awarded to SunStar L.L.C. of Tucson, this $8.1 million endeavor included the restoration of 20 units--10 single family adobe houses and 10 duplexes--with a projected time frame of a year and a half for completion. A $4.9 million contract to SunStar for the second phase of this project begins in July. “The Corps looked for a contractor with expertise in adobe construction,” Brian Childers of the Tucson Resident Office said. “And SunStar met the criteria.” The structures must be held as closely to original as possible to maintain the historical integrity.
Soon military families residing in Cavalry Park may experience a taste of history by living in this revitalized national historical landmark. Mike Zurcher of SunStar speaks of one of the houses as “being a part of the original camp” built in 1882. He believes this structure is oldest because of its lack of a stone foundation and unusual design. “It may be an old carriage house. We’ve put that particular unit on hold until we revaluate its special renovation needs,” Zurcher said. “But two of the units are finished and occupied. Five others are ready to turn over soon.”
During the past 130 years, Fort Huachuca in southeast Arizona has been a functional military facility. Established in 1877 by the Sixth Cavalry during the Indian Wars, its strategic location just fifteen miles from the Mexican border made the fort an essential outpost even after the Apaches surrendered. The Tenth Cavalry, known as the Buffalo Soldiers, guarded the Mexican border from the fort for about 20 years beginning in 1913.
In the 1970s, the fort housed the U.S. Army Intelligence Center. Currently, the Army Information Systems Command calls Fort Huachuca home, linking the Army intelligence and information communities together around the world.
As part of its mission, the Army Corps of Engineers designs and manages the construction of housing and facilities for the Army and the Air Force. However, the required scope of the Fort Huachuca Neighborhood Revitalization Project embraces an antiquated style of construction which demands an expertise with adobe, knowledge of outdated foundational structures, and a sincere respect for the history held within the melting walls of these historical homes.
Through its work with SunStar and representatives of Fort Huachuca, the Corps revitalizes the Cavalry Park neighborhood into useable living quarters for today’s Soldiers while maintaining its historical integrity.
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The Power of Water: Tropicana-Flamingo in the Ground
Written by Greg Fuderer
 U.S. Reps. Porter and Berkley (third and fifth from left) join state, local and other federal representatives in cutting the ribbon that marks completion of the Corps' Tropicana-Flamingo segment of the Clark County Flood Control Project. The project will minimize the potential for flood damage in nearby Las Vegas.
A blistering July sun shone down, creating a hot, dry desert morning, a distant Las Vegas shimmering on the horizon to the east. One by one, cars drove up a dusty maintenance road toward a white tent perched atop an embankment. Leaving the air-conditioned comfort of their automobiles, men and women moved to the tent that provided some relief from the elements.
They were there to mark the completion of a major phase of a project designed for something atypical: to protect people and property from flood waters that were nowhere in sight, and had not been for several years.
Inside the tent, posters displayed photos of people waiting for helicopters to airlift them to safety while floodwaters raged past their vehicles roof-deep in water. U.S. Rep. Shelley Berkley said the posters reminded her of the days when Las Vegas streets went from “bone dry to flooding in an instant.” The flooding she referred to resulted not only in millions of dollars in property damage, but in 31 deaths since 1960 that were directly related to flooding. As recently as 1999, water cascaded through the city, pushing vehicles out of casino garages and floating them down The Strip, prompting a visitor from France to remark that from his casino hotel window, “… it looked like a beautiful woman who had been crying, and all the makeup was running down her face.”
 Col. Alex Dornstauder and Brian Moore (center) discuss the Tropicana-Flamingo project with U.S. Rep. Jon Porter. Porter previously served on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, which is responsible for the nation's Water Resources bills.
It was then that the Corps began its 20-year partnership with Clark County, planning a project to help protect a Clark County population that adds 6,000 new residents each month to its current 1.9 million citizens. The Tropicana-Flamingo portion includes three debris basins, five detention basins, nearly 28 miles of primary flood damage reduction channels and environmental mitigation providing 100-year level of flood damage reduction to the alluvial fan area and to portions of the existing developed urban community.
“Tropicana-Flamingo is a system all its own,” said Ken Morris, project manager for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in Los Angeles. “It will accept the flows from the primary channels, collect and detain them, and then release them at non-damaging rates of flow from the Tropicana detention basin.” Three debris basins will trap large bedloads of sediment and debris and prevent erosion damage to the project. The Tropicana-Flamingo segment will divert rainfall from the nearly-7,000 feet tall Spring Mountains to the west that U.S. Rep. Jon Porter described as “literally walls of water flowing from these mountains down into the valley, into Las Vegas.”
It may be a popular misconception that generally dry deserts are immune to flooding. A window seat on a commercial airliner will convince one otherwise. Steep mountain slopes and a lack of vegetation increase both the amount of water and its intensity of flow. According to the Clark County Regional Flood Control District, 61 percent of disasters that have occurred over the past five years included flooding.
 The R-4 Debris Basin lies to the west of downtown Las Vegas. The 391 acre-feet capacity structure will collect debris washed down from the nearby Spring Mountains. Channels will then route the water around and through residences and businesses southwest of the rapidly-expanding Las Vegas area.
Fraser called Tropicana-Flamingo “a great project for our community.” He said the federal dollars directed to southern Nevada enable it to make better use of their local dollars.
Berkeley congratulated the several stakeholders on the success of the long-term effort.
“We’ve done well together,” she said. “Without the project, when I first moved here, there was indiscriminate flooding. This is no ‘Bridge to Nowhere.’”
Morris agreed, calling Tropicana-Flamingo “a very viable and needed project for flood control in this area.”
“Getting this project into the ground helps protect lives and property,” Fraser said. “This has been a great partnership among the Corps, Clark County and the Flood Control District.”
Delivering a Corps central theme, Los Angeles District Commander Col. Alex Dornstauder told those in attendance, “We, as the Corps of Engineers, are nothing if not in your service.”
Dornstauder succinctly explained why it is necessary to redirect the water around Las Vegas. “All you have to do is look at the Grand Canyon to see the power of water,” he said. The dedication ceremony was Dornstauder’s final visit to the project before reporting to a new assignment at Corps Headquarters in Washington, D.C. There he can report first-hand the completion to the man who was the Los Angeles District Commander when the project started, Chief of Engineers, Lt. Gen. Robert Van Antwerp.
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Magness prepared to lead Los Angeles District
Written by Daniel J. Calderón
 Col. Thomas H. Magness IV (Right) accepts the District flag symbolizing his assumption of command of the USACE L.A. District.
“I am proud to serve as the 58th district commander here in the Los Angeles district of the United States Army Corps of Engineers,” Magness said. “I’ve been in the Army my whole life. My father was an Army engineer – really one of the leaders in our nation in understanding the importance of the environment, what we called the ecology in the early ‘70s. My father got out in front of that and ultimately led the Army’s engineer environmental office in Washington D.C. So I’m proud to follow in his footsteps.”
In addition to overseeing the district’s $748 million annual program of military construction and civil works projects, Magness will be responsible for water resource development in the 226,000 square miles of Southern California, Arizona, Nevada and Utah that make up the Los Angeles District.
One area of focus for Magness is service to the nation. In order to meet this commitment, Magness dedicated himself to ensuring adequate resources are available for district team members to accomplish tasks set before them. He also promised stakeholders their needs will be met by the district.
“I will focus on execution,” he said. “I’ll deliver projects and services consistent with our nation’s values. I will build and empower teams and develop teams of character… I hope to do all of this and still have fun.”
Projects under Magness’ jurisdiction will include the maintenance of navigation channels at more than a dozen harbors along the California coast, among them the massive ports of L.A. and Long Beach, together representing 40 percent of all U.S. trade by volume. Magness is realistic about his knowledge of the Corps and is looking forward to engaging his team in his total vision.
“I’d like to be able to come and sit in your area and ask you what you do and you can kind of help me understand the Los Angeles District and what we do for the nation,” said Magness. “I’ve been in the Corps of Engineers for two years. Most of you have been in longer than that. So I’m mindful of the fact that I don’t understand everything that we do; but I do have some background in engineering.”
Magness is a graduate of the United States Military Academy and holds a Master’s Degree in Civil Engineering from the University of Texas at Austin. His professional military education includes the Engineer Officer Basic and Advanced Courses and the Command and General Staff College.
He has served in the 2nd Armored Division and 4th Infantry Division at Fort Hood, Texas and the 1st Armored Division in Germany as a platoon leader, battalion supply officer, company commander and battalion operations officer. He deployed with the 1st Armored Division as part of Operation Desert Shield / Desert Storm. Magness also served as the commander of the Corps of Engineers’ Detroit District.
He was an assistant professor in the Department of Geography and Environmental Engineering at West Point and served two tours as a trainer at the National Training Center at Fort Irwin, Calif., where he prepared engineer units for combat operations.
Magness’ military awards and decorations include the Legion of Merit, Bronze Star Medal, Meritorious Service Medal (four awards) and the Army Commendation Medal (four awards). He has been awarded the Parachutist Badge, Air Assault Badge and the Ranger Tab. He is a licensed Professional Engineer in the Commonwealth of Virginia.
Magness will also oversee military construction projects at installations in California, Arizona and Nevada that include family housing, barracks and operations facilities. He will also be responsible for flood control projects such as the completion of the Santa Ana River Mainstem Project, including the modification of Prado Dam in Corona, Calif., and environmental restoration projects such as the revitalization of the Los Angeles River.
Prior to coming to Los Angeles, Magness was a Senior Service College Fellow at the University of Texas at Austin. In preparation for his tenure here, Magness stressed to each member of the district team the idea that the Corps is a component of an even larger body.
“We are a part of the Army in the Corps of Engineers” he said. “So as we approach whatever it is we do, we’re cognizant of the fact that we are a small piece in the bigger team. Everyday we should be approaching things, in every project that we do, every service that we provide, with an understanding that we are the Army.
“I’m proud to be here,” said Magness. “I’m humbled to be a part of the Los Angeles district team as the 58th District Commander and I look forward to meeting each one of you as I make my way across the district. I’m proud of you and I look forward to telling you that face to face.”
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Corps, Capps join Santa Barbara County for Santa Maria levee project
Written by Daniel J. Calderón
 Congresswoman Lois Capps, Col. Magness and Bob Koplin discuss continuation of the Santa Maria River levee project.
“California has a lot of challenges,” said Capps. “Our levee is the major one in Southern California.”
The Santa Maria River levee was rated “poor” during a recent national levee inventory. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) subsequently drafted a revised flood map that now includes most properties in Santa Maria. In order to combat the problem, the Corps is working on a joint emergency action plan (EAP) with Santa Barbara County.
“Levee safety is a shared responsibility with our local, state and other federal partners,” said Col. Thomas H. Magness IV, district commander. “When the levee was constructed in 1962, it was done with the best science available at that time. Now, we’re learning more about how the river meanders and how it attacks.”
Since initial construction, the 19-mile long levee has sustained considerable damage caused by concentrated flows that meander and strike the levee at a sharp angle. These flows often undermine the rock facing that protects the levee from erosion. In the past, the county has brought in rocks to bolster the levee; however, the river’s persistent flow has continued to erode the barrier. One of the challenges, according to Capps, has been funding for the project.
“It looks favorable that we’re getting $300,000 for this program,” she said.
Magness pointed out the funding process, though difficult, is not an insurmountable obstacle.
“We have the general authority [under the Flood Control Act] to assess the structure and propose modifications,” he said. “However, we’ll need to use the Corps’ normal Civil Works process to authorize and fund any rehabilitation project.
Another challenge Capps pointed out was the tendency in the past for local, state and federal agencies to approach projects in a uniform manner. Capps praised Magness’ new methodology.
“I was impressed with his approach in that they are unique plans for this project. The way used to be standard for all areas. I’m excited to see Colonel Magness recognizes that one size does not fit all.”
The Corps is currently working with the county under the EAP to assess risks and determine the most efficient and timely manner in which to proceed.
“Our goal is to fulfill our responsibility to maintain public safety while also complying with relevant environmental laws, regulations and policies,” said Magness.
The Corps recognizes the importance of local infrastructure to national security. The Corps is committed to working closely with local, state and federal partners and stakeholders to ensure the safety and reliability of the national levee system. For more information on the Santa Maria River levee project, visit the Santa Barbara County Web site at http://www.countyofsb.org. For more information on Corps projects, visit the Los Angeles District Web site at http://www.spl.usace.army.mil.
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