We will have our regular meeting, on Wednesday, April 22nd at 6:45PM.
At our last meeting John K. from the Monmouth Council of Boy Scouts outlined their Camporee at InfoAge the 24th - 27th of April. Sadly, we will have just one troop staying the weekend. Too, many other activities scheduled
***Upcoming events****
April 29th - We will host a PTA presidents meeting in our hotel to encourage them to help InfoAge to help their kids and schools.
May 2nd - Radio Auction
May 2nd - Ship Wreck Symposium
May 2nd - Weekend in Old Monmouth - Day One
May 3rd - NJ Hall of Fame Installs Marconi - Tickets are available on their website.
May 3rd - Weekend in Old Monmouth - Day Two
We are in Emergency Stabilization mode now. We are attacking worse first. The utter shock of the conditions of the buildings and grounds is beginning to wear off.
We are making progress. I believe we have eliminated the major safety hazards
This Saturday and Sunday from 1:00PM to 3:00PM we will have our first general work sessions in the additional area. It will be racking - cleanup, removing boards from windows and noting things that need improvement.
Group Presidents - please encourage members to join in. As President Kennedy sort of said..."Ask not what InfoAge can do for you, ask what you can do for InfoAge".
We face the challenges of keeping the momentum of our regular activities increasing and meeting the challenges of the additional grounds and buildings.
*Status of tactical goals we set last meeting:*
1) This week 9017 was re-roofed. This is the two story WW2 Special Antenna Shelter build to house the mobile SCR-268 radar. It was reworked in the 1980s to house the Fire Finder Project.
2) To Secure the site and buildings as much as possible. Steve G. and
Nels have secured as many doors as possible. We are now looking for replacement doors for those the BRAC contractors disposed of. We had a some kinds break in this week. They did some minor damage. We need help securing the broken doors and replacing missing doors.
3) To Photo document the buildings to record their condition at transfer and for future reference. -We have this started and are making progress. Thank you to Dan L. and Neil N. and others for photo documenting and noting condition of more buildings.
4) To Begin emergency stabilization.
- Our next challenge is storm water drainage around the WW2 wooden buildings. Nels has continued removing debris on the grounds that can put our volunteers in danger from flying metal objects hit by mower blades. We will ask the scouts to help here.
5) Inspect the electrical system and work with JCP&L to improve our
costs.
We need to save electricity. Richard B., submitted the load requirements to JCP&L for the Diana/TIROS site to remove it from our main power grid. We are asking JCP&L to supply that area from their lines on the street. This will remove 6 transformers (600 KVA) from the site and eliminate a potential safety hazard.
*During the week...*
- Ray C., and company were at work on Wednesday.
- Dan L. and Evan K. visited the Harvard University Archives to access files relating to Camp Evans and the Harvard Radio Labs. The two labs worked together during the war. They are waiting for copies of over 30 documents from Harvard Copy Services.
As Dan, Evan and I were in Boston we met with Robert Johnson for dinner. Robert created the No Short Climb DVD.
- I visited the Chatham Marconi Station on Cape Cod to bring them the reproduction J. G. White Engineering Corporation Plaque Bob Judge made. They loved it. The story Dan Z. wrote for the Coast Star was excellent. I returned home with three photos of our station under construction from the personal photos of C. H. Taylor. Mr. Taylor was a
Marconi Co employee who helped in the construction of wireless station around the globe. The photos answered the question as to which direction the Henderson photo was taken.
- Architect Rich Grasso of the Glendola Lions Club is working on the 9032 restrooms plans to add additional facilities for our wheelchair visitors in keeping with the WW2 look.
-Dan L. is working with the Breeze to create an InfoAge radio spot.
- Verizon notified us we are listed on their employee website as an approved charity for their employees to consider volunteering with us.
- Dan L. has our next newsletter in review.
- There were two great articles in the Asbury Park Press and the Coaster on the NJHDA Shipwreck Museum progress and the upcoming symposium.- We submitted the one-day auction license form to Wall & I believe we are properly registered with the state to collect and submit sales tax during this auction.
-NJNG connected a gas line to 9059. The next step is to install the new heat/air unit.
-Rich Connor visited our site to let us know the film in which scenes were shot in the 9002 cottage will be opening in Viet Nam on their national holiday. Steve G. escorted Rich around the new area so Rich could take photos to interest other film companies to consider our site as a film location.
- Thanks to Mike G. networking - A week ago M. Gannon of Gannon Plumbing visited our hotel to determine if the heat zones could be fixed. He is doing this as a gift to InfoAge. Our BRAC 'friends' disabled them beyond repair. So they are researching if replacement unit are available.
*During the weekend...*
- Saturday Ray Chase and the NJARC hosted a great "Radar History" tutorial in 9059. An attendee, Paul M. donated a box of radar history books
We were open Sunday. Thanks to all who were on hand to greet visitors. We began the painting of 9092. This metal building can be seen from Monmouth Bl. Painting it shows all who drive by that improvements are being made. This structure appears to be a SCR-271 equipment shelter similar to the one at Fort Sherman that guarded the entrance to the
Panama Canal. We have been told it was used during WW2 to test fighter plane instrument panels for explosion resistance. It had a special explosion chamber. When a failure occurred the exploding air-plane fuel would be safely contained, but the noise would cause many of the draftsman working in 9010D ruin their ink drawings. Later a new design chamber was placed in a new building near Watson road. 9092 then housed
a dust infiltration test chamber.
We cleaned years of pine needle debris out of the 9011D gutters and we removed more vines from the Monmouth Bl fence.
In a review of the National Historic Landmark theme studies our site could qualify for NHL status under three studies. *Anyone want to start an application? *
The 'WW2 and the Homefront' study recommends Camp Evans as a potential NHL.
The Marconi Belmar Station could fit under the 'Travel and Communications' theme in the wireless area.
The test of the regenerative circuit, Weagant's static elimination advances and the Navy WWI communications center make the site NHL significant.
Under the 'Man in Space' theme the TIROS ground control center, the TLM-18 antenna, the mini-track calibration center, satellite tracking starting with Sputnik, Explorer, Pioneer V and all US and Soviet launches should qualify under the 'satellite tracking facilities chapter. Frank O. is uniquely suited to write this application and he will attack it...
This weekend we were in shock and did not even think to finish the scratch coat on 9006. Soon we will knock this off to earn the balance of the MCHC grant payment.
****Something with very positive potential: ****
Please note: Infoage is an official Save America's Treasure's Project and we are a Preserve America Steward organization. Wall Township is a Preserve America
Community
President Barack Obama signed the Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2009 on March 30, which included authorization for Preserve America and Save America's Treasures grants.
In addition to the grants, the law codifies the designation of Preserve America Communities as one of the entities eligible to apply for grants. It gives the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation (ACHP) the responsibility to establish any necessary guidelines for the designation process in consultation with the Secretary of the Interior. The ACHP is also specifically directed to establish an expedited process for Preserve America Community designation for Certified Local Governments that are established under the National Historic Preservation Act.
The Advisory Council on Historic Preservation (ACHP) urges Preserve America Communities, Preserve America Presidential Award winners or aspirants, Preserve America Stewards and local heritage preservation organizations to create local service learning and/or community service opportunities for students and school systems across the United States.
The concept is simple: use local heritage resources that can benefit from meaningful volunteer efforts to create community service opportunities for students in ways that are integral to their educational progress and fill real community needs.
The ACHP, its members and partners--Learn and Serve America (part of the Corporation for National and Community Service) and Heritage Education Services of the National Park Service--are leading the effort to use local heritage resources to widen public appreciation for history and preservation and involve youth in meaningful community service.
To learn how service learning can benefit preservation organizations and local communities and understand how to create such opportunities with local schools, click here
To learn more about the overall effort and the ACHP's participation click here
***** I will be asking someone to research these grants. I did one grant for Save America in 2002 and one for Preserve America in 2005 (lots of paper) - but when they called about the status of the transfer - all I could tell them way sorry the transfer has been delayed. As of March 24th 4PM that all changed....and the bill was signed on the 30th...
*Reasons to tell persons why to donate to our effort NOW: *
1) Saves an incredibly historic site
2) Honors WWII Signal Corps and Honor Front veterans
3) Helps education by inspiring kids to learn science
4) Furthers the development of a NJ Shore tourist destination.
5) Will create full and part-time employment
6) Improves property values in the North Wall and Shark River area.
7) We are the White House recognized stewards of the Camp Evans Historic District and now it is under our protection for future generations
*No Passion = No Progress. We have passion and we are progressing.*
I extend a warm welcome to you to join in the meeting tomorrow.
Please remind me of things of have overlooked in this email. Please excuse they items I have missed. No slight intended. I get annoyed with myself as I ride up the Parkway to work and recall many a good thing persons have done and I lost in my rust to get the
email out.Another aspect of this is so many of you are doing so many things, I can not keep up. In a way this is good.
Thank you,
Fred
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