Purpose: To support the International Space Station.
Concern: This flight was delayed because there were extended bolts on the external fuel tank.

This visit is a new departure for the Technology Club, and is an opportunity for parents (and grandparents!) to accompany children of middle (or high-school) age on a visit to a local company making state-of-the-art fire trucks and rescue equipment. Friday, November 10 is a holiday in most school districts.

PLEASE NOTE THAT IT IS NECESSARY TO SIGN-UP IN ADVANCE BY CALLING DR. JOHN OLDFIELD AT (315) 475-6251 (or e-mail to oldfield@syr.edu) BY WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 8 AT THE LATEST. THERE IS NO CHARGE, AND ANY MEMBER OF THE PUBLIC WILL BE WELCOME. 

Directions: Take Interstate 81 south from the city of Syracuse to the Tully Exit (Exit 14). Go left at the off-ramp to a stop sign. Make a left turn, onto Rt. 80, passing under the Interstate, and then make an immediate right turn on Rt. 281 south. After approximately 1.5 miles, the Saulsbury Factory will be seen on the right-hand side. Park in the visitor space and then assemble at the main entrance. The journey time should be about 25-30 minutes from downtown Syracuse. The visit is expected to take 1.5 to 2 hours, and there will be refreshments at the conclusion. Bring stout footwear. The Saulsbury phone number is (315) 238-8909.

Sweet Lecture for January: Title: The changing face of electrical energy transmission and distribution. Speaker: Dr. Ian Davis, National Grid USA.

~"Dr. Vernon Tryon received the following e-mail message from Marcy Newman."

Dr. Tryon:

I am a member of the Syracuse Section of the society of Women Engineers. We would like information on becoming members of the Technology Club and adding our newsletter to The Technologist.

Could you please forward any information regarding membership (requirements, costs, etc) to me at, 437-6100, c/o O'Brien & Gere Engineers, Inc., 5000 Brittonfield Parkway, P.O. Box 4873, E. Syracuse, NY 13057 newmanma@obj.com or the president of our section, Joan Dannenhoffer, 682-0593, 8472 Woodbox Road, Manlius, NY 13104, joan.dannenhoffer@juno.com

Thank you very much!

Marcy Newman

Al Brandenburg responded to this message and gave Marcy the names of several directors and affiliation suggestions.

~ "Al Brandenburg, Vice President and Chairman of the Technical Societies Council of Syracuse, sent the following request to Tim Carrol, Manager, Sales and Marketing Media, Telergy Corporation, One Telergy Parkway, E. Syracuse, NY"

Dear Tim:

The Syracuse Technical Societies Council and it's parent organization The Technology Club of Syracuse, a not for profit organization, is planning it's 3d annual "Celebration of Technology" Awards Banquet to coincide with National Engineers Week in 2001. The date of the evening banquet is Thursday, February 22nd at the Holiday Inn Liverpool Conference Center (directly off Thruway exit 37). The Societies Council is an umbrella organization that represents the upstate New York joint educational and technology dissemination interests of over 30 technically diverse groups including SME. The awards banquet serves the purpose of highlighting the technical achievements of companies, organizations, and individuals in the area and celebrates the role that technology provides for improving the quality of life. In addition, it aids in the effort to improve initiatives that positively impact both employment and educational opportunities in our area. To that end, we were hoping either Pat Barrett or another appropriate individual would be willing to do about a 45-60 minute presentation on the new technology directions the telecommunications industry will be taking over the next few years and Telergy's planned role within it . 

In our first year, we were fortunate to have Col. Pamela Melroy, only the second woman space shuttle Commander in the NASA astronaut program, to put on a presentation reflecting the International Space Station build effort and NASA's plan to put a human on Mars. Last year, we were able to persuade Ben Burtt of Star Wars and Indiana Jones movie fame to do a presentation on the technology of audio in the television and movie industry. Along with the large adult audience present at the banquet, we were also able to bring in hundreds of elementary and high school students and teachers to hear both presentations and pre-event activities.

As to the event itself, we anticipate that there will be significant media interest in both the speaker and the supporting planned activities and could serve as an excellent publicity opportunity for your company. Assuming you can honor our request, please advise us of your availability at your earliest convenience, so we may adequately plan for the appropriate publicity from our end. For more information, I can be reached during the day at {434-2549} and e-mailed at abranden@inficon.com

Sincerely, 

Al Brandenburg

Ladies and Gentlemen:

Very Good News. It is my pleasure to announce that the Telergy Corporation has agreed to provide us with the keynote speaker for our 2001 "Celebration of Technology Awards Banquet" on February 22. Depending on avail ability, it will be either Dave Wolf, Director of Network and Technology Development or Barry Vaughn, Director of Marketing and Sales, who will be speaking on the future of communications in the next decade and Telergy's role toward bringing it about. As many of you already know, Telergy is a fast rising star in the telecommunications business with over 600 people at 7 different locations in Syracuse alone. For those of you who don't know, Telergy is a facilities-based provider of integrated broadband telecommunications services and high-bandwidth fiber optic capacity in the northeastern United States. The Telergy network is designed to be a regional fiber optic intranet combining direct last-mile connections to it's customers, intracity rings and long-haul capacity. The network is being built over broad contiguous rights of way in the region, primarily using access rights granted by utility companies. I am looking forward, as I'm sure you will, to an exciting and most interesting evening.

~ "The following programs were televised by PBS during the month of October, 2000. A description of each program is included here for to provide a convenient reference to mention in future engineering literature. The titles also indicate what the participants in the regional "Build-A-Thon" teams were watching to design and build their model bridges that were judged at the OCC Applied Technology Center. "Build-A-Thon" was sponsored by The Technology Club of Syracuse, the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), WCNY-TV, and the Central New York Education Association (CNYTEA). Tom Frawley, President CNYTEA, coordinated the activities for this event."

Think Big! Engineers have been doing just that for thousands of years, as renowned author-illustrator David Macaulay (CASTLE, CATHEDRAL, PYRAMID and ROMAN CITY) proved in BUILDING BIG, a five-part miniseries on the planet's most spectacular structures. BUILDING BIG covered bridges, domes, skyscrapers, dams and tunnels ~ past and present. Along the way, Macaulay highlighted the engineering principles and human stories behind the most remarkable achievements in the history of building. The one-hour programs were televised on PBS on Tuesdays, October 3-31, 2000, 8:00 p.m. ET.

"Bridges" How does a bridge withstand the forces of nature ~ and traffic? David Macaulay takes viewers from the stone arch bridges of the Roman Empire to Japan's giant, all-steel Akashi-Kaikyo suspension bridge, the longest in the world. Through the epic sagas of the Brooklyn, Golden Gate, and other great bridges, Macaulay shows how engineers have conquered ever-wider spans with better construction materials and innovative designs. Program highlights include the Brooklyn Bridge, Golden Gate, Tacoma Narrows, Akashi-Kaikyo, Gustave Eiffel's Garabit Viaduct and Scotland's Firth of Forth Railway Bridge.

"Domes" How does a dome support itself? Ever since the Roman Emperor Hadrian topped his Pantheon with a dome, this roof-with-class has been the prestige building form. Big domes cover civilization' s most revered structures, from great cathedrals to mosques to houses of government. David Macaulay covers the tricky technology of domes, from the Pantheon to the geodesic marvels of Buckminster Fuller and beyond. Program highlights include the Pantheon, Hagia Sophia, Saint Peter's Cathedral, United States Capitol, Houston Astrodome, Buckminster Fuller's geodesic dome and the Georgia Dome.

"Skyscrapers" What does it take to erect a skyscraper 100 stories tall? From the medieval towers of Italy's San Gimignano to today's race to build the world's tallest skyscraper, David Macaulay chronicles humans' aptitude for altitude. On the way up, he highlights the remarkable achievements of the Gothic cathedral builders and the near-disaster of New York's Citigroup Center. Program highlights include the Chrysler Building, Reims Cathedral, Eiffel Tower, Empire State Building, Citigroup Center and Malaysia's Petronas Towers.

"Dams" How does a dam resist the crush of millions of gallons of water? David Macaulay surveys the dam ~ the biggest, costliest structure of all ~ from Hoover's concrete arch confronting the chasm of the Colorado River to the Aswan High Dam, a veritable underwater mountain sitting on the Nile river bed, holding back a lake the size of England. Program highlights include Egypt's ancient Sadd El Kafara, Aswan High Dam, Hoover Dam, Brazil's Ita Dam, and South Fork Dam in Johnstown, Pennsylvania.

"Tunnels" What keeps a tunnel from collapsing? Tunnels have advanced from dangerous, claustrophobic passages to spacious, safe subterranean networks that are as roomy as shopping malls. David Macaulay takes viewers underground to explore the history and ingenuity behind some of the world's tunneling marvels. Program highlights include Boston's "Big Dig," Rome's Cloaca Maxima, Hoosac Tunnel, Holland Tunnel, Thames Tunnel and the "Chunnel."