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November 2014
VOL. 28, # 4
GARA News
ANNUAL BUSINESS MEETING
please let Vojin know. His number and email is on
Page 5.
Wednesday, December 3, 2014
The December Business Meeting, a provision in the
Constitution, will include a recap of last year and
election of officers for the coming year. We hope to
have a full slate of officers by the time this newsletter
goes to print. There will be no speaker. It will be at
the Bernardo Heights County Club in Rancho Bernardo
and we’ll have clear directions this time.
The Bernardo Heights Country Club
16066 Bernardo Heights Parkway 858-487-4022
Social Hour 11:30 a.m., Luncheon Served 12:15 p.m.
Cost: $28.50
Menu
Small green salad with walnuts, blue cheese, tomatoes
& raspberry dressing
Grilled Marinated Flat Iron Steak/Scalloped
Potatoes/Organic Vegetables
Sautéed Chicken Picatta/Lemon Caper Sauce/Rice
Pilaf/Organic Vegetables
Warm Rolls and Butter
Chocolate and Vanilla Cake
Coffee/Tea/Decaf/Water
Cash bar
Directions and reservation form on Page 8
Please step up and volunteer if you want GARA to
continue. Call any one of the Nominating Committee
and talk with them: Bill Homeyer, Mike Dunlap and
Gaston Guzman. Their numbers and email addresses
are in this newsletter. There are vacancies for
Recording Secretary (thank you, Bob Quade for all
your help these many years) and for President.
I will be retiring at the end of 2014 and turning the
gavel over to someone else to guide GARA. It’s been
fun and I hope we’ve made changes, big and small,
that you approve. We have revised the Constitution
to include spouses as regular members (rather than
associate members), which makes them eligible to
hold office. Another change to the Constitution was
to elevate the Social Chairperson and the Newsletter
Editor to voting status on the Board of Directors. It
seemed only fair that they have a say in their areas of
responsibility. The Constitution still needs work in
deleting archaic language, but that’s in the future. I
have asked all board members to give me a Position
Description for their job that details how they work to
accomplish important functions with contact names
and addresses. This is so we have a road map for
when someone else steps into a particular job. I have
added greeters to welcome you as you come through
the door. If you are new and aren’t sure of where to
sit, they will help you find a seat. Seems trivial, but I
have seen newcomers in the past come in, no one
talks to them, and they never come back. So if you
see someone at your table you don’t recognize, please
make them feel welcome. It has been a pleasure
serving you and I will see you at the luncheons next
year.
Best wishes for a Happy & Healthy 2015
The Prez Sez, by Peg Sigler
At our October luncheon, we heard Tom Harmon, of
the FBI National Security Cyber Squad, who spoke
about Cyber Security and what to watch for as well as
how to fix it. Hopefully, you’ve conquered your fears
about using a computer (they don’t bite, I promise)
and found the talk valuable. If you have a personal
computer attack that invades your finances, the FBI is
there ready to help you. Go to www.ic3.gov for help.
One suggestion that stayed with me was to create a
password with four non-related words like
“bananadonkeyprisonadventure,” and have a different
password for different accounts. He said this method
is harder to hack than interspersing symbols and
capital letters in a much shorter password. Thank
you, Vojin, for providing an interesting speaker. If you
have any comments or suggestions about speakers,
1
wasn’t satisfied with his pay, and so in 1955 joined Air
Reduction Company in its New York headquarters
hired by Ted Kidd who had worked on the Manhattan
Project. After six months he was assigned as
construction manager for a large liquid oxygen plant
to be constructed in Chicago. After completing that
assignment, in 1957, he was the construction manager
for a liquid oxygen plant in Acton, MA, near Boston. In
1959 and 1960 he was the project manager for the
construction of two chemical plants at Calvert City,
Kentucky, near Paducah. These plants of Japanese
design, produced vinyl acetate and polyvinyl alcohol,
the first to be constructed in the United States. About
this time, Ted Kidd had left Air Reduction to become
Chief Engineer at General Atomics in San Diego, and
he asked Al to come to work for him, so after his
interview, he moved to Solana Beach and started his
employment scheduling and coordinating the work on
their Peach Bottom HTGR power plant for Philadelphia
Electric. The completed plant was the most reliable of
those on the Philadelphia Electric system. He then
worked on proposals to construct several plants based
on the Peach Bottom design, and a proposal was
accepted by Rochester Gas and Electric for a 260 MW
plant. However, Fred de Hoffman, GA’s president
wanted to build a new design for Public Service of
Colorado, and Al was designated Project Manager for
the Ft. St. Vrain Plant. There eventually were 1200
persons employed on that project, and Al moved to
Boulder, CO to complete the plant. Al was then made
Senior Project Manager for the HTGR and GA signed
several contracts with Ohio Edison Company and
Louisiana Power and Light for 1100 MW plants.
Because of the problems in the operation of the Ft. St.
Vrain Plant, General Atomics decided not to proceed
with the 1100 MW designs, and that ended the
commercial nuclear reactor business at GA.
Who’s Doing What, and ….Where?
“Fussy (and Friendly) Old Farts”
A group of GA people who worked together decided
to get together for lunch after the completion of the
Fort St. Vrain project in the early 80s. Most of the
earliest were also members of the Photographic
Club. As the years went by many other GA people
joined what got to be known as the "Fussy Old
Farts". After 30 years, the group still continues to get
10 to 15 out for lunch on the third Wednesday of the
month. There is no agenda for the lunches and the
group meets at a different restaurant each month.
Some of the earliest members were Jack Yampolsky,
Dick Rosenberg, Bill Graul and Harry Wellhouser.
There was a photo in UT San Diego recently showing
Pilar and Chuck Bahde being honored at the San
Diego Humane Society's annual Fur Ball in August.
Their 1998 gift launched the campaign to rebuild the
county animal shelter, and another recent major gift
helped the Society to launch its first-ever needs-based
affordable community spay and neuter program. Pilar
served as secretary to all four of GA's first presidents.
Oster Ornelas, Susan Davis (San Diego Humane Society board
chair), Chuck and Pilar Bahde (honorees), Dr. Gary Weltzman
(SDHS president/CEO), Randy Loewenstein
Al was recruited for General Energy Resources
Incorporated (GERI) who was performing the
mechanical construction work for a 1000 MWe water
cooled nuclear power plant, and he accepted the
position of Vice President. He moved to Richland,
Washington where the plant was being constructed.
Al Haboush, A Career
Al Haboush had a long and varied career that included
General Atomics as one of his employers. He started
after his junior year at Virginia Tech at U.S. Steel’s
plant in South Chicago in 1948. After completing
college in 1949, he started with Stone & Webster
Engineering Corporation in Richmond, VA and ended
up working on Niagara Power’s nuclear power plant
near Albany, N.Y. This led to the opportunity to work
for M. W. Kellogg Company in New York City on the
construction of refineries and chemical plants. He
In 1997, while working for GERI, Al was contacted by
Bechtel Corporation in San Francisco, where he met
with Alden Yates who later became President of
Bechtel. Al accepted the position of Assistant
Manager of Construction for all Bechtel work in the
Middle East. As the potential for growth was (to P.6)
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Fall Luncheon at the Butcher Shop
Donald Mathews, David Hanson
Laraine & Mike Dunlap
John Peak, Jeff Broido
Nick Platis, Denny Giaruso
Robin & Chuck Luby
Jere & Tish Horsley
Marilla & Alan Baxter
Tom & Ann Moffette
3
Fall Luncheon at the Butcher Shop
Wayne Bell, Jane Gibson
Martin Kantor & Peggy Sigler
Pamela McMann, Liz Drees
John Steibel & Mercedes Stankowski
Bob & Joyce Quade
John Neill & Mary Hartley
Richard & Frances Moore
Pauline & Randy Hager
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Budget for 2015
BALLOT
INCOME
Please complete the ballot, and submit it by mail
before November 29, to GARA Ballot, c/o John
Neill, 4219 Rueda Drive, San Diego CA 92124 or
bring it to the luncheon on December 3.
Dues
Spring Luncheon
Summer Luncheon
Fall Luncheon
Winter Luncheon
TOTALS
EXPENSES
$1450
$1350
$1400
$1400
$1450
$6650
Newsletter
Gifts/Supplies
Spring Luncheon
Summer Luncheon
Fall Luncheon
Winter Luncheon
Notifying Cards
Reserves/ Misc.
Legal/Professional
TOTALS
$750
$150
$1350
$1400
$1400
$1450
$350
$1450
$100
$6650
BALLOT
GARA BOARD OF DIRECTORS
For 2015
Vote for eight
Mike Dunlap, President-----------------------
Vojin Joksimovich, Vice President----------
Liz Drees, Secretary----------------------- ----
John Neill, Treasurer--------------------------
GA Retirees Association, Inc. www.garetirees.org
President: Peg Sigler 619-225-8433 926pmsigler@att.net
Vice President Vojin Joksimovich 760-489-0156
simbasimon@mail.com
Treasurer: John Neill 858-560-7569
jmuirn74@yahoo.com
Secretary: Bob Quade 858-274-1097
bobqua@san.rr.com
Social Chair: Mary Hartley 858-560-7569
mbhsdca@gmail.com
Members at Large:
Michael Dunlap 858-486-4844
mikelaraine@cox.net
Gaston Guzman 858-565-4453
gaston.guzman@sbcglobal.net
Past President: Bill Homeyer 858-459-6661
homeyer@san.rr.com
Website: Jim and Darlene Ward
drawj@suddenlink.net
Newsletter Editor: John Steibel 858-263-7473
jsteibel@san.rr.com
Gaston Guzman, Member at Large---------
Bill Homeyer, Member at Large-------------
Mary Hartley, Social Chair-------------------John Steibel, Newsletter Editor ---------------------
The non-elective position will be filled as follows
for 2015:
Past President –-------------------- Peggy Sigler
*If your membership dues are not current, please send
a check to John Neill at the address below. Members receiving
the newsletter by mail will see the (abbreviated) year dues are
paid to on the address label. Members whose dues are not
current will be notified in the e-mail telling them the newsletter
is available on the website.
DUES: for 2015, are $10, due in January.
Pay to: GA Retirees Association, Inc.
4219 Rueda Drive, San Diego CA 92124
5
appealing, Al accepted the position, and moved to
Kuwait.
No. 1, and he and Betty purchased their home in
Solana Beach. After San Onofre, Al was Project
Manager on the first high voltage power transmission
line in southern China that included the world’s tallest
transmission line towers at the Pearl River Crossing.
After that project was completed, Al worked on a
Bakery for RJR Nabisco in Chicago, a transmission line
in Turkey, an Aluminum Plant in Iraq, a steel plant in
India, and a chemical plant in Shanghai. Al formally
retired from Bechtel on December 31, 1992 and he
and Betty returned to their home in Solana Beach.
At this time, Kuwait was very progressive compared to
other countries in the Middle East. Women did not
cover their faces, and were allowed to drive. The
country was very wealthy from oil revenue and had
invested wisely. The people were provided with
homes, education, medical care, and were well
compensated if the government needed their
property. After 6 months, Alden Yates asked Al to
take over as Project Manager of the Kuwait Oil
Company Gas Utilization Project. Reviewing
correspondence between the Director of Kuwait Oil
and Steve Bechtel, it was apparent that the relations
between Bechtel and Kuwait Oil had deteriorated
seriously. Al rectified those problems and had
complete responsibility for all aspects of the project,
which involved the design, procurement and
construction of the largest liquefied petroleum gas
(LPG) plant in the world. The LPG was processed into
usable products such as propane and butane. Al’s
office and residence was moved to Ahmadi where the
plant was located. Construction included the
installation of 500 miles of pipeline and compressor
stations to pump the gas from 500 operating wells to
the plant. Many problems arose and were solved and
the plant was completed on schedule and within
budget. After 11 months of operation, the plant
returned its investment ($1.1 billion) and was earning
$3 million a day from gas previously flared.
The GA Lunch Group
A group of former GA employees have met regularly
for a meal and social interaction for the past 21 years.
Danny Tow sent us this history of the group. They
meet monthly on the fourth Thursday at a restaurant
they select at each meeting. It has been a terrific
opportunity to catch up and reconnect with friends
and colleagues. Conversation topics will cover current
events, family news, travel, as well as the latest
financial, engineering, and technical subjects. Anyone
is welcome, and it has been a great way to reminisce
about times at GA and to continue friendships made
over so many years.
When Danny was finishing his engineering career at
General Dynamics, he had been working in structural
engineering for General Dynamics, Aerojet General,
and General Atomics. He knew he would miss many
of the people he had seen on a daily basis, and
without social media, there were few ways to stay in
touch. He always enjoyed reunions, and the idea
came to him to create a group that would meet
periodically in casual and relaxed surroundings over a
meal. The result was the GA Lunch Group. The
charter members numbered 4 to 5, and through word
of mouth the group gradually grew to more than 90
members. They meet ten times a year at a restaurant
chosen by someone in the group. They take a break
for Thanksgiving and Christmas because members are
busy with their families. Many members have
expressed how much they appreciate the friendships,
conversations and encouragement that the group
offers. Many members have expressed at one time or
another how the group has been a valuable source of
care and support. On some occasions Danny was
honored to have several former GA executives attend,
the late Bill Finley (President from 1974 – 1979),
After Kuwait, Al moved to Bechtel’s London office
where he worked on proposals for projects in Africa,
Europe, the Middle East and Asia. While there he was
assigned as Project Manager for an Oil Refinery in
Juaymah, Saudi Arabia. He relocated to Bechtel’s San
Francisco office where the project was managed.
While in San Francisco, Al would occasionally visit
Solana Beach and see friends from his days at General
Atomics. While there, his friend, Gordon Larsen,
introduced Al to Betty Krantz, from Escondido, and
three months later they were engaged. In the
meanwhile, Al was released from the Saudi project
and sent to London to manage a refinery project in
Indonesia. He and Betty were married on December
6, 1981, and after their honeymoon on the Love Boat,
they moved to Indonesia. The project was very
successful, and Al was sent to Saudi Arabia to manage
more oil projects. After 4 years, Al was assigned to
the retrofit of San Onofre Nuclear Power Plant Unit
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Executive Vice President Creighton Galloway, and the
late Bill Whittemore, to name a few.
and partner, JoAnne, in 1984. She brought with her a
beautiful young daughter, Barbara. Our family is a
great comfort to me.
I went back to work as a Project Manager and
Contract Officer Representative for the Department of
Energy/National Nuclear Security Administration. I
received an Honor Award from the Secretary of the
DOE for my work in removing and securing nuclear
material in Kazakhstan.
JoAnne and I have had a wonderful life together. We
traveled a lot and had many experiences, some
disappointments, but many great times. We love to do
many of the same things together. We have learned to
Live Well, Laugh Often and Love Much."
Chuck is survived by his loving wife, JoAnne; sons,
Charles Jr. (Nancy) and their children, Alex and
Samantha, and Rene (Amy) and their children, Marco,
Odessa and Beto; daughter, Barbara (Ken) and their
children, Zachary and Ryan; and four brothers, Arnold,
Robert, Raul and George. He is predeceased by his
brother, Arthur.
Anyone interested in joining the group can write to
Danny at dtow@tow.com. Photos taken over the
years can be found at:
http://dtow.smugmug.com/Other/GA-Lunch-GroupMeeting-2/44225876_HRGN2t and
http://dtow.smugmug.com/Other/GA-LunchGroup-Meeting-Photos/44476719_tsSSNv
In Memoriam
Charles O. Peinado (1934 2014)
Chuck Peinado, of La Jolla,
died early Sunday
morning, August 17, 2014,
after a three month illness.
No one can tell Chuck's
story better than he, so
the following is an excerpt
from the speech he gave
at his 80th birthday party
Published in La Jolla Light on Aug. 28, 2014
Tihiro Ohkawa 1928-2014
Tihiro Ohkawa, the physicist who
led a landmark effort by General
Atomics to develop ways to
generate electricity from nuclear
fusion, died Sept. 27 in La Jolla. Dr.
Ohkawa was responsible for
securing Japanese participation in
the DIII-D fusion machine construction and operation.
His elongated plasma concept revolutionized the
design of tokamak fusion devices and is utilized in the
multi-billion dollar International Thermonuclear
Experimental Reactor being constructed in France. He
oversaw more than 400 scientists, engineers and
support staff. John Parmentola, a physicist and senior
vice president of GA-Energy and Advanced Concepts
said “Dr. Ohkawa will be revered as a pioneer driven
by a vision to bring to the world an essentially
inexhaustible source of safe, clean, and nearly waste
free energy”
on January 3, 2014:
"I'm 80, can you believe it? Sometimes I feel like it,
like when I'm sick, most of the time I don't.
I have had a great life, many happy times and a few
disappointments. I was second born into a wonderful
family. My parents were finding their way into the
new world of El Paso, TX, from Mexico. My five
brothers and I grew up playing football and baseball in
a sandlot across the street. We all went to El Paso
High School where I played football for the Tigers.
My parents were very supportive. I got a tuition
scholarship to Johns Hopkins University and they paid
room and board. I was elected Chairman of the Honor
Commission, which was an honor. During my
graduation ceremony, they announced that I had
graduated with honors. My dad was so excited that he
put his cigarette out on his new Stetson hat.
I held a teaching assistantship at Caltech. After
graduating, I took a job with Atomics International. I
left and joined General Atomics when I heard that
Atomics International was moving into military
programs. During that time, my wife and I had two
sons, Chuck and Rene. I was at General Atomics for 25
years and retired as Operations Manager of their
Nuclear Program. Afterward, I met the love of my life
Content contributed by gary.robbins@utsandiego.com, and Randy
Hager
7
Bernardo Heights Country Club: The address is: 16066 Bernardo Heights Parkway 92128 and their phone number is
858-487-4022.
The directions are:
Take Interstate 15 south. Exit Bernardo Center Drive and turn left. Turn right onto Bernardo Heights Parkway (1st
signal after the freeway). Continue up the hill for 0.8 miles.
Take Interstate 15 north. Exit Bernardo Center Drive and turn right. Turn right onto Bernardo Heights Parkway (1st
signal after the freeway). Continue up the hill for 0.8 miles.
Return this completed form by Thursday, November 22, 2014, with your check for $28.50 per person for paid
members and guests, or $33.50 for non paid members/guests payable to G.A. Retirees Association Inc. to:
Mary Hartley
4219 Rueda Drive
San Diego CA 92124
mbhsdca@gmail.com
858-560-7569
Name:
Steak______ Chicken______
Spouse’s Name or
Guest’s Name
Steak______ Chicken______
GA Retirees Association, Inc.
4219 Rueda Drive
San Diego CA 92124
8