It has come to our attention that we still have some time to rescue the local National Weather Station at the Huntsville Airport. Steve Johnston is urging all Huntsville IEEE members to contact our Senators and urge them to keep the station open. See the article in this month's LiveWire. For more information, please contact Steve Johnston (radarslj@ieee.org).

The Alabama final Future City competition was held on Friday January 19, 2001 at the George C. Marshall Space Flight Center. IEEE Section Vice Chair Sonya Hutchison was Alabama Regional Coordinator and did a great job putting together the whole program, which involved 26 middle schools throughout the state. The competition has been held for the past 9 years in conjunction with National Engineers Week, but this is the first year for Alabama to compete. Competitors were treated to a warm welcome to Marshall, and an informative talk by Astronaut Jan Davis on the day of competition. On Saturday, competitors were treated to a tour of the Space and Rocket Center including an Imax movie and a bus tour of the NASA facilities including test stands, the Space Station mockup, and historical Redstone launch test facilities.

The IEEE Special Award for "Best Telecommunications and Power Systems" was awarded to Madison Academy. IEEE Board member Jim Kennedy was a mentor for the Decatur Oak Park Middle School. Oak Park won a special award for "Cleanest Manufacturing Plants," and Jim Kennedy won the "Outstanding Mentor Award."

Sparkman Middle School of Tony, Alabama won 1st. Place with their entry "New Horizon". The Sparkman Team will take their model to the Hyatt Regency - Washington, DC, accompanied by Alabama Regional Future City Coordinator Sonya Hutchison, for the National Competition to be held during National Engineers Week, 18-24 February, 2001.

The winning team members include teacher Katherine Pankey; engineer mentor David McNeill; and students Jeremy McNeill, Shane Stafford, and Jeffery Frasier. In addition to receiving trophies, medals, certificates, T-shirts, a paid trip to the national competition, and other spoils as victors, the team received a $200 cash donation toward their schools science or technology class.

Engineers, engineering organizations, and numerous corporations across the country are involved with the Golden Anniversary celebration of National Engineers Week, February 18-24, 2001. That's right 50 years. Come be a part of the celebration. During the activities, Dr. Belur Dasarathy will be receiving his IEEE Fellow citation.

Montgomery, Alabama - The member societies of the Joint Engineers Council of Alabama (JECA), have agreed on the importance of keeping members of the engineering community in touch with their legislators. As an industry, engineers have gained maximum exposure and the respect of our state lawmakers. JECA plans to continue the momentum by hosting the fourth annual Legislative Reception in conjunction with the 50th Anniversary of Engineers Week, on Tuesday, February 20, 2001, at the RSA Plaza Terrace, from 5:00 - 8:00 p.m. in Montgomery.

This date has been scheduled to coincide within the first few weeks of the 2001 Regular Legislative Session so that the event will be well attended by our state legislators & members of state government.

Often times issues arise for which legislators need technical expertise and advise. A legislative reception provides the perfect opportunity for engineers to develop relationships with their area legislators. Technical assistance in public policy-making is one of JECA's stated purposes, and as a profession, we are more likely to success in this endeavor if we meet our legislators proactively rather than limiting ourselves to a reactive mode. Members of the Alabama Engineering Community are encouraged to attend the upcoming event to welcome back our returning state legislators. If your firm or engineering society would like to assist with the sponsorship of this endeavor, please contact the JECA office at (334) 264-1500.

IEEE is partnering with ASME International Professional Development to present a satellite broadcast Young Engineers Forum at 12:00 Noon Eastern Standard Time on Wednesday, 28 March 2001. The forum will be a 90-minute program and will include time for questions called in from the participants to the panelists. IEEE is excited that IEEE GOLD Committee Chair, Scott Blair, will be participating as one of the panelists at this event.

Topics will include Keeping up with Technical Information after Graduation, Expectations of the Professional World, Networking Skills and Job Search Skills. The forum is directed to young engineering professionals with 0-10 years experience and engineering students. Details on the program will follow shortly as to how you and your Section, Student Branch or GOLD Affinity Group can link up and participate in this program.

For more information contact the GOLD Committee at gold@ieee.org.

In 1986, a deadly radioactive cloud floated over Europe as the result of an explosion in a nuclear reactor in the Chernobyl nuclear power station in Kiev - considered to be the world's worst nuclear accident. According to the International Atomic Energy Agency, material released from Chernobyl to the atmosphere and eventually deposited onto the surface of the earth was measurable over practically the entire northern hemisphere. On 6 December 2000, a steam leak which measured no increase in radioactivity, forced the shut down of its' last reactor - just two weeks after inclement weather snapped power lines, forcing a shut down for lack of a place for the plant to feed its power. The plant, which supplies 5% of the electricity for the Ukraine, was finally shut down on 15 December 2000 - hopefully ending the long series of accidents which have plagued the plant since the disaster 14 years ago. The shutdown was televised across the nation amid much ceremony, and Ukrainian President Leonid Kuchma addressed Ukrainians on the air 113 kilometers (70 miles) south of the plant in Kiev. Decommissioning is the final phase in the lifecycle of a nuclear installation, covering all activities from shutdown and removal of fissile material to environmental restoration of the site. This process is expected to take another decade. (From "The New York Times," 7 December 2000, and "The Environmental News Service," (ENS) 15 December 2000.) For a free Email ENS Daily News Feed, email: news@ens-news.com.

In January, the "IEEE Spectrum" editors are introducing a completely fresh and distinctive publication. Reinvigorated and repositioned, the new "IEEE Spectrum" opens with the editorial blockbuster, "Technology 2001: Living in a Networked World." This special issue pushes the envelope in analysis and assessment of the trends, developments and people behind emerging technologies. The new "Spectrum" will deliver timely articles that are provocative, visually interesting, international in scope, and easy to read. The magazine is also adding new sections to allow more rapid reporting of events and technical developments. IEEE members look for the new "Spectrum" in your mailbox or visit http://www.spectrum.ieee.org/index.html.

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