mars star · 2020. 5. 13. · director robin zen 303-335-6443 past president dan ellerhorst...
TRANSCRIPT
Volume 36, Issue 2 April 2020
Sponsored by LOCKHEED MARTINSponsored by LOCKHEED MARTIN
MARS Activities This Quarter:
• Luncheon to Honor Seniors – page 24 • Dinner Club — pages 25-30 • Rockies Picnic & Game– page 31
MARS
STAR
MARS Associates: A Social Club for Retirees of Lockheed Martin & United Launch Alliance
OFFICERS President Dick Sosnay 303-972-9209 President-Elect TBD 303-972-9209 VP Activities Linda Duby 303-249-1665 VP Business Bill Schrott VP Communication Mike Carroll 303-941-4193 VP Membership Carl Kaminski 303-726-1546 Treasurer Larry Stearns 303-797-3557 Secretary Al Nemes 303-908-0157 Historian POC Barb Sande 303-887-8511
MARS STAR Editor Tom Pighetti 303-979-7933 Editor Linda Stearns 303-797-3557 Memorials Norma Emerson 303-646-1137 Webmaster Jim Kummer 303-986-3966 Volunteers Judy Nielsen 303-905-3957 Reporting: Cape Canaveral Dick Olson 321-452-4015 Colo Springs Doug Tomerlin 719-594-6392 Vandenberg Charlie Radaz 805-733-2051
CLUB CONTACTS Bridge Dave & Kathy Martz 303-683-9524 Car Club Roger Rieger 303-912-6217 Dinner Becky & Gary Englebright 303-973-4062 Anita & Roy Kannady 303-794-9210 Golf Bo Rodriguez 303-798-9157 Hiking Sue Janssen 303-936-8339 Photography John Chapter (Pres) 303-986-8277
REMINDER: If you move, please give the membership VP a change of address. Also, if you are a snowbird, let us know when you are leaving and when you plan to return so your MARS STAR can be sent to you. It costs us 70 cents for each STAR package returned. (Published quarterly by MARS Associates, Retirees of Lockheed Martin Corporation and United Launch Alliance, Denver, CO)
DIRECTORS Director Chair Roger Rieger 303-912-6217 Director John Janczy 303-973-3847 Director Charlie Haupt 303-789-7113 Director Bill Wise 303-771-4887 Director Karen Paulson 303-932-7192 Director Dave Cattani 303-973-8805 Director Robin Zen 303-335-6443 Past President Dan Ellerhorst 303-794-0750
IMPORTANT PHONE NUMBERS
LM Employee Service Center 1-866-562-2363
MARS Important Phone Numbers (Be sure to have your MARS ID available) MARS Delta Dental of CO Individual Team (representatives) 1-877-516-6512 Ron Rueger (Account Mgr) 303-889-8616 Assured Partners of CO MARS Delta Dental "Vision" (EyeMed) MARS Vision Service Plan (VSP) Jon Elmore 303-228-2206 Hudson Howard 720-510-9505 Sharla Leary 720-510-9507 Aetna/Medicare Plus 1-888-562-8111 Kaiser Advantage Plus 303-338-3800
MARS Associates P. O. Box 1128 Littleton, CO 80160-1128
MARS Website: http://www.marsretirees.org
Cover: L: A United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas V rocket carrying the sixth
Advanced Extremely High Frequency (AEHF) communications satellite for the U.S. Space Force’s Space and Missile Systems Center lifted off from Space Launch Complex-41 on March 26 at 4:18 p.m. EDT. (See ULA News, pg 22)
R: Lockheed Martin Delivers the U.S. Air Force Reserve’s First
HC-130J Combat King II: This HC-130J will be operated by the 920th Rescue Wing and 39th Rescue Squadron crews at Patrick Air Force Base, Florida (See LM News, pg 22)
From the Editor’s Desk
Tom Pighetti ([email protected])
Linda Stearns ([email protected])
For comments or corrections, contact Tom (issue editor) or Mike Carroll, V.P. of Communications. MARS welcomes your submissions. Submissions must be relevant to the MARS organization, informative, and appropriate for this newsletter. No personal dialogues or opinion pieces will be accepted. Please submit your article for approval in advance to the V. P. of Communications. Articles will be included as time / space allows.
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President’s Corner By Dick Sosnay ([email protected])
Last month at our Annual meeting, Dan Ellerhorst
completed his service as President of MARS, and I stepped up to begin my term. Soon after, the
Coronavirus hit our part of the world and upended almost everything we all do in life. I want to make sure
to address what that means to our MARS members.
But before that, let me say thanks to Dan for the
outstanding job he did, and note that he set the bar very high for me to follow. Thanks, Dan for all your
work supporting MARS and welcome back to the Board
of Directors. Other changes in MARS Officers include the following. Although Dan announced at our annual
meeting that Larry Stearns would be stepping down as our Treasurer, and that Al Nemes would stepping in to
replace him, Larry has agreed to continue for awhile as the Treasurer to help in the transition and to help us
during these difficult times. Thanks Larry, and thanks,
Al, for stepping up to help with this key position. And our Vice President of Business Sherry Vargo, who is in
her second term, will be leaving us later in the spring to move with her family to Arizona. Sherry has been an
inspiration and an energetic officer. In addition to her
more mundane duties related to tax status, insurance, and our benefits programs, she has sought out new
vendor relationships, instituted the informational seminar programs, been a key member of the Marketing
Committee, and volunteered for countless other tasks.
Thank you, Sherry, we will certainly miss you and hope to see you at some future events corresponding to
return visits to Colorado.
Fortunately, we have a replacement. Bill Schrott, who previously served several terms as Vice President of
Business, has agreed to fill in for Sherry. We look
forward to welcoming Bill to the team, when he returns soon from wintering in Florida.
And, as Dan noted in Annual meeting address, we are
still looking for a person to fill my previous officer
position as President-Elect.
Don Purkey has completed his time on the Board of Directors, serving as Chairman of the Board for the past
two years, and Roger Rieger has been elected as the new Chairman of the Board. Thank you both for
volunteering your time and efforts. The Board of
Directors provides oversight to ensure that MARS Associates operates in an ethical and financially
responsible manner, and that it stays true to its mission
and goals.
We also welcomed our two newest directors to the leadership team–Robin Zen and Dave Cattani. Thank
you both for volunteering!
At our Annual meeting, we recognized that MARS is now
35 years old. Happy Birthday MARS Associates! Dan gave an excellent presentation reviewing the history of
MARS from its founding up through today. I hope you all had a chance to look at the special displays put up,
through the work of our Anniversary Committee
consisting of Sherry Vargo, Karen Paulson, Bev Baugher, and Mike Carroll. Our thanks to them, and of course, to
Linda Duby for organizing this event.
After lunch, we had an outstanding presentation by Marcus Nichols, the Director of Los Angeles Operations
for United Launch Alliance (ULA). His presentation
provided an overview of the status of where ULA is in developing and flying the Vulcan Launch vehicle, our
nation’s successor to the family of launch vehicles (including Titan, Atlas and Delta) developed by Lockheed
Martin and ULA. Thanks, Marcus, for the great job.
I would now like to address the Coronavirus impact to
MARS, and then finally address my thoughts for the next year of MARS, and what I would like to focus on as the
MARS President.
Although we had all been following the Coronavirus
news in China and Europe, it hit us at home in Colorado on March 12. We had a Marketing Meeting scheduled
for the next day, but quickly replaced it with the first of many planning sessions to focus on Coronavirus impacts
to MARS. We developed a set of Near-Term and Long-
Term impacts and posted those on the MARS Website, the MARS Facebook Page and in a flash email sent out
to all MARS Members that have provided us with an email address.
The near-term impacts were to shut down all MARS activities planned for March and April, including
seminars, club activities, and officer/BOD meetings. We will continue to have officer/BOD meetings but are doing
that through a conferencing app and heavy exchange of emails and telephone calls. We will make sure that
conditions are safe to continue with our events before
we ask members to sign up for events.
The longer-term impacts involve our next three activities. We have postponed the Happy Hour, date
TBD, and will plan that once things have settled down.
For now, we are trying to maintain our Senior Recognition Luncheon (CANCELLED), and our Rockies
game (Aug 5), while recognizing that the schedule dates may change. We did move the Rockies game from
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June 24 to August 5, since there is a higher probability
of Coronavirus restrictions being relaxed by then. As you have noticed, things do change very quickly with
announcements from government and health officials, and we need to monitor the status of these changes
before making appropriate decisions for our members. While we want to hold onto our activities, the health and
safety of all our members is paramount. Linda Duby,
our VP of Activities, discusses more details of how we are planning for those events in her section of this MARS
STAR.
The other event coming up in April is our mailing of this
MARS STAR on April 22. In order to publish and mail the MARS STAR, we are graciously provided support
from Lockheed Martin. Our editors provide the soft copy of the MARS Star to Repro at the plant. After the STAR
is printed it is delivered to our MARS office in the basement of the RDL. There a staff of MARS volunteers
addresses the MARS STAR and sorts them into bags.
These bags are then taken to the post office in Littleton from where they are mailed. While Lockheed Martin has
assured of us access to the plant, there is currently a Stay-at-Home order for the entire state of Colorado.
Therefore, MARS officers and BOD have decided not to
publish and mail out a hardcopy of the MARS STAR in April. We will provide an electronic version available on
the MARS website and the MARS Facebook page. We will publish a hard copy at a later time, as permitted by
the Coronavirus status.
Another MARS process impacted by the Coronavirus is
the mailing of late notices to members who have not yet renewed for this year, followed by final drop notices for
those not respondng to our notices to renew. Part of this can be handled via the emails, but we have several
members that have not provided us email addresses,
and our only option is via the normal mail process. This also requires support from and access to Lockheed
Martin for repro and mailing. We will continue using email to communicate with members who have not yet
renewed and will delay the mailing out of letters and
drop notices until the coronavirus status allows us to do that. Our plan to communicate with members and to
ensure membership renewal is also discussed by Carl Kaminski, our VP of Membership in his section of the
MARS STAR.
I would like to conclude with my thoughts about our
goals and the plan for achieving those goals for the next year.
1) Although I didn’t know it when I took over the
president job, number 1 on my list is to plan for
continuing our MARS activities in the face of the ongoing Coronavirus. In order to communicate with
members, we will continue to use the 3 methods of communication: posting on the MARS Website, the
MARS Facebook page, and via email. If you haven’t
provided us with an email address, please provide that to us if you can.
2) Last year we started planning for an on-line
capability to sign up for MARS Activities. This year we implemented that for membership renewal and
many of you used it. We want to look at expanding
that to provide electronic sign-ups for other activities, and perhaps for some of our club events,
such as the dinner club.
3) We need to continue our communications with
Lockheed Martin and United Launch Alliance to identify prospective retirees and to get them
information on MARS, and to try to identify new means of communicating with prospective retirees.
4) Our association is run and managed by volunteers.
We need all of our members to consider
volunteering to support MARS. We have immediate needs to fill the positions of President-Elect and
Treasurer. We have expanded our board of directors and are looking for new directors. For all
our positions (look inside the front cover of the
MARS STAR) we may need replacements in the future. If you enjoy participating in MARS, please
consider volunteering.
5) I plan to start a financial review of MARS. Our
Treasurer has done an outstanding job in ensuring that we manage our budget, but as prices have
continued to rise throughout the years, and as we implement new ideas and practices and ways of
doing business, we need to plan for the future.
Let me conclude by saying that I am looking forward to
my new position for the next 2 years. I hope to continue with the outstanding job that all our previous
presidents have done. The survey that we conducted a year ago provided us with some feedback as to what we
can do as an organization to improve, e have already
implemented several of your suggestions. As your new president, you can best help me by continuing to
provide me feedback. Please continue to support the MARS organization by volunteering and attending our
events and clubs. Thank you for being MARS members.
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Activities Updates By Linda Duby ([email protected])
The Annual Meeting was held on March 4, 2020 at
Pinehurst Country Club with 116 members attending. Fortunately, the weather was great, unlike last year
when a snowstorm caused us to postpone the event.
Pinehurst did a great job with the food and service. This year MARS is celebrating its 35th anniversary and a big
thank you to Sherry Vargo, Karen Paulson, Bev Baugher, and Mike Carroll for putting together the decorations
and the historical pictures that were displayed. I hope everyone got a chance to check out the table with the
display.
Our speaker this year was Marcus Nichols, Director
of Los Angeles Operations for United Launch Alliance. His presentation was very informative, and MARS
appreciates that he took time from his busy schedule
to participate in our Annual Meeting.
The next event is the Happy Hour originally scheduled for May 20, however, due to the situation with
COVID-19 and all of the restaurants and bars being closed, MARS has decided to postpone this event for
now. We will set a new date later when restrictions
have been lifted.
The MARS Luncheon Honoring Senior Members is CANCELLED. The Manor House at Ken Caryl has been
reserved for this event. A flyer giving details of the
event is included with this edition of the STAR. But, we are not taking reservations at this time. We are
monitoring the situation and will decide in mid-May whether or not we can hold the luncheon. If we do
decide to go forward with the luncheon, a new flyer with a reservation form will be made available by email,
website and Facebook for members. If you have any
questions regarding this event, please email me at [email protected].
The Annual Picnic is still scheduled for September 8
and we hope to be through the worst of the COVID-19
pandemic by that time to be able to hold this event. More to come on this event in the next STAR.
Please check the website and the MARS Facebook page
for updates on events.
Rockies Game vs COVID-19 By Linda Stearns
As this MARS STAR goes to the printer, the Colorado Rockies (and all Major League Baseball) schedules are
affected by COVID-19/Coronavirus concerns, as are every other group activity in the world.
PLEASE DO NOT send a reservation yet (even though the form is included in this issue). Our event
has been rescheduled for August 5—as we sincerely hope that by our reservation deadline on July 11,
restrictions on large group activities will be easing.
PLEASE DO send me an email (Subject: Rockies Game) or call me to let me know you are interested. I will
contact you directly when our game status for August 5 is confirmed. Updated information will also be posted on
our website (marsretirees.org) and our MARS FaceBook page.
Linda Stearns Email: [email protected]
303-797-3557
Business By Sherry Vargo ([email protected])
Medicare101 Presentation on April 9, 2020 Cancelled On March 13th, due to the Coronavirus
situation, MARS Officers and Directors decided to cancel
or postpone most of the MARS events and activities that were scheduled for the next few months (and possibly
longer). An email cancelling the event was sent out from Red Rocks to all MARS members (and guests) who
signed up for the presentation. This decision was made
in the best interest of our MARS members, Noushin Hornbuckle from Aetna, and Red Rocks employees.
Bill Schrott – New VP of Business starting May 1,
2020 I regret to announce that I will be leaving the position of VP of Business as of April 30th. I have
enjoyed being an officer for the MARS Associates for 3+
years. It has been a great experience and I am going to miss working with the MARS Officers and Directors to
provide services, events and activities for the MARS members. This is a wonderful organization and it
provides lots of opportunities like volunteering, attending
events and activities or joining one of our great clubs.
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Bill Schrott brings lots of experience as he was the VP of Business for two terms a few years back. Bill and I will
be working together during the month of April to ensure a smooth transition. Bill’s email address is
[email protected] in case you have questions regarding Delta Dental and any of our other healthcare
plans or discounts.
If you see Bill at a future event, please give him a great
welcome.
Membership Report By Carl Kaminski ([email protected])
MEMBERSHIP STATISTICS
As of April 1, 2020, there are 1,385 MARS Associates members, including 756 seniors.
Please welcome the following new members:
Colorado
Aurora Jud Davis,
Chris & Ginger Herndon
Castle Rock Ron Hull, Heather Vandersluis
Centennial Pat Branscom,
Debbie & Steve Carr,
Marc Ginsberg, Loren & Lorrie Yoshinga
Denver Larry & Holly Dorrance,
Heidi & Kevin Urie
Evergreen Bob Vendryes &
Ericka Sleight
Highlands Chris & Kelly Casar, Ranch Barbara Costley-Adams,
Jeff Greteman,
Dave & Jeannie Macadam
Lakewood Therese Haubenstein
Larkspur Steve & Vicki Sebastian
Littleton Laurie Atkinson,
Phil & Carolyn Bontemps, Cary & Susan Christopherson,
Gary & Susie Keyser, Dean & Ladonna Lenz
Longmont John & Nancy Kennedy
Louviers John & Nancy Holub
Morrison Bob & Susan Melton
Parker Bob & Debbie Maples
Sedalia Dan Crumb
Westminster Mara Luckey
Other States
California
Paso Robles Mike & Julie Spier
Florida
Cape Paul Cooper
Canaveral
NEW MEMBERS
Do you know someone who recently retired from LM or ULA? First year membership in MARS is free for 2020.
Direct them to the website for more information or have them contact one of the Officers or Directors.
MEMBERSHIP RENEWAL CONTINUES
With everything going on in the world it’s quite easy to
forget the routine items in our lives, such as... Membership dues for MARS! The membership year
closed at the end of March so those of you who have not renewed yet are considered delinquent.
The officers and directors of MARS have decided to delay sending out drop notices until the COVID-19 crisis
subsides due to the impact on communications and daily life in general. Regardless we would appreciate those
members who have not yet renewed sending in their renewals so we can continue to plan the remainder of
the year’s activities in an orderly manner. There was a
renewal form included in the January issue of the STAR. Other options include going to the website
(MARSRETIREES.ORG → MEMBERSHIP) and printing out the renewal form or renewing online.
If you have any questions or are unsure whether you have renewed contact Carl Kaminski directly at
303-726-1546 or [email protected].
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Change of email address or phone number? Given the rapidly changing environment we are all dealing with, it’s more important than ever that we have
current email and phone information for our members. Please remember to include the MARS membership team
in your list of people to notify when you have a new phone number or email. We want to make sure all
communications are timely.
In Memoriam By Norma Emerson ([email protected]) Please contact me at the above email address or at 303-646-1137 with information about the passing of a member, the spouse of a member or other MM/LM retirees so they can be acknowledged in the In Memoriam section.
MARS Associates expresses our deepest sympathy in the loss of your loved one, and a donation will be made to a charity chosen by the Officers and Board of Directors in their memory. Members:
Berns, Eleanor F. (D: January 2020)
(Survived by Frances “Fritz” Berns) Englewood, CO
https://tinyurl.com/vx34y7x
Dickman, Glen (D: February 2020)
Highlands Ranch, CO https://tinyurl.com/twz424l
Diggins, Jay B. (D: December 2019)
(Survived by Doris Dusek)
Aurora, CO No obituary published
Donathan, Joe R. (D: March 2020)
(Survived by Marjorie Donathan) Littleton, CO
https://tinyurl.com/tot3snm
Greichen, Patricia “Pat” (D: December 2019)
(Survived by James “Jim” Greichen) Denver, CO
https://tinyurl.com/s4o42yf
Hoople, Gary (D: July 2019) (Survived by Linda Hoople)
Centennial, CO https://tinyurl.com/scarckh
Knickerbocker, Lynne (D: February 2020) (Survived by Robert “Bob” Knickerbocker)
Littleton, CO https://tinyurl.com/ssawwko
Mann, Robert “Bob” (D: September 2019)
(Survived by Joyce Mann)
Highlands Ranch, CO https://tinyurl.com/vo3obh
Miller, Hazel H, (D: 2009)
Cedaredge, CO
No obituary published
Miller, William “Bill” L. (D: February 2020) Cedaredge, CO
https://tinyurl.com/tgvllvp
Moskovitz, Billie Jean (D: August 2015)
(Survived by Gerald “Jerry” Moskovitz) Cocoa Beach, FL
https://tinyurl.com/qu269xl
Paser, Kent (D: August 2019)
(Survived by Sandy Paser) Littleton, CO
https://tinyurl.com/w95ye7a
Ruedy, Daniel (D: March 2020)
Morrison, CO No obituary published
Schneider, Leann F. (D: March 2015)
(Survived by Edward Schneider) Colorado Springs. CO
https://tinyurl.com/rh2mps5
Schwarm, Eric (D: September 2019)
(Survived by Nancy Schwarm) Centennial, CO
No obituary published
Snodgress, Bonnie F. (D: February 2020)
(Survived by Bob Snodgress) Sedalia, CO
https://tinyurl.com/u4rxgwy
Vowell, Shirley (D: December 2019)
Littleton, CO https://tinyurl.com/yz5rdv4b
Wright, Sidney C. (D: January 2020)
(Survived by Susanne Wright) Littleton, CO
https://tinyurl.com/scncw6t
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Non-Members
Allen, Beverly (D: October 2019) Littleton, CO
https://tinyurl.com/uhrv2cn
Bond, Elbert “Bert” (D: January 2020)
(Survived by Pam Bond) Littleton, CO
No obituary published
Box, Charles “Chip” (D: November 2019)
(Survived by Deb Box) Littleton, CO
https://tinyurl.com/ql393u2
Bubke, David F. (D: March 2020) (Survived by Margaret Bubke)
Monument, CO
https://tinyurl.com/rubg85t
Claussen, Bonnie A. (D: November 2019) (Survived by Mary Jo Claussen)
Green Valley, AZ
No obituary published
Fait, Lois E. (D: January 2020) Cheyenne, WY
https://tinyurl.com/yf8kbtsu
Hamdorf, Beverly (D: January 2020)
Morrison, CO https://tinyurl.com/t9c5r6m
Hamdorf, Delner (D: September 2019)
Morrison, CO
https://tinyurl.com/v8wm27o
Hedman, Donald W. (D: November 2019) (Survived by Evelyn “Evie” Hedman)
Titusville, FL
https://tinyurl.com/rt6rzkf
Hokanson, Roland (D: January 2020) Picayune, MS
https://tinyurl.com/tpem5rk
Howard, Duane A. (D: November 2019)
(Survived by Lois Howard) Littleton, CO
https://tinyurl.com/teestbh
Kutsuma, Takazumi (D: February 2020)
(Survived by Betty Kutsuma) Westminster, CO
https://tinyurl.com/umgmlfx
Masteller, Richard “Dick” (D: December 2019)
(Survived by Mildred “Mil” Masteller) Littleton, CO
https://tinyurl.com/w2smj7x
McCaslin, Merle R. (D: January 2020) Littleton, CO
https://tinyurl.com/ro5p4ur
Mong, Dan
Littleton, CO No obituary published
Nelson, Sterling Eugene (D: February 2020) Evergreen, CO
https://tinyurl.com/ry5m5t5
Organ, Gordon (D: January 2020) (Survived by Tana Organ)
Keystone NE
https://tinyurl.com/u4ay5fd
Young, Ann (D: February 2020) (Survived by Ford Young)
Centennial, CO
https://tinyurl.com/vc2fajl
Havern School Science Fair – MARS Volunteers By Judy Nielsen ([email protected])
On February 21, 2020, three MARS associates, Mike Cain, Charlie Haupt and Ken Martz, volunteered as
judges for the Havern School Annual Science Fair.
"Havern School is a school, like no other, for
students with learning disabilities. Our students, who range in age from 5 to 14 years and have a
diagnosed learning disability, are offered a 4:1 student-to-staff ratio, master teachers, occupational
therapists, speech/language pathologists and
psychologists who work together to provide a comprehensive program of daily intervention
services. The campus serves an average of 85 students every year who experience challenges such
as ADHD, expressive and receptive languages,
dyscalculia, dysgraphia, dyslexia, executive function, processing speed, visual skills, gross and fine motor
sensory processing disorder and working memory. Some Havern students have a medical diagnosis or
syndrome that includes learning disability features."
(Havern School Website)
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Mike, Charlie and Ken found the children to be extremely
bright and enthusiastic about their science projects. The fair was divided into two sections: one, group projects
and the second, individual projects. The teachers provided a judging matrix for grading by the volunteer
judges. Content, presentation and interpersonal communication were graded to determine the winner in
each category. The students were allotted a 15-minute
time slot to present their projects. Mike and Ken judged the group projects while Charlie and another gentleman
from Lockheed Martin judged the individual projects. The students were engaging and receptive to feedback
as to what was done well and what improvements they
could make for next year's competition. A lot of effort went into this science fair by the students and they are
to be commended for doing an outstanding job!
Mike, Charlie and Ken enjoyed their time with the Havern School students and teachers, and they feel
strongly that this is a community event that should be
supported annually by MARS volunteers.
Volunteering with the Integrated Family Community Services By Rich Vandekoppel ([email protected])
For many years I have felt personally rewarded by
working as a volunteer for IFCS (Integrated Family Community Services) and more recently by serving on
its management board. To use a time-worn expression,
it is a good way to give back to the community.
IFCS serves needy people over a large region - Littleton, Sheridan, Englewood, Glendale, Greenwood, Centennial,
Lone Tree, Highlands Ranch, and some of the
unincorporated Arapahoe County areas. Around 1 in 6 people in those communities experience occasional or
chronic food shortages.
For over 50 years, the organization has served needy people in many ways. IFCS has provided free food from
our supermarket (over 17,000 meals last year) and free
clothing from our racks for children and adults.
They help prevent homelessness by assisting needy with
rent and utilities payments and help find affordable housing and also help victims of crimes. Each year IFCS
provides over 100 Mother’s Day baskets to single
mothers; back-to-school backpacks for 400 students so they have school supplies and new clothes; and holiday-
food-baskets and supplies to about 2,000 needy families and lonely seniors. As a small example of volunteering,
my grandson and I delivered food-baskets and supplies
one Saturday just before last Christmas to widowed seniors who appreciated our visiting with them as much
as they did receiving the baskets.
There are many different volunteer opportunities to
support the IFCS mission. Some of its 2000 volunteers work just a few hours each year by helping with building
maintenance, fundraisers, food-basket deliveries, client
registrations, etc., while others work a half day or more every week to sort food and clothing donations, doing
administrative work, and in other ways.
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You can learn much more about IFCS and volunteering from its website and its Facebook site, both at ifcs.org.
The website has information on how to register for our
many volunteer opportunities, or you can call the Executive Director, Sondra Blythe-Perry, on
(303) 789-0501.
Historian’s Corner By Barb Sande
MARS Facebook Page Historian ([email protected])
ANNOUNCEMENT: October 19, 2020, will be the 15th anniversary of the end of the Titan program.
I am looking for a few retirees who worked on that program (the earlier the better) to
participate in a panel discussion in October
(location and date TBD). Please contact me at the email noted above if you are interested.
Program Profile
This issue profiles the second lunar landing, the Apollo 12 mission. The 50th anniversary occurred in November
2019. The Historian Corner features either a program profile or a History on the Road article, along with the
milestones list. Historical information and program updates are always available on the MARS Associates
Facebook page.
Apollo 12 Mission
Launched: 11/14/1969 16:22:00 AM UTC LC-39A
Splashdown: 11/24/1969 20:58:24 UTC, Southern
Pacific, USS Hornet recovery ship
Saturn V AS-507 Launch Vehicle
Translunar Trajectory 45 lunar orbits
Landing site: Ocean of Storms (lunar mare), located at lunar coordinates 3.01 degrees south, 23.42 degrees
west CSM Call Sign: Yankee Clipper (CSM-108)
LM Call Sign: Intrepid (LM-6)
After the phenomenal success of the first lunar landing mission (Apollo 11), NASA forged ahead with the second
planned mission in 1969, Apollo 12. In contrast to the laconic all-business crew members on Apollo 11, Apollo
12 had a gregarious, all-Navy crew composed of Mission Commander Charles “Pete” Conrad, Jr, LM Pilot Alan L.
Bean and CM Pilot Richard F. Gordon, Jr. They spent
many hours during mission training exchanging jokes and pranks with their back-up crew (Dave Scott, Jim
Irwin and Al Worden, all members of the Air Force, who later flew on Apollo 15).
The mission objectives for the Apollo 12 mission were identified as follows:
1) Perform inspection, survey and sampling in lunar
mare area 2) Deploy an Apollo Lunar Surface Experiment
Package (ALSEP)
3) Develop techniques for a point landing capability 4) Develop capability to work in the lunar environment
5) Obtain photographs of candidate exploration sites.
A secondary objective was an attempt to retrieve
portions of the Surveyor 3 spacecraft, which had soft-landed on April 20, 1967, on the inner slope of a crater
in the targeted Ocean of Storms landing area.
Apollo 12 launched on schedule on November 14, 1969,
into overcast, rainy skies. The wind speeds during ascent were as high as 174.6 mph (151.7 knots), the
highest for any Apollo mission. The weather was a major topic of discussion by Mission Control prior to
11
launch, but no concerns were identified for delays. This
evaluation was immediately brought into play when the upper part of the launch vehicle was struck by the first
of two lightning strikes during ascent at T+36.5 seconds. This first strike was generated on the vehicle
itself and discharged to Earth through the exhaust plume. All three fuel cells in the Service Module (SM)
went offline due to detected overload conditions, along
with much of the CSM instrumentation.
At T+52 seconds, the second strike occurred, knocking
out the “8-ball” IMU attitude indicator in the CM and creating a garbled telemetry stream. Amazingly, the
Saturn V launch vehicle continued to fly normally, as its systems were independent of the CSM. The loss of the
three fuel cells and an A/C inverter lit up nearly every
warning light in the CM.
The Mission Control EECOM (Electrical, Environmental, and Communications) manager John Aaron, a mere 26
years old at the time, recognized the unusual conditions
as being caused by a fault in the Signal Conditioning Electronics (SCE) subsystem, which was used to convert
raw instrumentation signals to standard voltages for encoding and display; normal operations could be
restored by switching the SCE to an auxiliary setting,
allowing it to operate even in low-voltage. Aaron, who
became known as the “steely-eyed missile man” on this mission and Apollo 13, relayed the order to the crew to
“switch SCE to Aux.” Flight director Gerald Griffin, CAPCOM Gerald Carr and Mission Commander Conrad
did not recognize this function. Fortunately, Alan Bean (the LM pilot) knew where the switch was from a
training mission and flipped it, resulting in a return to
nominal conditions. Other actions during ascent brought the fuel cells back online. The crew carefully checked
out the CM and SM functions in orbit and had to restore the IMU to baseline alignment before firing the S-IVB
upper stage; no permanent damage was done by the
lightning strikes.
Apollo 12 entered a lunar transfer trajectory and other tasks on the first day included extraction, docking and
inspection of the Lunar Module. On day 4 (November 18), the mission entered orbit around the moon.
The Intrepid LM crew (Conrad and Bean) separated from CM Yankee Clipper and CM pilot Gordon without incident
and descended for lunar landing on November 19, 1969. Using high-resolution photography from Lunar Orbiter 3,
the high-precision guidance for this flight and future
Apollo flights was finally demonstrated. The descent was mostly automatic, with Conrad taking over for the
final moments to avoid near-field obstacles and try not to damage the Surveyor 3 spacecraft. The descent and
landing also used a feature called the “Snowman” to
precisely identify the landing location. The precision landing was a success, as the Surveyor 3 lander was
only 600 feet from Intrepid; the descent engine did high-velocity sandblasting on the Surveyor. The landing
site was later named Statio Cognitum on lunar maps; Conrad called it “Pete’s Parking Lot”. Gordon was able
to spot their landing site from orbit using a 28X sextant
scope.
Conrad and Bean began preparations for two EVAs on the surface. The first EVA on November 19 began at
11:42:22 UTC with the words from 5’6” Conrad,
stepping onto the surface: “Whoopie! Man, that may have been a small one for Neil, but that’s a long one for
me!” Apparently, Conrad had made a bet with a journalist before the mission about his first words,
because the journalist (believed to be Oriana Fallaci) was skeptical that Armstrong created the memorable
words he spoke on Apollo 11. Bean followed Conrad
approximately 30 minutes later; his first words on the surface were about the brightness of the sun.
One of the first tasks in EVA #1 was to set up a color
television camera near the LM. Unfortunately, the
Secondary Electron Conduction tube in the camera was destroyed when Conrad inadvertently pointed the
camera at the sun. This eliminated any television coverage from the surface for the duration of the
12
mission. This same camera did provide images of the
astronauts descending to the surface before it was damaged. The other tasks during the EVA were the
placement of the flag and deployment of the nuclear-powered ALSEP station, containing 15 active and passive
scientific instruments (seismic, solar wind, lunar ejecta, gravitometer, magnetometer, and a laser ranging
experiment). The ALSEP was the first complex long-
term experiment system deployed on the Moon; Apollo 11 put in a place a simplified earlier version. Apollo 12’s
ALSEP (and the ones placed by Apollo 14, 15, 16, and 17) functioned until September 1977 when budgetary
constraints shut them off. During the EVA a few lunar
soil and rock samples were also obtained. The first EVA ended with Conrad entering Intrepid almost four hours
later and thirteen minutes after Bean.
After a seven-hour rest period, EVA#2 was initiated. Conrad descended at 03:59:00 am UTC on November
20, followed by Bean at 4:06:00 am UTC. The second EVA was a geology traverse by both astronauts that
included a stop at the Surveyor 3 spacecraft and visits to
several nearby craters. The astronauts covered 4300 feet of lunar surface during this traverse and collected
numerous soil and rock samples using a variety of techniques (core tube, trench site and gas sampling).
The lunar regolith (surface dirt and rocks) in the Ocean
of Storms was primarily basalt and the material was found to be hundreds of millions of years younger than
the Apollo 11 samples. Conrad and Bean also took photographs of the Surveyor 3 spacecraft and collected
a painted tube, unpainted tube, the sampling scoop and
the camera from the lander. There were controversial
findings later with the Surveyor 3 camera that it had a
live culture of Streptococcus mitis on it that had survived the lunar conditions. However, the analysis of the
camera on earth was not done in appropriate clean room conditions, resulting in the controversy.
The second EVA lasted 3 hours and 50 minutes. The
crew returned to Intrepid, discarded their lunar suits
onto the surface, ate a meal and then prepared for ascent. After 31.7 hours on the surface, Intrepid’s upper stage ignited and the second crew to walk on the moon headed back to rendezvous with Yankee Clipper. All systems functioned nominally, and docking was a
success. After docking and transferring to Yankee Clipper, the LM upper stage was discarded and impacted
the moon about 40 miles away from the ALSEP. The seismic disturbance lasted almost an hour, surprising
seismologists.
The flight plan had the crew stay an extra day in lunar
orbit and photograph features for future missions and
evaluation. The SPS (Service Propulsion System) engine ignited 172 hours 21 minutes into the mission on
November 21. The return home was uneventful, with only one course correction required. Apollo 12 splashed
down on November 24 approximately 400 miles
southeast of American Samoa. As with the Apollo 11 crew, this crew was immediately transferred to a
quarantine facility for three weeks. They also had a series of parades and publicity tours following
quarantine.
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Personal note about Apollo 12: This second lunar
mission did not seem very exciting for me, when compared to Apollo 11 and subsequent missions. I think
the lack of detailed memories about it is probably due to the fact that coverage was really boring without
television images from the lunar surface, although I do recall listening to some of the broadcasts. It might also
be because at the time of the Apollo 12 mission, I was
now in the ninth grade, facing all of the nonsense that goes on with teenagers at that age.
Crew biographies
Charles “Pete” Conrad, Jr. was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on June 2, 1930. His parents were
wealthy but became impoverished during the Great Depression. Conrad struggled in school because he
suffered from dyslexia but overcame those struggles to be accepted at Princeton University in 1949 on a full
Naval ROTC scholarship. Conrad was commissioned in
the Navy in 1953 and was accepted for the Naval Test Pilot school in Patuxent, Maryland (classmates included
Wally Schirra and Jim Lovell). He logged over 6500 hours of flying time during his naval career. Conrad was
invited to take part in the selection process for the
Mercury Seven, but rebelled at the ridiculous medical tests at the Lovelace Clinic and walked out of the
selection process. Alan Shepard asked Conrad to reapply and he was accepted in the second class of
astronauts in 1962. Conrad’s missions prior to Apollo 12
for NASA included Gemini 5 and Gemini 11, both ground-breaking Gemini missions (duration, docking,
altitude). Conrad’s final mission for NASA was as the commander of the first Skylab mission, which included
spacewalk repairs of the solar panels. After NASA, Conrad worked for ATC and then joined McDonnell-
Douglas in a variety of leadership roles. He had four
children (one deceased) with his first wife Jane. He died from injuries sustained in a motorcycle accident near
Ojai, California on July 8, 1999.
Alan L. Bean was born March 15, 1932 in Wheeler,
Texas. He graduated with a degree in Aeronautical Engineering from the University of Texas and was
commissioned into the Naval Reserve Office Flight Training Corps. He was later accepted into the Naval
Test Pilot School, where his instructor was Pete Conrad. Bean logged over 7,000 hours flight time during his
naval career. In 1963, Bean was selected as part of
Astronaut Group 3 by NASA. After astronaut Clifton Williams died in a plane crash, space opened up on one
of the earlier backup crews for Apollo. Conrad personally requested Bean for the crew of Apollo 12.
After Apollo 12, Bean was the Commander of the Skylab
3 mission. He resigned from NASA in 1981 to pursue a full-time career as an artist. Bean’s space paintings are
considered collector’s items and have been exhibited at the Smithsonian. Bean was married twice and had a
daughter and son from his first marriage. He passed
away on November 8, 2018, after suffering a sudden illness.
Richard F. Gordon, Jr. was born in Seattle,
Washington on October 5, 1929. He attended the University of Washington, graduating with a degree in
Chemistry. Gordon joined the Navy after graduation and
became a naval aviator. He also was accepted at the Naval Test Pilot School in Patuxent, Maryland. Gordon
logged over 4,500 hours of flight time and won the Bendix trophy in 1961 for a cross-country flight record.
He applied and was accepted by NASA as an astronaut
in the third class in 1963. Prior to Apollo 12, Gordon was assigned to Gemini 11 and flew that mission with
Pete Conrad. He was slated to be the Mission Commander of Apollo 18 (canceled due to budget cuts).
After leaving NASA, Gordon worked in the front office for the New Orleans Saints and participated in a leadership
role in several start-up companies, including REDCO
(well fire suppression services) and Astro Sciences Corporation. Gordon had six children by his first wife,
Barbara. He passed away in San Marcos, California, on November 6, 2017.
References for Apollo 12 article
Apollo Flight Journal: https://history.nasa.gov/afj/ NASA Apollo Program:
https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/apollo/missions/a
pollo12.html Wikipedia (source of biographies and overview):
https://www.wikipedia.org
On This Date in History
This section has milestones retrieved from publicly
available information for LM, ULA and heritage programs from 10 to 60 years ago (2010, 2000, 1990, 1980, 1970,
1960). Delta launches prior to the formation of ULA, unless it included an LM or heritage company payload or
upper stage, are not listed. No classified programs are
identified, even if the program is now considered unclassified. The events reflect milestone activity in the
quarter before the release of the MARS STAR — where appropriate, key press releases are also included;
significant milestones are in bold. There will be gaps if no events occurred in that decadal year for that month
(no events January-March 1970). The list is not
intended to be all-inclusive due to historical record inaccuracies.
EVENT OF NOTE: The second Titan III Commercial
launch, on 3/14/1990, ended in failure when the
INTELSAT 603 spacecraft did not separate from Stage II. This was a completely preventable failure that was
caused by design errors and inadequate test-like-you-fly processes. Commercial Titan was designed for a two-
14
payload mission and the first launch was successful on
1/1/1990, with two satellites deployed. INTELSAT 603 was too large for the Titan to accommodate a second
spacecraft. System testing was done assuming a generic two-spacecraft system; in actual flight, Stage
II/spacecraft separation signals went to the forward (non-existent) spacecraft during the mission and no
signal was sent to the aft spacecraft (both conditions
were tested simultaneously without ensuring that independent signal paths were functional). The satellite
and second stage were left in a useless orbit. A later STS mission (STS-49) was able to separate the spacecraft
and attach a kick motor, resulting in eventual success
for INTELSAT 603. In retrospect, I can say with assurance that this failure was PAINFUL; Commercial
Titan III only had two more launches.
Events in January (10 to 60 years ago)
• 01/20/2010: Lockheed Martin Press Release: Lockheed
Martin achieves key integration milestones on First
MUOS (Mobile User Objective System) satellite
• 01/21/2000: LM DSCS III B-8 launched by LM Atlas IIA, SLC-36A, CCAFS
• 01/01/1990: Skynet 4A, JCSAT 2 launched by
Commercial Titan III (first flight), LC-40, CCAFS
• 01/09/1990: STS-32 (Columbia) launched, LC-39B, KSC; LEASAT 5, 5 astronauts
• 01/18/1980: FLTSATCOM 3 launched by GD Atlas SLV-
3D Centaur D1AR, LC-36A, CCAFS
• 01/07/1960: GD Atlas SM-65D launched, LC-13,
CCAFS
• 01/08/1960: Lockheed UGM-27 Polaris A1 launched, LC-29A, CCAFS
• 01/13/1960: Lockheed UGM-27 Polaris A1 launched,
LC-29A, CCAFS
• 01/20/1960: Lockheed UGM-27 Polaris A1 launched, LC-29A, CCAFS
• 01/26/1960: GD Atlas SM-65D launched, LC-576A-3,
VAFB
• 01/27/1960: GD Atlas SM-54D launched, LC-13, CCAFS
• 01/27/1960: Lockheed UGM-27 Polaris A1 launched,
LC-29A, CCAFS
Events in February (10 to 60 years ago) • 02/03/2010: Lockheed Martin Press Release:
Lockheed Martin responds to the FY2011 NASA
Budget Proposal to cancel Orion • 02/08/2010: STS-130 (Endeavour) launched,
LC-39A, KSC; Tranquility and Cupola assemblies for ISS, six astronauts. Last night launch of
Endeavour. • 02/11/2010: Solar Dynamics Observatory (with AIA
and HMI instrument modules built by LM) launched by
ULA Atlas V 401, SLC-41, CCAFS
• 02/03/2000: Hispasat launched by LM Atlas IIAS, SLC-
36B, CCAFS • 02/11/2000: STS-99 (Endeavour) launched, LC-39A,
KSC; Shuttle Radar Topography Mission, six astronauts • 02/28/1990: STS-36 (Atlantis) launched, LC-39B, KSC
(classified satellite), five astronauts • 02/07/1980: Classified launch by MM Titan III(23D),
SLC-4E, VAFB
• 09/09/1980: Navstar 5 launched by GD Atlas E/F-SGS-a, SLC-3E, VAFB
• 02/02/1960: Martin HGM-30A Titan I launched, LC-19, CCAFS
• 02/04/1960: Classified launch by Thor DM-18
Lockheed Agena-A, LC-75-3-4, VAFB (launch failure) • 02/04/1960: Lockheed UGM-27 Polaris A1 launched,
LC-29A, CCAFS • 02/05/1960: Martin HGM-30A Titan I launched, LC-16,
CCAFS (launch failure) • 02/10/1960: Lockheed UGM-27 Polaris A1 launched,
LC-29A, CCAFS
• 02/12/1960: GD Atlas SM-65D launched, LC-13, CCAFS
• 02/19/1960: Classified launch by Thor DM-18 Lockheed Agena-A, LC-75-3-5, VAFB (launch failure)
• 02/24/1960: Martin HGM-30A Titan I launched, LC-15,
CCAFS • 02/26/1960: GD Atlas LV-3A, Lockheed Agena
A launched, LC-14, CCAFS (Launch failure; maiden flight of Atlas/Agena)
• 02/26/1960: Lockheed UGM-27 Polaris A1 launched,
LC-29A, CCAFS (launch failure) Events in March (10 to 60 years ago)
• 03/01/2010: Lockheed Martin Press Release: Orion Team fabricates world’s largest heat shield structure
• 03/04/2010: GOES-P launched by ULA Delta IVB-M+,
SLC-37B, CCAFS • 03/25/2010: Lockheed Martin Press Release: LM and
ATK announce 2nd generation Athena Launch Vehicles • 03/25/2000: LM IMAGE (Aurora research) launched by
Delta II 7326-9.5, SLC-2W, VAFB
• 03/14/1990: INTELSAT 603 launched by Commercial Titan III, LC-40, CCAFS. FAILURE:
Spacecraft separation not achieved. Satellite later rescued by STS-49 mission (see details
above). • 03/03/1980: Classified launch, GD Atlas E/F-MSD, SLC-
3W, VAFB
• 03/08/1960: GD SM-54D Atlas launched, LC-11, CCAFS
• 03/08/1960: Martin HGM-30A Titan I launched, LC-16, CCAFS (launch failure)
• 03/09/1960: Lockheed UGM-27 Polaris A1 launched,
LC-25A, CCAFS • 03/18/1960: Lockheed UGM-27 Polaris A1 launched,
LC-25B, CCAFS
15
• 03/22/1960: Martin HGM-30A Titan I launched, LC-15,
CCAFS • 03/25/1960: Lockheed UGM-27 Polaris A1 launched,
LC-25B, CCAFS
Reference websites: https://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/planetary/chronology.html#
2014
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timeline_of_spaceflight https://www.ulalaunch.com/missions
https://news.lockheedmartin.com/news-releases?year=2020
https://space.skyrocket.de
http: www.astronautix.com
Next Edition
Check back in the next MARS STAR for a program profile of the Hubble Space Telescope, celebrating its
30th anniversary in space in April, 2020!
Barb Sande, MARS STAR and MARS Facebook Page
Historian. Contact me at [email protected] or 303-887-8511 or find MARS Associates on Facebook.
MARS Car Club News
By Roger Rieger
([email protected]) 303-912-6217
Carol Lovelace [email protected]
303-358-7459
Greetings! Our next planned club adventure had been a
visit to the Forney Museum of Transportation on the 4th of February to view their special exhibit of “Lead Sleds”
as well as all the other interesting historical transportation artifacts that they have on display. Well,
wouldn’t you know it, the weather got us again with
another significant snowstorm so we’ve had to postpone what we thought would only be until spring. Now of
course we are all in the middle of this crazy pandemic, and prudent “stay at home” direction so who knows
when we’ll be able to get the cars out and enjoy each other's camaraderie??? Keep an eye tuned to the MARS
website and Facebook page for our reschedule date!
Hope you will be able to join us! We would love to have you join the club and share your beautiful toys!
Meanwhile, these crazy times are a great opportunity to
do the things you’ve been putting off! Washing,
detailing, and making your car beautiful for the upcoming car season are all good “social distancing”
outlets, plus it may help get you out the house to give your spouse/significant other/...some of their own “me”
time away from you! We are all trying to do our part and
make lemonade out of lemons.
As always, the club invites all car enthusiasts to become members, meet other like-minded people, and enjoy and
share our love for the automobile. Be safe out there and hope to see you soon on the open road!
Bridge Club
By Dave & Kathy Martz
“It’s a game of a million inferences. There are a lot of things to draw inferences from — cards played and not played. These inferences tell you something about the probabilities. It's got to be the best intellectual exercise out there. You're seeing through new situations every ten minutes. Bridge is about weighing gain/loss ratios. You're doing calculations all the time.” Warren Buffet
MARS Bridge is currently suspended but we hope to be
back soon. Right now, plans are to evaluate the return on a month-to-month basis, until we receive an all clear
from our many government agencies, the Buck Center is open and our members feel safe to return.
Come join us for our monthly game of bridge! All MARS members and their guests are welcome. We play on the
3rd Friday of each month at the Buck Community Recreation Center (Littleton) from 10 AM to 2 PM.
You’ll need to pack a lunch, as we stop midway to eat. The club provides the cards and all required items for
the games. We also provide coffee, tea, and hot water.
There is a small fee to the Buck Center, as well as a small fee to the club (which helps with supplies and the
year-end party in December).
We have couples, as well as singles, playing. If you’re a
single, invite a friend to be your partner, as your partner does not need to be a member of MARS to play.
If you have any questions, please contact any of the
following Bridge Club Officers:
Presidents:
Dave & Kathy Martz, 303-683-9524 Vice-President:
Bill Kacena, 303-973-2685 Secretary:
Theodore Bornhoeft, 303-933-9730
The 1st Quarter 2020 winners are as follows:
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January 17 (2 1/2 tables)
1st - Bill & Mavis Kacena 2nd - Theodore Bornhoeft & Jerry Baab
3rd - Don & Kathy Marquet
February 21 (3 tables) 1st - Bill & Mavis Kacena
2nd - Dave & Kathy Martz
3rd - Don & Kathy Marquet 4th - Loman & Pat Park
March 20 (Cancelled due to COVID-19
transmission concerns)
Dinner Club
By Becky and Gary Englebright
303-941-3167 (Gary) 303-263-6457 (Becky), and
Anita and Roy Kannady ([email protected])
303-794-9210
After finishing off last year with an excellent Italian
lunch at Angelo’s Tavern, we started off the year with a show and lunch at Benihana. As always, the show was
excellent, and the food was the same. In February we
went to Outback Steakhouse and enjoyed steak or shrimp or both on President’s Day.
Our original plan had been to enjoy a great Chinese
lunch at Imperial Chinese on St. Patrick’s Day; however, due to COVID-19 (Coronavirus), the luncheon was
cancelled.
We had planned to start off the next quarter with Italian
food at Maggiano’s on April 21st, but, due again to COVID-19 (Coronavirus), we cancelled Maggiano’s in
April and rescheduled for October. We are still planning
on a wonderful Mexican meal at Los Dos Potrillos on May 18th and finishing off the quarter with, what else but,
Italian food at Cinzzetti’s on June 30th. It is a good thing that there are a number of good Italian
restaurants in the Denver area because this group really likes Italian food.
We will continue watching how the COVID -19 (Coronavirus) is impacting our community. About 1 to 2
weeks before each of our May and June events, we will send out event status emails to everyone who has
signed up for each event. A BIG THANKS to everyone
for giving us your email addresses. It is so much easier to send out group emails than to try and call everyone.
To everyone who had signed up for either Imperial
and/or Maggiano’s: we put the refund checks in the mail March 26th. Hopefully you will get them soon.
One other change. We are asking for all future events
(at least for this year) that everyone write one check for your group or family for each event and indicate
whether you want us to return your check or shred your
check if we have to cancel the event. We will be holding your check until just before the event and, assuming the
event goes as scheduled, we will cash the checks just before the event.
The restaurants scheduled for the rest of 2020 are as follows:
• May 18th – Los Dos Potrillos (Littleton)
• June 30th – Cinzzetti’s (Northglenn)
• July 20th – Zest (Denver)
• August 18th – Hickory House (Parker)
• September 22nd – Red Lobster (Littleton)
• October 13th – Maggiano’s Little Italy (Englewood)
If you have friends who have been retired for a while, have recently retired or are thinking of retiring, bring
them along. Please remember, venues have attendance
limits, so you should make your reservations sooner rather than later if you wish to attend.
Check the calendar on the back of the STAR for
additional luncheon dates that are scheduled. We
continue to explore the restaurant scene looking for new and interesting places to have lunch. If you have a
suggestion for a new venue, please let us know. (If you call and we aren’t home, please leave a message.) The
Denver area has several excellent German restaurants, but most of them don’t fit our price range or location, so
if someone knows of a German restaurant that fits our
requirements, please let us know.
We have scheduled restaurants each month with the goal of keeping our costs in check, recognizing that
increases are likely. In addition, we will continue to
strive to provide luncheon opportunities that are on the lower end of the scale to help balance the cost.
Remember, the luncheon prices always include the tax and tip.
“Good food is all the sweeter when shared with good friends”
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Golf League
By Bo Rodriguez ([email protected])
Due to the acute impact on the public that the COVID-19 virus is currently causing, Broken Tee Golf
Course has informed our league that it is temporarily closing until further notice. Therefore, our 2020 golf
league season which was to begin on April 2nd will be delayed to a later date, hopefully, later this spring.
Once we are advised by Broken Tee that the golf course
is open and available, our league officers will assess the safeness of league play and with ample time notify our
members before we schedule the first event.
Our MARS golf league held its Kick-off meeting on
Thursday, March 5th, which was well attended. We started the meeting by summarizing the successes of
the 2019 golf season. Our 2020 officers are:
Bo Rodriguez – President Bill Fulkerson – Vice President
Tom Cooke – Secretary/Treasurer
Tom Ripper – Handicap Chair
Bob Knickerbocker gave us a summary slide presentation on golf rules that was informative to our
members. Tom Ripper did a presentation on our use of
Golf Genius, a system that manages weekly player golf schedules as well as golf score entries into the Golf
Handicap Information Network (GHIN). If you are interested to learn more about Bob and Tom’s
presentations, I encourage you to log on to our MARS
website: www.marsretirees.org and click on “Golf”.
For MARS Associate members including spouse or significant other who are thinking about joining a golf
league this year, the nice thing about our league is that there aren’t any up-front green fees costs like other
leagues. We have a pay-only-when-you-play practice so
vacations or personal needs don’t conflict with league play. Players simply indicate on the Golf Genius system
the league dates that they are not available. Come join us! Slots in the MARS golf league are still available this
season when we commence play.
Hiking Club By Sue Janssen
Rather a rough first quarter for the MARS hiking club!
We managed to squeeze in two hikes in January, but no events for February or March! But we are sharing a little
arm-chair hiking experience from Gene Dionne.
Rick Hjelm organized a “snowshoe” on the Abyss Lake Trail on 15 January. We had the perfect day for the first
MARS Hiking adventure of 2020: bluebird skies, no wind and great snow on the trail. We snowshoed about 2.2
miles into the Mt Evans Wilderness Area to the first stream crossing, where we were treated to a beautiful
view up the draw of Mt Bierstadt and Mt Evans. The
trail rises steadily but gently as it follows an old logging road, winding thru pine and aspen forests. We then
retraced our steps back to the trailhead. Lunch followed at Brooks Place Tavern in Aspen Park. I think we all
would recommend it!
Lee Janssen led the first “pop-up” hike – a spontaneous
hike that is more casual than the regular event. Monday, MLK day, 1/20/2020, was predicted to be
sunny and perfect for a slow, lazy hike. No RSVP
required and open to whomever had the notion to go for a walk. The meet-up was at the Stegosaurus parking lot
at 9:45. Just across the highway is the Matthews Winters Open Space trailhead. Anne Herrington, Val
Gregory, Ken Marts and Lee Janssen moseyed along the
Village Walk and Red Rocks trails wearing micro-spikes to gain traction on the icy surface. Post-mosey lunch
was at Lariat Lodge Brewing Company.
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Gene Dionne felt a need to do something more than a
local day hike. So, he headed off to Argentina early in March to do a trek in Patagonia. The exact route is
called the "W Trek" in Torres del Paine National Park on the Chilean side of the Patagonia Mountains. He and his
4 friends spent 7 days total trekking from refugio to refugio, sometimes sleeping in "overflow" tents near the
refugio, and thoroughly enjoyed good weather, great
scenery and meeting lots of international trekkers along the way.
Unfortunately, when they emerged from being off the
grid/internet, they discovered COVID-19 concerns had
closed the Argentinian border behind them and they had to scramble to get back fairly immediately to the US via
Santiago and Mexico City. They are just now emerging from self-imposed quarantine. The "W Trek" is strongly
recommended to our members interested in that kind of
adventure as is the "O Trek" which is slightly longer but
maybe not be quite as spectacular. The refugio's accommodations were rated very highly, comparable to
the Dolomites in Italy and even the Haute Route in Switzerland. Enjoy some spectacular photos of the trail
from your arm-chair.
19
One of the “10 essentials” for hiking is appropriate
footwear. There are so many options to choose from and many hikers have different shoes or boots tailored
to different terrain: trail runners to light-weight hikers to mountaineering boots. But remember that no matter
the type of boot it should fit well and offer both support and protection. Socks are also important and should
wick moisture away from your skin. Us “old school”
hikers recall the days of grey rag wool socks and are thrilled to have modern synthetics that retain their
shape. Also, sometimes it is wise to add gaiters to keep snow, dirt, gravel, and seeds off of your socks and out
of your boots. Happy hikers have happy feet!
We’ll be hiking as soon as the state and counties have
relaxed restrictions due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Hopefully you can get outside on local trails until then.
If you wish to join the MARS Hiking Club, contact Sue Janssen at [email protected] who will add you
to the club distribution list. Please provide your email
address, home phone and cell phone for the roster. The schedule of hikes is posted on the MARS website
(https://www.marsretirees.org/). Even if you have never gone snowshoeing or hiking you are welcome to
join in the fun.
Happy trails!
The MARS Associates Website By Jim Kummer
In the recent past, some MARS members have received a worrisome message from their browser when
connecting with the MARS website. This message said
in effect “this website unsafe – proceed at your own risk”. While there is nothing inherently unsafe about our
website, to receive this message is a bit unnerving. A website address that leads with “http” is the most
evident feature that signals a possible “unsafe” website.
We’ve most recently taken the necessary step to address this concern, which entailed adding an SSL Certificate to
our web service provider. This certificate makes “https” the leading portion of our web address. The acronym
SSL stands for “Secure Sockets Layer,” techno speak for the encrypting of the data transmission when the
Certificate is present. This extra cost feature of our web
service was a worthwhile acquisition to ensure the safe browsing for our MARS members.
The MARS website continues to improve its user
interface and content. We are incrementally adding
online registration and payment for MARS events, which many members have been requesting. The website
informs members of club status and event planning. We list a monthly Site of the Month for the enjoyment of our
members. Below are the most recent for the past
quarter.
Jan – Lockheed Martin Feature Stories lockheedmartin.com/en-us/news
/features.html
Feb – Income Tax Information:
Federal - www.irs.gov Colorado State - www.colorado.gov/tax
Resources for Free Tax Preparation
Mar – Follow the Nomination and Election
Progress at electoral-vote.com
Your website committee members welcome your suggestions for improvement, and for proposed
websites of the month. Email them to me at [email protected]. Your website committee
members are: Bob Knickerbocker, Linda Stearns,
Duane “Smitty” Smetana, Al Butvidas, and Jim Kummer (Webmaster).
Photography Club
By John Chapter [email protected] 303-986-8277
Photography Club Background The MARS Photography Club meets at the Littleton Bemis Library, located at 6014 S. Datura Street, in
Littleton, Colorado, from 1:00 PM to 3:30 PM, in a downstairs meeting room. Normally we meet the
second Thursday of the month. Each meeting includes a presentation and a friendly print competition. Selected
competition winners appear on the MARS Retirees website in the Photography Club section. Please note
that we do not meet in June, July, August for summer
vacation. The MARS Photography Club meetings for March 12, April 9. and May 14, 2020, were cancelled because of
the COVID-19 virus pandemic. Please see the
Photography Schedule Table of the MARS Associates website (www.marsretirees.org, under Photography Club) for our latest meeting schedule.
Meeting Presentations This Quarter we had two Photography Club meetings: 1) January 9, 2020, by Jim Kummer on his Utah Trip to Animal Sanctuary and National Parks/Monuments, and
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February 13, 2020 by John Chapter, on Judging Photography and Making of Portfolios.
Jim Kummer’s January, presentation included the image below of Zion National Park.
Our January print competition was won by BJ Anthony
with “Stairway to Nowhere by the Ocean,” an artful black and white image.
John Chapter’s February presentation was on
photography tips to help win competitions. We would like to congratulate BJ Anthony, who won the print
competition for the second month in a row with an image “Morning Light on Organ Pipes”.
Joining Our Club
MARS Retiree members can join the MARS Photography Club by just stopping by one of our meetings. We would
love to have you be a part of our club where membership is fun, you can share your great vacation
trip images and the only requirement is that you are a MARS Retirees member. We currently have about
twenty active club members and most meetings are
attended by about fifteen members. If you have any questions or comments, please contact John Chapter, our club President at [email protected].
Colorado Springs Lockheed Martin Retiree Group News By Doug Tomerlin
Our retiree group tried something different to get some of our members together this quarter. We held an
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“Impromptu Lunch.” An email was sent out to the
retirees announcing the Impromptu Lunch a few days prior to the event. Retirees were asked to show up at
the Zapata Taco Shop in Colorado Springs between 1:00 and 1:30 PM on January 23rd. Zapata’s is a relatively
new restaurant where you order at the front counter and sit wherever you like. The restaurant has a number of
long tables, allowing 8 to 10 to sit at each table. We
had 26 retirees attend and everyone had a great time eating and visiting. The group plans to conduct
additional Impromptu lunches in the future.
We welcome the following retirees who have joined the
Colorado Springs Lockheed Martin Retiree Group since the last newsletter:
• Mark Fini
• Judy Arnold
We are all deeply saddened by the passing away of
fellow retirees:
• Shirley Walters Robinette
• Charles Manis
• Phil Foddrell
If you would like more information about the Colorado
Springs Lockheed Martin Retiree Group or luncheons, please contact Doug Tomerlin at [email protected].
Cape Canaveral News By Dick Olson
Luncheons
January – Had a light turnout this month. It must be
because it takes us old folks longer to heal up after a wild New Year’s Eve party. Present were: Wendell
McDaniels, Bill Rhode, Ken Hawes, Bill Masterson, Frank
Indihar, Jerry Moskovitz, Jimmy Weddle, Roger Wright, Ken Webb, and someone we haven't seen for a while,
Herb Matthias.
Had an email from Tom Cooper wondering about Steve
Androsko. Nobody at lunch had a status on Steve. Anyone have any info?
Talked about the Titan reunion scheduled for May 2nd.
If you have an input you can join the telecon on Jan 7th
at 11:00AM MST (1:00 EST) at 425-436-6200, access code 462-385, or send an email to Ben at
Hope everybody had a happy holiday season and wish you a great 2020.
February – Another light turnout this month. Present
were Wendell McDaniels, Roger Barickman, Abe Smith, Lynn Johnson, Don Anderson (who just turned 87) and
his wife, Dave Kintigh, Ken Webb, Roger Wright, Jimmie Weddle, and Larry Gleason.
Noted in the paper that Ulysess Bradshaw passed away
in South Carolina. Brad worked in repro for many years
at the Cape and moved to South Carolina after his retirement.
Lynn Johnson is gathering up info on the Gemini
program and the Titan people that worked it for our
upcoming Titan reunion. If you have info, please get a hold of Lynn at "[email protected]".
Next week is Valentine's Day so wish you a loving day.
March – Better than usual turnout today. Must be the
nice weather. Present were: Don Anderson and his
daughter Tammy, Abe Smith, Bill Masterson, Vince Alderman, Dave Kintigh, Wes Hutchison, Hal Castleton,
Frank Indihar, Jerry Moskovitz, Jimmy Weddle, Ken Hawes, Bill Rhode, Roger Wright, Lynn Johnson, Jim Gill,
Bob Matschner, Ken Webb, Cathy Klein, and Larry
Gleason.
Cathy reports that so far 42 people have signed up for the Reunion Saturday event, 19 for the Friday evening
event and 1 for the golf tournament. I encourage
everyone to send in their reservation forms and I know there is more than 1 golfer out there.
Jimmy Weddle brought in copies of a Gemini group
picture from 1966 with names. Lynn will make it available for the reunion.
I wish everyone a happy St. Patrick's Day.
Lockheed Martin (LM) News
Lockheed Martin Delivers the U.S. Air Force Reserve’s First HC-130J Combat King II These Reservists are long-time operators of legacy HC-130 P/N Combat King combat search-and-rescue
aircraft, flying and maintaining HC-130s since the 1960s — using HC-130s to save more than 3,000 lives. The
HC-130J is the sole dedicated fixed-wing personnel
recovery platform operated by the Air Force, Air Force Reserve and Air National Guard.
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The 920th RQW and 39th RQS also have the distinction of being the Air Force Reserve’s only HC-130J operators
and will eventually have an HC-130J fleet to support
mission requirements.
Like others in the U.S. Air Force Rescue community, the
920th RQW and the 39th RQS live by the motto, "That Others May Live," which reflects the mission of
supporting combat search and rescue anywhere in the
world. These crews rely on HC-130s to also extend the range its HH-60 Pave Hawk combat search and rescue
helicopters, which were manufactured by Lockheed Martin’s Sikorsky business in Stratford, Connecticut.
Often tasked for airdrop, airland, and helicopter air-to-
air refueling and forward-area ground refueling missions, the HC-130’s mission capabilities also include
humanitarian aid operations, disaster response, security cooperation/aviation advisory, emergency aeromedical
evacuation and noncombatant evacuation operations.
“From supporting humanitarian relief efforts on the Florida coast to making combat rescues in Southeast Asia, the 920th’s HC-130s have exemplified the
reputation of being tried and true workhorses for 60 years,” said Rod McLean, vice president and general
manager, Air Mobility & Maritime Missions at Lockheed
Martin. “As we salute one fleet for a lifetime’s worth of work, we are also excited to commemorate a new era
with the arrival of the U.S. Air Force Reserve’s first HC-130J Combat King II. This HC-130J provides the Citizen
Airmen with increased power, capability and
performance to continue to support critical missions close to home and around the world.”
Compared to legacy platforms, the HC-130J Combat
King II offers significant performance and capabilities advancements, to include fuel efficiencies, improvement
in payload/range capabilities, an integrated defensive suite, automated maintenance fault reporting, high-
altitude ramp and door hydraulics, and unmatched situational awareness with its digital avionics and dual
Head Up Displays.
The HC-130J is one of nine production variants of the C-
130J Super Hercules, the current production model of the legendary C-130 Hercules aircraft. With more than
450 aircraft delivered, the C-130J is the airlifter of choice
for 20 nations. The global Super Hercules fleet has more
than 2 million flight hours of experience supporting
almost any mission requirement — any time, any place. The U.S. government operates the largest C-130J Super
Hercules fleet in the world. This delivery continues the U.S. government's transition to the C-130J as the
common platform across Air Mobility Command, Air Force Special Operations Command, Air Combat
Command, U.S. Coast Guard and U.S. Marine Corps. The
Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve Command
currently operate a mixed fleet of C-130J and older Hercules aircraft.
United Launch Alliance News
United Launch Alliance Successfully Launches First National Security Space Mission for the U.S. Space Force
Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla., (March 26,
2020) – A United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas V rocket carrying the sixth Advanced Extremely High Frequency
(AEHF) communications satellite for the U.S. Space Force’s Space and Missile Systems Center lifted off from
Space Launch Complex-41 on March 26 at 4:18 p.m.
EDT. This marks the 83rd successful launch of an Atlas V rocket, 138th launch for ULA and first mission for the
U.S. Space Force.
“The success of today’s launch is the culmination of
years of dedication, hard work and teamwork with several of our mission partners,” said Gen. Jay
Raymond, Chief of Space Operations, U.S. Space Force. “From our acquisition experts at SMC, to the satellite
developers at Lockheed Martin, to the aircrews at Air Mobility Command, and our range support teams at the
45th Space Wing, we greatly appreciate the
collaboration with the ULA team who all contributed to this historic, first National Security Space launch under
the U.S. Space Force,” added Raymond. “On behalf of the U.S. Space Force and all of our joint warfighters who
depend on protected SATCOM, thank you and
congratulations on today’s successful launch.”
“Congratulations to the U.S. Space Force on liftoff of your first mission,” said Tory Bruno, ULA president and
CEO. “We are proud to be your partner for this historic mission and honored to have launched the entire
Lockheed Martin produced AEHF constellation on Atlas V
rockets. We understand the critical importance of delivering protected communications to strategic
command and tactical warfighters operating on ground, sea and air.”
This mission launched aboard an Atlas V 551 configuration vehicle, producing more than two and a
half million pounds of thrust at liftoff. The most powerful in the Atlas V fleet, the Atlas V 551 includes a 5-meter
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Payload Fairing (PLF) and stands at 197 ft. tall. The
Atlas booster for this mission was powered by the RD AMROSS RD-180 engine. Aerojet Rocketdyne
provided the five AJ-60A solid rocket boosters (SRBs) and RL10C-1 engine for the Centaur upper stage.
With the launch of AEHF-6, the RL10 engine has flown
500 times, including hundreds of times on ULA and ULA
heritage vehicles.
“Thank you to the Aerojet Rocketdyne team for your outstanding partnership,” said Gary Wentz, ULA vice
president of Government and Commercial Programs.
“The RL10 is integral to our unique Centaur upper stage, supporting ULA’s launches of military, civil and
commercial satellites and has sent spacecraft to explore every planet in our solar system.”
ULA's next launch is USSF-7 in support of the U.S. Space
Force in May 2020.
With more than a century of combined heritage, ULA is the world’s most experienced and reliable launch service
provider. ULA has successfully launched more than 135 missions to orbit that provide Earth observation
capabilities, enable global communications, unlock the
mysteries of our solar system, and support life-saving technology.
For more information on ULA, visit the ULA website
at www.ulalaunch.com, or call the ULA Launch Hotline at
1-877-ULA-4321 (852-4321). Join the conversation at www.facebook.com/ulalaunch, twitter.com/ulalaunch
and instagram.com/ulalaunch.
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Lunch on Monday, July 20th, 2020 Join your fellow MARS Associates for a wonderful lunch at
Zest 2740 S. Wadsworth Blvd, Denver, CO 80227
(see map on back)
303-984-4722
Lunch will be served at Noon.
Featuring a Strawberry Almond Spinach Salad and Peach Melba for dessert. Coffee and
iced tea are included. Cash bar will be available for all other drinks.
(Tax and gratuity included.)
Seating is LIMITED to 60
$25/person
Please write 1 check per event. We will hold your check until we know if the event will take
place. Please indicate on the reservation form below how you would like us to handle your
check in case we need to cancel the event.
Please complete the form shown below and mail it, along with your check, payable to
MARS Associates Dinner Club by July 11th, 2020 to
Becky and Gary Englebright
7855 S. Vance Ct.
Littleton, CO 80128
303-941-3167 or 303-263-6457
If you need to cancel, please let us know no later than July 12th to receive a refund.
Lunch at Zest on Monday, July 20th, 2020 Name(s): _______________________________ Number of Attendees: _____
Address: _______________________________ Amount of Check: $_______
City/State/Zip: __________________________ Check Number: __________
Phone Number: _________________________ Date: ___________________
Email: __________________________________________________
6oz NY steak, carmelized crimini mushrooms, mashed potatoes, green beans
Pan-seared salmon, tomato basil relish, aged balsamic vinegar, mashed potatoes,
green beans
Airline chicken, sun-dried tomato crust, smoky rosemary jus, mashed potatoes,
green beans
Shred check Return check
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Lunch on Tuesday, August 18th, 2020
Join your fellow MARS Associates for a wonderful lunch at
Hickory House BBQ 10335 S. Parker Rd., Parker, CO 80134
(see map on back)
303-805-9742
Lunch will be served at Noon.
Featuring a customized Family Style menu of coleslaw, baked beans, garlic toast, BBQ ribs,
chicken, beef brisket, pulled pork, desserts and non-alcoholic beverages. Cash bar will be
available. (Tax and gratuity included.)
Seating is LIMITED to 60
$29/person
Please write 1 check per event. We will hold your check until we know if the event will take place.
Please indicate on the reservation form below how you would like us to handle your check in case
we need to cancel the event.
Please complete the form shown below and mail it, along with your check, payable to MARS
Associates Dinner Club by August 10th, 2020 to
Becky and Gary Englebright
7855 S. Vance Ct.
Littleton, CO 80128
303-941-3167 or 303-263-6457
If you need to cancel, please let us know no later than August 10th to receive a refund.
Lunch at Hickory House BBQ on Tuesday, August 18th, 2020
Name(s): _________________________________ Number of Attendees: _____
Address: _________________________________ Amount of Check: $_______
City/State/Zip: ____________________________ Check Number: __________
Phone Number: ___________________________ Date: ___________________
Email: __________________________________________________
Shred check Return check
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Map to Hickory House BBQ
10335 S. Parker Rd., Parker, CO 80134
303-805-9742
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Lunch on Tuesday, September 22th, 2020
Join your fellow MARS Associates for a wonderful lunch at
Red Lobster 5656 S. Wadsworth Blvd., Littleton, CO 80123
(see map on back)
303-978-1416
Lunch will be served at Noon.
Featuring a plated lunch including soup or salad, Cheddar Bay biscuits, entreé, dessert, coffee
and tea. Cash bar will be available for sodas and alcoholic beverages. (Tax and gratuity
included.)
Seating is LIMITED to 60
$26/person
Please write 1 check per event. We will hold your check until we know if the event will take place.
Please indicate on the reservation form below how you would like us to handle your check in case we
need to cancel the event.
Please complete the form shown below and mail it, along with your check, payable to MARS
Associates Dinner Club by September 10th, 2020 to
Becky and Gary Englebright
7855 S. Vance Ct.
Littleton, CO 80128
303-941-3167 or 303-263-6457
If you need to cancel, please let us know no later than September 13th to receive a refund.
Lunch at Red Lobster on Tuesday, September 22th, 2020
Name(s): _________________________________ Number of Attendees: _____
Address: _________________________________ Amount of Check: $_______
City/State/Zip: ____________________________ Check Number: __________
Phone Number: ___________________________ Date: ___________________
Email: __________________________________________________
Shred check Return check
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Map to Red Lobster
5656 S. Wadsworth Blvd., Littleton, CO 80123
303-978-1416
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ANNUAL MEETING – March 4, 2020, Pinehurst Country Club
Celebrating MARS Associates’ 35th Anniversary
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See More Pictures at the MARS Retiree Website www.marsretirees.org
Schedule Addendum (See last page)
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PRESORTED STANDARD
US POSTAGE PAID
LITTLETON, CO PERMIT NO. 245
ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED Sponsored by LOCKHEED MARTINSponsored by LOCKHEED MARTIN
P.O. Box 1128
LITTLETON, CO 80160