SRS Heritage Foundation Receives Grants

The SRS Heritage Foundation was notified in July 2011 it had received two Accommodation Tax Grants from Aiken County. The larger grant of $15,000 will be used to complete the design of exhibits for the proposed Ellenton Heritage Trail. This study will use historical material collected by the Savannah River Archaeological Research Project and the Foundation's Ellenton Trail Committee to develop themes, narratives, and signage for the trail, which will be educational and enjoyable for visitors.

The second grant of $5,000 will allow the Foundation to begin collecting video interviews of people associated with the early days of SRS. These videos of employees and people who lived near the Site in the early 1950s will be archived and used in a video that was requested by local teachers who worked with the Foundation on the video "Displaced".

Preserving the SRS 'GEM'--Well into the Future

We were thrilled by the results of the 60 Years of Environmental Science at SRS Celebration, sponsored by the Foundation, at the USCA Etherredge Center on August 20, 2011. A reunion of SRS environmental scientists and researchers from the past 60 years was enjoyed by about 30 people on Friday evening at the SREL Conference Center. On Saturday, 105 people were in the audience at 9:00 am for the beginning of the symposium, with many more dropping in for specific talks. Approximately 75 attendees stayed to the closing at 3:00 pm. Meanwhile, about 200 visitors visited the Ruth Patrick Science Education Center to interact with the turtles, snakes and raptors. Audience reaction to the Celebration was solidly enthusiastic. The Aiken Standard did an excellent article in their Sunday newspaper the following day (if you missed it, there's a copy in the notebook in the Foundation office).

The taped recording of the Celebration and personal videos recorded during lunch will enable the SRS Heritage Foundation to continue publicizing environmental science in coming years. Thus, the impact of the Celebration will persist well into the future.

Celebrating 60 Years of Environmental Sciences at the Savannah River Site

Environmental studies that began within months of the announcement of the Savannah River Project were extraordinary at the time and led the world in establishing the discipline of environmental science. The SRS Heritage Foundation is sponsoring a Celebration of 60 Years of Environmental Science at SRS to highlight the early pioneering work at SRS and the continuing studies that have made SRS the nation’s first National Environmental Research Park and the most-thoroughly studied site in the nation.
The Celebration of 60 Years of Environmental Science at SRS will be held on the USCA campus on Saturday, August 20, 2011. The celebration is intended for students, teachers and the general public. Activities will last from 9:00 to 3:00 with talks at the Etherredge Center by nationally-known scientists that will highlight the history, status and future plans for environmental science at the Savannah River Site. A lunch break will provide time to eat and visit exhibits in the Center, and the Ruth Patrick Science Education Center, illustrating environmental programs and displaying live animals and birds. Participants in the Celebration will include the:
* Savannah River Ecology Laboratory of the University of Georgia
* Savannah River National Laboratory of the US Department of Energy
* US Forest Service of the US Department of Agriculture
* Ruth Patrick Science Education Center of USCA
* Friends of Hitchcock Woods

The public is invited to attend the Celebration and admission will be free.
Save the date of August 20th for an interesting and enjoyable day.

Four New Members Join Board of Directors

Four new members recently joined the SRS Heritage Foundation Board of Directors:

Joe Ortaldo has a BS and MS in Chemical Engineering and 42 years of experience in chemical and nuclear industries. He spent 24 years at SRS before retiring in 2004. He has been a member of the SRS Citizens Advisory Board and the Health Effects Subcommittee of the Centers for Disease Control.

Karen Patterson worked at SREL for 15 years. Since leaving SREL she has worked as an environmental consultant on projects supporting WSRC, SRNL and DOE. She served on the Citizens Advisory Board for 10 years and is a member of the CNTA Board of Directors and the SC Governor’s Nuclear Advisory Council.

Kent Sullivan graduated from Auburn University and was a cooperative education student at SRS prior to full-time employment in 1973. He retired in 2005 and is now a Senior Associate with Longnecker & Associates. He has served as a City Councilman in North Augusta and currently is Membership Chairman of the SRS Retirees Association and Vice Chairman of the SRP Federal Credit Union.

Bruce Wilson retired as Deputy Manager of the SRS Office of National Security Administration after 35 years of federal service at SRS with the Atomic Energy Commission, Energy Research & Development Administration, the Department of Energy and NNSA.

We are delighted to welcome these talented and experienced new members to the Foundation Board.

SRNS is Foundation Santa

SRNS presented an early Christmas gift to the Heritage Foundation in the form of a check for $10,000. The surprise presentation was made at the SRNS Christmas Drop-in by Clif Webb, SRNS Vice President of Public Affairs. Clif Webb noted that the check qualifies SRNS as a Corporate Sponsor of the Foundation. Fred Dohse, SRNS Executive Vice-President and Chief Operating Officer, also enthusiastically endorsed the work of the Heritage Foundation in preserving the history of the Savannah River Site.