December 6, 2006

• Philadelphia Town Hall Named as Historic Landmark
  
  Liquor Serving and Liability, Part II
  
  Membership
  
  Who Will Represent Your Section at the 2007 Leadership Training in Government Relations Program?
  
  ASCE Seeks 12th Congressional Fellow
  
  TISP Call for Nominations: Annual Award for Distinguished Leadership in Critical Infrastructure Resilience
  
  ASCE Co-Sponsors Benjamin Banneker Institute for Science and Technology Awards Gala
  
  "Design Squad" Summit
  
  Annual Structural Chairs Meeting Held in Las Vegas
  
  The American Academy of Water Resources Engineers (AAWRE) Currently Accepting Nominations
  
  Lifelong Learning: Learn GIS Applications in Water, Wastewater, and Stormwater Systems Online
  
  Mark Your Calendar
  
  Region Board of Governors
  
  Committee on Geographic Units (CGU)
  
  Executives
  
  Geographic Services Department
  
  Contact Information
  
  
  
  
  Region Boards of Governors
  
  Committee on Geographic Units
  
  Executives
  
  Geographic Services Department
  
  Contact Information
  
• ASCE

On May 22, 2006, the Philadelphia Section conducted a ceremony to formally cite Philadelphia’s City Hall as a National Historic Civil Engineering Landmark.  The weather cooperated with a fine sunny spring afternoon for a short dedication event on the North Plaza of the building, followed by a reception and lunch inside at Conversation Hall.  A crowd of over 200 people turned out for the event, which was well-covered by local media.

City Hall is literally in the heart of Philadelphia, in Center Square – William Penn’s exact geographical center of his Plan of Philadelphia.  This building, designed by Philadelphia architect John McArthur, is the largest municipal building in the United States and the largest masonry building in the world.   The 510-foot structure, topped by a 37-foot statue of William Penn, took 30 years to build, finally being completed and opened for use in 1901.  It is undergoing a major renovation which includes its first exterior cleaning. 

The plaque recognizing City Hall as a National Historic Civil Engineering Landmark was mounted in the East Portal of the building prior to the dedication ceremony, and a photo replica of it was unveiled at the dedication.  Dignitaries attending the ceremony included, from the left to right:  ASCE District 4 Director, Peter Terry; ASCE Executive Director, Pat Natale; 2006 ASCE President, Dennis Martenson; ASCE Philadelphia Section President, Carol Martsolf; ASCE Philadelphia Section Past President, Christopher Menna; Assistant Managing Director, City of Philadelphia, James Donaghy; Chief of Staff, Office of Philadelphia City Councilman Francis Rizzo, Stewart Graham; ASCE Treasurer, Moustafa Gouda ; ASCE Zone I Vice President, Anni Autio ;  and Philadelphia Section ASCE Past President, Ruben David.

 

In the November Section Informant, we reported to you on the possibility that ASCE Sections and Branches could face civil liability for accidents caused by individuals who were served alcohol at a function sponsored by the Section. Since publishing that article, ASCE has received a number of responses from ASCE Section representatives, requesting additional information on liquor service liability in a particular state.

While it would be impossible to include in this newsletter a complete analysis of the rules governing liquor service liability across the United States, ASCE can provide the following general guidelines on the existence of these laws in the 50 states and the District of Columbia.

Dram Shop Laws

Dram shop laws, as explained in the previous article, are laws providing that persons or establishments who sell alcohol to an intoxicated person or minor can be held liable for injuries or damages caused by the intoxicated person.

The following states and territories have enacted some type of dram shop law, either by legislative act or through case law:

Alabama	Maine	Oklahoma
Alaska	Massachusetts	Oregon
Arizona	Michigan	Pennsylvania
Arkansas	Minnesota	Rhode Island
Colorado	Mississippi	South Carolina
Connecticut	Missouri	Tennessee
District of Columbia	Montana	Texas
Florida	New Hampshire	Utah
Georgia	New Jersey	Vermont
Hawaii	New Mexico	Washington
Idaho	New York	West Virginia
Illinois	North Carolina	Wisconsin
Iowa	North Dakota	Wyoming
Kentucky	Ohio

The following states, conversely, do not impose civil liability on persons or establishments for sale of alcohol:

California	Louisiana	Nevada
Delaware	Maryland	South Dakota
Kansas	Nebraska	Virginia

Social Host Liability

States having social host liability laws may impose civil liability for the acts of an intoxicated person or minor on persons or establishments who served alcohol to the individual at a social event or function.

The following states have imposed civil liability on social hosts for service of alcohol to an intoxicated person or minor:

Alabama	Massachusetts	Ohio
Arizona	Michigan	Oregon
Colorado	Minnesota	Pennsylvania
Connecticut	Mississippi	Tennessee
Florida	Montana	Utah
Georgia	New Hampshire	Vermont
Hawaii	New Jersey	Washington
Idaho	New Mexico	Wisconsin
Iowa	New York	Wyoming
Louisiana	North Carolina
Maine	North Dakota

The following states and territories do not impose civil liability on social hosts:

Alaska	Kentucky	South Carolina
Arkansas	Maryland	South Dakota
California	Missouri	Texas
Delaware	Nebraska	Virginia
District of Columbia	Nevada	West Virginia
Illinois	Oklahoma
Kansas	Rhode Island

This list is intended only to indicate the states that have imposed some form of civil liability for sale or social service of alcohol beverages; the amount and extent of that liability varies greatly from state to state. For example, while Colorado imposes civil liability for sale of alcohol to minors, obviously intoxicated persons, and “known drunkards,” Wisconsin’s dram shop liability laws extend only to sale of alcohol to minors.

For individuals wishing to learn more about this issue, the Mothers Against Drunk Driving website is an excellent source of information on liquor service and a variety of other alcohol-related state laws.

>>You may find this resource at: http://www.madd.org/stats/1113

When Members Renew, They Can Win Great Prizes

Joseph A. Valdes, P.E., M.ASCE and William R. Merwarth, P.E., F.ASCE are the newest winners in ASCE’s early renewal drawings.  Valdes, a member from New Brunswick, N.J., won a 30GB iPod Video, while Merwarth, a member of the Ithaca Section won a Samsung Portable DVD Player with 12" LCD.

Encourage your members to renew before Dec. 13 for a chance to win either a Dell Inspiron XPS (M1710) Laptop or a Sharp AQUOS 37" LCD TV.  Those who renew online double their chances of winning, while those using their ASCE credit card triple their chances.

>>Renew online at www.asce.org/renewal

‘Tis the Season To Visit the ASCE Gift Store

Have you and your members finished holiday shopping yet?  ASCE’s online gift store makes it easy to buy for the civil engineer on your list.  Plus, receive 10 percent off all purchases for the rest of 2006 on great items like holiday ornaments, new long and short-sleeve button downs, Cutter and Buck polos, and pen and pencil sets.  Or, dress down with vintage casual items like sweatshirts, tees, polos, hat-tee combos, windbreakers, and jackets. 

>>Complete your holiday shopping at www.asce.org/giftstore

Your Section/Branch Can Host a Local West Point Bridge Design Contest

What inspired you to become a civil engineer?  Help the next generation of young engineers find their inspiration by participating in The West Point Bridge Design Contest’s Internet-based competition.  Your Section or Branch can host a Local Contest for high school and middle school kids in the area that introduces them to civil engineering in a realistic and fun environment, and allows your Section/Branch to build its community presence and the future of the profession. 

>>For more details, visit http://bridgecontest.usma.edu/local.htm.

Important Deadline Approaching

Feb. 1 is the date nominations are due for younger member awards:  Edmund Friedman Young Engineer Award for Professional Achievement, Daniel W. Mead Prize for Younger Members and the Younger Member Group Award.  Comprehensive information about these awards can be found at www.asce.org/awards. Can’t figure out which award your candidate fits?  There’s a brand new tool on the Web that will help. 

>>Visit www.asce.org/awards and click on What Award Am I Eligible For?

FTP Data Hint - Involve Local Companies and Agencies
Sort data based on your members' company to determine how many members you have in a particular company or agency. Contact those members to hold a Section or Branch meeting on-site or invite the head of that company or agency to give a talk. Their participation is a potential source for new members and opens networking opportunities for your current Section/Branch and its members. ASCE offers a brochure to help establish these new avenues of communication with companies and agencies.

>>To request more information, call (800) 548-ASCE (2723) or e-mail member@asce.org.

Applications for the 2007 Leadership Training in Government Relations Program, or the “Legislative Fly-In”, March 7-8, 2007 in Washington, D.C. are now available on the ASCE Web site at http://www.asce.org/govrel then click on ‘Leadership Training in Government Relations’ under Programs/Resources.

Section and Branch leaders should have received an email regarding the Program in late November.  With so many new members of congress to educate, we would like to see as many Sections as possible represented at this year’s Program.

Any ASCE member is encouraged to attend free of charge.  A limited number of travel stipends are available for qualified attendees.  Applications to attend are due to ASCE’s Washington Office by Friday, Jan. 12, 2007.  Applications for travel reimbursement must be approved by the Section President before submission and attendees should be committed to sharing their experiences with fellow Section and Branch members once they return from Washington.

For further information contact Leslie Nolen at lnolen@asce.org or 202-789-7846.

ASCE is now beginning the process of selecting our 12th Congressional Fellow.  The ASCE Congressional Fellows Program provides an opportunity for an ASCE member to work for one year on the staff of a Congressional Committee, U.S. Senator or member of the U.S. House of Representatives.  The deadline for applications is March 16, 2007 for the Fellowship year beginning Sept. 1, 2007

Congressional Fellows participate directly in the lawmaking process and learn how the federal government operates.  In addition, Congress gets the necessary engineering expertise and, at the end of the fellowship year, the civil engineering community has an engineer with an in-depth knowledge of the congressional decision making process.  

Once chosen as a Congressional Fellow by the ASCE Congressional Fellows Committee, an ASCE member selects his or her congressional assignment through interviews with congressional offices.  ASCE Congressional Fellows are expected to choose assignments with committees or members with jurisdiction over transportation, infrastructure, environment or technology issues and programs.  ASCE’s current Fellow, Stephan Butler, will begin his Fellowship assignment in January, working in the office of Senator Mary Landrieu (D-LA).  He will be working on rebuilding infrastructure (New Orleans, Mississippi River and coast line) and emergency preparedness and response.  

 

>>For more information, visit the Congressional Fellows pages on ASCE’s Web site at: http://www.asce.org/pressroom/publicpolicy/cfprogram.cfm or contact Martin Hight, Senior Manager, Government Relations at mhight@asce.org or 202-789-7843.

The TISP Annual Award for Distinguished Leadership in Critical Infrastructure Resilience recognizes the exceptional leadership of individuals who have made significant and lasting contributions to Critical Infrastructure Resilience. Two awards will be presented each year, one for outstanding contributions in the public sector and one in private industry. Nominations must be submitted by Dec. 31, 2006. Only electronic nominations submitted at http://www.tisp.org/award will be considered. Award winners will be announced and honored at the TISP 6th Annual Congress Awards Luncheon on March 28, 2007 in Arlington, Va.  

>>For Information on Award Criteria and Online Nomination Form 

On Nov. 17, 2006, ASCE co-sponsored the Banneker Institute for Science and Technology Awards Gala at the National Academy of Sciences.  The event recognized the lives and work of some of this countries most brilliant African-American scientists and engineers. Noted Washington, D.C. journalist Leon Harris moderated the event and keynote speaker, entertainer Bill Cosby presented plaques to Institute awardees and spoke on the nation’s shortage of science and technology talent.  Among the notable guests in attendance was Dr. Charlene Drew Jarvis, former Councilwoman of the District of Columbia and daughter of the noted African-American scientist Charles Drew whose system for the preservation of blood plasma (blood bank) revolutionized the medical profession.  Drew’s blood bank was refused to him on his death bed because of his race.

Bill Cosby speaks on the importance of science and mathematics education as gatekeeper courses for STEM professions.

 

(left to right) Charleen Drew Jarvis, Award recipient Dr. William Anthony Hawkins, Leon Harris and Bill Cosby

 

PBS affiliate WGBH hosted the first ever "Design Squad" Training Summit at the National Academy of Engineering in Washington, D.C. on Nov. 9, and ASCE held the record for the most member volunteers in attendance!

The full day event included an overview of the show’s development and production process, outreach guidelines, training resources and event planning opportunities with PBS and other groups, including ASCE.  Participants spent the afternoon experimenting with Challenge Stations where they tested engineering structural and electrical challenges inspired by "Design Squad’s" 13 episodes including Pop Fly, Rubber Band Car, Four Corners, Hidden Alarm and Kinetic Sculpture – an ASCE favorite.  "Design Squad" activities are developed in accordance with national learning standards and are designed to introduce engineers and educators to challenges that spark kids' imaginations and make them feel comfortable with the notion of engineering and technology.

"Design Squad" will make its debut in February 2007.  ASCE will be hosting "Design Squad" events at the upcoming Leadership Conferences in Nashville, Tenn.; Princeton, N.J.; Milwaukee and Seattle.

>>If you’d like more information on ASCE’s support of Design Squad, email us at outreach@asce.org

John Grieshaber, P.E., Brian Leshko, P.E., and Lisa Woods, P.E.

The Structural Engineering Institute’s Local Structural Technical Group and SEI Chapter Chair retreat was held in Las Vegas, Nevada October 6-7, 2006.  Sponsored by SEI’s Local Activities Division (LAD), this annual gathering brings together SEI Chapter and Local Structural Technical Group leaders from around the country.

The meeting was a great opportunity for the local chairs to share ideas about programming, to learn what is being done in answer to recent disasters, to help new and smaller groups grow, and to hear how various problems are being solved in other parts of the country.  Each attendee was afforded the opportunity to give a 10-minute presentation outlining a summary of activities that took place the previous year in their local group. Time was also spent brainstorming about how SEI can assist the local groups, and issues, concerns and efforts in structural engineering in general.  All attendees gained valuable insight and innovative ideas to take back to their local Chapters or Groups.

Highlights of the discussions included: unique methods for pre-registering local seminar attendees by using PayPal and other internet-based payment forms, licensure issues, especially with regard to acceptance of foreign education credentials, and ways to address the reluctance of Sections and Branches, to convert local structural technical groups to SEI Chapters.  The purpose in converting or creating SEI Chapters is to conform to ASCE’s objective to create specialty institutes and adopt the institute’s name on a local level.

One of the key attractions for the venue was a group tour of the construction site of the Hoover Dam Bypass Bridge. The tour was cancelled due to damage from strong winds three weeks earlier. Several attendees were not discouraged, and they took tours of the Hoover Dam on their own. The Dam approach roadway parallels the new bypass roadway, resulting in excellent views of the new approach structures and the concrete piers already constructed for the Black Canyon Arch Bridge.

The chairs meeting is held each fall in various locations around the country.  Representatives from each local structural technical group, SEI Chapter and any Section or Branch considering starting an SEI local chapter are encouraged to attend.  For additional information, please contact Mary Ellen Saville, SEI Administrator at (703) 295-6195 or mesaville@asce.org.  

Group photo, from left

Back: Taka Simura, Arjuna Ranasinghe, Brian Leshko, Paul Pilarski, John Grieshaber, Carmine Corbo, Tom Ferguson

Front: Sylvester Songho, Mike Hemmati, Joe Ales, Alex Azodi, Ali Khan, Mary Ellen Saville, Cyndi Smith, Donna Friss, Baren Talukdar

 

The American Academy of Water Resources Engineers (AAWRE) is currently accepting online applications for spring 2007 at a one-time reduced program fee of $100 ($300 regular fee). Become part of the first group of engineers to achieve the Diplomate, Water Resources Engineer (D.WRE) credential in your Section and Branch. AAWRE offers a voluntary, post-license credential that will provide professionals and practitioners an opportunity to gain further recognition in the field of Water Resources engineering. The current online application deadline is February 28, 2007. For more information and to apply for AAWRE's Diplomate, Specialty Certification program, please visit: http://www.aawre.org/appaawre.cfm

ASCE’s new online course titled “GIS Applications in Water, Wastewater, and Stormwater Systems” will teach you how to use GIS in planning, design, mapping, modeling, monitoring, inspection, maintenance, and operation of your water, wastewater, and stormwater systems. This course will not train you in the use of specific GIS software. Instead, with the help of new methods, case studies, and software demonstrations, it will show you how to use GIS to develop mapping, monitoring, modeling, and maintenance applications. You will learn how to integrate your water, wastewater, and stormwater system hydrologic and hydraulic (H&H) models with GIS. With this videostreamed online course, you can learn anytime, anywhere and work at your own pace. For additional information on the course or to place an order, please go to http://www.asce.org/conted/distancelearning/environmental.cfm#GISApplications.

2007

Jan. 1: Membership Renewal Deadline

Jan. 12-14: Regions 4 & 5 Leadership Conference-Nashville, Tenn.

Jan. 26-27: Regions 1 & 2 Leadership Conference-Princeton, N.J.

Feb. 1:

• Nominations for National ASCE Edmund Friedman Young Engineer Award for Professional Achievement and the Daniel Mead Prize for Younger Members are due at World Headquarters.
• Nominations for Young Government Civil Engineer Award are due at ASCE World Headquarters.
• Nominations for Younger Member Group Award are due at ASCE World Headquarters.

Feb. 9-11: Regions 3, 6, & 7 Leadership Conference-Milwaukee.

Feb. 23-25: Regions 8 & 9 Leadership Conference-Seattle.

March 1: Nominations for Government Civil Engineer Award are due at ASCE World Headquarters

May 4: Response due at Headquarters for national collection of Section dues.

June 1: Deadline for submission for the Outstanding Section and Branch Web Award Competition.

Aug. 4: Submission deadline for the State Public Affairs Grant Activity Report to ASCE Washington Office.

Aug. 15: Nomination deadline for Casagrande, Construction Management, Kapp, Middlebrooks, Peck, Seed and Terzaghi Awards.

Oct. 30:

• Nominations for the Workshops for Section and Branch Leaders and the Younger Member Council Meetings are due.
• Nominations for the National Outstanding Section/Branch Award are due.

Nov. 1:

• Submission deadline for the Outstanding Section and Branch Newsletter Award.

• Nomination deadline for Arid Lands, Bartholomew, Bechtel awards, Bickel, Biot, Can-Am, Cermak, Chow,  History & Heritage, Computing in Civil Engineering, Norman/Croes, Duke, Einstein, Freese, Freudenthal,  Greeley, Hardesty, Hering, Hilgard, Hinds,  Hoffman, Horner, Howard, Hydraulic Structures,  Innovation in Civil Engineering, International Coastal, Laurie, T. Y. Lin, Masters, Middlebrooks, Moffatt- Nichol, Moisseiff,  Newmark, Peurifoy, Reese, Rickey, Roebling, Rouse, Rowland, Scanlan, Smith, State-of-the-Art, Stevens, Surveying & Mapping, Wisely  

Nov. 3: State Public Affairs Grant applications due

Nov. 30: Section Annual Reports are due at ASCE World Headquarters.

             Region Annual Reports are due at ASCE World Headquarters.

Blaine D. Leonard, P.E., F.ASCE	Chair	bleonard@utah.gov
Anni H. Autio, P.E., M.ASCE	Vice President (Regions 1 & 2)	autioah@cdm.com
G. Nicholas Textor, P.E., F.ASCE	Vice President (Regions 3, 6, & 7)	Nick.Textor@cte.aecom.com
Leonard A. Cilli, AM.ASCE	Region 1	lengeotek@aol.com
Charles W. Kopplin, P.E., F.ASCE	Region 3	chuck.kopplin@gasai.com
Chris Garlick, P.E., M.ASCE	Region 5	crgarlick@pbsj.com
Tony Chung-Gem Lau, P.E., M.ASCE	Region 8	tlau@hawaiipacificengineers.com
Thomas M. Rachford, Ph.D., P.E., F.ASCE	Technical Region	trachford@gfnet.com

Patrick J. Natale, P.E., F.ASCE	Executive Director, ASCE	pnatale@asce.org
Lawrence H. Roth, P.E., F.ASCE	Deputy Executive Director, ASCE	lroth@asce.org
Thomas W. Smith, Esq., M.ASCE	Assistant Executive Director, General Counsel, ASCE	tsmith@asce.org
Stefan Jaeger, CAE	Managing Director, Strategic & International Initiatives and Geographic Services	sjaeger@asce.org

Nancy E. Berson, Aff.ASCE	Director	nberson@asce.org x6010
Michael W. Cook	Senior Manager	mcook@asce.org x6121
Jennifer S. Lawrence	Administrator	jlawrence@asce.org x6255
Kevin M. Bush	Administrator	kbush@asce.org x6042
Marilyn A. Mahieu	Administrative Assistant	mmahieu@asce.org x6287

The Geographic Services Department (GSD) is charged with providing support to the local units of the Society and ensuring effective coordination and cooperation among the Regions, Sections, Branches, Younger Member Groups and Staff. This newsletter is produced to help meet this charge. Questions, comments and suggestions regarding this newsletter are welcomed and should be directed to Jennifer Lawrence at: jlawrence@asce.org.

Region 10—Sections Outside the United States