MARINE ENGINEERS' BENEFICIAL ASSOCIATION (AFL-CIO)
         "On Watch in Peace and War Since 1875"

MEBA TELEX TIMES               OCTOBER 13, 2006

The Official Union Newsletter

NUMBER 41

In this issue...
Director Joyce Matthews will retire...Port security bill signed... HORIZON HUNTER naming ceremony...Take cover! Sparks fly as we light the fuse on a combustible new edition and get ready to detonate a maritime news explosion. We go out with a bang in an issue that blows the lid off of the latest industry items. Ka-boom! You'll have a blast with the latest Telex Times. It's dynamite!

JOYCE MATTHEWS WILL CONCLUDE SUCCESSFUL SCHOOL TENURE
Calhoon MEBA Engineering School Director Joyce Matthews will wrap up an extremely productive 4 ½ years leading our training facility with her retirement planned for later this year. Only former Directors Roy Luebbe and Larry O’Toole spent more time overseeing the CMES.

Citing the desire to reunite with family and take advantage of her newly completed home in Florida, Joyce will complete a 26-year membership in the Union following her 1978 graduation from the CMES cadet program. She was the first female graduate of the School and its first female Director. Her appointment at the School in 2002 delayed an earlier retirement that had been planned following 16 distinguished years as a port engineer in Jacksonville, FL following years of going to sea. She enthusiastically embraced the role of Director and oversaw some of the more dramatic and welcome changes that will reap benefits for our members for years to come.

Under her leadership, the School established the state-of-the-art bridge simulator suite which spawned valuable courses for our deck officers, she opened up the Propulsion Systems building as well as the 235-seat Art Newberry Auditorium and ushered in additional refurbishments and renovations of the worn-down campus buildings including dormitories. The children’s playroom and members’ lounge were also created during her stay as were a slew of new courses that further diversify continuing education for our members. “Joyce’s leadership has lifted the School onto another new plateau of excellence,” MEBA President Ron Davis pointed out. “She has truly helped elevate the profile of our training facility to another level. Her leadership will be missed. I thank her and wish Joyce and her husband Mike the absolute best.”

She and Mike are ready to embark upon the next phase of their lives which will surely involve spending a lot more time out on the links. Mike Matthews has proved a popular figure during his time at the School so much so that he was recently honored as the Calhoon Alumni Association ‘Man of the Year’ stemming from his tireless work on behalf of the MEBA’s Merchant Marine Memorial.

The Training Plan Board of Trustees is responsible for appointing the next Director. Those interested for consideration of the Director’s job should forward a résumé to Allen R. Szymczak, Plans Administrator, 1007 Eastern Ave., Baltimore, MD 21202.

BUSH SIGNS $6.7 BILLION PORT SECURITY BILL INTO LAW
President Bush put his signature onto a sweeping seaport security legislation today that enacts the $6.7 billion bill into law. A Conference Committee hammered out a single version of the legislation just last week after reconciling dueling House and Senate bills. Included in the soon-to-be law were many of the recommendations promoted by the MEBA as detailed in last week’s Telex Times.

Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert commented that the Security and Accountability For Every Port Act of 2006 (SAFE Port Act) “provides the funds to put in place a comprehensive strategy for protecting our ports, addressing potential threats before they are delivered here - in addition to providing new port systems that will improve container tracking capabilities."

NEW HORIZON VESSEL CHRISTENED
The HORIZON HUNTER, the first of five 2,824 TEU-capacity, 23-knot containership vessels that will enter the Horizon Lines fleet, was named in a ceremony at the Hyundai Mipo shipyard in South Korea on Wednesday. MEBA engineers will crew the ship which will enter into service in early 2007.

The ship’s sponsor is Kimberly Raymond, wife of Horizon President and CEO Chuck Raymond. The vessel will be deployed in Horizon Lines’ weekly service linking the U.S. West Coast with Guam and Asia.

“The naming of the HORIZON HUNTER marks another milestone in the growth of Horizon Lines and our businesses,” Chuck Raymond noted. “These new Hunter-class ships are named to connote speed, agility, keen sense and focus—the attributes that we believe have allowed our company to excel now and in the future.”

In March, Horizon announced an agreement to charter five new U.S.-flag, foreign-built vessels for 12-year terms from Ship Finance International Limited. The new ships – each with 568 reefer slots to fill a growing requirement in all Horizon Lines markets – will fly the American flag and crew up with MEBA officers. The five new ships will make the five current Jones Act-eligible vessels sailing this trans-Pacific route today, available to the rest of the Horizon Lines Jones Act network.

EASTON HONOR GUARD POLISHES ROUTINES
The Easton Police Department Honor Guard were once again on School grounds this year to use the facilities of the Calhoon MEBA Engineering School.

During the month of October, a three day training conference is held on campus where officers have received instruction in the areas of Color Teams/Marching, Rifle Volleys, Casket Details, Flag Folding as well as Funeral Details.

This Honor Guard Unit was formed in 1998 under the direction of Chief of Police George M. Harvey. The unit was formed with six members who volunteered their time to the Unit. At the present time three of the original officers continue to serve while the Unit has expanded to 8 officers.

The Honor Guard Unit has attended funeral services for fallen officers in the states of Delaware, Maryland, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Virginia, and Washington D.C. Members of the Unit have participated yearly in the Candlelight Vigil and National Police Officers Memorial services, held annually in Washington D.C., as well as Maryland Fallen Heroes Day services held in Baltimore, Maryland. The Unit has also participated in funeral services of local dignitaries and for retired officers.

NELSON APPOINTED MARAD DEPUTY ADMINISTRATOR
Julie A. Nelson has been appointed Deputy Maritime Administrator. Nelson had served as Acting Deputy Administrator following the departure of John Jamian in May 2006, just before the confirmation of Sean T. Connaughton as Maritime Administrator.

President George W. Bush appointed Ms. Nelson as the Chief Counsel for the Maritime Administration in August 2005. She had joined the agency as Chief Counsel in August 2005. The appointment does not require Congressional approval.

U.S. NAVY AIDS EFFORT TO PATROL AFRICAN WATERS
The U.S. has donated six high-tech armored speedboats to the Kenyan Navy to help patrol the lawless eastern coast of Africa south of Somalia. The Defender-class boats, along with equipment, supplies and training were presented to the Kenyan Government last week. The country recently turned up efforts to fight piracy, arms and drug trafficking on their coast.

VICE ADMIRAL BREWER LANDS NEW POST – SCHOOL SUPERINTENDENT
The recently-retired Military Sealift Commander Vice Admiral David Brewer III has been selected as the new Superintendent of the Los Angeles Unified School District a post which is appointed by the L.A. Board of Education.

The 60-year old Brewer has no experience as an educator but was approved unanimously by the Board to head the nation's second-largest school district based on his leadership qualities and intelligence. However, Brewer's wife is a middle school teacher and his mother was a teacher.

Brewer will enter into an unusual situation as recently-passed legislation that broadens the authority of L.A. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa over the School District is about to go into effect. The impending law, which is being challenged in court, would also give the new superintendent greater authority over personnel, contracting and other decisions in the school district. Because the law doesn’t go into effect until January, the Board seems to have performed an “end-around” on the Mayor who would have received authority to select the Superintendent come January. The Mayor, who was on a trade mission in Asia, was therefore unhappy with the decision and issued a statement soon after the Brewer announcement. “"I am deeply disappointed that the school board made this decision without the meaningful inclusion of parents, teachers, the council of mayors or the broader Los Angeles community,” he said. “It is my hope that the admiral will be committed to bringing fundamental reform to our schools, putting students first, and building a genuine partnership with the council of mayors.”

"I'm not a reformer, I am a transformer," Vice Admiral Brewer declared at a press conference. “I'm honored and humbled to be selected as the next superintendent of L.A. Unified and look forward to working with all the stakeholders in the city for the children of Los Angeles," he said.

VAdm. Brewer took over the MSC in 2001 retiring last March after being relieved by new MSC Commander Rear Adm. Robert D. Reilly Jr.

NEXT REGULAR MONTHLY MEETINGS
Monday November 6 – Boston, San Francisco, Seattle;
Tuesday, November 7 – Baltimore, Houston, Jacksonville;
Wednesday, November 8 – Calhoon MEBA School, Charleston, New Orleans, Portland;
Thursday, November 9 – Honolulu, Los Angeles, New York, Norfolk, Tampa.

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