T-SPLOST defeat among year’s top local business stories

Change may be coming in how Georgia leaders expect to grow business in the coming years. A state that has built its base of jobs and headquarters in part on companies lured from other states seems to be focusing more on organic expansion.

There’s no way to ignore the spoils that came in 2012 from bringing operations of big companies South, however. Think: Caterpillar, Baxter International and General Motors

CAT came first. In February the Illinois manufacturer confirmed it would build a $200 million heavy equipment plant and distribution center near Athens that would eventually employ 1,400. What’s more, CAT figured its suppliers would in time relocate 2,800 more jobs down South, many to Georgia. Ultimately, the facility will mean nearly 5,000 total jobs, economists said.

Baxter, an Illinois maker of vaccines and medical devices, said in April it would build a manufacturing plant in Stanton Springs, about an hour east of Atlanta where 1,500 employees could end up working when the $1 billion facility becomes fully operational in 2018.

Voters in July rejected a transportation sales tax proposal called T-SPLOST designed to alleviate traffic woes that have vexed business people worried about the impact on future development.

The 10-year, 1-percent sales tax would have funded various improvements, and business leaders supported the idea. About $6 billion in revenue would have paid for 157 projects in the 10-county metro area, with additional funding for smaller local projects. The business community warned that without the improvements it would be hard to attract employers to the region in the future.

One site selection consultant termed transportation Atlanta’s “Achilles heel,” and business leaders initially put a positive spin on the ballot box thumping. But a Metro Atlanta Chamber strategy unveiled last month emphasized internal growth, an indication, perhaps, that the area’s ongoing transportation issues won’t be any help in attracting jobs from outside the state.

It had to be music to the ears of Falcons owner Arthur Blank when the Georgia World Congress Center Authority began to sing from the same page this month to the tune of a $1 billion (give or take) play palace. A deal was roughed out under which the club would pay the bulk of the construction costs and keep most of the revenue from the new stadium, while the public would pick up a third of the building cost, funding it through an extension of the bed tax. Details have to be cobbled together that would allow state legislators to make it happen.

Opponents said Blank and his team didn’t need financial assistance, and that the Georgia Dome (which would be leveled) is hardly an antique at 20 years old. Too, there was concern that the economic development potential was overrated, and that the spinoff business from a new stadium wouldn’t be much more than that of the old one.

An updated Cape-style house that sits in a quiet, close-knit neighborhood within walking distance to downtown Westport represents the affordable housing options that exist within the borders of the largely affluent community.

The brown cedar-shingle house with white shutters at 6 Willowbrook Drive in the Coleytown section of Westport is ideal for families with young children because it is a safe place for them to play and ride bicycles.

Willowbrook is a cul-de-sac, and the road it feeds into is a one-way street. The current homeowner, who grew up there in the house her father built in 1960, said some families from other parts of Westport actually visit her neighborhood for Halloween because there is little traffic, and therefore it is a safe place to walk around.

This house packs a lot into a modest 1,872 square feet of living space. On the first floor, there are four rooms, including the master bedroom and a flexible room that can serve as an office or bedroom. Upstairs, there are two large rooms, as well as a kitchenette, which would lend this space to serve as an in-law suite.

The house is situated on a plot of land that is 0.15 of an acre in size. The house is set back from the road on a slight incline with slate stairs that lead from the street level to the front door. Inside, the foyer, right hallway and kitchen share the same terra cotta colored Mexican tile flooring with hand-painted tile inserts.

The same painted tiles comprise the backsplash in the kitchen, which could use some updating; however, it is certainly adequate and the owner said her mother managed to cook easily there for a family of six.

Also included in the kitchen is an L-shaped counter, a second counter area, GE ceramic cook top, a Kenmore wall-mounted oven, and a door that leads to the wood deck and the fenced-in backyard.

The living room has a yellow brick fireplace with a raised hearth topped with a slate slab. The living and dining rooms have crown molding.

Kennedy Space Center opens off-limits

Open to the public for the first time in more than 30 years, the VAB Tour provides visitors a look inside the 525-foot-tall structure – one of the largest buildings in the world – where the Apollo rockets and space shuttles were assembled. The Launch Control Center Tour allows guests inside the Firing Room, where NASA directors and engineers supervised all of the launches for the space shuttle and Apollo programs. For the first time in the 50-year history of Kennedy Space Center, the Launch Pad Tour takes visitors to one of the launch pads from which the space shuttles and Saturn V moon rockets were launched.

On Thursday, Dec. 27, Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex unveiled the first phase of improvements designed to dramatically enhance the guest experience. Those visiting during the holiday season will be among the very first to experience the attraction’s brand new $16 million entry. The enhancements are part of a 10-year Master Plan developed by Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex concessionaire, Delaware North Companies Parks & Resorts, in partnership with NASA’s Kennedy Space Center.

The new entry includes a grand plaza and fountain; ticket stations and self-service kiosks; will call, guest services and information stations; a retail shop; and a restaurant.

“We are eager to reveal to our guests the first stage in an array enhancements that create for them a more meaningful, purposeful and enjoyable experience at Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex,” said Bill Moore, Chief Operating Officer. “The changes to our entrance and ticket plaza, along with our new Voyagers retail shop and Rocket Garden Café, are just the initial elements in a comprehensive plan. Next we unveil the new home for space shuttle Atlantis, which is already well under way for a scheduled opening in July 2013.”

The new entrance draws guests from the parking lot into a grand entry plaza where they are greeted by a brand new, first-ever 3D representation of the NASA insignia that spans 13 feet in diameter. To the right of the globe stands a majestic 75-foot-long fountain that pays homage to the dreams of late President John F. Kennedy, for whom NASA’s Kennedy Space Center is named. Kennedy’s face, along with a quote from his famous 1962 “moon speech” at Rice University, are laser etched onto a skyward-reaching arch of blue granite that stands 30-feet at its highest point. The inscription reads, “For the eyes of the world now look into space, to the moon and to the planets beyond…” The 5,000-gallon fountain is spectacularly lit in the evenings with LED lights and features 26 jets of water that can be programmed to create inspiring light shows for guests as they exit the park or during evening special events or exhibitions.

Purchasing admission tickets will now be a quicker, more efficient process for guests thanks to a complete redesign of the ticket stations. Two separate stations feature six ticket windows each and now offer a “fair cueing” system to direct the next guest in line to the next available window. Digital screens within each station’s covered cue provide descriptions of tour options and prices to help guests make informed choices. Those who wish to bypass the regular ticket lines may purchase directly from one of six self-service ticket kiosks, and guests who have purchased tickets in advance may proceed directly to a dedicated new Will Call station. The ticket areas were designed to inspire and excite guests about the journey that awaits them, and are covered in brilliantly colored tiles to depict selected planets including Earth and Jupiter.

Farther along the plaza, a brand new 2,500-square-foot Voyagers retail shop invites guests to make a last-minute purchase before heading to their vehicle and allows those who wish only to shop to do so without purchasing an admission ticket. Inspiration is the theme in Voyagers, where bold graphics depict the progress of the American space program since the 1950s and challenge guests to “Dream Bigger.” Above the check-out area, a 18-foot in diameter glass light fixture modeled after Mars offers an artistic interpretation of the Red Planet.

Beyond the ticket plaza, guests’ excitement and anticipation build as they pass through a covered archway where they are boldly invited in six-foot-tall, blue letters to “EXPLORE.” In the near distance, views of towering rockets in the Rocket Garden, representing early space exploration, beckon guests to get an up-close look at these sleek yet incredibly powerful vehicles.

Following the new outdoor security checkpoint and turnstiles, visitors may stop in at the new guest services area to the right of the plaza to pick up audio guides in English and six other languages, purchase additional tours or upgrade to an annual pass. Wheelchairs and strollers are available at a new information counter located near the existing exhibit, Early Space Exploration.

As guests continue their way into the park, they may notice two cobbled or slightly bumpy strips running on either side of the paved walkway. This symbolic pathway is made of authentic “crawler rock”― the very same Tennessee river rock that lines Kennedy Space Center’s crawler way to support the massive weight of NASA’s nearly 3,000-ton crawler-transporter, the behemoth vehicle used to carry launch vehicles such as Apollo/Saturn V rockets and space shuttles from the Vehicle Assembly Building to the launch pads. The walkway marks the beginning of the “Vapor Trail,” a path named for the plume of steam that follows a rocket upon ascent. The Vapor Trail will be extended in further phases of development to provide visitors with a more deliberate path to guide them through the park’s main attractions.

The first stage of enhancements also includes the new outdoor Rocket Garden Café which was designed in the retro style of the 1950s and 1960s as a nod to the early days of space exploration ― the Mercury, Gemini and Apollo programs. Bright green and chartreuse tiles evoke a “garden” feel amidst the rockets of polished steel, while covered outdoor seating provides protection from the elements along with an uninterrupted view of the surrounding landscape. An all-new menu appeals to global tastes with diverse items such as Conch Fritters, Asian Chicken Salad with Honey Lime Vinaigrette, Chicken Empanadas or Beef Croquettes with Spicy Tomato Sauce, and Mediterranean Flat Bread Pizza. Even staples such as French Fries take on a more sophisticated air in the Seasoned Fries with Chorizo & Blue Cheese.

Work on the entry was completed in partnership with Whiting-Turner Contracting Company, construction management; PGAV Destinations, design management; Freeport Fountains, fountain contractor; Electrosonic, audio/video contractor; and Birdair, Inc., fabric canopy contractor.

The next stage of the Visitor Complex’s 10-year Master Plan includes the opening of a $100 million, 90,000-square foot exhibit to showcase space shuttle Atlantis and celebrate the 30-year space shuttle program as a stepping stone to future space endeavors. The opening is slated for July 2013.

Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex features many attractions and year-round interactive programs, including meeting real astronauts. The standard bus tour, included with admission, explores the history of the Apollo moon and space shuttle programs with panoramic views of Kennedy Space Center, the VAB’s exterior and a stop at the Apollo/Saturn V Center, where visitors see an authentic 363-foot Saturn V moon rocket and relive the historic Apollo missions that saw man land on the moon.

Sculptural Yet Sensible

This year in architecture, sides were drawn pitting socially relevant design against high-profile architecture. And the unfortunate misnomer "starchitects" was hurled around with abandon. It's a false choice appearing to sideline the profession's standout talent. Luckily a bumper crop of compact, versatile and strikingly sculptural museums shows how the best architecture unites intelligent design and strong image making.

No name is more celebrated in architecture these days than the London-based Zaha Hadid. Her Aquatics Centrefor this summer's Olympics gave swooning muscular shape to a hard-functioning arena. Ms. Hadid's latest notable effort, however, is in the Midwest. The modest-size Eli and Edythe Broad Art Museum at Michigan State Universityin East Lansing is built for temporary exhibitions. Pleated stainless-steel folds cover a trapezoidal-shaped structure that hunkers down directly across a busy footpath at the edge of campus. The $45 million building looks aggressive, but that's the point―turning the museum into a gateway drawing in visitors from both town and college.

The new $27.2 million Museum of Contemporary Art Cleveland is also a gateway building with sculptural presence and a flexible curatorial mandate. Designed by Farshid Moussavi, another talented female architect from London, MOCA Cleveland suggests the simplicity of a cube but is actually more complex, with chamfered edges chiseling a square roof out of a hexagonal base. Its mirror-finish black steel skin reflects every passing cloud, giving the building a mysterious totemlike quality, while inside unfinished ceilings are painted deep blue and almost every space can be used flexibly, whether for exhibiting, performances or local events.

The new $26.2 million Parrish Art Museumin Water Mill, N.Y., aims to be adaptable, too, while giving pride of place to a focused collection made in, about or inspired by Eastern Long Island. The Swiss firm Herzog & de Meuron initially proposed a village of small galleries inspired by the local studios of such American greats as William Merritt Chase, Jackson Pollock and Fairfield Porter. Wisely, that plan was scaled down and re-envisioned as a single extremely long shed with a double-pitched roof.

A deep overhang runs the full length, creating a 615-foot porch with a built-in bench looking across a carefully cultivated grassy meadow by the landscape architects Reed Hilderbrand. Inside, the space is syncopated into easy bays with carefully positioned skylights for natural light, instead of the baroquely high-tech contraptions favored at other museums. The aim is to show the art under the same conditions as it was created. This combination of monumental scale and intimate experience feels well suited to the cosmopolitan but rural Hamptons in a way that might not have worked anywhere else.

But the most persuasive argument for the lasting power of strong architecture is the Four Freedoms Park on Roosevelt Island, designed 40 years ago by Louis Kahn. This memorial to Franklin D. Roosevelt is stark and elemental but also very lyrical in the careful dialogue it arranges between trees, stone, sky and water.

In Washington D.C., a radical overhaul of the public library system is well under way, with half of its more than two dozen neighborhood libraries transformed and $178 million invested since 2007. Two new libraries opened this year, both designed by the architect David Adjaye, who is also on the team designing the National Museum of African American History and Culture. The Francis A. Gregory Public Library and the William O. Lockridge/ Bellevue Public Library break out of the mold of libraries as hushed repositories of printed tomes in favor of making them more of a community resource. It's something that works well in the underserved neighborhoods where the Gregory and Bellevue are located. The nontraditional appearance of the libraries―one wrapped in a lattice work of glass alternating with colorful window nooks beneath a wide spreading steel canopy; the other hoisted up on chunky concrete legs―invite active engagement and support the notion that libraries can have different identities shaped to the particular communities they serve.

Designed by SHoP Architects, the Barclays Center is winning over Brooklyn, N.Y. After almost 10 years of contentious wrangling between the community and developer Forest City Ratner, the first completed building in the Atlantic Yards megadevelopment opened in September. The 675,000-square-foot sports arena sits at the edge of a residential neighborhood. And it is as hulking and out of scale as feared, but locals have found it interesting enough architecturally to reconsider its potential. The architects animated a very basic arena form, covering it with rusted steel panels―thousands of them, each one slightly different in size―turning something ponderous, dynamic. In a bold gesture at street level, a swooping oculus projects out over the subway and commuter train stairs. Its inner rim is lined with LED announcements, a bit of flash focused on those who will want it rather than blasting the neighborhood streets. The excitement over Barclays is mostly about sports teams coming home to Brooklyn, but credit is also due to the building's design. Architecture really only succeeds when it's about places that work for the people closest to it.

Individuals across the nation have always turned to Mold Inspection & Testing, one of the most trusted companies for certified mold inspectors in the United States. In order to verify whether indoor mold growth is negatively affecting a home or business, the company evaluates the building by taking air and surface samples of the surrounding environment.

Influenced by their years of expertise, Mold Inspection & Testing recently announced their decision to provide mold inspection and testing services in New Jersey.

“Acting swiftly is your best weapon in the fight against mold, because the sooner that you address a potential problem, the less likely it will be to cause serious issues―mold growth can escalate quickly,” explains an article on the mold inspection New Jersey expert’s website.

By choosing Mold Inspection & Testing, New Jersey residents can save themselves time and money. The New Jersey mold inspection company works with clients to provide a mold inspector to handle their primary assessment. Mold Inspection & Testing’s staff’s thorough inspections have usually prevented mold removal professionals from being needed altogether.

According to an article on Mold Inspection & Testing’s website, “While each scenario that we [encounter] is unique in its own way, if there is a mold problem, we will find it and get you on your way to getting rid of it.”

The mold testing New Jersey business encourages any individuals with questions or concerns to contact them by phone or via the form available on their website. Clients interested in New Jersey mold testing can visit Mold Inspection & Testing’s Pinterest account in order to view their work.

Jaguars should let all of them walk

The 2013 offseason will be the first of an impending rebuild for the Jaguars, undoubtedly under the direction of a new general manager, making decisions to shape the team as his own. His first opportunity to do so will come in March when free agency requires that he decide which outgoing Jaguars he should keep and which potential free agents he should target.

Among his first decisions with the team will be to figure out if Derek Cox, Terrance Knighton, Rashad Jennings and other impending free agents have a future with the team. A decision that, if left up to me, would result in a very different looking team in 2013 because the new general manager should let all the impending Jaguars free agents walk.

The last time the Jaguars earned a compensatory draft pick was in 2010 for their actions in free agency during the 2009 offseason. Despite signing offensive tackle Tra Thomas, wide receiver Torry Holt and safety Sean Considine, the losses of several players resulted in a sixth round draft pick awarded to the Jaguars in the 2010 NFL Draft.

In the first free agency of the new general manager's regime, I wouldn't be shocked to see it produce similar results as the 2009 offseason, with stop-gap free agents merely providing a bridge for a host of draft picks that will re-shape the future of the organization.

If you'd like a template for how I'd handle the 2013 offseason, look at what the Colts did with their 2012 spring and summer. While they signed Tom Zbikowski, Cory Redding and Donnie Avery, the turnover of the roster was obvious and several players that had become synonymous with Colts football were allowed to walk.

So what would I do with Cox, Knighton and Jennings? Let all of them walk. Each one is a risky addition that could work out for the Jaguars if re-signed, but I'd rather let another team take that chance. If it works out for those teams, great for them, the consolation for the Jaguars will be compensatory draft picks in the 2014 NFL Draft.

And as for guys like Daryl Smith, Rashean Mathis and Greg Jones (fullback), the Jaguars should let them walk too. Re-signing them would provide the Jaguars with a stop-gap, but none of the three are entirely necessary cogs for the team.

As the new general manager shapes the 2013 Jaguars in his own mold, he should look to do so with as much roster turnover as he possibly can. The only exceptions would be if losing a player would be very detrimental to the future of the team or the immediate product on the field. None of the impending Jaguars free agents qualify by those standards.

Glenn McCoy says when he was living out of a grungy metro-area motel, and making admittedly poor choices, he was stuck on the fringes of society. "It wasn't good," he said with a fleeting smile. "I was always getting in trouble. I was always turning the wrong way or making wrong decisions."

Then, two years ago, he joined Creativity Hour ― a Colorado Coalition for the Homeless program that provides art supplies, community support and guidance in weekly, semi-structured art therapy sessions ― and changed his life, one stitch at a time.

For seven years, therapy leader April Rodgers has worked with people like McCoy, 47, who are on the verge of being lost. Each week she leads about a dozen participants through painting lessons, beading classes and other crafts, instilling in the process a sense of self-worth. She is a case manager and resource for these homeless people, and also an art therapist leading a creative approach to complex problems.

McCoy's relationship with Rodgers was rocky when he entered the program, and he often gave up when things didn't immediately work out. But as Rodgers introduced him to quilting, he learned that mistakes are made and corrected, both in art and in life.

Occasionally someone will sing, but not so much that night. One of the band members didn't show up, causing many in Creativity Hour to wonder whether he just got tied up on the job hunt or something terrible had happened.

Across the room, one woman painted. Another sewed. Earlier, an enormous black beading bin was the center of attention as people crafted jewelry. But the eight participants are doing more than passing time ― they're slowly turning their life around, one skill at a time.

Studies empirically confirming that art therapy benefits the homeless community are difficult to come by, but a growing body of community programs nationally seems to signal success. Studies published in the Journal of the American Art Therapy Association indicate that art therapy ― a practice started in the 1970s ― is at least as successful as traditional therapy.

"This is a program that takes people who are, by definition, broken and gives them a chance to be whole," D'Amico said. "I think part of this is just having everyone belong."

A former shelter worker, D'Amico said he recognized that anything that gives folks even the tiniest amount of value or chance to express themselves could ignite a dramatic turnaround.

"Once you really tend to people's essential identity and their self-reliance and their sense of belonging, then they can actually cycle out of the symptoms, which are hunger, addiction and so forth," he said. "My hunch is that part of this is to sort of rehumanize a whole community whose stories we rather not know."

Vijay Kakade, director automotive & transportation practice, Frost & Sullivan pointed out that Indian manufacturers would need to move up the value chain through various measures such as becoming a complete solution provider from design to delivery rather than a component supplier, acquiring cost competitive and logistics management approach skills, strong thrust on collaborative approach with leading institutes and design centres in India and abroad for building own capabilities in the future, among others.

Reduction in cost of components to an extent of 20 to 25 percent was possible due to India’s process engineering skills and its application to re-designing the manufacturing processes. However, weakness mainly comprise, building of spare capacity, focus on R&D, long lead times in product development and investment decisions, competence in tooling, quality infrastructure for supply chain and logistics, he added.

L Ganesh, chairman of Rane group said, the hard and soft infrastructure in the country has completely fallen off the path. “The power scenario is pathetic. The supply and demand mismatch of skills both for shop-floor operators and engineers and managers has caused unrealistic increase in salary costs. This is not at all matched by increase in productivity especially in the white-collar category. Our competitiveness is getting eroded fast,” he added.

Echoing some of his views, Mehta said availability of skilled manpower is increasingly getting acute and as the OEMs become multi-locational, managerial depth gets stretched.

Santa Claus comes to town and Norad has him on radar

Volunteers at Peterson Air Force Base, headquarters of Norad's annual Santa-tracking operation, are in Colorado monitoring Santa's progress. Monday evening they were on pace to break last year's record of 107,000 calls from children wanting to know everything from old Saint Nick's age, to how reindeer fly, to when they can expect their presents.

Each year, the job of watching out for Santa on Dec. 24 falls to Norad personnel ― the same people who monitor North American skies year round.

Norad's Santa-tracking work all started with a typo more than a half-century ago.

In 1955, a department store advertisement in a Colorado Springs newspaper gave the wrong phone number for children to talk to Santa at the Sears Toyland.

Instead, the children were ringing through to the operations hotline for the then Continental Air Defence Command, a predecessor of the bi-national Norad command that was created in 1958.

The American director of operations at the time, Col. Harry Shoup, heard his calling to pitch in as an elf and made the best of the mistake: he told his staff to check the radar for indications of Santa making his way south from the North Pole.

Children who called the number from then on were given updates on his location.

Tracking Santa in 2012 has become a major undertaking for Norad, with 1,250 volunteers on duty to provide updates to the public and media.

In footage of an earlier video teleconference between Norad commanders and Santa Claus posted on its website, Gen. Chuck Jacoby, Commander of Norad and U.S. Northern Command (U.S. Northcom) and his deputy, Lt.-Gen. Alain Parent from the Royal Canadian Air Force, walk Santa through the 2012 preparations.

"We're going to make sure you get to everybody's house Santa," Jacoby assures him. "Don't worry about the journey. We've got the watch."

"Thank you," Santa tells Jacoby and Parent. "Ho ho ho."

Three high-tech systems track the flight of that one sleigh from the North Pole: radar, satellites and specially installed Santa cams that were installed at strategic locations around the world in 1998 for this one special day of use.

Norad is the first to know when the reindeer take off from the North Pole, thanks to its "North Warning System" of 47 installations that Norad’s team compares to a string of Christmas lights strung across the top of North America.

The Canadian Air Defence Sector at 22 Wing in North Bay, Ont., closely monitors this radar system to make sure Santa and his reindeer are not delayed.

Rudolph’s introduction to the reindeer team some years back also makes it possible for Norad to use its space satellites to track the sleigh’s journey: his nose gives off an infrared signature, the heat from which is picked up by the satellites’ sensors.

Over the years, Norad has been able to compile data of practical use to Canadian children plotting their own Christmas Eve agendas.

Santa usually starts at the International Date Line in the Pacific Ocean and travels west. Historically, he visits the South Pacific first, then New Zealand and Australia. After that, he covers off Japan, Asia, Africa and then onto Western Europe, Canada, the United States, Mexico and Central and South America.

But Norad cautions that Santa’s exact route year to year can be affected by weather and remains unpredictable.

"Norad co-ordinates with Santa’s Elf Launch staff to confirm his launch time, but from that point on, Santa calls the shots," says Wright Eruebi, a spokesman for the Royal Canadian Air Forces 1 Canadian Air Division in Winnipeg. "We just track him."

In most countries, on average, Norad finds Santa arrives between 9 p.m. and midnight local time. But if children are still awake when Santa arrives, he has to move on to other houses and return later after they’re asleep.

"Santa travels at the speed of one T [in layman’s terms, a twinkling of an eye]," explains Eruebi. "Santa usually slows down the sleigh when Norad pilots are approaching, and he likes to wave and acknowledge the pilots when they tip their wing to show their respect.

"The main reason we [give Santa a fighter jet escort] is to treat him like the VIP that he is and, of course, to capture a few images of him in action," Eruebi explains. "He slows down to allow our fighters to catch up and he humours us. He appears to like posing for the camera."

On behalf of a five-year old reader in Ottawa, CBC News asked the air force what Santa’s fighter jet escort does while he's on the roof of each house.

In November, for the second time in six years, members of the Vietnam Veterans of Diablo Valley embarked on a trip to Vietnam to distribute wheelchairs to those in need. And for the second time in six years, it was difficult to tell which group got the most from the experience -- the vets, or those they helped.

"It was a good way for me to go back," said Rich Lambert, of Walnut Creek, who flew helicopters during the Vietnam War. "It was very rewarding and heartwarming."

Partnering with the Danville-based Wheelchair Foundation, as they had in 2006, the 11 veterans (and six spouses) who made the trip distributed 320 new wheelchairs at prescreened locations during their 18-day stay. The chairs had all-terrain wheels to better suit the needs of rural villagers. Sixty were sports wheelchairs.

"There would be people present who it was obvious needed wheelchairs," said Ronald Lowe, of Danville, who returned to Vietnam for the first time since he was an Army infantry captain in 1969. "Some of them were in rickety old wheelchairs. Some were on crutches. We would actually set up the wheelchairs, blowing up the tires. They were local people there to help, and in come cases even the handicapped people pitched in to help."

Lambert, who returned to Vietnam for the first time since the war, recalled meeting two women, both double leg amputees, who struggled to get around on cumbersome, homemade apparatus.

The veterans also visited orphanages, where they made monetary donations. When they weren't doing for others, they often were doing for themselves, trying to put their war experience into perspective by locating echoes of their past.

In the case of Danville's Jerry Yahiro, some echoes located him.

Yahiro, 69, was on the 2006 trip, but an excursion to the Central Highlands, where he had served as a mortar platoon leader, was called off at the last minute. He finally made it back in November, finding some of his old fire bases near the Cambodia and Laos borders. At one location, to his surprise:

"The Vietnamese military was having a live fire drill," he said. "I'm thinking, this is not real. It was like they were trying to remind me they were still here. It was a little unnerving."