Bay Model Visitor Center

What is 988? It’s a number that we should all keep handy. It’s a mental health crisis hotline. Everybody has been impacted in some manner shape or form by the challenges unleashed by the pandemic. The illness, isolation, the loss of family and friends, financial and economic upheavals, depression, increased drug or alcohol abuse and the news have eroded many people’s threshold for stress. If you or a loved one, friend, neighbor or coworker including teenagers appear to be ...behaving in ways that have you concerned for their mental health, please keep the following link and information handy. Don’t hesitate to pass it on and use it. It might just save a life. There are plenty of other reasons for a decline in mental health these days too like social media, bullying and gender identity to name a few. When desperation takes hold of people’s lives they can resort to desperate measures. Sadly, too often it’s suicide. Let’s do all we can to protect the most vulnerable with some valuable intervention. To address these issues, the FCC has approved a proposal in July 2020 that designates 988 as a mental health crisis hotline number just like 911 is an emergency number. https://www.vibrant.org/988/

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and army reserves have been active in helping people during this past year of COVID and continue to provide much needed support as we enter into 2021.

Happy New Year!!! The year 2020 has been difficult, challenging, confusing and tragic to say the least. It’s also been enlightening, inspiring and empowering as much of our divided nation joined in solidarity on matters of great importance like liberty, equality and fraternity. As the final chapter of the year comes to an end, it does so on a positive note as vaccines are here and in the process of being administered and it paves the way to a better tomorrow. ... As dawn approaches on 2021, it brings new leadership along with old and new challenges that all need to be addressed. The road ahead still has some bumps. It will also bring a greater sense of normalcy in terms of family gatherings, the reopening of schools and businesses and the freedom to emerge from a year of hibernation and Zoom meetings. In closing I leave you with a few pearls of wisdom to keep in the back of your mind as we venture forth: Grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and with wisdom to know the difference. - Reinhold Niebuhr AMERICAN THEOLOGIAN Happy New Year 2021 each and everyone. May your lives be blessed with happiness, good health and prosperity!

On behalf of the Bay Model staff, we wish you all a wonderful holiday season filled with happiness and joy! Cheers!On behalf of the Bay Model staff, we wish you all a wonderful holiday season filled with happiness and joy! Cheers!

The Army Corps of What? If you’ve been following my posts for a while, you are aware that the Bay Model is owned and operated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and how studies and testing conducted here at our facility resulted in saving the Bay Area from catastrophic flooding and more. There were posts on the Napa River Flood Control Project, Hamilton Wetland Restoration Project, debris removal, keeping our major ports and waterways navigable, and a variety of other dutie...s and accomplishments. I am, however, very aware that a lot of people out there never heard of us or know very little about us. Who and what is the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers? Our amazing American saga originates prior to the signing of the Declaration of Independence. The U.S. Army and the engineers go back to the very roots of this country. They built what became our nation’s first infrastructure and has faithfully served and protected this nation during peacetime and war beginning with the Battle of Bunker Hill. Our legacy if filled with some of the greatest adventure stories ever written featuring remarkable men and women with astounding courage and tenacity which continues today. Here is a nice and very brief overview that crams 245 years of service into 2 minutes. It’s just a little taste. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xxt-qvqy_5c

Just as our team is deploying to assist in the big Northern California wildfire cleanup, the Bond Fire erupted just this morning in Southern California. As we are in a drought situation be aware that we are not out of wildfire danger up here. Fire season has extended into December and perhaps longer if we don't start getting any rain. Please go out and inspect your property. Trim back tall grass, dry brush, move firewood piles and any flammable materials away from your house. Keep you emergency supply bag handy and ready to go if necessary. Have a plan to include pets. Check in on your elderly and handicapped neighbors. This isn't over yet. https://twitter.com/CBSThisMorn/status/1334479657874444290

For you adventurous folks out there that like to engage in recreational water sports and you are anxiously waiting for the winter rains to get those rivers really moving again for some super challenging and exciting rides, please know the conditions before you go and please...wear your life jacket. They call it a "life" jacket for good reason. OK, now I'm going to sound like your mom, please wear your helmet too. I want you to have the time of your life and go home in the same condition you left...alive. https://safety.army.mil//Video-P/VideoId/385/UseHtml5/True

OK, maybe I’m a bit Goth but Halloween is my favorite holiday and this year it’s very different. I’m really starting to see how the lack of festivities and family gatherings can have an impact on people. Fall and winter holidays were meant to lift the mood during the time of year when it’s darkest and the weather becomes such that people are spending more time in their homes. So, it’s more important now than ever to reach out and keep in contact with people you care about ...via Facetime, Zoom, Skype, even texting and Instagram. Send holiday cards and gifts because it will cheer people up and keep the economy moving. Get up and get in the mood and decorate the house and yard like usual and get in the spirit. It will encourage your neighbors to do the same. We need to keep moving and stay optimistic. Thank goodness for the Dollar Store, odds and ends that we inherited from friends, rangers, past events and even some Spooky Eyes from Sausalito Chamber’s CEO, Juli. Collectively we have enough fall and Halloween decorations to brighten up the front office. I almost didn't put them up this year because we are closed to the public but changed my mind and it really makes a difference. We hope people and kids milling by will peek in and get a glimpse of Ms. Teddie Bear in the window. Ranger Carla has her all decked out for Halloween. If it puts a smile on a face, then mission accomplished!

Oh my, the Spooky Eyes are popping up all over! Actually they are more adorable than spooky but get out there and have some Halloween fun and find them! Grab the kids and head over to Bridgeway, Princess Street and Caledonia and see how many you can find.... Take a picture, a selfie, or a group shot with them and post them on your FB page or Instagram with the hastag #lovesausalito

You Just Got to Love Spooky Sausalito! If you are out and about certain areas of the town you just might get the feeling that you are being watched. Sausalito has a long interesting history that dates back to the Spanish in 1769. Yes, it has ghosts and things that go bump in the night. An occasional apparition sighting is not uncommon. We have one right here in the Bay Model.... The Sausalito Chamber of Commerce is bound and determined not to let COVID dampen our spirits. Since COVID cancelled the parade and a host of other spooky other-worldly activities there is still a bit of fun to enjoy. When the going gets tough, creative ideas get going. Here’s the plan, the weather is beautiful so get out and hike along Bridgeway, Princess Street and Caledonia. See if you can find the mysterious eyes that are staring at you. Look here and there. You might just find them everywhere. More of them will be going up in the next couple of days too. See how many you can find. Take a picture and post them on your FB page or Instagram with the hastag #lovesausalito Get the kids involved! Check out the photos of the Sausalito Chamber of Commerce Halloween helpers busy at work at the Bay Model:

BYE BYE BECHTEL'S MACHINE SHOP A piece of Sausalito’s unique history is in the process of vanishing into the mist. Weather and time can be a formidable adversary. Bechtel’s old WWII Machine shop, despite efforts to restore it never seemed to get out of the planning stage, funding being a major obstacle. The building was completed in 1943, and was part of a larger emergency shipping building operation called Marinship. During the course of the war, 93 Liberty ships, tankers... and oilers were constructed one after the next. Machine shop laborers worked three shifts, 24 hours a day nonstop turning out bolts, bearings, boilers, stern frames, line shafts, rigging, etc., while the mechanics on the ships installed them. They also produced and repaired parts for the ship yards operating equipment. The pace was swift. As a ship was being launched, the next keel was already in it's place. The most specialized machinists operated the tool and die department. A high degree of expertise was necessary to produce work within the exact tolerances of marine specifications and installations. These ugly duckling Liberty ships carried men, fuel, aircraft, ammunition, and wide assortment of supplies to our allies. They also pulled into secret undisclosed locations in the Pacific to fuel bombers as they island hopped to their final destinations and back again. In 1950, the US Army Corps of Engineers converted the building, which had been vacated after the end of WWII, to a geotechnical testing laboratory commonly referred to as the soils lab. The lab closed in 1997 and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs acquired the 27,500-square-foot structure in 2006. Work to restore it was sporadic. Now the elements have determined its fate and the Machine Shop began to collapse eliminating all hope of restoration. It’s time to say farewell as another chapter of historic Sausalito’s WWII story comes to an end.

What is up with 2020? It sure isn't going down without a fight. Now weather forecasters are predicting a La Niña winter which can mean cooler winters with less precipitation just when we seem to be slipping back into drought conditions. I hope you all have been busy planting your native drought resistant gardens. It's all about water conservation from now on until reservoirs and ground table can replenish.... No time like the present to start adjusting our water usage accordingly. And, with the cooler temperatures right around the corner you may also want to start winterizing your homes with fresh calking in those drafty places, weather stripping the front and back doors, and maybe even some added insulation here and there. Please remember to replace your furnace filters and get those new batteries in the carbon monoxide and fire detectors if you haven't done so already. Shelves at the hardware stores, for some of these items like furnace filters are bit bare so don't wait until the cold weather sets in before you decide to snug up the home. Generators can be a blessing and a curse so make sure you read the manuals, learn how to operate them, keep them the required safe distance from your home, store the gasoline in a metal cabinet and be safe. Check the site below for current drought condtions: https://droughtmonitor.unl.edu/Cu/StateDroughtMonitor.aspx

Have you ever thought about what American president you are most like? We should all vote for candidates that reflect our standards, values, and ideologies. Although you might not embrace all of this person’s political or personal policies, here is a little quiz to help you narrow down the Commander and Chief that shares some of your personality traits. Get the kids to play along and then let them do a little research about that person’s accomplishments. Let them know tha...t voting is important and that democracy only works well when people participate. For all you grown up kids out there, go ahead and nurture your inner child and take the test. Enjoy! https://kids.nationalgeographic.com//personalit/president/

Well, the Bay Model Delta is not going to clean itself up, so Ranger Linda is tackling the job. There’s a thick layer of ash and dust from the present and past wildfires, and concrete efflorescence is leaching out of the levee walls from water, moist air and chlorides. Mix it together and we have the recipe for a pretty hefty cleanup project. A couple of years ago 20 boy scouts volunteered their services and spiffed her up pretty good but since then time has been a bit brut...al. Getting her looking as good as possible again for reopening requires some good old-fashioned elbow grease, but it’s a labor of love. We are all very fond of the Bay Model (the last of its kind in the world). We want to keep her and the facility operating well for your USACE environmental engineering curiosity. When this pandemic is over we could sure use some help in conducting more frequent maintenance projects. So, if you need something to do and you have the time, it just so happens that we have the place!

STEM - DIY - air purifier My office air purifier is on order and air quality is getting smoky again lately so I built this with stuff I had on hand. It took about 40 minutes. It works quite well. The only thing I bought was a furnace filter. The little fan I bought years ago at a thrift shop for $3.... You can go to YouTube to see the many different types of homemade air purifiers you can make with little effort. See what works best for you. Any child old enough to use a box cutter can make this one. If you have the bigger box fans you can get filters to fit exactly (20 X 20 X 1 fan and filter) and you can attach the filter right to the fan with tape or zip ties without building a chamber like I did. Therefore, no cutting at all except to trim the zip ties if you use them and you can do it with scissors. Due to the size and shape of my fan, I decided to go with a larger filter but I had to build a chamber to attach it to. And, because so many filters were sold out at the hardware store, I ended up with a filter that was longer than my box, so I got a little creative and made it work. If you decide to make your own air purifiers, please send me a photo and I will post your STEM project. Have fun!

For all you night owls and astronomy enthusiasts out there. tonight is the Full Harvest Moon! Last night it looked like the Great Pumpkin in the sky. The moon is hard to photograph with an iPhone so I'm sending you this link that provides more really good information on the Harvest Moon and other planets and galaxies that can be seen this month. Enjoy! https://www.space.com/harvest-moon-2020-in-october-explained

Happy BAY DAYMonth! Save the Bay is celebrating its 5th annual Bay Day for the entire month of October! Try to win the grand prize! Prize a kayak and a lifetime membership to AllTrails Pro. Click the link below to learn more about all the other prizes.... Did you know that the SF Bay Estuary is one of the most bio diverse areas on the planet? Did you know that it was testing conducted right here at the Bay Model that saved the SF Estuary by exposing a variety of catastrophic conditions that would result from the proposed John Reber Plan? The test results added much needed fuel to the Save the Bay movement that continues today. Take the Bay Trail challenge and walk, ride your bike or paddle 25 miles along the shoreline. If that sounds too physically demanding you can complete 5 outdoor adventures like bird watching, picnicking, flying a kite, or pick a brand new area each week and explore. Just here in Marin County alone we are blessed with over 1,250 miles of trails, numerous parks, lots of historic sites to include WWI and WWII former army military batteries, and loads of incredible places of interest. It has over 500 species of birds and over 900 flowering plants and a wide variety of wildlife. Each season presents itself with a whole new array of breathtaking color and splendor and it's all waiting for you. The minute the smoke clears get out and and enjoy it. Get in on some of those cool prizes too. https://www.bayday.org/bay-day-trail-challenge/

What? This is the last day of Coastal Clean Up Month already? Not if you are a good steward of the planet. Those who care about the environmental legacy that we leave our children, future generations and wildlife know that keeping our shores and waterways pristine is an ongoing mission. Every little bit helps. Keep up the good work. Ranger Carla was picking up trash along our waterfront facing Richardson Bay last Saturday commemorating Coastal Cleanup and Public Land's Day! This is what a good role model looks like.

Here's today's schedule for Sharktoberfest! So be in your places with bright shining faces...10 AM. https://farallones.org/sharktoberfest/ And, it's also Public Lands Day. Normally many California parks would be free to the public today but if you are planning to visit your favorite park please call first to be sure that it is open. You may want to consider getting out early while its still cool and take a nice hike, pick up some trash (it's still Coastal Cleanup Month too), and be back in time for Sharktoberfest!

How much do you really know about sharks? Test your knowledge. You just might be surprised. Your score might inspire you to learn more about these awesome creatures tomorrow during virtual Sharktoberfest. Get the family together and click the link below and see how many questions you can answer correctly. ... One of the things we need to do in an effort to create and maintain a healthy society is to forge a strong bond with nature. All living things, including humans, are all intricately connected in the great web of life. Bottom line, protecting all our creatures great and small and we protect ourselves. Any place on the planet that has a bountiful ecosystem results in a higher quality of life for all. https://kids.nationalgeographic.com//qui/quiz-whiz-sharks/