Aerisyn expects to manufacture up to 300 commercial-sized wind towers during its first year of automation at the Chattanooga manufacturing plant. Wally Thompson, COO and Director of Sales and Marketing at Aerisyn Inc., says the towers they are manufacturing can be up to 350 feet tall and have a base diameter of up to 15 feet. The plant currently runs three shifts and may employ up to as many as 200 people by next year.

Invocation: Ron Burton

Menu: A buffet lunch for $11 will be available for attendees beginning at 11:30 a.m. Lunch will include a salad, beef stroganoff, buttered corn, turnip greens, roll, and banana pudding. Reservations are not required, and guests are welcome. For more information, call Judy Driggans at 751-7616 or Brad Baucom at 751-4696.

Parking: Free parking (for those who leave a notice on their dash indicating they are with the Chattanooga Engineers Club) is available for attendees at the Days Inn on Carter Street. There is also a parking garage behind the Tallan Building.

PREVIOUS MEETING_____________________________________

"Volunteers In Medicine - New Free Medical Clinic in Chattanooga" - Barbara Weinhold, Clinic Director

Barbara Weinhold explained how the only way some people without medical insurance can get basic medical care is to visit emergency rooms at local hospitals. The Volunteers In Medicine clinic opened earlier this year and provides basic medical services to those without medical insurance who have lived in Hamilton County at least 90 days and have an income that is at or below 200% of the Federal Poverty Level:
Single-person . . . .$19,140 or less
Family of two . . . .$25,660 or less
Family of three . . .$32,180 or less
Family of four . . . .$38,700 or less
Family of five . . . .$45,220 or less
Appointments are made by calling 855-8220. More information can be found at www.vim-chatt.org.

The clinic is staffed with volunteers and is located in the same building as the Eastgate branch of the public library. You don't have to be a doctor or nurse to volunteer. They need people who can write grant proposals, handy men and women for odd jobs, greeters, eligibility screeners, receptionists, schedulers, and translators just to name a few. In the past 5 months they have had 931 patient visits, provided about $140,000 of medical care, and dispensed about $64,000 retail value of prescription medicine.

They have a children's waiting area in the clinic with books and the clinic staff encourages children to take a book home with them when they visit. There is no charge for services, tests, or drugs provided by the VIM Clinic. For some of the prescriptions that patients will continue indefinitely, the VIM patients are referred to drug suppliers assistance programs to receive free or reduced price medicine.

The mission of the VIM Clinic is to understand and serve the health and wellness needs of the medically underserved in our community by providing quality, compassionate and personalized care in a faith-based caring environment.

FUTURE MEETINGS ____________________________________

Monday, November 14: "Levee Structures Accessed After Hurricane Katrina" - Peter S. Zimmerman, PE, ARCADIS
Program Chair: Terry Reynolds

Monday, November 21: "Lessons Learned by the National Transportation Safety Board" - James Evan Hall, Hall & Associates, LLC
Program Chair: Sam Powell

Monday, November 28: "Cell Phones and What All They Can Do" - David Hedges, Cingular Wireless

QUESTIONS, SUGGESTIONS? If you have any questions or suggestions about program items please contact Judy Driggans at 423-751-7616 or by email at jdriggans@comcast.net. You can find references to other Chattanooga Engineers Club members at our web site www.ChattanoogaEngineersClub.org.