Tuesday, Feb. 9, 1999
Threat of ballistic missiles focus of colloquium today
Stephen Cambone of the National Defense University in Washington, D.C., will present a Director's Colloquium at 1:10 p.m. today in the Administration Building Auditorium. In his colloquium, titled "The Threat of Ballistic Missiles From Other Countries," Cambone will discuss the implications of emerging ballistic missile threats and the U.S. policies -- including changes to intelligence capabilities, the roles and missions of U.S. offensive forces and programs for ballistic missile defenses -- that must be reviewed and revised to meet them. The colloquium is open to Q- and L-cleared badgeholders only.
HEERA question-and-answer session slated for Wednesday
An informational, question-and-answer meeting has been scheduled for Wednesday so employees can ask questions about the new draft HEERA-like policy. The meeting will be held from 1 to 3 p.m. in the Administration Building Auditorium. The draft HEERA-like policy is on RevCom for employee review and comment. Employees can access the policy at http://hazel.lanl.gov/rcg2/LANL.html.
Brochure to help employees make transition to year 2000
Laboratory employees should have received a brochure at their mail stops that describes what they can do to successfully transition their computers into the year 2000.
The three-fold brochure, "Year 2000: The Millenium Bug," was developed by the Lab's Year 2000 Project Office, headed by Diane Weir of the Computing, Information and Communications (CIC) Division.
The problem many businesses, organizations, governments and national laboratories, including Los Alamos face, is that computer system codes to operate computers and computer programs were developed with two digits rather than four digits. Hence, computers may interpret the year 2000 as 1900 or another year, Weir explained.
Laboratory Director John Browne has issued an all-employee memo asking employees to take appropriate steps to deal with matters in their workplace.
"Your responsibility is to ensure that the computers and equipment you use to do your work will operate across the transition and into next year," Browne said in the employee memo, which was distributed electronically on Jan. 25.
Also affected are embedded systems, computer-controlled devices such as building-control systems and data-acquisition equipment, said Weir.
The brochure reminds employees and contract personnel that they are responsible for equipment and systems required to perform their job. Employees and contractors, the brochure notes, should contact their group or office network administrator or year 2000 council representative and test computer systems to ensure they are year 2000 ready.
"Any operation that uses or is supported by a computer may be affected," the brochure states. "With only months remaining, you need to know your status and be actively pursuing a solution to the problem systems you use. Some solutions are simple and free; others are complex, time consuming, and costly."
The Year 2000 Project Office's World Wide Web page has information about the year 2000 computer dilemma. The page can be found at http://www.lanl.gov/projects/ia/year2000/. The Labwide plan for dealing with the problem can be found at http://www.lanl.gov/projects/ia/year2000/council/docs/pplan.pdf (Adobe Acrobat Reader required).
There also are web sites for year 2000 council representatives and the Lab's year 2000 facilities planning team, which is charged with readying Lab facilities for the year 2000.
"The Laboratory must be ready to operate in the year 2000, and you have a personal responsibility to ensure that your operations will not be affected. Only with your diligence and attention will we have a successful transition to the year 2000," Browne's memo added.
For more information, call Weir at 7-9337 or write to ia-year2000@lanl.gov by e-mail.
--Steve Sandoval
Trench and pipe installation began Monday along the north lane of State Road 4 from TA-33 to the Bandelier entrance. The work will continue through March 8. The contractor performing the work, Paul Parker Construction, will provide traffic signs and flag people to direct traffic. Trenches will not be left open during nondaylight hours. For more information, contact Paul Parker Construction at 662-7456. |
| On today's bulletin board | |
|---|---|
|
|
Past Daily Newsbulletins | Last week's headlines
Other news sources
Reflections
| News Releases
| Dateline: Los Alamos
| DOE Pulse
LANL | Phone Book | Search | Help
L O S A L A M O S
N A T I O N A L L A B O R A T O R Y
Operated by the University of California
for the US Department of Energy
Trench and pipe installation may delay traffic
between TA-33 and Bandelier entrance
"Civility in the Workplace"
seminar Feb. 18