Full text

Daily Newsbulletin
Monday, April 21, 1997

Bulletin Board | Cafeteria Menu | Calendar Page
Director's News | Reader's Forum | Road Report

Peña makes whirlwind Lab tour
Asian Pacific Heritage Month in May
1997 Corporate Challenge is May 17

Peña makes whirlwind Lab tour

Department of Energy Secretary Federico Peña on Friday called the Laboratory unparalleled in the world, and said Lab research and the work at other national labs will continue to be needed.

Peña made his comments during a news conference at Technical Area 55, that followed a whirlwind tour Friday morning of Lab facilities and briefings with senior Lab officials. It was the new DOE secretary's first official visit to any DOE lab.

Peña, dressed in a black suit, white shirt and red tie, and DOE Assistant Secretary for Defense Programs Vic Reis were greeted at the Lab's Badging Office early Friday by Laboratory Director Sig Hecker, Deputy Director Jim Jackson, and other Lab and University of California officials before beginning the series of briefings and presentations.

Friday morning, Peña visited the Lab's Data Communications Center, where the Lab's Accelerated Strategic Computing Initiative high-speed computers in support of stockpile stewardship are coming online. There he also received a briefing on the Lab's Human Genome Project and witnessed global ocean and wildfire modeling and simulation demonstrations.

Peña received briefings on the Lab's stockpile stewardship and nonproliferation programs, the accelerator production of tritium project, plutonium pit production and disassembly, and the lab-to-lab program with former Russian states, among other things.

"I want to thank Sig for the extraordinary briefings I got today," Peña said at the news conference. "It was done in a very professional way . . . I learned a lot, and I got to ask a lot of questions. I have a lot to learn and I will be back."

Peña told news reporters and others in attendance that the national labs, including Los Alamos, will continue to play a vital role to the nation. "As our country moves into the 21st century and faces new challenges and missions, I'm absolutely convinced this laboratory is needed more today than ever," the secretary said.

He cited the Lab's stockpile stewardship mission to ensure that the nation's nuclear weapons remain safe and reliable in the absence of underground testing.

"I want to go back to Washington with a very clear message to all my associates, members of Congress and the American people. And that message is that this extraordinary facility continues to be world class and that the work being done here is unparalled in the world," Peña said.

Responding to questions from reporters, Peña said DOE is moving in the right direction with its environmental impact statements on a number of Lab projects. "Our job is to make sure we have done them in a comprehensive way . . . and that we can justify them and defend them," Peña said.

Peña also said he fully supports the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant 26 miles southeast of Carlsbad. "The WIPP facility is important to our country, and we want to get it open as quickly as possible," the secretary said.

In response to a question about funding for the stockpile stewardship program, Peña noted that the program the three weapons labs are engaged in are funded to the tune of about $4 billion this year, a figure Peña described as a minimum funding level.

Peña also noted that at the height of the Cold War, the U.S. was spending close to $10 billion a year on nuclear defense programs. "So we're saving taxpayers billions of dollars," he said.

"I'm going to be very attentive to ensuring that these programs get adequate funds," said Peña. "I think this is a somewhat indefinite investment we will be making."

At the same time, Peña acknowledged that there are still some congressmen skeptical of the stockpile stewardship program. "I think there is still a lack of confidence but it's coming along," said Peña. "I think it's going to take some time."

Peña closed the news conference by saying he wanted to come to the Lab and wants to return here. "I wanted to come here intentionally to make a point," the secretary said. "I'm very focused on the missions of the national labs. I'm also very focused on the direction that I hope the DOE will continue to take, and that is be a good neighbor wherever we are."

Peña's last stop at the Lab was at Technical Area 54, the radioactive waste storage facility. After leaving Los Alamos, Peña was scheduled to lunch with Gov. Gary Johnson in Santa Fe.

On Saturday, Peña was scheduled to travel to the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant and on Monday tour and meet with officials from Sandia National Laboratories in Albuquerque.

--Steve Sandoval

RealAudio Files are available with highlights from Energy Secretary Peña's news conference at Technical Area 55. Go to www.real.com to download the basic free software, "RealAudio Player" (you don't need Real Audio Player Plus 3.0)

Audio clip I

Audio clip II

Audio clip III

Asian Pacific Heritage Month in May

Guest speakers, a career development workshop and a Japanese kabuki theater performance are just some of the activities scheduled in May at the Laboratory to celebrate Asian Pacific Heritage Month.

The Asian American Diversity Working Group is sponsoring the activities, which are free and open to Lab employees and subcontract personnel, said Jasmine Pan of Communications (CIC-4) and chairperson of the working group.

Included in the celebration is an exhibit to hang all month in the Otowi Building, said Pan. The exhibit depicts Asian American culture and some Lab Asian employees' work.

"The Asian American Diversity Working Group would like to take this opportunity to introduce the richness of Asian culture to Lab employees and the Los Alamos community," said Pan. "The multicultural differences Asian employees bring to the Lab has given color, design and character to the fabric of the Laboratory, and we are very proud of our heritage.

"By organizing an Asian Career Development workshop as the kick-off activity in May, we hope to offer Asian employees at the Lab an opportunity to grow and plan for their careers at the Lab."

The Asian Career Development Workshop is scheduled for 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. May 6 in the Jemez Room on the second floor of the Study Center. Diversity specialist and trainer Sally Huang-Nissen will lead the workshop, said Pan. After the workshop, there is an open reception in the Santa Clara Gallery of the Study Center featuring a national costume display.

Two days later from noon to 1 p.m., a Japanese Kabuki theater performance, accompanied by a video narrated by George Csanak of Atomic and Optical Theory (T-4) takes place in the Materials Science Laboratory (MSL) Auditorium. A reception will follow the performance, said Pan.

Kabuki theater performances in Japanese culture, Pan explained, are akin to Shakespearean theater.

At noon, May 15 at University House, Young Suh Kim, physics professor at the University of Maryland, will speak on "Taoism, Kantianism, and Einsteinism." A reception follows his talk.

On May 22, Ruth Hashimoto will speak from noon to 1 p.m. in the MSL Auditorium on "An Asian-American Perspective."

Hashimoto has been nominated to the Lab's Diversity External Advisory Council and has been designated as a New Mexico Living Treasure. Hashimoto also has been actively involved in Sister Cities International, with the United National Association/UNICEF and a number of other activities. A reception follows Hashimoto's talk.

The Asian American Diversity Working Group also is scheduled to telecast two video tapes on LABNET Channel 10 as part of Asian Pacific Heritage Month, Pan said.

From 9 to 10:40 a.m. and again from noon to 1:40 p.m. May 27 on LABNET, a documentary film on architect and sculptor Maya Lin will air. Titled, "A Stronger Vision," it is a portrait on Lin, who among other works, designed the Vietnam Veterans Memorial while an undergraduate student at Yale University.

Other designs by Lin include the Civil Rights Memorial, the Yale Women's Table, the Juniata Peace Chapel and her work on San Francisco's Presidio Park.

From 9 to 10:20 a.m. and noon to 1:20 p.m. the next day, "Great Tales in Asian Art," will air on LABNET Channel 10.

The Ramayana details the epic adventures of India's legendary hero and are illustrated with Indian painting, Indonesian sculpture, Japanese shadow play and dramatic re-enactments.

Korean Masked Dance Drama is told by actors wearing audaciously conceived masks, Pan said. The social satire, she explained, is "masked" by bold humor and comic dance.

Gita Govinda, India's great erotic poem, is interpreted by a beautiful dance and celebrated in lyrical painted images.

The Tale of Genji/Henji is the amorous adventures of Price Genji as told by a Japanese woman in a period costume. Colorful paintings from scrolls and screens illustrate Japan's most famous romantic novel.

--Steve Sandoval

1997 Corporate Challenge is May 17

Laboratory employees, contract personnel, retirees and spouses still can sign up to be on the Lab team participating in the 1997 Corporate Challenge in Albuquerque.

The 1997 Corporate Challenge is May 17 at La Cueva High School and June 7 and 8 at Wilson Stadium. The first day of the challenge features a 5-mile men's run, 3-mile women's run and a 2-mile walk for men and women, said Roger Johnston of Advanced Chemical Diagnostics Instrumentation (CST-1).

Johnston said people under age 30 and female runners/walkers of any age are especially needed this year.

Children 21 or older of Lab employees, contractors and retirees also can participate, Johnston said, also noting that the Corporate Challenge emphasizes health and physical activity rather than competition.

The Lab team is again supported by morale funds from the Human Resources (HR) Division.

The Corporate Challenge running/racewalk championships are put on twice each year by the United States Corporate Athletics Association, a nonprofit organization devoted to life-long fitness and friendly athletic competition.

For information about Corporate Challenge events, or to be placed on the Corporate Challenge mailing list, contact Johnston at 7-7414, or write to roger_johnston@lanl.gov by electronic mail.

--Steve Sandoval

Past Daily Newsbulletins | Last week's headlines

Other Laboratory news sources
Reflections | News Releases | Dateline: Los Alamos

Diversity Issues | DOE News | Human Resources
Lab Memos | Research Library | UC Connection

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