Fire danger: Moderate
Einstein aide will commemorate anniversary of Planck's Constant
On the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the discovery of Planck's Constant, Einstein's last research assistant will discuss the different roles played by this fundamental constant on the stage of physics. Nandor Balazs, professor emeritus at State University of New York, Stony Brook, will speak at a director's colloquium at 1:10 p.m. Tuesday in the Physics Building Auditorium.
The talk is open to the public and also will be shown on LABNET.
Laboratory garners seven awards for pollution
prevention
Seven organizations and projects from the Laboratory have won New Mexico Green Zia Environmental Excellence awards for their efforts in pollution prevention.
The voluntary Green Zia Environmental Excellence Program helps New Mexico businesses achieve environmental excellence by establishing environmental management systems based on pollution prevention. It is sponsored by the New Mexico Environment Department and administered by the New Mexico Environmental Alliance, a partnership of state, local and federal agencies; academia; private industry; and environmental advocacy groups.
Los Alamos' Business Operations (BUS) and Human Resources (HR) divisions, Distributed Facilities (FWO-DF) and the Transition Manufacturing and Safety Equipment Project won Commitment awards. The Environmental Science and Waste Technology (E) Division and High Explosive Science and Technology (DX-2), which won Commitment awards last year, and Weapons Component Technology (NMT-5) won Achievement awards.
Overall, Los Alamos won seven of the 30 Green Zia awards given this year. Los Alamos' food service provider Aramark Corp. also won a Commitment Award.
They will be recognized by Gov. Gary Johnson and State Environment Department Secretary Peter Maggiore at a ceremony Wednesday (Oct. 4) at Hyde State Park in Santa Fe.
"With seven more awards this year to add to the three we won last year, we confirm our continued commitment to reducing or eliminating waste at every opportunity," said Tom Starke, program manager for Los Alamos' Environmental Stewardship Office (E-ESO), which coordinates Green Zia activities at the Laboratory.
"Our ultimate goal is to make pollution prevention a cornerstone of all our business practices and to develop an environmentally conscious culture Labwide that takes us beyond mere compliance," he added.
The Commitment Award is given to organizations that have made strong commitments to pollution prevention and are establishing basic, systematic pollution prevention programs. The Achievement Award recognizes organizations that have turned their pollution prevention programs into prevention-based environmental management systems and can demonstrate measurable results.
The Governor's Green Zia Environmental Excellence Award, the highest honor awarded, is reserved for organizations that have fully integrated prevention-based environmental management systems in place. Winning organizations must have demonstrated significant process improvement, substantial regulatory compliance, measurable waste reduction and proven leadership in environmental issues within the company and community. To date, no New Mexico organization has received an Environmental Excellence Award.
Additional information about the Green Zia program is available at ftp://www.nmenv.state.nm.us/docs/Gr_Zia/2000Criteria_final.doc online. Los Alamos' winning applications also are available at http://emeso.lanl.gov/eso_projects/green_zia/Applying/application.html online.
--Ternel N. Martinez
Counterintelligence talk to focus on personal behavior
A person's conduct can compromise their nation's security by giving an adversary's counterintelligence service the information it needs to operate what is known as a "provocation and neutralization" program, according to Rusty Capps, former FBI supervisory agent and current president of the Centre for Counterintelligence and Security Studies.
Capps will discuss personal behavior and it's relationship to counterintelligence at a special counter intelligence presentation from 8:30 to 10:30 a.m. Wednesday in the Administration Building Auditorium. The talk is noncredit and open to all badgeholders. It also will be telecast live on LABNET Channel 9.
Titled "The Targeting of an American: a Case Study in How to Protect Yourself from Foreign Counterintelligence Services," the talk will focus on how to pay attention to behaviors that could attract the interest of a foreign counterintelligence service. "There are certain types of behavior that really make you stick out," said Capps. "I'm going to talk about several real-life cases where American's were targeted by our adversaries' CI services, and later compromised, largely due to their own behavior."
Capps will outline the case of an U.S. Army Major, assigned to Moscow in the early 1980s, whose aggressive personal behavior, aggressive drinking and aggressive womanizing, gave the then Soviet Ministry of State Security all they needed to use him as a source. "The message here is that behavior, no matter how innocent it may seem on first analysis, has consequences," said Capps. "People in these circumstances need to realize that in a CI environment, the CI service controls the situation. And there are things you can do to keep yourself clear of the CI operative, to stay, what we call 'out of focus,' and out of trouble."
The present counterintelligence environment in Russia also will be one of Capps' topics, centered on the current case of American businessman Edmund Pope, now held by the Russian government and accused of espionage. "It's important to realize, however, that CI isn't limited to dictatorships or communist countries, CI is a reality in democracies as well, and we'll talk about that, too," he said.
This will be the second visit to Los Alamos for Capps, an Airborne Ranger and Vietnam veteran, who now specializes in training both government and private sector managers in strategic security and CI concepts. Capps was here last year and gave a talk during the security stand-down.
Additional information about Capps and the centre is available at http://www.cicentre.com/posters/LANL_CI_presentation_Oct_4_2000.htm online. Or call Internal Security (ISEC) at 5-6090 or 7-4837.
--Kevin Roark
Communitywide United Way rally is Wednesday
in Fuller Lodge
The Los Alamos/Northern New Mexico 2001 United Way campaign community rally is Wednesday in Fuller Lodge in downtown Los Alamos.
Laboratory employees and subcontract personnel can meet representatives from the 18 United Way member agencies who receive funds from the Los Alamos/Northern New Mexico United Way, said Linda Dissinger, co-chairperson of the community campaign. A videotaped message from U.S. Sen. Pete Domenici, R-N.M., also will be shown, she said.
The rally is from 4:30 to 7 p.m. and admission to the rally is a completed United Way pledge form, said Chris Olivera of the Laboratory's Community Relations Office (CRO) and coordinator of employee giving programs at the Lab. A list of all Lab employees who have already returned completed pledge forms will be at the event registration desk.
Refreshments are being provided by Los Alamos National Bank.
The communitywide campaign goal for this year's campaign is $750,000. Last year, Lab employees gave about $404,000 to United Way during the Lab's United Way campaign. This year's Lab campaign runs through Nov. 10.
Employees can pledge to United Way through payroll deduction. Or they can write a check to United Way, attach the check to the pledge card and return it to Mail Stop A117 through interoffice mail.
Additional information about the Los Alamos and Santa Fe United Way campaigns can be found at www.losalamos.com/unitedway and www.uwsfc.org respectively through the World Wide Web.
--Steve Sandoval
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Editor's Note: Once a week during October the Daily Newsbulletin will publish stress management tips as part of Occupational Medicine's (ESH-2) new "Feel Like a Million" stress management program. Read the Sept. 28 Daily Newsbulletin [http://www.lanl.gov/orgs/pa/News/092800.html#anchor4] or learn more about the program at http://drambuie.lanl.gov/~wellness/hp/flam/index.html online.
Commuting to and from work can be stressful, but drivers can make their commute more relaxing by remembering to give themselves adequate space -- usually several car lengths between your vehicle and the one in front of you -- and giving themselves enough time to arrive safely at their destination. Also, listen to calm, soothing music, take a few slow, deep breaths to focus and visualize an effortless drive to your destination. Source: Health Enhancement Systems Inc. |
Tinworking artist Martine Martinez of Weapon Materials and Manufacturing (ESA-WMM) holds one of his crosses during last year's Spanish Market in Santa Fe. In the background is a weaving made by his wife Patricia. Martinez's art work also was featured in the July 1997 issue of Reflections. Photo courtesy of Martinez.
Lab employee honored by state for his art
The state of New Mexico recently recognized tinworking artist Martine Martinez, who works for the Department of Energy's Los Alamos National Laboratory, for his work.
New Mexico Secretary of State Rebecca Vigil-Giron awarded Martinez a Certificate of Appreciation for "exemplary dedication and service in enhancing the quality of life among all the peoples in the Land of Enchantment."
"I had no idea I was going to receive this," said Martinez, of Weapon Materials and Manufacturing (ESA-WMM). "It gives me a sense of accomplishment and pride that I really can't describe in words."
His wife, Patricia, also is an artist and received a Certificate of Appreciation as well. Martinez works with tin, while Patricia is an accomplished weaver. In fact, one of Martinez's supervisors presented a Russian scientist and his two interpreters with three of Patricia's weavings as gifts during a recently held workshop in Sarov, site of the chief Russian nuclear weapons design lab.
The 20-year Los Alamos employee has been a tin artist for more than decade, though he only began selling his works to the public a few years ago through venues such as the summer Spanish Market in Santa Fe.
Martinez specializes in religious pieces such as crosses. He also makes mirrors, picture frames and other pieces with religious tones. Some of his works have been showcased at the Mariposa Gallery in Alcalde and Los Vigil's in Chimayo. Additionally, his works have won ribbons from El Rancho de Las Golandrinas, a Spanish colonial living history museum south of Santa Fe.
"Whenever my pieces receive awards, I donate those pieces to St. Anne's Church in Alcalde. I'm also planning to donate some of my pieces to San Juan Parish," said Martinez.
--Ternel N. Martinez
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Tips to make commuting
less stressful
Wellness
Center activities for Oct.
