DIG IT! — Dan O’Rourke (EAD), left, and Lynn Gierek (EAD) conduct an archaeological dig of a farmstead site on Kearney Road just north of the Advanced Photon Source. Photo by Wes Agresta.

Excavation reveals history of ANL-East site

By Donna Jones Pelkie

Researchers from the laboratory’s Environmental Assessment Division recently conducted an archaeological dig at the site of an old farmstead located along Kearney Road just north of the Advanced Photon Source.

The dig was done to help the laboratory more effectively manage the wetland area surrounding it. According to Mark Kamiya (EQO), manager of the wetland site, the area contains many non-native plants, especially weedy species of shrubs and trees. These plants create erosion and standing water problems. Ultimately, Kamiya would like to do a prescribed burn there and return the land to a more native condition. Before that can be done, he said, “we need a clearer picture of what’s out there.”

That’s where Dan O’Rourke, Doug Kullen, Lynn Gierek, Matt Greby and Seleena Lanza (all EAD) come in. They spent several weeks excavating the site to see what artifacts they could find and what those items told them.

O’Rourke stressed that this work is compliance-driven, since Argonne sits on federally funded, public land. According to the National Historic Preservation Act, before a historically designated site can be altered, the artifacts at the site must be documented before they are removed. O’Rourke also wants employees to remember that it’s illegal to remove historical artifacts from federal lands.

The area was made eligible for the National Register of Historic Places in the late 1980s during archaeological excavations that preceded construction of the Advanced Photon Source. The site is eligible for the register because of its association with the Illinois and Michigan (I&M) canal.

According to O’Rourke, land records show the property was purchased from the I&M Canal in 1855. From that point until its purchase by the federal government in 1948, it was a working farm. After the government bought the land, O’Rourke said, the house was moved to a location on 75th Street and was torn down in the late 1980s.

“We’re trying to determine if there are intact remains from the I&M period,” said O’Rourke. To do this, the archaeologists excavate the foundations of buildings, plus the remains of cellars, privies and garbage pits. Discarded bottles, broken dishes, old toys and other “trash” found in these areas can provide a wealth of information on how the farm’s residents lived. “Archaeologists look at the material culture of a society,” O’Rourke said. “History is an intentional record. Archaeology is an unintentional record.”

During this excavation, O’Rourke and his colleagues discovered that two houses had occupied the property, not just one as originally thought. Based on the foundations, the original structure dates from the 1860s. The second was built in the 20th century, but exactly when is unclear.

O’Rourke said they also found evidence that the farmstead site may have been used as a camp roughly 3,000 years ago. The exact nature of the site is hard to determine, however, since farming the land greatly destroyed or altered its prehistoric archaeological evidence.

O’Rourke expects it will take about two months to complete a report on their findings. The artifacts will then be catalogued and housed at the Illinois State Museum.

Enrico Fermi lecture to focus on arms control

Sidney Drell, physicist and arms control specialist, will present “The Gravest Danger: Nuclear Weapons and Their Proliferation” at the 2003 Enrico Fermi Lecture in Physics, Tuesday, Oct. 28, at Argonne-East.

Drell’s talk will begin at 3 p.m. in the Building 402 Auditorium. He will address what can and should be done to sustain and strengthen non-proliferation efforts, taking into consideration technical realities and the role of diplomacy and of coercion.

All employees whose schedules permit are invited to attend the lecture.

Drell is professor of theoretical physics (emeritus) and former deputy director of the Stanford Linear Accelerator Center. He is also a senior fellow at the Hoover Institution at Stanford. Since 1960, Drell has been a leader in providing essential technical advice to the government on national security issues. He helped guide long-range planning of the nation’s high-energy physics program.

He is an active member of JASON, a group of academic scientists who consult for the government on issues of national importance. He has served on a number of boards, including the President’s Foreign Intelligence Advisory Board, the President’s Science Advisory Committee and the Non-Proliferation Advisory Panel.

Among his honors are the Enrico Fermi Award, the government’s oldest award for science and technology, and the National Intelligence Distinguished Service Medal, the highest award bestowed by the U.S. intelligence community.

His most recent book is “The Gravest Danger: Nuclear Weapons,” co-authored with Ambassador James Goodby.

Bowen to lead C&PA

Bobbi Bowen has been named director of Argonne’s Communications & Public Affairs office (C&PA), which serves the needs of the leadership, scientific and support organizations within the laboratory in communicating with employees, the community, news media and other external audiences; and in providing professional planning expertise for laboratory-hosted conferences and for visits by high level officials.

“I plan to bring a strategic focus to C&PA,” Bowen said. “We’re going to be proactive in searching out the great projects and people at the laboratory, and getting their stories out to a wide range of audiences, from the laboratory community to national media.”

Clearly defining and communicating Argonne’s institutional identity -- its “brand” -- will be one of C&PA’s highest priorities, Bowen said. This unifying theme will help provide Argonne’s audiences with a clear sense of what the laboratory is, what is does, and its many contributions to national competitiveness, homeland security, and to the search for knowledge.

Bowen brings more than 12 years of experience in public relations and marketing, including communications planning, project and production management, message development, layout and design, graphics and publishing and advertising and promotions.

Previously, Bowen was executive producer and manager of the Communications and Digital Media Program at Motorola, Inc., where she focused her organizations’ energies on integrated communication and marketing with an emphasis on institutional identity and strategic messaging.

At Dell Corporation, Round Rock, Texas, Bowen served as a producer and marketing communications specialist. She has also worked as a program coordinator at New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, and as a production coordinator and marketing development manager at the university’s Electronic Media Studio.

She holds a bachelor’s degree in communication studies from New Mexico State University.

Bowen is a resident of Chicago’s Lincoln Park neighborhood.

WIST steering committee seeks new members

Applications are now being accepted for steering committee members of Argonne’s Women in Science and Technology (WIST) committee.

“Serving on the WIST Steering Committee has been a very rewarding experience for me,” said Kirsten Laurin-Kovitz, a mechanical engineer in the Nuclear Engineering Division and current steering committee member.

“It has given me the opportunity to make a meaningful and significant contribution to the laboratory effort to increase the representation of women in scientific and technical positions,” Laurin-Kovitz said. “I strongly encourage others to apply. Their time and effort will be well worth it.”

To apply, e-mail a brief biography and memo specifying interest and reasons for membership to Tracy Rogness (OTD) by Friday, Oct. 31.

Details about WIST are available online.

‘Introduce a Girl to Engineering’ under way

An Introduce a Girl to Engineering Day (IGED) planning meeting is set for Monday, Nov. 3, at 12:15 p.m. in Argonne-East’s Building 203, Conference Room R150.

IGED will take place Thursday, Feb. 26, during National Engineers Week 2004. The national goal is to mobilize women in engineering and to reach more than one million girls.

For more information visit the National Engineers Week Web site or contact Kirsten Laurin-Kovitz at ext. 2-4143 or Debby Quock at ext. 2-0269.

ASK THE DIRECTORATE

Q: It would be nice if the Argonne-East post office could open at 8 a.m. instead of 10 a.m. If it opened at 8, most people could get things done at the post office before reporting to work instead of having to step away from work.

A: While your suggestion would be a nice convenience, the mailroom does not have the resources to provide an earlier opening of the Branch Post Office.

As an alternative, may we suggest the U. S. post office located at 42 Stephen St., Lemont, Ill. They open at 8 a.m. and could assist you in conducting your early morning postal business. For more information on times and locations of the post office nearest you please go to www.usps.com.

Ask the Directorate” lets employees ask senior Argonne management direct questions about the laboratory’s operations, policy, strategy, mission, budget and goals. Employees should continue to refer job- or workplace-specific questions to their immediate supervisors.

Employees may submit questions to askthedirectorate@anl.gov or fax them to 2-5274. Only questions that include the name of the questioner and contact information, such as e-mail address, office extension or fax number, will be answered.

An appropriate member of the Argonne Directorate will answer each question, and the answer will be sent directly to the employee. In addition, the Argonne News will periodically print selected responses, and all answers will be posted on the Web at www.anl.gov/OPA/ local/askthedirectorate/.

Questioners will remain anonymous in the Argonne News and on the Web.

A link to the Ask-the-Directorate Web site can be found on the Inside Argonne home page at www.inside.anl.gov/.

SERVICE AWARDS

40 Years

Richard G. Foster (CIS).

35 Years

David R. Ellis (FAC), James L. Snelgrove (NE), Gary L. Turpin (PFS).

30 Years

John J. Krill (FAC).

25 Years

Joel C. Blankenship (FAC), George R. Fenske (ET), Michael J. Pellin (MSD), Sandra A. Tobolic (OCF).

20 Years

David M. Engel (NE), Bonita S. Meyer (XFD), Michael R. Norman (MSD), James Proudfoot (HEP), Aubrey C. Smith, Jr. (ET).

15 Years

Lisa A. Durham (EA), Candace L. Smith-Stigberg (OCF), Deborah D. Standfield (NT), Virginia T. Strezo (CMT), John H. Vacca (AOD), Hoydoo You (MSD).

10 Years

Darrell K. Cathey (PFS), Charles Harkey (PFS), Faith E. Ruppert (CMT), Betty Waterman (IPD).

5 Years

Edward L. Collins (NE), Norma Duke (BIO), Mary Edylyn M. Haus (OCF), Veerabhadra R. Kotamarthi (ER), Robert G. Lange (PFS), Nena P. Moonier (AOD), Deborah E.R. Quock (PHY), Pamela Richmond (EA), Lysbeth D. Rizzi (CMT), Paul Roberts (DIS), Jon James Smejkal (AOD), Raymond G. Teller (IPNS), Andrew D. Trusty (FAC), Wendy VanWingeren (AOD).

Metlife rep will visit ANL-East

A representative from MetLife Auto and Home will visit Argonne-East Tuesday, Oct. 21, to meet with individual employees for insurance comparisons and quotes for the “METPAY” group automobile and homeowners insurance program.

To schedule an appointment, call Craig Riddick at (630) 810-0346, ext. 143. Employees can also receive a quote over the phone by calling 1-800-438-6388.

IN MEMORIAM

A. Isabella Anderson, a retired technical librarian with 13 years of service in the Technical Information Services Division, died Sept. 23. Her sister, Sarah Coudill, survives her.

William T. Carnall, a retired senior chemist with 37 years of service in the Chemistry Division, died June 22. His wife, Velaine, survives him.

Elizabeth B. Kane, a retired janitor with 11 years of service in the Plant Facilities and Services Division, died Sept. 18. Her daughter, Pat Moonier, survives her.

William P. Norris, a retired biochemist with 34 years of service in the Biology Division, died Aug. 17. His wife, Geraldine, survives him.

Dowler W. Stark, a retired instrument maker with 33 years of service in the Central Shops Division, died Sept. 9. His wife, Reta, survives him.

Safety shoe expo set for Oct. 22

Iron Age Corporation (IAC) will hold a Safety Shoe Expo Wednesday, Oct. 22, from 11 a.m. - 1:30 p.m. in Argonne-East’s Building 213 Cafeteria, Dining Room B.

IAC representatives will be present to answer questions on shoes and services. Employees who attend the expo are eligible to enter a raffle.

Coupon book sales to fund scholarships

Coupon books offering savings at local restaurants and stores will be sold to help raise funds for the Argonne-East chapter of the International Association of Administrative Professionals (IAAP).

“Entertainment 2004” coupon books will be available beginning in September for the north-northwest, west-central and south-southwest areas of Chicago and its suburbs. Books are $20 each and will be available from Pat Frankovich at ext. 2-5700 or frankovich@anl.gov.

Proceeds will benefit the IAAP’s high school scholarship program.

RETIREES

Eugene E. Gezik (PFS-CS) retired Sept. 26 with 28 years of service.

H. Leona Harris (MSD) retired Sept. 15 with 25 years of service.

Stanley J. Rudnick (TD) retired Sept. 30 with 41 years of service.

Choir seeks voices for Veterans Day

The Argonne Choral Group will perform at Argonne-East’s annual Veterans Day ceremony, Thursday, Nov. 6.

Rehearsals are under way, but new voices are always welcome. For more information, page choir director Harry Bell (PFS) at ext. 4-1376.

Almost time to ‘fall back’

Daylight-saving time ends at 2 a.m. Oct. 26. Clocks should be set back one hour.

Service Awards for October include: