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Tickets for "Breakfast with Santa," Argonne Club's annual holiday celebration, go on sale Tuesday, Nov. 19, from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. in Argonne-East's Building 213 cafeteria.
Tickets are $1 per child and will be sold through Friday, Nov. 22. Any remaining tickets will be sold the week of Nov. 25.
Santa and Mrs. Claus will visit Argonne Saturday, Dec. 7, in the Building 213 cafeteria, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tickets will be color-coded for three blocks of time: 9 a.m. to 11 a.m., 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. Each employee is allowed up to 10 tickets. Those unable to pick up tickets will be given the first available time when they arrive at the event.
Santa will be joined by Rudolph the Reindeer, Frosty the Snowman and other characters. Entertainment will include a magician and face-painters.
Free cookies and milk will be available from the Argonne Club. Marriott Corp. will sell pancakes and sausage for breakfast and hot dogs and French fries later in the day.
The chemicals produced will be incorporated into polymers and solvents for use in clothing, fibers, paints, inks, food additives, and an array of other industrial and consumer products.
Argonne, Oak Ridge National Laboratory , the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, and Pacific Northwest National Laboratory have signed a $7 million agreement with Applied CarboChemicals, a Pennsylvania specialty chemicals company, to develop and commercialize the process.
The new process promises to reduce reliance on imported oil and to expand markets for domestic agriculture. Other advantages include significantly lower costs and reduced waste generation.
Developed jointly by the four laboratories, the new process first makes succinic acid by fermenting glucose sugar from corn, then separates and purifies the acid, and finally converts it chemically into 1,2-butanediol, tetrahydrofuran, N-methyl pyrrolidone and other chemicals used to make a wide assortment of products.
Existing domestic markets for such chemicals total almost one billion pounds of materials per year at a value of more than $1.3 billion.
The process has been licensed to Applied CarboChemicals, whose president, Eric O'Connor-Donsky, worked closely with the DOE labs. "We are committed,'' O'Connor-Donsky said, "to the transfer of the technology to commercial operations, and this project could serve as a model for government-industry cooperation to achieve immediately viable results."
At Argonne, Mark Donnelly and his colleagues Cindy Millard and Lucy Stols (all ER) have applied genetic techniques to create a new organism, a mutant of a bacterium that normally produces only small amounts of succinic acid. The mutant produces greater amounts of the acid.
Shih-Perng Tsai and Michael Henry, Anthony Fracaro and Paula Moon (all ES) have established an efficient process for purifying the acid from the mixture of materials found in fermentation broths.
Argonne has filed for a patent on this new microbe and has already established proprietary position for the separation process.
This project is unique in that it involves the coordinated efforts of researchers at four DOE facilities and Applied CarboChemicals.
Each DOE laboratory made significant contributions to the research effort. Argonne scientists improved the microbe and the separation process; NREL scientists analyzed the economics of the process; Pacific Northwest scientists established new chemical catalysts for converting succinic acid to commodity chemicals, and ORNL scientists led the development of an efficient fermentation protocol.
The research is part of DOE's Alternative Feedstocks program, which seeks to create new links between the agricultural community and the chemicals industry through support of research and development that uses crops to produce chemicals.
Potential economic benefits of this and other Alternative Feedstock program efforts include expansion of markets for corn and other domestic renewable feedstocks, improved job security in agricultural and related industries, and significant energy savings.
Analyses indicate that a single combined biological/chemical plant could save the energy equivalent of that required to heat 80,000 single-family homes for a year, conserving valuable petroleum resources.
The research is funded by DOE's Office of Industrial Technology, Alternative Feedstocks program. Funding is also provided through the cooperative research and development agreement with Applied CarboChemicals.
At Argonne-West, employees should turn in their timecards by 10 a.m. on Friday, Nov. 22.
Payroll processing time for Nov. 22 timecards is extremely limited due to the Thanksgiving holiday.
Sisterson was "surprised and delighted" by the Oct. 17 ceremony, attended by 100 other "We Care" volunteers. The volunteers were presented with certificates and letters of appreciation from Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley, Chicago Police Superintendent Matt Rodriguez, Paul G. Vallas, Chief Executive Officer of the Chicago Public Schools and Illinois Governor Jim Edgar.
"Mayor Daley feels that the way to turn the city around is to turn the kids around," Sisterson said. "The only way to do that is to go into the schools and turn them around one at a time."
Turning those kids around takes one or two hours a month of Sisterson's time, most recently at the Jackie Robinson School on the city's near south side. He began working with the "We Care" about six months ago, but his involvement at Jackie Robinson School began at a teacher development program held at Argonne a few years ago, sponsored by the laboratory's Division of Educational Programs. The teachers invited him to visit their schools and help in other ways.
For the past two decades, Sisterson has been involved in education with many other schools in Chicago and its suburbs, including schools in Homer Township, where he resides. He serves as a science fair judge, attends career days and gives presentations on weather science using balloons, Nerf balls, a whip and other props. He also demonstrates scientific instruments.
"Maybe because I am a kid at heart, I find ways to turn them on to things they might think are boring, " Sisterson said.
Sisterson also continues to lend his expertise to teacher development programs. He feels science education needs to emphasize critical thinking and problem solving instead of memorizing facts in preparation for tests. Such memorization, he said, teaches kids that science has answers for everything, when in fact science is about asking questions and searching for answers.
Sisterson has worked at Argonne since 1975. He manages the Southern Great Plains Cloud and Radiation Testbed site in Kansas and Oklahoma for DOE's Atmospheric Radiation Measurement Program.
The National Fraud Information Center has received reports of people getting answering-machine messages telling them that it is urgent they call a number beginning with area code 809. Those calling the number hear a long recorded message and later find a large charge on their phone bill - 809 is the area code for the Caribbean, where some unscrupulous companies base their operations to skirt U.S. phone regulations.
Those regulations require companies using pay-per-call numbers to warn consumers of the charges and rates involved and provide a time period during which a call can be terminated without charge. The center recommends not responding to messages from unknown persons or area codes.
Scam artists are also playing to confusion over new national pay-per-call and toll-free numbers. Phone numbers with 500 and 700 area codes work just like pay-per-call 900 numbers. Calls to 800 and 888 area codes are toll-free.
Argonne's new area code, 630, took effect in October. The "grace period," in which calls to Argonne can be completed with either 708 or 630, ends Nov. 29.
| Toll-free area codes | Pay-per-call area codes | 800, 888 | 500,
700 900 |
The new premium rates shown below are monthly rates for $1,000 of coverage. For more information, call ext. 2-2991 (Argonne East) or ext. 3-7227 (Argonne-West).
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Blix was the last speaker in the special colloquium series "Partners in Progress: Science, Technology and Society." He spoke on "Nuclear Power -- Prospects for Revival."
According to Blix, if the developing world is to achieve the standard of living enjoyed by industrialized countries, it will take a huge increase in energy resources.
One of the most economical and environmentally safe ways to meet this growing demand, he said, is the use of nuclear power, but there are three important issues surrounding its use: reactor safety; waste disposal and transportation; and the issue of proliferation.
It is Blix's belief, however, that these are political and emotional issues, not insurmountable technological problems. In fact, he said, they are problems for which technological solutions have already been found.
The political and emotional concerns can be dispelled, Blix said, by providing the public with more information on these sensitive issues, especially assessment of radiation risks. "If one could establish a better understanding of radioactive risk, we could remove a great barrier to nuclear acceptance," he said.
Safety is an equally important factor in reviving nuclear power. "If you have one significant accident anywhere it doesn't help any of the other arguments you make," Blix said. The good news is that much has been learned since Three Mile Island in 1979 and Chernobyl in 1986 and nuclear safety is becoming a universal culture. The fact that long-term storage of nuclear waste has been shown as a possibility in practice and not just theory is also encouraging, he said.
Verification of nuclear material from disarmament of nuclear weapons is also important for public acceptance of anything nuclear, Blix said. "With the end of the era of nuclear testing it's appropriate to have an international agency assess what hazards may remain."
A complete break between the link of nuclear weapons and nuclear power, however, will not happen until the era of nuclear weapons is truly over, he said.
Blix said he was honored to speak at Argonne which has a long history of cooperation with the IAEA.
The International Atomic Energy Agency is often called the "Atoms for Peace" organization of the United Nations system. It carries out activities related to the peaceful development and verification of nuclear energy's uses. The IAEA statute was approved by the U.N. on Oct. 26, 1956, and the agency came into existence on July 29, 1957.
Since 1976, the laboratory has worked with the agency to provide training in nuclear safety, energy planning, and environmental modeling.
Pledge card returned to Argonne-East division and department coordinators were entered in the weekly raffle through the end of the combined appeal.
Winners were:
| Week 1 | Employee | Coordinator | Division |
|---|---|---|---|
| Theodore Krause | Virginia Strezo | CMT | |
| Simon Phillpot | Sheila Jungman | MSD | |
| Coleen Tobolic | Elizabeth Rizzo | PHY | |
| Douglas Engert | John Volmer | ECT-CTT | |
| Week 2 | Employee | Coordinator | Division |
| Gregory George | Valentin Martinez | ET | |
| Kelly Hansen | Patricia Gajewski | PFS-MAT | |
| Week 3 | Employee | Coordinator | Division |
| Christopher Johnson | Catherine Riblon | IPNS | |
| Week 4 | Employee | Coordinator | Division |
| Deanna Hollo | Fred Cafasso | CHM |
Team members are John Stoffel (ECT-ELT), Don Graczyck (CMT-ACL), David Green (CMT-ACL), Bob Heinrich (CMT-ACL), Amrit Boparai (CMT-ACL), Bob Kampwirth (MSD), Mitch Erickson (ER) and Dave Bass (CMT-ACL).
Interested non-members are invited to discuss radio-control flying and see exhibits of members' aircraft.
For more information, call Gary Dyrkacz (CHM) at ext. 2-7478.
The pollution prevention awareness session is sponsored by the Department of Energy and Argonne's Waste Minimization and Pollution Prevention Advisory Committee. For more information, call Ella Mulford (DOE) at ext. 2-9550 or Lorraine Morris (EMO) at ext. 2-9483.
NEW ARRIVALS
A boy, Reece, born May 8 to Christina and Larry Foulkrod (ED); a girl, Alexandra, born July 9 to Humberto Garcia (ED); a girl, Haley, born Aug. 28 to Brenda and Rhett Rovig (OD); a boy, Kyle, born Sept. 15 to Bonnie and Tom Bakes (OD); a boy, Cody Michael, born Aug. 10 to Keith and Cathy Bresnahan (ESH); a daughter, Ellynna, born Oct. 12 to May Wu (ES) and husband; a son, Dimitri Alexander, born Oct. 3 to Chrysoula and Filippos Patsiogiannis (ES); a son, Zachary Edward, born Sept. 20 to Jack (EAD) and Manjula Pfingston (EAD). Lisa and Patrick Kern (OD) adopted three children, Cassandra, Anthony and Cyrus, on Oct. 1. Proud grandparents: a granddaughter, Shelby Lane, born Oct. 4 for first-time grandparents Vernetta Carten (ES) and Tom Carten (PFS); a grandson, Jacob Payton McClane, born Oct. 15 for Jean Slater (DIS). Dee Wyman (IPD-TCS) became a foster great grandmother on Aug. 25 with the birth of a son to her foster granddaughter in Chyrsomelia, Greece.
ACHIEVEMENTS
Congratulations to John Stachelski, son of Ronette Stec (OCF-PRO), on being named fireman of the year in Joliet.
WEDDINGS/ENGAGEMENTS
Congratulations to Jennifer Brumpton and Rowdy Christiansen (RPS) on their Sept. 7 wedding; to Beth Helm and Chad Pope (OD) on their July 25 marriage; to Chuck Peet and Cindy Loomis (EAD) on their Oct. 12 wedding; to Elise Reyes (OCF-PRO) and Raymond Wittkamp (OCF-PRO) on their Oct. 9 wedding; to Michael Marino (IPD-MED) and Carol Schnedorf on their Sept. 22 marriage; to Anne Sutherland (PHY) and Michael Reuter on their Aug. 17 wedding and to Laurie Malak (CMT) and Terry Carbaugh (PFS) on their Sept. 14 wedding.
GET WELL WISHES
Wishes for a speedy recovery to Merilee Christensen (RPS) who is recovering from shoulder surgery and to Richard Cwanek (IPD-MED).
CONDOLENCES
Our sympathy goes out to Hope (ED) and Bryan Forsmann (RPS) on the death of Hope's grandmother; to Rich Olsen (EAD) on the death of his sister-in-law; to Dave Wade (RA) on the death of his mother; to Debra Lopez (OCF-PRO) on the death of her father; to Anne Reuter (PHY) on the death of her father; and to Daniel (PFS-BM) and Teri (ITD) Huml on the death of Daniel's father.
TRANSITIONS
Good luck to Dolores Lagerquist who transferred from RPS-SUP to RPS-DIV and to Kurt Spokas and Jean Bogner who transferred from ES to ER.
WELCOME
RPS welcomes Craig Henman. PHY welcomes Amanda Beardsley, Albrecht Gillitzer, Suichi Hasegawa, Jozef Kuzminski and Abhijit Sarkar. RE welcomes Igor Bodnar, Michael Jansma, Mark Petri and Markus Nie.
FAREWELL
Good luck to Valerie Davis (ES); Karl Duke (OCF-PRO) and Vincent Liu (RE), who have all left the laboratory.
CONTRIBUTORS
Thanks to this issue's contributors: Loretta Cescato (CMT); Gloria
Griparis (IPD-TCS); Diana Grygiel (ESH); Connie Hutchens
(AW); Eileen Johnson (RA); Karen Kerwin (ITD); Darlene
Muhich (OCF-PRO); Jo Ann Parnell (ES); Faith Ruppert (EAD);
Jean Slater (DIS); Kim Tomasko (RE); Barb Weller
(PHY); John Whennen (IPD-MED).
Argonne News is published weekly for the employees of Argonne National Laboratory by the Office of Public Affairs.
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Story ideas, comments and suggestions are welcome. The Argonne News office is in Building 201, room 2Q-02 (OPA-201). The fax number is ext. 2-5274. Send E-mail to Argonne News editor Dave Jacque.
Seminar listings: Send by inter-office mail to Evie Fagan, Building 201, room 2U-09 (OPA-201). Fax to ext. 2-5274, or send by E-mail.
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