In this month’s newsletter we have included short stories on poverty, giving, health, science, energy, and education. Whew! That’s a lot to cover in just one issue. The snippets of information demonstrate the breadth of Laboratory partnerships and community activities. Clearly, the happenings in Northern New Mexico are making a big difference here and around the world – so much for which to be thankful. Pause and enjoy November. It’s the one month that we are actually called upon to schedule in “being thankful”! Let’s heed the call everyday.

The tank offered employees the chance to throw a tennis ball at a target and plunge a Laboratory manager—ideally their own boss—into a barrel of cold water. Lab Associate Director Dave Beck, 2006 United Way Campaign Chair, was a willing victim. "I almost drowned," he joked, "but it was O.K." Still somewhat damp, Beck went on to note the crucial role United Way plays in northern New Mexico, where one in three residents receives services from a United Way agency.

Drawing on the expertise of medical librarian Lizzie Eastwood, the library is giving classes at Senior Centers in Los Alamos and White Rock, at Aspen Ridge, and at Sombrillo. Each month through April classes will be offered on two topics—a class on finding and evaluating general health information and a class on heart disease, arthritis, low vision, or nutrition.

Call the Mesa Reference Desk at 662-8253 to sign up or get more information.

The exhibit contains an interactive, full-scale model of a Rover in its Martian environment, meticulously recreated by a group of New Mexico volunteers, and a ground-breaking video animation of the Mars mission. The animation allows you to follow the rocket, the spacecraft, and one of the robot explorers as if you were along for the ride, from blast-off to rock-drilling. A third-grade student from Acoma who recently viewed the exhibit pronounced the sight of the lander bouncing across the Martian surface in its cocoon of airbags "totally awesome."

Hytep is an alliance of Los Alamos and Sandia national laboratories, three major universities, and over 20 New Mexico companies. Administered for the New Mexico Economic Development Department by the Regional Development Corporation (RDC), Hytep’s goals are to make hydrogen a viable source of clean, abundant energy, reducing the need for foreign oil, and to help New Mexico become a national center for the hydrogen economy.

As noted in the August Connections, the Academy took a major step forward this year by starting a Masters Degree program with New Mexico State University. More than 40 MSA teachers have entered the program. At this year’s Summer Institute, Academy teachers received professional development training focusing on collaboration, knowledge sharing, and standards.

The MSA was founded by the Northern New Mexico Council for Excellence in Education, with support from the Laboratory and the LANL Foundation, among others.