San Diego Radar Site to Use Solar Power

NOAA's Western Administrative Support Center has received a grant of $25,000 from the Department of Energy to assist with the installation of a 10-kilowatt photovoltaic solar power system, to be installed at the NWS radar site near San Diego, CA. Additional funding of up to 50 percent of the project cost will be provided by the California Energy Commission. Anticipated construction start is fourth quarter of the current fiscal year. This project is expected to reduce electric power consumption at the radar site by about one-third and should pay for itself in the form of electrical energy savings in about seven years at current electrical power rates.

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NWS and Partners Develop First National Lightning Awareness Campaign

The NWS and its partner organizations are promoting the first national campaign for Lightning Safety Awareness Week, June 18 - 22, 2001. The week's events will be kicked off by PGA Tour golfer Rocco Mediate who will join Acting NOAA Administrator Scott Gudes and NWS Director Jack Kelly to discuss general lightning safety at a press conference Tuesday, June 19 at the Buick Classic in Westchester Country Club, Harrison, NY. Each day of Lightning Safety Awareness Week will feature a different topic: 6/18/01 (Lightning Overview); 6/19/01 (The Science of Lightning); 6/20/01 (Lightning Safety Outdoors); 6/21/01 (Lightning Safety Indoors); and 6/22/01 (Medical Impacts of Lightning).

NWS is hosting a web site for this national campaign. You can find more information for your office's outreach activities at: http://www.lightningsafety.noaa.gov/. For more information, contact John Ogren in the Office of Services (John.Ogren@noaa.gov or 301-713-0090 ext. 140).

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On May 14, 2001, WFO San Juan, Puerto Rico, was visited by the Honorable Anibal Acevedo-Vila, the resident commisioner in Washington for the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. Res. Com. Acevedo is the newly-elected Congressional representative of PR. During his visit, Res. Com. Acevedo had the opportunity to see satellite and radar images of a rainfall event that had occurred the previous weekend (May 6 and 7) on the southwest portion of the Island which resulted in two deaths, millions in property damages, and a presidential disaster declaration. With the help of the images, he was able to follow the sequence of how the event unfolded and the how the NWS responded with watches and warnings along the way. Res. Com. Acevedo and his two assistants also saw a demonstration on the use of the Console Replacement System with dual language capabilities (English and Spanish). Without a doubt the tour gave him a clearer picture of our mission and the range of our services and also helped him to understand our operational and coordination role with State and local officials as well as the media.

Res. Com. Acevedo was very interested in the NWS and impressed with our technological capabilities. He was clearly even more impressed with the range of services we offer to the government and the community. "The visit lasted only a little more than an hour," said Israel Matos, Meteorologist in Charge, WFO San Juan, "but it was gratifying at the end to hear him ask us to let him know if there was any way he might assist us."

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The Department of Energy's (DOE) Energy Emergency Task Force was briefed on the details of the Summer Outlook May 24, 2001, by the Climate Prediction Center's Acting Director Jim Laver. The Task Force, which reports directly to the DOE Secretary, was especially concerned with drought in the Northwest and the prospects for relief during the coming seasons, the increased likelihood of above normal temperatures in the Southwest and Southeast this summer, and the 2001 Hurricane Season Outlook. In addition to the seasonal outlook, http://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/, Laver emphasized the importance of shorter term products such as 6-10 Day outlooks, Threats Assessments, and Excessive Heat Outlooks. The importance of communication with local and regional NOAA components, such as the local Weather Forecast Offices and Regional Climate Centers, was also emphasized as summer threats and extremes approach.

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OPM Provides New Details For Upcoming Design of Long-Term Care Insurance Program

The Office of Personnel Management has just posted changes to the long-term care insurance "proposed product design" page. The proposal represents the next step in setting up the program, which is scheduled to begin providing coverage in October 2002. The proposed product design page contains definitions, benefit options, and program features at http://www.opm.gov/insure/ltc. At this site you can also find details on the legislation behind this coming program, answers to frequently asked questions, and links to background articles on the topic of long term care insurance. As many as 20 million people could be eligible to apply for this insurance, which seems likely to develop into one of the largest benefit programs created for employees and retirees in decades. (Adapted from CR Highlights, May 2001)

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Government Employee Discounts Available on NWR Receivers

Stewart Levy of the General Services Administration has arranged special pricing for Federal employees on several models of NOAA Weather Radio receivers. Last year Levy had two on-line sites established with special government pricing for GSA purchases, and both sellers extended the offer to other agencies and ALL government employees. For information and pricing, visit www.weathertools.com/gsa and www.weatherradio.com/gsa.

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Commerce Employees Can Buy Home Computers Through Purchase Programs

Price wars are lowering the costs of many home computer systems, but before you buy you may want to see what is available to you as a Commerce Department employee. Gateway and Dell are now able to offer PC systems, at discounted pricing, to Department of Commerce Federal Government employees through their Federal Employee Purchase Programs (EPPs). The Federal EPPs are not part of NOAA's IT Products Blanket Purchase Agreements with Gateway, Inc., and Dell Marketing, L.P.: these are separate Programs available to Federal Government employees.

Details are available at NOAA's IT Electronic Store website: http://www.rdc.noaa.gov/~nites/#FEPPS.

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