Charles Herget (Electronics Engineering, 1993) has been re-elected President of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) Council on Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) for a second term in 2004.  The Council on ITS has seventeen IEEE member societies representing over 200,000 members throughout the world.  Charlie and his wife, Therese, recently returned from China where the Council held its annual conference in Shanghai.  They also visited Xi'an and Beijing.

In his spare time, Charlie is the webmaster for the LLNL Retirees website, www.LLNLretirees.org.

Garith (Engineering, 2002) and Amy Helm (Laboratory Services, 2002) are moving to Palm Springs, CA. We will really miss them, and hope to see them back in the area frequently.

We will finally get back to another segment of the adventures of Cal (Physics, 1993) and Dixie Wood (Engineering, 1993). They refer to their travels as: "Here, There, But Not Quite Everywhere." Spain treated them to late concerts and late, late dinners. In Madrid they attended a Shakespeare performance in Spanish. Barcelona was gorgeous, with its wide, tree-lined avenues and Spanish architecture. In Valencia they visited the famed Lladro porcelain factory and added to their collection. They visited the marvelous Alhambra, with its beautifully tiled walls and colorful gardens. In a later trip, they stayed at the beautiful Marabella beach on the coast of Spain and then visited the Canary Islands, Casablanca, Marakech, Casablanca and Gibraltar.

They have traveled to: Australia, where they cuddled koalas, and observed the pogo-stick- like vaulting of the Kangaroo, saw the "kookaburra " bird of the childhood song; New Zealand, where they met wonderfully friendly people and were taken to dinner by a lovely family in Auckland. They drove to the bridge where the original A. J. Hackett originated the bungee-jumping fad, stopping long enough for Cal to take his free bungee jump (free to over-60s!); Mexico where they saw the ancient, original Aztec calendar in the outstanding History Museum in Mexico City. (Continued later)

Pauline Floyd has resigned as both Vice-chair, Luncheons and Treasurer of the LLNL Retirees Network. Anyone interested in volunteering for one of these positions should contact Alan Mode @ President@LLNLretirees.org.

To combat that after the holidays’ letdown feeling, it’s time now to make reservations for the Retirees’ Dinner/Dance event. It will be held at the usual place, the Springtown Club House, on Friday, January 30, 2004. Appetizers will start at 6 pm, dinner at 7 pm and dancing at 8 pm. If you are a member of the Retirees’ Network, you should have received the reservation form recently in the mail. If you are not yet a member, or if you prefer, you can make reservations on-line @: www.llnlretirees.org.

The Retirees will again be helping at the Lab Blood Drive the first or second week of January.

Please send any news or input to Jane or Gus Olson. E-Mail: Gus@LLNLretirees.org or Jane@LLNLretirees.org.

Appeared in December 5, 2003, issue of Newsline