Mitch Waterman, Team Leader of the Space Action Team at LLNL, wishes to thank all retirees who have helped with valuable information regarding possible hazards in demolishing obsolete buildings. Your significant contributions are greatly appreciated.

Den Fisher (July, 2004 Directors Office - AD for Safety and Environmental Protection) and his wife, Molly, just returned from a two week trip to Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands. They spent four days in the highlands in and around Quito visiting the Indian markets and villages and touring the City. Then they spent 8 days on a boat visiting the Galapagos Islands National Park. It was a pretty physical trip, with a 2 hour hike and an hour of snorkeling every morning and afternoon. The wildlife was incredible in terms of diversity, density, and lack of fear of man. The trip was made all the more interesting by political unrest and demonstrations that resulted in the ouster of President Gutierrez while they were in transit to Ecuador. As a result they spent a night in Miami waiting for things to calm down, but after that the trip went smoothly.

At the end of April, Jane (Mechanical Engineer, 1993) and Gus (Engineering Directorate, 1993) Olson, and Jackie and Alan (R-Division (NAI Directorate) June, 2000.) Mode went for a cruise "In the Steps of Lewis and Clark". The small-boat cruise covered the Columbia and Snake Rivers from Astoria, OR to Clarkson, WA, with a jet boat trip up Hell's Canyon. The trip required the passage of 8 locks - four on the Columbia and four on the Snake - including the highest vertical lift lock in the world: John Day Lock and Dam.

Several of the sites visited during the trip had been occupied by "The Corp of Discovery" exactly 199 years before as chronicled in the journals of Lewis and Clark. The history of Lewis and Clark from almost 200 years ago was present every day, in every vista. It made the history of the northwest "come alive" for everyone on board.

Bill (Engineering, 1989) and Sue (Engineering, 1983) Simecka are keeping very busy in Sun City Anthem. They welcomed their first Great granddaughter on Bill's birthday. They are both involved in the local Performing Arts Club. Sue is dancing in their next show, Hooray for Hollywood, doing "Dancing Queen" from Mama Mia. She and her partner made all three of their costumes. She is also co-anchor for the Sun City TV station on a once-a-week show.

Bill enjoys working backstage with microphones, curtains, sounds, etc. He also plays pool in the Billiards' Club. They belong to two gourmet groups that they enjoy very much.

The last meeting of the year for the Travel Group will be on Tuesday, June 28th, at 2:00 p.m. back at the Community Room of the Livermore Police building, 1110 South Livermore Avenue. The topic is India: North to South" by Susan and Brian Mayall.

The Annual Retirees' Picnic will be held at Ravenswood Park, 2647 Arroyo Road, Livermore on Wednesday, June 15th (Park opens at 11 a.m. with lunch served at noon). A printable reservation form is at: www.llnlretirees.org. This event usually sells out, so get your reservations, with check, in by June 10th.

Please send any news or input (please include the date and department from which you retired) to Jane or Gus Olson. E-Mail: Jane@LLNLRetirees.org or Gus@LLNLRetirees.org.

This article appears in the June 3, 2005 issue of Newsline.