Eagle project at Fermilab will replace picnic table wood

Samuel Schlicher, a Boy Scout from Troop 6 in Batavia, plans to replace rotting wood on some of Fermilab's 20-year-old picnic tables this fall.

Particle collisions are Fermilab's main output, but with its large number of wilderness and recreation areas, the laboratory also creates a major byproduct: Eagle Scout projects.

Samuel Schlicher, a Boy Scout from Troop 6 in Batavia, plans to replace rotting wood on picnic tables in the Main Ring in the next month. About 10 Boy Scouts from his troop will join him to help cut wood, drill holes, round off the tables' corners and stain the wood.

Schlicher took on the project after learning that Fermilab often had Eagle Scout projects available on site. He contacted Bob Lootens, Fermilab Roads and Grounds, who suggested fixing the picnic tables.

"It sounded like a project I would enjoy doing," Schlicher said. "Around my house, I've built wood patios and done projects like that."

The 20-year-old picnic tables have weathered over the years. Lootens expects the replacement wood to extend the lifespan of the tables, which are used for events such as the Prairie Harvest. Some of the material for the project will come from donations. Fermilab will supply the wood.

Lootens, who has coordinated about 25 Eagle Scout projects at Fermilab, said he tries to find projects that are appropriate for Boy Scouts and also add value to the laboratory. Lootens said many Boy Scouts in the area struggle to find projects, so he tries to find a few appropriate projects each year.

"The projects aren't that complicated. They're just a lot of manual work," Lootens said."It's good for the laboratory and it's good for Boy Scouts because it's hard for them to find a good Eagle Scout project."

Projects during the past few years include repairing and locating unmarked tombstones at Pioneer Cemetery, building park benches, renovating trail signs and installing shelters for native wildlife.

— Chris Knight

Frequently asked questions about sick leave for H1N1

As part of Fermilab Today's continuing coverage of H1N1, today we cover frequently asked questions about sick leave.

Q: If I have the flu, under what circumstances should I call the Fermilab Medical Office?

A: If you are ill with symptoms that resemble any kind of flu — fever, sore throat, cough, stuffy nose, chills, headache, body aches, nausea, vomiting or diarrhea — please call the Fermilab Medical Office at x3232.

If you take sick leave for the flu, you will need to speak to the Medical Office before returning to work. If diagnosed with H1N1, you should return only after you have been symptom- and fever-free for at least 24 hours.

If you feel sick, please stay home from work. Fermilab has instituted a more permissive stance on sick leave usage in light of the extraordinary circumstances.

Q: What happens if I need to stay home from work and have no sick days to use?

A: Under the new policy, new hires who have no accrued sick leave and employees with no remaining sick leave may draw up to 18 days of future sick leave to stay home to recover from the flu.

Employees may use up to 15 of their available sick days to care for immediate family members who are sick with the flu. In the event of a school closing, employees may use up to three days of family-friendly sick leave to arrange alternate care for their children. Employees whose children cannot attend school because of a closing should not bring their children to work.

If you require additional days off work, you may request vacation. Employees with no remaining vacation days may draw a limited number of future vacation days or elect to take excused leave without pay.

To inquire about your sick leave balance, please contact payroll or call at x3046. For your vacation balance, see the "Leave Balances" on your pay stub.

The new policy will remain in effect until further notice. For more information, see Fermilab's policy.

Oct. 16-19
- Three stores provided approximately 49 hours of luminosity
- Beam successfully sent to the Switchyard dump
- TeV quench during shot setup

The integrated luminosity from Oct. 12 to Oct. 19 was 55.11 inverse pico barns.

Read the Current Accelerator Update
Read the Early Bird Report
View the Tevatron Luminosity Charts

Considering an alternative fuel for nuclear energy

From The New York Times, Oct. 19, 2009

For decades, scientists have dreamed about turning thorium - an element that is less radioactive and produces less nuclear waste than uranium - into an alternative fuel for nuclear energy. Recent technological developments may be bringing the dream closer to reality.

As a naturally occurring metal that is substantially more abundant than uranium, its most common isotopic form, thorium-232, can be converted by irradiation to uranium-233, which is suitable for use in nuclear fuels.

The United States is estimated to have 400,000 tons of thorium, Turkey 344,000 tons and India 319,000 tons, according to a 2008 joint report by the Nuclear Energy Agency, a body linked to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, and the International Atomic Energy Agency.

Read more