Happy holidays!

Pier Oddone

As we close this year, I wish you every happiness to you, your family and friends and a prosperous New Year!

2009 was very good year for us and you should be proud of all the laboratory's accomplishments across a wide front. The Accelerator Complex broke all previous records and we obtained beautiful results from the Tevatron and the neutrino programs. The non-accelerator experiments also did very well with new results in the dark matter searches and the Pierre Auger observatory. The LHC and CMS turn on was very successful. We advanced considerably in implementing the future program with strong support by the Department of Energy Office of High Energy Physics. Minerva is nearly complete and DES and NOvA are well on their way. MicroBooNE is progressing well, Mu2e has CD-0 and LBNE is on track to get CD-0 soon - these will be the anchors of the program later in the decade. The SCRF and ILC R&D continue successfully. We made progress on the design of Project X with exciting new ideas and we will host the national program on muon collider and neutrino factory R&D. Our national and international collaborations are developing strongly and will be essential for the success of our future program. Our safety record that was already quite strong has improved noticeably in the last three months. We have started a series of improvements in operations that will allow us to be more efficient and rigorous in the delivery of projects and programs. And we even know how to have fun as we demonstrated at the lab-wide pot-luck party with performances last week, including skits written and acted out by talented citizens of our laboratory.

2010 promises to be an exciting but very challenging year for us. Our program is now quite extensive, with opportunities for discovery and new projects under construction. It will require our utmost concentration and effectiveness. We certainly cannot do everything that is in front of us by ourselves and we depend, on every project, on the collaboration of many institutions. We appreciate and are thankful for our collaborators and friends throughout the community. Have a safe and happy holiday season!

Q&A about gifts and gratuities

Q. What should a FRA employee do with free items (pens, calendars, tote bags, radios and food) left by a vendor?

A. As mentioned in the Dec. 18 issue of Fermilab Today, the Code of Conduct prohibits employees from accepting any gratuity, gift or special favor from individuals or organizations with whom FRA is doing business or proposing to do business. The policy states that "except for advertising novelties of minimal value, gratuities shall be refused or returned."

This means that your actions depend on what the vendor leaves. Items such as calendars, pens and tote bags generally qualify as advertising novelties of minimal value and can be accepted. An item such as a radio probably does not qualify and should be refused or returned. Food is trickier. If you can politely refuse the food offered, you should do so. If the food is left behind, place it in a public area for general consumption. This helps remove the appearance of a conflict of interest.

Q. What should an employee do with a personal gift offered by a friend who works for a vendor to FRA?

A. Many employees regularly interact with the same vendor representative. Naturally, personal friendships can develop. A gift from a vendor-employed friend blends the line between your personal and professional life. In this situation you must remain conscious of the prohibition on gifts and gratuities and you must keep in mind the appearance of a conflict of interest created.

Whether you should accept a gift from a vendor-employed friend depends on your relationship with the person, the gift, the manner in which it was given and the appearance created by your acceptance. For example, if you received a personal gift at a separate function (e.g., dinner at your house); then you can probably accept the gift. If your interactions with a vendor only relate to their business at Fermilab, and they offer you a personal gift; you should probably decline or return the gift.

Clear cut answers are hard to come by. If you are offered a gift or have accepted a gift that you think may conflict with FRA policies, feel free to contact the Legal Office for specific advice.

Dec. 18-21
- Four stores provided ~62.25 hours of luminosity
- Store 7444 had an AIL of 306E30
- BRF19 cavity suffered a vacuum failure and was removed
- The Booster west anode power supply suffered some problems

* The integrated luminosity for the period from Dec. 14-21 was 51.27 inverse picobarns.
*NuMI reported receiving 6.38E18 protons on target during this same period.

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

Martial Arts classes begin Jan. 4

Atrium events - book through Office of Communication

Lederman Science Center holiday hours

International folk dancing meets Jan. 7

Scottish country dancing will meet every Tuesday through December

Fermilab December payroll Information

Sign up for spring Science Adventures classes

English Country Dancing - Jan. 3

Process Piping Materials, Fabrication, Examination & Testing (ASME B31.3) class offered in Feb. 3-4

East gate to begin closing 1-5 a.m. beginning Jan. 5

Fermilab Management Practices seminar beginning Feb. 11

Python Programming class offered Feb. 24-16

Give the gift of movies

Chicago Blackhawks discount tickets

FMLA and FTL policy updates

Prescription eyewear technician - location change

Additional activities

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