Incorporation of Gulf of Mexico Benthic Survey Data into the Ocean Biogeographic Information System (open access)

Incorporation of Gulf of Mexico Benthic Survey Data into the Ocean Biogeographic Information System

A report detailing the transfer of legacy data from Minerals Management Service (MMS) to the Ocean Biological Information System (OBIS).
Date: December 2007
Creator: Carney, Robert S.
System: The UNT Digital Library
[Project Summary: Incorporation of Benthic Survey Data into OBIS: Phase One of a North Atlantic Benthic Synthesis] (open access)

[Project Summary: Incorporation of Benthic Survey Data into OBIS: Phase One of a North Atlantic Benthic Synthesis]

Summary describing the work completed at Louisianan State University, Coastal Marine Institute for {{{study title, or description if the title is unclear}}}. It includes background information on the project funding and sponsorship, goals, methodology, and findings.
Date: December 2007
Creator: Louisianan State University, Coastal Marine Institute
System: The UNT Digital Library
Information Technology: Census Bureau Needs to Improve Its Risk Management of Decennial Systems (open access)

Information Technology: Census Bureau Needs to Improve Its Risk Management of Decennial Systems

Testimony issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "For Census 2010, automation and information technology (IT) are expected to play a critical role. The Census Bureau plans to spend about $3 billion on automation and technology that are to improve the accuracy and efficiency of census collection, processing, and dissemination. From February 2006 through June 2009, the Bureau is holding a ''Dress Rehearsal'' during which it plans to conduct operational testing that includes decennial systems acquisitions. In October 2007, GAO reported on its review of four key 2010 Census IT acquisitions to (1) determine the status and plans, including schedule and cost, and (2) assess whether the Bureau is adequately managing associated risks. This testimony summarizes GAO's report on these key acquisitions and describes GAO's preliminary observations on the performance of handheld mobile computing devices used during the Dress Rehearsal."
Date: December 11, 2007
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Smithsonian Institution: Status of Efforts to Address a Range of Funding and Governance Challenges (open access)

Smithsonian Institution: Status of Efforts to Address a Range of Funding and Governance Challenges

Testimony issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The Smithsonian Institution (Smithsonian) is the world's largest museum complex. Its funding comes from its own private trust fund assets and federal appropriations, with the majority of funds for facilities coming from federal appropriations. In 2005, GAO reported that the Smithsonian's current funding would not be sufficient to cover its estimated $2.3 billion in facilities projects through 2013 and recommended that the Smithsonian Board of Regents, its governing body, develop and implement a funding plan. Recently, problems related to a lack of adequate oversight of executive compensation and other issues have raised concerns about governance at the Smithsonian. This testimony discusses GAO's recently issued work on the Smithsonian's real property management efforts and its efforts to develop and implement strategies to fund its facilities projects. In addition, it describes preliminary results of GAO's ongoing work on the Smithsonian's governance challenges. The work for this testimony is based on GAO's September 2007 report, Smithsonian Institution: Funding Challenges Affect Facilities' Conditions and Security, Endangering Collections, which included recommendations. For ongoing governance work, GAO reviewed Smithsonian documents and interviewed Smithsonian officials, academics, and representatives of nonprofit associations."
Date: December 12, 2007
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Oral History Interview with Randy Watson, December 5, 2007 (open access)

Oral History Interview with Randy Watson, December 5, 2007

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Randy Watson. Watson joined the Army Air Corps in 1939. He was assigned to Puerto Rico for two years and felt fortunate to have narrowly missed being sent to the Philippines. While in Puerto Rico, he was assigned to Air Material Command, working with supplies. Afterward, he attended flight school and was assigned to India as a C-46 pilot. There he flew over the Hump to deliver supplies into China. During Watson’s first flight, he was frightened by the phenomenon known as St. Elmo’s fire. He was later given the task of flying with bails of Chinese currency with instructions to burn the money if he crashed. Once, Watson was redirected multiple times due to bad weather and base closures, thus keeping him awake for over 40 hours. During this experience, his plane and crew were reported as missing. In December 1944, he left India for home on a C-54, stopping in Cairo and Casablanca on the way. He finished the war having flown 650 hours, making 78 trips over the Hump.
Date: December 5, 2007
Creator: Watson, Randy
System: The Portal to Texas History
Oral History Interview with James O. Painter, December 14, 2007 (open access)

Oral History Interview with James O. Painter, December 14, 2007

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with James O. Painter. Painter was born in Johnson County, Texas 21 August 1923. He quit school in 1940 and joined the Texas National Guard, being assigned to Battery B, 132nd Field Artillery, 36th Infantry Division. When the National Guard was federalized I n1940, Painter’s unit went to Camp Bowie, Texas for basic training. He then went to Fort Sill, Oklahoma where he received advanced training with the 105mm howitzer. In January 1942 the division conducted maneuvers in North and South Carolina for several months. The unit left from Fort Dix aboard the SS Argentina bound for Algeria in November 1942. Upon landing, Painter trained in the use of mines and demolition. On 9 September 1943 he landed at Salerno in the third wave aboard a DUKW, which carried a 105mm Howitzer and crew. He witnessed the death of a childhood friend. He also landed at Anzio, working as a forward observer with the 142nd Infantry. On 15 August 1944 he participated in Operation Dragoon. Painter was captured by Germans in September and taken to Stalag XIIA, then to Stalag IIIC. While there a German officer offered him the …
Date: December 14, 2007
Creator: Painter, James O.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Oral History Interview with Ralph Piatek, December 10, 2007 (open access)

Oral History Interview with Ralph Piatek, December 10, 2007

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Ralph Piatek. Piatek joined the Navy in 1939. He served as an Electrician’s Mate aboard the USS Augusta (CA-31) from April of 1941 through mid-1943, participating in the Naval Battle of Casablanca. While serving aboard, he had the opportunity to meet President Franklin D. Roosevelt, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill and General George S. Patton. Beginning mid-1943, Piatek volunteered for submarine duty, serving with the Pacific Fleet aboard the USS Saury (SS-189). He participated in war patrols between Iwo Jima and Okinawa, damaging an enemy destroyer. Additionally, they patrolled through Midway, the East China Sea, San Bernardino Straits in the Philippines and Saipan. Piatek continued his service after the war ended, retiring from the Navy in 1969 after 30 years of service.
Date: December 10, 2007
Creator: Piatek, Ralph
System: The Portal to Texas History
Oral History Interview with Jerry Okrina, December 14, 2007 (open access)

Oral History Interview with Jerry Okrina, December 14, 2007

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Jerry Okrina. Okrina joined the U.S. Marines in January of 1943 and served as a rifleman. He traveled to New Caledonia, joined the Marine Raiders and describes his training on the island. They participated in assault landings on Guadalcanal and Bougainville from 1943 into January 1944. In 1944 he were assigned to the 6th Marines. In July they participated in the Battle of Guam. In April of 1945 they were the first wave into Okinawa. While on Okinawa Okrina was knocked unconscious by an artillery shell but recovered to lead his platoon to a safe area before he was evacuated. Additionally, a bullet just missed Okrina’s heart and passed through both lungs. His recovery took about five months and he was sent home. He had already been in the service three years before he was wounded. He received a Purple Heart for each of these incidents. He provides details of each battle. He received a medical discharge in 1945.
Date: December 14, 2007
Creator: Okrina, Jerry
System: The Portal to Texas History
Texas Attorney General Opinion: GA-0584 (open access)

Texas Attorney General Opinion: GA-0584

Document issued by the Office of the Attorney General of Texas in Austin, Texas, providing an interpretation of Texas law. It provides the opinion of the Texas Attorney General, Greg Abbott, regarding a legal question submitted for clarification: Nature of the offices of President Pro Tempore of the Texas Senate and Speaker of the Texas House of Representatives for purposes of removal from office.
Date: December 14, 2007
Creator: Texas. Attorney-General's Office.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Oral History Interview with Frank Weston, December 27, 2007 (open access)

Oral History Interview with Frank Weston, December 27, 2007

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Frank Weston. Weston joined the Navy in June 1942 after graduating high school. Upon completing aviation machinist's mate training, he was assigned to CASU-23. In July 1943, Weston boarded USS Monterey (CVL-26), where he ran into childhood friend Gerald Ford. He was stationed on deck as a carburetor specialist making final engine adjustments just before planes took off. He helped push totaled planes overboard to clear the deck. After sailing through a typhoon that caused extensive damage and claimed three lives, Weston served as a pallbearer for their burial at sea. While the Monterey docked in Bremerton for repairs, Weston performed maintenance for training aircraft at Kitsap County Airport. Returning to combat at Okinawa, he was too busy to be frightened as kamikazes attacked. Weston was discharged in December 1945. As a civilian, he had difficulty finding work as an aircraft mechanic and instead pursued a career in pharmacy.
Date: December 27, 2007
Creator: Weston, Frank
System: The Portal to Texas History
Oral History Interview with Wilburn McIntire, December 18, 2007 (open access)

Oral History Interview with Wilburn McIntire, December 18, 2007

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Wilburn McIntire. McIntire joined the Army in August of 1944. He served as an infantry rifleman with the 357th Infantry Regiment, 90th Infantry Division. He deployed to England before participating in the Battle of the Bulge, and saw combat through the Siegfried Line, and liberated prisoners left behind by the SS at Flossenbürg concentration camp. He returned to the US and was discharged in 1946.
Date: December 18, 2007
Creator: McIntire, Wilburn
System: The Portal to Texas History
Year 2005 Gulfwide Emission Inventory Study (open access)

Year 2005 Gulfwide Emission Inventory Study

An inventory study for the air pollution emissions from the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) oil and gas production-related sources in the Gulf of Mexico in the year 2005.
Date: December 2007
Creator: Wilson, Darcy; Billings, Richard; Oommen, Regi & Chang, Roger
System: The UNT Digital Library
Roadside Pest Management Program (open access)

Roadside Pest Management Program

"This Final Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (FSEIS) documents changes in the Roadside Pest Management Program (PMP) since 1996 and the potential impacts of those changes on the environment."
Date: October 28, 2007
Creator: Texas. Department of Transportation.
System: The Portal to Texas History