The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Wayne VanDerWeele. VanDerWeele joined the Navy in June of 1944. He discusses briefly the relocation of the Japanese-Americans during wartime. He was assigned to HMS Battleaxe beginning August of 1944. They traveled to the New Hebrides Islands, working on a dry dock. From there they went to New Caledonia working on a receiving station, and at the Fleet Record Office forwarding mail. He served in the Fleet Office from October 1944 until March of 1945 and provides details of their work and living conditions. Their office was then moved to Guam, where he worked from April 1945 until February 1946. He was discharged in April of 1946.

Transcript of an oral interview with Robert Lewis Kelly. Kelly joined the Naval Reserve in 1938 in Kansas City, Missouri. He was sent to Pearl Harbor, Hawaii on an ATA (auxiliary ocean tug.) He initially served on a troop transport ship. He later served on minelayers and minesweepers in the Atlantic Theater. He describes being transported in Africa in a 40-and-8 box car. He also provides information about his parents and siblings. He served until the end of the war. Kelly served on a troop transport ship in both the Pacific and Atlantic Theaters. He went to Mine Warfare School and then served on minesweepers and minelayers. He provided minesweeping support for the Normandy Invasion. In addition to sharing information about minelaying and minesweeping, he describes being on liberty in Greece; serving as a brig warden; experiencing a tsunami and a typhoon while at sea; witnessing a German submarine attack near Bermuda; experiencing a London air raid; witnessing the USS Osprey and the USS Tide hitting mines and the USS Texas being hit by German shells; and living on the beach in Casablanca. He recounts a story about missing alcohol in the marine compass. He also describes the food situation …

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with William Belt. Belt joined the Navy after earning a master's degree and went to midshipman' school. He earned a commission and reported aboard USS Tuscaloosa (CA-37)in May 1943. Belt was aboard when the Tuscaloosa participated in the invasion of France and was at Iwo Jima. He also recalls being off Okinawa. Belt went aboard HMS Duke of York and met Admiral Sir Bruce Fraser one day. He also attended the Japanese Language School and was there when the war ended.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Marie Speer. Speer was born 9 May 1921 in Tappan, New York. After graduating from high school in 1938 she worked at various jobs and attended classes at New York University. She tells of meeting her first husband Edward Hawley Jordan at the college and getting married in May 1942. Her husband was drafted in January 1944 and took his basic training at Fort McGraw, Alabama. In September 1944 he joined the 175th Regiment, 29th Infantry Division as a replacement and was sent to France. She sadly remembers receiving a letter written by him on November 25 1944 and receiving a telegram the same day notifying her he was killed in action on the day he wrote the letter. Within days of receiving the news she was informed that her husband’s cousin had been killed in action and that her brother had been captured by the Germans. She soon was involved in the establishment of The Gold Star Wives organization and explains the goals, the growth and the accomplishments of the organization. She proudly points out that Eleanor Roosevelt was a signee on the original charter and a …

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Ben McDonald. McDonald entered the University of Texas Navy ROTC program in July, 1943 and graduated and was commissioned in January, 1945. He then joined USS Wichita (CA-45) as a gunnery officer in time for the Okinawa invasion. McDonald discusses kamikazes, suicide swimmers, and going ashore on Okinawa to serve as a fire control forward observer for his ship. When the war ended, the Wichita proceeded to Nagasaki Bay. McDonald observed the damage the atomic bomb did to the city. Wichita evacuated former Allied POWs from the Nagasaki and Sasebo areas before returning to the US in early 1946. McDonald was converted to the Inactive Reserves in 1946.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with John Holt. Holt was drafted into the Army in May 1944 and had basic training at Fort Knox, Kentucky. After basic training, Holt was assigned as an infantryman in the 16th Armored infantry Battalion, 13th Armored Division. He describes his experiences in France and Germany being under sniper fire and moving forward to the Ruhr Valley. Holt returned to the US with his unit in June, 1945, as they were slated to invade Japan. He was discharged in February, 1946.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Johnnie Singleton. Singleton entered the Navy at 16 in June 1941 and trained at Corpus Christi. Singleton is African American and served as a mess attendant in a segregated Navy. He went aboard the USS Maryland (BB-46) at Pearl Harbor in September 1941. On December 7, 1941, Singleton was in the officers' galley when the Japanese struck. He went to his battle station in an ammunition handling room below deck. Next, Singleton describes the invasion of Tarawa and seeing bodies floating in the water. After Tarawa, the Maryland went to the Marshall Islands, Eniwetok and Kwajalein. Then, they went to Truk and Saipan. The Maryland got hit in the bow one night by a torpedo while they were in the harbor at Saipan. The battle of Leyte Gulf was next for the Maryland and she was one of the battleships at Surigao Strait. A kamikaze crashed into her later during the battle and she had to go to Bremerton for repairs. After repairs, the Maryland rejoined the fleet and sailed for Okinawa. The Maryland took another kamikaze hit off Okinawa with Singleton was trapped below deck at his …

News release about DART's reduced service schedule during the winter holidays.

News release promoting the use of DART to reach the Wildflower Arts and Music Festival in Dallas.

News release about the naming of James Spiller as the new chief of DART's transit police.

News release about DART's "Cotton Bowl Shuttle" to the football game between Texas Tech and the University of Alabama.

Deposit summary of $500.00 made on December 5, 2005.

A pump-probe scheme measures the rise time of ultrafast x-ray pulses. Conventional high speed x-ray diagnostics (x-ray streak cameras, PIN diodes, diamond PCD devices) do not provide sufficient time resolution to resolve rise times of x-ray pulses on the order of 50 fs or less as they are being produced by modern fast x-ray sources. Here, we are describing a pump-probe technique that can be employed to measure events where detector resolution is insufficient to resolve the event. The scheme utilizes a diamond plate as an x-ray transducer and a p-polarized probe beam.

Testimony issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Brownfields are properties whose re-use may be hindered by the threat of contamination. Cleaning up and redeveloping these properties can protect human health and the environment, and provide economic benefits. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) provides grants to state and local governments and others for site assessments, job training, revolving loans, cleanups, and for assisting state efforts. This testimony is based on GAO's report, Brownfield Redevelopment: Stakeholders Report That EPA's Program Helps to Redevelop Sites, but Additional Measures Could Complement Agency Efforts (GAO- 05-94, December 2, 2004). GAO (1) obtained stakeholders' views on EPA's contribution to brownfield cleanup and redevelopment, (2) determined the extent to which EPA measures program accomplishments, and (3) obtained views on options to improve or complement EPA's program. Stakeholders GAO surveyed included grant recipients, state program officials, interest groups, real estate developers, and others."

Testimony issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The federal government must have the capacity to plan more strategically, react more expeditiously, and focus on achieving results. Critical to the success of this transformation are the federal government's people--its human capital. We have commended the progress that has been made in addressing human capital challenges in the last few years. Still, significant opportunities exist to improve strategic human capital management to respond to current and emerging 21st century challenges. A key question, for example, is how to update the federal government's classification and compensation systems to be more market-based and performance-oriented. The Administration's draft proposed "Working for America Act" is intended to ensure that agencies are equipped to better manage, develop, and reward their employees. Under this proposal, the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) is to design a new core classification and pay system, among other things. In addition, the draft proposal amends some provisions of Title 5 covering labor management relations and adverse actions and appeals. This testimony presents preliminary observations on the draft proposal; presents the principles, criteria, and processes for human capital reform; and suggests next steps for selected and targeted actions."

Testimony issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "In September and October 2001, letters laced with Bacillus anthracis (anthrax) spores were sent through the mail to two U.S. senators and to members of the media. These letters led to the first U.S. cases of anthrax disease related to bioterrorism. In all, 22 individuals, in four states and Washington, D.C., contracted anthrax disease; 5 died. These cases prompted the Subcommittee to ask GAO to describe and assess federal agencies' activities to detect anthrax in postal facilities, assess the results of agencies' testing, and assess whether agencies' detection activities were validated."

Testimony issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) assumed responsibility for the immigration programs of the former Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) in 2003. The three DHS bureaus with primary responsibility for immigration functions are U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (CIS). This testimony focuses on CBP and ICE, which took over the immigration enforcement function. CBP is responsible for functions related to inspections and border patrol, and ICE is responsible for functions related to investigations, intelligence, detention, and removal. The Subcommittee on Immigration, Border Security, and Claims, House Committee on the Judiciary, held a hearing to discuss management challenges and potential structural changes. Some research organizations have suggested structural changes to address management challenges, including a merger of CBP and ICE. This testimony addresses the following questions: (1) Have ICE and CBP encountered similar management challenges to those encountered at INS? (2) What factors might be considered in addressing some of the management challenges that exist at ICE and CBP?"

Testimony issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "In fiscal year 2004, the Congress appropriated $6.8 billion to serve 919,000 poor children through 1,680 Head Start grantees nationwide. Recent reports of financial improprieties at a number of Head Start programs around the country raised questions about the effectiveness of the oversight provided by the Department of Health and Human Services' (HHS) Administration for Children and Families (ACF) in identifying and resolving financial management weaknesses in Head Start grantees. This testimony discusses (1) the processes ACF uses to assess the programs' risks, (2) whether those processes could be improved to ensure the accuracy and reliability of the information ACF collects on its Head Start grantees, and (3) whether ACF ensures that grantees with financial management weaknesses correct those problems in a timely manner."

Testimony issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "In fiscal year 2004, the Congress appropriated $6.8 billion to serve 919,000 poor children through 1,680 Head Start grantees nationwide. Recent reports of financial improprieties at a number of Head Start programs around the country raised questions about the effectiveness of the oversight provided by the Department of Health and Human Services' (HHS) Administration for Children and Families (ACF) in identifying and resolving financial management weaknesses in Head Start grantees. This testimony discusses (1) the processes ACF uses to assess the programs' risks, (2) whether those processes could be improved to ensure the accuracy and reliability of the information ACF collects on its Head Start grantees, and (3) whether ACF ensures that grantees with financial management weaknesses correct those problems in a timely manner."

Testimony issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The House Subcommittee on Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs asked GAO to update a 2002 study to determine what VA has done to (1) correct reported weaknesses in methods used by the Board to select decisions for quality review and calculate the accuracy rates reported by the Board and (2) address the potential for inconsistency in decision-making at all levels of adjudication in VA, including VA's 57 regional offices and the Board. GAO said in 2002 that VA had not studied consistency even though adjudicator judgment is inherently required in the decision-making process, and state-to-state variations in the average disability compensation payment per veteran raised questions about consistency. In January 2003, in part because of concerns about consistency, GAO designated VA's disability program as high-risk."

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; Whether the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality is authorized to raise the environmental cleanup level at a specific site, and if so, what procedures must it follow (RQ-0245-GA)

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; Whether, given that Senate Bill 319, Act of May 31, 2003, 78th Leg. R.S., ch. 822, 2003 Tex. Gen. Laws 2607, defines the word "individual" for certain purposes to include "an unborn child," a physician must report a pregnant patient's use of illegal controlled substances such as child abuse or as the delivery of controlled substances to a child (RQ-0250-GA)

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: Whether a junior college district's statutorily defined service area is extended when the district provides services outside that area.

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; Whether the municipality that limits fees for police-initiated nonconsent tows must comply with Transportation Code section 643.204 (RQ-0281-GA)