LETTER FROM THE EDITORS

� � � � � Envriromental Toxicology News will be published on the 15th of each month and will be distributed to all ETD employees and placed on the ETD internal webpage. Please feel free to contribute articles to Tom Hughes by the 7th of each month at: [email protected]. We hope you enjoy this newsletter. Editors: Tom Hughes, Mary Burrus, Nysa Sanders.

� � � � � Welcome to the very first edition of Experimental Toxicology News. The newsletter for the Experimental Toxicology Division (ETD) U.S. Environmental Protection Agency EPA). ETD is located in the National Health and Environmental Effects Research Laboratory (NHEERL), in the heart of Research Triangle Park, North Carolina. ETD is in the Office of Research and Development (ORD) of EPA. The main research focus of ETD is environmental pollutants: air particles, endocrine disruptors, and water pollutants.

****************

EPA ACTIVITIES

Santa Baby � � � Well, the party is over, but the spirit of giving continues. I hope everyone enjoyed the festivities on December 15. The food was fantastic and the entertainment, certainly enjoyable (I don't think any of us, especially our Master of Ceremonies, Tom Hughes, will soon forget "Santa Baby"). Special thanks go to our incomparable ETD Band! But, the best part of all came after the party was over. The gifts of toys and clothing were met with happy smiles and the excitement of the children who were anticipating the Shelter for HOPE holiday party that was scheduled for Wednesday, December 22. Thanks to all of you who purchased gifts and made donations. Also, thanks from the shelter staff to all who gave general needs items to the shelter. They were badly needed and greatly appreciated. The Silent Auction was a rousing success (thanks for the idea, Rick), and through the sale of the items donated and extra contributions, we collected $500 that was donated to the Shelter for HOPE! A heartfelt THANK YOU to the Shelter/Gifts Committee and to all who participated in the SHELTER FOR HOPE effort! Hope you had a great holiday.

Carol Mitchell

� � � � � We're finally joining the bandwagon of the rest of NHEERL and have developed a monthly newsletter for our division. Tom Hughes has agreed to take the lead, with the able assistance of Mary Burrus and Nysa Sanders. Additional volunteers are more than welcome. As we get rolling, some of you will express your interest in particular areas, or have something that you just can't wait to share. with all of the rest of us. That will be great. This should be a vehicle to spread information, science, gossip, good news, swap and shop, etc.

� � � � � So, to get things off to a good start, I thought I would take my time this month to give you a brief travelog of my trip to the Middle East over the holidays. As some of you know, my youngest, Lisa, is spending a year in Israel on a youth leadership program called "Year Course." (My oldest, Bernie, participated in the same program 9 years ago--his was a little traumatic given that was the year of the Gulf War!) She spent the first 4 months in Karmiel, which is a development town (meaning a town for new immigrants, in this case primarily from the former Soviet Union) in Galilee. She lived in an apartment with three other girls, helped teach English in a local high school (not the best way for her to learn Hebrew), and worked with abused kids. Just before we arrived, she had moved to Jerusalem where she will spend the next 4 months taking classes at Hebrew University and just absorbing the aura of the city.

� � � � � We (my husband, older daughter Holly, two nephews, and one niece) arrived in Jerusalem on December 17, and were met by Lisa and her best friend, Shoshie, who was going to spend the holiday with us too. Our B&B turned out to be horrible, so we moved to a hotel right near the old city where we had stayed nine years ago. (Fears about Y2K and terrorism had led to loads of cancellations, so there was plenty 6f room in the inns!) We spent the next two days walking the old city, including the Arab schuk (street markets) which were tremendously crowded for Ramadan. We even got to go up on the Temple Mount and visit the El Aksa Mosque and Dome of the Rock, which are among the holiest sites for Moslems, as well as the Via Dolorosa and Church of the Holy Sepulcher, the site of Christ's crucifixion.