Track Santa Here
Starting Christmas Eve, you can track Santa's location online as he delivers toys to children over the globe. The tracking program started 44 years ago thanks to the predecessor of the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) in Colorado Springs, CO. A local store advertised a Santa hotline, but the telephone number printed was that of the Director of Operations for the then Continental Air Defense Command. When Colonel Harry Shoup received the first Santa call, he had his staff check radar data to see if Santa was making his way south from the North Pole. Indeed he was and staff gave updates to the children who called. When the United States and Canada formed NORAD in 1957, the organization continued tracking this important annual airborne mission. This holiday season, volunteers from Cheyenne Mountain and Peterson Air Force Base staff the phone lines, the US Space Command provides satellite information, and private sector organizations pitch in to support the website.

Federal Agencies Have Great Kids Pages
If your kids get tired of their holiday toys, give them an online treat. On this one webpage, you'll find a great collection of government kids pages. Your children will have fun and learn something, too.

OSHA Unveils Online Hazard Awareness Advisor

In early January 1999, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration will release the final version of a unique, "intelligent," diagnostic software called the Hazard Awareness Advisor for business owners, managers, and employees. It uses an interactive, expert interview process to identify likely workplace hazards and the OSHA standards that address them. The new release follows a stream of web-based applications that OSHA has introduced in the last few years

VA Patients Get Face-to-Face Service Across the Miles
Psychiatrist John Lehrmann has face-to-face sessions with veterans seeking mental health therapy served by Iron Mountain's Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Michigan's Upper Peninsula. However, doctor and patient aren't in the same room. They aren't even in the same state.

As chair of the Information Technology Innovation Fund, Gayle Gordon is Vice President Al Gore's champion for innovative uses of information technology. The Fund allots seed money to encourage new uses for IT and improve its cost effectiveness and service delivery. The Fund committee favors projects that will have multi-agency or nation-wide impact.