Florida Senator Mel Martinez (left); Max Mayfield (center), Director, Tropical Prediction Center/National Hurricane Center; and Bill Proenza, Director, NWS Southern Region, compare notes during a walking tour of the Center. Senator Martinez was a local Orange County Florida politician before being elected to the U.S. Senate in 2004. The Senator said he has learned to appreciate the hard-work and dedication of the NWS staff and the critical recommendations they provide local and state government emergency management to aid in decisions. Martinez was recently sworn in as Florida 's 33rd Senator and the first Cuban-American to serve in the U.S. Senate. Before leaving, he held an "all hands" meeting to express his appreciation for the work of the staffs in Miami, as well as the other offices in Florida and across the Nation.

WFO Albany, NY, student intern, Susan Spierre (right), warms up prior to the start of competition in the Empire State Games on July 28, 2005. Spierre represented the Adirondack women's volleyball team in the Empire State Games. The Games are held each year in New York bringing together amateur athletes from across the state. Spierre, a senior majoring in Atmospheric Science at the University at Albany, was also a member of the University's women's varsity volleyball team. Photo by Susan Gibbs.

A young weather enthusiast studies a tornado simulator at the NWS's 2005 Grand Junction, CO, Air Show exhibit. The show attracted about 37,000 people, with many stopping at the NWS display tent. The other items at the NWS tent which caught people's interest included the NOAA Weather Radio All Hazards receiver display, the County Warning Area map with a sign advertising needs for weather spotters, the "Tornado in a Jar," and the handouts (especially "Owlie Skywarn" booklets). Sixteen new weather spotters were recruited during the event, most of them from locations where spotters were desperately needed. The exhibit was assembled by John Kyle, Data Acquisition Program Manager at WFO Grand Junction, with assistance from other WFO staff. Photo by Warning Coordination Meteorologist Jim Pringle, WFO Grand Junction .

Staff and families of WFO Duluth, MN, participated in the Hermantown, MN, Fun Fest Parade recently. In the photo, youngsters draped with lightning bolts and clouds await the start of the parade. They handed out beaded necklaces along the parade route while the adults handed out lightning safety cards and thunderstorm safety bookmarks. Photo by Carol Christenson, WFO Duluth.