By Stephen Barr
Monday, May 2, 2005

Public Service Recognition Week, the annual celebration to honor federal, state and local government employees, begins today across the nation with festivals, open houses and fundraising events for charities.

In Washington, the festivities will kick off on the Mall on Thursday and run through Sunday. More than 100 government agencies and private groups will sponsor exhibits featuring their programs and services.

A number of the exhibits "will be focused on things that interest children and would interest them in government service," said Carl Fillichio , a vice president at the nonprofit Council for Excellence in Government, one of the event sponsors.

Mascots from federal agencies will be on the Mall. Among them will be Smokey Bear, Woodsy Owl and Power Panther, all from the Agriculture Department.

Law enforcement agencies will demonstrate how their canine agents detect drugs, other regulated substances and currency, Fillichio said.

The interactive space exploration exhibit sponsored by NASA will include a booth for visitors who want to have their picture taken in an authentic spacesuit.

The Department of Homeland Security's exhibit will feature speedboats, a search-and-rescue Hummer and specialized wave runners. Visitors also will be able to get a behind-the-scenes look inside mobile labs and learn about forensic analysis.

The Navy plans to provide an F-18 flight simulator and a dive demonstration tank. The Air Force's display includes a Civil Air Patrol glider. The Army's "science on wheels" van will offer hands-on science demonstrations and insights into artificial intelligence.

The exhibits will be on the Mall, between the National Gallery of Art and the National Air and Space Museum, in the blocks between Fourth and Seventh streets.

Before the 10 a.m. Thursday opening of the exhibits, Public Service Recognition Week sponsors and supporters will gather for a breakfast to honor the finalists in the Innovations in American Government Awards, a program in its 18th year that celebrates creative ways to deliver programs and services to the public.

Bruce James , head of the Government Printing Office, will be the keynote speaker at the breakfast. Dan G. Blair , acting director of the Office of Personnel Management, will make opening remarks.

Other breakfast speakers include Kirke Harper , board chairman for the Public Employees Roundtable at the Council for Excellence in Government; Patricia McGinnis , president of the Council for Excellence in Government; and Gowher Rizvi , director of the Ash Institute for Democratic Governance and Innovation at Harvard's Kennedy School of Government.

Exhibits on the Mall sponsored by domestic agencies will close at 4 p.m. Saturday, and Defense Department exhibits will close at 4 p.m. Sunday, event organizers said.

How much will it cost to launch a new civil service system at the Defense Department?

There's no hard figure, but the Government Accountability Office recently reported that the Pentagon estimates spending at $158 million through fiscal 2008.

But, GAO noted, the Pentagon has not completed its implementation plan for the new system, called the National Security Personnel System, and has not assessed what technology and training requirements will cost.

"The full extent of the resources needed to implement NSPS may not be well understood at this time," GAO said.

Dennis Murphy , director of communications for Border and Transportation Security at the Department of Homeland Security, will retire May 3 after 33 years of federal service.

Murphy began his federal career with the U.S. Customs Service in New York, served as the Customs port director in Norfolk and, in 2000, was named assistant commissioner of public affairs for the Customs Service. He is a member of the Senior Executive Service.

E-mail:barrs@washpost.com