Friday, July 20, 2007
The next Coffee with Bill date is Tuesday, July 24, from 7:30 to 8:30 a.m. in the Cafeteria Conference Room. Coffee and doughnuts will be provided. This is an opportunity to meet with Tacoma Power Superintendent Bill Gaines for a casual visit or to discuss a work-related topic.
Three Rivers Services is trimming the hedge on the north side of parking lot C this Friday, July 20. Employees are asked to limit their parking to the edge of the traffic cones, so that the crew has ample access to trim and clean the shrubbery.
If you plan to work the weekend of July 28 and 29, avoid parking near the Power Warehouse Building. The Paint Shop will be pressure washing the larger portion of the warehouse roof.
Congratulations to Steve Merriam and Gary Vance, both Click! Network, who were among the TPU employees who completed the two-day, 202-mile Seattle to Portland Bicycle Classic July 14 and 15. Both men are dedicated bicyclists, but Steve raises the stakes by riding his bike to work quite often. "The round-trip distance between TPU and Steve's home in Lakewood is 18 miles or so, and he does that on a bike about 90 percent of the time, rain or shine. He's an animal," Gary said. Some interesting event statistics:
· Of the 202.25-mile distance, 30.87 miles are uphill.
· The total altitude climbed is 1,951 feet; the highest altitude reached is 463 feet.
· 9,000 riders participated, with 75 percent of them completing the ride.
· 2,230 people did it in one day and 6,770 took two days.
· The oldest rider was 85; the youngest was 2.
· 18 percent of the pack were first-time participants.
· 74 medical riders were in the pack to assist other riders.
· 305 riders have been in 10 or more STP events, and two riders have ridden in every one since the first in 1979 (annual, but cancelled in 1980 because of the Mount St. Helens eruption).
Roberto Singletary, Water Distribution; Sherilyn Christian, Field Operations; Cinda Johnson, Cushman Project; and Ken Kurtz, Energy Services, are eligible to receive donated PTO or sick leave. To donate, contact your timekeeper or Public Utilities Human Resources, 502‑8158, for a PTO/sick leave donation form. You also can download the form from the Human Resources section of CityWeb.
Community
Community Connection's School Supply Drive will run August 6 to 24, but supplies are already at sale prices in local stores. While you're shopping for your own children and grandchildren, maybe throw a few extra items in the shopping basket and save them for the Community Connection drive!
Join Community Connection to help keep our neighborhood clean at the 35th Street Clean-Up Monday, July 23. Employees interested in earning credit toward the community involvement goal while catching some sunshine should meet Tony Rector, Water Distribution, and Erika Tucci, Community & Media Services, between 4:15 and 4:30 p.m. They will be on the east side of the Water Distribution Building by the meter shop and will have all the supplies you need. For more information and to let them know to expect you, contact Tony, 255-7831, or Erika, 502-8225.
It's
time to consider becoming a basket sponsor for the annual United Way Basket
Raffle. Last year, TPU employees donated 21 baskets to the raffle, and
ticket sales raised $11,101 for United Way of Pierce County. Don't miss out on
the fun this year! Here's what you need to do:
Human Resources
Get the lowdown at new employee orientation on Monday, July 23: This is required for all new employees who are permanent (code 01), appointive (code 06), project (code 08) or temporary pending exam (code 15). The session runs from 8:30 a.m. to noon in Tacoma Municipal Building Room 1444, 747 Market Street. It provides an overview of the City's organizational structure, employee programs and services, City policies and the safety program. Contact JoAnn O'Neill, 591-5438, for more information about the orientation. If you have not yet signed up for benefits, you will need to bring dependent and beneficiary information on dates of birth, social security numbers and addresses. If you have medical, dental or vision coverage elsewhere, bring the name, address and phone number of the group, the policy number and names of the people who are eligible under the plan. Contact Regene Halfmoon, 591-5411, or Shannon Hoffman, 591-5823, for more information on benefits.
Through
the City's "Better Health, Better Life" health and wellness program,
employees, retirees and their families now have access to a private Mayo
Clinic Web portal at www.cityoftacomawellness.org, where you can
learn valuable information about a variety of health topics. You'll be asked for
a registration ID to log on - current City employees use their employee number;
retirees call Sandra Frasier, Human Resources, 591-5419. Spouses and dependents
use the same registration number that the employee or retiree uses. If you
have registered on the site but have not received a confirmation e-mail, check
your junk e-mail folder. To allow future Mayo Clinic communications to be
delivered to your inbox, right-click on the confirmation message in your junk
e-mail folder, select "junk e-mail" from the drop-down menu and select "ad
sender's domain to safe senders list." For more information, contact Sandra
Frasier in Human Resources. And don't forget that in September, you and your
family can use the portal to perform a confidential health assessment.
You'll receive more information about the assessment as September approaches.
For more information, contact Becky Lee, Human Resources benefits manager,
591-5116.
Education
First
aid/CPR retraining is required every two years, so if you've passed the two-year
mark - or if you've never taken the course - consider registering for the
Tuesday, August 14, first aid/CPR class, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the Auditorium,
given by the Tacoma Fire Department. Registrations will be accepted only from
area training representatives, who should contact Diane Peterson, Risk
Management, 591-5437, by Tuesday, July 31.
SAP Urgent Care - they'll fix what ails you: Do you work with SAP regularly? Do you sometimes experience symptoms of anxiety, fatigue, irritability or confusion? You could have a new and highly treatable condition called Subacute SAP Syndrome (SSS). If you think you might suffer from SSS, experts from the IT/SAP Training team can diagnose your symptoms and deliver an effective treatment plan. There are two ways you can be treated:
· Training experts can make a house call to your place of work (by appointment only), or
· You can drop in to the Urgent Care Center from 1 to 3 p.m. on Wednesday, July 25, in the Tacoma Municipal Building Computer Training Room 13.
Either way, the treatment is safe, and there are no known side effects. For best results, complete and submit an SAP symptom questionnaire before your consultation. This will help IT/SAP Training coordinate your care with specialists who can evaluate and treat your specific condition. To request an SAP symptom questionnaire or for further information, contact Stephanie Judy, 382-2797 or by e-mail.
Calendar
· Community Connection's canned pet food drive benefits the Seniors with Pets Assistance Program. Donation bins are in the Cafeteria, the Southwest Annex and Water Distribution through Monday, July 23. To learn more, visit www.seniorswithpets.org or contact Cindy Farmer, Human Resources, 502-8649.
· Tacoma Power is seeking artists to provide hanging art and create wall murals and/or a series of wall panels for Public Utilities' Administration Building. The deadline to submit art is 5 p.m. Tuesday, July 24. For information, contact Amy McBride, Tacoma arts administrator, 591-5192, or Sarah Hahn, Generation, 502-8209.
· The National Arts Program visual art exhibit will be displayed at Public Utilities through August 21. A reception and awards presentation will be held Thursday, July 26, from 5 to 6:30 p.m. in the Pantages Theater lobby, 901 Broadway. Contact Naomi Strom-Avila, nstrom-avila@cityoftacoma.org or 591-5191.
· SAP's Shadow system will not be available through August 3: And because Shadow is a critical part of the back-up system, access after August 3 will be assigned only as needed. If you have questions or need access, contact any of the following: Dan Hilleren, 382-2730; Lorraine Stargel, 382-2701; Eric Pugmire, 382-2722; Kathy Everett, 382-2770; Debbie Tainer, 382-2656; Mary Rhine, 382-2629.
Menu
Chef Bill Rankin announces the Cafeteria specials for the week of July 23-27. The Soup & Sandwich special costs $2.63 with a cup of soup ($2.81 for clam chowder and meat chili); Salad, $2.76; Hot Special, $3.03. Cafeteria staff can be reached at 502-8179.
Ø Monday
· Soup & Sandwich: Cream of Mushroom Soup, Polynesian Chicken Wrap
· Salad: Imitation Crab & Cheddar
· Hot Special: Meatball Stroganoff over Rice, Vegetable
Ø Tuesday
· Soup & Sandwich: Chicken Gumbo, Ham & Swiss on a Kaiser
· Salad: Antipasto
· Hot Special: Hamburger Dip, Au Jus, Salad
Ø Wednesday
· Soup & Sandwich: Split Pea Soup, BBQ Rib Sandwich
· Salad: Lemon & Dill Salmon
· Hot Special: Teriyaki Chicken over Stir-Fried Noodles, Salad
Ø Thursday
· Soup & Sandwich: Steak House Soup, Roast Beef & Pepper Jack Panini with Chipotle Mayo
· Salad: Cashew Chicken
· Hot Special: Beef & Cheese Enchiladas, Spanish Rice, Vegetable
Ø Friday