November 26, 2007

News You Can Use

Click! workshop “Cable 101: Preparing for Digital TV” Dec. 14
Click! invites TPU employees to learn how to prepare as the FCC-mandated digital TV deadline approaches. Regardles of whether you are a Click! customer, you could have decisions to make in order for your television to work as intended after broadcast signals go all-digital in February 2009. The free workshop is set for noon on Friday, December 14, in the Auditorium Conference Room. Seating is limited, so register in advance by calling 502-8823. Dessert will be served.

It's time to say goodbye to Clif Graves
Clif Graves, Transmission & Distribution – Construction & Maintenance, will retire December 1 after more than 33 years of service. Stop by his farewell reception this Friday, November 30, from 3 to 4:30 p.m. in the Cafeteria.

Cafeteria football contest rolls on; get your Apple Cup trophy
The winner in week 11 of the Cafeteria football contest was Grant Whitley, Water Distribution, with 14 of 16 correct. The winner for week 12 will be posted Tuesday morning. Ballots for week 13 are in the Cafeteria and must be turned in by Friday, November 30, at 4 p.m. One entry per person per week. The person who picks the most winners each week earns a $10 Cafeteria food card and an entry in the Super Bowl contest at the end of the season. The winner of the Super Bowl contest takes home a $50 gift card to the Outback Steakhouse. And did your team win in Saturday's Apple Cup? If you picked up a colored ticket from the Cafeteria in the last two weeks and your team won the cross-state rivalry on November 24, don't forget to redeem the ticket for an apple!

Giving Back

Salvation Army Giving Trees are tagged and ready for Santas
You’ve been asking for them, and now they're here. The Salvation Army Giving Trees are now up in the Director’s Office, at Tacoma Rail and in the Water Distribution Building. Remember, buying gifts for the Giving Tree counts for two hours toward your community involvement goal for the Employee Incentive Program. If you are interested in taking an extra step and helping deliver the adult gifts, contact Erika Tucci, 502-8225. Sadly, some of these people rarely have visitors. Thanks for making someone’s holiday bright!

What's Cookin' the Week of Nov. 26
Cup of Soup & Sandwich — $2.63
Cup of Chili or Chowder & Sandwich — $2.81
Salad — $2.76
Hot Special — $3.03

Monday
▪ Cream of Cauliflower, Breaded Chicken Patty
▪ Leon Salad
▪ Meatball Stroganoff over Noodles, Vegetable

Tuesday
▪ Tex Mex, Bacon & Egg Salad
▪ Chicken Caesar Salad
▪ French Dip, Au Jus, Salad

Wednesday
▪ Chicken Gumbo, BBQ Pork
▪ Salmon & Cheddar Salad
▪ Sweet & Sour Chicken over Rice, Salad

Thursday
▪ Navy Bean, Chicken Cheddar & Portobello
  Mushroom Wrap
▪ Cranberry Spinach Salad
▪ Monte Cristo Sandwich, Fries or Salad

Friday
▪ Clam Chowder, Seafood Salad
▪ Chef Salad
▪ Hot Meatloaf Sandwich, Mashed Potatoes,
  Vegetable

If you have questions or to place an order, call the Cafeteria at 502-8179.

 

Share the news
The deadline to submit items for Newsline is
10 a.m. Fridays. E-mail Newsline, or call editor Laurel Willoughby, 502-8754, if you don't have e-mail access.
 

One employee eligible for donated PTO or sick leave
Dennis Johnson, Building Maintenance, is 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.

For Your Benefit

“Stress for Success” — learn to manage stress December 12
On Wednesday, December 12, from 1 to 2 p.m. in the Auditorium, the City of Tacoma’s Employee Assistance Program provider First Choice Health has arranged for mental health professionals to discuss ways to “manage stress for success” in the workplace. Free giveaways including lunch bags will be provided.

November is Diabetes Awareness Month — Use the seven principles
The National Diabetes Education Program recommends that diabetics follow seven principles for controlling diabetes for life:

1. Learn as much as you can about diabetes

2. Get regular care for your diabetes

3. Learn how to control your diabetes

4. Take care of your diabetes ABCs (the A1C blood glucose test, blood pressure and cholesterol)

5. Monitor your diabetes ABCs

6. Prevent long-term diabetes problems

7. Get checked for long-term problems and treat them

Also, be sure to keep a good diabetes care record reflecting your health care visits and results.

Green Scene

Ridesharing rocks! Free bus passes, $110 toward monthly vanpool fares and $50 Fred Meyer gift cards
Now is the time to consider ridesharing to work. Free bus passes are available, and the City will provide up to $110 per month toward vanpool fares. Plus, give ridesharing a try starting in November or December for at least two times a week over two months and you’ll receive a $50 gift card to Fred Meyer. With rising gas prices and threats of nasty weather, why wouldn’t you consider this opportunity to rideshare and reduce the use of your personal vehicle? Besides, some insurance companies offer discounts to customers who rideshare. Save money now by ridesharing. Check the commuter option board in the Cafeteria for more information about ridesharing or contact Randy Stearnes, employee transportation coordinator, 502-8224.

Wheel Options campaign in October had local winners — CAT, too!
Between October 8 and 19, 24,371 Washington commuters participated in the Wheel Options campaign by carpooling, riding the bus, vanpooling, walking and biking to work. In Pierce County, 1,874 commuters helped eliminate 12,000 pounds of carbon dioxide from the air while saving gas by eliminating 219,000 miles from their commutes. And some lucky participants won prizes, such as Nanette Peckham, Customer Service, who received a $75 gift certificate to the Asado restaurant in Tacoma. Also, congratulations to Denny Dore, Transmission & Distribution, who was the CAT (Consider Alternative Transportation) club grand prize winner for October. Denny rides in — and drives — a vanpool and won a deluxe emergency tool kit.

What's Happening & When

• November 28: Year-end training for section PR/PO processors and bill payers, plus instructional handouts,
  1 to 3 p.m., City Council Chambers. Contact DeAnna Herrera, 591-5852, with questions.

• November 29: Last chance for free flu shots. MultiWorks will administer the shots at Solid Waste Management, 3510 S. Mullen Street, on Thursday, November 29, from 1 to 4 p.m. in the large lunchroom. Sign up by contacting Monica Tipton, 593-7700, or Sue Alvestad or Marisa Johnson, 591-5543.

• November 30: Managers and supervisors can learn how to use SAP transactions to review time and trips from 1 to 3 p.m. in the TPU Computer Training Room. RSVP by sending an e-mail request to IT/SAP Training, or contact Stephanie Judy, 382-2797.

• November 30: Last day to complete a confidential Mayo Clinic health risk assessment. Receive a personalized report plus a $25 gift card good at more than 300 merchants. Register or log on at www.cityoftacomawellness.org. Click the Health Risk Assessment link, complete the assessment and follow the directions to receive your gift card. (It will take about 48 hours before you receive the e-mail link that allows you to redeem your gift card.) For more information, contact Becky Lee, 591-5116.

• Throughout November: The November edition of TV Tacoma's CityScape recaps response to the December 2006 windstorm, reminds how Tacoma Power strengthens the power system year-round and tells how customers can prepare for possible power outages. Check listings for replay times inside and outside Tacoma.

• December 3, 4 and 5: Mammogram vans from Swedish Medical Center will be in the Market Street parking lot across from the Tacoma Municipal Building giving free mammograms to any female City employee age 40 or older who is symptom-free and not pregnant, or who is 35 or older with her primary care provider's referral. Make appointments with Swedish at 206-320-2500 or breastcareexpress@swedish.org. Contact Shannon Hoffman, 591-5823, with questions. (See December 12 and 13 listing for TPU availability.)

• December 4: Year-end training for section PR/PO processors and bill payers, plus instructional handouts,
  9:30 to 11:30 a.m., Auditorium. Contact DeAnna Herrera, 591-5852, with questions.

• December 4: Last day for Utilities People See's Candy orders. Catalogs and order forms are available in the Cafeteria. Candy will be delivered by Friday, December 14. Contact Joan Fitzpatrick, Management Services, 502-8150, to order.

• December 7: Last day that Jan Truax, Finance, 594-7898, is selling tickets to Seattle Mariners fundraiser dinner for Northwest Harvest on December 16. She's also selling $1 raffle tickets until the night of the event. The top raffle prize is a spot as a guest groundskeeper for a Mariners game during the 2008 season.

• December 8: Utilities People bus trip to Leavenworth for Christmas tree lighting. Bus leaves from the Administration Building by the fountain 7 a.m. and returns about 9 p.m. $25/members and $30/non-members includes the bus trip and refreshments. To reserve your seat, contact Rick Herrmann, Generation, 502-8226.

• December 12 and 13: Mammogram vans from Swedish Medical Center will be at TPU giving free mammograms to any female City employee age 40 or older who is symptom-free and not pregnant, or who is 35 or older with her primary care provider's referral. Make appointments with Swedish at 206-320-2500 or breastcareexpress@swedish.org. Contact Shannon Hoffman, 591-5823, with questions.

• December 15: Utilities People children's Winter Wonderland party, 10 a.m. to noon, Cafeteria and Auditorium. Sign up on the sheet in the Cafeteria; Utilities People members and guests only. For party info, contact Jan Pieper, 502-8452; or Denise Hottel, 502-8936. Contact Rick Herrmann, 502-8226, to join Utilities People.

Bargain Shopping

Submit your ad to Newsline
Ads run in two issues of Newsline. The deadline to submit ads is 10 a.m. Fridays. E-mail Newsline, or call editor Laurel Willoughby, 502-8754, if you don't have e-mail access. Please include at least your first name, and phone number or e-mail in your ad. Ads for business activities, online auction ads and calls for charity sponsorship are not allowed. About once a month, ads will be borrowed from the Cafeteria bulletin board and included in Newsline.

• For sale: 2002 Ford Crown Victoria, silver, 69,500 miles, all leather interior, 6 CD changer, cassette player, am/fm stereo, alloy wheels, tinted windows, power door locks and windows, air conditioning, cruise control. Combination door lock. Great condition. $8,500 obo. TaDarryl, 502-8585.

• For sale: Medical twin electric bed, adjustable, remote, rails. $250. Greg, 241-8074; or Carmen, 241-9922.

• Moving, must sell: Craftsman-era cabinet, solid wood with glass doors, 3 shelves, on wheels, and fir mantle (contents not included). $200. Http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y52/JMcDub/IMG_2360.jpg. Also mini-chopper, never been used. $200. Http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y52/JMcDub/IMG_2356.jpg. Call Jenni or Earle, 471-8989.

• For sale: Oak dining room set $850 for all — table includes 2 leaves, 2 captain’s chairs with arms and 6 chairs without arms; china hutch top section has a built-in light and glass doors; bottom section has 2 drawers and a cupboard with 3 doors and roomy storage area. Also oak bedroom set, $650. Includes king-size bed, pillow-top mattress, box spring, cupboard w/2 shelves and 2 drawers on each side of bed, headboard with 4 built-in lights, mirror, handy full-length shelf w/sliding doors that allow you to prop pillows to lean against, armoire with 8 drawers and 2 roomy shelves. Connie Ferguson, 335-3388. Pictures available.