HomeMy WebLinkAboutRap-A-Round Newsletter 05.21.1993RAP -A -ROUND
Volume V, May 21, 1993
ANNIVERSARIES
The City and its organization are people and these people have
served the City well. We celebrate the following employment
anniversaries which occur during the next two weeks:
.71
Twenty-five Years
RAYMOND R. FRIAS
Public Utilities Administration
Eleven Years
HEVIN B. STOFLE
Police Department
Eight Years
MICHAEL C. STATON
Wastewater Treatment
Eight Years
PATRICIA A. TAYLOR
Accounting
Three Years
MICHAEL R. CUNBONGS
Fire Suppression
One Year
PAUL D. CASTRO
Recreation
One Year
TERESA A. HERSH
Management Services
Georgetown
INS AND OUTS
Welcome!!
We have a new Human Resources Director! ...and you
already know who she is! Need a few hints? She followed
most of us around for hours, sometimes days, asking silly
questions such as: "How often do you bend or twist or
stand?" Then she would drive us crazy taking pictures of
every little move we made - standing, sitting, walling. We
couldn't get rid of her then, and fortunately for us, we can't
get rid of her now! Haven't guessed yet? Our new Human
Resources Director is Teresa Hersh - our former City
Management Intern. As most of you remember, Teresa was
responsible for composing job descriptions throughout the
City. She did such a good job that we decided to keep her!
For those of you who don't know Teresa, she'll be starting
work on May 26th, so stop by and say "Hello". Welcome
aboard, Teresa!!
Many new faces have joined the family of employees at Public
Utilities. Danny Beaver has joined the Streets Department as
Light Equipment Operator and Peter Anderson is welcomed as
Operator I at the San Gabriel Wastewater Treatment Plant.
Cyndy Williams transferred from the Warehouse to the San
Gabriel Wastewater Treatment Plant. We welcome these new
faces.
Dawn Hensley, who has been training as the dispatcher at
One Year Public Utilities, has officially joined the City's family of
EARL WOOD employees at permanent status. Dawn trained under Donna
Water Lake Plant Holden, and will now fill her position as Dispatcher. We are
very excited to have Dawn join our staff of employees.
The Police Department has two new additions, as well.
Arthur Soto is one of the newly hired dispatchers and enjoys
horseback riding, dancing, and the great outdoors. Laura
Fuller, another new face, was born in Nevada, but has since
relocated to Georgetown with her husband, Lance. She loves
to read and spend time outdoors camping and hiking.
Management Service welcomes a new City Management
Intern. Roger Arriaga originally hales from San Antonio and
is currently attending UT at Austin. He takes pleasure in
golfing, biking, and reading.
Farewell
A reception honoring Ernest Mendez will be held on Friday,
May 28, 1993, as he retires having dedicated 28 years of
service to the City of Georgetown. The reception is scheduled
from 3:00 - 4:00 p.m. in the Public Utilities Conference
Room. Please mark your calendars and plan to stop by for
coffee, punch, cake,. and conversation as we bid farewell to
Ernest.
Please join the Finance Division in wishing Bonnie McLain
farewell on May 27, 1993, from 4:00 - 5:30. Farewells will
take place in the Municipal Building Breakroom.
The City also bids farewell to Bobby Ewing, former Risk
Manager. We wish him well.
EMPLOYEE BENEFITS
ATTENTION:
This is a benefit ... I repeat a benefit ... All City employees are
entitled to free swim passes for the city swimming pools.
Treat your kids and spouse to a cool day at the pool with free
admission for all. Passes may be picked up at Parks and
Recreation. The warm weather's already here, so hurry!!
WELLNESS COMMTTEE
HERE COMES THE SUN!!!!
monthly, paying close attention to any moles, and use this A-
B-C-D checklist from Wellness Made Easy, 101 Tips for
Better Health from the University of California -Berkeley
Wellness Letter:
A - Asymmetry - One half of the mole doesn't match the
other.
B - Border - It has irregular, ragged, or bumpy edges.
C - Color - the mole has changed its color or is several
colors.
D - Diameter - It is growing, or is already larger than the size
of a pencil eraser.
BULLETIN BOARD
Help Wanted...
Building Inspector, Building Department. Open until filled.
Chief of Long Range Planning, Development Services. Open
until filled.
Water Wastewater Supervisor, Public Utilities. Open until
May 28.
Accounting Director, Finance. Open until filled.
As we move from spring into summer, with the days getting
longer and the sun hotter, here are some ABC's for skin- Congratulations!
cancer prevention: ,
A - Avoid the sun in the middle of the day.
B - Block harmful rays with sunscreen that has an SPF (Sun
Protection Factor) of at least 15. Apply it often during your
time in the sun.
C - Cover up with a long-sleeved shirt and a wide -brimmed
hat.
S - Speak out and talk to friends about the importance of skin
protection.
The ABCs also apply when examining skin for signs of
melanoma, a deadly form of skin cancer. Check your skin
The big smile you see on Enrique Carrizales' face is from his
recent announcement of his daughter's graduation from St.
Edwards University. Juana Leticia Carrizales will receive her
MA in Computer Science at graduation ceremonies from St.
Ed's University this month. Congratulations to Enrique and
his wife for their support and encouragement of their daughter
to achieve her goal!
REGULAR CONTRIBUTORS: Joanna Brandon, Laura McMaster, Jodi
Bizzell, Elizabeth Gray, Leon Henderson, Janis Russell, Lee Sparks, Pat
Taylor, and Penny Thomas.
Please submit ads or articles you would like in the newsletter to Joanna
Brandon BY 5:00 the Tuesday before payroll.
RAP -A -ROUND 05/21/93 Page 2
The
RAPmAmROUND
Georgetown
Volume V, May 21, 1993
From the :Hart
June 4, 1993
To: City Council Members
City Employees
Members of all City Boards and Commissions
From: Bob Hart, City Manager
Jim Briggs, Director of Public Utilities
Leon Henderson, Conservation/Load Manager
Subject: Employee Promotion Program for a Cordless Electric Lawnmower
The City of Georgetown in conjunction with American Public Power Association and Black & Decker, is
introducing a new electrotechnology: the cordless electric lawn mower.
The cordless electric lawn mower is one of the most interesting and beneficial electrotechnology introduced in
the U.S. in recent years. It is convenient (no gasoline, tune ups, or oil needed), incredibly quiet, powerful and
easy to start. It is also safe to operate and extremely inexpensive to use. As energy consumption is lowered
by approximately 70% compared to gas mowers, users may pay less than $4 a year to cut the average 1/4 acre
lawn.
Best of all, this lawn mower is being promoted for its energy efficiency and environmental benefits. EPA
studies have shown that emissions associated with residential, gasoline lawn mowers are equal to about 3
million cars driving 16,000 miles a year. Over its operating life, each electric mower eliminates about one
half -ton of carbon dioxide, taking into account power plant emissions, a 50-fold reduction over the typical gas
mower.
The City is cosponsoring a special discount program for addressees to help introduce the new Black & Decker
CM 500 Cordless Electric Lawn Mower to the residential marketplace. The lawn mower will be on display
in the lobby of the Municipal building until Friday, June 11, 1993. For a limited time, you can purchase
one of the state-of-the-art electric lawn mowers for $299.95. Orders, accompanied by a check, cash, or money
order, will be taken through 2:00 P.M. Friday, June 11, 1993. A collective order will be forwarded to Black
& Decker on this date.
Fran {!�2
ANNIVERSARIES
The City and its organization are people and these
people have served the City well. We celebrate the
following employment anniversaries which occur
during the next two weeks:
Nineteen Years
Robert Hernandez
Police Department
Thirteen Years
Juan L. Hernandez
Customer Service
Ten Years
Lonnie A. Reed
Pump Maintenace
Seven Years
Tommy D. Lockhart
Electric -Operations & Maintenance
Seven Years
Rafael Lopez
Parks
Five Years
Patricia K. Pearson
Purchasing
One Year
Jimmy Carranco
Street & Drainage
One Year
William A. Wininger
Street & Drainage
INS AND OUTS
Welcome!!
Parks and Recreation is hiring summer employees
as lifeguards, pool managers, and a camp
counselor. Welcome to all:
Brenda Breitschopf
Kristen Carr
William Paul Connor
Carly Curtis
Tana Helson
Alicia Hovatter
Justin Hovatter
Tabitha Langford
Hollie Long
Chris Miller
Derek Monell
Marion Neary
Maura Neary
Krissy Olson
Amber Pearce
Matt Stewart
Reid Vaughn
Stacy Vinlcik
Angela Winkler
Two new faces have joined the family of employees
at Public Utilities. Brian Mendenhall and Jim
Braddock will be working as part time summer help
at the San Gabriel Wastewater Treatment Plant and
the Pump Maintenance Department.
Congratulations...
Effective June 1, Pat Taylor will begin working
part time for the IS Department and continue
working the other half of the day for the
Accounting Department. The City is lucky to have
a versitile employee like Pat. We are all proud of
her efforts and wish her well in this promotion.
Farewell...
A reception honoring Ernest Mendez was held on
Friday, May 28, 1993, in the Public Utilities
Conference room. Mr. Mendez retires, having
dedicated 28 years of service to the City of
Georgetown. Mr. Mendez was honored in the
presence of his fellow employees, wife Mary nine
children and seven grandchildren. A gold watch
and plaque bearing the City's seal, were presented
to Mr. Mendez by Bob Hart on behalf of the City.
RAP -A -ROUND 05/21/93 Page 2
Having worked for the City for 28 years itself is an
accomplishment, but Mr. Mendez has also made
other lasting contributions that are not soon to be
forgotten. Those who say they may not know
Ernest Mendez, may be surprised that they
unknowingly acknowledge -him - everyday. How,
you may ask? Before Ernest began working for the
City, he was by trade a rock mason. Being
meticulous at his trade, the City made wise use of
his talents and the end result is Ernest's legacy.
The rock walls of the low water bridge entries and
San Gabriel Park bathrooms, the small rock gazebo
at the entry to the Community Center, the sunken
gardens and the pedestal and large grinding ball at
the Mary Bailey Center, are all works that Ernest
has contributed in his 28 years of service with the
City.
An interesting thing that was discovered about
Ernest was his ability to make things work. The
perfect example is located in San Gabriel Park.
Many long timers will remember when Dick Glenn
was the Public Works Supervisor many years ago.
Ernest, of course, worked under Mr. Glenn, but
Mr. Glenn respected Ernest's judgement on every
matter. One early morning, a large truck was
negotiating a turn onto the low water bridge and ran
into what was then a decent sized elm tree. The
accident left the tree and its trunk badly damaged.
Mr. Glenn ordered the tree cut down and hauled
off. Ernest of course, had another idea. He
wanted to fill in the damaged part of the trunk with
cement and allow the tree to continue to grow.
Now, years later, the tree has grown much larger,
with what appears to be a cement interior. The
most amusing part of this story is that everyday at
lunch you can find Mr. Glenn parked under this
very tree that at one time he ordered to be cut
down. Thanks, Ernest, for helping to preserve such
a beautiful contribution to the Park.
We will miss Ernest, but we feel confident that his
contributions will provide many years of enjoyment
for all, long after Ernest is gone.
Temporary Dispatchers for Police Services, Yvonne
Nazarrette, Catherine Puskarich and Jessie Villa are
no longer with the City. The City wishes them well
in their pursuits.
Bobby Rhea, former Wastewater Collection
Supervisor, has left the City. We wish him well
also.
CUSTOMER SERVICE
Ken Finn: A citizen called in to inform the City of
Ken's friendly service. Ken noticed that this
gentleman's dog was not properly tagged, so he
informed the man of the City's requirements and
provided him with a license application. The man
stated that Ken was very friendly and courteous and
he explained the Animal Services requirements in a
effective, educational manner.
Hartley Sappington: Hartley showed a genuine
concern for helping an upset citizen one evening.
The man came in extremely upset about the
Cemetery and wanted to speak with someone
immediately. Since it was after hours, almost
everyone was gone for the day, except Hartley. He
came over to City Hall, listened to the gentleman's
concerns and went out to the Cemetery with the
man to observe the problem. The man had an
obvious look of relief on his face when Hartley got
in the vehicle with him. He knew his problem
mattered and someone was going to do something
to try to solve the problem.
Stephanie Crenshaw: Shares go out to Stephanie
for assisting a fellow employee. While tending the
City Hall on election day, Stephanie saved a co-
worker considerable time by moving a file cabinet
from the back room. This involved changing out
two 2-drawer file cabinets and re -loading two
drawers. Her help was greatly appreciated.
Mike Staton: Mike is to be commended for his
special help in assisting the Collection Station staff
during the 1993 Spring Clean-up. Mike showed his
"team spirit" by building a special service road for
this project. It is a pleasure to have fellow workers
like Mike who practice "friendly service."
Lee Sparks: Lee got up extremely early on a
Saturday (before 6:30 a.m.) to turn on the HVAC
units so the election judges would have heat (in
January) and air-conditioning (in May). She did
RAP -A -ROUND 05/21/93 Page 3
this service on her own time without being asked.
This made the election judges' job a little easier and
we know they were thankful.
David U4joy.ik McLaunn. Scott Gi
Qqnnelly. BobKleen and Wayne Braun: The
Principal at Georgetown High School wrote in to
thank these gentleman for doing an outstanding job
in the mock car wreck on the day the students
dismissed for Spring Break. He wanted to
commend the men for getting the attention of the
students to make them think before drinking and
driving.
Mike Maldonado: Ken Finn nominated Mike for
his help in driving a truck and large trailer from
Animal Services to the Courthouse square. He had
no experience in towing a trailer so Mike pitched
right in and drove the trailer to the square himself.
Mike also helped unload the heavy kennels. Thank
you goes out to Mike for going above and beyond
the call of duty to help a fellow employee.
Mike L da and Barbara Rana: Barbara and Mike
saved the day for Lupita's Mexican Restaurant on
Mother's Day. The restaurant wanted a new meter
installed at 4:00 on a Friday, which was impossible
since they had not done the necessary electrical
wiring. Barbara received a call at noon on
Saturday from Lupita's letting her know that the
electrician finished the wiring. Mike agreed to go
out and check the electrical wiring and install the
meter. They both saved the City a lot of
complaints and made Mother's Day at Lupita's
Restaurant possible.
Gus Barron and Rodney Hrachoy)L�A citizen called
who was very pleased with the performance of these
two gentleman. He had two inches of water backed
up into his tubs. Gus and Rodney were out to his
house quickly and unblocked the sewer line. The
citizen said that Gus and Rodney were two of the
nicest guys he had ever met. Granted, the men
were "just doing their jobs," but they made an
impact because they had such a great attitude.
AnthonyLincoln Richard WisemanDave Hall
Tommy Bizzell Mike Fau ht: These men went
above and beyond the call of duty when the roof
leaked in the Municipal Building during the heavy
rains on May 6th. Not only did they respond
immediately, they stayed until all drainage areas
were clear and all the water in the building had
been cleaned up. Firefighters are not required to
respond to roof leaks, so their help was extra
special. In addition to the services performed, they
also saved the City a great deal of money in clean
up and repair expenses.
BULLETIN BOARD
Help Wanted...
Building Inspector, Building Department. Position
open until filled.
Assistant to City Manager, Management Services.
Position open until filled.
WELLNESS COMMITTEE
If you're one of those people who just can't seem to
get into exercising, take a look at these excuses.
Maybe you'll come up with some better ones.
11 Amusing Excuses for Not
Excercising
A group of physicians was asked to share a few of
the "most outrageous" excuses that patients have
given them over the years for not getting more
exercise.
Here are some of the best excuses they've heard:
RAP -A -ROUND 05/21/93 Page 4
1: "I can't exercise because I'm out of shape."
* Check intersections carefully before and during
crossing; make eye contact with waiting drivers.
2. "Well, if I go and exercise, any time that I will
live longer I will have spent exercising, and
therefore- I will have wasted it. " -
3 . "My hair might get messed up."
4. "I can't exercise. An earthquake drained my
pool. 10
5. "I have only so many heart beats left, and I
don't want to waste them on exercise."
6. "I can't exercise because my thong (leotard)
shrank. "
7. "I can't exercise because my kids would laugh
at me. It
8. "I can't exercise. I have a hyena. " (He meant
hernia.)
9. "I don't go to the gym because the TV is
always on something I don't want to watch."
10. "I don't want to give my mother the
satisfaction of saying that I'm taking care of
myself. "
11. "Working out makes my boyfriend jealous."
Source: The Physician and Sports nedicine, Vol. 21, No. 1
The summer months are also a time for traveling
and taking vacations. That means a lot of time is
spent on the road. Here are some safety tips on
how to be a safe driver and pedestrian.
HOW NOT TO GET HIT BY A CAR
* Obey traffic signals when you walk, but don't
assume 100 % of drivers will obey them.
*Cross only at corners.
*Don't assume you're safe just because you're
in a crosswalk; keep your eyes open.
*Don't assume you are safe just because the
pedestrian signal says "walk". Watch for drivers
who speed through intersections, attempting to beat
the red light.
*Be sure you're easy to see: chose light-colored
coats; wear reflective clothing when appropriate.
WHAT, TO DO WHEN YOU'RE
TAILGATED
SITUATION: You're going the speed limit on a
moderately busy four lane highway in good
weather. In your rearview mirror, you see a car
speeding toward you and tailgating other cars. You
want to avoid this driver. What do you do?
RESPONSE: Before the approaching car gets too
close, indicate your intent to move to the right by
allowing your turn signal to flash at least five times
- then move to the right.
SITUATION: Same as above, but in extremely
heavy traffic or in bad weather...
RESPONSE: Stay in your lane, maintain speed,
and let the tailgater pass on either side of you.
RATIONALE: Although your first reaction may be
to move into the right lane immediately to let the
tailgater pass, moving to the right without adequate
signaling could run you smack into the tailgater if
he decides to pass you on the right.
Source: Washington State Patrol and the Washington Safety
Restraint Coalition.
RAP -A -ROUND 05/21/93 Page 5
DEPARTMENT UPDATES
Choose Select and the following menu will be
displayed.
Information Services
WordPerfect Ku -boards
For those departments that have both WordPerfect
5.1 for DOS and WordPerfect for Windows, a
problem for users of both versions can be the
switching between DOS version keyboard
commands and Windows version keyboard
commands. WordPerfect ships the Windows
version with default keyboard commands that
correspond to the Common User Application (CUA)
interface. This causes the function keys to run
different commands than the DOS version.
Fortunately, WordPerfect provides a way around
this. You can select the keyboard type that you
want to use.
Under File go to Preferences and then
Keyboard.... Here you will find the current
keyboard type displayed as follows.
Highlight wpdos5l.wwk, choose Select and then
choose Ok. Your function keys will now run the
same commands as WordPerfect 5.1 for DOS. You
can also use this feature to create and use custom
keyboard typs for specific needs that you may have.
If anyone has any comments or suggestions for
topics to be discussed in this column, please send it
to the IS department attention Jeff.
Good Computing!
Management Services
As we read this, the City Council is meeting in a
retreat to define priorities for the upcoming fiscal
year. They have some tough choices to make
between the desire to provide service and the desire
to keep taxes and utility rates low.
The Fourth of July picnic --complete with fireworks-
-is on schedule in San Gabriel Park. The Council
RAP -A -ROUND 05/21/93 Page 6
approved funds for this popular event at their last
meeting. In addition, Council approved numerous
development items, such as preliminary plats, final
plats, site design variances, etc. The City of
Georgetown continues to grow!
Americans With Disabilities
Imagine that the City Council has decided to
commemorate the annual Mayfair celebration by
commissioning a work of music to be written just
for next year's Mayfair. YOU are assigned the
duty of hiring the person to write this music. After
advertising, you receive a fantastic application from
an individual with loads of experience in music
composition. You invite the person in for an
interview, and the first thing he does is grab a piece
of paper and start scribbling on it. He hands the
paper to you, and you read "please face me so I can
read your lips, because I am totally deaf'. Of
course, you immediately think, "How can a deaf
person possibly write music?" You are almost
POSITIVE that this person couldn't possibly do the
job because he is deaf. It is late, and the last
thing you want to do is conduct a useless interview
having to write back and forth on pieces of paper.
Nevertheless, you think back to your training on
ADA, and you don't want to get sued for
discrimination. So you tell him: "O.K., show me
what you can do". He pulls some sheet music out
of his briefcase, and tells you "Look, I wrote this."
You notice the title of the work: "The Ninth
Symphony", and the applicant's name printed
below: "Ludwig von Beethoven."
I
Public Utilities
Congratulations!
Congratulations are in order for recently married
Gus Barron and Tara Pate. The couple will reside
in Georgetown. Our best wishes to the new couple.
Earl Wood has successfully completed and received
certification as Class D warer Wastewater
Treatment Operator from the Texas Water
Commission. Congratulations to Earl on his
continuing education efforts.
REGULAR CONTRIBUTORS: Joanna Brandon, Laura
McMaster, Jodi Bizzell, Elizabeth Gray, Leon Henderson, Janis
Russell, Lee Sparks, Pat Taylor, and Penny Thomas.
Please submit ads or articles you would like in the newsletter to
Joanna Brandon BY 5:00 the Tuesday before payroll.
RAP -A -ROUND 05/21/93 Page 7
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