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HomeMy WebLinkAboutRap-A-Round Newsletter 05.05.1993The RAP -A -ROUND Volume V, May 5, 1993 ANNTVERSAREES 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: Twenty -Two Years DIANN SYME Police Department Fourteen Years ANTHONY LINCOLN Fire Suppression ENRIQUE CARRIZALES Police Department Seven Years RICHARD MORAVITIS Airport Administration Three Years ELIZABETH GRAY Management Services Two Years ANDREW HAIVIMACK Pump Maintenance MICHAEL TURNER Lake Water Plant One Year RON BUCKLEY Park Water Plant JAMES GUILLORY Airport Operations Georgetown SHAWN PIPKIN Recreation GARY SATCHELL Collection Station INS AND OUTS Welcome! A new face is welcomed to the Public Utilities family of employees as Rodney Hrachovy joins the Water/Wastewater staff as Maintenance Worker I. The new voice you hear on the radio and answering phones is Dawn Hensley. Dawn is temporarily training under Donna Holden, who will be leaving the City's employment on May 13. We hope we get to keep Dawn as replacement for Donna. Please drop by and welcome Dawn, or better yet, give her a call and let her help you. Farewell We will be saying goodbye to Donna Holden on Thursday, May 13, with a reception in her honor from 3:30 - 5:00 in the Public Utilities Conference Room. Please mark your calendars and make plans to stop by for punch and cake while saying farewell to Donna. Donna and kids are moving to Allen, Texas (Allen is near Plano). to join her husband Nick as soon as school is out. Nick accepted employment with an Air Condition/ Heating and Refrigeration business. We wish Donna and her family the best of luck in their future. Her helpfulness and efficient manner will be missed greatly. CUSTOMER. SERVICE The following employees were awarded shares at the last meeting: John Kopacz: Officer Kopacz went above and beyond the call of duty to help a gentleman who had a flat tire on a dark section of road. He provided this man with light and manually assisted him in the job of changing his tire. The citizen wrote to the City to inform us of the outstanding service he received from John Tim Stengle: Tim played a big part in helping Tenley catch a very uncooperative German Shepard. Tenley chased the difficult doggie around and around a 4-block area while his owner (a little girl) cried in her front yard. Tim helped Tenley herd the fellow back home. He saved Tenley a great deal of frustration and put a smile on a crying little girl's face. Mike Maldonado: Cheers to Mike who went out of his way to bring two front end loader buckets full of gravel to the Animal Shelter for the new puppy pens. He was friendly, generous and tremendously helpful to Animal Services. His services are highly appreciated! Scott Stone: The Customer Service Committee awarded shares to Scott for going above and beyond the call. of duty to service several stranded airplanes during the recent hailstorm. He stayed late in order to send the stranded pilots on their way. Ken Finn and Johnny Munoz: While Tenley was in the process of purchasing a syringe pole, which costs approximately $40, the inventive bug hit Ken! He made a pole syringe for approximately $3.00! ON But, the pole was too big to fit into the live traps. Johnny stepped in and modified the pole to fit. Both men reduced costs to the City and provided service above and beyond the usual call of duty. Ken Finn: The inventive bug strikes Ken again! Ken visited several construction sites retrieving scrap lumber to build a doghouse. He took the lumber home and built a beautiful doghouse for the puppy pen (which he built, too). He also made many positive contacts with the construction workers who were impressed by his desire to enhance the quality of the of the Animal Shelter. Kim Ashby: A pat on the back goes to Kim for her outstanding service in a stressful situation. While still new on the job Kim, cheerfully learned her new duties, as well as backing up a co-worker who was out on leave. She performed all duties in a timely and accurate manner and still kept a smile on her face. Joe Silva: Joe deserves recognition for always being available to everyone in his division if they have questions or problems with their computer. He schedules weekly, in-house sessions for staff members to attend and learn about features of a particular software. But, most importantly, Joe helps out his fellow employees by instructing and teaching them how to avoid problems in the future. He does all this in a friendly, courteous manner without making the individuals feel like they are wasting his time. Craig Krienke: Shares go to Craig for helping out a couple who was having problems with their car. He rendered aid to this couple and kept a smile on his face - even though the couple was a bit testy. The couple had apparently had a very bad day and then had to deal with car problems. After their car was fixed, they were still unhappy, but Craig remained friendly and courteous. You can't please all the people all the time - but City employees never stop trying. Ted Hodgkiss: A citizen wrote to compliment Ted for his efficient and friendly service in removing a RAP -A -ROUND 5/5/93 Page 2 pole -in his backyard. He was very appreciative of Ted's courtesy, manners and the efficient way he took care of his request. Johnny Davis and Mike Staton: A Southwestern University Professor wrote to let the City know how impressed he was with Mike and Johnny when they gave a tour of the Wastewater Treatment facility. He explained that the men did "an excellent job in explaining the operation of the facility". His students learned the use (and reuse) of water and were very appreciative of the time Mike and Johnny spent explaining the process. Jim Briggs, Lonnie Reed, Theo Armendariz, Pete Ochoa, and Johnny Munoz: A big "thank you" goes to these men for taking time out of their busy schedules to install the new sign at the Municipal Offices. This job required heavy lifting to guide the sign into place. But, thanks to these gentlemen, approximately $400 was saved by using City crews! BULLETIN BOARD Help Wanted... Chief of Long Range Planning, Development Services. Open until filled. Fire Captain/Training, Fire Services. Open until May 14. Staff Accountant, Finance & Administration. Open until May 14. Whose Taking Care of the Children? Summer is coming and for many working parents this brings the dilemma of who will care for your children while you are at work. Unfortunately, the "stay at home parent" days are nearly gone and many younger children spend more time a week with a caregiver than with a parent. Everyone wants quality child care for their children, but with the information seen on television and in the newspaper, how do you know if your child is getting the attention he or she deserves? Child Care Aware has compiled five steps to finding quality child care and a check list to determine if your caregiver meets the needs of your child. To learn more about finding quality child care, call Child Care Aware at 1-800-424-2246. Measure the Quality By Counting the Smiles... 1. LOOK Do caregivers enjoy talking and playing with the kids? Do they talk with each child at the child's eye level? Does the place look safe for your child? 2. LISTEN What does the setting sound like? Is it calm? Dull? Happy? Loud? Out of control? What about the caregivers' voices - Are they cheerful and patient? 3. COUNT How many kids are in the caregivers' care? The fewer the children, the more attention your child will receive. 4. ASK What is the background and experience of the staff. caregivers, teachers, and program director? Quality caregivers will be happy you asked. 5. BE INFORMED Find out more about efforts in your community to improve the quality of child care. Has your child's caregiver achieved accreditation or completed training that exceeds minimum requirements? For more information, contact your local Child Care Resources and Referral Agency. Or call Child Care Aware at 1- 800-424-2246. RAP -A -ROUND 5/5/93 Page 3 Check It Out! Caregivers/Teachers _ Is there enough staff to serve the children? (Ask local experts about the best staff/child ratios for different age groups) _ Are caregivers/teachers trained and experienced? _ Do the caregivers/teachers seem to really like children? Do the caregivers/teachers get down on each child's level to speak to the child? _ Are children greeted when they arrive? _ Are children's needs quickly met even when things get busy? Are the caregivers/teachers trained in CPR and first aid? _ Does the program keep up with children's changing interests? _ Will the caregivers/teachers always be ready to answer your questions? Will the caregivers/teachers tell you what your child is doing every day? _ Are parents' ideas welcomed? Are there ways for you to get involved? _ Do the caregivers/teachers and children enjoy being together? Setting Is the atmosphere bright and pleasant? Is there a fenced -in outdoor play area with a variety of safe equipment? Can the caregivers/teachers see the entire playground at all times? Are there different areas and enough space for resting, quiet play and active play? Activities Is there a daily balance of play time, story time, activity time, individual time, outside time and naptime? Are there activities right for each age group? _ Are there enough toys and learning materials? Are toys clean, safe and within reach of the children? In general Do you agree with the discipline practices? Do you hear the sounds of happy children? _ Are children comforted when needed? _ Will your child be happy here? Is the program licensed or regulated? Are surprise visits by parent encouraged? DEPARTMENT UPDATES City Beat The Police Department is once again hosting National Police Week and Peace Officer Memorial Day in Georgetown. The week that May 15 falls in each year was proclaimed by an act of the U. S . Congress to commemorated peace officers killed in the line of duty and to pay tribute to police officers. An awards and memorial ceremony will be held Friday, May 14, 1993, in front of the Police Services Building at 809 Martin Luther King Street, from 4:30 to 5:00 p.m. Sadly, Texas is again leading the nation in the number of fallen officers. With the recent tragedy near Waco, this observance brings special meaning. We, the dedicated men and women who staff the Georgetown Police Department, would be honored to have you join us at this ceremony. It promises to be a memorable experience. Energy Saver GRASS MOWING SEASON IS UPON US Have you checked your equipment for proper working condition! Your lawn mower has set idle for the past few months. Checking it now could ensure a season of safe and energy efficient lawn maintenance. Sharp blades not only give a clean, neat appearance to the lawn, but speed the cutting and reduce energy consumption. Properly tuned engines cut down on pollution, reduce the number of cranks necessary to start the engine and save energy.. RAP -A -ROUND 5/5/93 Page 4 In the market for a new lawn mower this year? Check out the May 21 RAP. In it will be an offer to city employees for the purchase of a Black and Decker Cordless Electric Lawn mower. The cordless electric lawn mower is one of the most interesting and beneficial electrotechnologies 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. Energy efficiency and the environmental benefits of using electricity! 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 this is a 50-fold reduction over the typical gas mower. Finance & Administration Congratulations are in order for Utility Office employees Kathy Ragsdale and Barbara Raney. Kathy received her B Certification and Barbara received her A Certification from the Customer Service Section of the Texas Water Utilities Association. Both individuals should be commended for their continuing education efforts and dedication to good customer service. E DOS 6.0 Upgrade As everybody has heard, Microsoft has released DOS version 6.0. They are involved in a marketing push to expand their market share. The advertising may have you wondering whether it is worthwhile to upgrade from your current version of DOS. The basic features that 6.0 provides are the various utilities. 6.0 continues with the modified file structure introduced in 4.0. Command. com is basically the same as in DOS 5.0, so there is really no new technology in 6.0. The advantages lies in the utilities that are provided. Previously, DOS users looked to other vendors to provide some of the basic features that DOS should have provided. DOS now provides some of them: 1. Doublespace - disk compression 2. Memmaker - memory maximization utility 3. Interlink - file transfer between computers 4. Defragmenter - disk defragmentation utility 5. Advanced Backup - for DOS and Windows 6. AntiVirus - protects, detects and clean viruses 7. Advanced Undelete - prevents accidental file deletion Many of these are not quite as powerful as the utilities provided by other vendors, but they are integrated into the operating system and often are easier to use than their more powerful counterparts. Should you upgrade? If you have a version of DOS prior to DOS 3.3, then you should upgrade. DOS 6.0 will provide many benefits that were first introduced in 5.0, including better support for RAP -A -ROUND 5/5/93 Page 5 peripherals. If you have DOS 3.3, the question is whether you have any applications that require 3.3. Some custom software products (especially CD- ROM drives) will not work with newer versions of DOS without an upgrade. DOS 3.3 was the most popular and stable release of DOS prior to version 5.0. Upgrade, at your convenience, if you do not have these types of applications. If you have any version of 4.0, you should upgrade immediately. 4.0 was a flawed release that even Microsoft has admitted should never have been released. While you may not be having trouble, the core files were "bloated" and consumed precious system resources. This is one of the reasons version 5.0 was tested so extensively prior to release. For DOS 5.0 users, the question is whether you need any of the utilities that come with 6.0. If you already have them from other vendors, there is no compelling reason to upgrade. DOS 7.0, which is already being planned, looks to provide more reasons to upgrade than 6.0 does. New computers will be coming with DOS 6.0, since that is all manufacturers will be able to obtain. If you do decide to upgrade, do not use the disk compression feature. Many tests have reported problems with it. Wondering whether to upgrade is always a question of the benefits and problems versus the cost and time it takes to learn or relearn the product. Good computing! Parks & Recreation We are offering an expanded number of leisure activities for the entire family this summer. We have Aerobic Classes Computer Classes Country Western Line Dancing Day Camp Softball Leagues Swimming Lessons and more If any of the above activities spark your interest call Donna Kirk at 869-3595 for additional details . The Recreation Department is offering FREE swim passes to all city employees again this year. To obtain your pass simply drop by the YAC from 8 a.m. - 7 p.m. May 10 thru May 21. Public Utilities Congratulations are in order for the following Public Utilities employees for their recent certification from the Texas Engineering Extension Service - Texas A & M University having successfully completed the eight hour Applied Confined Space Safety Course: Edward Frye, Andy Hammack, Mike Lentz, Ted Martinez, Alex McGrew, Scott O'Donnell, Lonnie L. Reed, Larry Revering, Mike Staton, Johnny Torrez, and Mike Turner. 9 @ 0 0 REGULAR CONTRIBUTORS: Safi Bizzell, Joanna Brandon, Stephanie Crewnshaw, Elizabeth Gray, Leon Henderson, 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 5/5/93 Page 6 T'he Most Importarnt I Remember .Mama ... Job in AndOthers the World on't forget other special caregivers in your child's life this Mother's Day. fiat's DBabysitters, day care personnel, favor - the most ite teachers — like mothers — don't always feel recognized and important job appreciated for the love and nurture they provide, day in and day out. in the world? Ask a Here are some suggestions for things your child can do to show his or group of people, and her appreciation (with your help!): you will get ♦ Create a homemade card. Have your child write a note or draw a different answers picture. _ as ♦ A photograph. Give a photograph of your child or one of the many as caregiver with your child. Even better, have it framed. there are ♦ Cook her favorite dish. And have your child help. people in ♦ A small collectible. Does your caregiver collect spoons, for example? the group. Have your child pick one out. The answers ♦ Time off. This is always appreciated. If your child care provider has may range children of her own, offer to keep her kids for an afternoon or evening, from firefighters to free of charge. doctors to the President of the United States! But, really, can any vocation compare with motherhood — the task of caring for a The Art Of child's full life? No one else influences the Mother-tong development and personality of a human being as much as its mother. The The art of mothering is to teach the world is only as art of living to children." promising as its next —Elaine Heffner, author and teacher generation of leaders, all of whom are "The thing about having a baby is that thereafter you have it." molded and shaped by —Jean Kerr, author of "Please Don't Eat the Daisies" the women who nurtured them. Mother's Day is a time "Cleaning your house while your kids are still growing is like to acknowledge and shoveling the walk before it stops snowing." thank the important —Phyllis Diller, comedienne contributions women make in their role as "Remember, Ginger Rogers did everything Fred Astaire did, mothers. It's the most but she did it backwards ... and in high heeLs." important job in the —author unknown world. Test Your TV Trivia Famous it Is slitcom Moms " Since most of us grew up watching television, the fami- lies in popular situation comedies seem almost as real as the people next door. Let's see how many "Sitcom Moms" you're able to match in this special Mother's Day quiz. Directions: Match the "Sitcom Mom" described below with the name of the a. Meredith Baxter actress who portrayed her (at right). b. Barbara Bel Geddes 1. Keith Partridge's mom on The Partridge Family was also actor David c. Barbara Billingsly Cassidy's real -life stepmom. d. Jean Byron 2. Marcia, Jan and Cindy Brady called this lady "Mom" on The Brady Bunch. e. Pam Dawber 3. June Cleaver would scold "the Beaver" in a tailored dress and pearls in f. Colleen Dewhurst Leave It To Beaver. g. Florence Henderson 4. This mom was glad her son, Timmy, had Lassie for a pet, since she h. Shirley Jones rescued him from trouble time and time again. i. June Lockhart 5. The Fonz called Richie Cunningham's mom, "Mrs. C." on Happy Days. j. Mary Tyler Moore 6. Claire Huxtable mothered her Cosby kids with humor and style. k. Phylicia Rashad 7. She was the matriarch of the Ewing clan at Southfork Ranch in Dallas. I. Marion Ross 8. It was Family Ties that bound this ex -hippie liberal mom to her conservative Republican son, Alex P. Keaton. 9. Long before she had her own television series, she was Ritchie Petrie's mom on The Dick Van Dyke Show. 10. Murphy Brown fans grieved along with the cast at the unexpected death a •ZL 'P ' L L 4,0L 4 '6 !E '8 !q 'L of the actress who played Murphy's mom, Avery Brown. :0'£ 11. Was it Patty or Cathy who just raced by the kitchen? Only Patty's mom :Sa3MSNV knew for sure on the Patty Duke Show. 12. She wasn't a typical "Sitcom Mom", but then actor Jonathan Winters, a half -alien hatched from an egg, wasn't a typical son on Mork-n-Mindy.