Employee of the Month Matt Rogers Electrician

September 2009, Volume 272
Utah State University, Logan, Utah
Employee of the Month
Matt Rogers
Electrician
Matt Rogers has been chosen as
Facilities September Employee of
the Month. Matt has worked in
the Electrical Shop for a little over
two years. He previously worked in
customer service, sales and several
restaurants, as well as helping his
father wire houses on the side.
Matt was born and raised in
Preston, Idaho and is one of eight
children. He has two brothers and
five sisters. He has also lived in
Pocatello and Jackson Hole. If he
could live any place, he’d love to
spend his summers in Alaska and
his winters in Arizona.
Matt was recently married in June
2009. His beautiful wife, Cheryl,
is from Franklin and they met in
High School. Matt loves to cook
and has been called the Iron Chef
of ramen noodles. Matt also loves
to play guitar. He’ll be the first to
admit that he’s more of a songwriter,
but not much of a singer. He does a
lot of composing on the computer
and hopes to sell his work someday.
He is an avid reader and also loves
being outdoors; anything from
camping and fishing to hiking and
back packing. He and his wife love
to travel. Along with working fulltime, Matt is also a part time student
at USU and BATC. He is working
towards a business degree in either
Administration or Management.
Matt’s father, Nephi, also works
in the Electrical Shop. One of his
earliest memories of Facilities was
coming to ‘bring your kids to work
day’ at what was then the Physical
Plant. He has worked alongside his
dad for years, so as soon as a position
opened in the Electrical Shop, Matt
knew that he wanted to be part of the
team. Throughout his life, his dad
has taught him to be honest and to
work hard. Matt feels very lucky to
have a father who has been such a
great example and mentor to him.
Congratulations to you, Matt,
on all of your accomplishments.
Facilities is lucky to have you as an
employee!
Observing Patriot Day, September 11
On this day, we honor those
who died and those who served
heroically during the worst terrorist
attacks in United States history. On
September 11, 2001, almost three
thousand people died in New York,
Washington, D.C. and in the fields
of Pennsylvania.
Everyone remembers where they
were and what they were doing when
they first saw the events on television,
or heard about them on the news
coverage that continued throughout
the day, night and beyond.
A month later, the U.S. House
of Representatives passed Joint
Page Resolution 71. It was first designated as the Day of Prayer and Remembrance
for the Victims of the Terrorist Attacks on September 11, 2001. The following
year, President George W. Bush proclaimed that September 11 would be
observed as Patriot Day.
The President directed that the American flag be flown at half-mast and
displayed from homes, at the White House, and on all U.S. government
buildings at home and abroad. Most businesses do the same.
Americans are asked to observe a moment of silence beginning at 8:46
a.m. (Eastern Daylight Time), the time of the first plane crash at the World
Trade Center. Patriot Day is a time of both sadness and pride: sadness for the
innocent victims and their families and pride in the actions of the firemen
and the brave acts of many others.
Natural Disasters
A natural disaster can occur at any time. During the sixth annual National
Preparedness Month in 2009, you are reminded to prepare for a disaster
before one occurs.
Whether your area is subject to tornados, hurricanes, fires, earthquakes or
snowstorms, many of the steps you can take are basic to all. (Of course, in
extreme cases, you could be ordered to evacuate. Heed the order and go!)
• At work: Keep a pack of personal supplies at your desk, including a pair
of walking shoes. Know the exit routes and locations of fire extinguishers
and stairways. Carry a card listing important phone numbers, including an
out-of-state contact.
• At home: Prepare to be isolated and without power for at least three days.
Stock an extra cabinet with canned goods, dry foods, drinks, first-aid supplies
and a manual can opener. When foods are on sale, buy some extra for your
emergency supply. Keep a kit in the cabinet stocked with hand tools and work
gloves so you can turn off gas lines. Water may be scarce. Keep two gallons per
person on hand for drinking and washing. And have at least one change of
clothing for each person in an accessible special place. Keep a portable radio
and extra batteries on hand and an extra battery for your cellphone in case
you can't recharge.
• Your car: Maintain your gas tank at about one-quarter full. You can't buy
gas during a power outage.
• Your money: Stash a little extra cash in your home and a roll of quarters.
Otherwise, the only money you will have is what's in your pocket. Cash
machines and credit cards don't work in a power outage.
• Your contacts: Because family members could be at school or work when
a disaster occurs, be sure each knows the telephone number of your emergency
contact, someone in another state. They can call to learn each other's locations
and how they can get back together. For further information on preparedness,
visit theepicenter.com.
Health in
the News
Men Deny they’re Overweight
They may say they’re just bigboned, chunky, or very muscular, and
that’s why they weigh so much. But
a study by Indiana University School
of Medicine shows that about half
of white males and Hispanic males
and 60% of black men thought
they were in good shape when they
were significantly overweight. Twothirds of all 5,000 men studied were
overweight, but only half admitted
it.
Women in the study were more
likely to think they’re fat when they
are not.
Exercise helps your heart even if
you don't lose weight
Maybe you've been exercising
some and pretty regularly, but the
bathroom scale hasn't budged and
your middle is still about the same
size. You have probably made an
improvement in your cardiovascular
health, and that could be even more
important than your pants size.
Researchers at Harvard University
and Brigham and Women's Hospital
report that moderate amounts of
exercise is associated with as much
as a 41% reduction in cardiovascular
risk. While their study was done
entirely on women, men can assume
they have a similar benefit.
In various study subjects, Body
Mass Index changes accounted
for just 10% of the reduction.
Blood biomarker improvements
accounted for about 1/3rd of the
risk reduction, and blood pressure
changes were accountable for 27%
of the improvements. Reduced
Page cholesterol accounts for a 20%
improvement.
The benefits of regular moderate
exercise outweigh what the scale will
tell you. The researchers found that
the more study subjects exercised,
the greater their cardiovascular
health improved. The surprise was
that cardiovascular risk dropped by
27% for those whose activity burned
just 200 to 599 calories per week. The
risk was reduced by 32% for those
who burned 600 to 1,499 calories
per week, and 41% for those who
worked off 1,500 calories a week.
A morning meal will make you
stronger all day
It's a fact: If you skip breakfast,
you'll pay for it later. Here's why:
• Breakfast will help you avoid a
midmorning brain-energy slump.
Your brain needs glucose from good
carbs in order to work well.
• Regularly skipping breakfast
leads to higher bad cholesterol levels,
according to studies by the University
of Nottingham in England.
• Eating breakfast gets your
metabolism going. You'll eat less
during the day and weigh less in
the long run.
• The same English study showed
regular breakfast skippers were more
resistant to insulin, which increases
diabetes risk.
Emergency Breakfasts
Grab a slice of whole wheat bread
and some cheese when you leave
home. Take a meal replacement drink
(like Slim-Fast) along. Drink with a
straw. Keep some hard-boiled eggs
in the fridge. Eat an egg and a fruit
on the way to work. Mix up a bag
of cold cereal, almonds and raisins
and keep it handy. Have some wholegrain crackers (like Triscuits) and a
piece of fruit.
Gardening Tips for September
Fall is a great time to plant trees,
shrubs, bulbs, perennials, grass seed
and sod. Plants that are planted in
the fall enjoy cooler temperatures
and ideal growing conditions that
allow roots ample time to grow
into the surrounding soil. Use
starter plant fertilizer mix when
planting.
• Plants and trees that provide
color in the month of September
include Beautyberry, Crape
Myrtles, Cotoneaster, Viburnums,
Hypericum, Hydrangeas, Potentilla, Pyracantha and Butterfly Bush.
• There are lots of perennials with interest now including Coreopsis, Ccabiosa
and ornamental grasses.
• Add a touch of fall to your landscape by planting hardy Mums now.
• Do not prune Azaleas, Rhododendrons and other spring flowering shrubs
because they have already set their buds for next year’s blooms. If you feel
these shrubs do need to be pruned, however, you can prune them now, but
you will sacrifice next spring’s flowers.
• Time to feed your plants with a good quality, slow release plant food
made for perennials and flowering shrubs and trees that contains slow-release
nitrogen, sulfate of potash, iron and other micro-nutrients for overall plant
growth and development.
• Time to transplant peonies or divide them if you wish to multiply your
plants.
• Spring blooming bulbs are best to plant in October. Plant Iris, Tulips,
Crocus, Daffodils and many others for glorious color next spring.
Lawns
• September is the best month of the entire year to seed your lawn. This
includes both seeding a new lawn and reseeding (overseeding) an established
lawn to make it thicker and healthier.
• If you need to, you can fertilize and seed your lawn all in the same day.
• If needed, fall is a great time to aerate and/or de-thatch the lawn. If you
decide to do one or both of these, they should be done prior to seeding.
• If you like, you can top-dress the lawn with Orgro, an organic compost, to
improve heavy compacted, clay soil. Topdressing can be used alone or along
with aeration, seeding and fertilizing.
• If you do plan to aerate, de-thatch first.
• September is also a good time to apply a grub control to your lawn such
as Milky Spore as a long-term control.
• Now is also a good time to control weeds growing in the lawn, however
you cannot weed kill and seed the same day. If you choose to kill weeds in the
lawn first, you must wait three weeks to seed your lawn.
Page • Fall is the best time to feed your
lawn with a good quality, slowrelease lawn food, with at least two
feedings between the months of
September, October, November and
December.
• If you are not seeding or sodding,
use a 26-4-12 weighting. It is an
ideal fertilizer to help green-up
your lawn and keep it looking thick
and healthy. This produce is high
in nitrogen, which will continue
feeding the lawn over an extended
period of time. If you use 26-4-12
in September, follow-up with 14-1814 in November or December as a
root-building winterizer.
Fruit and Vegetable Gardens
• Time to continue with fall crops.
You can still seed beets, radishes,
turnips and leaf lettuce.
You Really Could Learn How To Be ‘Lucky’ In Life
If it seems like other people get
more lucky breaks than you do,
it's time to figure out why. Some
clues:
• They have that can-do attitude
and feel they can grab onto an
opportunity when it comes their way.
They expect to be winners.
• Lucky people enjoy talking
to strangers. They smile and say
"hello." Other people's stories can
be enlightening and may result in
friendship or beneficial contacts,
says Keith Ferrazzi in his book Never
Eat Alone.
• Notice that they keep their
options open instead of having a
single-minded devotion to one goal.
They, and you, have more options
than you think.
• The lucky ones build strong
relationships at work that help to
bring them success. Their social
network outside work is a source
of information and of support in
difficult times.
• Getting more luck involves saying
"yes" when you'd rather say "no."
Say yes to serving on committees,
running for office or working for
charities.
• Always do your best work even
if you think the task is unimportant.
You'll get a reputation as the go-to
person.
• Practice "counter-factual"
thinking. The degree to which you
think something is fortunate or
not is the degree to which you will
generate alternatives. The unlucky
person is distraught over having a
car accident, for example. The lucky
person is thankful that he wasn't
killed, and makes friends with the
other driver and people at the scene
of the accident.
• Taking calculated risks can
increase your good luck. Lucky
people always want something new.
They try new things, go to new
places or take on work outside of
their comfort zone.
• Enjoy yourself and have a balanced
life. Maintain good relationships,
explore a satisfying hobby and make
physical fitness a priority. Try to do
most of these things and continue
to help others. Good luck will come
to you.
Page Alaska Vacation
Karen Hoffman went on an Alaskan cruise in August.
While in the town of Juneau, she went on a salmon
fishing trip and caught the largest Coho Silver Salmon
in the group. It was the biggest fish she has ever caught
and it gave her the opportunity to razz her husband
Tom, who is an avid fly fisherman, about the size of her
salmon compared to his. It was a fun and memorable
vacation that she will never forget.
Build bridges, not walls
Doubt sees the obstacles;
Faith sees the way.
Doubt sees the darkest night;
Faith sees the day.
Doubt dreads to take a step;
Faith soars on high.
Doubt questions, "Who believes;"
Faith answers, "I."
Page Recipes for the Month
Minestrone Soup – by Jimmie Grutzmacher
1/3 C Olive or salad oil
16 oz can tomatoes
¼ C Butter or margarine
½ of a 10 oz bag fresh spinach, shredded
1 large onion, diced
2 med. Zucchini, diced
2 large carrots, diced
6 beef bouillon cubes
2 stalks celery, diced
1 tsp salt
2 medium potatoes, diced
16 or 20 oz can red kidney beans, drained
½ pound green beans, cut into 1-inch pieces
16 or 20 oz can white kidney beans, drained
6 C water
½ C grated Parmesan or Romano cheese
½ small head cabbage, shredded
Cook onion, carrots, celery, potatoes and green beans
in olive oil and melted butter until lightly browned. Add
water, cabbage, tomatoes with their liquid, spinach,
zucchini, bouillon cubes and salt. Bring to boil and
then simmer 40 minutes or until all vegetables are very
tender. Do not overcook. Stir in beans, then cook 15
minutes longer or until soup is slightly thickened.
Darcy’s Buffalo Chili – by Catherine Hart
1 onion
1 bell pepper – any color
4-5 cloves garlic
Olive for sautéing
1 lb ground buffalo
1 can each:
Black beans
Kidney beans
Chili beans
Mediterranean beans with seasonings
1 can of tomatoes with chili seasonings
1 can plain tomatoes
1 sm can salsa verde
Canned tomato juice or V-8 – large
½ to 1 T chili powder
Saute first 3 ingredients until softened, add buffalo
and brown. Add remainder of ingredients seasoning
to taste.
Corn Bread by Darci Ostergar (Mark’s wife)
Mix Well:
1 C butter or margine, melted
1 1/3 C Sugar
2 C Buttermilk (or regular milk with 2T vinegar
added)
4 eggs
Sift:
1 ¼ C Cornmeal
2 ¾ C Flour
1 tsp. Baking Soda
1 ½ tsp Baking Powder
1 tsp. Salt
Mix together. Bake 35 min in a 9x13 pan at 350˚
Chili for a Crowd- by Catherine Hart
½ C olive oil
4 Tbls salt
1 ¾ pounds yellow onions, coarsely chopped
4 Tbls dried basil
2 pounds sweet Italian sausage meat
4 Tbls dried oregano
8 pounds beef chuck, ground
5 cans (35 oz each) Italian plum tomatoes
1 ½ Tbl freshly ground black pepper
½ C Burgandy wine
2 cans (12 oz. each) tomato paste
¼ C fresh lemon juice
3 Tbls minced garlic
½ C chopped fresh dill
3 oz. ground cumin
½ C chopped fresh Italian (flat-leaf) parsley
4 oz. chili powder
3 cans (16 oz) dark red kidney beans, drained
½ C Dijon mustard
4 cans (5 ½ oz each) pitted black olives, drained
1. Heat olive oil in a very large pt. Add the onions and
cook over low heat, covered, until tender, about 10
minutes.
2. Crumble the sausage meat and ground chuck into
the pot and cook over medium-high heat, stirring often,
until the meats are well browned. Drain off fat.
3. Turn heat to medium-low and stir in the black pepper,
tomato paste, ,garlic, cumin, chili powder, mustard,
salt, basil, and oregano.
4. Add the drained tomatoes, Burgundy, lemon juice,
dill, parsley, and kidney beans. Stir well and simmer,
uncovered for another 20 minutes.
5. Taste and correct the seasoning. Add the olives, &
simmer for another 5 minutes to heat through.
Page Facilities
Summer
Picnic
On August 18th, Facilities held
their annual picnic at Adam’s Park.
It was well attended and fun for all.
Retiree’s were invited and everyone
enjoyed visiting and eating a great
lunch. Thank you PAR team for a
great time.
Early risers are happier and more productive. They stay in better shape, earn more money,
and report that they are more satisfied with their lives. Get up early and seize the day!
Michael Masterson
Page Happy Birthday!
to these Facilities Employees!
Mike Mikkelsen
John Fitch
Darrell Hart
Colby Goodliffe
Jim Huppi
Sol Nielsen
Veloy Hansen
Curtis Larsen
Russ Moore
Kelly Elwood
Carl Dabb
Erick Hale
Ted Johnson
Raelene Jepsen
Paul Pierson
Lonny Jensen
Cody Williams
Randy Jones
Mark Sheets
Daniel Maughan
The Image Newsletter is printed on
post-consumer recycled paper.
Image Newsletter Staff
Karen Hoffman - Staff Writer • 797.3128
Megan Hemmert - Graphic Design
Sep 01
Sep 03
Sep 03
Sep 04
Sep 05
Sep 05
Sep 08
Sep 08
Sep 11
Sep 12
Sep 13
Sep 13
Sep 13
Sep 17
Sep 18
Sep 19
Sep 20
Sep 24
Sep 24
Sep 29
Thank you!
for your service at USU!
John Risk
Dorothy Davis
Todd Hlavaty
Chris Jensen
Dart Friedli
Chris Olsen
Beverly Karren
Jim McCune
Clint Dirks
Jared Jorgensen
Mark Sheets
Pete Elliott
Lance Maughan
Kris Merrill
Mark Peplinski
Wade Perkins
Kory Johnson
21 years
16 years
14 years
14 years
13 years
13 years
12 years
06 years
05 years
05 years
05 years
04 years
04 years
03 years
03 years
03 years
01 year