August 2011 - City of Marshalltown

August 2011
Employee Newsletter
A Quality of Life Company
S.E.C.
What is it…who is it…and which way did they go?
An acronym that’s just so so
The SEC has characters more than just one
And they all know how to turn up the fun.
Who is it…what is it and which way did they go?
Around in the alley or even on a backhoe
They can move it and shake it and turn up the laughs
Amy and Jenni wont let any of them run out of gas.
Who is it….what is it and which way did they go?
Alicia, Geri, Deb and Janelle
Will meet at the MChahueys Bar and Grille
And Bateman, Nathan and the Legg man will all show up too
To make “committee” events come shining through
Who is it….what is it.. and which way did they go?
Yall just want to know to be part of the fun!
So just sit back and see how its done.
S.E.C.
~Anonymous
Information available on employee intranet webpage. Notes from committee
meetings such as weekly staff dept. head meeting, safety committee,
insurance committee and others.
Keep yourself informed, visit the employee intranet site!
employee intranet site: http://webserver/static/intranet/emenu.php
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Monthly message from the City Administrator
The Not So Secretes to Success
I recently read an article by Victor Stachura from pickthebrain.com
that discussed his 10 Secrets of Success. Now the secrets were
not actually his own. He found them on a refrigerator of a person
he knew was very successful. So he wrote them down think that
perhaps they would assist him in becoming a successful person
both in his personal life and in his work.
I am going to give you five secrets from the ten that I believe can
help each of us move toward the success we want to achieve in
our lives. As you can guess, these secrets really are not secrets.
They are things each of us knows. We probably do some of them
some of the time, we may have done them in the past and maybe
we have just forgotten as we have gotten busy with other things.
So this is a quick refresher.
How You Think is Everything.
Always be positive. Think Success, not Failure. The moment you say to yourself “I
can’t…”, then you won’t. The we talk to ourselves has a powerful influence on the
actions we will take.
Be Persistent and Work Hard.
Success is a marathon, not a sprint. Almost every story of success, in any line of work,
entails long hard hours of work. There is no free lunch. Never give up on what you
want to achieve.
Never Stop Learning.
Go back to school if you need to gain some new skills or knowledge. Read books.
Find information on the Internet. Attend training in the subject area you want to be
successful in. But never stop trying to learn new things.
Take Action.
If you want to be successful, you have to do something. It just doesn’t happen because
you wish it. Sometimes your actions may be small steps toward accomplishing your
goal of success. Sometimes, the steps may actually be leaps. As Nike is famous for
saying, “Just Do It”.
Be Honest and Dependable.
In any endeavor you undertake, take responsibility for your actions. Without committing
yourself to Secret #5, the other four mentioned above really won’t matter.
There are times when all of get a little down about what may be happening in our life or work.
That’s natural. So “it’s ok to visit pity city, but you can’t stay and there comes a time when you
need to leave”. Positive things happen to positive people. Your odds of success are enhanced if
you can make the five secrets a part of your life.
2
After almost 31 years of employment with
the City, Bob Wall is hanging up his keys
for retirement. “I have enjoyed most of my
time at the City until the last ice storm and
wind storm that is.” Bob said that the City
has been really good to him and he will
probably miss coming here for a while. He
said he may start coming in just to
complain about the streets. Bob plans to
get back into woodworking and maybe do
some hauling of grain for a while. He is
looking forward to retirement.
Thanks to all who have been so helpful
and kind to me during my time here. As I
leave for a different job, the library here is
in good hands with the excellent library
staff and Library Board. I wish only good
things for the Library and for the town.
3
Each month 3 City employees will be randomly selected, interviewed and have a
photo taken for the newsletter.
Steve
Simons
FYI, Steve is our Meet
your co-worker creator
and interviewer.
Thanks Steve!!
Family? Yes
How many years have you been with the City? 33
What is your position with the City?
Superintendent of the Sewer Department. My responsibilities are the
sanitary and storm sewer infrastructure.
What is the most horrendous thing you have found deposited in our
sewer system over the years?
I have seen a number of strange things in the sewers, but one of the weirdest
was a bumper off a 1957 Chevy car.
Please describe what some homeowners have tried to flush down their
toilets?
Glasses, watches, cash, toys, full sets of dentures and the list goes on. Be
careful where you put things.
Are you afraid of heights?
I am not afraid of heights. I am respectful of anything over 6 feet 1 inch in
height. (Yes, he is afraid of heights).
What are your interests when you are not at work?
Golf. Ride bikes. Mow in low gear. Did I say golf.
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Rhonda
Pickard
What department
do you work in?
City Clerk’s Office
How long have you been working for the city?
23 Years
What do you like most about your job
I like working with the city hall team. I also enjoy the “various” customers that
come in.
Tell us about your family?
Husband Brian, married 22yrs, children: Joleen 32, Rachele 29, Brandon 21 and
Ryan 18. Plus two grandchildren Sophia 16 mo, and Hunter 11 mo.
What hobbies do you have?
I have both a flower and vegetable garden.
Pepsi or Coke or Mt Dew?
Non,…I drink Ice Tea
What is your favorite community event you attended?
We are active at the Central Iowa Fair. Because my sons Ryan and Brandon
compete in truck pulling.
How long have you lived in the Marshalltown area?
All my life.
Did you lose power during the recent storm and what kind of damages to
your property did you have?
We lost power for 2 days and two outbuildings on the farm were destroyed
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Scott Johnson
What department
do you work in?
Fire Department
How long have you
been working for the city?
27 years
Tell us about your family?
Married to Licia for 29 years,…
Sons Nicholas 26, Nathan 25,
and daughter Sunny 21.
What is your television show?
Don’t watch much TV but I do like Criminal Minds
What hobbies do you have?
Bike riding and golf when I get a chance.
Pepsi or Coke or Mt Dew?
I don’t drink pop,…I drink Gatoraid
What is your favorite community event you attended?
A tie between the State BBQ contest and the 4th of July Fireworks.
What is your favorite meal?
It would be lasagna because my wife makes the best.
What did you do for the Fourth of July celebration?
Spent it with the whole family and went to a movie and took in the fireworks
afterwards.
Did you lose power during the recent storm and what kind of damage to
your property did you have?
Lost power for 16 hrs but got it back about 9:30 Monday night. We were pretty
lucky because we only lost a few branches.
6
Mark Leamen not only
took home one gold he
took home five gold
medals and one bronze
medal from the 2011
Senior Olympics.
This is the 5th year
Mark has participated in
the event. This year it
was held on the 18th of
June at Valley high
school in Des Moines.
Mark competed in six
events and placed in all
six. Approximately 300
people participated in
the event.
Events
50 meters – Gold
100 meters – Gold
200 meters – Gold
Softball distance throw – Gold
Softball team – Gold
Football distance throw – Bronze
7
Check out some of the storm pictures on the City Facebook site.
To see more pictures check out the City of Marshalltown Facebook page.
8
The compost facility took in enough
tree debris the first week to fill the
aquatic center pool and lazy river
10 times.
Almost 25,000 cubic
yards of debris equals a little more
than 5 million gallons.
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10
Marshalltown Police
Citizen Volunteer Program
The Marshalltown Police Department has been working on a new and exciting
program that made its debut at the BBQ Contest in June. The Program is called
the Marshalltown Police Citizen Volunteer Program.
In order to be selected for the new “Marshalltown Police Citizen Volunteer
Program” you must have been either a retired officer in good standing from the
MPD or MPD Reserves, or a graduate from the Marshalltown Police Citizens
Academy.
Assisting me in this new program is Officer Casee Veren and Volunteer
Coordinators Dan Brandt and Joan Moore.
It is our intention to eventually utilize the volunteers for both Administrative and
Field Service duties. Some of these duties would include. Greeting people at the
front desk and assisting them in their initial contact with the PD. Departmental
tours, Record / Data Entry, Bike Licensing & Bike Rodeos, Information Booth
manning, Traffic Direction at Major Incidents, Parades and Community Events,
and lastly down the road after receiving additional training the volunteers will be
conducting Vacation Home and Business Checks with the volunteers being
assigned to their own marked Citizen Volunteer Patrol Car that will be marked
differently from our marked vehicles to help identify it.
At present we have 30 people who have expressed interest and have taken the
first steps in the selection process. The BBQ contest and the July 4th
Celebration were our first events. The volunteers manned the information booth
outside the Command Trailer handing out crime prevention materials, greeting
the public and answering questions about the program. The volunteers also had
washable tattoos for the kids that were a big hit! Several of our braver
volunteers even dressed up in the Vince and Larry Crash Dummy outfits at the
BBQ contest and had a blast greeting the kids who wanted to get their pictures
taken with them.
To help identify our volunteers they will be issued an ID card and lanyard that
they must wear that identifies them as a Citizen Volunteer. Volunteers will also
be identified by the Lt. Blue Polo Shirt with the Marshalltown Police Citizen
Volunteer logo on it.
The next big event that we are planning for is Oktemberfest and our entry in the
parade as well as being uptown assisting with Police Dept. events.
If anyone is interested in learning more about the program or how they can be
selected for the Marshalltown Police Department Citizens Academy they can
contact me, Captain Michael Hanken at 754-5730.
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More pics on the
City of Marshalltown
Facebook Site.
BBQ
Championship
4th of July
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August
Birthdays
Kathy Kroeger - Police - 2nd
Nathan Stucky - Administration - 2nd
&
Anniversaries
Greg Pepper - Fire - 1st - 12 Yrs.
Patrick Johnson - Building - 3rd - 13 Yrs.
Melissa Sears - Police - 4th - 3 Yr.
Roger Beall - Sewer - 5th
Joel Hengeveld - Police - 4th - 8 Yrs.
Willie George - Transit - 8th
Jack McAllister - Police - 4th - 31 Yrs.
Casee Veren - Police - 9th
Lucero Sanchez - Library - 6th - 4 Yrs.
Cortney Watson - Police - 9th
Joshua Warnell - Fire - 10th
Kerri Larsen - Fire - 11th
Marla Grabenbauer - Council - 12th
Kiel Stevenson - Police - 15th
Brad Mauseth - Police - 17th
Kendall McCrary - Street - 8th - 28 Yrs.
Alyssa Mathews - Library - 9th - 5 Yrs.
Mallory McKay - Library - 11th - 2 Yrs.
Ann Rolston - Library - 13th - 2 Yrs.
Brad Weuve - Park & Rec - 14th - 33 Yrs.
Paige Legg - WPCP
- 19th - 15 Yrs.
David Powell - Police - 19th - 15 Yrs.
Kiel Stevenson - Police - 22nd - 6 Yrs.
Tim Eggers - Street - 20th
Vern Jefferson - Police - 23rd - 7 Yrs.
Steven Simons - Sewer - 24th
Casee Veren - Police - 25th - 5 Yrs.
Ramon Maxey - Police - 26th
Brad Mauseth - Police - 26th - 6 Yrs.
Jeffrey Roads - Street - 29th
Steve Hunter - Street - 31st
Marshall Sealine - Police - 26th - 31 Yrs.
Stephen Troskey - Housing - 27th - 4 Yrs.
Sadie Weekley - Police - 27th - 4 Yrs.
Scott Riemenschneider - Building - 27th –
21 Yrs.
Jerry Benson - Street - 28th - 11 Yrs.
Veronica Guevara - Library - 30th - 4 Yrs.
Joa LaVille - Library - 31st - 12 Yrs.
John Larkin - WPCP
- 31st - 24 Yrs.
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Ever Wonder If
We Can Find You?
You live, eat, sleep and come and go from
your address every day so to you it seems
quite simple to know where your house is
but for us we have to know where every building in Marshalltown is. How many
times has someone asked you for your phone number and because you rarely
dial your own number or you have it preprogrammed into your phone you have
to do a double take and think about it before you answer. We study streets,
locations and addresses all the time so when we do get a call for assistance we
can get there as safely, quickly and efficiently as possible to render assistance.
But as you might guess we rely on addresses being visible. As strange as this
might sound it seems pretty simple but when an address is obscured due to
vegetation, being painted over or just too small or not visible it makes it hard for
us to meet our objective of safely, quickly and efficiently. An example is West
Olive Street. Most of the mailboxes there have the addresses on the west side
of the mailbox, probably due to the mail being delivered from that direction, but
we usually respond from the east. See my point? If we and all other emergency
services, police and ambulance can’t see it we are delayed in getting there.
What I would like you to do is go out to the street and see if you can easily see
your numbers that are displayed for your address. Think about how we might be
approaching your house. If you would really like to be prepared make sure we
can see it from any direction and easily from the street because that is where
we are looking from. Try to look at it from our perspective and if you have to
change or improve your numbers, make sure they are truly visible from the
street level. Code requires numbers to be at least 4 inches tall (depending on
the distance from the street) and in a contrasting color to their background.
So if you ever wonder if we can find you, think about what I have just talked
about when you go out and come back home, next time stop and look to see if
your numbers are visible.
If you have any questions about this topic or other fire safety questions please
get
in
touch
with
us
at
641-754-5723
or
email
us
at
sedwards@ci.marshalltown.ia.us and we will get your concerns answered as
soon as possible. Stay Safe.
15
Annual City
Softball Tournament
Sunday, August 21, 2011
11:00 am – 3:00 pm
6th Street Softball Complex
Round Robin Tournament
Contact your department team captain
to sign up
Concession
stand will be
open
Bring a
covered dish
for the picnic
Bring your
whole family
as there will
be fun for all
ages
The coveted city trophy is up for grabs!
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Family Fun Day
Sunday, August 21, 2011
6th Street Softball Complex
City Employees, Retirees, Elected Officials, Families, and Guests
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
11:00 AM – 3:00 PM
Softball Tournament
3:00 PM – 6:00 PM
Kids activities - inflatable jumper! (bring socks)
Adult games – bags, washer toss and more
Dunk tank with 10 of our favorite city employees!
$1 per ball or 3 balls for $2
Money raised will be for the Social Event Committee’s (S.E.C.)
events and memorial fund
4:30 PM
Potluck dinner
Bring a covered dish to share and your beverage of choice
Meat, lemonade and tableware will be provided
6:15 – 8:15 PM
Aquatic Center
Please let your S.E.C. representative know by August 15th if you plan to attend
● Softball ● Activities ● Food ● Fun! ●
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Kids of all ages gathered at the Library
on the 26th to have a chance at petting
animals from Blank Park Zoo.
0-3 year old group
Hedgehogs,
Snakes,
Cockroaches,
Owls &
even an
Alligator
Do you have information to include in a future newsletter?
E-mail it to Michelle Spohnheimer at
mspohnheimer@ci.marshalltown.ia.us tell your Department Head or
call Michelle at 754-5756
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