Congratulations to Daniel and Staci Crecelius who are expecting their first child in the Fall of 2010, congratulations to both of you and you’ll make GREAT parents.

Gregory Neil at Ransom Motors has a new granddaughter, Gracie Nicole Philips born in December. Congratulations to both parents and grandparents!

Get well wishes and a speedy recovery to Herman Buckingham of the Delivery Department following his surgery and can’t wait to see you back in your truck.

Mari Austin, our switchboard operator, has completed her Bachelors degree in Psychology and is starting on her Masters this year. Along with working a full time and a part time job Mari was able to complete her goal – WAY TO GO!!!

Condolences go out to Jason Huston of Brandywine Auto Parts on his Dad’s passing.

HELP THE HAITI EARTHQUAKE VICTIMS, AND HERE’S HOW:

January’s earthquake in Haiti was the most devastating on record and thousands have lost their lives. It will take months if not years to rebuild what was destroyed in minutes and the aid will be needed while the rebuilding takes place. To anyone wishing to aid with the earthquake victims in Haiti, there are several ways to help:

Log on to www.redcross.org to donate to the victims; this financial aid will be dispensed by the American Red Cross.

AmeriCares (www.americares.org) has pledges $5 million worth of aid and you can help by calling 800-486-4357.

Childcare Worldwide has staff in place to distribute food, clothing blankets and medical supplies. Call 800 553-2328.

CARE (www.care.org/HaitiEarthquake) is also soliciting for donations for the Haiti disaster.

There are others. You can check your local news websites or just go on line and enter Haiti donation. Before making your donations make sure you check out the organization/website to insure that your donation is being used as you would like it to be. Beware of scammers!

We would like to take this opportunity to thank the following employees for their many years of dedicated service!

Anyone want to guess who the guy is in the tux? Why, it’s our own
NEAL SULLIVAN!!! We think he still looks the same but a bit more gray.

Looking good, Neal!

It is a misconception that you never need change your Automatic Transmission fluid; however that couldn’t be further from the truth! Many vehicle manufactures will advertise that their transmissions can go for 100,000 miles before servicing. I have found that by the time you think about servicing your transmission, it has ready failed due to a lack of maintenance. That can be very costly to your wallet. Needing to repair or replace a transmission can cost in the thousands of dollars. In order to minimize future expenses, you should service your automatic transmission every 30,000 miles or 3 years.

Many of our employees are required to be outside and recently the weather has been wickedly cold and well below normal temperatures. For anyone who has to be outside for any period of time, here are some hints on how to prevent hypothermia:

Step 1
Wear a hat or cover up your head. This is the single most important factor in dressing to avoid hypothermia. The head releases a greater amount of heat than any other part of your body, meaning it should be kept warm. Nothing can stop the head from releasing body heat completely, but a hat will at least reduce the amount of heat released.

Step 2
Keep your clothes dry. It’s always a good idea to remove any wet clothing and replace it with dry, warm clothes. Pack a couple of extra pairs of socks that you can quickly change into should your shoes and socks become wet.

Step 3
Choose special clothing that wicks moisture from the body if you are planning on exercising or spending a long time in cold weather. You can find this clothing at most sporting goods and athletic stores.

Step 4
Choose a windbreaker or other overcoat that can block the wind. Wind can cause you to chill and lose body heat, which may lead to hypothermia.

Step 5
Dress in layers. Several warm layers will not only create insulation for you to stay warm, but will also allow you to remove a layer if you heat up. Silk, nylon and wool are generally believed to provide warmth faster than cotton.

Step 6
Pack you gloves if you plan on being in cold temperatures for long periods of time. Adequate hand coverage can help you avoid hypothermia.

Dress warm and be safe!
Judy McFaden, Safety Director