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Ford's Focus
While the University has issued general guidance on travel, etc., I am asking each of you, every employee, to identify operational and procedural cost-savings here within OPP. Perhaps you can delay some non-essential purchases. Perhaps you can postpone some non-essential initiatives. Please share your ideas with your supervisor or send them directly to Steve who is compiling all savings ideas.
There is no doubt that tightening our budget is going to require some creativity and some sacrifice. But I am hopeful that creative solutions are how we, collectively, will cope with this challenge. I believe the budget shortfall is an opportunity, once again, for OPP to demonstrate its value to the University. We make Penn State possible. If you have not seen it already, please read "Meet the Backbone of Penn State," an article from Onward State,
written by an undergraduate, that came out last week and is featured below.
I want to thank you for all you do and thank you, in advance, for all you will continue to do to make Penn State possible
Best,
Ford
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Welcomes
 Danica Barnhart began work as a custodial worker in District 23. Her first day was Feb. 22. Hometown: Tyrone
Hobbies: Spending time with family
 Mike Biddle began a position as a custodial worker in District 13. His first day was Feb. 22. Hometown: Williamsburg
Hobbies: Spending time with family, farming
 Montana Elder accepted a position as a custodial worker in District 53. Her first day was Feb. 22. Hometown: Bellefonte
Hobbies: Working out
 Heather Fishburn accepted a position as a custodial worker group leader in District 52. Her first day was Feb. 15. Hometown: Bellefonte Hobbies: Spending time with family, reading, going to the movies, riding 4-wheelers
 Lori Hampton accepted a position as a custodial worker in District 23. Her first day was Feb. 22. Hometown: Tyrone Hobbies: Spending time with family, cooking
Rick Iddings began working as an area facilities maintenance mechanic on Feb. 22.
Mark Kauffman accepted a position as a boiler operator. His first day was Feb. 15.
 Lynn Sharpless began work as a custodial worker in District 13. His first day was Feb. 22. Hometown: Osceola Mills Hobbies: Woodworking, gardening
**If your picture was not included, we would be glad to include it in a future edition. Please contact Susan Bedsworth to set up a time to have your photo taken.
Farewells
Dino Cantolina, custodial worker, retired after 19 years. His last day was Jan. 26.
Pat Erb, maintenance worker for area landscape, is retiring after 23 years. Her last day is March 4.
Ken Peters, equipment operator, has accepted a position with ARL. His last day is March 6.
Susan Rutan, director of Human Resources, has accepted a position as the senior director, Labor and Employee Relations as part of the University's Human Resources Leadership Team. We will be featuring her in the next issue of News & Views before she assumes her new role on March 14.
Daren Spotts, facilities project coordinator, left the University. His last day was Feb. 26. |
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Top Notch Work for the College of Communications
Michael Zelazny, equipment manager for the College of Communications, wrote in to OPP to recognize Chad Alterio's work for the school out at Innovation Park.
"Chad replaced a glass panel in a door with a custom cut/stain-matched wood panel, and all new trim. He also patched several holes in a classroom floor, and patched the carpeting to match the existing area. The quality of his work was excellent, to the point that the door looks like it was designed this way from the beginning. Teachers who knew about the holes in the floor can no longer find where they were. In an age where everyone rushes to get things off their checklist, Chad took the time to do a high quality job making sure the details were perfect before leaving."
Patriot Award
OPP received the Patriot Award, which comes from the Department of Defense's Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR) and reflects the efforts made to support Citizen Warriors through a wide-range of measures including flexible schedules, time off prior to and after deployment, caring for families and granting leaves of absence if needed.
Jonathan Risley, OSEH specialist and MSgt in the USAF, submitted the nomination and it was presented by William Burkhard, North Central PA Chair of ESGR and retired LTC.
"ESGR is just one way I could thank my supervisor and OPP for allowing me the opportunity to continue my military service despite it being in a part-time capacity. Not many employers are as friendly and supportive as OPP when it comes to going without and employee for 3-5 months at a time in my case. Everyone here has been very supportive of me in that regard and it is appreciated. By nominating OPP for the Patriot Award, it was just one way of saying thank you to those who allow me to continue to serve while still working here full time. It is a huge relief knowing that you have a job waiting for you when you get back stateside with a group of people you enjoy working with. In my time here at OPP, I have deployed twice in support of overseas operations in different countries. Thank you to everyone who has stopped and said 'Good luck,' 'Keep your head down,' 'Welcome back,' or 'Thank you for your service.' I and other service members could not do what we do without your support."
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 Fifth Family Member Receives Eagle Scout Award Wade Bonsell, the son of OPP's Training and Development Coordinator Allen Bonsell, recently became the fifth member of the Bonsell family to reach the rank of Eagle Scout. Wade, who was honored on Jan. 16, 2016, joined his father Allen, cousins Derrick and Mark Bonsell, and uncle Jack Bonsell who all achieve the Eagle Scout rank.
Meet the Backbone of Penn State, OPP  "Every day, students and faculty wake up and migrate to campus and go about their lives. Most of us rarely think about the day-to-day events that go on behind the scenes. Rather, we wake up with the expectation the bathrooms will be cleaned, the snow will be cleared, the water will be running and the electricity will be working. One of the major players behind almost everything that happens at Penn State is the Office of Physical Plant, commonly known as OPP."
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The item in the Feb. 3 issue of News & Views was a chip puller.
Item from the Feb. 3 edition:
The next "Tools of the Trade" item is below. What do you think this is and/or what is it used to do? Email your guess to newsviews@psu.edu.
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Each edition of News & Views will include an interesting Penn State factoid. Some will be about OPP, while others will be about different parts of the University. Know an
interesting tidbit? Send it to newsviews@psu.edu. As long as we can verify its authenticity, we will share it.
 Nittany Lion Shrine
The Nittany Lion Shrine, a gift of the class of 1940, was dedicated on Oct. 24, 1942. Animalier Heinz Warneke and stonecutter Joseph Garatti created the lion from a 13-ton block of Indiana limestone.
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As sometimes happens, one of our own has exhausted their available paid time due to a personal medical situation. Human Resources is currently accepting donated vacation days for Glenn Walstrom, an electrician.
If you are an active OPP employee and would like to donate a vacation day to Glenn, please email Susan Oswalt by Monday, March 7, 2016. Your email can say, "I wish to donate a vacation day to Glenn Walstrom." Don't forget to include your name.
All donations will be anonymous. Thank you, as always, for your generous support of this program.
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 If you are planning to attend the Paint Nite event on Monday, March 14 to support the Centre County United Way, but haven't purchased tickets yet, please do so soon! A minimum of 35 tickets must be sold for the event to be held as schedule. Sign up today at https://paintnite.com/events/1043187.html.
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Are you a member of the Employees' Benefits Association (EBA) or would you like to be? It's time to join or renew for the 2016 year. The dues are $15 and can be submitted to Kelly Gilham.
What is EBA?
The Employees' Benefit Association is a non-profit organization that was founded in 1956 to provide specific benefits to its members during the best and worst occurrences that life has to offer. EBA cares for its members by acknowledging events such as the birth or adoption of a baby, marriage, retirement, significant illness or hospitalization, or death in one's family with benefits or benevolences.
Why join EBA?
If you are employed at OPP, you are already a team member of the best operation of its kind in the world! With approximately 1,300 employees, you are also part of one of the largest.
OPP is more than a place to work -- it is a community. When you think about it, you probably spend more waking hours with those you work with than you do with your own family.
As a member of EBA, you stay connected with that community in a way that is impractical otherwise.
EBA is there when significant events occur in the life of our members. EBA cheers, encourages, and comforts its members when they need it. As a member of EBA, you are a part of your fellow members' major life events.
EBA is open to standing staff, fixed term I, and technical service employees of OPP. In other words, if you are a permanent employee of OPP, you are eligible to join EBA.
What does EBA provide?
Accident or Illness (not maternity):
- Card
- Surgery or admitted to hospital
- 5 consecutive workdays duration
- Gift ($35)
- 10 consecutive workdays duration
Retirement/Departure from OPP:
- Certificate of Recognition
- 1-5 years of continued membership
- Reception*
- 6-10 years continued membership
- Lion statue with reception*
- 11+ years continued membership
Wedding:
Death (EBA member of member's family):
Absence due to serious illness of spouse, partner, parent or child:
Penn State Memorial Endowments:
* Member can decline reception
** May substitute a memorial contribution
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 It's that time of year again! Support Penn State Block & Bridle by purchasing meat from their semi-annual sale. Orders are due March 3, 2016 and will be ready for pick-up on March 24-25.
A variety of meat products from the Penn State Meats Lab will be available as part of Block & Bridle's spring fundraiser. Products include a variety of sausage, ground beef, summer sausage, and boneless hams.
Please complete the order form and return it by mail to the address below or via email at psumeatsale@gmail.com. Questions may be directed to that same email address.
Chandlar Kern
Meat Sale Chair
324 W.L. Henning Building
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There are a wide variety of positions here in OPP. Many of us sit at desks all day, while many others are moving about all over campus completing various projects. Whether you're a desk dweller or on your feet all day, it can be challenging to keep up with our health.
One major factor impacting our health is stress. Your level of stress can be the result of a variety of things, such as a to-do list that's a mile long, lack of communication, long hours, issues in your personal life, and more. It's important to find ways to reduce stress or at least lessen its impact. Below are some tips and tricks that may help.
1. Learn to relax!
We all get stressed, but by taking a few minutes each day to calm yourself you can help stay stress free. Go for a walk, listen to a favorite song and stay hydrated.
2. Time is on your side.
The lack of time to complete your daily tasks is a common reason why we get stressed at work. By planning your tasks at the start of the day you will find you are able to work through a schedule more effectively.
3. Avoid overloading your day.
 Don't feel you have to say 'yes' to everything asked of you. If you adhere to the step above you should be able to schedule your workload more effectively and determine what additional tasks you can take on.
4. Don't be afraid to communicate.
Our colleagues are our friends at work. When you spend so much time with others it is common you can find things that irritate you. Learn to address your issues in a considerate manner and openly communicate with others to create a better workplace environment.
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 In each edition, we are including information and links to retirement information found both on the web and from Penn State's Office of Human Resources. Remember, regardless of your age, it's always important to plan ahead for retirement.
How to Balance Debt Reduction and Retirement Savings
Regardless of your age, you may have debt. However, paying down your debt doesn't mean you have to sacrifice saving for retirement. U.S. News & World Report recently published an article detailing ways that you can balance debt reduction while still saving for retirement. While the article is geared toward millennials, the suggestions can be helpful at any point in your life. Below are the highlights.
1. Pay off high-interest debt.
When it comes to choosing between paying off debt and saving for retirement, it's all about the interest rate. For the most part, consumers will pay much more in interest on high-interest debt, such as credit card debt, than they will earn on retirement savings. Getting and staying out of high-interest debt is essential for building credit and accumulating retirement savings.
2. Be smart with car loans.
One way to free up some money for retirement savings is to manage car debt. Strive for lower car payments by buying a less expensive vehicle, making a larger down payment and shopping aggressively for lower interest loans.
3. Set realistic goals.
Many millennials don't have realistic expectations for what they'll need in retirement. For instance, 70 percent of millennials expect to spend less than $36,000 per year in retirement. That's well below the average of $40,938 in annual expenditures for the age 65 and older crowd.
4. Invest aggressively.
Retirement savers in their twenties and early thirties should invest aggressively. With retirement still decades away, millennials can afford to ride out the markets, taking some hits but also reaping greater rewards. Millennials should adopt an investing strategy that leans heavily on stocks, which will have decades to grow. However, these relatively risky long-term investments should be tempered with an adequate emergency fund.
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Huntingdon CATA Vanpool
The newly-formed Huntingdon area CATA Vanpool has immediate openings for additional riders. The schedule is Monday-Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Please call 814-953-3444 or email dlp18@psu.edu for more information.
Philipsburg CATA Vanpool
The Philipsburg CATA Vanpool is currently looking for both full and part-time riders for its daily service. The vanpool travels to campus from Philipsburg, making stops at Innovation Park, Centre Medical Science Building and several other campus locations. The schedule is Monday-Friday, 8 a.m to 5 p.m.
Please contact Sandy Simler by phone at 814-577-6289 or by email at sms55@psu.edu.
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Have something to sell? Let us know! E-mail Susan Bedsworth with your item(s), details, contact information
 and photos. We will include it in the next edition of News & Views. And don't forget about OPP's Yammer Group "Up for Grabs." Just sign in with your University ID and password to post your item.
Lion Surplus
Lion Surplus handles the removal of University-owned equipment in environmentally responsible ways, such as sales, bids and auctions. Their store, located at the corner of Services Rd. and Big Hollow Rd., is open to students, faculty, staff and the public. The inventory changes daily, but the store routinely has gently used furniture, computers and other electronics, scientific equipment, and much more.
Follow Lion Surplus on Facebook to keep up to date on inventory and special events.
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Contact Us
If you have any comments or suggestions for News & Views, contact Susan Bedsworth by e-mail or at 863-9620.
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You can find a list of carpoolers and regional bus services through the