September

Nectar Challenges  

                                                          Earn 100 points for utilizing the free Employee Assistance Program with Symetra.  The program offers confidential counseling for stress, anxiety, depression, financial issues, grief, identity theft , etc., 24/7.  Unlimited toll-free access to general guidance counselors; Up to five face-to-face sessions each year and online resources available 24/7.  To earn your 100 points, create your account and access these resources, then upload a screenshot of your ComPsych home page when you claim the challenge.  Information on the EAP program offerings and how to gain access to the site is located in SharePoint under HR>Public HR Documents>Benefit Plan Information>Employee Assistance Program.  To claim the challenge click this link:  Nectar Rewards

The Gallon Challenge

The Gallon Water Challenge begins September 1st and ends September 15th.  The challenge is to drink one gallon of water every day for the full 2 weeks to earn 200 Nectar points!                                                                  What you need to do to participate:                                                                                                                     1. Download the Daily Water Tracker Reminder App to your phone and contact Stephanie Loft in HR about collecting your challenge water bottle.                                                                                                                     2. Set your daily goal in the App to 128 ounces (1 gallon) and track your water intake daily beginning September 1st through September 15th.                                                                                                                 3. Set reminders in the App to keep you on track.                                                                                                   4. On September 16th, select "Claim" under the Gallon Challenge in the Nectar Challenge portal.                       5.  Upload a screenshot of your two week progress from the "History" tab in your App, along with a selfie with your water bottle to claim your 200 Nectar points.

Save the Date                                                                                                                                              

Tuesday, September 27th the Spokane employees will donate blood, on the Vitalant bus in the parking lot, to help save lives.  Every moment in the U.S. there is a patient who needs a blood transfusion.  You can find out the recommended amount to donate based on your blood type.  Any donation is appreciated.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                        On-site Flu Shot Clinic will be held on Thursday, September 29th from 11:00 am to 12:30 pm.  Costco Pharmacy will be in the Spokane facility to administer.                                                            Ashland - Date and time - TBD

August Safety Bar-B-Q

Both locations had a delicious Safety Bar-B-Q lunch in recognition of our outstanding Safety Performance in 2021.  Steaks cooked on the grill in Spokane by Dave Fode, Tim Neton, Ronnie Pintor, Richard Chaffee and Irlo Macabinguil.  The chef in Ashland was Todd Answine.  These guys did a fantastic job cooking.  And, the meal was delicious.  What a great year with little to no accidents.  Way to go everyone!

Special Dates in September

Baby Safety Month

Hispanic Heritage Month (Sept 15 - Oct 15)

National Suicide Awareness Month

2nd - V-J Day

3rd - National Food Bank Day

5th - Labor Day (Holiday)

11th - Patriot Day - National Day of Mourning - Flags to be flown at half-mast from sunrise to sunset with a                  moment of silence to be observed at 8:46 am (EDT) / 5:46 am (PDT)                                                                    and Grandparents Day

15th - World Lymphoma Awareness Day

16th - The American Legion Day

18th - The U.S. Air Force Birthday and  Wife Appreciation Day

21st - Alzheimer's Day and International Day of Peace

22nd - Autumn Begins (Fall Equinox)

25th - National Gold Star Mother's and Family Day

29th - World Heart Day

Employee Spotlight

Employee: Matt Tjards 

Position: Scheduler  

I was born and raised in Spokane and have always enjoyed calling the Spokane area home.  After graduating from high school, I attended Eastern Washington University.  Upon entering the job scene, I bounced around a couple of jobs before finding a home at Pearson for the past 6 years.  I really enjoy the people I work with each day and the drive and innovation that Pearson, as a company, has to stay at the top of the industry.

A little over a year and a half ago, Amanda and I welcomed our son Owen into the world.  It’s been such a blessing and rewarding experience raising a child and seeing him grow up.  Becoming a father has definitely changed my mindset and priorities in life, but I wouldn’t change it for anything.

Any free time I get in the spring through fall I’ll be on the golf course.  I’ve been playing golf for as long as I can remember, and I had my first hole-in-one when I was 16.  I still try to get out and play in some local tournaments around the area, but my golf outings have been cut into since becoming a Dad.  I’ve already started to teach my son how to golf and I can’t wait to hit the links with him in the next couple of years.

                                                               Thank you for sharing Matt!

Vitamin D and You

                                                                                                              The Benefits of Getting Enough Vitamin  D and Why the Sunshine Vitamin is Important                       By The Mayo Clinic Staff                                                                                                                 

     Vitamin D is a nutrient your body needs for building and maintaining healthy bones. That’s because your body can only absorb calcium, the primary component of bone, when Vitamin D is present. Vitamin D also regulates many other cellular functions in your body. Its anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and neuroprotective properties support immune health, muscle function and brain cell activity.

     Vitamin D isn’t naturally found in many foods, but you can get it from fortified milk and juices, fortified cereal, egg yolks, tofu, almonds and fatty fish such as salmon, tuna, mackerel, and sardines. Your body also makes Vitamin D when direct sunlight converts a chemical in your skin into an active form of the vitamin (calciferol).

     The amount of Vitamin D your skin makes depends on many factors, including the time of day, season, latitude, and your skin pigmentation. Depending on where you live and your lifestyle, Vitamin D production might decrease or be completely absent during the winter months. Sunscreen, while important to prevent skin cancer, also can decrease Vitamin D production.

     Many older adults don’t get regular exposure to sunlight and have trouble absorbing Vitamin D. If your doctor suspects you’re not getting enough Vitamin D, a simple blood test can check the levels of this vitamin in your body.

     Most people need to spend 15-20 minutes in unfiltered sunlight three days a week for their body to produce Vitamin D.

     Taking a multivitamin with Vitamin D may help improve bone health. The recommended daily amount of Vitamin D is 400 international units (IU) for children up to age 12 months, 600 IU for people ages 1 to 70 years, and 800 IU for people over 70 years.

Research on Vitamin D use for specific conditions shows:

• Cancer. Findings on the benefits of Vitamin D for cancer prevention are mixed. More studies are needed to determine whether Vitamin D supplementation may reduce the risk of certain cancers.
• Cognitive health. Research shows that low levels of Vitamin D in the blood are associated with cognitive decline. However, more studies are needed to determine the benefits of Vitamin D supplementation for cognitive health.
• Inherited bone disorders. Vitamin D supplements can be used to help treat inherited disorders resulting from an inability to absorb or process Vitamin D, such as familial hypophosphatemia (a condition in which your blood has a low level of phosphorous).
• Multiple sclerosis. Research suggests that long-term Vitamin D supplementation reduces the risk of multiple sclerosis.
• Osteomalacia. Vitamin D supplements are used to treat adults with severe Vitamin D deficiency, resulting in loss of bone mineral content, bone pain, muscle weakness and soft bones (osteomalacia).
• Osteoporosis. Studies suggest that people who get enough Vitamin D and calcium in the diets can slow bone mineral loss, help prevent osteoporosis and reduce bone fractures.  Ask your doctor if you need a calcium and Vitamin D supplement to prevent or treat osteoporosis.
• Psoriasis. Applying Vitamin D or a topical preparation that contains Vitamin D compound called calcipotriene to the skin can trat plaque-type psoriasis in some people.
• Rickets. This rare condition develops in children with Vitamin D deficiency. Supplementing with Vitamin D can prevent and treat the problem.

Generally Safe. Without Vitamin D your bones can become soft, thin, and brittle. Insufficient Vitamin D is also connected to osteoporosis. If you don’t get enough Vitamin D through sunlight or dietary sources, you might need Vitamin D supplements.

Safety and Side Effects. Taken in appropriate doses, Vitamin D is generally considered safe. However, taking too much Vitamin D in the form of supplements can be harmful. Children age 9 years and older, adults, and pregnant and breastfeeding women who take more than 4,000 IU a day of Vitamin D might experience:     

• Nausea and vomiting
• Poor appetite and weight loss
• Constipation
• Weakness, fatigue, muscle cramps or aches
• Confusion and disorientation
• Heart rhythm problems
• Kidney stones and kidney damage
• Bone and lower back pain
• Frequent illness
• Slow wound healing
• Hair loss in women
•  Mood changes, including depression, anxiety, and seasonal affective disorder

                          100-mile Badger Trail Race Participant 

Congratulations to Pearson's own Heidi Hasapopoulos, Sales Development Representative, for completing the 100-mile Badger Trail Race.  She ran 100.75 miles in 27 hours and 24 minutes.  Check out this short video from a past race to get to know her story:  Endurance, Persistance,Relentless, Forward, Activity         

                                                Where in the World is Pearson?

Cyrus O'Leary's Pies is located in Airway Heights, WA, less than two miles from Pearson Packaging System's Spokane facility.  Now part of the Sara Lee Frozen Bakery family of companies, Cyrus O'Leary's Pies has been in business since 1981, producing a variety of baked and cream pies.  Pearson was selected to supply a CE25-ST case erector for Cyrus O'Leary's new, fully automated packing line for single-serve products.  The line was commissioned in early August, and as a special thank you, Cyrus O'Leary's provided the Pearson Team with a variety of delicious pies that were enjoyed at Spokane facility's August Safety BBQ!

Smarter Robots AI Machine Learning and 3d Vision

The company is using Plus One’s AI-powered PickOne vision system in conjunction with a remote human supervision tool called Yonder to enable its depalletizers to pick randomized cases, cartons, trays, or bags, even if they are overlapping or overhanging.  Check it out here.

 Birthdays

Anniversaries

1 Year: Matthew Day, Brett Komisarek, Josh Lesniak, Tom Richmond and Martha Savory
2 Years: James Griffin and Madison Seiple                                                                                                          4 Years: Spencer Croom and Sam Culbertson
5 Years: Lance Schmidt
6 Years: Isaac Walton
7 Years: Kevin Dickson and Steve Lowe
9 Years: Robert Brummett and Susann Roeder
10 Years: Glenn Thompson
17 Years: AZ Zaman                                                                                                                                                                                 

Engagement

                                                                             Martha Savory got engaged to Jack Leiser

Martha and Jack were childhood friends since they were 12 years old.  They reconnected in 2020 by taking walks with coffee in a local wildlife park.  Well...Jack surprised her recently, by taking her back to that same park and popped the question.  How exciting!

Retirements

                                                                                                           Greg Lesher

                                                                                                           1987 - 2022

Greg began his journey with Pearson in September 1987 as a Machinist and was promoted to an Operation Specialist in 2012.  He was a great guy to have on your team and he excelled at problem solving which reduced downtime on projects.  Greg is credited with the creation of the "Lazy Lesher", the rotating tool box, seen at various stations in the Spokane shop.  Greg retired from the company back in August .  We wish him well!

                                                                                                             Marty Bohn

                                                                                                             1999 - 2022

Marty started working at Pearson in 1999 as a Machine Assembler and quickly ranked up to be the highest machine assembler and you could count on him to get the job done on critical projects and also troubleshooting difficult electrical issues.  Marty loved to sign while he worked, which will be missed throughout the shop.  Happy retirement!

New Employees

Brandon Martin - Electrical / Mechanical Technician

Ben Williams - Controls Engineer

Brett Petrie - Inventory Specialist

Javier Pintor - Inventory Specialist

Mark Host - Regional VP of Sales 

Mathew Miller - Field Engineer

Bridger Peres - Mechanical Design Engineer

Nick Lee - Mechanical Design Engineer

Sean Carstens - Assembly

Connor Roche -  Mechanical Design Engineer

                                                               Welcome To You All!

New Babies     

                                Eric & Morgan Nix welcomed their daughter Isla Michelle to the family on August 8th.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           Kevin & Sarah Dickson welcomed their son Shiloh Stephen to the world on August 15th. 

                                                                  Welcome Baby Isla and Baby Shiloh!

Brain Game

The first five people to solve this riddle will receive a $5.00 Starbucks gift card! Email your response to: zhutson@pearsonpkg.com 

What do frogs order when they get Bar-B-Q?

August Blog Brain Game Answer: If you were running a race and you passed the person in 2nd place, what place would you be in now?    Answer:  2nd

Winners:  David Bowen, Michael Williams, Dan Brown, Justin Vaughan and Matt Cornett

Did You Know?  A Blue Whale can reach a maximum confirmed length of 98 feet and weigh as much as 200 tons. It’s heart weighs around 400 pounds, and at the surface, a whale’s heart pumps 25-37 times a minute. During dives, the heart slows to 4-8 beats a minute, with an extreme low of 2 beats, a drastic measure to save oxygen. Also, a Blue Whale’s tongue can weigh around 2.7 tons, and it mainly feeds on Krill. They capture the Krill through lunge feeding. They swim towards the Krill patch at high speeds as they open their mouths. They may engulf 220 metric tons of water at one time. They squeeze the water out through their baleen plates with pressure from the throat pouch and tongue, and swallow the remaining Krill. They must consume about 800lbs of Krill a day to maintain their migration and reproduction. Their life span can be up to 90 years or more.

Quote Of The Month

"The thing that is really hard, and really amazing, is giving up on being perfect and beginning the work of becoming yourself."

-Anna Quindlen

Learn A New Word

Quiddity -  The inherent nature or essence of someone or something, or the unique thing that makes it what it   is.

Recipe                                      

                                                                       Aloha Casserole

Time: 1 hour 10 minutes

Yield: 6 Servings

 Ingredients

• ½ cup brown sugar
• ½ cup low-sodium soy sauce
• 1 tsp garlic, plus more to taste, minced
• ¾ cup low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 ½ cups instant white rice, uncooked
• ½ cup red onion, diced
• 1 red bell pepper, chopped
• 1 (20-ounce) can pineapple tidbits in juice, juices reserved
• 1 pound chicken breast diced into bite-sized pieces
• Cilantro, optional, chopped, for garnish
• Bacon, optional, cooked, diced, for garnish

 Directions

• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F
• Spray an 11X7-inch baking dish with cooking spray
• In a large bowl, whisk together the brown sugar, soy sauce, garlic, and chicken broth
• Add the uncooked rice, onion, bell pepper, pineapple tidbits (including their juices), and the chicken breasts
• Pour the mixture into the prepared baking dish
• Cover the baking dish tightly with foil
• Bake for 50 minutes
• Uncover the dish and stir the mixture
• Bake until the chicken is cooked through at 165 degrees F internally and the rice is tender, for about another 10 minutes
• Let the casserole cool for 5 minutes
• Serve topped with cilantro and bacon
  

Enjoy! If you decide to make this delicious recipe, make sure to snap a photo and email it to zhutson@pearsonpkg.com to be featured in next month's blog.