Newsletter of the Honeywell Retirees of Arizona

A very Happy New Year to all of you out there in Honeywell Retiree land. With the weather we have been having, we may have to start building a boat. How big would it have to be to hold all our 976 members? A tornado warning was just issued for Glendale and I can't find a basement. Just wait ‘til tomorrow and the sun will hopefully return to the Valley.

The year is starting off with a very busy month of activities for our HRC. Shirley Krieger indicates that the Medicare topic on January 11 received a great deal of interest. Another busload of “lucky Honeywellers” will depart for an overnight in Laughlin on January 18th. Dale Wendt has made arrangements for the bus trip and at the Colorado Belle for lodging and some excellent food. He promises everyone who wins will have fun gambling. We also have a session on first aid training that Ed Frick has arranged through the Red Cross. Your club will cover the cost for this session.

A genealogy session on February 8th is being coordinated by Virginia Clagett . She will also be in charge of an exciting trip to the Kartchner Caverns and other southeastern Arizona sights which is scheduled now for March 15th and 16th . As always, the details of these coming events are covered in the body of this publication

What a super job has been done in putting out The Bridge over the last year. With this issue, Charles Farmer and Ted Rees have completed a year of constant innovation and improvement, for which we are very grateful. Check on page 7 for more exciting developments in The Bridge delivery.

At the HRC Board of Directors meeting today we spent time discussing the events we have been having and whether they meet the desires and needs of our varied membership. Please send us any feedback you may have so that we may make your club better to assure your retirement years are more enjoyable.

There is still time to get reservations on the Alaskan cruise which will be sailing on June 19th from Seattle.

Have you checked our website www.hrcaz.com lately? Our webmaster, Russ Henzel, is adding more new features. If you have been enjoying our HRC events, you may find your picture there. If you don't find yourself, continue to sign up and attend our events – then give a big smile to those roving photographers.

Don Roeber

JANUARY ACTIVITIES

Tuesday, January 11, 2005 Medicare Prescription Drug Plan

SPACE AVAILABLE

Are you confused about the choices and the government plan?  Plan to attend and have your questions answered by the very knowledgeable Ann Marie Grande from the Area Agency on Aging. Her Agency is a partner with Medicare and can answer your questions on this potentially confusing topic.

The meeting will be held at the Union Hills Facility on 1-17 and Union Hills. Enter at the South Lobby. Space is limited .  Make your required reservations early (see above) and get all of your questions about Medicare's Prescription Drug Program answered.   See you there.

Tuesday and Wednesday, January 18, 19: LAUGHLIN TRIP!

LIMITED SPACE AVAILABLE

At this time the trip is nearly full, however we may be able to accommodate just a few more if you call Dale Wendt immediately at 480-922-1402.

We will park in the South area of the Honeywell parking lot (Union Hills and I-17), and board the bus at 6:30 am on Tuesday. We will also pick up at the Sun City Senior Center at 99th Avenue and Bell Road at 7:00 am on Tuesday. We will return by 9:00pm Wednesday night

Tuesday, January 25, 2005 Red Cross Training

SPACE AVAILABLE

This is a 90-minute session titled “Together We Prepare” which is a nationwide Red Cross initiative to help people prepare for emergencies and disasters before they occur. It includes personal planning, making an emergency kit, and first aid training including information on CPR, choking, bleeding, stroke and other injuries. Space is limited .

This initial session is limited to 25 and the HRC is covering the cost for HRC members on a first come, first served basis. If there is sufficient interest, additional sessions will be scheduled but may require a fee.

A very elderly gentleman (mid-nineties), very well dressed, hair well groomed, great looking suit, flower in his lapel, smelling slightly of a good after shave, presenting a well looked after image, walks into an upscale cocktail lounge. Seated at the bar is an elderly looking lady (mid-eighties). The gentleman walks over, sits along side of her, orders a drink, takes a sip, turns to her and says, "So tell me, do I come here often?"

FUTURE ACTIVITIES

Tuesday, Feb. 8, 2005 Genealogy – Hands On Session

SPACE VERY LIMITED

This is a “hands-on” session using the extensive LDS genealogy database. Since there are limited workstations, participation is restricted to 15 people. Required reservations are first come, first served.

Wednesday, March 9, 2005 HRC Gala Spring Potluck

Monday, March 28, 2005 Jerome State Historic Park/Jerome

This is for a private tour and presentation of local history of mining and the family of James S. Douglas at the old Douglas Mansion and museum by Mr. Mike Rollins, Park Manager.

This will be followed by lunch (optional) at a local restaurant and an informal discussion of personal reflections of life in the “old days in Arizona” by Larry Kelly , formerly of Honeywell/Bull whose ancestors came to Arizona in the late 1800's, some of whom lived in Jerome. Attendees may want to make their own contributions on the “old days”. After the visit, you may want to visit the local shops.

We will try car-pooling for this event. Those who would be willing to drive and take others, and those who might like a ride, contact Ed Frick (see above).

March 15-16, 2005 Kartchner Caverns/Fort Huachuca Overnight

Event Coordinator: Virginia Clagett 602-992-4204 or VMClagett@aol.com

Unfortunately, we must reschedule the tour to Benson, AZ from February 22 - 24 to March 15 - 17. Everything was set with Kartchner Caverns, the Amerind Foundation and Fort Huachuca and, at the time, the hotel had plenty of room. However, all hotels in Benson, Tombstone, or Fort Huachuca have now been booked for the original dates with the overflow from the Tucson Gem and Mineral Show.

On our revised plan, we'll drive to Benson in separate cars the morning of March 15th. Carpooling with friends would be fun. It is approximately a three hour drive from Phoenix. We are not reserving a bus because not everyone will want to participate in all of the tour events. There are RV campgrounds for those who prefer those accommodations. I have a block of rooms reserved under the name of the Honeywell Retiree Club for March 15 and 16 at the Holiday Inn Express , 630 South Village Loop, Benson, AZ 85602, 520-586-1370. I've been quoted a per night room rate of $79 plus tax vs. the standard $109 plus tax. Please call right away to reserve your rooms. Contact me if you have problems.

The afternoon of March 15th, we'll travel 10 miles south of Benson to tour the Big Room of the Kartchner Caverns in groups of 10 beginning at 1:15PM. The Big Room has opened since the last Kartchner tour taken by the Honeywell Retiree Club members. The length of the tour is ½ mile and takes 1¾ hours. The Big Room tour is wheelchair accessible. Tour cost is $22.95 per person.

The morning of March 16th, we'll travel south to Fort Huachuca beginning at 9AM. We'll tour the Fort Huachuca Museum and Annex with its displays of the Apache Wars, Buffalo Soldiers, Pershing's Expedition and Ft. Huachuca's role in WWII training. Afterwards, we'll tour the U.S. Army Intelligence Museum which includes a 12' x 10' segment of the Berlin Wall, an early code machine, surveillance drones, and other intelligence gathering equipment. Entrance to both museums is free. Each person will need two forms of picture identification to enter Ft. Huachuca to participate in this tour as it is an active military post.

Please send $22.95 per person for the Cavern tour and the attached form to Virginia Clagett , P. O. Box 31937, Phoenix, AZ 85046-1937 by January 24, 2005 .

Have reserved a room at the Holiday Inn Express in Benson: (Yes) _____ (No)

June 19-26, Sperry/Honeywell 2005 2005 Alaska Cruise

Our cruise leaves Seattle on June 19, 2005 visiting Ketchikan, Juneau, Skagway, Victoria, British Columbia and cruising the Tracy Arm. 

The above prices include cruise fare, port charges, taxes, government fees, private welcome party, and $25.00 P/P on-board credit. The price DOES NOT include transportation to and from Seattle or gratuities.

Our travel agent, Marilyn, has obtained an extension to the date that you can make reservations at these prices. The new date is February 2. After that date, the prices will be based on availability.

Note to those already signed up: It's time start thinking about transportation. If you are planning on flying to Seattle, now is the time to look into fares. Internet travel sites are starting to offer discounted tickets. You can also contact Marilyn at 623-487-1700 for reservations. Also, if flying on June 19, you need to investigate transfers from the airport to the ship .

If you have any questions, call Barbara Rippstein at 623-566-1572.

HRC WEB SITE: www.hrcaz.org

A long list of Phoenix area attractions with phone numbers and web sites are listed on our web site for your reference. In addition, you will find Phun in Phoenix information updated weekly – cool things to do in the upcoming weekend that you might otherwise miss. Also listed are all of our club's upcoming activities, with dates and contact information plus a copy of The Bridge . If you have any photos of club activities, we'd love to publish them. Attach the pictures to an email and send to hotline@hrcaz.org . Check out the photos from past events on the web site.

An elderly gentleman had serious hearing problems for a number of years. He went to the doctor and the doctor was able to have him fitted for a set of hearing aids that allowed the gentleman to hear 100%. The elderly gentleman went back in a month to the doctor and the doctor said, "Your hearing is perfect. Your family must be really pleased that you can hear again." The gentleman replied, "Oh, I haven't told my family yet. I just sit around and listen to the conversations. I've changed my will three times!"

Nobody cares if you can't dance well.  Just get up and dance

HRC PROGRAM & EVENT REFUND POLICY

For all HRC sponsored programs and events where payments are required in advance, refunds will be provided anytime there is no cost to our club. We will make every effort to provide refunds when requested, however in some cases funds have been committed by the HRC and will not be refunded.

THE BRIDGE GOES ELECTRONIC

Last Spring we initiated improvements in The Bridge aimed at getting it to you faster, reducing postal damage, automating membership records and enhancing the content. Results and feedback on these changes have been excellent. Your further feedback is always welcome.

In addition, we have been investigating the idea of electronic delivery via e-mail. We have been developing and testing this since last May using the HRC Board as “guinea pigs”. Phase I of this program has been successfully completed and we are now ready to move to Phase II.

During Phase II we want to expand this electronic delivery of The Bridge to any of our members who have e-mail and would like to help us evaluate the ongoing feasibility of this idea. Receiving The Bridge electronically has several advantages:

1. Faster receipt – e-mail will be distributed at the same time it is sent to our printer – about a week before you will receive it via the US mail,
2. Full color – pictures, graphics and other features typically are in color,
3. Portability – you will receive The Bridge wherever you receive e-mail, i.e., while traveling, holidays, etc.

Volunteers for Phase II will also continue to receive The Bridge in hard copy. We are not trying to avoid mailings – we are trying to improve communication. Indeed, some members have requested and prefer electronic communication.

If you would like to participate and help us evaluate this program, please send your name and e-mail address along with a note indicating your interest in The Electronic Bridge Phase II to hotline@hrcaz.org . Thanks for your help.

FIX IT GUYS

This group will help those who need repairs that they cannot do themselves, including minor electrical, carpentry and plumbing problems. You will have the security of having someone you can trust in your house. The cost of material is not covered. The Fix It Guys are Bob, Matt, Dick, John, Mike, Perry, Sam, Paul, Clint and Gene . Call 602-870-0813.

We could learn a lot from crayons.  Some are sharp, some are pretty and some are dull.  Some have weird names, and all are different colors, but they all have to live in the same box.

HRC SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM UPDATE

There are three important changes that you should be aware of concerning the Honeywell Retiree Club Scholarship program. The following changes will be in effect for the 2005 scholarships:

• The Allied Retiree Club has joined our program and their active member's family members will be eligible for the scholarships.
• As a result of the Allied Retiree Club joining the program, we are able to increase each scholarship award to $1,000.
• We will emphasize Science and Technology in our awards.

As before, application forms are available at each of the universities' scholarship offices. Information on scholarships is also available on line at each of the universities' web sites. We do not keep forms at the HRC office. In general, applications must be submitted by March 1, 2005. Awards are generally announced by May. The on-line addresses are:

• ASU: www.asu.edu/fa/scholarships/private.html#honeywell
• NAU: www4.nau.edu/finaid/scholarship/
• U of A: w3.arizona.edu/~scholar/scholout

The requirements to apply for the scholarships are:

• Must be a family member of an active member (current dues paying) or associate member (spouse of deceased active member) of the Allied Retiree Club or the Honeywell Retiree Club. Family members are defined as children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, etc. of the retiree. On all applications the submitter must include the company, division, year of retirement, and the current phone number of the retiree or associate.
• Only students that will be entering their sophomore, junior, or senior year are eligible.
• Students applying must have evidence of cumulative 3.0 or higher college grade point average.
• Applicants must re-apply annually.
• Receipt of this scholarship does not restrict the student from receiving other scholarships.
• Students majoring in Science and Technology related fields will be given preference, but if there are no applicants in related fields, then all majors will be considered. In the case of equal qualifications, financial need will be the deciding factor.

The evaluations of the applications are done by each university's Scholarship Office. Our only role in the selection process is to verify the applicant/retiree relationship.

Submitted by Al Longanecker

REMEMBER TO APPLY BEFORE MARCH 1, 2005

PAST EVENTS

See pictures of past events in the Photo Gallery

Fall Golf Outing December 2004

December 20 was a beautiful day and we had s eventy-two players participate in the fall HRC golf outing. The course at Arrowhead Country Club was challenging and everyone had a wonderful time.

25 awards were given out. The following were winners:

Closest on # 3: Ed Janik
Closest on #7: Vic Bosiak
Closest on #11: Earl Forgues
Closest on #15: Clint Langford
Longest putt #9: Juan Doak
Longest putt # 18: Ed Milburn
Straightest Drive #4: Steve Mihalic
2nd Low Net [74]: Duke Doepke
1st Low Net [72]: Scott Manning
2nd Team High Net [107]: Calderon, Doak, Hill, Harris
1st Team High Net [108]: Snider, Stafford, Crawford, Anderson
2nd Team Low Net [82]: Comey, Collins, Nordal, Davis
1st Team Low Net [78]: Meredith, Miller, Letchfort, Heikens

NEXT TOURNAMENT [SPRING], WE WILL USE ESTABLISHED HANDICAPS [AGA] AND CALLOWAY ONLY FOR THOSE THAT DO NOT HAVE HANDICAPS. THIS SHOULD EQUALIZE PLAY AND GIVE US MORE WAYS TO BE FAIR IN SCORING.

Please circle your calendars for our tournaments in 2005. The dates and locations are:
    Monday May 2nd @ Tatum Ranch
    Monday November 21st @ Arrowhead

Contributed by Dale Wendt

NEW HONEYWELL RETIREES IN ARIZONA

As new retirees you are receiving this initial complimentary copy of our newsletter, The Bridge . You are cordially invited to join our club. Dues are $3.00 per year and entitle you to nine issues of this newsletter, plus low cost admission to the many functions our club has each year. We encourage that these low annual dues be paid for multiple years to save cost and effort. Make your check payable to the Treasurer, Honeywell Retiree Club and mail to: Honeywell, Mail Drop XO, 2500 W. Union Hills Drive, Phoenix, AZ 85027-5139. We hope to hear from you in the very near future.

HRC Nominating Committee at Work

The nominating committee for next year's officers and directors has been hard at work finding candidates for the positions of President, Vice President and Treasurer, plus two Director positions. This year's committee consists of Lorri Jordan, Ed Skutecki and Don Roeber . Election of the Officers and Directors will be held in the March/April timeframe. Your ballot will be sent out in The Bridge. The Nominating Committee will submit their report to the Board of Directors prior to the February Board meeting.

Any active member may make nominations by submitting, either verbally or in writing, the candidate's name to the Board of Directors (or the Nominating committee) by January 31, 2005 . Nominees must be verified and agree to serve before being placed on the ballot.

MEMBERSHIP INFORMATION

Honeywell Retiree Club (HRC) active membership is open to Honeywell retirees with a membership fee of $3 per year, which is from May 1st to the following April 30th. This entitles you to receive our newsletter, The Bridge, and participate in club activities and functions and to be a voting member. For current members, see your address label to determine your dues status. We encourage that these low annual dues be paid for multiple years to save cost and effort.

To keep in touch with our members' families, an associate membership category was created for spouses of deceased Honeywell retirees who were HRC members .   Associate members pay no membership fee  and are non-voting members, but receive  The Bridge and  are eligible to  participate in club activities and functions.    

As you may know there are various Honeywell retiree clubs, i.e., Honeywell Retiree Club, Sperry Retiree Club , Allied Retiree Club and a GE Retiree Club. While some of these clubs may limit membership, we accept members from all who have had ties to either the old or the new Honeywell. You may want to join more than one group to maintain contact with your Honeywell friends from your working years.

A YEAR OF GOOD HEALTH: Tired of the same old New Year's resolutions?

Here's what America's top doctors recommend…..including a nutritious diet, maintaining a healthy weight and not smoking.

Exercise seven days a week. Three days a week is good, but seven is even better. A 30 minute walk a day is considered adequate. Check with your doctor before starting an exercise program.

Lift weights three to four times weekly. We lose 1% of our muscle mass and strength annually after age 30. Lifting weights increases strength, improves balance and protects the joints from age-related wear and tear.

Eat more fruits and vegetables. Eat at least five servings of fruits and vegetables daily. Focus on brightly colored produce such as tomatoes, blueberries and carrots for the highest concentration of antioxidants.

Get a good night's sleep. Adequate sleep, six to eight hours per night for most people, boosts the immune system.

Take one aspirin daily. After talking with your doctor, persons over 40 should take one low dose 81 mg. aspirin daily.

Get enough calcium. Reduce the risk of osteoporosis—a condition that affects an estimated 10 million Americans, including up to 2 million men.

Spend time in the sun. For adequate levels of vitamin D, get five to ten minutes of sun exposure three times a week. At other times use sun screen.

Love one another and yourself. Let go of regrets, make amends or forgive ourselves for being human. Make peace with the past and those things you wish you had done differently. Use your experiences to learn and grow.

Ask your doctor to review all the medicines you're taking. Some drugs thought to be safe may turn out to cause serious side affects, i.e., Vioxx, or taking drugs in combination with some other drugs could be harmful.

Choose one stress-reduction technique and practice it consistently . Daily exercise, yoga meditation, etc. can greatly reduce your risk for heart disease, headache, chronic fatigue and cancer.

Choose better carbohydrates. Choose high quality carbs, found in grains, fruits and vegetables. They will help to curb appetite because they are digested slowly, providing a steady stream of fuel. Plus, since they contain a lot of water, you feel full after relatively few calories.

Practice portion control. Studies show that people eat about 30% more food when a large portion is served. Until you have a feel for portion sizes, consider buying a kitchen scale to measure servings.

From Bottom Line Health January 2005.

Contributed by Judy Nance. RN

Blood Drive: January 20, 2005

Honeywell Process Solutions at 2500 W. Union Hills Drive holds four blood drives per year. If you'd like to donate on-site, please go to www.BloodHero.com to schedule an appointment (sponsor code is hwlaz15). The time window for donations is 6:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. If you don't have access to this site, you can call Sherry Maxson (602-313-5438). If you would like to volunteer to help check in donors or in other ways, please contact Sherry.

If you have any questions about eligibility to donate, you can call UBS at 1-800-288-2199, x5840.

Donation Reminders:

• Bring your photo ID. You cannot donate without it.
• Hydrate! Drink plenty of water before donating.
• Eat a hearty meal before donating.
• Arrive 5-10 minutes prior to your appointment

Contributed by Sherry Maxson