“River of Dreams” Moves One Step Closer to Reality Which ... · Freddy’s Flash october 2008 ttt James thompson received a Good Samaritan Award for an incident that occurred

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By David ColangeloWatershed Management

Construction of the Kissimmee River Restoration Project is

moving forward with the third of four phases. The current phase, which began in August 2008, is scheduled for completion in December 2009. The project is funded by a 50-50 cost share between the District and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

As an integral part of the Northern Everglades, the natural Kissimmee River used to follow a winding route from Lake Kissimmee to Lake Okeechobee and featured a wide floodplain that was rich with fish and wildlife. The river was straightened, widened and deepened – or channelized – during the 1960s and 1970s to control flooding. Although the flood control project was a success, channelization resulted in extensive losses of fish and wildlife resources.

Soon after channelization, a grassroots effort to restore the Kissimmee began, culminating with Congressional authorization of the project. The project is one of the largest river restoration projects in the world, and ecological responses to date have exceeded expectations. The fourth and final phase of construction is scheduled for completion in 2013.

The current phase includes backfilling four miles of the C-38 canal and recarving four miles of river channel lost when the C-38 canal was constructed. A total of six miles of historic river channel and 1,406 acres of floodplain wetlands (the area of about 1,856 football fields) will be restored as part of this phase. After all construction phases are complete, approximately one third of the historic river

“River of Dreams” Moves One Step Closer to Reality

INsIde thIs Issue…Office Ergonomics . . . . . . 2

Annual Leave Buy-Down . 2

Recognition . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Off the Clock . . . . . . . . . . 4

Employee CommitteeCorner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

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_surVeY sAYs…

Which of these programs offered by the IBM Southeastern Credit Union would you be most likely to attend?

Financial fitness program

Vehicle/alternative fuel

vehicle buying, refinance & resources program

Real Estate Law program

Mortgage program

Join us! Financial Fitness, Part 1January 8 from 12-1 p.m. in the Storch Room

An IBM Southeastern Credit Union representative will cover money management and the fine print of credit cards.

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and floodplain will have been reconstructed and a new water regulation schedule that seeks to mimic historic flows and water levels will be implemented.

The overall goal of Kissimmee River Restoration is the “restoration of ecological integrity,” which is a fancy way of saying that the project intends to restore conditions in the

river and on the floodplain to a state that will support the biological communities that occurred there before the river was channelized.

Kissimmee Division scientists are tasked with evaluating the success of the project under the Kissimmee River Restoration Evaluation Program.

Twenty-five performance measures, also known as “restoration expectations” have been developed to judge project success. For example, one restoration expectation includes a target for the number of wading birds that are expected to be present on the floodplain after construction is complete. Another expectation describes the timing and magnitude of flows that the river needs in order to support a diverse and healthy ecosystem.

Results from these studies will be used to adaptively manage the system in the future. For more information on Kissimmee River Restoration go to www.sfwmd.gov/kissimmee and click on Kissimmee Watershed Web Sites.

PhOtOs By BREnt AnDERsOn

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Good posture, adjustable furniture and work area layout can contribute greatly to avoiding a workstation-related injury. Here are some tips to consider:

• Sit up straight with your head centered above your shoulders.

• The top of your monitor screen should be at eye level.

• When using hard copy, use a document holder close to your monitor to prevent eye strain from frequent refocusing.

• Your keyboard and mouse should be close together and on the same work surface.

• Your upper arm and forearm should be at a 90 degree angle keeping the wrist in a straight and neutral position.

• Keep your keyboard as flat as possible. This will allow you to better keep your wrists in line.

• Ideally, the armrest should be slightly lower than elbow height.

• When seated your legs should be at a 90 to 95 degree angle with your feet flat on the floor.

• Your seatback should not only support your back but help maintain the natural curve in your lower back.

There are good reasons behind ergonomic office equipment, but even the best equipment provides no benefit if it is not properly adjusted.

Remember ergonomic situations apply in other work environments as well, not just in an office setting. To schedule a workstation ergonomic evaluation, contact Ben Cutshaw at x4678 or Tony Wegner at x4703.

Office Ergonomic Work Station TipsBy Benjamin Cutshaw, Risk Management

Annual Leave Buy-DownThe first opportunity for employees to participate in the annual leave

buy-down is scheduled for December 10. Eligible employees must have at least 140 hours of annual leave before

their buy-down and at least 120 hours after their buy-down. The minimum annual leave buy-down permitted is 20 hours; the maximum annual leave buy-down permitted is 80 hours per fiscal year in increments of 20 hours.

• Employees will have two payout options:

° Direct, which will be taxed at the supplemental tax rate of 25 percent.

° Apply up to 70 percent of your buy-down to your 457 Fidelity account as a lump sum contribution. You must contact Fidelity between Nov.15 and 28 to enroll and set up the percentage to contribute to your account. You will receive the balance as a direct payout. Please note: Your lump sum contribution percentage will remain in effect until you call Fidelity to change or stop it.

• To participate in the December buy-down, fill out the form located on the Risk Management portal page and return it to the Payroll Office (MSC 6213) between Oct. 15 and Nov. 14. Direct questions regarding the form to Deb semrau at x6005. Questions regarding the

buy-down program should go to Ava Dexter at x6489.

The next buy-down is scheduled for June 2009.

We want youin a Flash!

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To continue improving District communications with the public, Plain Speak go-to contacts have been designated for each department and many divisions. Employees in this role are available to offer guidance to anyone preparing new District materials or updating existing materials that are commonly distributed to the public. This includes forms, documents, correspondence, web pages and other materials.

Plain Speak promotes clearer communication by reminding everyone to:

• Use clear and common language;

• Reduce or eliminate jargon and acronyms;

• Use short sentences written in active voice; and

• Use layout and design that helps the reader easily absorb information.

There will always be a place for technical, legal and specialized language at the District, but by using more common language we will communicate better with each other and the general public.

A list of Plain Speak go-to contacts and other resources are available on the Plain Speak web page. From the internal portal page, click “Organization” on the left menu. Under the alphabetical listing of departments, click “Creative Services.” Plain Speak is the first item under Creative Services on the left menu.

For additional assistance, contact Christine Girardin at x6249.

Submit a picture for the latest photography contest with this theme: symmetry. The winner will be announced in the November/December issue. Submit ideas, articles and suggestions to Julie Lyons at [email protected], interoffice mail MSC 2410, fax (561) 682-5521 or phone x2508.

2 F r e d d y ’ s F l a s h o c t o b e r 2 0 0 8

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James thompson received a Good Samaritan Award for an incident that occurred in July.

James was driving a crane north on Everglades Boulevard in Naples when he noticed smoke behind a house. He immediately pulled his vehicle off the road, got out, jumped a fence and checked the home for occupants. No one was there, so he grabbed the garden hose and began to wet down the burning area until the fire crews arrived.

Good Samaritan Award Fire Chief Rita Greenberg of Big Corkscrew Island Fire Control and Rescue District sent James a letter commending him for his courageous act of participation that displayed compassion for his fellow man.

After an investigation, it was found that a powered-up laptop left unattended on a sofa in the home was the cause of the fire.

conGrAtulAtionS!H Celebrating its 25-year anniversary, the Treasure Coast Chapter of the Florida Public Relations Association (FPRA) installed Linette trabulsy (pictured below, right) as the 2008/2009 President. Linette, Martin/St. Lucie Service Center, also received the Virginia Moulton President’s Award.

Founded in 1984, the Treasure Coast Chapter of FPRA serves the needs of public relations professionals in Martin, St. Lucie and Indian River counties

with the goal to advance the profession of public relations, promote high professional and ethical standards and build the reputation of the profession on the Treasure Coast.

H The District received the Achievement of Excellence in Procurement Award for the third time. This award is achieved by those organizations that demonstrate excellence in procurement by obtaining a high score on a rating of standardized criteria. The program is designed to measure innovation, professionalism, e-procurement, productivity and leadership attributes of the procurement function.

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Procurement staff with Achievement of Excellence Award.



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eMPLoYee of the Month

Kimberley Koptak, Palm Beach County Service Center, serves as the central point of contact for managing and coordinating outreach, education and public affairs related to the Everglades Agricultural Area (EAA) construction projects. One of the most critical portions of the EAA Reservoir construction project was the dynamite blasting of the base coral rock in close proximity of U.S Highway 27.

Kimberley single-handedly handled the public outreach related to the blasting. She addressed many questions on the blasting operations and spent endless hours pre-planning and notifying all participating agencies, businesses

and members of the public about this phase of the project. As a result of her diligence in proactively addressing the questions

and concerns, there were no incidents or issues with the public during this phase of the project.

Kimberley also assisted the contractor in the public involvement process with presentations making sure the EAA construction work was presented positively.

She assumed all of these responsibilities for EAA outreach in addition to her current duties as the Project Coordinator in the Palm Beach County Service Center.

Jason Herkner, William Salters, Tawana Randall, Barry Perez, Bruce Waldron and Pam Kota

ProfeSSionAl develoPmentAwArdSt Master’s Degree Amelia Rodriguez-Alers Michael Wright

t Associate’s Degree Larry Albrecht

t Geographic Information Systems Professional

Rod Braun timothy Liebermann Änand trivedi

t Project Management Institute Certification

John shaffer steve traver

Congratulations to the Lake Trafford Project Team of Joe Fiala, Frank Mendez, Cathy Richards and nick Kretis for defending the District in a very contentious and complicated contractor claim. Each of these employees provided exemplary negotiation skill, expertise and sincerity in representing the District in this highly controversial matter as the contractor’s claim of approximately $720,000 was settled for a nominal sum of $10,000.

The phase II dredging of Lake Trafford was shutdown in the spring of 2007 due to the prevailing drought conditions as the low levels of the lake would not permit further dredging and the contract was terminated for convenience on Oct. 1, 2007. Upon termination, the contractor claimed that they were entitled to compensation for lost profit, projected work and overhead costs.

Project Manager Nick Kretis kept the District’s record of events during construction in line, leaving no details undone. Nick helped keep the history of events in proper order as they unfolded, and conveyed a clear understanding

of the claim situation to the Procurement and Office of Counsel staff.

Cathy Richards, the contract specialist on the project, administered the contract by attending progress meetings in the field and keeping the contractual issues in line. She facilitated the claim process, step negotiation meetings and helped develop a solid defense against the contractor’s claim.

Frank Hayden, Tim Carter and Cled Weldon assisted by defending the agency in level two and three step negotiation meetings by maintaining our position and supporting staff recommendations.

Finally, Joe Fiala and Frank Mendez, the District attorneys assigned to this case, displayed extraordinary arbitration and litigation expertise in preparation of the District’s defense.

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teAMof the Month

DiSabiliTy SEnSiTiviTy PROgRaM On Nov. 4, HR Solutions will host a program in the B-1

Auditorium from 10:30 a.m.-12 p.m. Shawn Friedkin, founder and president of Stand Among Friends, will give a 90-minute presentation depicting real-life situations and how best to

handle them. In 1992, Shawn was in a car accident that left him paralyzed from the chest down. His vision was to establish a resource and guidance center to promote opportunities for people with disabilities to live a life without limits and experience the highest degree of independence and success in their communities. The program will be webcast. Contact tanya Vaughn-Patterson for more information.

When Ricardo Valera assumed the role as Director of the Regulatory Division at the Lower West Coast Service Center in January 2007, he rallied his troops and infused them with enthusiasm. It is no wonder that the Regulation Permitting 101 outreach activity was so successful. The regulatory staff at the Lower West Coast Service Center has continued the momentum by holding mini workshops on e-Permitting and by attending meetings of local homeowners associations.

Ricardo’s organizational skills and personality have increased performance and productivity. He is confident and exudes

self-awareness. He is conscious of how his actions and decisions impact others.

Ricardo leads with enthusiasm, expressing “thumbs-up” or “job well

done” on a regular basis. He has created an atmosphere of positive thinking that supports new and innovative approaches. While the District has changed the way we do business through e-Permitting and e-Compliance, Ricardo has stayed abreast of issues and has assisted staff through the bumps in the road.

According to his staff, Ricardo should be on the annual list of items that are inventoried each year due to their value; he is truly a District asset!

Ricardo Valera, right, was nominated by his staff for the Leadership Award.

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HelloSAugust 15 through September 16, 2008

GoodbyeSAugust 15 through September 16, 2008

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Sunny Diamond, Lisa Schneider, Marjorie Victor, James Barrett, Zhiqiang Chen, Eric Cline, Kuang-Yao Lee, Jesse Markle, Jeffrey Cartwright, Hongjun Chen, Molly Meadows, Damien Condo and Mitchell Cowham

Service AnniverSArieSSeptember 2008

Thomas Joiner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5Faye McDavid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5Kathy Ruff. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5Mirto Banchs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10Elizabeth Marshall . . . . . . . . . . . .10Angela Montoya . . . . . . . . . . . . .10Gabriel Ocasio-Davila . . . . . . . . . .10Carmen Pita . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10Catherine Richards . . . . . . . . . . . .10Karen Smith . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10James Betzhold, II. . . . . . . . . . . . .15Eric Fryar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15Fred Remen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15Lori Weaver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15Sheryl Yackamouih . . . . . . . . . . . .15Rick Berglund, Jr. . . . . . . . . . . . . .20Scott Korf . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20Dean Powell . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20Charles Roup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20Stanley Stringer . . . . . . . . . . . . . .25Sharon Merrill . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30Walter Whelan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30Ezell Everett . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .35

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Ronald BearzottiLead Environmental Analyst

Teresa ColeyScience Supervisor

Glen Gareau Lead Engineer

Cynthia GefvertRegional Planning Supervisor

Michael Grant Section Leader

Claudia HernandezExecutive Assistant

Peter HooSection Leader

Brandi McCrainePlanner/Scheduler

PromotionSAugust 15 through September 16, 2008



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OFF THE CLOCK:Robert Hopper, Environmental Resource Regulation, plants award-winning gardenText adapted from Palm Beach Post article

What can you do with a bare lot and a couple of scrubby trees in two short years?

Create an award-winning landscape!

Landscape architect Robert Hopper designed a garden made completely with native plants that recently won first place in a statewide competition for institutional gardens sponsored by the Florida Native Plant Society.

The garden was installed two years ago at Mounts Botanical Garden by the Palm Beach chapter

of the FNPS. Hopper, a member of the society, said he was thrilled by the opportunity for showcasing natives at Mounts, which made space available for his plan and contributed plants. This richly layered landscaped is NOT your

average cookie-cutter design!The local chapter obtained grant

money to complement its own contributions to the garden.

The public is invited to monthly maintenance sessions at the garden. Attendees can learn more about native plants and take home cuttings. Plants include Dune sunflower, Wild coffee, Fiddlewood, Marlberry, Simpson’s Stopper, Pigeon Plum, White Indigoberry, Coral Honeysuckle, Blue jacquemontia and an assortment of wildflowers and grasses.

Visit FNPS.org or call (561) 818-9654 for more information.

LETTERsTO THE disTRiCT Cubicle Courtesy Reminder

Three years ago (Aug. 2005 issue), as part of a series on cubicle courtesy, Freddy commented on folks listening to music in their work area. Basically, he said folks should cut it out or use headphones.

Unfortunately, some people didn’t get it the first time.

Please remind those individuals that just because their neighbors might not be complaining, it doesn’t mean everything is OK, because it isn’t. Many of us don’t say anything in order to keep harmony with people who should know better or who are just plain inconsiderate. Many of us find the noise and the music distracting. We deserve a workplace that is conducive to getting our work done. Even if we don’t find it distracting to our work, as Freddy said back then, the listener’s taste in music might not suit everybody else’s.

So please remind them that, as Freddy said, we all have to “get along in the same fishbowl.” Use headphones or cut out the noise!

– District employeeEmpl

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Com

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CORNERInformation about all of these events can be found on the Employee Committee portal page. From the homepage, select Internal Communications, Water Connects Us, and then Employee Committee from the left navigation menus.

n LuncH & LeaRnFred Davis: My Appalachian Trail Adventure Dec. 8, 12-1 p.m.in the Auditorium

Fred Davis (retired District employee) describes his adventure – 150 days of ups and downs from Georgia to Maine.

n Softball TournamentNov. 1, 8 a.m-5 p.m. John Prince Park

The Annual District Softball Tournament was rescheduled. Come cheer for your colleagues and enjoy a fun day at the park. For information, contact Lesa Tucker at x6832.

n Food for Families

Support News Channel 5’s Food for Families with a donation of non-perishable food items, and make this holiday season plentiful for all. In addition to food donations this year, we will accept cash to purchase additional items. Please contact any one of the following volunteers to donate: B1 – Renee Hammett (x6114), Rosanne Smith (x6352), Tabitha Martin (x6963); B2 – Sue Hohner (x6801); West Palm Beach Field Station – Bridget Tamez (x4107); Field Operations Center –Jim Vincent (x4621);CERP – Barbara Mittleman (x4028),Teri Short (x3705).

The drive dates and locations of the collection boxes are as follows:B1 and B2 lobbies: Oct. 27 – Nov. 19FOC B270 1st Floor Break Room: Oct. 27 – Nov. 18West Palm Beach Field Station: Oct. 27 – Nov. 18CERP1 Australian: Oct. 27 – Nov. 18CERP2 Australian: Oct. 27 – Nov. 18

If you are at an off-site location, please consider coordinating a food collection effort in your area.

n Holiday Wreath Sale Through Nov. 12

Prices range from $19 to $26. Contact Lissette Sori for more information.

n Sale of South Florida Fair TicketsEarly Dec. - Jan. 15

The South Florida Fair runs from Jan. 16 through Feb. 1, 2009. Contact Juli Triola for more information.

2008 summer Golf LeagueBy Tabitha Martin

Congratulations to Jeremy Morris and Kate Merrell (Inca Kola), for winning the 2008 SFWMD Summer Golf League. They defeated Patrick and Tabitha Martin (Metal Heads) in an 18-hole match.

Jeff needle and John Morgan (Loose Impediments) captured third place and David Rudnick and Scot Hagerthey (Perifighters) took fourth.

Jim Goodwin and Frank Hayden (Low Bid) won the “Happy Hackers” tournament, held for those that didn’t make the playoffs.

It was another great year for the Summer Golf League. Thirty-six teams played every Monday at Palm Beach Par 3 at 5:15 p.m. from April through August. Sixteen teams made the playoffs.

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n Susan G. Komen Breast cancer Foundation FundraiserThink Pink Day - Dec. 11Race for the cure - Jan. 31

Our goal this year is to raise $25,000 and register 400 members for the District’s Race for the Cure team. As in past years, Think Pink Day will feature Shop for the Cure, a bake sale and silent auction. If you’d like to donate an item for the silent auction, please contact Rosanne Smith.

We are also collecting pink Yoplait lids. For each pink lid we send in before Dec. 31, Yoplait will donate 10 cents to the Susan

G. Komen for the Cure. Please rinse lids and send them to Lesa Tucker (MSC 1111) or drop them off at her desk.

Left to right: District breast cancer survivors Donna Kramer, Phyllis Schimpf, Linda Davis, Adele Mauney, Maria Osonski, Kathy Ruff, Kathie Morris

Documents

“River of Dreams” Moves One Step Closer to Reality Which ... · Freddy’s Flash october 2008 ttt James thompson received a Good Samaritan Award for an incident that occurred