Construction Progress - May 14th 2008

Construction Progress - May 2nd 2008

The Spectrum Monitor - Volume 2, Issue 2, April 15, 2008

Our "Moment in History"
by Steve Castleman

We typically think of our “Moment in History” as an event that has unfolded over time or of a set of circumstances that marks a generation, but the fact is that each of these events or set of circumstances are based on the actions or inactions of people in each moment of each day. It is how we deal with the events or set of circumstances that define “our Moment in History”.

Our world is being impacted by a variety of events and sets of circumstances all of which are influencing “Our Moment in History”. The words of the Teacher in Ecclesiastes, echoed by the Byrd’s in their epic, chart-topping hit of 1966, “Turn, Turn, Turn,” suggests to us that there is “nothing new under the sun”. That certainly may be the case, but the Spring of 2008 definitely reflects its own unique happenings that shape our “Moment in History”….

• The mounting angst of the Summer Olympics to be held in Beijing, China;
• Global concerns over the rising cost of fuel and a need to identify alternate energy sources;
• The upcoming Presidential election;
• The ongoing conflicts in the Middle East and the rising concern over Nuclear proliferation;
• The recent visit by Pope Benedict XVI to the US; and
• Recent genetic discoveries that will help us understand and deal with Type 2 diabetes;

….. just to name a few.

Our challenge is to answer the question “How will we affect and/or be affected by these events”? History has shown that opportunity and innovation arise most often out of adversity and need. I suspect this comes from the innate drive for human survival. We at Spectrum see the opportunities and seek to be part of the innovation of solution. We invite you, our clients and our friends, to engage in the opportunities of the day and be a part of the breakthroughs that will most definitely occur.

How will our “Moment in History” be defined? Only time will tell.

What Makes Spectrum Unique?
by Scott Hassler

I began my career with Woodward-Clyde Consultants (now URS Greiner) as a staff Geologist in 1992, and joined Spectrum Environmental, Inc. in 1996. Since that time, Spectrum management saw abilities in me, to be quite frank, that I may not have seen or believed. As I grew individually and professionally, I was asked to manage each group within our company. The experiences gained as a result of those responsibilities have proven to be immeasurable in many ways. As we continued to grow, this same management style has led to a work place with driven individuals who truly love and get excited about what they do. This excitement is evident to all employees and our clients, and is a main reason why Spectrum is unique – people who love their jobs. Here are some other reasons that I feel Spectrum is unique.

Services

Since I started working in the environmental industry, I have not come across another company that has incorporated environmental consulting, waste management, industrial services, environmental products, and hazardous/non-hazardous waste transportation services together under one company. This blend of services is unique in today’s marketplace and has significant benefit to our valued customers;

Employee Empowerment

Empowerment is the process of enabling or authorizing an individual to think, behave, take action, and control work and decision making in an autonomous way. In the beginning, I was asked to think outside the box and the decisions made were fully supported by management, even when the outcome was not necessarily favorable. Empowering our employees has led to a work force at all levels that is confident in making the best decisions with the company’s and our clients interests’ in mind;

Responsibility

With empowerment comes responsibility. All Spectrum employees have responsibility, both personal and professional. It is commonly stated that …you do business with people, not companies. This is true. Our customers have relationships with all levels of people within Spectrum. As such, not only are those employees empowered but they also have a personal responsibility to that customer. This leads to employees taking ownership in the service they provide, which normally leads to the successful completion of a project, or at a bare minimum, a strong desire to satisfy client expectations.

Spectrum management has created a unique mix of environmental services that is managed by employees that are empowered and who take responsibility for each and every project. Although this is just the tip of the proverbial iceberg, these three points provide a general frame work for why I believe Spectrum is different and unique in the marketplace. Our employees have names……not just numbers.

Recipe Corner:
Lemon Ricotta Cookies with Lemon Glaze

The following was contributed to The Monitor this month by Emily Castleman. I'm sure looking forward to giving this one a test run in my own kitchen. Please let us know how yours turn out!

Cookies:
2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 stick unsalted butter, softened
2 cups sugar
2 eggs
1 (15-ounce) container whole milk ricotta cheese
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1 lemon, zested

Glaze:
1-1/2 cups powdered sugar
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1 lemon, zested

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

In a medium bowl combine the flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.

In a large bowl combine the butter and the sugar. Using an electric mixer beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, beating until incorporated. Add the ricotta cheese, lemon juice, and lemon zest. Beat to combine. Stir in the dry ingredients.

Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Spoon the dough (about 2 tablespoons for each cookie) onto the baking sheets. Bake for 15 minutes until lightly golden at the edges. Remove from the oven and let the cookies rest on the baking sheet for 20 minutes.

Combine the powdered sugar, lemon juice, and lemon zest in a small bowl and stir until smooth. Spoon about 1/2-teaspoon onto each cookie and use the back of the spoon to gently spread. Let the glaze harden for about 2 hours. Pack the cookies into a decorative container.

Benjamin Franklin: Revolutionary or Environmentalist?
by Christy Longgrear

Statesman, diplomat, civil servant, author & publisher, printer, scientist, revolutionary……environmentalist?

Though we all are well acquainted with Benjamin Franklin’s many contributions to American society and the founding of this great nation, most are likely not very familiar with his influence on preservation of the environment.

Franklin possessed a keen understanding of the link between a healthy environment and a healthy populace. This is evident in his contribution to discovering a relationship between lead poisoning and human health based on his experience operating a printing press.

It naturally follows this great thinker would take up cause in Philadelphia against local tanneries who were polluting the waters in the city.

In 1739, Franklin teamed up with fellow neighbors to petition the Philadelphia Assembly to put a stop to the tanneries waste dumping activities. His key argument was the tanneries were violating “public rights” by causing property devaluation, bad odor and risk of disease within the commercial districts of Philadelphia.

Though the tanneries attempted to counter by citing their personal right to conduct business as they saw fit, Franklin’s “public trust” argument won the cause before the assembly.

The importance of this event in history is that it set a precedent of “public trust” where environmental matters were concerned that is followed to this day.

Franklin continued his contributions to preserving the environment by introducing bills and/or influencing governing bodies to provide services like street cleaning as well as introducing improved methods for waste dumping.

Some of Franklin’s other “eco-friendly” contributions include:

• Pioneer of the national long-range forecast for his theories on high and low pressure systems in the northern hemisphere,
• Organizing a fund-raiser supporting the Bartram brothers' botanical forays to the South, resulting in the naming of their most famous discovery, Franklinia alatamaha, after Franklin, and;
• Willed considerable sums to Boston and Philadelphia for the purpose of creating a pipeline to carry clean water to the cities.

It is no wonder Benjamin Franklin is such a renowned figure in history. His achievements touched every aspect of the world around him, as did his quest to improve the lives of his fellow man.

Logic Puzzle Solution

So how did you do on the logic puzzle in this issue of The Monitor?

Are you sure you really want to take a peek at the answer?

Before you do, let me give you a little hint. The grid in the logic puzzle is helpful for arriving at the answer. In the first clue we learn a couple of things about Bob. Bob didn't sell the most Spectra Bond and he sold 25 total items. Notice how the grid is marked in the newsletter? Once a few more clues are filled in (even the false ones) you can move to other grids across from squares filled in with the dot in order to also fill in items above and below for each grid.

Once you run through the clues once, start filling in what answers you can in the Solution Table. Then by comparing the grid to the solution table and running back through the clues you'll be able to identify other items that match up.

Logically good luck!

If you're still stumped, just CLICK ME to view the solution!