As we prepare to ring in the new year, plans are already in ac on for the annual Pride celebra on in warm, sunny June. There are a number of exci ng changes in store for this year’s celebra on, and everyone involved in the planning is eager to keep the public informed about what’s going on. The first step in our publicity blitz will be a teaser poster/ video campaign featuring people from throughout the LGBT community describing what fearless (the theme of this year’s Pride celebra on) means to them. Audi ons and photo/video shoots were held in Evergreen Commons, and we had a great turnout with people from all over willing to get involved and serve as one of the faces of Pride. There were smiles and laughs as the camera clicked away, along with some serious moments when people shared their own unique defini ons of fearless. Campaign posters will be hung in stores and public places all over Western New York, and videos will be posted on the Pride website and on social media sites such as Facebook. Watch for updates on Pride 2013 in future issues of Connec ons! - John Carocci
geek speak Despite the fact that many of us have already spent several weeks shopping for gi s, the shopping season doesn’t come to an end once the holidays roll around. In fact, December 26 is tradi onally a very busy day for shoppers. Whether you’re using a new gi card or secretly making a gi exchange, you can take advantage of the the fact that retailers typically bombard shoppers with post-Christmas sales. So what can you expect from retailers this year? Here’s a predic on for deals that may start as early as December 21st. Note: you’ll likely see big headlines and discounts, which may be great for ge ng your a en on, but may not always offer the best deals. So stay focused on the items you want to buy. Brand Name HDTVs High-end, brand-name TVs see the best deals in late December and January, usually selling for 5%-8% off. So if it’s a Smart HDTV you’re looking for, start your shopping aŌer Christmas. Fitness Gear With December’s constant flow of Christmas par es, you may already be feeling the itch to shed a few pounds. Instead of buying your workout gear now, wait un l January when there is a plethora of sales on fitness goods. Whether you’re looking for equipment for your home gym or training DVDs to pop into your DVD player, it’s worth wai ng a few more weeks. Apparel Prac cally every apparel store will have an a erChristmas sale on the 26th of December. However, not all sales are created equal. For maximum savings, we recommend looking to Gap, French Connec on,
New York & Company, and Reebok, all of which had impressive post-Christmas sales in 2011. Honorable men ons also go to J.Crew and Brooks Brothers, both of which had aggressive sales on the 26th. Should you shop in-store, look online for printable coupons for addi onal savings. Banana Republic, Macy’s, Express, and The Children’s Place are just a few of the name-brand stores with printable coupons that can be stacked onto current sales.
Home Furniture Several manufacturers will release new 2013 furniture collec ons in February, forcing retailers to clear their old inventory in January. The result is solid home furniture deals from the likes of Po ery Barn and Home Depot, to name a few. Consumer Electronics Although 2012 electronics are all the rage at the moment, soon a er Christmas, 2013 models debut at the Consumer Electronics Show. For bargain hunters, that means you can expect to see heavy discounts on last years’ tech from late January into early February. Expect deep discounts on last year’s HDTVs, digital cameras, and laptops. Ready, Set, Shop! So how should you prepare for a er-Christmas sales? Look at online sites like dealnews.com early and see if there are any Editors’ Choice in-store only sales or printable coupons. Then, scope out the online offers throughout the day; a task that’s made on sites that allow for price-drop e-mail alerts. If all else fails, and you know what you are shopping for, call the retailers to ask what the best deals are. Happy shopping! C
by Patrick Butler
A HEALTHY MEAL starts with more vegetables and smaller portions of protein and grains. Think about how you can adjust the portions on your plate to get more of what you need without too many calories. And don’t forget dairy - make it the beverage with your meal or add fat-free or low-fat dairy products to your plate. TIP ONE: Make Half Your Plate Veggies and Fruits Vegetables and fruits are full of nutrients and may help to promote good health. Choose red, orange, and dark green vegetables such tomatoes, sweet potatoes and broccoli.
TIP SIX: Take Your Time Savor your food. Eat slowly, enjoy the taste and textures, and pay attention to how you feel. Be mindful. Eating very quickly may cause you to eat too much.
TIP TWO: Add Lean Protein Choose protein foods, such as lean beef and pork, or chicken, turkey, beans or tofu. Twice a week, make seafood the protein on your plate.
TIP SEVEN: Don’t Forget the Dairy Pair your meal with a cup of fat-free or low-fat milk. They provide the same amounts of calcium and other essential nutrients as whole milk, but with less fat and calories. Don’t drink milk? Try soy milk as your beverage or include fatfree or low-fat yogurt in your meal.
TIP THREE: Include Whole Grains Aim to make at least half your grains whole grains. Look for the words “100% whole grain” or “100% whole wheat” on the food label. Whole grains provide more nutrients and fiber than refined grains. TIP FOUR: Take Control of Your Food Eat at home more often so you know exactly what you are eating. If you eat out, check and compare the nutrition information. Whenever possible, choose healthier options such as baked instead of fried. TIP FIVE: Avoid Extra Fats Gravies or sauces will add fat and calories to otherwise healthy choices. For example, steamed broccoli is great, but avoid topping it with cheese sauce. Try a sprinkling of lowfat parmesan cheese or a squeeze of lemon instead.
TIP EIGHT: Use a Smaller Plate Use a smaller plate at meals to help you with portion control. That way you can finish your entire plate and feel satisfied without overeating. TIP NINE: Try New Foods Keep it interesting by picking out new foods you’ve never tried before, like mango, lentils or kale. You may find a new favorite! Trade fun and tasty recipes with friends or find them online. TIP TEN: Sa sfy Your Sweet Tooth in a Healthy Way Indulge in a naturally sweet dish... fruit! Serve a fresh fruit cocktail or a fruit parfait made with yogurt. For a hot dessert, bake apples and top with cinnamon. C
For more information about healthy eating visit www.ChooseMyPlate.gov
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January Birthdays Nicole D’Addario - January 8 Tracy Eichelberger - January 8 Brendan Orrange - January 10 Richard Smiley - January 17 Michael Hamann – January 18 Murray Wire – January 20 Barbara Poff – January 22 Johnny Mora – January 27 Lindsey Soroka – January 31
fiverandomfacts oneisalie! C A N YO U T E L L T H E D I F F E R E N C E?
1
(see back cover for answer)
Fresno County, California is the largest agriculture producing county in the United States.
2 Cats have hypersonic hearing. 3 Shortest Intercon nental Commercial Flight in the world is from Gibraltar (Europe) to Tangier (Africa). Distance 34 miles, flight me 20 minutes. 4 The quartz crystal in your wristwatch vibrates 32,768 mes a second. 5 In an episode of The Simpsons, Sideshow Bob’s Criminal Number is 24601, the same as the Criminal number of Jean Valjean in Les Miserables.
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January Anniversaries Diana Pa on - 1 year Siobohn Moley – 2 years Andrew Kiener – 2 years Kaitlyn Cieri – 3 years Damian Mar nez – 4 years Stephanie Vroman-Goodrich – 4 years Nichole Frank – 4 years Terresa Aughtry – 4 years Andrew Ma le – 5 years Wanda Jimenez – 11 years Cheryl Brune – 13 years Kevin Bidtah – 13 years Sheila Stephens – 15 years Ron Silverio – 24 years
Your Con nued Dedica on and Hard Work Are No ced and Appreciated! – The Management Team
CONNECTIONS CONTRIBUTORS PUBLISHER/LAYOUT JOHN CAROCCI EDITOR KIMBERLY HARDING CONTRIBUTORS SHEILA MARCHESON BRENDAN ORRANGE, PATRICK BUTLER
December 20, 2012
Dear Colleagues, The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently released estimates of HIV incidence among adults and adolescents in the United States for the years 2007-2010. These estimates, published in the online HIV Surveillance Supplemental Report, showed that while the epidemic has been relatively stable overall at 50,000, per year, there are noteworthy findings among some hard-hit populations. Comparing 2008 to 2010, new infections among African-American women declined by 21 percent, giving us cautious optimism. This is the first CDC incidence report to show statistically significant declines among black women. However more time is needed to see if these trends will persist. Yet, disparities still persist and the burden is too high. Overall men who have sex with men (MSM) of all races and African American and Latino men and women are most affected. We continue to see troubling increases among young MSM. New infections have risen sharply in this group, the only group to experience statistically significant increases. CDC estimates that incidence in MSM aged 13 to 24 has increased 22 percent, comparing 2008 to 2010. Young black MSM continue to bear the heaviest burden, and now account for more new infections than any other subgroup. To have the greatest effect possible on HIV prevention and care, we are working through a High Impact Prevention approach that directs every prevention dollar where it will have the greatest impact. CDC continues to fund and provide technical assistance to support state, local and community efforts, and expand HIV testing to the hardest hit populations. In addition, we are focusing on researching and engaging the community to better understand how to overcome the social, economic and cultural barriers that contribute to increase risk; and launching innovative communication campaigns. Thank you all your dedication and continued work toward achieving an AIDS Free Generation. Sincerely, Jonathan H. Mermin, M.D., M.P.H., Director Division of HIV/AIDS Prevention National Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD & TB Prevention Additional information on the new HIV incidence estimates can be found online, in the fact sheet “New HIV Infections in the United States”, http:// www.cdc.gov/nchhstp/newsroom/docs/2012/HIV-Infections-2007-2010.pdf> and the HIV Surveillance Supplement, “Estimated HIV Incidence among Adults and Adolescents in the United States, 2007-2010”, http://www.cdc.gov/hiv/surveillance/resources/reports/2010supp_vol17no4/.
entrepreneurs Take a look around at the next staff lunch... the next Donald Trump or Oprah Winfrey might be working right here at Evergreen Health Services! Many of our co-workers are also entrepreneurs, putting their skills to work outside the agency. Connections encourages you to support your coworkers, and if you have a business on the side, let us know so we can feature you in a future issue! Tara Rosado Avon Representative 716-550-0171 trosadogrier@yahoo.com http://taragrier.avonrepresentative.com new customers get 10% off their first order Melissa Lacount PartyLite Consultant 716-310-2182 www.partylite.com Bennett Everett Event Catering/Cooking Lessons 412-519-7595 Bennett has a culinary degree and is able to do small catering events or teach cooking lessons from his home or your home
WEIGHT LOSS COMPETITION Win big by losing together! Stop by human resources by January 4, 2013 to sign up for the Lose to Win weight loss program. This 12 week program runs from January 7, 2013 to April 1, 2013. The first weigh-in is January 7, 2013. All informa on will be strictly confiden al and will not be shared. A prize will be awarded to the top male and female. Also, the team with the biggest percentage weight loss will receive a prize.
STOP PROCRASTINATING — everyone procras nates. Reducing procras na on is an acquired skill. You aren’t lazy if you procras nate. Procras na on is avoidance of work paid for with me — the most precious resource. To defeat procras na on, change your view of the task. Break it down into smaller pieces, inflate its importance, assign more value to its comple on, and increase your feeling of urgency. BALANCE COMPETING PRIORITIES — excessive focus on one or two areas of your life is detrimental to your physical, mental, and spiritual well-being. Make balance the top priority in your life, with all others stemming from it. No me for balance? Examine your day, and you may find that you have more me on your hands than you thought. Spend it on an ac vity that you have been pu ng on hold. REDUCE CATASTROPHIC THINKING — recognize that relentlessly chewing over worst-case scenarios is a drain on your mental and emo onal energy. Intervene by considering solu ons or con ngencies to deal with the worst-case scenario. If no solu ons are forthcoming, give your worries a mental me limit. Revisit possible solu ons later. Remember this: You have probably faced fearful events before but they all came to pass. This one probably will too. CONTROL YOUR TEMPER — unresolved anger always finds an outlet. Vow to posi vely address that which
makes you angry as soon as you are calm enough to do so. If it isn’t worth taking ac on on, it isn’t worth stewing over. Act on some things, and let others go. RECOGNIZE & ELIMINATE NEGATIVE THOUGHT PATTERNS — nega ve thinking can become a habit that becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. Break this harmful pa ern by determining the triggers that set it off. Establish mental roadblocks that nip it in the bud. Reci ng a list of things audibly that you are grateful for is an effec ve way to direct your thoughts back into posi ve territory. EAT RIGHT AND WORK OUT — keep your goals reasonable, set small achievable milestones to build morale, and, most importantly, don’t allow one small setback like a missed workout snowball into a dead end. Don’t beat yourself up mentally when you get off track. Make firm plans that will prevent you from straying from your diet and workout plans. Line up powerful interven ons in case you do. TAKE CARE OF YOUR HEALTH — schedule regular checkups with your doctor. Don’t allow fear to keep you from ge ng physical exams that can discover cancer or other illnesses early. Schedule your health checkups at the beginning of the year. Pap smears, colonoscopies, prostate exams, and mammograms are all preventa ve health measures many people tend to avoid.
NURTURE SPIRITUAL DEVELOPMENT — many experts believe humans are hardwired to look outside themselves for what controls them or influences their lives. This isn’t necessarily “religious” thinking. It’s spiritual thinking. Our daily struggles can seem fu le and meaningless without some sense of hope, guidance, and connectedness to something greater than ourselves. If you feel this need, find what works for you. PREVENT DEBT STRESS — one of the greatest and most debilita ng stressors is personal debt. If you grew up a er the Depression, you may not be as frugal as you want to be. Create a cushion between earnings and expenses. Learn how to live within a budget to reduce this stress. Sound hard to do? Try cu ng frivolous expenses for 90 days and see how this simple act can improve your finances. DEVELOP YOUR TECHNOLOGY SKILLS — the world is moving fast. Don’t let technology turn you into a dinosaur. It can greatly improve your skills and help you develop into a more valuable worker, both for your current and future employer. Chances are that you are resistant because it all seems so overwhelming. Start anywhere, and know you increase your knowledge each day. And it might even be fun! Where to start: increase your proficiency with Microso Office and learn how to create a Web site.
January’s Five Fun Facts Answer: Number Two is a Lie!