It was good seeing so many of our members and their families at our Anchorage Chapter summer picnic this past Saturday. Lots of food, lots of door prizes, clowns for the kids, games, and even a cooperative “Mother Nature” contributed to a fine event. Legislators like Dave Donnelly, Johnny Ellis, Jim Duncan, and Ethan Berkowitz came to “shake hands” and “kiss babies.” It was truly a good old fashion American summer picnic. Thanks go to all those chapter members who organized this very successful event.

In our last chapter newsletter, it was announced that there was still time to put in a written request to our Chapter Board for attendance at the Leadership Training Seminar in Fairbanks over the Labor Day weekend. Written requests must be mailed or delivered to the ASEA union office (ASEA/ Anchorage Chapter/ 3510 Spenard Road Suite 201/ Anchorage, AK 99503) by close of business (5 PM) on Thursday, August 6th. The Anchorage Chapter Board is planning a Board meeting that evening to review all written requests.

Announcement:  There will be a special Anchorage Chapter GGU membership meeting scheduled for 5:15 PM on Wednesday, August 12th at the ASEA union office. The key agenda item for this meeting will be discussion and vote by members in attendance on Chapter funding issues for those delegates to the AFSCME Biennial Convention elected out of our Anchorage Chapter. What needs to be decided is chapter funding of travel, hotel accommodations, and per diem for those elected delegates. Do we fund in whole, in part, or not at all….

Finally, I want to remind all members that our chapter’s Web Page has an on-line survey requesting input on key issues of importance that you would like addressed at our upcoming labor contract negotiations. These negotiations are scheduled to start at the end of this year. It is important to know your priorities to help our ASEA Contract Negotiations team. Our chapter’s Web Page URL address is listed on the upper right hand corner of this newsletter. For those of you who do not have a computer with Internet access, feel free to write us a letter.

ASEA is having a 10th Anniversary Raffle in which a maximum of 2500 tickets will be sold. Each ticket will sell at $20.

Three prizes will be awarded over the Labor Day weekend (on September 7th) in Fairbanks. You need not be present to win.

• 1st Prize: A vacation for two in San Diego. First class airfare, seven nights at the Del Coronado, $2500 in spending money.
• 2nd Prize: A vacation for two in Seattle. First class airfare, five nights at the Hotel Weston, $1000 in spending money.
• 3rd Prize:  A vacation for two in Las Vegas. Economy class airfare, three nights at the New York-New York Hotel/ Casino, $1000 in spending money.

Better yet…if you would like to sell raffle tickets, contact Kaye Fegert over the ASEA union office (#277-5200). She’ll set you up.

There are prizes for the person who sells the most tickets and for the person who sells the first prize winning ticket.

As of last week only 130 tickets were sold. So there is a fair chance you may have that winning ticket.

We need your support on this raffle……..

SCHOLARSHIPS AWARDED by Mario Ayerdis

The Anchorage Chapter of ASEA is pleased to announce that they have awarded two $1,000 scholarships to two Anchorage High School graduates, Jasmyn Thea Faulk and Garth Tan.
 

Jasmyn is the daughter of Department of Natural Resources employee Susan Peck. Jasmyn graduated from West High School in June and will be attending Southwestern Oregon College  in Coos Bay, working for an associates degree in early childhood education with a goal towards a BA in Education. She plans to return to her hometown to teach. Jasmyn has won numerous awards for speeches, essays, and volunteer service, and is currently the reigning Miss Northern Star 1998.

Garth Tan is the son of Ron Tan, who works for the Department of Transportation, and Carmen Tan, an employee of the state Recorder’s Office. Garth graduated from Anchorage Christian Schools and plans to obtain a BS in Computer Science and Engineering at the University of Washington, Seattle with a goal towards program design, Internet page design, and hardware. Garth has received numerous awards for academic excellence and volunteer work, most notably “Outstanding Volunteer” for Hope Cottages.

We  wish these two young students the best in their academic pursuits.

Things to Think About in Your Spare Time (although you shouldn’t have any)
 

1.  Do you need a silencer if you are going to shoot a mime?
2. Why do you need a driver’s license to buy liquor when you can’t drink and drive?
3. Why isn’t phonetic spelled the way it sounds?
4. Have you ever imagined a world with no hypothetical situations?
5. Why are there interstate highways in Hawaii?
6. How does the guy who drives the snowplow get to work in the mornings?
7. Why are there flotation devices under airplane seats instead of parachutes?
8. If a 7-11 is open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, why are there locks on the door?
9. If a cow sneezed, would milk come out of her nose?
10. Why are cigarettes sold in gas stations when smoking is prohibited there?
11. If nothing ever sticks to TEFLON, how do they make TEFLON stick to the pan?
12. If you tie buttered toast on the back of a cat and dropped it from a height, how would it land?
13. If you’re in a vehicle going at the speed of light, what happens when you turn on the headlights?
14. You know how most packages say “Open here.” What is the protocol if the package says “Open somewhere else”?
15. Why do they put Braille dots on the keypad of the drive-up ATM?
16. Why do we drive on parkways and park on driveways?
17. How come when you transport something by ship, its called a cargo?
18. How come when you transport something by truck, its called a shipment?
19. You know that little indestructible black box that is used on planes, why can’t they make the whole plane out of the same substance?
20. Why is it that when you’re driving and looking for an address, you turn down the volume on the radio?
21. Question: Do you know in 1923 who was:

a. President of the largest steel company?
b. President of the largest gas company?
c. President of the New York Stock Exchange?
d. The greatest wheat speculator?
e. President of the Bank of International Settlement?
f. The “Great Bear” of Wall Street?
g. Winner of the two most important golf championships, the PGS and the US Open?

• Charles Schwab died penniless.
• Edward Hopson was insane.
• Richard Whitney was released from prison to die at home.
• Arthur Cooger died abroad.
• The President of the Bank of International Settlement shot himself.
• Gene Sarazan was still playing golf and as financially solvent.

   

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