Greetings!
Welcome to 2024! We look forward to another exciting year for PIMC!
Nick Merrigan, Chairman, Internal Committee; and
Trevor Williams, Chairman, External Community Committee
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Happy Birth-month to these great employees! Thanks for everything you do for our organization. We wish you the best!
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Teagan Boulier
Tony Wade
Stephen Pardini
Joshua Creech
Adam Boswell
Clayton Stokes
Nikesh Joshi
Marlow Blanchard
Dieter Spiegel
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Jaime Jones
Timothy Koziol
Samuel Paletta
Eric Oberhansley
David Jamison
Mike Barry
Caroline Fry
Tanya Lewis
Tabatha Foes
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If you do not want to be included in this section of the newsletter, please send an email to Nick Merrigan.
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Happy Work Anniversary to the following employees! Thank you for your continued hard work and dedication to the PIMC organization!
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Michael Barry - 1 Year
Bradley Barletta - 1 Year
Rhonda Burling - 1 Year
Vladimir Lyssenko - 1 Year
Megan Marshman - 2 Years
Santiago Meza - 2 Years
Nate Satterthwaite - 2 Years
Adam Boswell - 3 Years
Alicia Oler - 3 Years
Stephen Pardini - 3 Years
Michael Enos - 5 Years
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Jacob Settle - 5 Years
Landon Jamieson - 6 Years
Trevor Williams - 8 Years
Karl Schleelein - 9 Years
Anthony Hull - 10 Years
Dell Craig - 11 Years
Tony Paletta - 12 Years
Michael Schelm - 14 Years
Josh Bartlett - 17 Years
Mindi Shiner - 18 Years
Michelle Rourick - 20 Years
Christine Ferguson - 29 Years
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We would like to welcome our new employee - Peter. Below is a bit about him in his own words.
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Peter Harmes, Software Development Engineer, Sr.
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My name is Peter Harmes and I joined Curtiss Wright in Idaho falls to be near family living in the town but also for the great stability and opportunities the company has to offer.
I am English, from London and have been living in the United Staes for nearly four years.
I previously have been working as a software engineer contractor in the medical Software area in Bat Area California.
I have lived in Wyoming, Florida and Mississippi before my relocation to Idaho Falls.
I love walking and hiking and I am looking forward to exploring the beautiful scenery around Idaho…………..when it stops snowing.
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Michelle Rourick - 20 Years
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Congratulations to Michelle, who reached her 20 Year CW Milestone! In her time with us, she has worked as an assembler, in QC, in MRP, and now as a project coordinator. Throughout her time here, we have appreciated and valued all that Michelle does to keep I&C moving.
One of the many things I really appreciate about Michelle is the huge amount of help she gives me when we’re being audited by an outside organization. Unlike me, she has worked with our product and paperwork in many different roles over the years. So, she not only knows how to fill out the documentation, but she knows where to find it, and instantly recognizes if there’s a problem with it. This makes our audits run very smoothly. We show well, and a good part of that is due to Michelle’s help. – Dan Hunt
Michelle was a QC inspector when I was on the floor in Manufacturing. She is and always be a very good inspector. She has helped me to be better at being an inspector and parts allocator. I admire how she can juggle everything she does. – Denise Burgoyne
I had the privilege of working across from Michelle for the past year and a half, and she is exemplary. When jobs are stressful and not going according to plan, Michelle is always tactful, direct, and honest. She is hardworking and dedicated, and Curtiss-Wright is lucky to have her. – Katherine Jensen
Michelle has an unwavering commitment to being a team player, as demonstrated by her fulfilling the role of quality control for the month of December while maintaining her core job with Curtiss Wright. This uplifted the entire department’s capabilities and fostered a sense of unity and shared purpose. She has a knack for conflict resolution and has cultivated a more harmonious work environment which is key in maintaining a positive team dynamic. - Corrina Byron
Congratulations on 20 years, Michelle! Your dedication and hard work over the years have been critical to our success. Thank you for everything. - Nick Merrigan
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Employee Highlight: Deann Raleigh
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"My love for the sport of ice hockey formed when I was 7 years-old when my mom was gifted free tickets to a Washington Capitals game in 1974, when the team was an expansion team in their infancy. While the team was bad then and would go on to break my heart 43 years later until winning the Stanley Cup in 2018, I fell in love with every aspect of the sport -- the speed of the game, the grit of the players, the sound of ice being sprayed by the blade of skate as the players stopped and started, and the thrill of watching the rubber biscuit making its way into the back of the net. I knew right then that eventually I would play the sport; it just took another 43 years to do it.
Two years after my husband died after a four year battle with cancer, I decided it was time to take the plunge. At age 51, I joined a co-ed league at the rink where I watched my now 32 year-old nephew play hockey since he was 5. It was intimidating at first; while, I had skated as a kid, I did not skate well and was not in immediate danger of trusting my ankles to do the feared hockey stop and spraying the ice. But after my first practice and meeting my new teammates on “The Shamrocks” I knew that my love affair with this game was going to reach new heights and that even if my beloved Washington Capitals were playing golf during the offseason after an early exit, I’d be playing year round. Because my skating wasn’t great, I did the only thing I knew I could do well: Crash the net, get in front and annoy the goalie, hope for a rebound and that my stick was in the right place. Two games in, I got a rebound, and got to experience the thrill of scoring a goal. That first goal did not lead to many others during the regular season – I think maybe I had one more and a few assists. However, I might have led the league in most falls on the ice and missed passes.
Ironically, while the Capitals were about to win their first Stanley Cup ever, my team was about to win a Championship my first season. In the first period, my Captain and I were on a breakaway, he took a shot, the goalie gave up a juicy rebound and I somehow managed to get it, lift the puck over his pads and score the first goal of our Championship win. Our Stanley Cup trophy in “D” league isn’t as pretty as the NHL Stanley Cup or even the other Stanley Cup – the thermal one for drinks -- that is all the rage now; it’s a paint bucket with a couple of other buckets on top, but still my name is engraved on the metal attachment to it along with other previous champs. And I’ve never stopped talking about that Championship goal and (often embellishing) how it happened.
Fast forward to five years later, the amount of times I lift the puck in a game is still few and far between, as are the goals that I score. But what hasn’t changed is my love of the sport and the thrill I get every time I glide on the ice. I’ve been made a Captain – not for my skill – but for the enthusiasm that I bring each game and the hope that it inspires others. Recently, I was interviewed by our local magazine about our “Hockeytown” here in Frederick, Maryland and my path from widowhood to hockey. I talked about the wonderful side benefits of chasing that dream -- beyond the exercise and the fun, it’s the friends I’ve met all from joining this sport that I now consider family.
The lesson this now-56 year-old has learned from taking the plunge that I think applies not just to the sport or my age, but anything in life: It’s never too late to get out of your comfort zone and try something new and different, or challenging; there might be a lot of bumps along the way as you learn, it may take a long time until you get better at it, but along the way, the fear lessens and you just might find that you love it. (But if you apply my life lesson to a sport, invest in a good hot-or-cold therapy pack, you’ll thank me later)."
Writing Credit: Deann Raleigh, Regulatory Compliance Engineer
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Slips, Trips, and Falls: Preventing Workplace Trip Hazards
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Examples of common tripping hazards include:
- Uncovered hoses, cables, wires, or cords across walking surfaces
- Obstacles or clutter on walking surfaces
- Furniture drawers/door left open
- Unmarked steps or ramps
- Damaged or irregular steps
- Rumpled carpets or mats (or curled edges)
- Thresholds, gaps, and other irregularities in walking surfaces
- Speed bumps and curb drops
Other factors can also contribute to the likelihood that you'll trip, including lack of coordination or an obstructed view of the walking surface. Many circumstances can contribute, including:
- Fatigue
- Being under the influence
- Bulky PPE
- Poor air quality
- Poor lighting
- Bulky loads
- Poor vision
Some slip, trip, and fall prevention measures include:
- Adequate lighting
- Handrails
- Slip-resistant surfaces in high-risk areas
- Effective drainage, ventilation, and other methods to keep surfaces dry
- Marking the edges of steps or elevation changes
- Proper footwear
- Safe work practices
- Frequent cleaning
- Good housekeeping practices that keep walkways free of clutter
- Noticing and marking slip or trip hazards
As a result, a lot of slip, trip, and fall prevention relies on the ability of your workforce to recognize slipping and tripping hazards, understand how to mitigate them, and know how to use safe work practices to minimize their risk.
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The Flyer – Lite, Cookbook Edition
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The Flyer – Lite, Cookbook Edition was well-received. Over the holidays the cookbooks have gotten a workout! The photos below were submitted by Zack Schwenk (Principal Applications Engineer) who put his culinary skills to the test.
Left to right, Zack has cooked the Chicken Tagine (Recipe from Dan Hunt), Honey Garlic Glazed Salmon (Recipe from Jacque Craig), and the Creamy Cajun Shrimp Pasta (Recipe from Tabatha Foes).
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In addition to PIMC Team Members, copies of the cookbook went to a few clients, vendors, Lynn Bamford (CEO), Kevin Rayment (COO), and Kurt Mitchell so they could enjoy it as well. When Theresa was on a call with Kevin this week he raised up his cookbook on the video call and said he can’t wait to try out some of the good recipes.
If you have cooked any of the recipes from the PIMC Cookbook, we’d love to see a photo and hear a review. Please submit your pictures to Melissa Ekker or Nick Merrigan to be featured in an upcoming Community Newsletter!
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Community Outreach - Soup Kitchen
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The Idaho Falls Soup Kitchen has a 39-year history of serving a noontime meal to those in need. In 2024, the Idaho Falls Soup Kitchen expects to serve its 1-millionth meal. This year, we’re teaming up with the local Idaho American Nuclear Society (Idaho ANS) section to assist in two meal preparation and serving opportunities.
Mark your calendars for our Soup Kitchen Volunteer opportunities in 2024. Volunteer dates will be April 20th and September 21st – watch for notices on volunteer opportunities as the dates get closer.
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Valentine's Day is just around the corner. We are once again participating in the Valentines for Seniors initiative. The Valentines station will be set up in the lobby January 28 - February 7.
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Congratulations to the entire PIMC Team for powering through to get to Syteline Go Live on Monday, January 8th. A hearty thank you goes out to the entire team for making the transition smooth.
Pictured below are the Syteline Core Team's (minus a few) smiling faces after go live.
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Congratulations to the winners of the 2023 12 Days of Christmas Raffles!
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July will bring our summer of sunshine raffles; fill out this survey to (1) give us ideas that will spark interest and (2) provide feedback on our raffle drawing technique.
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Thank you to everyone who donated to Toys for Tots. This year, we donated in collaboration with the Project Management Institute (PMI) of Eastern Idaho (pictured below). Our PMI Team members played Santa as they took a sleigh full of toys to the December meeting to provide to Toys for Tots.
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“In a twist, Microsoft is experimenting with generative artificial intelligence to see if AI could help streamline the approval process, according to Microsoft executives.”
“After the Jan. 1 quake Tepco reported water had spilled from nuclear fuel pools at the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa plant - the world's largest - but said radiation levels were normal.”
“The Biden administration is poised to spend millions on a novel project that would pull carbon dioxide from the air, using energy from a new type of nuclear power plant.”
“The legislation would make it illegal to import low-enriched uranium, which is used in nuclear fuel, 90 days after the bill becomes law.”
“Construction of the 35-megawatt thermal reactor, which uses molten salt to cool the reactor core, at the Heritage Center Industrial Park is expected to begin next year.”
“The MoU with MoltexFLEX will see the companies form a joint working group to examine the commercial viability of deploying MoltexFLEX's 60 MWth/24 MWe FLEX molten salt reactor in the UAE…”
“The MoU between ENEC and X-energy will see the two parties work together to assess technical design and commercial viability of X-energy's nuclear technologies for the UAE market…”
“The MoU signed by ENEC with USNC covers an exploration of commercial development of USNC's Micro-Modular Reactor (MMR) energy systems and paves the way for potential commercialisation of the MMR in the UAE…”
“California energy regulators voted Dec. 14 to allow the Diablo Canyon nuclear plant to operate for an additional five years, despite calls from environmental groups to shut it down.”
“Using one of the world's largest cranes, known as Big Carl, the dome - with a diameter of almost 47 metres, height of 14 metres and weighing 245 tonnes - was lifted and then slowly lowered onto the 44-metre-high reactor building.”
“The entire bribery scandal and investigation has been chronicled in a new limited series podcast from WOSU. The series, “The Power Grab” is hosted by journalist Renee Fox. This week she joined the “Sound of Ideas” to discuss the series which takes listeners inside the bribery scandal, the biggest in Ohio history.”
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Plant Information Monitoring and Control (PIMC)
1360 Whitewater Drive
Idaho Falls, ID 83402
Phone: +1 208 497 3333
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