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Number 10 Volume 18 October 1990

4 o otyt t)

The Wellness of the Earths Riding an the RTD

rrABLE0F ONTENTS

Blue Line Long Beach Loop Opens 4

Senator Cranston Holds UMTA Hearing at RTD 5

RTD Board of Directors Accepts 2 New Members 6

Knabe Elected Board VP 7

Filipino Association Helps Earthquake Victims 7

RTD Calls for Cap on Personal Injury Claims Payouts 8

15-Minute Warranty Program Approved 8

Commuters Urged To Use Bus in Wake of

Middle East Crisis. 9

RTD Ridesharing: The Way To Clean the Air and Save

the Planet 10

Telecommuting--Soon To Come to a Location Near You... 12

Honoring the Millionth Blue Line Rider 13

Senator Wilson Rides the Blue Line 14

Neeson Heads Employee Relations 14

Roadeo Banquet Honors Maintenance

and Transportation 15

Commendations 17

Schedule Changes 21

In Memoriam 21

Shifting Gears 22

Fire Safety on the Bus 22

ESP Awards Over $4,000 for Suggestions 23

Saving Our Planet--An RTD Primer for Children 24

Supporting a Drug-Free Nation. 52

American Cancer Society Bumpersticker Contest 53

A Lifetime in Transit?

44 Years May Be Enough for Deem 55

Cypress Park Makes a Showing in Summer Meets 56

Division 5 Bar-B-Que 56

The Rose Man of Line 212 57

Daughter Launches Singing Career 57

A Ride to the Circus 58

Friends of Society Come to its Aid 58

Making a Difference in West Hollywood 59

A Reminder to all RTD Retirees. 59

Accounting Takes the Day Off 60

Restaurant Review 61

Recreation News 62

OCTOBER 1990 HEADWAY 2

The Headway .. .is published by the Southern California Rapid Transit

District for the employees, retirees, and its friends everymonth. Headway is guided by a policy approved by theGeneral Manager and published in the Human ResourcesPolicy Manual. A copy is available on request.

Views and opinions contained herein do not necessarilyreflect official District policy.

The Headway welcomes contributions from RTDemployees and retirees--letters to the editor, story ideas,opinions, employee and staff activities, and other submis-sions. Deadline is the first day of the month for inclusionin the following month. Submissions should be typeddouble-space and signed by the author or on disk using theWordstar 4 program. Opinion pieces and letters to theeditor should not be more than 500 words and should besubmitted on disk whenever possible. The editor reservesthe right to select, edit, and position all copy.

Stories may be reprinted with acknowledgment ofsource.

Editorial Office: Administration Building, 425 S.Main St., Personnel Department, Second Floor, (213) 972-7165.

Printing Services: Photo Lithographic Operators--Rob Hartert and Ferrol Yeakle; Pressmen II--Pat Bates,Eliud Castellanos, Oscar Arzadon, Roberto Arrivillaga; andBindery Operators II--Manny Alvarez, Walt Billingsley, andLuis Melendez.

Typesetting, design, and makeup: Scheduling andOperations Planning's Typesetting & Layout Section--Layout Supervisor Susan Chapman, Typesetting & LayoutOperators Jean Williams, Michael Laichareonsup, andJulie M. Ortiz.

Editor: Mary E. ReynaBusiness Manager: Stacy TranContributing Editors: Paul Lonquich, M.D., Sue

Harvey, Axel Heller, Carolyn Kinkead, and Luanna Urie.Member: International Association of Business

Communicators and California Association of PublicInformation Officers.

The Headway is printed on recycled paper.

Neither the Headway nor the RTD endorses theproducts or verifies the accuracy of the Claims made in theadvertising, which has appeared, appears, and will appearon the pages of the Headway. The advertising is simply arevenue-generating measure. Further, we reserve the rightto reject any objectionable ad.

DISABILITYINSURANCERTD

Disability Insurance For RTD Employees

❑ No Relations to Earnings Clauses.

❑ We CANNOT Cancel or Decrease Benefits to Age 65.

❑ Limited Renewal Ages 65 - 70.

❑ Confinement Not Required to Collect Benefits.

❑ We Pay For Your Policy After 90 Days TOTAL DISABILITY.

❑ We Refund Premiums Paid During Ist 90 Days TOTAL DISABILITY.

❑ No Limit an Numbers of Injuries or Illnesses.

❑ Restoration of Benefits Upon Return to Your Regular Occupation

for 6 Months.

WOMEN:❑ Complications of Pregnancy Are Covered.

RTD EMPLOYEES

If You Knew What We Know You Would Call Us.(75 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE)

Don Jacobs & Associates

P.O. Box 6860

Torrance, CA 90504

(213) 768-8174 • (213) 768-8175 • FAX (213) 324-5587


Blue Line Long Beach Loop OpensBlue Line has 21 miles and21 stations. the downtownLos Angeles-1-mile exten-sion to Seventh and Flowerstreets will be completed inearly 1991.

The Long Beach Loopadds two miles of track tothe Metro Blue Line routeand four stations aroundthe city's civic center.

A permanent transpor-tation information center islocated near the TransitMall Station (Pine Avenueand First Street) whererail/bus route maps andschedules are available.

RTD officials joined withLos Angeles CountyTransportation Commissionmembers and local businessand community groups onSeptember 1 to celebratethe opening of the LongBeach "Loop."

The celebration con-sisted of a nostalgic tripback in time to pay homageto the by-gone days of theRed Cars. The grand finalebrought the audience up todate with the arrival of thefirst Blue Line traincarrying a diverse group ofpassengers representing thecitizens and visitors of LongBeach.

The Red Cars were put out of service during the sixties. Asthe audience said good-bye to the Red Car they also saidhello to the Blue Line.

Rail Operator David Jourdan drove the train on the officialopening of the loop.

RTD Board President Nick Patsaouras and LACTCExecutive Director Neil Peterson, along with SupervisorDeane Dana and Congressman Glenn Anderson and their

families enjoy the musical extravaganza that was a prelude

to the opening of the Loop.

Master of Ceremoniesfor the event was LongBeach Councilman RayGrabinski, vice chairman ofthe LACTC. Speakersincluded CongressmanGlenn Anderson (D-LongBeach), Supervisor DeaneDana, Assemblyman DaveElder, and RTD BoardPresident Nick Patsaouras.

Following the musicalextravaganza, CouncilmanGrabinski then declared the

Long Beach Loop of theMetro Blue Line officiallyopened.

The Loop's four newstations are located at FifthStreet and Long BeachBoulevard, First Street andLong Beach Boulevard, PineAvenue and First Street,and the terminus at PacificAvenue and Fifth Street.The route then loops backto Anaheim Station. Withthe opening of the Loop, the

Actor and environmentalist Ed Begley Jr. (far right)joined

from left to right, Assistant General Managers Art Leahyand Gary Spivack, Abby D. Spivack, Sonja Davis, and RTD

Board President Nick Patsaouras, for the maiden voyage ofthe Blue Line around the Loop on September 1.


Sen. Alan Cranston listens to the testimony of LACTCDeputy Director Judith Weiss at the Senate Subcommitteeon Housing and Urban Affairs hearing on transportationpolicy and congestion management held at the RTD onAugust 7.

Senator Cranston Holds UMTA Hearing at RTDAt a Senate Subcommitteeon Housing and UrbanAffairs hearing held at theRTD headquarters onAugust 7, Senator AlanCranston (D-Calif.), chair ofthat subcommittee, urgedthe U.S. to play a largerrole in mass transit.

Saying, "not only doesmass transit improve thequality of life of the peoplewho use it, it also improvesthe quality of the air webreathe. Everyone knowsthat our dependence onautomobiles is a majorcause of the smog thataffects the LA area and theintolerable traffic conges-tion that is choking thestate." Sen. Cranstonconvened the hearing heldto gather information hewill need when next year'sformal reauthorization ofthe Urban Mass Transpor-tation Act gets under way.Among the factors the sub-committee will consider arethe nation's changingtransit needs; the role offederal, state, and local gov-ernments in meeting theseneeds; the impact of theClean Air Act on masstransit; and the potentialimpact of the Americanswith Disabilities Act.

"We hope to use theUrban Mass TransportationAct as the basis for shapingthe nation's mass transitpolicy over the next decade.It is unrealistic to expectstate and local governmentsto shoulder the full costs ofour public transportationneeds," said Cranston

Damage caused byautomobile air pollutionand economic losses causedby traffic congestion arelocal problems, "but they

have a national impact," hesaid.

Transit agencies fromLos Angeles and OrangeCounty, and other publicand private organizations inSouthern Californiatestified at the hearingregarding the federalgovernment's role incongestion refief, project

oversight, and grantadministration. Amongthem were the RTD and theLos Angeles CountyTransportation Commis-sion.

RTD Board PresidentNick Patsaouras thankedCranston and his commit-tee for restoring Section 9operating funds to thefederal 1990 budget. "TheAdministration's proposedelimination of theseoperating funds of nearly$48 million to Los AngelesCounty, would result in anearly eight percentreduction in RTD's annualoperating budget. Loss ofthese funds would translateinto a fare increase of over

23 percent or a greater than10 percent service. reduc-tion. We are grateful, Mr.Chairman, that RTD is stilla vital solution to the LosAngeles region's congestionand air quality woes."

Judith Weiss, LACTCdeputy director, drew thesenator's attention to a mappinpointing the eight most

congested corridors in LosAngeles County. To qualify,these freeways in theseareas must have trafficslower than 30 miles perhour for a minimum of fiveto six hours daily, bus routeboardings are in excess of20,000 a day, "and localarterial intersections aredefined as Level F--whichtypically requires cars towait through at least twosignal cycles," she said.

While the picture looksgrim, Ms. Weiss assuredCranston that it wasn'thopeless. She cited passagethis past summer of amajor gas tax increase,Proposition 111, and AB1791, a bill which mandates

the development andimplementation of aCongestion ManagementProgram in all of Califor-nia's urbanized areas. Theprogram ties land use totransportation planningand it recognizes the needto plan on a regional basis.The LACTC will be assum-ing the role of the county'scongestion managementagency.

Foster Moveson to APTABill Foster, a former RTDdirector of transportation inthe early eighties and morerecently the superintendentof transportation at OrangeCounty Transit District(OCTD), is leaving southernCalifornia to join theAmerican Public Transpor-tation Association (APTA)in Washington, D.C.

Foster was given afarewell dinner on July 26at the Buena Park Hotelbefore departing to take hisnew position as assistant toAPTA's Executive VicePresident Jack Gilstrap anda former general managerat the RTD.

Working as an aide toGilstrap is not unfamiliarto Foster. In the earlyseventies at the RTD heserved as Gilstrap's staffaide. In 1977 Foster waspromoted to the position ofdeputy manager of opera-tions and by the earlyeighties rose to become theRTD's director of transpor-tation. During the lastdecade he headed up thenumber one transportationposition for OCTD head-quartered in Garden Grove.


James Tolbert is sworn in as an RTD Board Director byDistrict Secretary Helen Bolen on August 2.

RTD Board of Directors Accepts 2 New MembersThe composition of the RTDBoard of Directors changedthis summer when MayorBradley replaced incumbentDirectors Larry Gonzalezand Joseph Dunning andappointed Los Angeles CityCouncilman RichardAlatorre and James L.Tolbert in their stead. Thenew appointees were swornin by District SecretaryHelen Bolen at the August2 Board of Directorsmeeting.

Council's Budget andFinance Committee, and isa member of the GrantsCommittee.

Councilman Alatorre,46, graduated from GarfieldHigh School. In 1965 heearned a bachelors degreein sociology from Cal State-Los Arigeles, and later amasters in public admini-stration from USC.

A member of numerouscivic and communityorganization, Alatorre

serves as member of theBoard of Directors of theNational Association ofLatino Elected and Ap-pointed Officials (NALEO),is a member of HispanicAmerican Democrats(HAD), Native Sons of theGolden West, and theCountywide CriminalJustice CoordinationCommittee.

In 1981, Alatorre wasthe first recipient of thenew Presidential MedallionAward from Cal State-LosAngeles in recognition of hisdedication to the university,the community it serves,and the special needs ofhigher education.

In coming to grips withthe transit and mobilityissues facing the region,Alatorre brings a sense ofzeal and optimism. Hebelieves "the RTD hasgotten a bad rap from thepublic."

"I think the peopleneed to look at the facts.The RTD is the most cost-effective system in the U.S.It is just that the messagehasn't gotten to the generalpublic," Alatorre said.

In his tenure Alatorreis committed to seeing thatthe word gets out and thatgood service remainsparamount. "Service is themain thing. I want to makesure that the minoritycommunities that aretransit dependent get that

James L. Tolbert, 64, apracticing attorney, sharesAlatorre's perception of theRTD but from a differentvantage point--a rider's. "Iam a long-time rider of theRTD [25 years]. And, thecrying need I see is thatthis organization needsmuch better PR than it

service. The best service isthe kind delivered on timeand courteously."

In addition, Alatorrewill ensure that theDistrict's AffirmativeAction program is effec-tively increasing theparticipation of women andminorities at all levels ofemployment at the RTD. "Iam also interested in seeingthat minorities and womenare well represented withregard to the contracts thatthe organization lets," hesaid.

The Councilman livesin Monterey Hills. He hastwo sons, Derrick, 24, astudent at Cal State-LosAngeles, and Darrell, 23, astudent at USC.

enjoys. The public iswoefully uninformed as tothe tremendous job thisorganization has beenperforming and the caliberof its employees," saidTolbert.

Both Alatorre andTolbert serve as directorson the boards of the Los

Los Angeles City Councilmanas an RTD Board Director byBolen on August 2.

As the 14th councildistrict representative,Alatorre serves residents inthe northeast section of LosAngeles, including thecommunities of BoyleHeights, Eagle Rock, ElSereno, Glassell Park,Highland Park, MontereyHills, Montecito Heights,and Mt. Washington.

He gave up his StateAssembly seat of 13 yearsto return full time to LosAngeles, where he was bornand raised, to join the 15-person governing body ofthe city. Alatorre is-chair ofthe City's Police, Fire, andPublic Safety Committee,serves as vice chair of the

Richard Alatorre is sworn inDistrict Secretary Helen


Merrill Lynch4

ARE YOUInterested in your Retirement Plan Options with the RTD?

Merrill Lynch cordially invites you and a guest to attendour special RTD Retirement Planning Seminar.

NEXT RTD RETIREMENT PLANNING SEMINAR

Upcoming Dates: October 8, 1990or November 12, 1990or December 10, 1990

Time: 7:00 p.m.Length of Seminar: One hourPlace: 400 South Hope Street

3rd FloorDowntown Los Angeles

Refreshments will be servedParking Validation Available

To Reserve a space or for more Information

Call Roberta Mitchell, Financial Consultant(213) 236-2125 or (800) 937-0620 x 2125

Seminars are one hour in length, are held every second Monday of the month, andcover the important decisions you have to face regarding your retirement from theRTD. We strongly recommend that both you and your spouse attend. Please callahead to reserve a space at the Seminar and for directions. The Seminar is free,there is no obligation.

Two New Board Members Knabe Elected Board VP. . . continued from page 6

Angeles County Transpor-tation Commission and theRTD, along with NickPatsaouras, Don Knabe,Marvin Holen, and MasFukai.

A graduate of East LosAngeles College and LosAngeles City College,Tolbert received his lawdegree from Loyola Univer-sity Law School. He is apartner with the firm ofTolbert & Wooden in Holly-wood.

Previously, he has beena county deputy probationofficer in Los Angeles andat one time published theCalifornia Eagle newspa-per.

He has served as thepast president of theNAACP-Beverly Hills/Hollywood Branch and theJuvenile Justice ConnectionProject. He is the treasurerof the San Fernando ValleyJuvenile Court Bar Associa-tion, and is a member ofthe County and State BarAssociations. He currentlyserves as president of theSan Fernando Valley ArtsCouncil.

His law practice isdivided between represent-ing personalities in theentertainment industry anddefending juveniles. Hesaid his greatest rewardshave come with workingwith juveniles. He has hadprevious experience work-ing in camps with delin-quent children.

"I am glad I wasappointed by the mayor tothis board," he said. "Iknow how good this organi-zation is and the good thatit does. For instance, mymain office is in Hollywood,but I do most of my work at

the county courthousedowntown. I just hop onthe bus to get downtown.That one decision gives metwo more hours of readingtime a day.

" It just kills me tothink of paying the ransomparking lots charge just topark that hunk of funk Icall a car."

Tolbert acknowledges aprimary responsibility tothe people who availthemselves of RTD service,but intends to speak fornon-patrons as well. "I livein the San FernandoValley. Getting in and outof there is impactful oneveryone, not just ourriders," he said.

Tolbert and his wifeMarie have three grownchildren.

RTD Board Director DonKnabe was elected andsworn in as Board vicepresident on August 23.Knabe is Supervisor DeaneDana's chief of staff andreplaced Long Beach CityCouncilwoman Jan Hallwhen she resigned from theboard in January 1990.

Knabe has served onthe Cerritos City Councilfrom 1980-1988. He is aformer commissioner of theLos Angeles County Parksand Recreation Commis-sion.

The Rock Island, Ill.native received his bachelorof arts degree in businessadministration fromGraceland College inLamoni, Iowa.

Knabe was governor ofOptimist International from

1982-83. The CaliforniaParks and RecreationSociety named him Volun-teer of the Year in 1977.He received the Mayor'sCommunity Service Awardin 1976 and 1978 and theDistinguished ServiceAward from the CerritosJaycees in 1978.

Former owner/operatorof an association manage-ment consulting firm,Knabe is a member of theSanta Monica MountainsConservancy.

He and his wife, Julie,and their two teen-age sonslive in Cerritos.

Filipino Assoc.Seeks Funds forEarthquake Victims

The SCRTD FilipinoEmployees Association issoliciting voluntary dona-tions for the victims devas-tated by the 7.7 earthquakewhich hit the city of Baguio,Philippines in July.

The collected donationswill be used to procure foodstuffs, clothing, medicalsupplies, and other emer-gency needs. These sup-plies will be turned over tothe Girl Scout Council,Baguio Chapter, and thelocal Jaycees and LionsInternational for packagingand distribution.

The distributionprocess will be monitoredby a representative of theassociation. Please makeyour check payable to:SCRTD Filipino EmployeesAssociation. If you haveany questions pleasecontact Joe Vicente atextension 4513 or EmilioEstepa at extension 6884.


Director of Risk Management Barbara Anderson andGeneral Manager Alan Pegg joined RTD President NickPatsaouras at a press conference calling for a cap onpersonal injury claim payouts by local governments. Ms.

Anderson noted that the RTD pays out $35 million inaccident payments per year, a good $15 million is used indefense fees paid to attorneys which comes out of the RTD'sgeneral operating fund.

RTD Calls for Cap on Personal Injury Claims Payoutsby Anthony Greno, PressRelations

RTD Board President NickPatsaouras on August 24called for state legislationto set a cap on accidentclaims payouts for all publicagencies, including transitdistricts.

California has nolegislation setting a limit onsettlement of claims andlaw suits against govern-ment agencies and entitieswhere personal injury isalleged. Patsaouras said alimit on payments inpersonal injury judgmentsor settlements could reduceRTD's insurance and legalexpenditures by $6.4million per year.

"With the $6.4 freed upby the legislation we areseeking, the RTD could put50 additional buses on thestreets to improve itsquality of service andreduce overcrowding as wellas create new limited-stoplines that would takepassengers to their destina-tions faster," Patsaourassaid.

State Sen. ManRobbins (D-Van Nuys)representing the 20thSenatorial District, hasagreed to author insurancereform legislation andintroduce a bill in 1991 toestablish a cap on tortliability settlements.

"We are in the deplor-able situation of being adeep pocket like many othergovernment agencies,"Patsaouras said. "What weneed is legislation like thatof other states that wouldplace reasonable limits onliability., The taxpayer isbeing taken for a ride for

The Board of Directors onAugust 23 approvedimplementation plans forthe District's 15-minutewarranty program, set inplace on September 1.Under the program ap-proved by the Board, cashpatrons whose bus arrives15 minutes or more late ata scheduled stop areallowed to ride free. Thewarranty applies to thebase fare only; patronsrequiring a transfer arerequired to pay 25 cents,the regular cost of atransfer.

Patrons riding on a busthat becomes late en routeto their destination are notentitled to reimbursementor a free ride. Patronsboarding with a transfer ona late bus receive, onrequest, either a specialwarranty information card

redeemable by mail for adiscounted half-fare ticket,or can elect to receive fromthe bus operator a freetransfer for continuedriding. The warrantyinformation card must bepunched by the operatorbefore redemption by mail.

Pass patrons obtain avalidation card on purchaseof their monthly pass thatis punched by an operatorwhen they board a late bus.At the end of the month,the patron should send thewarranty card and expiredpass or discount stamp to:SCRTD, P.O. Box 2290, LosAngeles, CA 90051-2290.The refund is processed andsent by return mail.

"This program willprovide us added informa-tion on the impact of servicedelays on our riders. Wewill use this data to- seek

millions of dollars in tortlaw suits."

A tort is defined as awrongful act for which aninjured party can recoverdamages in a civil action.

"During fiscal year1991, which began last July1, it will cost the Districtapproximately $15 millionto defend claims against it,"Patsaouras said. "Inaddition, the District pays$2.4 million for excessinsurance because there isno limit on liability."

Patsaouras noted thata cap on personal injurypayouts would benefitlegitimate claimants.

"Those injured inaccidents stand to benefit

continued on page 9 . . .

funding to provide moreservice where necessary,and to manage our opera-tions better," said GeneralManager Man F. Pegg.

Pegg noted currentstatistics show that nomore than 2.5 percent ofthe District's fleet is 15minutes or more late.

Of those late buses, thereason for the lateness isbeyond the control of theDistrict three times in four,Pegg said. He added thathe believed the publicwould cooperate withDistrict bus operators whodetermine when their bus ismore than 15 minutes late.He added that if reportsdevelop of serious passen-ger-operator disputes, theprogram could be discontin-ued.

15-Minute Warranty Program Approved


Division 3201Lazo, Jacinto G.

Division 3203Nembhard, Robert H.•

Division 3205Moss, Louis M.

Division 3206Aitken, Terri D.*Baines, VanessaSharp, Anthony

Division 3207Ortez, Alecia A.Feldra, Larry F.

Division 3208Robinson, Paul D.

Division 3209Perez, Richard J.

Division 3210Lopez, Gilbert*Soto, ConniePerez, Jon R.

Division 3215Coleman, Connie A.Johnson, Ursula

Division 3218Reamer, Robert L.

ClIOMMENDATIONSBLIC

Commuters Urged To Use Bus inWake of Middle East CrisisChallenging everyone toride the bus at least once aweek to reduce our depend-ency on foreign oil, RTDBoard President NickPatsaouras on August 9launched an energy-savingprogram to help SouthernCalifornia commuters copewith skyrocketing gasolineprices.

"The policies of theReagan administration nowcontinued by Bush show theeffect of the lack of aconsistent energy policy.This kind of crisis hasloomed twice before and anational policy should havebeen put in place. Theeffect of it is that we arespending billions to defendour interests in the MiddleEast while the federalgovernment wants to cut$49 million of the RTD'sfunding," said Patsaouras.

Patsaouras noted thatif Americans expect their

Alan Pegg, GeneralManager

Dear Alan:

I would like to com-mend and congratulate allof the employees of theSouthern California RapidTransit District whovolunteered their personaltime to help handle thelarge crowds at the grandopening of the Metro BlueLine.

This generous act ontheir part helped to makethe Blue Line a greatsuccess, and the SCRTDemployees deserve specialpraise.Sincerely yours,Kenneth HahnSupervisor, Second District

sons and daughters to fightin the Middle East, theleast we can do in support-ing them is to take the busor train once a week inorder to conserve the oilsupply.

"To best the absurdprice at the pump, it iscritical that we use anddemonstrate the effective-ness of public transporta-tion. I'm committed toshowing that RTD's busesand trains can be thesolution to thousands ofcommuting men and womenwho are, in effect, beingheld hostage at the pump."

Patsaouras stated hehad authorized GeneralManager Alan Pegg to hire135 new bus drivers andpurchase 55 new buses forthe anticipated increase inridership and that he wasready to deploy 60 addi-tional buses on an emer-gency basis.

General Manager AlanPegg said the price of oilwould have to double beforethe District would considerhiking up the fares. Cur-rently, the District pays 58cents a gallon for its fuel.

In a radio spot unveiledat a morning press confer-ence held at Districtheadquarters, Patsaourasurged that motorists ridethe bus of the Blue Line atleast once a week.

"I appeal to everyleader in this communitywhether he or she beelected, business, labor, orself-appointed, to take thebus once a week to set anexample. If each one ofthem takes the bus or trainonce a week, we couldreduce traffic congestion by20 percent."

Cap on Personal Injury Payoutscontinued from page 8

from a ceiling on liability change of approach beingbecause the existente of a sought by the RTD to thecap would speed up pay- handling of injury claims,ment of claims, thus cutting Patsaouras noted:off as much as three to five

"We believe that the

years of tourt time that

injured party will obtain aplaintiffs now must suffer

fair settlement in much less

through until they split an time and without the addedaward with their attor- expense of hiring attorneysneys," Patsaouras said. and sharing an award with

The RTD Board of

them."Directors president cited

Patsaouras said the bill

legislation in other states

he will seek during the nextthat places a cap on liability session of the Legislaturepayouts. He said Florida, would establish a limit onGeorgia, Indiana, New personal injury damages ofJersey, Oregon, Pennsylva- $250,000 per person andnia, Texas, and Wisconsin

$500,000 per occurrence,

have legislation that sets with no punitive or exem-limits on payments. plary damages to be

In Texas, for example, assessed. Municipal as wellregional transit agencies as regional transit opera-and other political subdivi- tors, along with schoolsions since 1985 have had a

districts, water districts,

cap of $100,000 per person state, county, and cityand $300,000 per occur- governments would be putrence. under a uniform cap on tort

In explaining the liability settlements.


RTD's Rideshare coordinators meet at District headquartersto commence their task. Front row, from left to right: Dan

Ruiz, Lorene Yanuzzi, Mike Ortega, Esther Cabison, andTony Sandoval. Back row, from left to right: Teresa Moren,Byron Lee, Michelle Berry, Joe Quintero, Russell Meeks,Steve Crawford, Juanita Wright, Morton Freeman, Jay

Fuhrman, and Maureen Michelin.

RTD Ridesharing: The Way"Why are we doing this?"Supervising Planner TeresaMoren answers the ques-tion incredulously with aquestion. Why wouldanyone ever have to askwhy the RTD or anyorganization is implement-ing a Rideshare Programwhen the news mediabroadcast nationwide whatwe residents have knownfor quite some time: LosAngeles has the poorest airquality in the country.

The primary contribu-tor to this problem is theautomobile. Far too manyof us choose to drive alonewhich exponentiallyexacerbates the problem.The reactive hydrocarbonsemitted into the air eachmonth equal the amountcontained in Exxon's Valdezoil spill.

"As a region we havefallen behind in meeting thescheduled federal deadlinesfor cleaning up the air. Asa result we are forced toaddress it now. The SouthCoast Air Quality Manage-ment District (AQMD) hasimplemented stringentregulations that requireevery employer with 100 ormore employees to developand offer those employees aRideshare program andother incentives," said Ms.Moren. By offering employ-ees alternatives to theprivate automobile, Ride-share Program coordinatorshope to lure drivers out oftheir cars and reduce thenumber of drive-alone trips.The AQMD's objective is toincrease the AverageVehicle Ridership (AVR) orthe number of people incars in each region. Forinstance, around the

downtown area the AVR is1.75, that is approximately1-3/4 persons per car pertrip. The AQMD arrives atthis figure by dividing thetotal number of employeearrivals by the totalnumber of employeevehiclea.

The program, coordi-nated by Ms. Moren, isstaffed at the headquartersand each division byEmployee TransportationCoordinators (ETCs). Each

ETC, in addition to his orher regular District job, willnow take on the addedresponsibility of assistingpeople in meeting theirtransportation needs. TheETCs received 24 hours oftraining from instructorscertified by the AQMD.Each year they are requiredto receive an additional 8hours of continuing educa-tion to stay current withthe latest transportationplanning trends. "The

ETCs are the people whohave really put out themost effort," said MsMoren. "Their participationis above and beyond the callof duty. Their enthusiasmis infectious. Here they arefacing not only the day-to-day operating challengesbut now they've been givena new task of getting peopleout of their cars. Theydeserve a lot of credit andneed the support of theirsuperiors."

The Rideshare Programwhich kicked off this monthwith Rideshare Weekincludes a host of alterna-tives to driving solo andincentives for following thecrowd. Topping the list is,of course, using the RTDbus pass that is given as abenefit to each employeeand his or her dependents.Other options:

• Car-pooling. Allsites, except the Headquar-ters will be restriped to

provide preferred parkingspots for those who car-pool.

• Vanpool PilotProgram. Providing seedmoney to start a vanpool.

• Telecommuting (Seestory on page 12.)

• Compressed Workweeks like the 4/10 or 9/80plans.

• Personalized busitineraries

• Intra-agency andinter-agency ridematches

• Bicycling program.Bicycle racks will beinstalled and futureinstallation of employeeshowers will be explored.The program will alsoreward those who bicycle byproviding bicycle equipmentrewards on an annual basis.

• Walking program.For employees who canwalk to work the programwill reward those who walkto work by providingwalkman radios, walkingshoes, and related gifts.

• Bus Stop ShuttleService. For employees atonly those sites which aretoo far from bus stops.

• Guaranteed RideHome Program. TheDistrict will ensure thatany person who car-poolsand needs to leave on anemergency or misses thecar-pool due to unforeseencircumstances will be givena ride home.

• "Meet Your Match"parties. Mixers enablingemployees to meet peoplenot only in their depart-ment or division but also inthe workplace neighbor-hood. Identifying informa-tion on name tags detailingthe freeways you take andthe zip code you live in


To Clean the Air and Save the Planetpation. "The key to thesuccess of this depends on acommitment by manage-ment," said Ms. Moren."Mr. Pegg has alreadyassured us that we have hissupport."

Throughout the LosAngeles basin there ap-pears a move on the part ofcompanies to offer employ-ees a variety of transporta-tion options. Alreadycompanies are calling the

RTD desperate for informa-tion and bus service, Ms.Moren sees the demandsbecoming greater. "Wehave a dual role here. Notonly do we do our partunder the AQMD regula-tions, but we offer otherpeople the wherewithal todo their part. I think wecan do something reallygreat and be a shiningexample to other agencies,"she said.

Vanpooling is an option for these employees.

helps pair employees upwith a perfect ridesharematch.

"Our program will beeducational to start with,"said Ms. Moren. "We wantto emphasize the positiveaspects that reducingsolitary trips can bring,"she said. Not only doessome form of ridesharinghelp clear the air forourselves but it helps savethe planet for our childrenshe noted. "After all, they'llhave to clean up the messwe are leaving them. Wearen't asking that peopleuse the bus or anotheroption everyday for the restof their lives. Once or twicea week is enough to make adifference."

Other personal valuesof ridesharing includesaving money and savingjangled nerves. "Think of itas another stress-manage-ment technique. It is oneless hassle you have to dealwith in a very complexworld," she said. Addition-ally, ridesharing createssocial opportunities in acity where it is hard tomeet people.

"Throughout the yearwe will produce air-savingfacts through a newsletterand disseminate those toemployees," she said.

The kickoff held duringthe first week of Octoberthroughout Californiaattracted RTD employees'attention with free promo-tional items encouragingridesharing, informationpackets stressing the RTD'sprogram and how to startyour own car-pool, and freefood.

Those who make theircontribution toward savingthe air by reducing solotrips will be eligible formonthly raffles, receivepreferential parking, andother rewards. "Some ofthe ETCs have suggestedrewards such as free fillupsfor car-pools, time off, and15 minutes off earlier forcar-poolers. We willstructure the rewardsaround things that areimportant to the employeesso we can gain maximumparticipation and continu-ity," said Ms. Moren.

A measurement ofsuccess for the programrequires increased partici-

Another approach to ridesharing is the dependable RTD busmade more environmentally sound with its clean-burningalternate fuels like methanol or compressed natural gas.

Walhing isn't such a bad idea. Think of all the celluliteyou're getting rid of.


Telecommuting--Soon to Come to a Location Near YouBarbara Olson, HumanResources Analyst

Although many employeeshave looked forward to thetime when they would nothave to travel to work andcould stay at home, mostpeople have a fairly limitedidea of what telecommutingis and how it works. Inactuality, telecommuting isworking at any locationother than the primarywork site. This place maybe one's home, or a worksite close to home. Tele-commuting involves movingwork to the workers insteadof moving workers to work.

In the near future, theDistrict will be developing atelecommuting program tomeet AQMD requirementsto reduce employee com-mute trips. Telecommutingwill be one of many incen-tives offered to encourageemployees to reduce cartrips to work.

The Planning Depart-ment is developing a pilotproject to explore thefeasibility of telecom-muting. They will considerwhich types of jobs wouldbe best suited to work awayfrom the office, how manyhours an employee shouldwork away from the office,and how to manage anemployee's work productiv-ity. They will also considersuch administrative oroperational decisions asequipment purchase andrepair, telephone service,insurance, and supervision.

The pilot project willstart this fall, an evaluationwill be completed next

spring. Final developmentof a policy and District-wide implementation willoccur in the following sixmonths.

People often assumethat telecommuting is anopportunity to resolvedependent care problems.In fact, successful telecom-muters require a separate,dedicated work space whichis free of distractions. Mostcompanies which haveimplemented such aprogram have found theyneed to design telecom-muting around the work

Maureen Michelin adaptseasily to telecommuting.

requirements of a job, notthe personal needs of theemployee. However, tele-commuting can be designedto be flexible and custom-ized to a wide variety ofwork scenarios and em-ployee circumstances.

People also assumetelecommuting requires ahome computer. Not true.In developing a telecom-muting program for theDistrict, all types ofjobswill be considered. Atelephone for communica-

tion with the main officewill probably be the onlystandard equipment.Successful telecommutingwork requires a task orgroup of tasks which onecan do away from the office.

Except in a few ex-treme situations, telecom-muting does not perma-nently remove an employeefrom the office. Mostsuccessful programs bringthe employee to the office atleast once a week. Bycoming to the office somedays, the employee does notsuffer isolation, maintainswork contacts and thesocial interaction of theoffice environment.

Although the primarygoal of telecommuting isenvironmental, it greatlyaids other areas of concernat the District. Telecom-muting reduces congestionat the primary work site.This can esse demand onoffice equipment andprovide opportunities tosave space with sharedwork stations. This canalso reduce noise anddisturbances caused withmany people working inopen office spaces.

Companies which havealready implementedtelecommuting, includingthe County of Los Angeles,have found many additionalbenefits for the employee,such as decreased sickleave use and absenteeism,and improved employeemorale. People also avoidthe stress of commuting.

Managers also-derivebenefits from telecom-

muting. The increasedemployee satisfactiondecreases turnover. Also,the personal control of one'sworking conditions hasresulted in employeesbecoming more productivein their home work environ-ment. Managers can usetelecommuting as a tool tomaximize the traits andabilities of each employee.Managers in these pro-grams now focus on guidingand evaluating an employ-ees work products ratherthan on timekeeping,thereby deriving moresatisfaction from their ownjobs as well.

Many employees maybe curious to know if theywill be eligible to partici-pate in this project. Afterthe pilot program has beencompleted, the method ofselecting people for telecom-muting will be established,as well as program rulesand procedures. Peopleinterested in participatingin the program shouldcontact their supervisoronce the program has beenestablished.

Memorabilia?

WANTED: Cash offersfor Safety Awards and CapBadges from Los AngelesTransit Lines, MetropolitanTransit Authority, andPacific Electric Railway.Please call or write: RoyFizer, 1254 West 36thStreet, Los Angeles, CA90007. (213) 735-9145.


John Stringer of Long Beach, second from left, receives apiece of cake from RTD Board President Nick Patsaouraswhile being honored as the one-millionth rider on the MetroBlue Line on August 21 at Del Arno Station. Pictured at farleft is General Manager Alan F. Pegg.

Honoring the Millionth Blue Line Riderby Jim Smart, PressRelations Manager

RTD officials honored aLong Beach resident as themillionth Metro Rail BlueLine rider on August 21with a drum roll and giftspresented during a morningceremony at Del Arnostation.

"It took only 40 days toreach this milestone and weare six months ahead oforiginal projections inridership," said RTD BoardPresident Nick Patsaouras.

Honored while prepar-ing to board a northboundtrain at 9:30 a.m. was JonStringer, 52. Stringer is aseventh grade healthinstructor at Steven WhiteJunior High School inCarson. He was headed fordowntown Los Angeles toshop and sightsee.

Stringer told reportershe was a rail enthusiast.

"When I was a youth,my family used to live inHollywood and I rode theHollywood line, of thePacific Electric Red Cars.

Later, we lived in Glendaleand I used to ride todowntown Los Angeles tothe Subway TerminalBuilding," he said.

Stringer cut a cakepresented to him byPatsaouras and GeneralManager Alan F. Pegg.Joining in the ceremonywere Burke Roche, repre-senting Supervisor KennethHahn, and Carson MayorVera Robles DeWitt. Thedrum roll was provided byCity of Carson Queenettes,a drill team contingent of40 elementary school agechildren.

Nearly 670,000 personstook advantage of the freerides offered on the BlueLine system during theopening two weeks ofOperation.

"Since the end of thefree-fare period, we havebeen averaging 15,000riders a day," Patsaourassaid. "On Sundays, we arecarrying nearly 20,000riders."

Four more stationsopened for Operation on

September 1, when theRTD and Los AngelesCounty TransportationCommission opened thedowntown Long BeachLoop. The four stations aresituated at Fifth Street andLong Beach Boulevard,First Street and LongBeach Boulevard, PineAvenue and First Street,and Pacific Avenue andFifth Street. Until Septem-ber 1, the temporarysouthern terminus of theline was ,at Anaheim Streetand Long Beach Boulevard.

One additional stationremains under constructionat Seventh and FlowerStreets in downtown LosAngeles. Scheduled to beopened next year, it

eventually will provide easytransfer to the Metro RedLine, also under construc-tion.

RTD officials alsopresented Stringer a giftcertificate for one nightaboard the Queen Mary fortwo with dinner at SirWinston's restaurant, aswell as Blue Line leisuregear.

"We are pleased tohonor Stringer as a symbolof the good will and trustthe public has displayedtoward the new system,"added Pegg.

"It is our commitmentto keep providing quality,safe service to him, and tothe millions more who willuse the system in comingyears."

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Sen. Wilson Rides Blue Line Neeson Heads EmployeeRelations

When you've got the bestride in town word gets outquickly. Sen. Pete Wilson(R-Calif.) was as anxious asanyone else to take his turnin early August as he joinedGeneral Manager Alan Peggfor a no-fuss, no-frills rideon the alignment.

Sen. Pete Wilson gets hisBlue Line ticket while LightRail Information SpecialistMarian Bennett stands by

just in case.

on the Senator was on hisown. RTD employeeswaited patiently and a littlesmugly knowing that withtheir employee transitpasses they could bypassthe need for ticket vendingmachines. Ticket in hand,Wilsdn joined Pegg and

Assistant General Managerfor Operations Art Leahy,and LACTC's Rail Con-struction Corp. CEO EdMcSpedon for an earlybird,rush-hour trip that provedto be comfortable for dailyrider and senator alike.

As a vet of many rides onthe Blue Line, GeneralManager Alan Pegg (right)volunteered to serve as Sen.

Wilson's guide.

Dedicated to her depart-ment, Ann Neeson, thedirector of the EmployeeRelations Department is awoman hard to catch upwith. Headway was finallyable to meet up with her inAugust. Appointed to herposition on November 27,1989, Ms. Neeson replacedRoger Kundert.

Responsible for thenegotiation and administra-tion of all the collectivebargaining agreementsmaintained by the District,Ms. Neeson also interpretsthe respective labor con-tracts ensuring that theterms of each contract arefollowed by the RTD andthat conflict is resolvedthrough the grievanceprocess provided in thosecontracts. Additionally, thedepartment is charged withfacilitating dispute resolu-tion and training supervi-sors. Ms. Neeson believesthat the Employee Rela-tions department should bededicated to ensuring thatthe District's labor policiesand practices are applied inan equitable manner incompliance with the federaland state law. "We arelooking out for the welfareof the RTD and its employ-ees," said Ms. Neeson. "Weare strivindalways tosafeguard the interest ofthe District and ensure thatour employees have fairwages and good workingconditions."

"We negotiate in thebest interest of the Districtbut never ignore theinterest of the employees.We look for terms that arefair and equitable to theemployee but are alsofiscally sound to the

Ann Neeson, RTD directorof Employee Relations.

District ensuring that it canoperate efficiently." Shestated the RTD is lookingfor reasonable agreementsthat will help the Districttransition into the '90s andbeyond in view of changingtechnologies and economicconditions.

"I do believe people cansit down with conflictingviews and work hard toreach a common goal withan approach that is satis-factory to both," she said."The company and theunions may seem at odds atvarious times, but inactuality we are co-depend-ent. We really depend oneach other for our economicwell being."

Previously the em-ployee relations manager ofOrange County TransitDistrict, Ms. Neeson isabsorbed in her work. "Younever leave it," she said."Especially when you're innegotiations. You're alwaysthinking about how you cancome to some equitable,happy ending."

The Fresno nativereceived her bachelor's insociology from UCLA.

Sen. Wilson sits with rapt attention as General ManagerAlan Pegg teils him about the impressive capabilities of theRTD's Blue Line.

Reaching the platformat approximately 4:00 p.m.,Wilson got in line behindriders queuing up topurchase fare tickets.Light Rail InformationSpecialist Marian Bennettshowed him how to getstarted and from that point


Roadeo Banquet Honors Maintenance and TransportationThe tension, sweat, andanxiety from the dog daysat the Santa Anita Race-track going through all thehoops set up for the Meinte-nance and TransportationRoadeos paid off for thosewho dared measure them-selves against the best.Both those who placed atthe top of the pyramid andthose who found themselveson the lower finalist levelswere rewarded at the FirstAnnual Transportation andMaintenance AwardsBanquet held at AlmansorCourt in Alhambra onAugust 3, 1990.

Director of Transporta-tion Leilia Bailey welcomedall the operators andmechanics and theirfamilies to the joint event."Both Maintenance andTransportation have triedsince 1987 to come togetherand put out a betterproduct and service to thepublic. Tonight representsa fun event for us," shesaid.

General Manager AlanPegg was invited to thestage to offer a few re-marks. Pegg admitted heliked coming to the RoadeoBanquet. "This was thefirst thing I attended whenI came to Los Angeles. Ilike it because we are hereto honor the best. Youpeople establish peerleadership at the RTDwhich I would hope every-one foliows. Beyond ashadow of a doubt...,you arethe best there is."

Ms. Bailey introducedVicki Varga, the Transpor-tation Bus Roadeo Coordi-nator. Ms. Varga acknowl-edged the novelty of thecombined dinner and said

Division 10's Maintenance Roadeo Champs receiverecognition plaques from General Manager Alan Pegg at theRoadeo Banquet. From left to right: Ray Kunkle, MichaelJunyk, Marco Pedemonte, Michael Leahy, Tony Chavira,Miquel Enriquez, and Pegg.

she looks forward to next Assistant General Manageryear's. "This is a first for for Transit Systemsus in a number of ways. Development Al Perdon,Over 188 operators com- and Controller Tom Rubin.peted in the semifinals. Other invited guestsWith the help of all the included Director ofvolunteer judges and Employee Relations Anninstructors like Frank Neeson, Director of RiskCecere we were able to Management Barbaramanage all those people. Anderson, Director ofThe contestants were Facilities Maintenance Edtrimmed down to these 30 Walsh, Assistant Directorsfinalists in the audience of Transportation Ralphtonight." Ms. Varga Wilson and Leo Bevon, andintroduced her co-coordina- the respective divisiontor for the Maintenance managers.Roadeo, Ray Kunkle. Speaking for Meinte-

"It gives me a warm nance, Assistant Directorfeeling to see Maintenance Mike Leahy acknowledgedand Transportation here the staff members whotogether," said Kunkle. helped make the Roadeo a"It's been exciting for our reality and a successful onedepartment. I'm grateful to at that. "Mike Stange isall those on the Mainte- the Person who got thenance side who gave up Roadeo started a few yearstheir free time to help out. ago. Mike Bottone devisedNext year it will be bigger all the bugs that wereand better." placed in the buses and

Ms. Bailey introduced equipment. John McBryanmembers of the executive worked with the Instructionstaff who attended. They staff, and Annie Zavala,included General Counsel well, she does everythingSuzanne Gifford, Inspector that makes things comeGeneral Ernesto Fuentes, together," said Leahy. He

also thanked the crewsfrom Facilities Maintenancewho set up all the stands.

Assistant GeneralManager for Operation ArtLeahy said: "Everyone hereworks for a great organiza-tion—no fooling." Mean-while he was taking his buspass out of his wallet.Raising it to show theaudience, he said: "Thisused to be a bus pass, nowit's a transit pass. Now wehave a rail system. Weoperate buses, a railsystem, and we have greatemployees. A lot of peoplein this room supported thatsystem to make it a suc-cess. A lot of you drove thebuses that bailed out thatsystem. If we had 8,000employees as good as theemployees in this room we'dhave no problems."

Maintenance presentedtheir first-place team fromDivision 10: MiguelEnriquez, Marco Pede-monte, and Michael Junyk.The Maintenance Champi-ons each won $1,000 andthe opportunity to competein the nationals held inCleveland, Ohio in August.The second-place and third-place teams were alsointroduced. They includedDivision 9's Jesse Estrada,Rene Martinez, and JaimeLozano; and the CMF'sCharles Judson, JavierCastro, and Sal Bottonico.

Division 6 MechanicJoe Medrano was givenspecial recognition forsubmitting the winningRoadeo pin design.

Transportation'sRoadeo Champ for the fifthtime was Division 12's

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Transportation Roadeo Champ, Division 12 OperatorHoward Brenchley, received $1,000 and a doch plaque fromDirector of Transportation Leilia Bailey (left) and General

Manager Alan Pegg (right).

Division 6 Mechanic A Jose Medrano received recognition

for designing the pin worn at the Maintenance Roadeo.From left to right: Ray Kunkle, Jose Medrano, and AlanPegg.

Roadeo Banquet... continued from page 15Howard Brenchley. Sec-ond-place and third-placewinners were from Division9. They included RobertJackson and Robert Apo-daca, respectively. Fourth-place honors went toCandelario Gomez fromDivision 8. Brenchleyreceived $1,000 for his featand an all-expense paid trip

to compete in the Interna-tional Roadeo held inHouston, Texas in Septem-ber.

Following the dinnerand awards ceremony, theevening's entertainmentoffered a dance with musicprovided by the Nightrid-ers.

OCTOBER 1990 H E A D W A Y 16

MENDATIONS

Division 2 Electrician Helper David Burke was selected the

Facilities Maintenance Employee of the Month for July.With the District since October 1989, Burke is responsiblefor the repairs and preventive maintenance at Divisions 1,2, 3, 4, and 7. His supervisor states that he is an excellentemployee who is always trying to help out on any projectwhere needed. He has been a tremendous help to both theelectricians and property maintainers on their assigned

work projects. He has also received commendations fromfellow workers and personnel at the divisions in helping to

solve problems with their equipment. During personnelshortages in July, Burke made extra efforts to fill in thegaps and keep up with all the work assignments. He is anasset to his department and the District.

Division 15 Operator Percy Rhodes was chosen Operator ofthe Month for July. Rhodes has been with the District since1982. Previous to the District, he worked for Associated

Business Company driving school buses. He started as apart-time operator and became a full-time operator in 1983.Rhodes has a 6-Year Safe Driving Award and anOutstanding Operator Award. He received anotherOutstanding Operator Award for this past year.He has received several letters of commendation from hispassengers, and for the past 7 years he has received letters

from his managers for his excellent record. He only missed-out twice in his career and has never been sick. He has.

attained 90 merits since 1985 and has neuer had anydemerits. Rhodes and his wife, Manuela, haue one child, adaughter who just graduated from kindergarten. Hishobbies include motorcycle riding, playing baseball andgolf.He really enjoys his job and says this is the best job he haseuer had. When he goes on vacation, he rides buses on othertransit systems throughout the country, and he says that weare still the best!


Scheduling Planner Joe Gay was selected Scheduling andOperations Planning's Employee of the Quarter for thefourth quarter of 1990. Gay has been with the District for37 years starting as a streetcar motorman with Los AngelesTransit Lines and graduating to buses. He started in theScheduling Department in 1957 first as a Schedule Makerand moved up through the ranks. His supervisors and peersproclaim him as a tireless worker, putting in long hours to

accomplish the task at hand. He is considered a majorresource to his department with his vast historicalknowledge of the Los Angeles transit system with regard tobus routings, schedules, operating rules and regulations.He conducts many training sessions for the Scheduling staff

so that they may build more effective schedules. Gay wasgiven a trophy in recognition of his endeavors by Director ofScheduling and Operations Steve Party (right) andScheduling Manager Frank Schroder (le ft).

Commendations. . . continued from page 18


Industrial Hygienist Ugbu Kalu was chosen Employee of the

Quarter for the fourth quarter of 1990 because of hisoutstanding accomplishments during the past quarter. His

achievements include completing the AQMD annual'emissions inventory for 18 District facilities, preuention of a

chemical explosion hazard from a leaky acetylene cylinder,developing four occupational health programs, developing atraining program for the Maintenance employees anhazardous material handling, and completing a laboratory

analysis of contaminated soil which saved the District

$63,000 in avoided disposal costs.

Telephone Information Operator Gloria Flucas was namedOperator of the Month for July. Ms. Flucas has been withthe District since December 1987. She has establishedherself as a courteous and conscientious employee; a definiteasset to the District as well as the Information Department.Her selection comes as a result of hand work, diligence, anda commitment to excellence.

August 7 started off at Division 8 with coffee and donutscompliments of the Risk Management Department. Theoccasion being: Division 8 won the Target Line Accident

Reduction award with an 84 percent reduction for theprevious quarter on the 165 line. Twenty of the 165 lineoperators were recipients of an attractive lapel or tie-tac pinand the division was presented with a beautiful plaque.Congratulations to all the operators who made the winningof the award a reality. It doesn't just happen; it is the resultof a lot of extra effort on the Part of a lot of operators andthat old cooperative spirit called "Teamwork."

The Charitable Giving Campaign 1990 of the United Way IBrotherhood Crusade honored those departmentcoordinators who were able to effect the highest level ofdonations in their particular department category. Thoserecognized included, front row, from left to right:Transportation Division 8 Operator Vester Grayson, fordepartments of 80 or more employees; and TOS CherriWilliams (presently Ms. Williams is in the TransportationDepartment, she received the award for her campaign workwhen she was an office supervisor in the PlanningDepartment), for departments of 150 or more employees.Back row, from left to right: Maintenance Division 3Manager Dieter Hemsing, for departments of 150 employeesor more; and Customer Relations Technician Jon Grace, fordepartments of 150 employees or more.

Juanita Cook, United Way I Brotherhood Crusadecoordinator (left) and Telephone Information Manager

Elfriede Becker received recognition from the CharitableGiving Campaign 1990 at the RTD for the highest level ofdonations per capita in a department of 100 or more

employees.


Division 9316 received the 1990 Equipment MaintenanceRecognition Program award for Most Improved CoachCleanliness in the first quarter of 1990. EquipmentMaintenance Supervisor Joe Quintero (left) received theplaque from Assistant General Manager for Equipment andFacilities John W. Richeson (center) and Assistant Directorof Equipment Maintenance Tony Chavira.

Division 9318 for the third quarter in a row received the1990 Equipment Maintenance Recognition Program awardfor Most Improved Roadcall Performance for the firstquarter of 1990. Division Manager Max Martinez wasgiven a commemorative plaque on behalf of the employees

by Assistant Director Equipment Maintenance Mike Leahy.

Martinez was also a guest of honor at a farewell potluck.

After three years at 9318, he was transferred to Division9309.

Duplicating Operator Lim Volkeang was chosen thePrinting Services Section's Employee of the Quarter for thefourth quarter of 1990. Lim has been with the District since1989 as a Photo Copy Machine Operator. During thisperiod he has achieved outstanding performance andexcellent attendance. Lim attends Cal State LA where hehas two new quarters to complete his degree in PrintingManagement.

Division 9301 received the 1990 Equipment MaintenanceRecognition Program award for Most ImprovedOccupational Injuries and Wheelchair Performance for thefirst quarter of 1990. Assistant Directors of Equipment

Maintenance Tony Chavira (left) and Mike Leahy presented

Division 9301 Manager John Adams (center) with a plaqueon behalf of the employees at the division.


CHEDULANGES

Miranda-Roberts,Jacquelyn A., fromInformation Clerk to CCTVObserver.

Monarrez, Arthur F., fromBuyer to Senior Buyer.

Stevenson, Leon, fromSenior Transit OperationsSupervisor to Radio DispatchManager.

Tainter, Leland B., fromTransit Police Officer (trainee)to Transit Police Officer.

Abeyta, Martin A., fromMechanic C to Mechanic B.

Anderson, Scott C., fromTransit Police Officer (trainee)to Transit Police Officer.

Banta, Stephen R., fromRail Equipment MaintenanceSpecialist to Rail EquipmentMaintenance Supervisor.

Berry, Robert E., fromSchedule Supervisor toScheduling Systems Analyst.

Brand, Larry, fromMechanic A to Mechanic ALeader.

Chavez, Vicente, from CashClerk/Relief Vault TruckDriver to Service Attendant.

Chit, Reginald D., fromElectrician Helper toElectrician.

Chu, Wilson Wai, fromProgrammer Assistant toMaintenance SystemsSupport Analyst.

Derian, Aram, fromProgrammer Analyst to SeniorProgrammer Analyst.

Flores, Nadine F., fromMechanic C to Mechanic B.

Garcia, Victor A., fromBus Operator to BusOperator/Ex-ScheduleChecker.

Guillemet, Bruno, fromProgram Control Analyst toAdministrative Analyst.

Haag, Rory R., from ServiceAttendant to Mechanic C.

Hayes, Mwikali B., fromCustomer RelationsTechnician to AdministrativeAnälyst.

Heller, Axel C., fromElectronic CommunicationTechnician to Rail ElectronicCommunication Inspector.

Henderson, Geraldine L.,from Utility A to Utility ALeader.

Herrera, Daniel T., fromService Attendant to RovingJanitor.

Huerta, Ofelia, fromSecurity Recorder to DivisionStenographer.

Hunter, Phillip A., fromMechanic C to Mechanic B.

Jackson, Edwin C., fromBus Operator to TrainOperator.

James, Francis M., from BusOperator to Train Operator.

Johnson, Ruby L., fromSecretary to Senior Secretary.

Lane, Pamela M., fromTransit Police Officer (trainee)to Transit Police Officer.

Merhoff, Margaret E., fromContract Administrator toSenior ContractAdministrator.

Oropeza Jr., Gasper, fromElectronic Maint SupervisorI to Facilities MaintenanceManager.

Perius, Kenneth F., fromRail Systems ElectronicInspector to Rail ElectronicCommunication Inspector.

Pinkett, Charles K., fromData Processor Operator Ito Information Clerk.

Robertson, Charleene,from Mechanic C to MechanicB.

Robins, Daniel W., fromTransit Police Officer(trainee) to Transit PoliceOfficer.

Saint-Cyr, Frederick G.,from Computer SystemsEngineer to SeniorProgrammer Analyst.

Sandoval, Rogelio, fromMechanic C to Mechanic B.

Shay, Robert S., fromSchedule Checker to ScheduleChecker Supervisor.

Simpson, Bernadette H.,from Storekeeper to MaterialsManagement SystemsSupport Analyst.

Soto, Patrick J., fromProgrammer to ProgrammerAnalyst.

Square, Sandra J., fromMechanic B to Mechanic A.

Trachter, Ira, from SeniorProgram Control ProjectAnalyst to Management &Budget Analyst.

Valdes, Ramon N., fromConfiguration Control Analystto Administrative Analyst.

Villicana, Sergio P., fromStock Clerk to Storekeeper.

Yassan, Behzad, fromTransit OperationsSupervisor to Schedule MakerII.

IN MEMORIAM

Acosta, Antonio,began with the District as aBus Operator on August 10,1973, passed away on July25, 1990.

Brown, Perry, beganwith the District as a BusOperator on June 13,1947, passed away on July19, 1990.

Fletcher, RaymondW., began with the Districtas a Bus Operator onSeptember 22, 1952, passedaway on June 30, 1990.

Greasby, Jack W.,began with the District asa Transportation Superin-tendent on April 3, 1947,passed away on July 6,1990.



eFTINGARS

IN MEMORIAM

. . . continued from page 21

Harris, Linda A.,began with the District as aBus Operator/Ex ScheduleChecker on June 18, 1979,passed away on August 16,1990.

Reeves, Joseph H.,began with the District as aRadio Dispatch Manageron July 22, 1953, passedaway on August 11, 1990.

Alexander, Louvenia K.,began with the District onFebruary 28, 1979, retiredas a Bus Operator on July 31,1990.

Byerley, James W., beganwith the District on June 24,1974, retired as a BusOperator on July 5, 1990.

Demery, Joseph M., beganwith the District on May 12,1980, retired as a MechanicB on July 15, 1990.

Gilley, Ward T., began withthe District on August 25,1975, retired as a BusOperator on August 3, 1990.

Hall, Robert G., began withthe District on February 4,1967, retired as a BusOperator on August 17, 1990.

Harris, Alvin, began withthe District on October 29,1966, retired as a MechanicA on August 3, 1990.

Harrison, Leon, began withthe District on July 22, 1967,retired as a Bus Operator onJuly 31, 1990.

Hubbard, Jimmie, beganwith the District on May 11,1965, retired as a MechanicA on July 31, 1990.

Johnson, Joseph H., beganwith the District on February13, 1990, retired as a BusOperator on August 17, 1990.

Larson, Frank C., beganwith the District on May 14,1990, retired as a SafetySpecialist on June 1, 1990.

Low, Douglas A., began withthe District on December 1,1979, retired as anArchitectural ServicesManager on July 30, 1990.

O'Guyen, Donna E., beganwith the District on March28, 1979, retired as a BusOperator on February 22,1990.

Reddick, William D., beganwith the District on April 8,1967, retired as a BusOperator on July 30, 1990.

Remond, David J., beganwith the District on February5, 1966, retired as a BusOperator on August 11, 1990.

Smith, Van, began with theDistrict on November 6, 1984,retired as a Project Engineeron July 30, 1990.

Vardanian, Albert, beganwith the District on November12, 1984, retired as a ProjectEngineer on August 20, 1990.

Williams, Van B., began withthe District on July 22, 1967,retired as a Bus Operator onJuly 31, 1990.

Long, Edna Joyce,began with the District as aBus Operator on January18, 1979, passed away onJuly 31, 1990.

Marty, August R.,began with the District as aBus Operator on September22, 1972, passed away onJune 30, 1990.

Mendoza, GuillermoA., began with the Districtas a Service Attendant onFebruary 20, 1983, passedaway on July 23, 1990.

Nott, Franklin W.,began with the District as aBus Operator on October 6,1946, passed away on July21, 1990.

by Robert Torres, Manager

of Occupational Safety andHealth

Transporting Districtpassengers is a demandingjob requiring constant skilland attention. Rarely aremore demands made of andperator than when a firethreatens the safety ofthose on his or her bus. Anoperator may work foryears, or an entire career,without experiencing a bus

Ross, Shelton, beganwith the District as aSecurity Guard II onJanuary 3, 1983, passedaway on August 15, 1990.

Sidels, Leo H., beganwith the District as a BusOperator on April 28, 1948,passed away on July 21,1990.

Watley, Milas Y.,began with the District as aBus Operator on July 22,1967, passed away onAugust 17, 1990.

SCHOES OPEN

fire; however, each operatorneeds to be prepared to dealwith such a serious event.

Vehicle Eires can spreadvery quickly and requireimmediate and decisiveaction on the part of theoperator--the smokegenerated can quicklyincapacitate individuals.

The following guide-lines are provided to helpreduce the risk to personsand equipment.continued on page 53

Fire Safety on the Bus


ESP Awards Over $4,000 for Suggestions

by Denise Findlay, HumanResources Asst.

At a ceremony held at theCentral MaintenanceFacility in August, sixMaintenance employeesreceived over $4,000 as areward for their cost-savingsuggestions submitted tothe District's EmployeeSuggestion Program.Human Resources AnalystBarbara Olson made thepresentations to each of theMaintenance idea people.Those rewarded and theirsuggestions follow.

Division 9316 MechanicDavid Payton

Mr. Payton recom-mended rewiring thecontrol box for the Grum-man 870 air conditioner.His idea was officiallyadopted by the EquipmentMaintenance Departmentfor all 200+ coaches.Savings per coach isestimated between $1,000and $2,000. Mr. Paytonreceived an award of$1,000.00.

Central MaintenanceFacility MechanicSam Yi

Mr. Yi recommended asuggestion similar to Mr.Payton's. His idea wasimplemented in 25 coachesbut was not the finalsolution chosen for Districtwide use. However, basedon the merit of his idea andthe evidence of cost savingsfor the coaches that weremodified Mr. Yi wasawarded $100.

Mr. Torres suggested aremedy for the worn uppercontrol arms of the RTSsuspension. He recom-mended installing the kingpin housing bolt correctlyand adding a bushing toprevent wear on the controlarm. This solution wasapproved by EquipmentEngineering and imple-mented at CMF. First yearcost savings are expected toexceed $25,000. Mr. Torreswas awarded $1000.

Central MaintenanceFacility EquipmentMaintenance SupervisorFrank Humberstone

Mr. Humberstonesuggested that the Districtdiscontinue using the RTSstock engine door springand replace it with thoseused on the Flexible coach.The flexible part is half theprice, allows the enginedoor to be raised with less

effort and to be held in theraised position withoutretaining pins. Thissuggestion has already beenimplemented and byeliminating the RTS partthe estimated first yearsavings are between$25,000 and $50,000. Mr.Humberstone was awarded$1000.

Central MaintenanceFacility EquipmentMaintenance SupervisorNorm Boucher

Central MaintenanceFacility MechanicAleksander Afthanas

Mr. Boucher and Mr.Afthanas recommendedusing the newer TMC ringand pinion differential forall GM coaches. TheDistrict has nearly 1,000older GM coaches (RTS)which are sister designs tothe TMC, therefore, thenewer configuration worksbetter than the originaldifferential. The idea hasbeen implemented at CMF.

Mr. Ditto suggested asubstitute bus lift mastercontrol panel. The substi-tute panel can be used anytime the bus lift malfunc-tions. Additionally, it canbe hooked into the bus liftcontrol panel to overridethe malfunction. Thisallows the lift to continue towork instead of waitingdays for repair. By fabri-cating, instead of purchas-ing this panel, the Districtwas able to save $9,600 offthe cost of the four unitsalready in use. Mr. Dittoreceived an award of $960.

Don't miss youropportunity to make extramoney for your good ideas.If you've got a sure-firewinner send it in to theEmployee SuggestionProgram. Suggestion boxesand applications are locatedat every worksite.

For SaleMillion Dollar View.

Desert Hot Springs. New3-bedroom home with viewof entire valley from livingroom and dining room. Alsoroom for pool. $105,900.Ask for Anthony Jefferson(714) 875-6411.

EAP

Help Yourself

Help a Loved One

Cal) (800) 221-0942Your Employee

Assistance Program

Mr. Boucher and Mr.Afthanas split a $50.00award.

Facilities MaintenanceElectrician (retired)Guido Ditto

CMF Employees received rrecognition and cash for theirideas. They included, front row, from left to right: EMSJohn McBryan, Aleksander Afthanas, Sam Yi, Jose Torres,and CMF Superintendent Ken Miller. Back row, from leftto right, Frank Humberstone, Dave Lane, and NormBoucher.Central Maintenance

Facility MechanicJose Torres


Saving Our Planet--An RTD Primer for Children

Illustrated by Ferrol Yeakle

All living matter that is known to exist is found an one planet, the

Earth. From microscopic cells too small to see to the giant redwoods in

Sequoia and African eiephants, these living things share this planet. All

the living and non-living things that surround such cells, plants, or ani-

mals are called the environment. The environment includes the air, the

water, the soll, and the nutrients in the soll. Plants or animals in the

environment are affected by the rainfall or temperature. These plants

and animals compete for the available water and food in the environ-

ment. An environment is a delicate system. Our environment is most

threatened by one of humankind's own creations--the automobile.

The RTD is proud of the efforts it is making to clean the air in our

environment. Many of you already know of ways to save the Earth that

you may have learned from television or school. This primer will be a

review for those of you who already know. But for both those new to the

subject and those "old-hands" we wanted to present the topic in a fun

way. All the pictures were drawn with the idea that you could color them

as you read along. The following guide is presented to you so that you

can heip us save our environment.

Air

Air is vital to all living things. Without it you would suffocate in min-

utes.

Millions of years ago, dinosaurs roamed the earth. They ruled the

All rights reserved an all drawings by Ferrol J. Yeakle. NOTICE: Copies of animal masks may be reproduced by anyphotocopy process to enable a child to construct a mask for Halloween. No other part of the drawings, in part or in whole,by Ferrol J. Yeakle may be reproduced or used in any form by any means--electronic, mechanical, scanning, photocopy,stored in information retrieval systems, video, and other methods, without prior written permission of Ferrol J. Yeakle.



11-e!figrilt"-\w ;»

Earth for 130 million years. Dinosaurs breathed air just the way you do

today. In fact, the oxygen you breathe today is the same oxygen the

dinosaurs breathed! Dinosaurs used to rule the Earth, but some scien-

tists say that they all died off when the Earth grew real hot then cooled

off quickly. This was an event known as global warming which we will

talk more about later.

Air is a mixture of invisible gases--including nitrogen, oxygen, and

carbon dioxide. Air is polluted when burning fossil fuels give off gases

and particles that poison it. OiI and coal are rich in sulfur. When they

burn they give off a gas called sulfur dioxide. In Los Angeles the worst

culprits are all the vehicles driving on the freeways and streets. The

exhaust from all the vehicles produces a gas called nitrogen oxide.

When the sunlight acts on this gas, it cooks it forming a yellow-brown

haze we call smog. What is so scary is that this combination creates

the worst pollutant: ozone.

Ozone

In the upper atmosphere, more than 10 miles from the Earth's sur-

face, a layer of the invisible gas ozone shields us from the Sun's harmful

ultraviolet rays. Without that protective layer of ozone, all living things

would suffer and die.

Scientist are afraid that we are damaging the ozone layer ,in many

ways. The main dangers come from exhaust gases given off by cars,

trucks, buses, and planes and the fluorocarbons used in spray cans and

refrigerators. Only a small portion of all ozone has been lost so far. lt is

good to have it up there, but not so good to have to breathe it down

here. If we were to breathe that ozone it would be just as harmful to our

lungs as the ozone in the cities. Scientists have not found any way to


THE POLLUTION AGE IS ONLY80 YEARS OLD.

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take the ground-level ozone and use it to repair the upper atmosphere

ozone Iayer. Scientists believe that the answer is to reduce the amount

of exhaust from our vehicles that we produce down here so that we don't

damage it up there.

Acid Rain

Gases emitted from our factories and cars such as sulfur dioxide and

nitrogen oxide are carried by the wind and this causes problems for our

neighbors far away in places like Canada. The gases pollute water

drops in the air, making them into an acid. When it falls to the Earth as

rain, it falls as acid rain. When it falls it kills off plants and eats away

deeply into many of our most treasured historic buildings.

Global Warming

When we were talking about dinosaurs earlier we told you that they

all died off millions of years ago. Scientists theorize that they became

extinct when the Earth suffered its first global warming. They don't know

for certain, but guess that an asteroid, perhaps a second moon lost its

orbit and plunged through the Earth's atmosphere.

As it circled the Earth it left behind huge clouds of smoke. This so

upset the Earth's balance that it caused earthquakes and volcanoes to

become active. These volcanoes spewed clouds of smoke and gas into

the atmosphere. When the fiery asteroid hit the Earth, the explosion

filled the sky with clouds of smoke so dense that sunshine could not

shine through to the plants below.

Soon the plants died, leaving the vegetarian dinosaurs with nothing

to eat. After the vegetarian dinosaurs starved to death, the meat-eating

dinosaurs were left without food to eat. All the dinosaurs died quickly.


IP an avera8eCar Ckiinps 35 pounds

of carbon per hour intothe air and the overage

bus dumps 25 pounds ofcarbon Info the air per hour,

then 40 drivens per hourparkin9 their cars and

ridin9 a bus would saue- ourair pro,/ 115 pounds

of* carbon per hour.


By the middle of the next century scientists predict the most dramatic

change in our weather will be a warming up, but this time warming will

be caused by people not natura

Heat is entering the atmosphere from cars, factories, power stations,

and homes around the world.

Each day billions of people burn big quantities of wood, coal, oil, and

gas. This burning produces carbon dioxide gas. So do decaying roots

in chopped down forests. More carbon dioxide is entering the atmos-

phere than plants are able to take out for making foods.

All that carbon dioxide is collecting in the Earth's atmosphere. The

concentration of it acts like a greenhouse ceiling. lt lets the Sun's rays

pass through to heat the soll and plants. Once an Earth the light

changes to heat energy that tries to escape back into space. But the

"greenhouse ceiling" or carbon dioxide reflects it back down again. So

the heat from all that solar energy builds and builds up to warm the air

near the ground.

The warming process is accelerating. Scientists predict the effects

may be devastating. Deserts could migrate toward the polar regions.

Crops could fall across the great plains of the United States, but wheat

could grow in chilly northern Sweden. The world's great ice caps would

begin to melt and the sea level to rise. After a hundred years or more,

the oceans could overflow, drowning many of the world's great cities.

We can prevent this by planting trees wherever forests have been

chopped down and by reducing the exhaust from motor vehicles. Trees

would help absorb enough carbon dioxide to slow down the warming

process. Trees breathe carbon dioxide and exhale oxygen which helps

cool the planet.


riefle trees withfriends is...

a gefeit way to haveAe. Tees are your

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Each Sunday, one edition of the Los Angeles Times requires six

acres of trees. Multiply that many times over for the production of all the

daily newspapers, magazines, books, business forms in the world and

you may get some idea of how many trees are cut. Perhaps more than

10,000 acres of trees are cut daily just to satisfy the needs of the world

wide paper market.

Water

Without water we would die of thirst in days. Fresh water, an which

we depend for drinking and irrigation accounts for only 3 percent of the

total amount of water an Earth. Three-fourths of this fresh water is

frozen in the North and South Poles. Now this doesn't help us in south-

ern California where because we haven't had enough rainfall for the last

four years we are having what is known as a drought.

In 1985 Californians used approximately 18,250 billion gallons of

water from reservoirs, streams, and other sources. If we keep using up

water at that rate the demand for tap water alone could increase by 500

billion gallons a year in the next 30 years. Because southern California

is naturally a desert, all our water is imported from northern California

and out of state. We need to learn to save water. More about this later.

What's Going To Happen To Us?

So far, has what you've read scared you about your future as well as

the future of the planet? Do you think that humans beings will go the

way of the dinosaurs? There are some important differences between

us and dinosaurs besides size. Perhaps the most important is that

human beings have larger brains than any of them ever had. If we start

using our larger brains then we won't have to end up like the dinosaurs


by turning the waterorr when you brushyour teeth, you couldsaue as mach os 3

gallons oF watenf

and we'll be able to save our planet.

Tremendous supplies of energy support our way of life. We need

energy to cook food, to heat or cool our homes, to grow and harvest

crops, to manufacture goods, and to transport goods and people. Yet

those supplies are running out. By the year 2000 we will need even

more energy than we do today.

If nothing takes the place of disappearing fuels, our homes will be

hard to run, crop yields will slump, factories and vehicles will become

idle. Millions of people will lose work, warmth and food, and die of cold

and hunger. But it need not happen. As the old fossil fuels vanish, new

energy sources are being discovered. These include solar energy and

devices that can harness winds, waves, and plants.

While scientists refine these sources for our use we can conserve

the existing energy sources we have.

One of the solutions to these complex problems of pollution and

energy depletion is the system your parents are a part of--the RTD. The

RTD can maintain life by helping people out of their cars and on to trains

and buses. Fewer cars on the road will mean less pollution in the air.

As a child of an RTD employee you have the privilege of a free RTD bus

pass. Use it and cut down on pollution!

Alternate Fuels

The RTD is also a leader among transit systems in the nation in

trying to reduce both bus diese! exhaust and the testing of alternate-

fueled buses in order to clean the polluted air.

The RTD has a fleet of 30 buses that run on methanol fuel. Metha-

nol is a liquid fuel made from natural gas that does not emit as much

exhaust as gasoline or diesel fuels do. The RTD is testing these buses

on the streets of Los Angeles. This is the largest program of its kind in


ONE BUSERIDE SHARINGLREP1ACES so -ro100 CARS

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the world. Also, the RTD is testing 10 buses fueled with compressed

natural gas (CNG). Other experimental programs include use of the

diesel additive Avocet, and the use of special particulate traps in diesel

exhaust systems. Researchers are also testing the use of ethanol as a

fuel for buses. Ethanol, which can be made from corn, will be tested this

year.

Ridesharing

If it isn't practical for you or your parents to use the bus or train

everyday, the RTD also encourages other ridesharing opportunities.

This means carpooling, vanpooling, walking, biking, or skate boarding to

your destination. Your mother or father may be asked to participate in

an experimental program known as telecommuting. This means your

mother or father can work at home with a computer or other device that

is linked to a main office. Other measures that are being used to help

the environment include alternate work schedules. Some RTD employ-

ees work a 4/10 week--10 hours a day, four days a week; or some work

9/80--9 hours a day, 5 days a week with 1 short day during a week,

followed by a 4-day week

The RTD is performing a key rote in cleaning up the air in Los Ange-

les. We need your help and we need you to encourage your parents to

participate in this effort. We do want to leave you a healthy, 'happy

planet but sometimes we all forget to do what we should so we need a

loving person to remind us. You be that person! Remember the well-

ness of Earth is riding an it.


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45 Things You Can Do To Clean the Air and SaveYour Planet

Transportation

1. Walk or ride your bike or skate-board for short errands.

2. Use the bus or car Pool.

3. Ride the Blue Line.

Energy

4. Replace incandescent light buibs with compact fluorescent buibs

that screw into standard sockets. They burn ten times as long

and use only one quarter of the energy.

5. When buying appliances or toys buy the products that use the

least energy.

Water

6. Shorten your shower. Even one or two minutes can save up to

700 gallons a month.

7. Use low-flow shower heads.

8. Put bathroom trash in the wastebasket instead of flushing it down

the toilet.

9. Put a brick in your toilet tank and use less water for flushing.

10. Turn off the water while brushirrg your teeth. (Saves 3 gallons

each day.)

11. While you wait for hot water to come down the pipes, catch the

flow in a watering can to use later an house plants or a garden.

(Saves 100-300 gallons a month).

12. Fix leaking faucets.

13. Run only full loads in the washer, dishwasher, and dryer.


14. Keep a bottle in the refrigerator for drinking instead of running

the tap for cold water.

15. Use the garbage disposal less and the garbage can more.

16. When washing dishes by hand, use a spray device or short

blasts instead of letting the water run for rinsing.

17. Sweep driveways, patios, and sidewalks instead of using the

hose every time you clean them.

18. Don't play with the hose.

19. If you play with the sprinkler, make sure it is also watering the

grass and not the cement.

Air

20. Plant more trees in your back yard and an public properties to

break down pollutants and reduce dust. A total of 300 trees can

counterbalance the amount of air pollution one person produces

in a lifetime

21. Stop using aerosol propellants. The propellants used in aerosol

cans of hairspray, deodorants, and household products contrib-

ute to smog.

22. Ride the bus, train, or walk, bike ride, or skate-board, or carpool.

23. Select products with less packaging. Packaging consumes en-

ergy when its made, creates harmful pollutants (called volatile

organic compounds [VOCs]) when its printed, and produces

carbon dioxide when it's burned. Carbon dioxide is one of the

greenhouse gases. Those pretty packages. represent half of the

nation's t osts of waste disposal.

24. Go solar for home and water heating.

25. Combine errands into one trip.


In the Future, your mother or Father maywork at horne with a computer Urlied tothe main ofrice.

26. Report smoking vehicles by calling 1-800- CUT-SMOG.

27. Tell your parents to paint with water-based paints. Oil-based

paints contain three to five times more toxic solvents than water-

based, latex paints.

28. Paint with brushes or rollers. Spray paints from cans are double

trouble. The gas that propels the spray and any paint that dries

before impact or misses its target create pollution.

29. Have your parents fire up your barbeque in a different way. The

typical lighter fluid used to start backyard barbecues adds up to

four tons of pollutants to our skies an a single day.

30. Conserve energy.

31. Have your parents insulate your home.

32. Have your parents keep their car engine well-tuned.

33. Tell your parents to drive an radial tires. They produce less air-

damaging particulate matter per mile traveled than bias-ply tires

do.

34. Cooperate with the state's smog-check program.

Toxics

35. Check your supply of cleaning supplies to see which ones might

contain toxic ingredients. Have your parents replace them with

non-toxic alternatives like baking soda, phosphate-free deter-

gents, borax, natural soap, washing soda, and white vinegar.

36. Think before you throw it away. Before disposing of a container,

use up the entire product.

37. Try to avoid unnecessary plastic products and containers

38. If you are unable to completely use or recycle a hazardous pro-

duct take it to a hazardous waste disposal facility.


RECYCLEThe energy saved by

recycling one Blassbohle, could operate

TV Por

3hours.

39. Remind your mom or dad not to drain automotive fluids into the

sewer. Oil, antifreeze, and batteries can be recycled at some

gas stations and brake fluid and transmission fluid should be

taken to a special hazardous waste disposal facility.

40. Stop treating your lawn and plants with pesticides.

Solid Waste/Recycling

41. Separate your cans, bottles, plastic containers, and bags, and

newspapers and recycle them. Some recycling centers offer

redemption rates that will make this effort pay off for you.

42. Organize a recycling program at your school, office, apartment,

building, or place of worship.

43. Use cloth napkins and towels instead of the paper variety; can-

vas grocery bags rather than plastic and paper ones; permanent

dishes and silverware instead of plastic, paper, and styrofoam

replacements. Use cloth diapers instead of disposable plastic

ones. Take your mug to school instead of buying a beverage in

styrofoam.

44. Encourage your school to use recycled paper for its stationary,

photocopier, and printing needs.

45. Educate yourself and your family about air pollution. Phone the

South Coast Air Quality Management District at (818)572-6283

for information.


Halloween MasksOctober is the month of Halloween. We thought it might be a fun idea to include masks of some the animals that need forus to keep the Earth cool. Follow the instructions carefully when cutting out your Halloween mask.

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Line Up to Sign Up ForAmerica's Drug Free Decade

National Red Ribbon CampaignOctober 20-28, 1990

T he national epidemic of drug and alcohol abusecontinues to rage. What can you do to help steinthe tide?

On October 1, billboards all across America will beunveiled urging citizens to Line Up to Sign Up for America'sDrug Free Decade. President and Mrs. George Bush areHonorary Chairs for the National Red Ribbon Campaignsponsored by the National Federation of Parents for DrugFree Youth. Pledge to be drug free. Petitions can be foundin classrooms, hospitals, police stations, supermarkets, shoestores, and churches.

But don't stop with just your signature. Start with your-self. Begin by taking good care of your own Body, before andafter you become a parent. Do you really need a drink orcigarette to calm your nerves? Are you aware of the effects ofalcohol or nicotine, as well as illegal drugs, an the unbom?Read the labels.

When your personal house is in order, you're ready towork toward drug abuse prevention within your family.Become an informed parent. Find out all you can about howparents (and other important adults) influence children'slives. What are the long-range results of different parentingstyles?

Set a good example for your own children and others inyour family or neighborhood. Treat children from babiesthrough teens with respect, and they'll respect themselvesand you. Instill healthy habits, such as buckling up, sochildren know ways to take care of themselves.

Use positive discipline techniques. Children who feel con-fident and competent are far less likely to turn to drugs to

escape life's inevitable obstacles. Nurture children's ability tosolve their own problems. Develop their sense of responsibil-ity to self and others by making sure they experience realconsequences for their actions whenever it's appropriate. Setreasonable rules and expectations, and stick to them. Pro-vide information about drugs so children are informed aboutwhat drugs do to minds and bodies, but avoid scare tacticsthat may backfire. Build up the children in your ft.„iiily,don't break them down.

After your home act is together, volunteer in schools,churches, youth organizations, community coalitions. Allkids need grownups they can trust. Listen to the youngergeneration, but resist the temptation to lecture. Rememberhow you closed your ears to scoldings? Help select or designappropriate recreational and leaming activities for all ages.Boost kids' inner strengths so they can comfortably say no.Offer face-saving strategies to resist peer pressure. Enjoygood times together.

At the same time, leam all you can about the signs ofdrug abuse. Locate local resource groups to tum to imme-diately if yoti spot signs that kids need help. Rally yourcommunity in support of its youth.

And remember: Constructive efforts such as these are farmore likely to create a drug-free atmosphere than work-sheets, destructive criticism, threats of punishment, andtension-filled encounters. A warm heart and an engagingmind are much more likely to be imitated by people of allages.

Let's celebrate America's drug-free youth!Bam


American Cancer Society Bumpersticker Contestby Luanna Urie

Each year the AmericanCancer Society sponsors abumpersticker contestthrough the schools topublicize the Great Arneri-can SmokeOut day, a daywhere smoking adultsvolunteer to not smoke for24 hours in honor of theidea of freedom fromsmoking. This year theGreat American SmokeOutday is November 15, theThursday before Thanksgiv-ing. Some adults who refuseto smoke for 24 hours onthis day, actually quitsmoking for good. Sochildren, encourage yourparents and other familymembers to refuse to smokeon this day, and enter thebumper sticker contest foryourself. If you are in

grades 3 to 6 and you wishto enter this contest, andyou have not already doneso, RTD is giving you achance to enter its contest.Think of a design for abumpersticker using thetheme of the Great Ameri-can SmokeOut Day (GASday), and submit yourdesign in color to MaryReyna, the editor of theHeadway. You may submityour design in English or inSpanish. There will be awinner in each category.Submit your design by No-vember 2. 1990.

Great American SmokeOutBumpersticker ContestRules

1. The theme is "TheGreat American Smoke-out."

2. Entries may besubmitted in English andSpanish.

3. All work must beORIGINAL and not copiedfrom photographs or thework of another artist.

4. All colors and anymedium except photogra-phy and collages may beused.

5. Entries may incor-porate words and artwork.All writing must be legible.The bumperstickers mustbe legible from a distance.

6. The deadline isNovember 2 for the RTDcontest. (For the AmericanCancer Society Contest, thedeadline is October 5,1990.)

7. Entries must be onthe printed form on thereverse side of this page,which may be copied.

8. The original willbecome the property of theRTD and may be repro-duced and displayedthroughout the District.

9. One winner and twosemi-finalists will beselected on the basis oforiginality, visual impact ofthe design,.quality of thework, and appropriatenessfor display.

10. A picture of thewinner and of the winningdesign will be reproduced inthe Headway. There will bea small prize awarded toeach of the semi-finalists,as well as to the winner. Sohave fun and enter thiscontest for saving our lovedones and our environment.

See the application on page54.

Fires on Buses. . . continued from page 22

• Should a bus fireoccur, immediately stop thebus in a safe location, placeshift selector in neutral,activate the emergencyparking brake, open thefront and rear doors if it issafe to do so, and turn theengine off.

• Quickly evacuate allpassengers from the bus.Remember to use emer-gency exits as necessary.

• Make sure allpassengers have alightedthe bus and are at a safelocation away from thevehicle.

• Without takingundue risks, attempt to putout the fire using the bus'fire extinguisher.

• Remove the extin-

guisher from the bracket,pull the pin, aim theextinguisher at the base ofthe fire and use a side toside sweeping motion toextinguish the fire.

• If it is safe to do so,use the bus radio to call theradio dispatcher; otherwise,use a telephone.

It is important thatoperators check the fireextinguisher during thepre-trip safety inspection toensure that it is adequatelycharged and not out of date.

Hopefully, you'll neverhave a fire on your bus, butif you do, using thesetechniques can help yourespond quickly andeffectively.

Wedding

CMF Mechanic A John Hughes, 28, married Kim Caldwell,26, on June 9, 1990 in Las Vegas at the Chapel of theFountain in Circus Circus. John works in the Mid-LifeShop and Kim is an auditor with a medical clinic in Covina.The new couple makes their home in West Covina.


NAME

PARENT'S NAMEBADGE #DIVISION

AGE

01

DIRECTIONS1. Create a bumpersticker design for the 1990 Great American Smokeout.2. Draw or write your design in the box below.3. All colors and any materials except collage and photography may be used.4. Entries may include words and artwork. All words must be printed clearly.

A Lifetime in Transit? 44 Years May Be Enough for Deem

Stops and Zones Representative Jim Deem winding downhis career in transit after serving 44 years.

"When I hired on we had company....I worked withrapid transit but I guess we Earl Clark [UTU Generaljust didn't know it," said

Chairman] at El Monte wayStops and Zones Represen- back when. He was a yeartative Jim Deem who or two behind me," saidstarted his transit career 44 Deem. His starting salaryyears ago this month, and was $1.0l an hour whileis number one in seniority break-in pay was a mere 65among noncontract employ- cents an hour.ees. Deem conducted on the

Deem broke into the Huntington Drive route forsystem as a conductor on many years. It was thethe Red Cars in 1946. main artery through theThen, the RTD's predeces- northern district. Thesor, Pacific Electric Rail- outer track was the localway, ran over 1,100 miles of line and the inner trackinterurban service running was the main line. "Picturefrom San Bernardino to Los this, these rattlely old carsAngeles down to Venice running up Oak KnollBeach and Long Beach. Avenue past these wonder-Deem had just mustered

ful old mansions, then ontoout of the U.S. Navy where Lake Avenue to Coloradohe served in the Pacific

Boulevard west to FairTheatre as an air crewman

Oaks Boulevard and,

on a torpedo bomber which

finally, to the the car barnflew off the the U.S.S. at Fair Oaks and Walnut inLexington. Pasadena. There's not a

"There were six people trace of any of it left."in my training dass back

Wistful with histhen. Five went to the memories of the late '40swestern district after basic, and early '50s, DeemI went to the northern. The commented that thesystem was split up that attitudes of people seemedway, into the four regions. to have changed over theI don't think there are any

last 40 years. "In the '50s

ex-Pacific Electric people we didn't have the vandal-left in this entire

ism you have today. The

Red Cars had plush seatsand they didn't dare cutthem all up like bus seatsare today. We didn't havetoo much trouble with kidsback then."

Despite the gentlertimes, change was in theair. Passenger levels beganto drop off in the post-wardecade and automobilebecame king. "In the '50sthey started dismantlingthe rail and used morebuses. The existing raillines were converted fromlocals to short-line routesand became one-man caroperations. That's when Iqualified for front-endwork. That means Ibecame a motorman. As aconductor I collected thefares while the motormandrove. But by that timethey were already begin-ning to compress theworkloads." To promotefrom any grade requiredqualification time. Anemployee put in this timeon his own with no pay."For example, if you wantedto go from conductor tomotorman, it took youabout one week on each lineto qualify with hoursneeded driving. The drivingwas done on your off time."

The extra board in the'40s and '50s was sevendays a week with noassigned days off. Over-time was over eight hourson any given day. Regularassignments had one dayoff, that is, all contractemployees worked a 6-dayweek.

The fare in the early'50s was 23 cents fromdowntown Los Angeles toPasadena. Simple enoughto keep track of unless you

drove the Los Angeles toSan Bernardino line whichcontained 23 different farebreaks of which a conductorhad keep track. All operat-ing revenue came out of thefarebox. There was no suchthing as a governmentsubsidy, yet.

"Originally, as aprivate industry we oper-ated out of the farebox. So,we offered the service thatwould create the revenue.Now we don't do thatbecause we are subsidized.I doubt any lines pay theirown way."

In 1953, the PacificElectric Railway was sold toJesse Haugh and becameknown as the MetropolitanCoach Lines. "We had ourreorganizations back then,too," said Deem. "Theystarted centralizing theareas. We used to haveterminals in Alhambra,Baldwin Park, Rosemead,and in Pomona. By themid-50s they built Division9 and brought all theequipment there. Before[the merger] all the buseshad to be fueled in LosAngeles at 6th and MainStreets. But at Division 9they could be cleaned andfueled ready for the morn-ing shift."

In 1958 the Los AngelesMetropolitan TransitAuthority was establishedby State legislation. Thisstate action merged Metro-politan Coach Lines withthe Los Angeles TransitLines, which ran the YellowCars in the Los Angelesurban area.

"Out of 200 drivers Iwas one-quarter from the



44 Years in Transit May Be Enough . . . continued from page 55

top of the list in seniority.When they merged, 100drivers came in ahead ofme." He doesn't recallbeing affected personally bythe merger. "It doesn'tmatter who you drive for aslong as you get your pay. Itwas a meaningful merger in1958. The creation of theRTD in 1964 was primarilya name change. But, thebiggest merger may becoming down the road," hesaid referring to theinevitable reorganizationbetween the Los AngelesCounty TransportationCommission and the RTD.

Deem remained atDivision 9 until 1969. Hislast few years were spentworking as a Division Clerkassigning runs and han-

dling all the cash faresturned in by operators.Leaving the division, heworked as a PassengerAgent, ordering the designof the monthly pass, andsupplies of transfers andtickets until 1975 when hestarted with the Stops andZones Department.

"Originally, as arepresentative I wasassigned to the San GabrielValley territory which ranfrom Glendale to Riversideand San Bernardino, butnow, with the loss of somany lines it doesn't extendthat far. My territory stopsat Ontario Airport and theMontclair Park-n-Ride." Hekeeps track of the nearly4500+ bus stops in thatregion making sure theyare in good repair, meeting

with city officials whorequest the establishmentof new bus stops, andrelocating old stops.

From the perspective ofnearly half a century intransit, Deem sees adevolution of the system."In 1958, when the MTAtook over service all theselittle municipals likeAsbury and Alhambra wereabsorbed because theycouldn't make it. Now itlooks like they are breakingit up again and going backto the way it was. I thinkit's detrimental to service.They are supposed to becharging less, but are they[Foothill Transit] getting alarger subsidy to make upfor it? How cost-efficient amethod is this?" As far asthe new rail systems that

RTD is and will operate,what does the future hold?"It's a step in the rightdirection but your mainproblem is getting peopleout of those cars. I have noidea how to get them out."

In a few months gettingpeople out of their cars andinto buses and light railisn't going to be one ofDeem's problems anymore.He plans to retire from theRTD in January 1991. "Alot of people would com-plain about working 44years, but transit hasprovided me with a comfort-able living." He said he hadno definite plans afterleaving the RTD other than"to sleep in and do what-ever I want to do."

Deem and his wife,Ruby, reside in Alhambra.

Cypress Park Makes a Showing in Summer Meetsby Richard Presnell,Division 3

During the month ofJuly, members of theCypress Park Judo Club,who are coached by Division3 Operator Lou Trammell,competed in the U.S.National Judo Champion-ships at Cypress College inOrange County.

Seventeen students,including several childrenof District operators tookpart in the 3-day event heldJuly 5-7. Over 900 athletesfrom all over the UnitedStates, including Guam,Puerto Rico, Alaska, andHawaii competed in thetoughest athletic event thisside of the Olympics.

Bianca Moran, the 8-year-old daughter of Terriand Operator Richard

Moran, captured the secondplace trophy in the 8- and9-year-old girls' divisions tobecome a national dasschampion. David Sanchez,15, captured third place inthe boys open/all comersdivision, losing to a 345-pound champion from KernCounty.

The club memberslicked their wounds andgirded themselves for theJunior Olympics JudoCompetition held July 14-15. The club took 12championship placementsin the meet. JuniorOlympics champions in thegirls' division included:first-place winner OliviaRivas, daughter of OperatorJose Rivas; and second-place winner YvonneCarrera, daughter of Renee

and Nancy Carrera.Claudia Gholizadeh,daughter of Operator RandyGholizadeh won first-placefor 12-year-old girls. Eight-year-old, lightweightnational champion wasBianca Moran, showingthat dynamite does come insmall packages. Biancaexploded into third-place inher age classification.

Valerie Trammell, 11,daughter of Operator andJudo Instructor LouTrammell, and RaquelMoran, daughter of Opera-tor Richard Moran, cap-tured fifth-place in theirdivisions. Other fifth-placerankers included ChristineCarrera, David Sanchez,Frank Ibarra, Tay Hoong,and Rocky Duren. Defi-nitely, the girls walked

away with it. More nextmonth about the GoldenState Open held in Septem-ber.

Div. 5Bar-B-Queby Juanita Wright

On June 29, 1990,Division 5 was proud tohold a very successful Bar-B-Que. With the combinedassistance of our Mainte-nance and TransportationDepartment employees,everyone who cooked,cleaned, and organizedwere able to enjoy thedelicious results! Proceedsof donations received weregiven to the JasonMcKnight Trust Fund.


The Rose Man of Line 212Division 15 Operator Clayton Penn has gathered a nick-name as a result of working at the RTD--the "Rose Man."An apt handle for a man who makes a habit of giving longstem roses to his passengers just because he wants to.

He likes to hand them out to unsuspecting passengerson Friday afternoon because it's the end of the week and ithelps people lighten up for the weekends. "Mondaymornings are a good time too because most people aregrouchy because they don't want to go to work. It justpicks them up!"

The operator has been surprising his customers forquite a while and now has it down to an efficient science."I deal with a flohst, Rita Flor on 6th and La Brea, who canget me in and out of her store in 2 minutes or less with 100roses. When she sees me she drops everything," says Penn.

Penn says he does it because he's Irish. "And I amcrazy so that should explain it."

Division 15 Operator Clayton Penn hands a rose to one ofhis patrons on the 212 line.

Daughter Launches SingingCareerAro

FRE

Born to TOS WifriedGasser and his wife Wanda,

son, Martin Albert, onAugust 3, 1990. Martinweighed in at 7 lbs. 3 oz.and was 20 inches long.

Veteran driver ElmerPaul Lewis Sr. is the proudnew grandpa of baby EtuPaul Lewis, born to Divi-sion 16 Operator ElmerPaul Lewis Jr. and his wifeSheila.

Baby Etu is E.P. Sr.'ssixth grandson and E.P.Jr.'s fifth child and onlyson. Born February 18,1990 in Fontana, Etuweighed in at 9 lbs., 1-1/2oz. and was 21-1/2 inclieslong. Etu, pronounced Ah-too, is a Native Americanname which means "theSun." Said the proudparents: "Etu is a constantjoy, he's our personal littlesolar system, our sunshine,our son."

Ebony Anderson, 13,daughter of Division 16Mechanic A LeadmanHarold Anderson, made adebut release of the song"Let Hirn in Your Heart" onJune 1 under the ShiningGlory Record label. Thesong is a varied gospelarrangement.

Ms. Anderson's vocalstylings find their source inthe church. She was raisedin a family where churchand family come first. Theeldest of four children, shesaid: "I love to hearMahalia Jackson sing. Iwant to do the best that Ican and put God first." Sheis an 8th grade honorsstudent and member of thecommunity choir at Palo-mares Junior High Schoolin Pomona.

The making of her firstrecord was a family affair,with Ms. Anderson's threebrothers and cousinssinging vocal background.She also helped write one ofthe verses of the song, thus

Ebony Andersongiving her the opportunityto be a part of the AmericanSociety of Composers,Authors, and Publishers(ASCAP).

On June 29, Ms.Anderson was selected asthe winner of the KMAH-FM, 107.1 1990 TalentSearch. She performed hersingle before a full audienceaboard the "CaliforniaHornblower" dining yachton June 30. The Brandprize for winning thecompetition was an oppor-tunity to perform on thenationwide Bobby JonesGospel Show, which is airedon BET.

FIS


A Ride to the Circus

Youth center members were greeted by clowns from thecircus who escorted them to the show at the Long BeachConuention Center.

Division 5's Friends of Society include, front row, from leftto right: Rickey Keeles, Vernell Elgin, and Patrick Mitchell.Back row, from left to right: Bruce Williams, Dwight Allen,Derrick Wayne Hasan, Melvin Derden, and Everett Lomax.

How do you get 93 children,ages ranging from 18months to 15 years to theRingling Bros., Barnum andBailey Circus? By the BlueLine, of course. That'swhat Community RelationsRepresentative PhyllisTucker did when ap-proached by the YouthAction Center for PositiveChange in Compton.

The youth centerdirectors originally told Ms.Tucker that the groupwould consist of approxi-mately 60 children, butwhen word got out that thefield trip was to the circus,the draw was irresistible.

Ms. Tucker, along with

the youth center programcoordinator Joe Story and 5other adult leaders met atthe Compton Station for theexpress train driven byDivision 11 Manager JohnByrd at 11 a.m. on July 27.

All 93 children alongwith their chaperons weresafely delivered to AnaheimStation where they disem-barked and caught the LongBeach Transit Shuttle toFirst Street. The childrenwere met at their bus stopby two clowns from thecircus who escorted themthe rest of the way (2blocks) to the greatest showon earth.

Friends of Society Come to its AidIn these uncertain timesand around the meanstreets surrounding theirworkplace, Division 5employees Bruce Williams,Melvin Derden, and DerrickWayne (Hasan), began tofeel that the communityand the media were payingtoo much attention to thenegative and diabolicalelements of society. Drugs,gangs, and crime werebeing sensationalized. Itseemed like wrong-mindedthugs were quickly becom-ing the role models foryouth.

With the belief that Dr.Martin Luther King'sdream was still alive andwell, Williams, Derden, andWayne (Hasan) made acommitment that the right-minded people of thecommunity should not gounnoticed and should berewarded for their gooddeeds.

In search of people who

shared their point of view,they found Everett Lomax,Dwight Allen, PatrickMitchell, Vernell Elgin, andRickey Keeles were alsointerested in joining theFriends of Society.

Their first order ofbusiness was to sponsor anappreciation dinner for

Division 5 Senior InstructorDick Smalls. The dinnerwas a great success. Thenext venture established atrust fund for formerTorrance High Schoolfootball player, JasemMcKnight. Jason's neckwas broken while attempt-ing a tackle during a game

in September 1989.Friends of Society are

especially grateful to theEmployee ActivitiesDepartment for donatingfunds to Division 5 whichhelped make their Bar-B-Que such a success. Also, aspecial thanks to Mr. B. J.Harris, Division 5 divisionmanager, for his help andcooperation.

Future endeavors ofFriends of Society includeestablishing a scholarshipfund, raising funds forunderprivileged children,and rewarding individualsfor their contributions tothe community.

EAP

lt WorksCall 1-800-221-0942


Making a Difference in West HollywoodBy day Tad Bright is anemployee in the Govern-ment and Press RelationsDepartment, but off the jobhe is a committed activisttrying to rid his WestHollywood neighborhood ofcrime.

Bright is the co-chairperson of EastendCommunity Action (ECA), aneighborhood group formedto reduce crime in the WestHollywood area betweenFairfax and La Breaavenues. Recently, ECAreceived the 1989-90 City ofWest Hollywood CrimeWatcher of the Year awardfrom the Los AngelesCounty Sheriffs Depart-ment.

Since its formation overa year ago, ECA hasmanaged to close a fast-foodrestaurant known as theOki Dog that was a hangoutfor drug dealers and streetprostitutes. They nexttargeted Plummer Parkwhich had become a havenfor vagrants and drugdealers who caused localresidents to shun the park.Drafting a stritt no-camping law and demand-ing enforcement cleared thepark of the unwanted drugdealers and vagrants.

Although the organiza-tion has managed to reducethe amount of streetprostitution, Bright admitsthat more residents stillhave to be organized toachieve the goal of eradicat-ing the problem in thecommunity.

ECA joined withNeighborhood WatchGroups throughout WestHollywood on August 7 tocelebrate National NightOut, an annual demonstra-

tion by community groupsacross America to heightenawareness and participa-tion in local crime preven-tion programs.

This year the celebra-tion was held in PlummerPark and included aconcert, strolling musicians,mimes, games, free t-shirtsinscribed with the legend:"Local Hero," free food, andsoft drinks. A hook-and-ladder fire engine and asheriffs patrol car were ondisplay. Bright and otherECA members participated.The highlight of the eveningwas a candlelight march onSanta Monica Boulevard toPoinsettia Street and backto the park. Residentsturned on all their outsidelights as a symbolic decla-ration against street crime

It is not always dra-matic events that galvanizea citizen into action notedBright as he recalled hisown experience. "You know

Tad Bright, RTD employeeand Eastend CommunityAction co-chairman, handsout balloons to childrenand residents of WestHollywood at a celebrationheld on August 7 inPlummer Park.

the odor we smell out in thealley here [next to theheadquarters building],well I smelled it on myblock. It scared the hell outof me," he said. "I decidedto do something."

He started going to theWest Hollywood CityCouncil meetings andparticipated in demonstra-tions against prostitution."Everybody says you can'tdo anything- about prostitu-tion. I don't agree. I can'tstop it all over the world,but I can in my ownneighborhood. I am notconcerned with the moralissues involved here. Itrepresents a more immedi-ate threat to me, withprostitution comes drugsand violence."

Now that Bright hasgotten involved he claimsthe ability to pack anymeeting he needs to. "Thisis the most exciting thingI've euer gotten involved in.I can have coffee witheveryone in my neighbor-hood, now I know everyone.I know most of the deputiesat the sheriffssubstation...I know mytown."

The majority of thepopulation in West Holly-wood is senior citizens, forthis reason the goal of ECAis to ensure that thecommunity is safe enoughfor them to come out atnight. "We want to make itsafe enough for them to beable to go out with theirgrandchildren. We want toprove all those folks wrongwho say you can't changeit," said Bright.

Bright contends thatanyone who is interestedenough can make the same

progress in his neighbor-hood that ECA has made intheirs. "As a practicalmatter no one knows whatto do. The thing is to justdo it."

Nancy Greenstein,public safety coordinator forthe City of West Hollywoodand staff liaison to all theneighborhood watchprograms, said: "Tad issomeone who was con-cerned with the conditionsin his neighborhood anddecided to make a differ-ence."

A Reminderto all RTDRetirees

It is almost unbelievablethat summer is over andfall is in swing. Hope eachof you had a marveloustime and did all the thingsyou had planned.

We expect to see manymore of our membersattend our social meetingsin the months ahead.Please come, bring a friendand support your local club.

Most of us retireesspent many years of ourlives working for the samecompany, perhaps not inthe same department but aspart of a unit doing equallyimportant work so that theRTD and its predecessorscould function.

The Retiree clubs areset up for the purpose oftrying to unite and bring asmany of us as possibletogether where we can

continued on page 61 .. .


Pam Nieves attempts to coach a child on the technique ofbreaking an "unbreakable" pinata.

Maintßnanc6Christnias Party

is p nned f or

Sat., December 1, 1990Radisson Hotel

City of Commerce6:30 p.m to 1:30 a.m.

For more information, contact: _Mike Bujosa-5710, Maggie Cook-6000

Plex OiNuzzo-6306, Oscar Gamboa-6310,Yolanda Perez-5805 or Anne Zauala-5794

Accounting Takes the Day Offby Abe Barakat

The Accounting and FiscalDepartment held its firstAnnual Summer Picnic onSunday, August 19, at theScholl Canyon Park in theCity of Glendale. Aroundsixty accounting personneland their family memberscame to the picnic.

The picnic activitieswere planned and organizedby the Picnic Committeechaired by Abe Barakatwith Ha Chau, ReginaChan, Sheila Azbi, JerrySolomon, and DominickNieves as members.Although the picnic activi-ties officially started at11:00 a.m., the PicnicCommittee members werealready at the picnic sitemuch earlier arranging,preparing and decoratingthe place.

As early as 11:30 a.m.,you could hear the sizzle ofthe hamburgers and hotdogs on the grill. Afterlunch, everybody relaxed tothe musical treat rendered

by JeJe Noval, a concertand recording artist anddaughter of Tito Novel, anRTD accountant. After themusical respite, thepicnickers split into twogroups: one group playedbingo with Jerry Solomonas the caller; and anothergroup played volleyball withour Controller Tom Rubin.

One of the picnichighlights was the water-melon-eating contests: onefor the children and one forthe adults. Both generatedmuch excitement from theonlookers. After thewatermelon-eating contests,the kids took turns beatingthe Pinata which refused tobreak. The water balloontossing and tug-of-wargames completed therecreational activities of theday. Prizes were given tothe winners in each gamecategory. At about 4:00p.m. the picnickers reluc-tantly left for home havingspent an exhausting andentertaining day with thehope of repeating it againnext year.

The watermelon-eating contest had competitors going down

to the rind before they came up for air.


Cancer Is ComplexFor the latest cancerinformation from theNational Cancer Institute'sCancer Information Service,write:

The National Cancer InstituteBuilding 31, Room 10A24Bethesda, Maryland20892-3100 U.S.A.

Getting theInformationIs Simple

Or Call:1-800-4-CANCER*(1-800-422-6237)

*In Hawaii, on Oahu call524-1234.Neighbor islandscall collect.

Restaurant Reviewby Susan Harvey, Dia. 15Asst. Mgr.

Several operators havecalled to recommendvarious restaurants thatthey feel -are exceptional.One such restaurant is ElJarrito on Olympic Blvd.This is a family ownedrestaurant, and they havebeen at this location since1950. El Jarrito serves beerand wine, but no hardliquor. They have a niceselection of imported beers,such as Dos Equis andNoche Buena.

The real reason fortrying El Jarrito is the food,which is both very good andreasonably priced. Theyserve the usual tacos,enchiladas, and burritos,and the unusual, such asBirria (goat). This is servedJalisco style, with a spicybarbecue sauce. There areboth pork and chickentamales, and a treat called

Chalupas. This is friedcorn masa, shaped like asmall canoe and filled withyour choice of chicken, beef,pork, or lamb. They alsoserve not only your regularhard or fried taco, but thesoft tacos and for a specialtreat, try their taquitos.These are not the factory-made variety, but a hearty,meat-filled homemade type.Try them with the thickguacamole.

When you first sitdown, they bring you anexcellent homemade salsa,with chips and a dish ofsour cream. This is differ-ent; the sour cream helps tolower the flame from thesalsa. For dessert, try thebanana sauted in butterwith an orange and limesauce.

El Jarrito is located at2833 W. Olympic Blvd. inLos Angeles. Their tele-phone number is (213) 383-7317.

With our friends,Jackie and Joanne Lee(Jackie is a supervisor atDivision 3201) we tried avery nice restaurant in theCity of Industry.

Luckey is a combina-tion Mandarin and Szech-wan style restaurant. Theirpot stickers were very good,with a nice pork filling, andtheir spicy food was not too

Retirees. . . continued from page 59

socialize and discuss oldtimes. Make an effort tocome and support eitherthe "Inland Valley Club" orthe "City of CommerceClub." Addresses anddirections are printed in theHeadway each month. Giveus a try, who knows, youmay like it.

There are changes forthe November (Thanksgiv-ing meeting). It will beheld November 13 in theTown Hall in Perris. TheInland Valley Club will behost to the City of Com-merce Club on that date.There will be no meeting inPerris during December.The City of Commerce Clubwill host the Inland ValleyClub on December 13 for aChristmas Social.

I encourage all mem-bers and friends to comeand support both clubs onthese two special occasions.Hope to see you all there. Ifyou have any questions, youcan resch me at (714) 929-3598.

Bill McGeePresident, InlandValley Club

spicy. General Tsung'sChicken is a spicy, sweetand sour chicken and verytasty. We would alsorecommend the LambSzechwan style, and theShrimp with Spiced Salt.

Luckey Restaurant islocated at 165 S. HaciendaBlvd. in the City of Indus-try. Their telephonenumber is (818) 369-6819.

DIRECTIONS

PerrisFrom north or south on

SR215 go west on 4thStreet (Hwy 74) and make aleft on "A" Street and aleft on Mapes Road (thefirst street south of themuseum parking lot) and aleft along a private road tothe "Town Hall."

Town Hall of OrangeEmpire Railway Museum,2201 A Street, Perris, CA.

CommerceWestbound on the

Santa Ana Fwy: TakeWashington Blvd. turnoff,then turn right on Tele-graph Road, right onWashington Blvd. and atthe 3rd traffic light, whichis Commerce Way, turnright to the Aquatorium.

Eastbound on theSanta Ana Fwy: TakeWashington Blvd. turnoff,then west on WashingtonBlvd. and at the 2nd trafficlight, which is CommerceWay, turn right to theAquatorium.

Commerce Aquatorium,2535 Commerce Way, Cityof Commerce, CA.


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Mobile Unit Schedule

October Location

1 22 113 14 108 CMF9 910 1611 815 316 1517 618 5

ECREATION'EWS

October

20 - USC vs Arizona - Homecoming $11.5026 - Ice Capades - Forum Special Discount Loge $16.00for $8.00 Colonnade $12.00 for $5.00 7:30 P.M.

November

2 - Roseanne Barr - Universal $21.003 - Ice Capades - Forum 3:30 P.M.

$16.00 for $13.50 Children $11.503 - Tito Puente - Universal $33.009 - Juan Gabriel - Universal $35.0010 - Phantom of the Opera 2:00 P.M. $50.5017 - UCLA vs USC $25.5018 - The O'Jays and Regina Belle - Universal $20.0022 - The Phantom of the Opera 8:00 P.M. $50.5024 - USC - Notre Dame $25.5024 & 25 - Ninja Turtles in Concert at UniversalAmphitheatre 3:00 P.M. $16.50

Watch for announcements at our work locations forLaker and Kings tickets.

Year Around Tickets - Good any day attraction is open

Universal Studios Tollt - Adults $16.50 Children $12.50Sea World Adults $16.25 Children $12.25IMAX Theatres Adults $3.50 Children $2.75Magic Mountain Adults $16.45 Children $11.00

Discount Movies - Pacific Drive-In $4.50PacificWalk-In, Manns, Edwards, AMC, AVCO General $4.00each

For information on these or other products and servicesavailable through Employee Activities, please call 972-4740.Don't forget the many logo items, vitamins, stuffed animalsand gift items available in our office or on the mobile center.Office hours 10-3 P.M. Monday through Friday Mobile Unitat designated locations 9:00 - 12:15 P.M.


Wild RiversWater Park Adults $9.25 Child $7.25

(Regular Adult $14.95 Child $10.95)

Raging Waters Water Park Adults $10.00 Child $8.00

(Regular Adult $14.95 Child $8.50)

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RIZJust 3 blocks from our store is "The Mart", thewholesale furniture center of Southern California.Unfortunately, unless you own a furniture storeor are an interior decorator with a -e-sale taxnumber, you can't buy there. Fortunately for You,you don't need "The Mart“. That's why we're here!

The smart alternative.Since 1947, decorators have brought their mostdemanding customers to F.M.S.A. and still do!Why? Because its the best of'"The Mart" and theDesign Center all rolled-up in one! On 3-floorsand 65,000 square feet, you'll see the best that theleading furniture designers and manufacturers

_ have to offer for today's stylish living..,_ Classic and traditional renditions of 18th Cen-

4-4---1--- tury. French and Country English, CaliforniaContemporary, faux stone, marble, brass, glass,

— etc. Cherry and Mahogany with cabriole legs arid-ball and claw“ feet. Light washed finishes an a

4_ r variety of woods. You name it, we've got it.

Prestige Brand Names Only• • . Marge Carson, Lane, Stanley, Bernhardt,

t - t . • Hickory-White, Dixie, Stiffel Lamps, Cavalier" Leather. Sligh, Sealy, Spring Air, etc.• The very same brands you see at fine department

4_ 4 stures and galleries, hut not at our prices!

. . ,• You'll find nur prices well below department and

• specialty store prices because of nur volume

buy.ing, low-rent downtown location and workingfamily ownership. Bottom line: ludicrously low. _overhead.

SOFAS

' CHAIRS 1--

- - ENTERTAINMENT CENTERS & CURIOS

i I 5pc. BEDROOM SUITES

4--

Innnnnnnnnnnnnn1•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••BMIMMUMMUM Banmazornman

IBM

You don't needa re-sale number!

Strictly Decorator Prices

$799 - $2499

$349 - $1299

$899 - $1999$1299 - $5999

7pc.DINING ROOM SUITES $1399 -$99995pc. CASUAL DINING SETS $389 $1999

QUEEN MATTRESS SETS $399 - $1299

PersonalizedDecorating Service

No charge for professional in-store decoratorassistance. In-home consultation available atvery modest prices.

Name Your Credit TermsRevolving charge and 90-day no interest (O.A.C.)Visa / MasterCard, Discover / American Express

FMSAMAJOR APPLIANCESNCR's/TELEVISION

Amana, Caloric, Insinkerator, Jenn Air, Litton,Magic Chef, Maytag, Modern Maid,

Sharp, Westinghouse, Whirlpool, RCA, Zenith

Furniture Manufacturers Sales Agency, Inc.2027 S. Figueroa St. ( at 21st St.) Los Angeles

(213) 746-3663Tues-Fri: 10am-6pm, Sat: 9am-5pm,

Sun: Noon-5pm. Closed Monday. Free Parking.[1 1 l l l l 1 1


"As retirement was approaching we began to wony. We knewwe needed some financial counseling. We weit to severalfinancial institutions and were shocked to leam of the highprice for advice. Then we met Roberta and we said voila!Things began to come into focus for us just the way wewanted, thanks to Roberta"

Carl Jones, retired operator, with his wife Sarah.

Southern CaliforniaRapid Transit District425 So. Main St., 2nd FloorLos Angeles, CA 90013

BULK RATEU.S. POSTAGE

PAIDLos Angeles, Ca.Permit No. 32705RTD EMPLOYEES

RIDE SHARE6 R A M

Issue!

Merrill Lynch

RETIREMENT DECISIONS:It's Your Money, So Know Your Choices

• How can I make my money last for me andmy spouse?

• Should I go with the company plan, or take mymoney in a lump sum distribution?

• What are some safe investment choices for mymoney?

How can I guarantee the return an my retirementmoney?

Get your questions answered and know your choices before you make your decision.

Call for information, or to make an appointment.

Merrill Lynch, 400 South Hope St., Suite 300, Los Angeles CA 90071Roberta Mitchell, Financial Consultant (213) 236-2125/(800) 937-0620 ext. 2125


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