The Custom Communicator

Did you know?

When the clocks fall back an hour in the fall, all Amtrak trains in the U.S. that are running on time stop at 2:00am, and wait one hour before re-suming. During the 1950s and 60s, each U.S. locality could start and end Daylight savings Time as it chose. On one Ohio to West Virginia bus route, passengers had to change their watches seven times in 35 miles. Twins born at 11:55p.m. and 12:05 a.m. may have differ-ent birthdays. Day-light savings time can change birth order —on paper, anyway.

The Custom Companies, Inc.

317 W. Lake Street Northlake, IL 60164 www.customco.com

Inside this issue:

 Happy Holidays Readers! This  is  the  season of giving,  the  season of  joy,  the  season of all  that  is good  in  this World. Please enjoy this time and remember to think of those less fortunate than you. We offer blessings to everyone  for a new year of good health and hope each of you keep  in mind  and  value  our past  accomplishments  and  eagerly  look  forward  to  the achievements yet to come. As the year comes to a close, we wish to express our heartfelt appreciation to all of you for your support and input, for we could not have a successful Newsletter without you! Season’s greetings, Newsletter Committee 

December 2007

Winter Holidays It’s  that  time of year again, where across cultures and religions many different celebrations are held.   Among many, many others are Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, New Years, and Chinese New Year.  Christmas  is  on  December  25  of  each  year  and  cele‐brates the belief by Christians that marks the day of the birth of God’s only son,  Jesus Christ.   Christmas began celebration by Romans in 98 A.D. and was marked as a holy  day  and  solemn  feast  dedicated  to  Christ  in  137 A.D.  The exact day of celebration was officially fixed as December 25  in 354 A.D.   Throughout the nearly 2000 years  of  observation,  various  rituals  have  become  af‐fixed  to  Christmas.    Caroling  appeared  in  the Middle Ages  and  became  closely  identified  with  the  holiday spirit.   A Celtic ritual of mistletoe and holly, both sym‐bols of fertility were used to decorate homes and altars.  The most recognizable figure of the Christmas season is Saint Nicholas, also known as Santa Claus.  Nicholas was a bishop from Myra (modern Turkey), who persevered through Christian persecution at the hands of Roman Emperors Diocletian and Maximian. Nicholas was a noted detractor of Arius, a well known excommunicated Priest whose core beliefs  included  that  the Christian notion of  the holy  trinity  (God, his son  Jesus and The Holy Spirit as one entity) did not exist.    It  is  fabled  that upon hearing  the preaching of Arius, Nicholas actually  fist  fought him  in a public  setting.   While Saint Nicholas was never actually canonized, he has been regarded as the patron saint of many causes and even the state of New York.  Santa Claus, a mostly North American figure has become the modern day assimilation of a generous benevolent who brings gifts to small children on the Christian Church’s holiest day.  Hanukkah is the Jewish festival of lights, and derives its literal meaning from the Hebrew word for “dedication.”  The Talmud (the written Jewish oral law) depicts Hanukkah as the commemo‐ration of  the  rededication of  the Temple  in  Jerusalem after a military victory  in which  it was reclaimed from the Greeks.  Following the reign of Alexander the Great came Antiochus IV who attempted to outlaw the Jewish religion.  He massacred Jews, and desecrated the Jewish Tem‐ple in Jerusalem and erected within it an altar to the Greek god Zeus.  After a 3 year rebellion led by Mattathias and his son,  Juadah  in 167 B.C., the  Jews defeated the Greek Army and re‐turned to the free worship of their God.  The Macabees (this was the name of the Jewish libera‐tion group) set  to  rededicate  the Temple  in  Jerusa‐lem only to find that there wasn’t enough oil to light the “eternal flame”.    [Cont. on Page 2] 

Winter Holidays Cont. 2

Customer 1st 3

Getting to Know… 4-6

Holiday Season Safety 7

Holiday Shopping Safety 10

Halloween in LAX 11

Baby Pics 13

New Years Customs 14

Custom Essay Winners 14

New Years Food Traditions 15

Halloween in Chicago 8-9

Support our Troops... 12

Coupons 16

After coming across a small amount of oil, an amount that normally would have lasted only one night, the flame was lit and miraculously continued burning for 8 days.  Jews observe Hannukah by lighting of candles (one addi‐tional candle per day) on a menorah for 8 days.  Popular Hanukkah customs include playing a game involving the spinning of a draydal, a top marked with Hebrew letters, and the eating of foods fried in oil such as potato pan‐cakes (latkes).   Another popular tradition was marked originally with the giving of small coins (gelt) to children each day of Hanukkah; today some families exchange presents.  Hannukah is observed starting on the 25th day of the Jewish month of Kislev, which this year starts on Tuesday, December 4th.  Kwanzaa  is an African American  celebration which  is neither political nor  religious and  is often  celebrated  in conjunction with Christmas as opposed to it.  Kwanzaa begins December 26 and lasts until January 1, and cele‐brates seven traditional core African values, with a  literal meaning of “first fruits of the harvest”  in the African language Kiswahili.  Kwanzaa was started in 1966 by Dr. Maulana Karenga and is now celebrated by more than 18 million African Americans.  Each day from December 26 until January 1 focuses on one of the guiding princi‐ples:  Umoja  (Unity),  Kujichagulia  (Self  Determination),  Ujima  (Collective  Word  and  Responsibility),  Ujamaa (Mutual Support), Nia  (Purpose), Kuumba  (Creativity), and  Imani  (Faith).   Similar  to  the  Jewish menorah  that holds 8 candles, the Kwanzaa Kinara  is a similar holder for 7 candles, each one representing the seven guiding principles.  The celebration is capped with a Karamu (Kwanzaa feast) with an African motif decorating using Red, Green and Black and ends in a communal libation statement.  The celebration of New Year’s Day dates to ancient Babylon over 4000 years ago.  At that time, spring marked the New Year and was the planting season for farmers, and this ancient celebration lasted 11 days.  Rome began to mark the New Year in 153 BC and was decreed by the Roman Senate to be celebrated on what has become January 1.  Many of the modern traditions that are associated with the holiday are American, including an offi‐cial countdown, the Rose Bowl and of course New Years Resolutions.  At the time that the Roman calendar was set, the Julian calendar was established by Julius Caesar.  Using state of the art astronomers, it was determined that a year was 365 days long.  Months were set with 30 and 31 days, with February having 29 days until Cae‐sar’s successor, Augustus, renamed the 8th month after himself, and added a day to give August as many days (31) as July.  The extra day was removed from February to accommodate.  Unfortunately, this calendar was 11 minutes and 14 seconds too long, meaning that by the year 1582, 10 extra days existed.  At the behest of Pope Gregory XIII, our modern Gregorian calendar ensued, with leap days every 4 years except for century years that cannot be divided by 400  (ex. 1900, 2100), that make the calendar correct within 26 seconds per year, a dra‐matic improvement.  Keep in mind this year as you see the ball drop and the countdown begins, 10, 9, 8… that our calendar is actually slightly more than 3 hours off since the solar reset in 1582, meaning that the “New Year” is actually about 3:00 a.m. on January 1.  Chinese New Year, also known as the “Lunar New Year,” and celebrated by many Asian cultures including Korea and Vietnam is actually closer in terms of symbolism and meaning to the Christian Christmas than to the modern Western celebration of New Years.  Chinese New Year is the most important of all Chinese Holidays.  Preparation for the Chinese New Year begins with a thorough cleaning of one’s house from top to bottom to clean away any bad  luck that may have generated  in the past year.   Chinese New Year begins on Thursday, February 7, 2008, beginning with  the new moon.   As  the Lunar name suggests,  it  is a 15 day celebration culminating at  the  full moon.  This begins year 4706 on the Chinese calendar, whose years are marked by animals, this being the year of the rat.   A very  important part of the New Year celebration  is to visit family, especially the oldest and most senior members of the extended family.   Children are given “lucky” money, small coins that are usually saved.  Traditional decorations, fireworks, clothing and food are a large part of the celebration.  Red is generally chosen for clothing and decorations and is believed to ward off evil spirits.  Food includes seafood and dumplings con‐sisting of oysters, prawns and moon cake that are meant to derive prosperity, good luck, peace and happiness.  On the 15th day, the festival of lanterns (often marked by a parade) closes the celebration in grand fashion.  One constant in each and every one of these celebrations is joy and happiness.  Regardless of your faith or be‐liefs, this is the time of year to begin anew, keeping in mind not only past successes and failures but also hope for an even better future.  

‐ Matt Foley 

The Custom Communicator Page 2

New Hires

"Lord, hold our troops in your lov-ing hands. Protect them as they pro-tect us, Bless them and their families for the selfless acts they perform for us in our time of need. Amen." Prayer Request: When you receive this, please stop for a moment and say a prayer for our troops around the world. Of all the gifts you could give a Ma-rine, Soldier, Sailor, Airman, & others deployed in harms way, prayer is the very best one.

Erika Herbert Jason Green Michael Beck Thomas Riley Richard Hinton Julio Loaiza James Ayers Gerson Jimenez Bill Spencer Mark Malitoris David Suiaunoa Jose Alverez Manuel Nolasco

Winter Holidays (Continued) 

Page 3 December 2007

December Anniversaries

Juan Mata 13 Steven Laue 12 Cletus Janik 10 Jose Rentas 7

Michael Kelso 4 Elizabeth Gonzalez 3 Joseph Wiencek 3 Sarah Ridgeway 3 Victor Diehl 3

Richard Vitez 2 Gerald Coleman 2 Scott Talanoa 1 Teresa Buechele 1 German Delgado 1

Since our foundation over 20 years ago, World Class Customer Service has consistently been regarded as one of the most important principles we, as a group, are guided by. Look around the building and you will see this echoed, “Customer Service is not a department, it is an attitude.” This could not be any truer today. In these times of significantly increased competition in both Chicago and Los Angeles, the one intangible that continues to set us apart is our World Class Cus-tomer Service. From dock personnel who ensure that the freight is handled properly on the front end, through the Accounts Receivable department on the back end, Customer Service is the back-bone of any successful organization. Within the company today, you will see many new faces that make up the voice of the company to so many of our customers. From the eyes of an 18 year veteran within the Customer Service department, Tony Beltrano, “good things are ahead” for both the department and the company. Tony is especially excited to see the rapid improvement in the new personnel, many of which arrived to us without a transportation background. As Tony con-tinues, “the newcomers are being educated every day and absorbing information quickly. The veterans of our department are helping to groom these persons to be the new leaders of the depart-ment and the company.” As our company and industry continue to evolve, many shippers are becoming increas-ingly reliant on technological advances rather than human interaction. As such, The Custom Companies have pioneered many systems to increase visibility of all shipments to customers. In fact, currently more than 80 percent of quotes given to our customers are generated by our web-site: http://www.customco.com . Each customer has an individual login and password with rates specific to their account. Also online is: the ability to track and trace, schedule pick-ups, create bill of ladings, view current and past invoices, and even request an email be sent at the time of delivery. Moving many of these redundant tasks to the website has allowed our Customer Service team to become more responsive and proactive, with shorter hold times and more time to dedicate to a specific shipment, customer or issue at hand. In Chicago, the customer service team has been restructured into one team with three divisions. The three “Gold Teams” interact continuously, but are led individually by our three team leaders, Gold Team One leader Adam Gonzalez, Gold Team Two leader Tony Beltrano and Gold Team Three leader Terri Buechele. Each of these three teams is dedicated to becoming and maintaining a “one stop shop” for our customers, issuing all types of quotes and obtaining infor-mation from any department within the company to eliminate transferring calls, which in the past generally led to heightened frustration by the caller. As Terri mentioned, “it is exciting to be a part of this type of growth.” Each Gold Team has sales reps assigned to them, with Gold Team One responsible for the accounts of Brad Berndt and Jon Dujardin and containing Adam Gon-zalez, Mary Holowicki, Sarah Szymanski and Louie Clemente. Gold Team Two maintains the accounts of George Wiszowaty, Dale Majcina, Jeff Dayton, John Sarlo and Jason Dragos, led by Tony Beltrano, Irene Goetz, Laura Olvera, Susie Hicks and Tina Petrovic. Gold Team Three monitors the accounts of Joe Butera, Adam Johnson, Rob Catanese, Tom Kurtzer and Mike Smolik with Terri Buechele, Al Lopez and Steve Paxton. Rebecca Barry handles disposition re-quests and accessorial billing. These exciting new changes show, as Tony indicated that “Customer Service is streamlined.” In Los Angeles, the Customer Service Department maintains a similar structure by sales representative in one group. As Erica Griffith notes, “everyone has specific tasks to tend to, how-ever, as a team we strive to provide World Class Customer Service to all of our customers.” Carla Marron specifically monitors Jim Welsh’s accounts, and Alison Crossley does the same for the customers of Craig Bogard. Jennifer Rueda maintains the top accounts of Chuck Gonzalez, and Rachel Bustamante handles the top accounts for Ron Pearce and Mike Wexler. Linda Godinez handles outside sales representative accounts, and also relieves the switchboard. Araceli Arballo currently handles all inbound shipments for Los Angeles, similar to the team led by Sherri Gribble in Chicago. The newest member of the Los Angeles Customer Service team is Manuel Nolasco, who will have specific tasks assigned once training has been completed. Maria Cortez, currently on maternity leave, handles the disposition requests and accessorial billing in Los Angeles. It is clear that World Class Customer Service is not only the goal but the responsibility of each and every member of The Custom Companies, and highly important to our success. Led by our Customer Service teams in both Chicago and Los Angeles, we will continue to meet and ex-ceed our customer’s expectations and remain at the forefront of the industry.

- Jason Esser & Matt Foley

Customer 1st with The Custom Companies

Coffee Buzz  Do you sometimes feel the effects of caffeine even when you drink decaf cof‐fee? The actual caffeine content in decaffein‐ated products can vary greatly.  Under Food and Drug Ad‐ministration regula‐tions, coffee can con‐tain between 2 and 13 milligrams of caf‐feine and still be la‐beled decaffeinated.  That’s enough for people who are very sensitive to caffeine to feel the effects. There is no decaffein‐ation process that removes all the caf‐feine.  The water process method re‐moves approximately 94% to 96%.  Meth‐ods that use chemical solvents or highly pressurized carbon dioxide can remove up to 98%. 

The Custom Communicator Page 4 January Anniversaries

Robert Eldridge 11 Gregory Robinson 6 William Domingo 6 Martin Bolanos 6 Lee Garrison 6 Eric Gonzalez 4 Mark Dannhauser 3

Andrew Mc Donald 2 Thomas Dunaj 2 Ken Ericksen 2 David Stricklin 2 Jonathan Castillo 2 Hamilton Carranza 2 Ken Ericksen 2 Nate Soldan 2 Brad Phanthachith 2 Raquel Diaz 2 Ron Boyles 2 Modris Skuja 2 Jeffrey Howard 2 Bartosz Jasiewicz 2 Daniela Trevino 2 Maria Abarca 2 Laurence Charnot 2 Timothy Gowin 2 Charles Ratcliff 2 Joshua Grochot 2 David Herrera 2 Erick Lucena 2 Ruben Calvo 2 Militza Rodriguez 2 Alejandro Garcia 1 Ruben Medina 1 Blake Sterling 1 Luis Alva 1 Alison Crossley 1 Armando Ortiz 1 Juan Bernabe 1 Raymond Espinili 1 Andres Guzman 1 Erica Griffith 1 Luis Alva 1 Channy Chhat 1

CC: What is your full name? EH: Elaine Mary Heppe CC: Where are you from? Where do you live now? EH: I’m from Milwaukee, moved to Illi-

nois in the sixties. I live in Villa Park now. We initially moved to Lombard where my husband had a gas station/alignment shop with his twin brother.

CC: Is Milwaukee’s Best your favorite beer? EH: (lauging) I’m not a beer drinker CC: How long have you been with Cus-

tom? EH: 12 years on Halloween, I wasn’t sure if I would last two days! There

was a lot going on here. CC: Could you tell us your view of Custom12 Years ago versus today? EH: A lot more people and more new policies!! CC: Tell us about your family EH: I have 4 Children, 3 girls and a boy..ranging from 39 to 46. 7 grand-

children, 5 girls and 2 boys…I love the holidays, they all come to my house..I hate to see them go home!

CC: If you could trade in one of your grandchildren which one would it be and why?

EH: I would never do that! I love them all too much! CC: What do you like to do in your free time? EH: I do a lot of needlework, I make things for myself and my family…I

also like to work in my flower garden when the weather is right. CC: If Jason and I asked you very nicely, would you make us sweaters for

Christmas? EH: You’ve got to be kidding me? You’ll have to ask your own Grandma

for that! CC: Who was your favorite singer growing up? EH: You’ll laugh…Perry Como and Dean Martin. CC: Anything special about you we should know or be proud of? EH: I can work my own VCR and DVD player! How about that? CC: Describe yourself in three words EH: Pleasant, Friendly, Caring. CC: How often do you answer your own phone as “thank you for calling

custom”? EH: Very rarely, I actually answer my own phone “good evening, Heppe’s” CC: Do you have a switchboard at home? EH: (laughing) no! CC: Do you think we did a good job interviewing you? EH: Great job!

Getting To Know You….15 Questions For Elaine Heppe by Jason Esser and Adam Johnson

Congrats to Custom from Highway Watch® I am proud to announce that The Custom Companies is 100% Highway Watch® trained!! This includes all drivers and support staff. Perry Mandera along with Tony Crespo have worked very hard to train every associate. They have also been very instrumental in pro-moting the Highway Watch® program within the trucking industry. The Custom Companies deserves recognition for their efforts. CONGRATULATIONS TO THE CUSTOM COMPANIES! Janet Barr Illinois Trucking Association

Page 5 CHI IN ACTION

Steven Lamczyk IT manager

John Skiba City Driver

Antonio Gonzalez 3rd Shift Dock Associate

October, 2007

Miguel Escobedo 3rd Shift Dock Associate

CC: What is your full name? DP: Deanna Possemato..no middle name CC: Where are you from? Where do you live now? DP: I grew up in Franklin Park, lived in the same house for 22 years,

now I live in Melrose Park CC: How long have you worked for CDN Logistics? What is your position? DP: 6 months, receptionist CC: Do you love it? DP: Yes, I enjoy working here, the people are nice and it’s a good com-

pany to work for CC: Did you work in the industry before? DP: I used to work at Carmichael Cartage as a Secretary; it was a small

company so I did a number of jobs there. CC: You got married recently, correct? DP: Yes, I love it…we were married July 27th. When I met him my hus-

band had blue hair…we went to high school together, he had al-ways caught my eye. We started dating after high school…here we are now!

CC: Since you started here, is there anything specific that you’ve learned about the industry.

DP: A lot of lingo, at my last job I just went through the motions. I get a lot more involved now, I’ve learned a lot.

CC: What’s your favorite sandwich? DP: Italian beef from Grandstand in Franklin Park. No soggy beef, I or-

der it dry and dip it…I just like food in general. I’m 100% Italian so it is always about eating.

CC: How was childhood? Any great memories? DP: Youngest of 4 daughters ...they were always throwing parties, it

was fun being part of that at a young age. I played sports too, I’ve played Softball and Soccer all my life.

CC: What do you like to do now in your free time? DP: I love to sing, all styles. My favorite singer is Christina Aguilera. I

tried out for American Idol in 2003; we flew to Georgia for tryouts. CC: Tell us about that experience?? DP: We flew out there, waited in line for a day to get a time to tryout

for the next day. We slept in a football stadium with thousands of people overnight. I tried out for field judges, they liked my first song and I wasn’t prepared for a second one which they asked me to sing, caught me off guard…It was one of the most exciting, ran-dom things I ever did.

CC: Describe yourself in three words DP: Outgoing, Funny, Talkative CC: Anything we don’t know that you would like to tell us? DP: I also do hair, I went to beauty school and worked at Mario

Tricoci..I didn’t like the atmosphere there. I work at a salon a few nights and Saturdays, I really enjoy doing it.

CC: Any tips for a guy that’s balding prematurely, like at the age of 28? DP: There’s a stimulator machine that vibrates your head and stimu-

lates hair growth…I don’t know if it works though.

CC: Do you ever answer your own phone “thank you for calling CDN”?

DP: Actually, I was with a bunch of girlfriends at my bachelorette party..I got a call and said “Thank you for calling CDN”…pretty funny.

Getting To Know You….15 Questions For Deanne Possemato by Jason Esser and Adam Johnson

December 2007

The Custom Communicator Page 6

December Birthdays

Ramir Sison 12/5

Edwin Ancheta 12/5

Thomas Thweatt 12/7

Ronnie Jenkins 12/8

Laura Montanez 12/9

Luis Sanchez 12/10

Luis Roman 12/12

Richard Vitez 12/14

Joshua Grochot 12/14

Claudia Molina 12/15

Marco Solorio 12/17

William Domingo 12/18

Ray Molina 12/18

Stephen Coffey 12/19

David Moss 12/20

Dale Majcina 12/20

David Stricklin 12/22

Todor Kalemov 12/30

Lydia Perez 12/30

Jason Dragos 12/31

 

CC: What’s your full name? DP: Danielle Elizabeth Perri. CC: Why did your parents select that name for you? DP: To be honest they thought I was going to be a boy so they picked the name Daniel so when I came out they settled with Danielle… CC: When and where were you born? DP: Born January 12th 1977 on my home island of Tutuila in American Samoa CC: For those of us that don’t know, where is American Samoa? Is life there much dif- ferent than here? DP: American Samoa is a small group of islands right on the equator in the south pacific. Yes, life is a lot slower. Don't get me wrong, we have our McDonald's and KFC but because I guess that our culture still plays a big role in everyday life, that makes things seem pretty, I would say, relaxed. CC: How did your family come to live there? DP: Actually I moved out to California after I got engaged but my family still lives back on the islands. CC: Do you come from a large or small family? How many siblings? DP: Well my father had six children from a previous marriage but with my mother there is just myself and my brother. My extended family is pretty big though CC: What is your earliest childhood memory? DP: It would have to be sitting on my grandmother’s lap watching a traditional cere- mony taking place in my back yard. CC: What is your favorite thing to do for fun? DP: Dancing and hanging out with friends and family. CC: What circumstances brought you to the Custom Companies? DP: None really just pure luck..lol CC: What was it about this company that made you want to work here? DP: When I left home a couple of years ago I used to work for Am. Samoa Customs Dept. so I guess you can say I was on the other side and being that I had dealt with ship- ping companies I always wanted to learn how they worked. CC: When did this happen, how long have you been here? DP: I started in August of last year. CC: When I call in to the office, you always go above and beyond the call of duty with a courteous and friendly greeting. How do you always stay so happy? DP: Well I guess you could say good upbringing and a lot of years of experience. I was always taught to treat people the way you want to be treated and I have worked since I was 12 in different family businesses so “the customer is always right” is something that was always drilled into me… CC: What would you say is the most important thing to do when dealing with an upset customer? DP: First off would be to make sure that you let them know that you sympathize with them and try to assure them you will try everything you can to help them or get them to some who can. CC: After a long day of work, how would you alleviate stress? DP: Take a nap. CC: Where do you see yourself in 5 years? DP: Working myself up the Custom ladder. CC: If I ran out of staples, is there anyway of breaking into the supply closet without telling Donna? DP: Absolutely not…but you could always ask me and I would probably give you some…. CC: If you were holding the winning ticket for Lotto, what would you do in the next year? DP: I would make sure that my family was well taken care of. CC: What would your greatest advice be for someone starting out at Custom? DP: When it gets frustrating, take a big breath and think of something funny…

Getting To Know You….15 Questions For Danielle Perri by Mike Wexler

Germ‐stopper Kit  Pack some tissue and a small bottle of alco‐hol‐based hand sani‐tizer into a plastic bag and tuck it into your kids’ backpacks.  Re‐mind them to use it whenever they can’t get to a place to wash their hands.  Other good places to stash germ‐stopper kits: glove compartments, desk drawers, purses, and jacket pockets. 

December 2007 Page 7

January Birthdays

Charles Gonzalez 1/4

Luis Tirado 1/5

Arturo Ortega 1/5

Ivan Aguirre 1/7

Daniela Trevino 1/7

Thomas Riley 1/8

Rommel Camahalan 1/9

Jose Cedeno 1/9

Danielle Perri 1/12

Madonna Grimaldi 1/12

Eduardo Feliciano 1/15

Craig Bogard 1/17

Gregorio Montoya 1/17

Robert Barfoot 1/20

Ramon Montesinos 1/20

John Skiba 1/23

Juan Mata 1/25

Eddie Rivera 1/25

Moises Hernandez 1/25

Luis Santizo 1/26

Joel Locklear 1/26

Anthony Cruz 1/29

Tina Petrovic 1/29

Holiday Season Safety The National Safety Council offers these suggestions to help make your season merry and safe.

Decorations—Wear gloves while decorating with spun glass "angel hair." It can irritate your eyes and skin. A common substitute is non-flammable cotton. Both angel hair and cotton snow are flame re-tardant when used alone. However, if artificial snow is sprayed onto them, the dried combination will burn rapidly. When spraying artificial snow on windows or other surfaces, be sure to follow directions carefully. These sprays can irritate your lungs if you inhale them.

Fireplaces-You should not try to burn evergreens or wreaths in the fireplace or in a wood stove to dispose of them. They are likely to flare out of control and send flames and smoke into the room. Also, do not burn wrapping paper in the fireplace because it often contains metallic materials which can be toxic if burned.

Candles-Never use lighted candles near trees, boughs, curtains/drapes, or with any potentially flam-mable item.

Toys and Gifts-Be especially careful when you choose toys for infants or small children. Be sure anything you give them is too big to get caught in the throat, nose or ears. Avoid toys with small parts that can be pulled or broken off. If you are giving toys to several children in one family, consider their age differences and the chances that younger children will want to play with older kids' toys.

Older adults-Select gifts for older adults that are not heavy or awkward to handle. For persons with arthritis, make sure the gift does not require assembly and can be easily opened and closed. Choose books with large type for anyone with vision impairment.

Plants-Small children may think that holiday plants look good enough to eat. But many plants can cause severe stomach problems. Plants to watch out for include: mistletoe, holly berries, Jerusalem cherry, and amaryllis. Keep all of these plants out of children's reach.

Food and Cooking-The holidays often mean preparing large meals for family and friends. Wash hands, utensils, sink, and anything else that has come in contact with raw poultry. Keep in mind that a stuffed bird takes longer to cook. For questions concerning holiday turkey preparation and cooking call the USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline at 1-800-535-4555. Refrigerate or freeze leftovers in covered shallow containers (less than two inches deep) within two hours after cooking. Date the leftovers for future use.

Alcohol, Parties and Driving-Being a smart party host or guest should include being sensible about alcoholic drinks. More than half of all traffic fatalities are alcohol-related. Use designated drivers, people who do not drink, to drive other guests home after a holiday party.

Stress-The holiday season is one of the most stressful times of the year. You can't avoid stress com-pletely, but you can give yourself some relief. Allow enough time to shop rather than hurry through stores and parking lots. Only plan to do a reasonable number of errands. When shopping, make sev-eral trips out to the car to drop off packages rather than trying to carry too many items. Take time out for yourself. Relax, read, or enjoy your favorite hobby at your own pace.

Conscious  Calories  One way to keep from impulsive eating is to stop and count to your age before you reach for a candy bar or some other fattening treat. If you still want a bite after counting, go ahead.  At least you’ve made a conscious decision about what you’re eating. 

1 pkg. (8 oz.) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese 1/2 cup pesto 1/4 cup chopped red peppers 1 stick KRAFT POLLY-O TWIST-UMS String Cheese RITZ Crackers CUT block of cream cheese diagonally in half. Arrange both halves, with points together, on serving plate to resemble Christmas-tree shape. CUT a 2-inch piece from the string cheese. Place at bottom of tree for the trunk. Wrap up re-maining cheese; refrigerate until ready to use for snacking or other use. SPOON pesto over cream cheese; sprinkle with peppers. Serve as a spread with the crackers.

Cheesy Christmas Tree Recipe Prep Time: 10 min Total Time: 10 min Makes: Makes 12 servings, 2 Tbsp. spread and 5 crackers each.

The Custom Communicator Page 8

Halloween 2007 Department Winners 1st place winner was the Claims/POD Department

Claims Department (l to r): Janette Fernandez, Jeff Guthman, Irene Wodzinski, Kris Teml, Claudia Mendoza, Phyllis Wardini

2nd Place goes to the Air Freight Department

Air Freight Department (l to r): Junior Tinajaro, Cris Piegzik, Eddie Rivera

Air Freight Department: Sara Lopez

3rd Place goes to the Collections Department

Collections Department (l to r): Juan Mata, Teresa Beckett, Mary Reich, Christina Paramo, Osmond Joseph

Stop Scammers  Protect yourself from con artists on the tele‐phone or Internet:  Never respond to e‐mails that ask for per‐sonal information, no matter how official they look, and never open an e‐mail from a sender that you don’t know. If you’re on the tele‐phone, only give out your personal infor‐mation if you have initiated the call.  Many callers pretend to be public officials. If you have been vic‐timized by a scam, call the Federal Trade Commission at 1‐877‐382‐4357 or visit the National Fraud Infor‐mation Center at http://www.fraud.org 

Break Time  When working at a computer, take mini‐breaks every 20 min‐utes or so to help pre‐vent aches and pains.  Do some shoulder shrugs along with some wrist, neck, and back stretches. To ease eyestrain, look away from the moni‐tor every 15 to 20 minutes and focus on a distant spot, then blink for a few sec‐onds to keep your eyes moist. Every so often do a full body stretch, and whenever possible switch to a non‐computer related task. 

Page 9 December 2007

Halloween 2007 Individual Winners 1st place winner is George Smith

2nd place was a tie between Teresa Beckett and Mary Reich

Teresa Beckett Mary Reich

3rd Place was a four-way tie between Elizabeth Gonzalez, Irene Wodzinski, Janette Fernandez, and Jim Schnur

Elizabeth Gonzalez

Irene Wodzinski

Janette Fernandez

Jim Schnur

Holidaze  Think about giving ex‐periences instead of wrapped gifts for the Holidays.  You’ll reduce the stress on yourself as well as make it eas‐ier on the environment. Between holiday wrap‐pings, shopping bags, bows, ribbons, and food waste, Americans throw away 25% more waste from Thanksgiv‐ing to New Year’s than any other time of year. Experience gifts can include everything from concert tickets to campsite reservations.  Your time and talents will be especially treas‐ured, and gifts don’t need to be expensive.  Make coupons that can be redeemed for spe‐cial candle‐lit dinners or household chores; pre‐pare a scrapbook or family tree. 

Keep a list of your diet and exercise goals in a place where you will see them every day. 

The Custom Communicator Page 10

Holiday Shopping Safety Tips

Take Extra Precaution

Shopping during the holiday season can present unique danger. Taking a few prevention measures can help keep your holiday season joyous. The holiday season is a time when busy people can become careless and vulnerable to theft and other holiday crime. The following tips from the Los Angeles Police Department Crime Prevention Section can help you be more careful, prepared and aware during the holiday season. • Shop during daylight hours whenever possible. If you must shop at night, go with a friend or family

members. • Dress casually and comfortably. • Avoid wearing expensive jewelry. • Do not carry a purse or wallet, if possible. • Always carry your Driver License or Identification Card along with necessary cash, checks and/or a

credit card you expect to use. • Even though you are rushed and thinking about a thousand things, stay alert to your surroundings. • Avoid carrying large amounts of cash. • Pay for purchases with a check or credit card when possible. • Keep cash in your front pocket. • Notify the credit card issuer immediately if your credit card is lost, stolen or misused. • Keep a record of all of your credit card numbers in a safe place at home. • Be extra careful if you do carry a wallet or purse. • The prime targets of criminals are in crowded shopping areas, transportation terminals, bus stops, on

buses and other rapid transit. • Avoid overloading yourself with packages. It is important to have clear visibility and freedom of motion

to avoid mishaps. • Beware of strangers approaching you for any reason. At this time of year, "con-artists" may try various

methods of distracting you with the intention of taking your money or belongings

Source: LAPD Crime Prevention

J C T K X W N I B I P T L A L M L K T U P B V Z L T O L Z B B R F N G X Z N C S A E R J Q G K J A A G N N S J J E J P V U H M E I Z A O I I P J F G I N O E S U V C C P S O N U R M N H C T A P S I D T I F Y M S U E Z W P I I O T S U J V U L K G W O N P R O F T K I V D C M S C P I E C V G O P L U K E P L L X E N V V J C S C O E G A B O O I L O T V D I R J D F A I B E E G R W A W F B B D V Q B T C I H N N Q F X N O C K T F T D R T L U U G Q A N G S S N D E A E G C P A T R A N S I T O Z K V L D N E U S B B O P A G T P A W G Q G X E X O T O E U C R S L T B L P R I Q C A F T N E M N G I S N O C E R E Q X Y M N O Z V Y X R O R H Y O H T G X W O G V O I T E X N D Z W T E U F Y S M M F V Z X S I N J F K O L O Y S A C J E C D T E B C B J I P R G U I F M P M G G R Y W G X F A M L P Q O Y X X Y O V B E J E X A E O M U J B W A R Q O N Z N F M B O G O K O H K H F O O H U H G R J T L G N K S V W N F O C P R O W J E L L C P T U K P O S A V N I W P F K O Q U J A Y F Y K A L O F A M V D D M U O G B M C D S G U E K M R L E X J B M O T S U C V F N N X Q E A O N Y V I L U U U E K F N Y M N K B Z O Y E W R K Y Q H F E F Y Q K L R O U E X T U U P F Y W E L O G I S T I C S D O B F A F L L P Z D N C V Y N C V B B B M N K C I I B L C V Z T G J M C Z G T U

Transportation Word Search Word Search List

ACCESSORIAL APPOINTMENT

CARTAGE CONSIGNEE

CUSTOM DISPATCH

DOCK DOCUMENT

FUEL GLOBAL INVOICE

LOGISTICS PALLET

RECEIVING RECONSIGNMENT

RESIDENTIAL SHIPPING

TRACE TRANSIT

TRANSPORTATION WAREHOUSE

Chicago In September the CHI Dock Operations team celebrated 90 consecutive days without a lost time injury. The next dock milestone will be December 1st, at which point the dock will be at 180 days without a lost time injury. Good luck and congratulations!

Los Angeles As of November 15th the LAX dock has 315 consecutive days with-out a lost time injury. The one year mark is on January 8th, 2008. Go LAX! Good luck and congratulations.

Dock Safety Programs

Page 11 December 2007

Halloween 2007 LAX Winners

Lydia Perez

Gabe Mireles

Carla Marron

Erica Griffith

Linda Godinez

Donna Robinson

Araceli Arballo & Jennifer Rueda

Daniela Trevino

Luis Alva

Alison Crossley

11 Great Things Money Can’t Buy  1.  Spending time with 

friends, new or old. 2.  Laughing so hard 

your side hurts. 3.  No lines at the super‐

market. 4.  A good conversation 5.  Finding money in 

your coat from last winter. 

6.  Knowing that some‐body misses you. 

7.  Waking up and realiz‐ing you still have a couple of hours left to sleep. 

8.  Accidentally hearing someone say some‐thing nice about you. 

9.  Running into an old friend and realizing that some things (good or bad) never change. 

10.  Getting a hug from someone you care about. 

11.  Knowing that you’ve done the right thing, no matter what other people think. 

Family Finances  1.  Start a year‐long 

campaign to learn about money. 

2.  Resolve to be more financially responsi‐ble. 

3.  When grocery shop‐ping, use coupons. 

4.  Set Savings goals for special items. 

5.  Pay the bills to‐gether. 

Support Our Troops... 

The Custom Communicator Page 12

New Arrivals Congratulations go out to:  Robert and Ra-chel Barfoot wel-comed Jonathon Robert June 27th. Jonathon weighed in at 2 lbs., 2oz and was 13 1/2 inches long. On October 4th at 9:45 p.m., Bobby, Jr. and Heather Heinz greeted Robert Charles III. Baby Bobby weighed 4 lbs., 12 oz. and was 18” long. Oscar De La Cruz and Olga Garcia cele-brated Ariana Isabel’s arrival on October 28th. Ariana weighed in at 9 lbs., 12 oz. and was 21” long. Olivia Padilla entered this world on Octo-ber 30th at 8:23 p.m. Her proud parents are Rafael and Dan-ielle Padilla. Olivia weighed 6 lbs., 8 oz.

Jim Nuckles (PD Driver), U.S. Army Reserve. Jim was in a security watch tower in Iraq, when it was hit by enemy mortar fire and he fell from the tower. He was medivaced to Germany where he received treatment for his back injury. Jim has re-turned and now living in Tennessee where he is awaiting his transfer from the Army reserve to Active Army service. He has decided to make this his professional career. “RJ” Roehl Lazaro (Night Billing), U.S. Navy Reserve. RJ has returned from Border Security Duty on the Iraq/Kuwait border to be with his family for holi-day leave. He will be attending our company Christmas party prior to returning to Iraq/Kuwait for the remainder of his tour of duty. Tom Wier, Currently running our PM CDN Logistics Dispatch, U.S. Army Intelligence. Tom is shortly going to be deployed (2nd deployment) to Iraq again in January. This will be Tom’s third combat tour of duty during his military career and service to our country. Soldiers Angels Custom, CGL, and CDN associates conducted a holiday card writing campaign for soldiers currently in combat zones, facilitated by Susan Hicks, Customer Service, and Crystal Muller, Safety. These cards will be sent to the troops overseas and distributed, utilizing the Holiday season to thank them for their unselfish service to our country. Wounded Hero’s The Custom Companies, Inc., is very honored, thankful and proud to have been asked to assist in the transport of medical supplies for our Marines, Soldiers, and Sailors who have been severely wounded in combat services to our country.

A Great Idea!!! When you are making out your Christmas card list this year,

please include one or two to the following:

A Recovering American Soldier c/o Walter Reed Army Medical Center

6900 Georgia Avenue, NW Washington ,D.C. 20307-5001

Dec. 5 Hanukkah Dec. 24 Christmas Eve Dec. 25 Christmas Day Dec. 31 New Years Eve Jan. 1 New Years Day Jan. 21 Martin Luther King Day December is also know as the: Drunk & Drugged Driving Prevention Month GERD Awareness Month Hi Neighbor Month Read A New Book Month .Safe Toys & Gifts Month Stress Free Family Holiday Month

January is also known as: Bath Safety Month Blood Donor Month Cervical Health Awareness Month Crime Stoppers Month Coffee Gourmet Month Diet Month Fiber Focus Month Hobby Month Human Resource Month Oatmeal Month Poverty in America Month Soup Month Tea Month Thyroid Disease Awareness Month

December and January Facts...

LATERAL THINKING

December 2007 Page 13

In the October issue of The Custom Communica‐tor, page 15 included misinformation regard‐ing capabilities of Auto‐matic Teller Machines (ATM).  It was purported that typing ones pin number backwards would dispatch police assistance, which is er‐rant.  Please do not at‐tempt this, if you are ever in this situation it is always best to comply with your assailant and phone for assistance once it has been deter‐mined that the coast is clear.  Again, we regret passing along this misin‐formation and will en‐sure to the best of our abilities not to do so in the future. 

October Correction!

Can you guess who these Custom Company Associates are?

Flat Tire

Two friends were driving on the highway when they got a flat tire.

First they took off the hubcap. Then they unscrewed the nuts-the

screws that hold the tire in place. They put the inverted hubcap down

on the road and carefully placed the lug nuts inside the hubcap. Then

they removed the flat.

As they were in the process of putting on the spare tire, another car

came along, hitting the hubcap and scattering the four lug nuts where

they could not be found. The driver of the other car felt sorry, so he

stopped to help. The two friends followed his advice, and in a little

while they were back on the road. What did the man tell them?

The man told the two friends to take one lug nut off each of the

other three tires and use them to hold the spare tire in place. Later

they could buy four more lug nuts so that each tire would have four

again.

Getting Younger

In the year 1201, a woman was 35 years old. In the year 1206, the

same woman was 30. How is this possible?

The dates are B.C. rather than A.D.

Transportation  Humor  A Truck Driver is mak‐ing good time on the freeway when he notices a sign warn‐ing of a low bridge ahead.  Before he knows it, his truck gets stuck under the bridge.  Cars are backed up for miles.  Finally, a po‐liceman pulls up in a car and gets out. With his hands on his hips, he says, “Stuck, huh?”  “No,” the truck driver replies.  “I was just delivering the bridge and ran out of gas.” 

Custom Culture Essay Winners 

The Custom Communicator Page 14 The Custom Communicator Page 14

August 2007 MVP Winners

Dock Jay Blumenthal

Driver Bob Modes

Office Tom Wier

NEW YEARS CUSTOMS FROM AROUND THE WORLD

In Armenia family members exchange presents, but a wife never receives a present from her husband, as this is considered a disgrace. In Belgium farmers wish their animals a Happy New Year for blessings. In Bolivia families make beautiful little wood or straw dolls to hang outside their homes to bring good luck In Brazil people wear white clothes to bring good luck and peace for the following year. For the Chinese lucky money is given out in red envelopes with the family name and good-luck message writ-ten on them in gold. Burning “Mr. Old Year” is a New Year’s tradition in some cities of Columbia. They create a stuffed male doll with things they do not want anymore or that made them sad, it is dressed with pieces of old clothes from all the members of the family. At midnight they set the doll on fire to symbolize burning the past and getting ready to start a happy new year without the bad memories. In Denmark it is a good sign to find your door littered with a pile of broken dishes at New Years. Old dishes are saved all year to throw them at the homes where their friends live on New Year's Eve. Many broken dishes were a symbol that you have many friends! In Ecuador “Ano Viejo” is celebrated by creating a fake person or dummy. It is completely dressed and stuffed with old newspaper and firecrackers. The dummy is placed outside the home and at midnight the family lights the dummy on fire. He represents something that happened during the last year and lets the old year be forgotten and the New Year begins. In England the custom of first footing is important. The reason is that it is supposed to ensure good luck for the inhabitants of the house. The first-footer must be male, young, healthy and good looking. He must be dark-haired and he should be carrying a small piece of coal, money, bread, and salt. These are the symbols of wealth. In France people eat a stack of pancakes for luck and good health. In Germany people would drop molten lead into cold water and try to tell the future from the shape it made. A heart or ring shape meant a wedding, a ship a journey, and a pig plenty of food in the year ahead. In Greece, St. Basil fills the children's shoes with presents at midnight. In Japan they make decorations for their front door out of pine branches, bamboo and ropes that are be-lieved to bring health and long life. Fan ropes are also hung over the doors and roofs with seaweed or ferns to bring them happiness and good luck. In Korea people place straw scoopers, rakes or sieves on their doors and walls to protect their families from evil spirit sin the new year. In Mexico they ring a bell 12 times and eat 1 grape for each ring. Some women wear red undergarments to find true love in the New Year. Some people take out their suitcases and walk around the block with it in hopes of traveling. In Northern Portugal children go caroling from home to home and are given treats and coins. They sing old songs or "Janeiro's" which is said to bring good luck. In Puerto Rico children enjoy throwing pails of water out the window at midnight. Some believe that this rids their home of any evil spirits! Romanians had a tradition of listening to hear if the farm animals talked on New Years Day. If the animals talked it was considered bad luck. In Spain when the clock strikes midnight the people eat 12 grapes. One grape for every stroke of the clock to represent each month in the year, it is said to bring good luck in the New Year. In Switzerland people believe good luck comes from letting a drop of cream land on the floor New Years Day. This was said to bring a year of overflowing abundance. In Venezuela people wear yellow undergarments for good luck. If they want to travel in the New Year they carry a suitcase around the house. They also write down a wish and burn it. The Vietnamese prepare well in advance for the New Year by cleaning their houses, polishing their copper and silverware and paying off all their debts.

Dock Miguel Zaragoza  

Driver “Straight Truck Bob” Robert Deneen  

Office (Two way Tie) “Margaret” Malgorzata Kokoszka Jason Esser 

Page 15 October, 2007 Page 15 December 2007

Dock Steve Coffey

Driver Bob Modes

Office Marie Huff

September 2007 MVP Winners

NEW YEARS FOOD TRADITIONS Eating noodles at midnight is customary at Buddhist Temples in Japan. A German/Pennsylvania Dutch tradition is to eat pork and sauer-kraut on New Year's Day for good luck. It is the tradition of Bosnia & Croatia to eat what is called "Sarma" or beef wrapped tightly in cabbage to bring good luck in health and wealth

for the upcoming year. It is a Cuban tradition to eat 12 grapes at the stroke of midnight. The 12 grapes signify the last twelve months of the year. German Folklore says that eating herring at the stroke of midnight will bring luck for the next year. Eating pickled herring as the first bite of the New Year brings good luck to those of Pol-ish descent. In the southern United States, it is believed eating black-eyed peas on New Year's Eve will bring luck for the coming year. The custom of eating greens such as cabbage, collard greens, mustard greens, kale or spinach is to bring money. And eating cornbread will bring wealth. In the Philippines, it is important to have food on the table at midnight in order to insure an abundance of food in the upcoming year. Another tradition from the Philippines is to collect 7 different types of round fruits. The round shape of the fruits signifies money and seven is believed to be a lucky number. Set on the dinner table on New Year's Eve, the fruits are believed to bring pros-perity and sound financial status for the upcoming year. Boiled Cod is a New Year's Eve must in Denmark. Olie Bollen, a donut like fritter is popular in Holland for New Years. Black-eyed peas, fish, apples and beets are eaten for luck at the Jewish New Year's cele-bration (not on Jan 1) Dutch believe that eating donuts on New Year's Day will bring good fortune, the circle shape symbolizes "coming full circle" completing a year's cycle. Armenian women cook Darin for their family. The bread is kneaded with luck and good wishes pressed into the dough before it is cooked.

HOW NEW YEAR IS SAID AROUND THE WORLD

Arabic: Kul 'aam u antum salimoun Brazilian: Boas Festas e Feliz Ano Novo means "Good Parties and Happy New Year"

Chinese: Chu Shen Tan Czechoslavakia: Scastny Novy Rok

Dutch: Gullukkig Niuw Jaar Finnish: Onnellista Uutta Vuotta

French: Bonne Annee German: Prosit Neujahr

Greek: Eftecheezmaenos o Kaenooryos hronos Hebrew: L'Shannah Tovah Tikatevu

Hindi: Niya Saa Moobaarak Irish (Gaelic): Bliain nua fe mhaise dhuit

Italian: Buon Capodanno Khmer: Sua Sdei tfnam tmei Laotian: Sabai dee pee mai

Polish: Szczesliwego Nowego Roku Portuguese: Feliz Ano Novo

Russian: S Novim Godom Serbo-Croatian: Scecna nova godina

Spanish: Feliz Ano Neuvo Prospero Ano Nuevo

Turkish: Yeni Yiliniz Kutlu Olsun Vietnamese: Cung-Chuc Tan-Xuan

Rocky Caylor Jason Esser Matt Foley

Carol Guarino Adam Johnson

Steven Lamczyk Bruce Lenau

Claudia Molina Tom Mroz Eric Pocius

George Smith Mike Wexler Larry Wolf

317 W. Lake Street Northlake, IL 60164

Phone: 708-338-8888 Fax: 708-338-9550 E-mail: newsletter@customco.com

The Custom Companies, Inc.

The Full Service Transportation Company

CUSTOMER SERVICE, SUPPORT AND CARE At The Custom Companies, our main objective is to deliver your goods on time and in perfect condition. We understand the importance of a great customer/vendor relationship. Our customer service center is just a phone call away to provide a rate quote, track a shipment, schedule a pickup or access accurate documentation. In today’s fast paced environment, we work to provide transportation solutions that fit every economic situation. Our “Customer First” program ensures that your shipments will be deliv-ered on time, and with the highest degree of care. In order to maintain these standards, we measure performance levels on every shipment. As a result, our internal operational systems are constantly improving to provide better, more accurate service, allowing our transportation specialists to meet your growing needs.

www.customco.com

Newsletter Committee Members

THE WINKING DOG 100 E. NORTH AVE

NORTHLAKE, IL (708) 531-1379 ph (708) 531-1382 fx

The Winking Dog ¼ lb Cheesburger, Fries

& Small Drink

$3.68 Valid thru 12/31/07

The Winking Dog

Italian Sausage, Fries & Small Drink

$ 3.68 Valid thru 12/31/07

The Winking Dog

6” American or Italian Sub &

Small Drink $3.68

Valid thru 12/31/07

RECEIVE 10% OFF YOUR PURCHASE

Located just east of McDonalds at: 25 E. North Ave

Northlake, IL (708) 343-4141 ph (708) 343-4160 fax

Ancona specializes in Italian pastries, Cookies and cakes. Party favorites are their mini pastries and pizza bread. They offer a full array of cakes for weddings, showers and birthdays. VALID 12/1/07 THRU 01/31/08