VOL . VI No. 2 June 2012 / July 2012

Hello Readers, Summertime is here and News that means fun! We are looking for interesting or Submitted by Bob Heinz unique ideas and ways to th enjoy the summer. Even On Saturday June 16 2012 Irish will your favorite barbeque fight Julio Cesar Chavez, Jr. for the WBC Middle- sauce recipe is welcome! weight (160 pounds) Championship of the World Please keep on preserving at the Sun Bowl in El Paso, . The fight will our planet and do your be televised for free on HBO in more than 170 share to reduce your car- countries including Mexico where Chavez has a bon footprint. Together we can make a difference! very strong base of support. The promoters are expecting very strong ticket sales with a projected And don’t forget to find Perry’s moustache hidden stadium crowd of more than 40,000 people. within this issue. Submit This is the biggest fight of both pro fighters’ ca- your answer to reers. The winner of the fight will be the manda- [email protected] no later than Friday, June 15th tory challenger in a mega fight with the Diamond for your chance to win a Belt Champion Sergio Martinez in September gift card. 2012. Chavez Jr. 45-0-1 has never been beaten, Be safe this summer, however there have been a few questionable

THE NEWSLETTER COMMITTEE fights and decisions in his last few fights against Carlos Molina and Matt Vanda. Chavez has the ability to cut massive amounts of weight prior to a fight and then rehydrate up to 180 pounds at fight time 36 hours later. This has helped him beat opponents he may have not been able to beat if he didn’t have a huge size advantage in the ring. Perry Mandera co-manages Andy Lee, who is trained by Hall Of Fame Trainer and TABLE OF CONTENTS Manager from the world famous Kronk Boxing Gym in , Michi- Boxing News 1 gan. Andy Lee, 28-1, comes into this fight on a 12 fight winning streak that included strong performances against (to avenge the only blemish on his record) a Hiring Our Heros 2 knockout of Craig McEwan and a 2nd round knockout in March of Saul Duran. Lee has Hollywood Walk of Fame 3 lethal power in both of his hands; he has never tasted the canvas in any of his 29 pro- Social Media ‘s Impact 4 fessional fights. Chavez, Jr. will enter the ring weighing over 180 pounds; however I Big Trouble with Ticks 5 don’t think it will help him as Andy Lee is very fast of both hands and feet. Chavez, Jr. Dealing with The Gout 6 likes to crowd his opponents like his father, Julio Cesar Chavez, Sr. did and land shots on the inside. In my opinion, this strategy will not work in this fight because Lee should Sport s Corner 7 be able to land heavy punches from the outside and destroy him. Summer Colds 8 One thing is for certain, if you are a boxing fan, this should be a world class boxing Circle W Trucking 9 event with plenty of nonstop action. The future for the winner of this fight is going to be When Thunder Roars 10 paved with lots of big paydays and lots of big fights on HBO. Let’s all get together and New Hires 11 cheer for 26 year old Andy Lee from , Ireland. Calendar of Events 13 Benefits of Popcorn 13 Custom Family at Work 14/15

The Custom Companies, Inc. - 317 W Lake Street Northlake, IL 60164 - www.customco.com

DID YOU KNOW… VOL . VI No. 2 June 2012 / July 2012 From the ground to the tip Page 2 of her torch, the Statue of Hiring our Heroes Liberty is 305 feet and one inch tall. by Matt Foley and Rocky Caylor Watermelon Hiring our Heroes, launched by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce is a na- is actually a vegetable! tionwide initiative to help veterans and military spouses find employment.

The first event was held in in March, 2011, and in the year since, Every ton of recycled office there have been more than 150 hiring fairs in 48 states. Thus far, more paper saves 380 gallons of oil. than 10,000 veterans have found gainful employment. The Custom Com-

In 1905, an 11 yr. old boy, panies, Inc. is proud to count ourselves among the companies actively re- Frank Epperson, invented the first popsicle completely cruiting and hiring veterans. Rocky Caylor and Matt Foley attended the by accident. He left a mix- Hiring Our Heroes job fair on March 28, 2012 at The Hilton Chicago. ture of powdered soda and water, with a stirring stick, on Among the opening speakers at the event were Illinois State Comptroller, his porch. When he awoke the next morning, he found a Judy Baar Topinka, and Governor Pat Quinn. Both delivered riveting frozen pop! He started to make these as snacks for speeches about the challenges that veterans face and offered motivation his children. They liked them to those who were eagerly so much, his kids would ask him for a “pop’s” sicle and seeking employment. the name stuck. Cherry is the number one With more than 1,500 atten- favorite Popsicle flavor. dees, Rocky and Matt were Americans eat more ice cream per year than any fortunate to meet hundreds other nation. of qualified veterans. After Horace Mann created reviewing an enormous num- “summer vacation” back in 1840 to prevent ‘over- ber of resumes, a select stimulating the minds of American children.’ group of individuals was re- More people will choose to quested to visit The Custom drive to their vacation desti- nation than fly. Companies in person for the US families take an average beginning of the interview process, with two selected to meet with The Hir- of 4.5 trips each year. ing Committee. Rafael Rodriguez joins us after spending four years in the A Boeing 747 airliner holds U.S. Navy. After being honorably discharged from the Navy, Rafael has 57,285 gallons of fuel. obtained his B.A. in Business Management from Robert Morris University and is currently pursuing his M.B.A. also at Robert Morris. Darryl Cherry joins us after spending four years active duty in the U.S. Marine Corps. After being honorably discharged from the Corps, Darryl spent a few years in Atlanta before returning to Chicago. Both bring a tremendous work ethic and discipline and were impressed by our facility and our Custom Culture. The Custom Companies is scheduled to attend the next Hiring our Heroes events on June 6 at The Hilton Chicago, and July 26 at the College of No one knows what happens to the seahorse during the DuPage in Glen Ellyn. Best of luck to both Rafael and Darryl and to suc- winter as it is only seen dur- ing the summertime. cess in finding equally qualified veterans at the next job Hiring our Heroes events.

The Custom Companies, Inc. - 317 W Lake Street Northlake, IL 60164 - www.customco.com VOL . VI No. 2 June 2012 / July 2012

WALK THE WALK ON THE HOLLYWOOD WALK OF FAME Page 3 Body, Mind, & Soul

Submitted by Petra Gumieniak Nothing sums up the glamour, glitz, and talent in Hollywood more than the Hollywood Walk of Fame. This stretch along Hollywood Boulevard is home to “Life is not a dress rehearsal. over 2500 of the world’s top entertainers. Quit practicing what you’re The main concept behind the Walk is a means to “maintain the going to do, and just do it.” - glory of a community whose name means glamour and excite- Marilyn Grey ment for the four corners of the world” according to a press release by the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce in 1953. E.M. Stuart was the volunteer president of the Chamber credited “I’ve seen many troubles in with the idea that year and appointed a committee to bring my time, only half of which these ideas to the silver screen of life! ever came true.” Plans crystallized and were submitted to the Los Angeles City – Mark Twain Council in January of 1956. The council stood firmly behind the idea and instructed the Board of Public Works to organize the engineering specification as well as create the essen- tial assessment district to finance the project. “It’s what you learn after The stars took many forms during the initial planning process. In 1956 a star was unveiled you know it all that counts.” that included a caricature of the honoree along with brown and blue sidewalks. It was even- – Harry S. Truman tually decided that the proposal was too difficult in addition to being too great a financial hit on the committee as well as the city of Los Angeles. Black and coral won the debate as the caricatures faded into the background. They were replaced by emblems distinguishing for “If a man who cannot count which of the arts the honoree was to be recognized. The initial cost was estimated at $1.25 finds a four-leaf clover, is he million and included new street lighting and foliage as well as the lucky?” terrazzo and brass stars lining the boulevard. – Stanislaw J. Lec The Improvement Association (established by the Chamber to as- sume certain responsibilities) went hard to work selecting the trail- blazing honorees to be inducted into the Walk. Four committees were established to represent the four different aspects of the enter- tainment industry (at the time): motion picture, television, recording and radio. The selection process was not completely void of contro- versy – Charlie Chaplin was not approved to be included in the initial phase of the Walk! The project was marked as completed and dedicated on November 23rd 1960, in conjunc- tion with the Hollywood Christmas Parade. The first 8 honorees to make the cut included: Olive Bordon, Ronald Colman, Louise Fazenda, Preston Foster, Burt Lancaster, Edward Sed- wick, Ernest Torrance, and Joanne Woodward. A lawsuit was filed by Charlie Chaplin, Jr. seeking $400,000 in damages for the exclusion of his father from the Walk. The court ruled that Chaplin had no case and dismissed the suit. “A best friend is like a four In 1970 the Cultural Heritage Board of the City of Los Angeles designated the Hollywood leaf clover: hard to find but Walk of Fame as Los Angeles Cultural Monument #194. A fifth category of “Live Theater” lucky to have.” was added in 1984 to allow people that excelled in all types of live performances to be con- – Author Unknown sidered for stars. The Walk was originally designed to accommodate 2,518 stars and was later expanded to double rows on the boulevard and intersecting avenues. --Courtesy of SMC3 Health News Today, the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce continues to administer the Walk as the repre- sentative of the City of Los Angeles. An average of two stars are added to the Walk on a monthly basis. The Walk is a tribute to all of those who worked so hard to develop the con- cept and to maintain this world-class tourist attraction.

The Custom Companies, Inc. - 317 W Lake Street Northlake, IL 60164 - www.customco.com VOL . VI No. 2 June 2012 / July 2012 Page 4

Social Media's Impact on Politics by Daniel Leach

Franklin D. Roosevelt had ‘Fireside Talks.’ John F. Ken- nedy bested Richard Nixon in a presidential debate by dressing better for TV. Even Former Professional Wrestler

Jesse “The Body” Ventura was elected Governor of Minne- sota because he was among the first group of politicians to take advantage of campaigning via the internet. It’s obvious throughout his- tory that those who embrace the latest advances in communication tech- nology reap overwhelming rewards in bids to win elections or secure multi-

ple terms in office. With the next evolution of this advance being social me-

dia, how will this affect the upcoming elections? Daniel Craig 6-1 Alex De Leon 6-3 Twitter and Facebook have had a profound impact on society as a whole Richard Stein 6-3 and the political spectrum has taken the initiative to capitalize on reaching

Brent Richter 6-4 out to non-voters and the decided alike. Political figures have linked their Victor Sanchez 6-5 own website to their shared Twitter and Facebook accounts, even going so Refugio Banda 6-6 far as to add a header tab specifically for either/both of them. Receiving Mircea Dulgheriu 6-6 candidates’ reactions to up-to-date political happenings has been easier Tom Biskup 6-8 than ever before. Maureen Cox 6-8 Jeff Howard 6-8 By allowing voters greater accessibility to the candidates, they have gained Larry Charnot 6-9 tremendous knowledge of candidates’ specific political views and are, fur- Tom Jaworowski 6-9 thermore, able to review their political history to see if they’ve voted that Tom Motter 6-9 way in office. Want to know where candidates stand on the taboo issues? Percy De Leon 6-10 Facebook has them, sometimes arranged in easy-to-read list formats. Did Ramon Ramos 6-11 you miss the recent State of the Union address? YouTube has them all. Bernie Boudrow 6-12 Even in-depth political commentary, bias or otherwise, is available at your Juan Espinoza 6-12 convenience. While this information has always been available, up until re- Jim Welsh 6-15 cently, it was never this easy to obtain, much less retain. John Dembowski 6-17 Frank Funari 6-17 Because of these big changes, politicians have become more aware of John Valente 6-18 their history on the big issues and have taken an additional step to curb Luis Macias 6-19 what they say to the public and thus avoid making definitive statements Lisl Kinsella 6-20 that might endanger their chances of election/re-election should they not Tom Kolzow 6-21 live up to those statements. In the end; social media websites, like Face- Oscar Aceves 6-23 book and Twitter, benefit the voting public by holding politicians more ac- George Barney 6-27 countable with easy to access information and open discussions of the is- Dan Lanzito 6-27 suea. And, at the same time, politicians are able to branch out to voters Daniel Leach 6-27 and increase their base without limiting themselves to the expense of TV Tim Sienko 6-27 ads, radio PSAs and phone call endorsements. Without available long term studies of the impact of social media websites on elections, only time will tell whether the early indicators of such a medium will have the projected outcome in politics and who will use them most effectively.

The Custom Companies, Inc. - 317 W Lake Street Northlake, IL 60164 - www.customco.com VOL . VI No. 2 June 2012 / July 2012 Page 5 Big Trouble This Summer with Ticks Warmer-than-normal spring temperatures are allowing ticks to become active ear- lier than usual, auguring an increase in tick-borne illnesses, experts warn. “This is going to be a horrific season, especially for Lyme (disease) “, Leo J. Shea, a profes- sor at the Rusk Institute of Rehabilitation Medicine, tells the Wall Street Journal. Lyme’s indistinctive symptoms – fever, extreme fatigue, chills, and headaches make it difficult to diagnose. Yet left untreated, it can cause long-term damage to many parts of the body, including the brain, heart and muscles.

Over the past 20 years, known Lyme disease cases have doubled, but most infec- Jerry Odziemiec 7-1 tions are going undiagnosed, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention re- Dianna Ryan 7-2 ports. In addition to Lyme disease, ticks carry babesiosis, Rocky Mountain spotted Jose Palacios 7-6 fever and anaplasmosis- all of which are also on the rise- and a single bit can trans- Juan Salazar 7-6 Edith Ron 7-9 mit more than one infection. Researchers say rates of the disease have increased Alexie Ayala 7/10 as more people move into tick territory and as global warming allows Southern tick Phyllis Wardiani 7-12 species to spread northward. To avoid bites, experts recommend wearing long Lucasz Kislo 7-13 sleeves and insect repellent when walking in wooded areas, and to closely inspect Arturo Magana 7-13 pets after time outdoors. Steve Holowka 7-14 Bernabe Gomez 7-15 The Week April 13, 2012 Pete Dobrzynski 7-16

Greg Rogers 7-16 Finding “Me” Time Michael Yoro 7-17 Don’t feel guilty about taking “me” time, every day. You aren’t Charles Branscomb 7-20 Jose Pinto 7-20 wasting time; rather, you’re investing time in yourself that will Shawn Struchen 7-20 benefit yourself and others, too. Al Mendoza 7-22 We all need time to do something we enjoy or that will help to Julio Renteria 7-22 Edgar Covarrubias 7-23 improve our lives. When we pay attention to our own needs, we Bob Heinz 7-23 become better spouses, parents, Bill Weber 7-23 Michele Marek 7-27 grandparents, friends, and employees. Victor Gurrola 7-28 Find a time of the day that works Felix Torres 7-29 best for you and keep the date with Justin Major 7-29 Rick Bulaon 7-30 yourself every day. Block off the time in your printed or electronic cal-

endar to make it easier to keep the

date. Courtesy of SMC3 Health News The Custom Companies, Inc. - 317 W Lake Street Northlake, IL 60164 - www.customco.com VOL . VI No. 2 June 2012 / July 2012

Page 6 Dealing with “The Gout” by Marcelo Domingo Five years ago both my feet had swollen up and I was in excruciating pain for 4 months. I finally got over the whole macho thing of “not needin’ Name: Years: to see no sissy doctor,” and I was told I had gout. Chuck Cecconi 11 Gout? The so-called "disease of kings" that plagued aristocrats in the Brent Richter 6 days of King Henry VIII? The condition that was a source of painfully Jason Vasquez 6 funny comedy in "Laurel & Hardy" shorts more than 70 years ago? Gregorio Montoya 6 After a series of increasingly painful and debilitating attacks in my Aroldo Velazquez 6 Al Mendoza 5 feet, elbows and knees, I went to a rheumatologist and he put me on al- Mike Shipinski 5 lopurinol (a generic drug that blocks uric acid production). I've been attack- Ricardo Oyervidez 4 free for 1 year and 7 months. Jose Palacios 4 Gout affects an estimated 8 million people in the U.S. It's the most Percy DeLeon 3 Dean Pilafas 3 common form of inflammatory arthritis. It is caused by a buildup of uric John Pecnick 3 acid in the bloodstream that crystallizes in the joints and surrounding tis- Steve Paxton 2 sue. The big toe is the joint most commonly associated with the condition, Petra Gumieniak 2 but the disease also can inflame knee, ankle, wrist, hand and elbow joints. Eberardo Farias 2 Greg Rogers 2 Often the pain is so severe you cannot even put a tissue on the affected area. Edgar Covarrubias 1 Far from the "disease of kings" –– called so because of its past associa- Marcelo Domingo 1 tion with a high-meat and alcohol diet –– gout is getting more common than Robert Reynolds 1 ever. It tends not to attract a lot of attention because when (sufferers) have William Umana 1 Ed Walsh 1 an active gout attack it's very painful and in the moment, but after the at- Jeremiah Anaya 1 tack subsides they feel like ‘out of sight, out of mind’. But that is most defi- Jay Cohen 1 nitely not the case. The underlying uric acid excess problem is smoldering Roland Foulkes 1 beneath the surface, poised to cause recurring gout attacks and potential Jose Rodriguez 1 joint damage.

The nation's rising body mass index can only make things worse. If you're overweight, it increases your risk of gout. Losing weight will make a difference. Beer is the greatest offender of elevated uric acid. Switching to red wine could be healthyl. Increasing dairy intake could also be beneficial. Studies have shown, through lifestyle and dietary changes, you can lower uric acid levels by two points. However the best thing to do is to see your doctor and get educated. Although life- style and dietary change do help the problem there are also other factors such as ge- netic predisposition. Also diet and exercise are long term so- lutions that take months to work; in the meantime you may suffer frequent episodes that are treatable.

The Custom Companies, Inc. - 317 W Lake Street Northlake, IL 60164 - www.customco.com VOL . VI No. 2 June 2012 / July 2012 Page 7 Sports Shorts by Jeff Guthman

1. How Far can the Bulls go without Derrick Rose? With Rose out due to another injury, that will keep him out of the playoffs this year, there is doubt that the Bulls can beat the Miami Heat. They are playing the best basketball of their season right now. The Bulls have had to play without Rose a lot this year, and they ended with the best record in the NBA. They should be able to get to the conference finals to face the Heat then who knows? And on that note - “there’s always next year!” 2. Will Pujols hit with the Angels like he dominated with the Cardinals? Name: Years: People forget sometimes how players struggle when they switch leagues. Albert Pujols may be one of the greatest players of all time. Baseball is a rare sport where often the Grazyna Ujas 22 harder you try the worse you do. When he relaxes and becomes more comfortable in Mary Reich 22 the American League, he will be back to the pure hitter that he has always been. Great talent George Wiszowaty 20 will always rise to the top! Marie Podolak 19 3. Did the Bears draft the players they need to compete in the toughest division in Dale Majcina 16 football? Carol Guarino 13 They started off the draft with a defensive end, Shea McClellin, who can also shift Cesar Serrano 12 back to an outside linebacker. Having someone on the other end of Julius Peppers can only make a great defense that much better. Then, they added some offensive Bart Jasiewicz 10 strength to go along with the free agent pick up of Brandon Marshall. The Bears should be Sharon Klomfar 10 able to hold their own with the Packers and Lions who look to be great and complete teams Jose Pinto 9 this year. Martin Ramirez 7 4. How long will Kobe Bryant continue to play at the level that he has Raul Gallardo 7 played for the past 16 years? Ivan Velez 7 Bryant said in an interview the other day that he would lay as long as he has the pas- Dave Stiplosek 5 sion for the game and that he could keep up with the younger players coming into the Fausto Rodriguez 5 league. That being the case, I would point out that he was second in scoring for the entire Chris Moran 5 league this year and his passion for the game does not seem to have faded to any degree. So take heart Los Angeles-you should be able to watch one of the all time great Christina Paramo 5 players in the NBA for some time to come! Tina Petrovic 5 5. Do the White Sox have enough to play with the loaded Detroit Tigers? Manuel Vega 4 As much as I want to say “yes,” I have to say no. Although the Sox can get hot Igor Pavlovic 2 and play some great baseball, the Tigers just look too good this year and I do not see any Chris Nicholson 2 team that has the roster that they have. If the Tigers stay healthy I would look for them to be Charles Branscomb 1 in the World Series this year. James Garroutte 1 6. Are the Clippers finally considered to be an elite team like the Lakers? Alberto Munoz 1 Every year for the past few decades, the Clippers seem to have been in the longest Chris Guerrero 1 rebuilding period of any sports team in history. The long wait seems to have paid Joe Giaquinta 1 off. With great young superstars like Griffin and Paul, teamed with great proven vet- erans like Billups, Martin and Butler they have a team to be feared. Ray Hecker 1 7. Are the Chicago Cubs on the right track for the rebuilding they are in the middle of? Richard Stein 1 You have to believe that with Theo Epstein in charge, he’ll do for the Cubs what he Malcolm Watson 1 did for the Red Sox. However, Rome was not built in a day and I would think it will Nathan Becker 1 take him a year or two to complete. So, Cub fans, I know that it’s early in the year Ryan Camarena 1 but “wait till next year.” Danny McDaniel 1 8. Is Hockey alive in Los Angeles? Paxter Higueros 1 This year the team is drawing an average of 17,313 at each game, up from 16,489 the season prior. They haven't drawn below 16,000 fans, on average, in any season since moving to the Staples Center in 1999. In other words, much of the L.A. region is just arriving to a party that was already pretty crowded. 9.Will the Blackhawks come back and be the contender that they were? It was hard this year. There were so many injuries and such inconsistent play. How far could they have gone this year with a healthy roster and a more seasoned goalie? I think that they are close, just a few missing pieces. I look forward to next year. 10.Will there be a NFL franchise in Los Angeles any time soon? The echoing thoughts of an NFL stadium and an NFL team seem to be dying on the vine as the political process of union negotiations and economic influence claw away at any timely or productive means of getting shovels in the ground. No stadium equals no NFL team in Los Angeles. The Custom Companies, Inc. - 317 W Lake Street Northlake, IL 60164 - www.customco.com VOL . VI No. 2 June 2012 / July 2012 June Page 8 Holidays, Summer Colds Submitted by Michele Marek Special Days, "A cold is a virus and is different from allergies," explains Dr. Wexler. "The Weeks & Month seasonal difference is due to different virus strains in summer and winter." So just because most people don't catch a cold in the summer doesn't mean that you can't — or that you didn't. Month: Aquarium Month Candy Month "Colds, or upper respiratory infections occur all year round, but are more Dairy Month prevalent in the colder months," says Nancy Elder, MD, associate professor Gay Pride Month National Adopt a Cat Month and director of research in the department of family and community medicine National Fresh Fruit and Vegetables at the University of Cincinnati in Ohio. Month Rose Month Turkey Lovers Month "The main difference between summer colds and winter colds is how com- monly they occur," says Dr. Elder. But a summer cold just feels worse some- Days: 1 National Doughnut Day how — it feels wrong to get a cold in the sunny summer weather. "Because 2 National Rocky Road Day colds occur less often in the summer months, I think some people feel a bit 4 Hug Your Cat Day 4 Old Maid's Day put-upon when they get a summer cold — it just doesn’t seem fair," Elder 5 World Environment Day adds. 6 National Yo-Yo Day 7 National Chocolate Ice Cream Day So cold-prevention tips are important year-round, even when the sun is beat- 8 Best Friends Day ing down. "The most important precaution is hand-washing, and not sharing 9 Donald Duck Day cups or utensils," says Wexler.

Summer Allergies

The common cold and summer allergies have a lot in common. They can both cause: 10 Iced Tea Day 12 Red Rose Day 13 Sewing Machine Day Runny or stuffy nose 14 Flag Day 15 Smile Power Day Congestion 16 Fresh Veggies Day 16 Nursing Assistants Day Coughing 16 World Juggler's Day 17 Eat Your Vegetables Day Fatigue 17 Father's Day 18 Go Fishing Day Headaches 18 International Panic Day 18 National Splurge Day "Sometimes, it can be hard to tell them apart, especially if someone has not 19 World Sauntering Day 20 Summer Solstice had problems with allergies previously," notes Elder. Often, "allergies have 20 Ice Cream Soda Day more watery, runny nose with lots of sneezing, itchy, watery eyes and can 21 Go Skate Day 22 National Chocolate Éclair Day change based on physical location (for example, may get better if someone 23 National Columnists Day 23 National Pink Day leaves the outdoors and goes into an air-conditioned, air-filtered house)." 24 Swim a Lap Day 25 Log Cabin Day Seasonal allergies, such as allergies to grasses and weeds, also strike about 25 National Catfish Day the same time each year (depending on the allergy) and persist throughout 26 Beautician's Day 26 Forgiveness Day allergy season. A simple summer cold usually goes away within about 10 27 Sun Glasses Day 28 Paul Bunyan Day days — with or without common cold treatment — and tends not to cause 29 Camera Day itchy eyes or nose like allergies do. 29 Waffle Iron Day 30 Meteor Day

The Custom Companies, Inc. - 317 W. Lake Street Northlake, IL 60164 - www.customco.com VOL . VI No. 2 June 2012 / July 2012 Page 9 July Holidays, CIRCLE W TRUCKING Special Days, submitted by Larry Charnot The Custom Companies welcomes Circle W Trucking to our family. Weeks & Month Adding an “in-house” flatbed carrier is the next logical step in ex- Month panding our offerings to provide true “Full Service Transportation.” Custom has always provided flatbed service to our customers via our National Blueberry Month Brokerage Division. We will now offer the service via our own drivers National Anti-Boredom and equipment. The operation currently consists of 10 units, but the Month National Cell Phone Cour- flatbed market is very strong and our goal is to grow the fleet by one tesy Month truck per week to accommodate the demand for this service. Circle W National Hot Dog Month is located close to the Mississippi River about 100 miles north of St National Ice Cream Month Louis, very near Hannibal, Missouri; the setting for Mark Twain’s Days Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn stories. 1 Build A Scarecrow Day 1 International Joke Day Circle W Trucking was established in 2 World UFO Day 1992 and incorporated in Mis- 3 Compliment Your Mirror Day 3 Stay out of the Sun Day souri. Bruce Wisdom is the President 4 Independence Day of the company. 4 National Country Music Day 5 Work-a-holics Day 6 National Fried Chicken Day Circle W is exclusively a flat-bed 7 Chocolate Day hauler. They haul everything from 7 National Strawberry Sundae Day 8 Video Games Day brick to steel and anything that can be 9 National Sugar Cookie Day 10 Teddy Bear Picnic Day secured on a flatbed for hauling. Their 11 World Population Day main operation runs East to PA, South 12 Different Colored Eyes Day Bruce Wisdom 12 Pecan Pie Day to Texas and Florida, North to Minne- 13 Barbershop Music Appreciation Day 15 National Ice Cream Day sota and West to Utah. They can run all 48 states but stay in these 15 Cow Appreciation Day regions for the most part. Bruce hired Pam Hanley a few years ago to 17 Peach Ice Cream Day 18 National Caviar Day help in dispatch operations. These two run the day to day operations. 19 National Raspberry Cake Day 20 Moon Day Recently members of both CDN and Custom have visited their termi- 20 Ugly Truck Day nal to assist in everything from driver orientations and training to 21 National Junk Food Day 22 Hammock Day technical support, and to establish the software and communications 22 Parent's Day needed to integrate their services with 23 National Hot Dog Day 23 Vanilla Ice Cream Day ours. There are still things that need to 24 Amelia Earhart Day be done, but much has been accom- plished in a short period of time.

Thanks to all involved in the start up and to Pam and Bruce for their assis- tance as well. We will continue to pro- 24 Cousins Day 26 Aunt and Uncle Day vide updates as things progress, and I 28 National Milk Chocolate Day know that all of you will help us in 29 National Lasagna Day 30 National Cheesecake Day making Bruce and Pam feel welcome into Pam Hanley 30 Father-in-Law Day the Custom Family. Welcome aboard! 31 Mutt's Day The Custom Companies, Inc. - 317 W Lake Street Northlake, IL 60164 - www.customco.com VOL . VI No. 2 June 2012 / July 2012

Page 10 When Thunder Roars, Go Indoors! As reported by the National Weather Service (noaa) The lightning safety community reminds you that there is little you can do to substantially reduce your risk if you are outside in a thunderstorm. The only completely safe action is to get inside a safe building or vehicle. Safe Buildings A safe building is one that is fully enclosed with a roof, walls and floor, and has plumbing or wiring. Examples include a home, school, church, hotel, office building or shopping center. Once inside, stay away from showers, sinks, bath tubs, and electronic equipment such as TVs, radios, corded telephones and computers. Unsafe buildings include car ports, open garages, covered patios, picnic shelters, beach pavilions, golf shelters, tents of any kind, baseball dugouts, sheds and greenhouses. Safe Vehicles A safe vehicle is any fully enclosed metal-topped vehicle such as a hard-topped car, minivan, bus, truck, etc. While inside a safe vehicle, do not use electronic devices such as radio communications during a thunderstorm. If you drive into a thunderstorm, slow down and use extra caution. If possible, pull off the road into a safe area. Do not leave the vehicle during a thunderstorm. Unsafe vehicles include convertibles, golf carts, riding mowers, open cab construction equipment and boats without cabins. Bolts from the Blue A lightning flash can travel horizontally many miles away from the thunderstorm and then strike the ground. These types of lightning flashes are called "Bolts from the Blue" because they seem to come out of a clear blue sky. While ORD DOCK blue sky may exist overhead (or in part of the sky overhead) a thunderstorm is always located 5 to 10 miles (and sometimes even farther) away. Although these flashes are rare, they have caused fatalities. Edgar Covarrubias Lightning Risk Reduction When a Safe Location is Nearby Run to a safe building or vehicle when you first hear thunder, see lightning or observe dark threatening clouds devel- oping overhead. Stay inside until 30 minutes after you hear the last clap of thunder. Do not shelter under trees. You are not safe anywhere outside. Coach of Outdoor Sports Team You coach a little league team and have a game this evening at the local recreational park. The weather forecast for the day calls for partly cloudy skies, with a chance of thunderstorms by early evening. You arrive in your vehicle while the kids arrive with their parents. When you get to the park, you notice the only buildings are the restrooms (an en- closed building with plumbing and electricity). Shortly after sunset, the skies start to cloud up and you see bright flashes in the sky to the west. What should you do? In this case, you should get everyone into vehicles or the restrooms. Do NOT stay in the dugouts; they are not safe during lightning activity. Once at a safe place, wait 30 minutes after the last rumble of thunder before going back and ORD DRIVER resuming play. Nelson Mendez At the Beach/Lake Your family plans to go to the beach today. The weather forecast calls for a nice morning followed by a 30 percent chance of afternoon thunderstorms. When you get to the beach, you see that the only nearby structures are open sided picnic shelters. The parking lot is about a five minute walk from the beach. By early afternoon you notice the skies darkening and hear distant thunder. What should you do? Go to your car! Do NOT seek shelter under the beach picnic shelters. Wait 30 minutes until after the last rumble of thunder before going back to the beach. Camping and Other Wilderness Activities You are cooking dinner on the camp stove when you hear distant rumbles of thunder. Your tent and a large open sided picnic shelter are nearby. Your vehicle is about a quarter of a mile away parked at the trail head. What should you do? ORD MAINTENANCE Go to your vehicle! The tent and picnic shelter are NOT a safe places. Wait 30 minutes until after the last rumble of Francisco Hernandez thunder before going back to the campsite. If camping, hiking, etc., and are far from a safe vehicle or building, avoid open fields, the top of a hill or a ridge top. Stay away from tall, isolated trees or other tall objects. If you are in a forest, stay near a lower stand of trees. If you are camping in an open area, set up camp in a valley, ravine or other low area. Remember, a tent offers NO pro- tection from lightning. Stay away from water, wet items (such as ropes) and metal objects (such as fences and poles). Water and metal are excellent conductors of electricity. The current from a lightning flash will easily travel for long distances.

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Jovanni Olvera

Anthony Prazuch Welcome New Hires! ORD MAINTENANCE Larry Bennett - Driver Darryl Cherry - Driver Johnny Edwards James Griese James Griese - CSR Pam Hanley - Circle W Trucking Angel Herrera - ORD Dock David Hill - CSR Justin Horgan - CSR Ricardo Mata - ORD Dock Kevin Mayer - ORD Dock Jovanni Olvera - ORD Dock Anthony Prazuch - Weights & Insp ORD SPOTTER Ricardo Mata Rafael Rodriguez - CSR Curtis Walker - Driver Eric Wiencek Bruce Wisdom - Circle W Trucking

Kevin Mayer Justin Horgan

ORD DRIVER Darrell Nelson

David Hill Angel Herrera

Rafael Rodriguez

The Custom Companies, Inc. - 317 W Lake Street Northlake, IL 60164 - www.customco.com VOL . VI No. 2 June 2012 / July 2012 Page 12 2012 SUMMER CALENDAR IN CHICAGO: 6/1-6/3 Division Street Fest & Sidewalk Sale 6/1-6/3 Harvard Milk Days 6/2-6/3 Sausage Fest 6/2 West Chicago Touch-a-Truck at Turtle Splash Water Park 6/3 United Run for the Zoo 6/7-8/30 Chicago Botanic Garden Hot Summer Nights-Thursdays 6/7-6/10 Franklin Park Railroad Daze 6/8-6/10 Chicago Blues Fest & Ribfest 6/13-6/17 Elk Grove Rotary Fest 6/14-6/17 Libertyville Days Festival 6/15-6/16 Itasca’s Scottish Festival & Highland Games Congratulations to 6/15-6/16 Blues On the Fox River Fest Cesar Nolasco 6/15-6/19 Woodridge Jubilee (CDN Customer 6/16-6/17 Antioch Summer Arts & Crafts Faire 6/16-6/17 Cantigny Fine Art Festival Service) and his 6/21-6/24 Carol Stream Carnival wife Sonia on the 6/22-6/24 Northlake Days birth of their daugh- 6/23-6/24 Chicago Summer Fest-Lincoln Park 6/29-7/3 Naperville Ribfest ter, Steffany. Baby 6/30-Glenview Summer Festival Steffany arrived on IN LOS ANGELES: March 20th, weigh- Bug Fair, LA Carmel Art Festival, Carmel-By- ing in at 5 lbs, 10 oz The-Sea and 18.5” long. Huntington Beach July 4th Parade The Nolasco family Cairo Caravan, Long Beach Celebration on the Colorado is happy, healthy Street Bridge, Pasadena and doing well! Corona Antiques & Collectibles Faire, Corona Elvis Fest, Costa Mesa Festival Of Arts, Laguna Beach Gilmore Heritage Auto Show, LA JazzReggae Festival, LA La Habra Corn Festival, La Habra Huck Finn Fishing Derby, Huntington Beach Lemon Festival, Chula Vista Long Beach Civil War Reenactment, Long Beach Old Pasadena Walking Tour, Pasadena Long Beach Jazz Festival, Long Beach Crawfish Festival, Long Beach Pasadena Chalk Festival, Pasadena Shakespeare By The Sea, San Pedro Summer Music Series, LA Malibu Arts Festival, Malibu Salsa Festival, Oxnard Taste Of Farmers Market, LA Western Days, Temecula

The Custom Companies, Inc. - 317 W Lake Street Northlake, IL 60164 - www.customco.com VOL . VI No. 2 June 2012 / July 2012 Page 13

The Health Benefits of Popcorn

Popcorn offers more than crunch and empty calories. A new study shows that the snack food is more nutritious than fruits and vegeta- bles in some respects – provided you don’t slather it with butter and salt. Researchers at the University of Scranton in Pennsylvania ran tests on several different popcorn brands and found that the hulls- the tough fragments that can get stuck in your teeth-contained sur- prisingly high levels of antioxidants called polyphenols, which have been found to reduce the risk of cancer and heart disease. A serving of popcorn provides more than twice the polyphenols as a similar serv- Congratulations to ing of most fruits and vegetables, and because it contains little wa- Danielle Pitsenbarger ter, popcorn’s nutritional benefits are more highly concentrated. As a (CDN Track & Trace) whole grain, popcorn also boasts higher concentrations of fiber than cereals or breads do. “Popcorn may be the perfect snack food, study and Hamilton Car- author Joe Vinson tells ScienceDaily.com, and the hull fragments in ranza on the birth of particular are “nutritional gold nuggets.” When air-popped, the snack their son, Kaleb Sal- contains far fewer calories than snacks like chips or trail mix. Pop- vador Xavier. Kaleb corn does, however, lack the important vitamins and minerals that are entered this world on th packed into foods like broccoli and bananas. The Week April 13, 2012 May 4 at 3:52 am, weighing in at 6 lbs. , 8oz.and measuring Double Chocolate 20.72” long. Everyone Popcorn Balls is doing well! Yield: 18 popcorn balls Ingredients 1/2 cup sugar 1/2 cup corn syrup 1/4 cup butter or margarine 2 tablespoons cocoa powder 8 cups freshly popped popcorn 1 cup "M&M's"® Semi-Sweet Chocolate Mini Baking Bits

Directions 1. Combine sugar, corn syrup, butter and cocoa in medium saucepan; bring to a boil. 2. Add popcorn, stirring until evenly coated. Remove from heat. Stir in "M&M's"® pieces. Cool slightly. 3. Shape into 2" balls. www.customco.com

The Custom Companies, Inc. - 317 W Lake Street Northlake, IL 60164 - www.customco.com VOL . VI No. 2 June 2012 / July 2012

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The Newsletter Committee did a couple of ‘Oops!’ last issue. Sorry Lech for misspelling your last name, should be spelled Mruk! And our apolo- gies to Maureen Cox who works in Accounts Payable, not Accounts Receivable.

The Custom Companies, Inc. - 317 W Lake Street Northlake, IL 60164 - www.customco.com VOL . VI No. 2 June 2012 / July 2012

Page 15 ASSOCIATES

AT WORK

ORD DRIVER Some Cesar Serrano Custom Team

Members ORD DOCK hard at Gregorio Montoya work!

ORD DAY BILLING Elizabeth Gonzalez

The Custom Companies, Inc. - 317 W Lake Street Northlake, IL 60164 - www.customco.com The Custom Companies, Inc. Page 16

www.customco.com 317 W. Lake Street Northlake, IL 60164 Phone: 708-338-8888 CUSTOMER SERVICE, SUPPORT AND CARE Fax: 708-338-9550 At The Custom Companies, our main objective is to deliver your goods E-mail: [email protected] on time and in perfect condition. We understand the importance of a The Full Service Transportation Company great customer/vendor relationship. Our customer service center is just a

www.customco.com phone call away to provide a rate quote, track a shipment, schedule a www.customgl.com pickup or access accurate documentation. In today’s fast paced environ- www.gocdn.com ment, 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 pro- vide better, more accurate service, allowing our transportation specialists to meet your growing needs.

Newsletter Committee Members Marcelo Domingo Daniel Leach Matt Foley Michele Marek Carol Guarino Tom Mroz Fridays @ Orland Park Petra Gumieniak Eric Pocius Old Village Hall Jeff Guthman 14413 Beacon Ave., Orland Park, IL June 22 Additional Contributors: Larry Charnot 8:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.

Rocky Caylor Robert Heinz (Must be 18 yrs. or older)

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