Craven County Government Sound Off

May 2017

Edition 62 Inside this What is Memorial Day? issue: Article Provided by Jeff Futrell, Veteran Services Director Summer Pests 2 To many Americans, Memorial Day is just another three day weekend from Tennis Clinic 3 work. To others it’s the unofficial beginning of summer, filled with family 2nd Fitness 3 gatherings, beach trips, backyard barbeques and much more. But to anyone Challenge who served in the military, had a friend or family member who served, or who Memorial Cont. 3 understands the important role our service members have played in this na- Hired/Retired 4 tion’s history; then Memorial Day is one of the most special days of the year. WildARC 4 Memorial Day, originally called Decoration Day, is a day of remembrance for Benefit those who have died serving in the armed forces. Upcoming 4 Three years after the Civil War ended, on May 5, 1868, the head of an organi- Fitness Events zation of Union veterans established Decoration Day as a time for the nation to Wellness Fair 5 decorate the graves of the war dead with flowers. Maj. Gen. John A. Logan Weight Loss 6 declared that Decoration Day should be observed on May 30. It is believed Challenge that date was chosen because flowers would be in bloom all over the country. Tech Stuff 7 The name gradually changed to Memorial Day and became more common after World War II. It was declared the official name by federal law in 1967, and Memorial Quiz 7 in 1968 it was moved from the traditional date to the last Monday in May in order to create a convenient three day weekend. On Memorial Day, the flag of the United States is raised briskly to the top of the staff and then sol- emnly lowered to the half-staff position, where it remains until noon. It is then raised to the full-staff for the remainder of the day. The half-staff position is to remember the more than one million men and women who gave their lives for the service of their country. At noon, their memory is raised by the living, who resolves not to let their sacrifice be in vein, but to rise up in their stead and continue the fight for liberty and justice for all. Many Ameri- cans will spend their day attending one of the thousands of events held in large cities or in small towns to commemorate the occasion. From parades with marching bands, to military themed events, or the more solemn program held at a state or national cemetery, each event is dedicated to those who have paid the ultimate sacrifice for our country. One of the longest-standing traditions is the running of the Indianapolis 500, an auto race which has been held in conjunction with Memorial Day since 1911. It runs the Sunday proceeding the Memorial Day holiday. NASCAR’s

Coca-Cola 600 has been held later the same day since 1961. Many other major Don’t forget to honor those events utilize Memorial Day weekend to hold their annual programs. In 2000, who have served and those who continue to serve our Congress passed the National Moment of Remembrance Act, asking Ameri- Country. They fight for our cans, wherever they are at 3:00 PM local time on Memorial Day, to pause in... freedom! (Continued Page 3) County Safety Committee Summer Pests Safety Tips The Craven County Safety Commit- tee welcomes your input for safety Article Provided by Eddie Games, Recreation & Parks Director and health related information you Being an avid outdoors person and a recreation professional my entire would like to see covered in future newsletters. career, I always look forward to the beginning of summer. Baseball, Please address these to boating, the beach, cookouts and all the activities that go along with [email protected]. summer are a welcome guest to many of us this time of the year. As we prepare for the upcoming summer fun we should also be thinking about Members: how to keep ourselves and family members safe while enjoying the Charles McKenna CARTS many opportunities that lay ahead. There are many different activities Zach Chenoweth Maintenance for us to participate in this summer, but we can’t forget about safety in Ira Whitford Emergency Services the process. We certainly have our share of bugs here in eastern NC, but Olinda Green Register of Deeds here are a few tips from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) that Diana Vetter Craft Health can help make our outdoor experiences much more enjoyable in the Mailene Hollar Solid Waste midst of those pests: Robbie Hardison Sheriff’s Dept.  Don’t use scented soaps, perfumes or hairspray. Jason Frederick Planning/ Inspections  Avoid areas where insects nest or congregate, such as stagnant pools Elliot Thomas Water of water, uncovered foods and gardens where flowers are in bloom Leone Lewis Elections (eliminate standing water if possible). Abigail Wilson Economic Dev.  Avoid dressing in clothing with bright colors or flowery prints. Donna Ballance Garage  To remove a visible stinger from skin, gently back it out by scraping Eddie Games Recreation it with a credit card or your fingernail. Charles Gillikin DSS  Combination sunscreen/insect repellent products should be avoided Stanley Kite Emergency Services because sunscreen will need to be reapplied every two hours, but the in- Justin Deese Tax sect repellent should not be reapplied. Aaron Inman Convention Center  Use insect repellents containing DEET (in age appropriate doses) Alison Newcombe Administration when needed to prevent insect-related diseases. Ticks can transmit Debbie Hodges Human Resources Lyme Disease, and mosquitoes can transmit West Nile, Zika virus, Chikungunya virus and other viruses. Current AAP and CDC recom- mendations for children older than two months of age is to use 10% to 30% DEET. DEET should not be used on kids younger than two months of age. The effectiveness is similar for 10% to 30% DEET, but the duration of effect varies. 10% DEET provides protection for about two hours and 30% pro- tects for about five hours. Choose the lowest concentration that will provide the required length of coverage. Read product labels carefully regarding DEET. Also, you should wash off repellents when you return indoors.  When outside in the evenings or other times when there are a lot of mosquitoes present, cover up with long sleeved shirts, pants and socks to prevent bites.

Again, with summer right around the corner, let’s have fun, but be safe while doing so.

Page 2 Craven County Government Sound Off Tennis Clinic At Creekside—HUGE SUCCESS! County Wellness Committee Article Provided by Billy Wilkes, Recreation & Parks Assistant Director The Craven County Wellness Committee is always looking for On April 4th the Recreation Department offered a Free Tennis Clinic new ideas to encourage employee for County Employees and their families on the new courts at Creekside wellness. Please send any ideas you have to Park. Sixteen people attended the clinic including volunteers. Volun- [email protected]. teers were Randy Bridgman and two members of the area high school tennis teams. Members: Connie Slappey DSS Lisa Mayo Health Michelle Lynn Convention Center Kelly Canupp Cooperative Extension Diana Vetter Craft Health Theresa Taylor Health Amber Tabarrini Health Bryant Scott Sheriff’s Department Billy Wilkes Recreation Jennifer King Health 2nd Employee Fitness Challenge Winner Debbie Hodges Human Resources Article Provided by Debbie Hodges, Safety/Risk Management Coordinator

The 2nd Fitness Challenge ran from February 20—April 2, 2017. Our Fitbit prize winner was Keely Boyce from the Health Department. You won’t believe this, but she decided to donate the Fitbit back so we can have yet another Fitness Challenge. First Amber Parker donated it back and now Keely Boyce donated it back…..I am starting to think we are all going to be some super fit employees for summer. Get your shoes ready for Fitness Challenge number three. If you haven’t participated in the past challenges you should join in on the fun. It is great to see employees encouraging each other. The 3rd Fitness Challenge will run from May 1 through June 11, 2017. Participants will need to complete at least 180 minutes of exercise each week of the Challenge to be eligible for the FitBit drawing at the end. GOOD LUCK! What is Memorial Day? Continued from Page an act of unity for the duration of one minute. This does not replace the traditional Memorial Day events; rather, it is an act of national unity on which all Americans, alone or with family and friends, honor those who died in service to the United States. So as we Americans are spending our three day weekend enjoying friends and family at a barbeque, sporting event, or celebrating that the local pool is now open, let us remember those who have sacrificed so much for this country. Take a few moments and attend an event to honor those brave Americans, or pause in silence as a way to show your respect. 149 years later, Memorial Day remains one of America’s most cherished patriotic observances to honor those who died defending our freedom and democracy. Edition 62 Page 3 March/April March/April Retirees HIRED Hires Ronnie Aderholt, Maintenance Kimberly Baker, DSS Andrew Ballance, Jail Janice Arthur, IT Michael Carter, Recreation Amanda Darnell-Jones, DSS Mikaela DeBari, Health Michael Farino, CARTS Henry Clements Jr., Sheriff RETIRED Jessica Ferebee, DSS Susan Forcier, CARTS James Wooten, CARTS Kenneth Ford, Health Kathy Green, Health Maria Green, DSS Eric Hodson, Sheriff Michael Jarman, Airport Donna LoScalzo, Airport Merti Markel, Health Melvin Martin, Solid Waste Rachael Moffitt, Communications Zachary Moffitt, Water Carmen Nichols, Health Charles Rice, Recreation Billie Jo Scott, Water Francis Segretto, Sheriff Taylor Shannon, Conventio Sharde Singleton, Airport Christian Smith, Health Nicole Taylor, Health Gary Smith, Recreation Jennifer Smith, Jail Curtis Toler, Sheriff Carol-Anne Torres, DSS Rachael Wooten, DSS

Benefit for WildARC Article Provided by Debbie Hodges, Safety/Risk Management Coordinator

We had a Jeans Day fundraiser for WildARC on March 31st and we were able to raise $600.00. The Board of Directors at WildARC was so thrilled to be selected for our charity jeans day. Amber Parker was able to meet a few of the animals they are currently helping.

Upcoming Fitness Events Event Information Provided by Amber Tabarrini, Public Health Education Specialist

 May 13th—Feds Feed Families (Havelock) —5K Fun Run or 1 Mile Walk—Benefits local food banks and shelters.  May 20th—Pancake Pursuit 5K and 10K (Taberna Country Club) - 5K and 10K - Supports YMCA with their Annual Campaign, giving members of our community an opportunity for financial assistance towards programs such as swim lessons, Summer Day Camp and YMCA memberships.  May 20th—Flash Flash SUPER COLT Dash & Field Day (Creekside Park) -1 mile Fun Run/Field events will include games, prizes, bounce house, etc.—Benefits St. Baldrick’s Foundation and research for pediatric cancer treatment.

Page 4 Craven County Government Sound Off 2017 Employee Wellness & Benefits Fair Article Provided by Debbie Hodges, Safety/Risk Management Coordinator

Our 4th Employee Wellness & Benefits Fair took place on Tuesday, April 11th. There were 56 booths, a variety of different topics and a number of free medical screenings. The Wellness Committee hopes you enjoyed your time at the Fair and that you were able to gain some knowledge you didn’t have before. A variety of door prizes were given away at the end of the day through a drawing as an added bonus. Close to 300 employees participated and the evaluations showed most everyone, employees and vendors alike, seemed to enjoy themselves.

BANKING PAMPERING STRESS REDUCTION PROPER FOOTWEAR

BLOOD PRESSURE PRESS YOUR LUCK VISION CARE CHOLESTEROL

FIRE SAFETY RECREATION HAVING FUN

Edition 62 Page 5 Lose the Weight 7 Challenge Results Article Provided by Debbie Hodges, Safety/Risk Management Coordinator

Our 7th weight loss challenge has come to an end. We had 37 participants. The challenge started on January 18th and our final weigh-in was on April 5th. At the final weigh-in we lost 45.2 pounds. Collectively for the Challenge we lost a total of 263 pounds. The top three prize winners for the largest percentage of weight loss were as follows: Brad Jenkins 1st Place Lost 33 pounds Won $185.00

2nd Place Stevan Liszewski Lost 41.8 pounds Won $111.00

Dawn McCabe 3rd Place Lost 21.2 pounds Won $74.00

Page 6 Craven County Government Sound Off Tech Stuff…..When in doubt, throw it out Article Provided by Dennis Holton, Information Technology (IT) Director

Does anyone remember seeing the orange screen on page six popup during the time period of April 6th—April 12th? If you did, thank goodness this was just a test. On April 6th, Craven County IT participated in a free “phishing security test” offered by the well-known security awareness training company, KnowBe4. This test in- volved sending out an email to 671 county email addresses with the subject line Create Your New Password Now— Google Password Reset. The test incorporated phishing and social engineering tactics, both commonly used in at- tempts to gain personal or company information, such as passwords, credit card numbers, banking information, pa- tient/client/employee information, private documents, etc. We, as individuals, frequently receive these types of emails in both our professional and personal lives. Be on the lookout for anything that looks suspicious, and if it does delete it. Phishing is the fraudulent practice of sending e-mails purporting to be from reputable companies with the purpose of inducing an individual to reveal some type of personal or company information. At first glance, our test displayed a sending email address of : [email protected]. Only upon opening the email was the sec- ondary portion displayed. Social engineering is the use of deception to manipulate individuals into divulging confi- dential or personal information. Social engineering schemes are not just limited to email, they can be experienced via phone calls, texts and various social media programs. This test wanted the recipient to click on a link within the email, which could have easily contained a virus, gone off to an undesirable website or encrypted the hard drive. Before divulging any type of information think about what you are releasing it to. Oh, and Craven County’s test had 86 clickers out of 671, a 13% click rate. This same test on the corporate side has a 16% average click rate. This is a good percentage for a first time test; however, I know we can do better, and we will with more communi- cation and training on security awareness. No matter how much technology we put in place to stop spam, comput- er viruses, malware or encryptions, our employees will always be our BEST and last defense. Do your part and think before you click…….

Memorial Day Trivia Quiz Provided by www.egovlink.com (Alan’s FUN Holiday Trivia Quiz)

1) What day in May is Memorial Day celebrated? A) 1st Tuesday in May B) Last Monday in May C) Last Thursday in May. 2) What was Memorial Day formerly called? A) Veterans Day B) Decoration Day C) Confederate Memorial Day. 3) What year (many experts believe) was the first Memorial Day observed? A) 1864 B) 1865 C) 1866. 4) Where was the first “official” Memorial Day observed? A) Charleston, SC B) Washington, DC C) Waterloo, NY 5) On May 5, 1868, in his capacity as commander-in-chief of the Grand Army of the Republic, a Veterans’ organization, he issued a proclamation that “Decoration Day” be observed nationwide. Who was the former general? A) Ulysses S. Grant B) William T. Sherman C) John A. Logan. 6) May 30th was selected as Decoration Day, first observed because it was NOT an anniversary of a battle. TRUE or FALSE 7) What were decorated in remembrance of this day? A) Tombs of fallen Union soldiers B) Cemeteries of family C) State Capi- tals. 8) Memorial Day was first used in 1882. However, the name was not used until after what war? A) World War I B) World War II C) Korean War. 9) On June 28, 1968, the United States Congress passed the Uniform Holidays Bill, which moved three holidays from their traditional dates to a specified Monday in order to create a convenient three-day weekend. Memorial Day is considered the start of what? A) Holidays B) Summer C) Spring 10) What is one of the longest standing traditions which was held in conjunction with Memorial Day since 1911? A) Indianapolis 500 B) Arizona Rodeo Days C) Washington DC Apple Blossom Festival (ANSWERS: Last Monday in May, Decoration Day, 1865, Waterloo, John A. Logan, True, Tombs of fallen Union soldiers, World War II, Sum- mer, Indianapolis 500)

Edition 62 Page 7