Illinois State Crime Commission 17th Annual Awards Dinner

Illinois State Crime Commission 17th Annual Awards Dinner

“A Salute to Those Who Make a Difference.”By: Megan Luscombe

This year’s awards ceremony, held at Drury Lane in Oakbrook Terrace, was again well represented by Custom associ-ates. This year’s ceremony, however, held twice the honor for The Custom Compa-nies. Both Perry Mandera and Rocky Cay-lor were presented awards for their out-standing efforts in the community.

Perry received the President’s Award for his devotion and dedication to helping and hiring veterans. While other organizations have given lip-service to helping veterans, Perry has placed veterans first in line in hiring at his companies. Moreover, Mr. Mandera stepped up to the plate and spon-sored one disabled Marine’s dream of starting a disabled-veteran-owned company. This new com-pany, Two Soldiers and a Marine, will hire returning Iraq-Afghanistan combat veterans, all possible because Perry never forgot that he is a Marine and that all Marines are brothers.

Following Perry’s presentation, Rocky Caylor, our Executive V.P. of Operations, received the Directors Award for his outstanding efforts in assisting Marine Veterans in the community. Fre-quenting events for Marines for Life, Rocky has been an integral part of hiring process with veterans at Custom.

Perry and Rocky were in great company as other law enforcement, legislators, doctors, me-dia, and businessmen were honored for their roles as well. Special recognition went out to two Il-linois State Police Troopers, Kyle Deatherge and James Sauter, both whose legacy will remain after their untimely deaths in action. Overall, the night was a great success, and we are very proud to have our Owner and Executive V.P. honored on the same stage!

Hello Readers, We hope everyone is en-joying the Summer! And as a bonus, if you find Perry’s moustache hid-den somewhere within this issue, you could win a Gift Card!! Submit your finding via email to Tom Mroz at [email protected] no later than Fri-day, August 16th for your chance to win.Now wouldn’t that make your summer even better!Thank you,NEWSLETTER COMMITTEE

THE CUSTOM COMPANIES, INC. • 317 WEST LAKE STREET, NORTHLAKE, ILLINOIS 60164 • www.CUSTOMCO.com

VOL. VII No. 3 • August / September 2013Dedicated to our Internal & External Customers, the future of our company.

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IL Crime CommissionHours othf ServiceFarewell To ElaineLA UpdateSummertime HeatCustom UniversityKids Bus SafetyUIC Career FairSportsRecipesLabor Day ArticleCredits

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VOL. VII No. 3 • August / September 2013

Did You Know

?• On a clear night, the human eye can see be-tween 2,000 and 3,000 stars in the sky.• Water is the only sub-stance on earth that is lighter as a solid than a liquid.• The White Sands national park in New Mexico is the largest desert with the fine white sand, made of a mineral called gypsum.• Lake Baikal in Russia is the deepest lake in the world, and holds as much water as all the five Great Lakes of the U.S. combined!• Australia is the only continent on earth without an active vol-cano.• The first modern traffic light was put to use in Cleveland, Ohio, in 1914.• Babe Ruth kept a cab-bage leaf under his cap to keep cool• America’s first major highway was called the National Road, and was opened in 1814, con-necting the city of Bal-timore with the Ohio River.• Lightning strikes 1,000 times per second on the planet earth.• The average human

Hours of Service ChangesSubmitted by: Jay Cohen In 2013, the U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Motor Carrier Administration (FMCA) has implemented Hour of Service (HOS). While there is ongoing litigation in a fed-eral appeals court to reverse the changes, they are not likely to be reversed. This article is a general overview of the changes that apply to anyone that drives a Commercial Motor Vehicle (CMV). A CMV is any vehicle with a gross weight of more than 10,001 pounds, designed to transport 16 passengers or more, or transport hazardous materials that require placards. The main rea-sons for the rule changes are to ensure driver safety by reducing driver fatigue, ensuring com-pliance to federal guidelines, and limiting exposure to criminal and civil liability issues. Those most affected by these changes will be the high output truckload fleets that have drivers on the road for weeks at a time. Results of non-compliance to these changes include drivers being placed out of service, civil litigation against companies and/or drivers, federal criminal penalties, and hefty fines. The major changes include a 34 hour restart rule, including two consecutive rest periods between 1:00am - 5:00am every week. In addition, drivers are required to take a 30 minute break every 8 hours. There are also 14 hour and 11 hour driving restrictions. Specifics of these changes and more can be seen at www.fmcsa.dot.gov/rules-regulations/topics/hos/index.htm. At this time, the total long-term effects of these changes have yet to be seen. However, there are some preventative measures carriers and shippers can take to reduce the impact of the changes. It is estimated that driver demand will increase by approximately 60,000 drivers in the coming years. Carriers are suggested to increase recruiting and value their current drivers. Shippers are suggested to have flexibility if rates go up and be more flexible with their carri-ers. Now would be the time for carriers and shippers to discuss and strengthen cooperative programs for amicable business relationships in the future.

ISO NewsSubmitted by: Tom Boyle

It’s that time of year again, the ISO audit is on the way! Our annual QMS audit will take place in August. CDN will be audited on August 12th and 13th. Custom ORD will be audited August 13 through the 16th. Custom LAX is scheduled for August 19 through the 21st.This year’s audit will be our recertification audit; this means the audit will be far more extensive than the past few years. All parts of the QMS will be audited, and I will be visiting all depart-ments prior to these dates to prepare.In addition to the normal areas generally covered in the annual surveillance audit (Quality Policy, departmental Quality Objectives etc.); you need to be familiar with other areas subject to audit. Make sure your procedural manuals represent what and how we do each process. Where is the Master List of Documents, and do you have any obsolete documents? Where are the records for your department maintained? How do we handle non- conforming products such as OS&D, returned deliveries, or any distressed freight? Is it handled according to the Procedure listed in the Procedure manual?I will be happy to answer any questions or concerns you may have. Please let me know or ask as I am visiting each of your departments.

Custom Cares Charities Activity by Tom MrozKendall County Run/WalkOn June 1st The Walter and Connie Payton Foundation held the 8th annual Kendall County “Sweetness” 5K-8K Run/Walk at Yorkville High School. This year they had a total of 418 run-ners in attendance. Custom Cares donated $1,500 to help sponsor this event.The proceeds of this event will benefit Veterans in need and children throughout the State of Illinois. To learn more about the WCPF Veteran project at Concord Assisted Living in Northlake, IL and other WCPF events go to their website www.payton34.com.Wounded Warrior Project/Soldier RideThe Wounded Warrior Project along with The Cook County Sheriff ’s Department and the Chicago Fire Department sponsored the 6th Annual Soldier Ride to provide an enjoyable time for our injured service members and support them as they readjust to civilian life, This year Warriors and their supporters rode approximately 70 miles between June 27th and 29th from Chicago to Highland Park. Custom Cares, along with our outside sales rep Brad Berndt, donated 100 cases of Gatorade for the rider’s liquid refreshment along the route.

Farewell To ElaineSubmitted by: Michele Marek

Retirement is a big deal. Retirement marks the start of an-other chapter in an employee’s life. Retirement marks the end of a career, or the start of a new one. Retirement changes rela-tionships, routine, and coworker interactions.

On June 14, 2013, after 17 ½ years of invaluable service with The Custom Companies Inc. as our main receptionist, Elaine Heppe retired. Elaine wore multiple hats. She an-swered the phone for many

years for both Custom and CDN. She opened and sorted the incoming mail for both companies as well as sorted and stamped all outgoing mail. She scanned invoices, made copies, and did many more tasks for the company, too many to mention! Despite all of her many duties, she was always smiling and cheerful. She will surely be missed!



dream lasts only 2 to 3 seconds.• Your forearm (from inside of elbow to in-side of wrist) is the same length as your foot.• A duck’s quack doesn’t echo, and no one knows why.• The airplane Buddy Holly died in was the “American Pie.” (Thus the name of the Don McLean song.)• The 3 most valuable brand names on earth: Marlboro, Coca-Cola, and Budweiser, in that order.• The US Interstate road system was de-signed so that one mile in every five must be straight. These straight sections are usable as airstrips in times of war or other emergen-cies.• Most lipstick contains fish scales.• Donald Duck comics were banned from Fin-land because he doesn’t wear trousers. • Ketchup was sold in the 1830s as medicine• The Dog Days of Summer refers to the weeks between July 3rd and August 11th. They are named after the Dog Star (Sirius) in the constellation of Canis Major• Mosquitoes, sum-mer’s pest, have been around for more than 30 million years.

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Los Angeles UpdateBy: John Tarwater

As we continue to expand our market share in the Los Angeles Basin we are always apprecia-tive of the support we receive from our corporate offices in Northlake, IL. Although we are more than 2,000 miles away one would feel like we are just next door. Modern technology has afforded us the pleasure of receiving information and support around the clock. The Los An-geles Terminal would like to give a big shout out of a “Thank You” for the help and assistance we receive from Corporate. We understand everyone gets busy and it would be easy to ignore request(s) for help thinking it doesn’t really matter because you have your own issues to deal with. Thanks to everyone that responds quickly to us and especially all our customers! Our LA staff had the fantastic opportunity to attend Custom University! It was held on a Sun-day and went very well. The knowledge and information shared was priceless! The message was well received and compliments abound for John Santoro and his presentation. The mate-rial was thoroughly comprehended as the attendees continued talking about the experience into the following week. It is always a good idea to share knowledge through effective communication! Our Sales department recently held an event for current and potential custom-ers. We held a Sunday Brunch cruise in the beautiful harbor of Newport Beach, CA! The event was held aboard the “Wild Goose” and was previously owned by the one and only John Wayne. All of our Sales Representatives were in atten-dance and treated our customers to an amazing day! We had well over 100 cus-tomers and team members in attendance making sure we thanked every single one of them for their business! FUN FACT: The Wild Goose Yacht- was a US Navy YMS-1-classYard Mine Sweeper (YMS), built in Ballard, Washington at Ballard Marine & Railway in Ballard, Washing-ton (Seattle). She was classified as a Mark II design and her hull is constructed completely out of 3” vertical grain Doug-las-fir. After naval service during World War II, she became a private yacht. Later renamed Wild Goose she is most notable for having been bought in 1962 by actor John Wayne and he kept her for 16 years. The yacht was listed on the US National Register of Historic Places on July 19, 2011.

AUGUSTBIRTHDAYS

Jose CoronaIsabel GarciaMarc InmanConsuelo MuschioElias SandovalChris SharpRyan CamarenaPaul GaleDavid LorgeYolanda WilczewskiJuan LunaEberardo FariasGreg RobinsonErik DiazGeorge TsoutsosRobert EldridgeCurtis WalkerRobert BarbosaKate TeiberScott Ten BroeckRoger KulpaFrank OsborneMary BaldaJose PazosJohn TarwaterAndy Wagner Michael Cruz Michael GillhouseDanielle PitsenbargerJocelyn CervantesDale BurtHoracio ContrerasRichie MerazLech MrukJason VasquezMary ReichLuis VenturaManuel Contreras

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SUMMERTIMEHeatIt’s summer and the heat is on. The summer solstice in the Northern Hemisphere, or top half of Earth, is around June 21. That’s when the sun reaches its most northern point over our planet. The days around June 20 are the longest of the year, and the rays from the sun beat almost directly down on use and warm us up.Longest, Not HottestYou might think that the longest days of the year would be the hottest. But they are not. The hottest weather, on average, comes about a month after the summer solstice. This is because the amount of heat from the sun continues to accumulate during the long hot days, and the short nights don’t al-low as much heat to leave. The days start to cool down only after the days grow short enough to allow more heat to leave Earth’s surface than arrives.HumidityIt is not the heat, they say, but the humidity. Humidity is the amount of moisture in the air. When the air has so much moisture in it, our bodies don’t do a good job of cooling us down because sweat doesn’t evaporate as quickly from our skin. That is why we feel so hot on a humid day. In fact, the temperature we feel may be warmer than the actual air temperature. This is called the heat index. If the temperature is 100 degrees and the relative humidity is 50 percent, the heat index, or the temperature we actually feel, is 120. Hot humid days can be dangerous for humans and animals, so stay out of the sun and drink lots of water when the humidity is high.

Dealing With Difficult People submitted by Tom Mroz

Gossipers — Don’t join in. People who gossip want reaction. If you don’t give them that, gossipers will move to someone else to share the “juice.”

Chatterboxes — If you know people who appear to never shut up and whose conversations inter-fere with getting work done, make excuses for not being able to talk, “I would really like to talk, but I need to…”

Haters — You can’t please all of the people all of the time. There may be people who don’t like you for whatever reason. Say, “hello,” and be nice, but nothing more. Try to avoid these people as much as possible, but be pleasant when you see them.

Complainers — Some people’s glasses are always half empty (or less). Deal with gloom-and-doomers by changing the subject or empathizing with them. They may just want understanding. A simple “I hear ya” may make them feel better and stop their complaining.

AUGUSTANNIVERSARIES

Dorland HendersonPete GrauBob ZdychBrad WoodburyEarl HahnOrlando RoldanRamon RamosElias SandovalLuis MaciasMichele MarekRonnie JenkinsPat GomezArturo OrtegaIgnacio MolinaRocky CaylorPedro Valles Ramon BadeaTony Crespo Jim SchnurDaniel CraigJeff GuthmanPedro EscanioAdalberto FrancoTaulafoga FaalaveSheila PajarilloEdith RonGeorge SmithAlejandro GarciaMichael CruzJuan SalazarJason Montgomery Lynn KoclanisAnthony RoldanDaniel LeachJohn TarwaterCuco BandaSteve BartoloneEd CiganekDan LanzitoJose PazosTom MotterReyna AvilaDonald ScheerRay BagoJim KrencMiguel OrtizJavier GutierrezSalvador Lagunas

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SEPTEMBERBIRTHDAYS

Desiree ReyesDurwin PontonTed KlemczakSteve LaueMike PlzakWilliam SchultzMatt FoleyMiguel RodriguezReyna AvilaShirley BandalyAlonso BlancoTaulafoga FaalaveSeferino AriasTony BeltranoMarie HuffPete GrauJeannette SweetOscar CarvajalRaul Gallardo Bruce LenauJeff DaytonMike KelsoJames GrisbySean PierceMartin BolanosJudy KnuthLucas HillsBill AshbyWilliam EhrlPaxter HiguerosRoger Peralta Jose RiosBilly HudsonJose RodriguezWalter GustafsonLynn KoclanisClete JanikWilliam UmanaDave StiplosekJoe Giaquinta Jay CohenWojciech Glowacki

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CUSTOM UNIVERSITY

CUSTOM UNIVERSITY GRADUATES

June 12, 2013Listed from left to rightBruce Lenau, Jeannette Sweet, Felix Torres, John Santoro, William Milarski, Lucas Hills, Austin Kizzee, Sean Pierce, Tom Boyle, Juan Lopez

June 19, 2013Listed from left to right

Sarah Wagner, Yolanda Wilczewski, Renya Avila

John Santoro, Jacob Elperin, Tom Boyle, Steve

Flores, Alonzo Blanco, Al Mendoza

June 5, 2013Listed from left to right

Shawn Struchen, Edith Ron, Marie Huff, John

Santoro, Judy Knuth, Jay Cohen, Tom Boyle, Sean

McLaughlin



SEPTEMBERANNIVERSARIES

Kevin MindakGlenn CastilloTodor KalemovJohn SkibaRay TiradoDarrell NelsonFrancisco HuertaPete DobrzynskiOsmond JosephArturo MaganaManuel ContrerasIvan AguirreTom KeeganHoracio ContrerasKamal Salah David McAlpinJoe KlikasVictor SanchezJuan MoralesLouie OcanaKevin TucekMichael GillhouseJose EsquivelTroy LoskeRob KlemczakTed KlemczakKris LarsonJustin YagerArjel CastilloIsabel Garcia

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Custom U. Goes West! Submitted by John SantoroOn Sunday, June 30th, Custom U. graduated an illustrious group of LA’s finest transportation specialists. These dedicated Custom associates spent their Sunday soaking up and processing the many interesting and historical facts regarding the fantastic growth and success The Cus-tom Companies’ has enjoyed during its first 27 years. The Los Angeles group was the largest class to date and provided many interesting comments.There were eighteen very focused and interactive attendees. Marc Inman and his dedicated staff were definitely one of the highlights of our brief Custom U. history.There have also been many positive comments and suggestions from all of the attendees that keep Custom U. constantly evolving. Your critiques and recommendations are well received and have brought about important changes and significant, meaningful additions to the cur-riculum.We are all very fortunate to be a part of such a successful organization. Just like the Black-hawks, it is exhilarating to be associated with the best company in the transportation industry.

June 26, 2013Listed from left to rightCarol Guarino, Wilfrido Reyes, John Santoro, Mark Danhauser, Tom Boyle, Raul Mojica

July 10, 2013Listed from left to right

Brenda Perez, Danyel Ege-land, Angy Guarino, John

Santoro, Tom Boyle, Kevin Tucek, Jon DuJardin, Russ

Krezel, Roel Lazaro

TCC DriverJohn Skiba



TRIVIAThe first webcam watched a coffee pot. It allowed researchers at Cambridge to moni-tor the coffee situation without leaving their desks.

Marie Curie’s note-books are still radioac-tive.

When three-letter airport codes became standard, airports that had been using two letters simply added an X.

In colonial America, lobster wasn’t exactly a delicacy. It was so cheap and plentiful it was often served to prisoners.

Crayola means “oily chalk.” The name com-bines “craie” (French for “chalk”) and “ola” (short for “oleaginous,” or “oily”).

The Pittsburgh Pen-guins made Mister Rogers an honorary captain in 1991.

Until coffee gained popularity, beer was the breakfast beverage of choice in some parts of the United States.

Judge Judy reportedly makes $45 million a year.

For twenty three million students nationwide, the school day begins and ends with a trip on a school bus. The great-est risk is not riding the bus, but approaching or leaving the bus. Before children go back to school or start school for the first time, it is essential that adults and children know traffic safety rules.

Drivers• When backing out of a driveway or leaving a ga-rage, watch out for children walking or bicycling to school.• When driving in neighborhoods with school zones, watch out for young people who may be thinking about getting to school, but may not be thinking of get-ting there safely.• Slow down. Watch for children walking in the

street, especially if there are no sidewalks in neighborhood.• Slow down. Watch for children playing and congregating near bus stops.• Be alert. Children arriving late for the bus may dart into the street with out looking for traf-

fic.• Learn and obey the school bus laws in your state. Learn the “flashing signal light system”

that school bus drivers use to alert motorists of pending actions:• Yellow flashing lights indicate that the bus is preparing to stop to load or unload children.

Motorists should slow down and prepare to stop their vehicles.• Red flashing lights and extended stop arms indicate that the bus has stopped, and that chil-

dren are getting on or off. Motorists must stop their cars and wait until the red lights stop flashing, the extended stop sign is withdrawn, and the bus begins moving before they can start driving again.

Children• Get to the bus stop at least five minutes before the bus is scheduled to arrive.• When the bus approaches, stand at least three giant steps (6 feet) away from the curb, and

line up away from the street. • Wait until the bus stops, the door opens, and the driver says that it’s okay before stepping

onto the bus.• If you have to cross the street in front of the bus, walk on the sidewalk or along the side of

the road to a point at least five giant steps (10 feet) ahead of the bus before you cross. Be sure that the bus driver can see you, and you can see the bus driver.

• Use the handrails to avoids falls. When exiting the bus, be careful that clothing with draw-strings, and book bags with straps don’t get caught in the handrails or doors.

• Never walk behind the bus.• Walk at least three giant steps away from the side of the bus.• If you drop something near the bus, tell the bus driver. Never try to pick it up because the

driver may not be able to see you.

Parents• Teach children to follow these common sense practices to make school bus transportation

safer.

UIC Career FairOn Thursday, June 27th, UIC hosted an Alumni Only Career Fair in their UIC Forum. Featuring talent from The University of Illinois, Northwestern, Loyola University, Southern Illinois University, DePaul Uni-versity, University of Iowa, Notre Dame, Bradley Uni-versity, Ohio State University, Indiana University, and many others, Custom was one of 115 organizations looking to hire at this event.After a very successful day of speaking to many talented men and women, we secured multiple interviews and even more resumes for potential candidates. Overall, the event was a success and our booth was definitely the most popular!

Get a New SmileTo keep your teeth looking sharp, try these tricks.The secret to a great grin isn’t really a secret: “Hav-ing beautiful white teeth is where you start,” says Los Angeles – based dentist Bill Dorfman, D.D.S., who’s famous for transforming smiles on shows like Extreme Makeover and The Doctors. As you age, however, it’s harder to keep your teeth white, due to yellowing enamel and gum recession. Whitening procedures can help (consult with your den-tist before using at-home products), but to keep your teeth white naturally, you should brush and floss regularly - no surprise – and follow these simple tips.

1. Brush with baking soda. It contains natural abrasives that can fight stains, explains Mat-thew Messina, D.D.S., American Dental Association consumer adviser.

2. Eat apples and other fibrous foods, which Dorfman says keep teeth healthier by loosening up debris.

3. Take care after eating teeth-staining foods. You know the culprits – red wine, coffee, tea, blueberries – but soy sauce can also tarnish your teeth. Brush soon afterward.

4. Go for contrast. Whitening toothpaste, whitening strips, and bleaching tray all do a decent job improving the shade of your teeth (consult with your dentist before using at-home prod-ucts).



Taco Bell is named for its founder, Glen Bell.

During the first Super Bowl in 1967, NBC was still in commer-cial when the second half kicked off. Officials asked the Packers to kick off again.

Hawaii is the only U.S. state that grows coffee commercially.

Mozart’s “Ah! Vous Dirai-je, Maman” might well be his most popular melody — it’s the tune used in both “The Alphabet Song” and “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star.”

When Canada’s North-west Territories consid-ered renaming itself in the 1990s, one possibil-ity was “Bob.”

Hawaiian Punch was originally developed in 1934 as a tropical flavored ice cream top-ping.

When you crack a whip, the tip is moving faster than the speed of sound. That is why it “cracks” instead of “wooshing.”

Frederick Arthur Stanley is one of the best-known names in professional hockey. He’s the Lord Stanley behind the Stanley Cup.

Milton Bradley intro-duced the memory game Simon at Studio

Fit Facts: Focus on Screen TimeMany workers use technology and gadgets as part of their jobs. The growing use of smart phones, tablets, laptops and desktop PCs may expose the eyes to strain from long, uninterrupted focus on video screens.Looking at a computer screen can irritate your eyes. To avoid discomfort:• Sit about 25 inches from the screen• Follow the 20-20-20 rule: Every 20 minutes, look at something 20 feet away for 20 seconds• Reduce glare from the screen by lighting the area properly; use a screen filter if needed• Post a note that says “Blink!” on the computer as a reminder• Use artificial tears to refresh your eyes when they feel dry• Take regular breaks from computer work, and try to get enough sleep at night.



NFL TALK WITH DANIEL LEACHThoughts on NFC North OpponentsBy: Daniel LeachChicago Bears Training Camp begins on July 26th. All eyes will be focused on position battles for Offensive and Defensive lines in particular. While the Chicago Bears are fortifying those vital spots this season, many are now wondering how their division rivals will be leading the charge to try and capture the NFC North. The NFC North has become the most competitive divi-sion in the NFL, having had 2 teams reach the playoffs for the past 3 years. Although the Green Bay Packers have proven to be the most dominant, even the Detroit Lions broke the NFL longest playoff drought (since 1999) by earning a Wild Card spot during the 2011-2012 seasons. Combine all of that with coaching changes, free agency, and stigma from teams that underperformed from last season; and we have a great deal of drama well before kickoff on September 5th.All that being said, enclosed are some thoughts I have on the Chicago Bears division rivals this season:

Green Bay PackersDefensive Coordinator, Dom Capers’ 3-4 scheme made an instant splash on Cheesehead Na-tion in 2009. The Packers’ high-powered offense afforded Dom Capers the freedom to use the strong linebacker core, led by Clay Matthews and A.J. Hawk to blitz around Offensive Tackles. This led to double digit sack totals for Clay Matthews.Green Bay experienced major setbacks, however, when the key to the 3-4 Defense, the nose tackle position (NT), became a prob-lem. NT’s B.J. Raji and Johnny Jolly each went down with injury the last 2 seasons. Opposing offenses quickly took advantage of the Packers’ vulnerability by running the ball more, leading to Packers QB Aaron Rodgers see-ing less and less of the field. Although WR Greg Jennings is now a member of the Minnesota Vikings, their depth at the WR position is only dwarfed by the talent of Aaron Rodgers.If Dom Capers can settle the nose tackle position and solidify his 3-4 Defense, there’s very little resistance for the Packers to again secure a spot in the playoffs.

Detroit LionsI can understand why many of the Detroit Lions fans have had enough. After ending the NFL’s

longest playoff drought, spells of inconsistent play on both Of-fense and Defense spell out a huge problem loud and clear. The Detroit Lions don’t have a talent problem, they have an organi-zational problem. Jim Schwartz brought a defensive toughness to this team by in-stalling a 4-3 Defense heavily favoring Safety blitzes and relying on talents like Nick Fairley, Ndamukong Suh and Cliff Avril on the Defensive Line to stop the run. However, undisciplined play

54 in 1978.

In August or 1957, baseball player Richie Ashburn hit a fan with a foul ball. A few minutes later, he hit the same fan again(!) while she was being taken out on a stretch-er.

Al Capone estimated that he spent $30 mil-lion a year to pay off judges, police, elected officials, and newspa-permen.

Catherine the Great had private ice slides (the roller coasters of their day) built near her palace.

Ben Franklin’s formal education ended at ten years old.

Chickens with white ear lobes lay white eggs, whereas chickens with red ear lobes lay brown eggs.

There is actually a spe-cific area of the brain known as the bilateral vomitation center. It notes when our tummy is upset and makes the final decision whether to barf or not to barf.

Harvestmen, or Daddy longlegs, aren’t actual-ly spiders: they belong to a different order of arachnids.

The Michelin Man has a name – Bibendum, though close friends



led to the Lions nearly leading the league in defensive penalties. But the Lions have addressed this concern by signing former Chicago Bears DE Israel Idonije. Idonije was one of the least penalized players in the NFL, and amongst the most versatile for the Bears. Israel will defi-nitely have an axe to grind against the Chicago Bears, feeling spurred after having lost his position to both Corey Wootton and Shea McClellin. But will the veteran presence be enough to close the gap on these penalties? We will have to wait and see.However, more optimism resides on the offensive side of the ball this season. Matthew Staf-ford and Calvin Johnson return off a NFL record breaking year. Jahvid Best was released from the Lions recently due to issues stemming from concussions suffered last season. However, Reggie Bush and Mikel Leshoure will offer Offensive Coordinator, Scott Linehan, more ver-satility to pound the rock with Mikel Leshoure, or set up the pass in the backfield with Reggie Bush. Add a Special Teams that excels in field position, and looks like the Detroit Lions are in the driver’s seat to have a shootout with any team…provided they don’t shoot themselves in the foot.

Minnesota VikingsWith the exception of the previously mentioned WR Greg Jennings, the Minnesota Vikings haven’t made much of a splash in free agency. In addition, most Vikings fans would argue that cutting ties with WR Percy Harvin (despite his gameday migraine issues) was a mistake. Regardless, it is the opinion of this writer that the Minnesota Vikings do the best at getting the most out of their talent in this division. On the other hand, with many of their top defensive talents getting older (DT Kevin Williams, 11th season; DE Jared Allen, 10th season; LB Chad Greenway, 8th season) will any of these “spring chickens” from NFL Draft make an immediate impact?

Overall, offensive talent remains questionable in every position except for running back (RB) and Offensive Line (OL). RBs Adrian Peterson and Toby Gerhart offer running options that favor pure raw power. OT Matt Kalil and OL Joe Berger have helped cement an offensive line that’s played up to par. The biggest question surrounds the, you guessed it, QB position. QB Christian Ponder has protected the football but has played average, given the time that this Vikings offensive line has afforded him. If the Vikings plan on staying in the playoff hunt, they’ll need to involve WRs Greg Jennings and Cordarrelle Patterson in the passing game to ease the pressure off RB Adrian Peterson. Otherwise, they’ll be back to being one-dimension-al, something they were before Brett Favre was a Viking.

BIRTH ANNOUNCEMENT!

IT’S A GIRL!Belated Congratulations to Maggie (Choice Direct) and Luke Sa-gan on the birth of their beautiful baby daughter, Kaya Olivia, born on May 20th, 2013.

call him simply “Bib.”

World War I ended at precisely eleven o’clock on the eleventh day of the eleventh month of the year 1918.

Route 66, westbound from Albuquerque, started out as a camel trail.

Up until the early 1970s, funeral homes in rural areas offered their hearses for use as ambulances to trans-port patients to hospi-tals.

If a foreign-born fe-male gives birth on an airplane in U.S. airspace, or on a ship within 12 nautical miles of the U.S. coast, her child automati-cally becomes a U.S. citizen.

Ken Osmond, the ac-tor who played Eddie Haskell in Leave It to Beaver, wasn’t the troublemaker in real life. He grew up to be-come an L.A. police-man.

Johnny Carson’s first guest when he took over The Tonight Show was legendary film comic Groucho Marx.

Though dragonflies possess 6 legs like any other insect, they can-not walk.

Gasoline was once sold in small bottles as a cure for lice.

Backyard BurgersServes: 8 burgersINGREDIENTS1 (1 pound) package Bob Evans® Origi-nal Recipe Sausage Roll 1 pound ground beef 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese 1/3 teaspoon ground pepper 8 hamburger buns 8 lettuce leaves (optional) 8 tomato slices (optional) 8 onion slices (optional)

Directions: In a large bowl, combine first five ingredients. Form into 8 patties. Over medium heat on grill, cook burgers on each side until done (no longer pink), about 10 to 15 minutes. Serve with buns and favorite toppings.



Yummy Grilled AsparagusINGREDIENTS1 bunch fresh asparagus, trimmed 1/3 cup Italian-style dressing 3/4 teaspoon lemon pepper salt and ground black pepper to taste

1. Preheat grill for medium heat and lightly oil the grate.2. Lay asparagus flat in a 9x9-inch pan. Add Italian dressing, lemon pepper, salt, and black pep-

per; toss to coat. Transfer asparagus using tongs to the grill.3. Grill asparagus on preheated grill until tender, 3 to 5 minutes per side. Return asparagus to

pan and toss with remaining dressing mixture.

Elaine Heppe

TCC TL BrokerageJosh Hines, Michael

Gillhouse

TCC City DispatchDon Scheer, Bob

Zdych, David Lorge

Grilled Vegetable Sandwich Original recipe makes 2 sandwiches

INGREDIENTS1/2 zucchini, cut crosswise into 1/2-inch slices 1/2 small eggplant, cut crosswise into 1/2-inch slices1 red bell pepper, quartered 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 1/2 teaspoons olive oilground black pepper to taste1 small whole-grain baguette, cut into two halves and split lengthwise1/4 cup basil pesto 4 ounces fresh baby mozzarella, sliced2 plum tomatoes, sliced Directions1. Combine zucchini, eggplant, and red bell pepper in a bowl. Sprinkle salt over the mixture.

Set aside to allow the vegetables to tenderize, at least 3 hours.2. Preheat grill for medium heat and lightly oil the grate.3. Drain moisture from vegetable mixture. Brush vegetables with olive oil to coat; season

with black pepper.4. Cook vegetables on hot grill until tender, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Transfer to a bowl and

set aside.5. Toast cut sides of baguette in a toaster oven until golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Spread

basil pesto evenly over toasted surface. Arrange grilled vegetables evenly onto 2 of the ba-guette halves. Top each with sliced mozzarella and plum tomato slices; top sandwich with the remaining baguette pieces to serve.



Mint Chip Ice Cream Pie Serves 8 / Hands-On Time: 10m / Total Time: 2hr 25mIngredients8 ounces chopped semisweet chocolate, melted4 cups crisped rice cereal (such as Rice Krispies)2 pints mint chocolate-chip ice cream, slightly softened

Directions1. In a large bowl, combine the chocolate and cereal until the

cereal is completely coated. Transfer to a 9-inch springform pan. Press the mixture into the bottom and 1 inch up the sides of the pan. Freeze just until firm, 5 to 10 minutes.

2. Spread the ice cream in the prepared crust and freeze, covered, until firm, for at least 2 hours and up to 3 days.

TCC InboundDavid McAlpin

TCC Claim Dept.Denise Reyes

TCC DispositionsTina Petrovich,

James Griese

TCC CSRWilliam Milarski



By: G. Smith

On this, 2013’s Day for Celebrating the very meaningful contribution of the Worker’s of Our Nation, let us also not forget the many in our Military Services that are returning to the civilian workforce after serving in the protection of Our American Liberties, Freedom, and Demo-cratic way of life. The Custom Companies, Incorporated has made it a primary priority to give opportunities of employment to these returning warriors. The lead in this effort, besides our Ownership, is Executive Vice President Rocky Caylor. Let Rocky know that you are there to help him in his efforts, and please share your valuable internal knowledge of the many work-ings of our unique “Custom Culture” and “World Class Service” to these former military men and women who are chosen to join us.

From a Historical Perspective, today, more than one hundred years after the observance of the first American Labor Day, doubt still exists as to the American who first proposed and is responsible for this uniquely American Holiday, which is completely differentiated from the unrests in Europe associated with “Day’s for Labor” that arose at the behest of Socialists in that environment.

While some records suggest it was Peter J. McGuire, general secretary of the Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners and a cofounder of the American Federation of Labor who was the first to suggest a special day to honor those “who from rude nature have delved and carved all the grandeur we behold”; an ever-growing number of prominent historians have come to disagree with this history. They maintain it was truly a Maguire, just not Peter J. who first came up with the idea of creating a day just to celebrate the achievements of the American Worker. A hum-ble machinist, these historians maintain, named Matthew Maguire was the real founder of the holiday. The most recent historical research seems to support Matthews claim to fame citing it was he, who later became the secretary of Local 344 of the International Association of Ma-chinists in Paterson, NJ, who first suggested the holiday while he was serving as the secretary of the Central Labor Union in New York. What has become clear is the fact that the Central

The Totally

Unique A m e r i c a n Labor Dayand How It ReallyCame to Be...

TCC ISO DeptTom Boyle

TCC Day BillingElizabeth Gonzalez,

Marie Huff



Labor Union was the first organization that adopted a Labor Day proposal and appointed a committee to plan a demonstration in support of American Organized Labor, together with a contemporaneous picnic.

The very first American Labor Day celebration occurred on Tuesday, September 5, 1882 in New York City, in accordance with the above mentioned plans of the Central Labor Union. Just one year later, on September 5, 1883 the second Labor Day celebration happened, again sponsored by the same Union. The first gov-ernmental recognition of the holiday came by way of New York municipal ordinances passed during 1885 and 1886. From this source a mo-

mentum built to introduce a “Labor Day” bill to the New York State Legislature.

However, in true point of fact, it was the west coast State of Oregon that passed the first State law establishing a Labor Day holiday on February 21, 1887. During that year, four more states: Colorado, Massachusetts, New Jersey, and finally New York, created the Labor Day holiday through their state legislatures. By 1894 twenty-three other states had adopted the holiday and on June 28th of that year the US Congress passed an act making the first Monday in September of each year a legal holiday known as “Labor Day”.

The founder and long serving president of the American Federa-tion of Labor, Mr. Samuel Gompers, described this uniquely Amer-ican based holiday:

“Labor Day differs in every essential way from the other holidays of the year in any country… All other holidays are in a more or less degree connected with conflicts and battles of man’s prowess over man, of strife and discord for greed and power, of glories achieved by one nation over another… (our) Labor Day…is devoted to no man, living or dead, to no sect, race, or nation.”

OUR Labor Day, all agree, is an American creation of the organized labor movement in The United States and is dedicated solely to the social and economic achievements of American workers. It is dedicated to providing a yearly tribute to the contributions of ALL of our work-ers together who have built the ever increasing strength, prosperity, well-being, and freedom of Our Nation.



CUSTOMER SERVICE, SUPPORT AND CAREAt 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 relastionship. 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 delivered 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.

The Custom Companies, Inc.The Full Service Transportation Company

317 West Lake StreetNorthlake, Illinois 60164Phone: (708) 338-8888Fax: (708) 338-9550E-mail: [email protected]

www.customco.comwww.customgl.comwww.gocdn.comwww.choicedl.com

NEWSLETTER COMMITTEE MEMBER ADDITIONAL CONTRIBUTORSJohn Tarwater

Tom Boyle

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Illinois State Crime Commission 17th Annual Awards Dinner

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