nbr vl nvbr 8 -...

Number 11 Volume 15 November 1987

RTD Receives $123Million inMetro Rail FundsAs a result of action takenOctober 5 by the UrbanMass Transit Administra-tion, RTD will receive$123 million in federalfunds for Metro Rail.

The funds will be usedto help build the first seg-ment of Metro Rail, al-ready under constructionand which will run 4.4miles downtown from

"Thanks to so

many people,

Los Angeles' much-

needed subway

is becoming

a reality."

Union Station toMacArthur Park.

Including the October5 grant, RTD has received$510 million from the fed-eral government for thefirst seg ► ient. RTD BoardPresident Jan Hall said,"Thanks to so manypeople, Los Angeles'much-needed subway isbecoming a reality. Spe-cial thanks are due thebipartisan team of U. S.Senators Alan Cranstonand Pete Wilson and Con-gressmen Julian Dixon,Glenn Anderson, EdRoybal, David Dreier, andCarlos Moorhead. Los An-geles will be a better placeto work and live, partlybecause of the efforts ofthese men."

The $123 million wasallocated for the subwayproject in the 1987 Trans-portation Appropriationsbill.

Metro Rail construction site at 7th and BonnieBrae Streets. Worhers complete welding on anearth hopper which will load the muck encoun-tered from excavation work.

General ManagerResignsGeneral Manager John A.Dyer resigned as head ofthe RTD effective January31, 1988.

Dyer made his an-nouncement at a pressconference on October 9accompanied by RTDBoard President Jan Hall.Mrs. Hall told the pressthat Los Angeles owesDyer a debt ofgratitude forhis work in making theMetro Rail a reality andshe commended him forhis efforts in the past yearto put into place a numberof reforms that have madeRTD service better andsafer.

The RTD Board in-tends immediately tolaunch a nationwidesearch to select a replace-ment for Dyer and willannounce the selection ofinterim management thismonth.

Until the end of Janu-ary Dyer will concentrateon completing the envi-ronmental impact state-ments for MOS-II of theMetro Rail Project.

Dyer said he con-cluded, before the gover-nor took any action on thereorganization bill AB 18(see page 2 for relatedstory), he would stay on tosmooth the transition to anew agency if the governorallowed AB 18 to becomelaw. "In the event of a veto,I concluded I had to leave,"said the general manager.He said that over the lastyear he felt he had becomea "lightning rod" for criti-cism and scrutiny in areasover which he had little or

RTD General Manager-John A. Dyer resigns

no control. "I felt that thislighteningrod effect wouldonly worsen if I stayed.The RTD Board and Dis-trict employees don't needany more efforts by othersto undermine and criticizethe RTD."

With the veto of AB 18,Dyer felt the RTD Boardneeded the breathingroom to establish new poli-cies, new programs, and anew management. "And,personally, I don't think itwould be in my best inter-est to continue taking eve-rything that has beenthrown at me over the lastseveral months."

During his six-yeartenure at RTD, Dyer suc-ceeding in bringing fund-ing and political support tothe Metro Rail Projectwhich officially began con-struction September 29,1987 while managing oneof North America's largestbus service operations.

Dyer said he is confi-dent the RTD has a brightfuture because the needfor improving and expand-ing public transportationis so great in Los Angelesand because the Districthas so much to contributeto that need.

NOVEMBER 1987 HEADWAY 2

Governor Vetoes Reorganization Billby Roger SlagleActing Director of Federal,State and County Liaison

Just hours before his mid-night deadline an Septem-ber 29, Governor GeorgeDeukmejian vetoed As-sembly Bill No. 18, whichwould have combined theSouthern CaliforniaRapid Transit District andthe Los Angeles CountyTransportation Commis-sion into a new Metropoli-tan Transportation Au-thority of Los AngelesCounty (MTALAC). Thebill's authors, State Sena-tor Alan Robbins and As-semblyman Richard Katz,pledged to bring the issueof transportation reformback to the Legislatureearly next year. In his vetomessage the Governorsaid:

"In order to succeedwhere existing entitieshave failed, the newAuthority should not beburdened by statutoryconstraints in such areasas labor relations, busi-ness participation goals,transit revenue allocationformulas, and personneldecisions. I would wel-come legislation next yearwhich would eliminatethese impediments whileretaining the many goodfeatures of this legisla-tion."

During its ten-monthlegislative history, AB 18survived many politicalsetbacks. For instance,the Senate initially re-jected AB 18; yet, whenreconsidered the measurepassed.

Subsequently, theAssembly failed to concurin Senate amendmentswhich would have par-tially exempted membersof the MTALAC Board ofDirectors from the Politi-cal Reform Act. The Sen-ate dropped the exemp-tions (which had been vig-orously opposed by theCalifornia Fair Political

...differentes between

the old system

and new are of

a cosmetic

nature.

111111111111n11

Practices Commission)and returned the bill to theAssembly. Assembly con-currence during the finalhours of the 1987 Legisla-tive session sent AB 18 tothe Governor.

Immediately after theGovernor's veto, MayorTom Bradley called for atransportation "summit"to discuss remedies for thetransportation challengesfacing Los AngelesCounty. The participantswill discuss both legisla-tive and non-legislativeapproaches to transporta-tion reform, achievingconsensus if possible.

The Governor's vetomessage appears in its en-tirety below:

I am returning Assem-bly Bill No. 18 without mysignature. This bill wouldabolish the Southern Cali-fornia Rapid Transit Dis-trict (SCRTD) and the LosAngeles CountyTranspor-tation Commission(LACTC) and would cre-ate, instead, the Metro-politan TransportationAuthority of Los Angeles.

Unfortunately, theAuthority created by thisbill would inherit many ofthe same problems whichplague existing serviceproviders. If I were tohave signed this bill, itwould have raised false ex-pectation s that the transitservice would improve. Inreality many of the differ-ences between the old sys-tems and new are of a cos-metic nature.

This measure con-tains language which pro-hibits the chartering orcontracting out of trans-portation services. I do notbelieve it is wise to pro-hibit options designed topromote competition andtost savings. I am alsoconcerned that this legis-lation does not providesufficient flexibility to thenew agency to allow it toeffectively manage its re-sources, personnel, andprograms. For example,independent municipalbus systems within thecounty are guaranteedtheir proportionate shareof transit funding until1992, thus denying the

Authority the discretion tomake the best use of avail-able resources. Also, thelegislation would requirethe new MetropolitanTransit Authority to as-sume all of the SCRTD'sand LACTC's "duties, obli-gations, and liabilities,"including all labor con-tracts and pension obliga-tions previously negoti-ated by the SCRTD. Fi-nally, certain provisions ofthis bill would excludespecified LACTC andSCRTD employees fromconsideration for positionsin the new Authority,thereby placing the statein the inappropriate role ofintervening in local deci-sion-making authority.

MiMmaimmo

AB 18 reduces

the representation

of 82 cities

MIZOInzem

I have been urged toveto this bill by nearly 100Mayors and City Council-men elected to representthe people in citiesthroughout Los AngelesCounty. They are con-cerned that AB 18 seri-ously reduces the repre-sentation of 82 cities in theCounty and that it doesnot address the funda-mental transportation is-sues facing the people ofLos Angeles County.

(Final paragraph ap-pears in the body of thestory above.)

Cordially,George Deukmejian


Security Guard Anastacio Puente points out dam-age in the stairwell of the 411 Main Street Building.

The owner's representa-tives inspected the build-ing on October 2 andagreed the 411 and 124should not be occupied.The owner will be requiredto perform a detailedstructural analysis of the411 and 124 buildings thatshould be available thismonth.

Based on the recom-mendations, FacilitiesMaintenance Director EdWalsh began to formulatea plan for relocating per-sonnel from the 124 WestFourth St. and 411 SouthMain Street buildings.The departments and per-

sonnel relocating includethe following:

Marketing and Com-munications Department,formerly on the secondfloor, 415, to the CMF-Main AdministrationBuilding.

OCPM-Contracts, for-merly on the fifth floor,415, to the CMF—OCPMOffice.

Employee Relations,formerly on the fourthfloor, 411, to the CMF-Building 3/Lunchroom.

Rail Operations, for-merly on the third floor,415, to the CMF—Build-ing 1/Mezzanine.

Headquarters Sustains Damage from QUAKEIt will take some time be-fore the harrowing memo-ries of October l's earth-quake fade. District per-sonnel and property faredwell considering the jolt ofthe 6.1 temblor. From thesafe perch of time and dis-tance it appears the les-sons of Earthquake pre-paredness training paidoff with most employeesresponding calmly. Theconcern and regard em-ployees showed for eachother helped everyone getthrough the experience.

Following the earth-quake, the Bus FacilitiesDepartment formed in-spection teams to assessdamage. Chief EngineerPhillip Meyers said engi-neers were sent out to alldivisions in the hard-hitareas. These includedDivisions 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, and16. "The only site thatshowed some damage wasDivision 9, but it was non-structural damage or notsignificant," said Meyers.He said the new CMF sus-tained a few superficialcracks but basically heldup well.

The entire Headquar-ters Building Complexwas evacuated immedi-ately following the quake.An inspection team tourexamined the buildings(411, 415, and 425 S. MainStreet and 124 WestFourth Street) and recom-mended that personnelcould work in the 425 and415 buildings but not inthe 411 and the 124 build-ings.

The owner of thebuilding was contacted byChief Engineer Meyers.

Passenger Relations,formerly on the fourthfloor, 411, to the secondfloor, 415.

Passenger Informa-tion, formerly on thefourth floor, 411, to thesecond floor, 415.

Planning, formerly onthe fifth floor, 124 and 415,to the fifth floor on 425.

Facilities Mainte-nance & Operations-Electrical Shop, formerlyon the first floor, 411, tothe fourth floor, 415.

Facilities Mainte-nance & Operations-Administrative Services,formerly on the first floor,411, to the fifth floor, 415.

Facilities Mainte-nance & Operations--General Services, for-merly on the fifth floor,411, to the fifth floor, 415.

Community Rela-tions, formerly on the fifthfloor, 415, to the Lanker-shim building.

Tran sportati on—La-bor, formerly on the fifthfloor, 415, to Division 2Transportation Building.

Data Processing, for-merly on the fifth floor in411 and 124, to the fifthfloor in 415 and Division 4.

Risk Management,formerly the fourth floor,124, to the CMF—Build-ing 5/Lunchroom.

Safety, formerly onthe fifth floor, 411, to theCMF—Building 5/Lunch-room.

Metro Rail, formerlyin 411 and 124, ProgramControl and Constructionto the Barker Building,818 7th Street; SystemsDesign and Analysis to

continued on page 5...

NOVEMBER 1987 H E A D W A Y 4

The fifth floor library and information center gotall shook up during the quake.

Pope John Paul II and Archbishop Roger Mahony.

Plan for the Papal Visit Resultsin Miraculous Operation

600 Spring Street; andInsurance Administrationto 548 South SpringStreet.

Transportation Gen-eral, formerly on the thirdfloor, 425, to Division 2Transportation Building.

Stops & Zones, for-merly on the first floor,411, to Division 2 Trans-portation Building.

Customer Relations,formerly on the fourthfloor, 411, to the thirdfloor, 425.

Inspector General,formerly on the sixth floor,124, to the LankershimBuilding.

Metro Rail Real EstateRepresentative CeciMelanson packs up andmoves out of the 124Fourth Street Building.

With well over 400 Districtpersonnel working to-gether and along withother public agencies, thePope's visit was judged anoverwhelmingly smoothsuccess.

The District rerouted125 lines and added extrabuses to five lines for Pope

John Paul II's motorcadethrough downtown LosAngeles and publicMasses at the Coliseumand Dodger Stadium.

Extra RTD servicewas added on Lines 40, 81,200, and 204 on Septem-ber 15, the day of the firstof two papal Masses.

Bus service on linesthat normally crossedthrough downtown wastemporarily turned backat the outer edges of theCentral Business District.

Costs for providing theadded bus service wereoffset by a $300,000 alloca-tion by Supervisor Ken-neth Hahn from Proposi-tion A transit sales taxfunds.

On September 16,service was increased onLine 635 to Dodger Sta-dium where the pontiffheld his second publicMass.

In preparation for thepope's visit, the Districtproduced a 30-second pub-lic service announcement

welcoming the Catholicleader to Los Angeles.The message was distrib-uted to local televisionstations. It encouragedemployers to do whateverthey could to revise workschedules and deliveriesand to grant time off toemployees to relieve con-gestion.

In addition, a 50-per-son team composed of Dis-trict personnel providedassistance and answeredquestions for those usingbuses to view the motor-cade and/or attend theMass at the Coliseum onSeptember 15.

This team, known asthe major incident re-



The Pope approaches 3rd and Broadway Street inhis popemobile.

Transit Experts GradeRTD's PerformanceAction Plan

_Papa! Visit...continued from page 5sponse team, stationed itsmembers to key locationsalong the length of the 7.3-mile motorcade route andsite of the first papal Mass.

Traffic coordinationduring the visit washandled cooperativelyamong the Los AngelesDepartment of Transpor-tation, the Los AngelesPolice Department, theCalifornia Highway Pa-

"The visit

went off much

better than

anybody had

anticipated...

his whole

stay was a huge

historical success."

trol, the Papal Visit Office,the U.S. Secret Service,and the RTD. Members ofthe RTD Papal VisitCommittee included:David Dominguez, Chair-man; Transit Police Lt.Jerald Morin, Communi-cations Coordinator FranCurbello, Scheduling Di-rector Art Leahy, Plan-ning Manager SteveParry, Senior PlannerRuss Wilson, AssociateCounsel Lynne Thomp-son, Marketing DirectorAlice Wiggins, OMB Sen-ior Analyst Ellen Fried-man, and Community Af-fairs Representative LupeValdez.

"The visit went offmuch better than anybodyhad anticipated," saidPapal Visit Communica-tions Coordinator FranCurbello. "His whole staywas a huge historical suc-cess. All the expertise theRTD gained from the 1984Olympics came back.Most every departmentwas impacted and each,especially Operations,Control and Services, putin long, hard hours tomake this work," she said.

A panel of three transitleaders met at the Head-quarters Building on Sep-tember 9 to evaluate theRTD's record on perform-ance improvement in thelast six months. Theirassessment constituted apeer review said GeneralManager John A. Dyer.

Dyer introduced thePerformance Action Planin February to improvepublic confidence in theRTD's ability to delivereffective service followinga rash of complaints andcriticisms in the commer-cial press regarding drugabuse, absenteeism,driver licensing viola-tions, accidents, andtravel expense abusesduring the second half of1986.

Thirteen performanceelements were selectedand a series of specificbaseline measures wereestablished. Performancewas evaluated by compar-ing each month's reportedresults against thebaseline data in light ofthe specific plan objec-tives. The 13 elementsincluded travel expensesof the general managerand staff; complaints andcorrective action; acci-dents and safety; alcoholand drug abuse; driver li-censing; absenteeism;service quality, cleanli-ness, and maintenance;management's emphasison controlling busoperations; operating

costs; employment prac-tices; internal review andevaluation by inspectorgeneral; elderly and dis-abled transportation; andbus operations on heavily-traveled corridors. Anindependent, objectiveaudit of management per-formance had been doneon a monthly basis byPrice Waterhouse andreported to the Los Ange-les County TransportationCommission.

Sitting on the peerreview panel were LouisGambaccini, general man-ager of the Port Authorityof Trans-Hudson Corpora-tion, New York; Alfred

"There is substantial

evidence of

achievement of

your goals

and improvement

across the

board."

Savage, general managerof the Niagara FrontierTransportation Authorityin Buffalo, New York; andJohn Simpson, presidentof the Fluor Daniel Ven-ture Group Inc., formerlythe general manager ofDenver and New YorkCity's transit systems.Also invited but unable to



...continued from page 6

The panel oftransit experts grading the RTD's per-formance included, from left to right: PresidentJohn Simpson, Fluor Daniel Venture Group Inc.,formerly general manager of the Denver and NewYork transit systems; General Manager LouisGambaccini, Port Authority of Trans-Hudson Cor-poration, New York; and General Manager AlfredSavage, Niagara Frontier Transportation Author-ity in Buffalo, New York.

make the meeting becauseof their own agencies' pre-emptive emergencies wereCarmen Turner, generalmanager of the Washing-ton D.C., MetropolitanArea Transit Authorityand Alan Kiepper, generalmanager of the HoustonTransit Authority. Join-ing the transit leaders atthe noon meeting wereGeneral Manager John A.Dyer and the executivecommittee of the RTDBoard of Directors includ-ing Vice-PresidentCarmen Estrada, DirectorKen Thomas, DirectorJoseph Dunning, DirectorCharles Storing, and Di-rector Erwin Jones. Ear-lier in the morning, thetransit officials heard in-depth presentations fromRTD staff detailing theirmethods of implementingthe performance plan.

Initiating the com-mentary from the panel,Louis Gambaccini said hewas very impressed with

the progress the Districthad made in six months."There is substantial evi-dence of achievement ofyour goals and improve-ment across the board," hesaid.

John Simpson praisedthe District's "people-ori-ented" approach toabsenteeism. "What youhave done here will be oflasting value in the yearsto come because of thepersonal relationshipsthat have been institution-alized in this process."

The panel recom-mended that the Districtnarrow its focus from the13 performance indicatorsto those critical factorsnecessary to deliver qual-ity service as a regionalcarrier. "This constantreporting—my own pri-vate business wouldn'ttolerate this...this paraly-sis by analysis," saidSimpson. The elements ofprime importance as rec-ommended by the panel

included: safety; drug andalcohol abuse; servicequality, cleanliness, andmaintenance; and absen-teeism. Other recommen-dations included the needto reduce the age of the busfleet. The panel agreedthat the miles betweenroad calls doesn't give anaccurate picture of theDistrict's health if the ageof the buses isn't takeninto consideration.

Finally, the panel rec-ommended that the reportcard method of measure-ment should be abandonedas it might be too simplis-tic. RTD Director ErwinJones, in a friendly rebutto the panel, said aftermany years of using thereport card method [Jonesis a former school superin-tendent] he found it to bethe most useful for basicunderstanding. "I under-stand your recommenda-tion, though. In someways the report card waslike an apology—your

Thirteen performance

elements were

selected and

a series of specific

baseline measures

were established.

111113111n1111•111111111111

friends don't need it andyour enemies don't believeit," said Jones.

In concluding, Gam-baccini said, "You are

moving in the right direc-tion with the rightmomemtum. Now is thetime to go forward fromyour accomplishments."

Progress charted bythe performance measure-ment was noted in manyareas, among them were:

*Monthly travel ex-penses were reduced by 40percent.

*Complaints by majorcategories were reducedbetween 12 and 42 percentduring the six-month pe-riod.

*Greater than ex-pected savings resultedfrom effective control ofalcohol and drug abuse.

*Monitoring of driverslicenses was extremely ef-fective and a computer-based driver license moni-toring system was com-pleted and madeoperational at less costthan anticipated.

*Greater than ex-pected absenteeism reduc-tion occurred as a result ofefforts by staff, employees,and the uniquejoint Labor-management committeeswhich saved the Districtan estimated $1,510,000.

*On time pull out rateobjectives of 99 percentwere met.

*The cost per revenueservice hour was effec-tively controlled.

*There was improvedservice reliability andquality to the elderly anddisabled.

General ManagerDyer commented that anexcess of $5 million wassaved through theenormous efforts of Dis-trict employees. "This justgoes to show you what8,000 employees can dowhen they put their shoul-ders to the wheel," he said.


Maintenance Instructor Willie Michael introducesmechanics to the typical electrical system on theirfirst day of dass in the Mechanic Training Pro-gram which began September 21.

RTD Mechanics GoBack to School

City ReplacesRTD Serviceon 10 BusLinesRTD service on 10 buslines was replaced by pri-vate carriers under con-tract to the City of LosAngeles beginning in earlyOctober.

The lines serve theSan Fernando Valley,West Los Angeles, and theSouth Bay.

The bus schedules,bus stops, and routes willremain unchanged. Theprivate carrier will con-tinue to accept RTD tick-ets and monthly passesindefinitely but RTD em-ployee passes are not ac-cepted.

"These lines are beingoperated as part of a dem-onstration program tomaintain service to thecommunity. Because ofthe excellent cooperationby the City, County, RTD,and the Los AngelesCounty TransportationCommission, the regionalsystem will remain intact.The riders will not sufferany interruption in serv-ice," said General Man-ager John A. Dyer.

Effective October 5,the City assumed opera-tion of the following RTDcommuter lines: 413, 419,423, 430, 431 ,437, 438,448, 686, and 147.

RTD currently is con-tinuing uninterruptedservice on the followinglines under contract withLos Angeles County untilprivate carriers can as-sume service. These in-clude: 192, 194, 291, 293,492, 494, and 685.

The Maintenance Depart-ment in concert with theOpportunities Industriali-zation Centers of Metro-politan Los Angeles, Inc.began an intensive me-chanic training programat old Division 2's (16thand San Pedro Streets) In-struction Department onSeptember 21.

The initial trainingwill require a 5-day, 40-hour week. The thrust ofthe training is electrical/electronic in order to meetthe high-tech demands ofthe 80's and because theRTD has determined that80 percent of its mechani-cal failures involve electri-cal problems. Intermedi-ate and advanced trainingclasses are to be phased inat a later time.

The OpportunitiesIndustrialization Centers,Inc.,(OIC) the organiza-tion that is providing thetraining, is a nationwidenetwork of employmenttraining programs thathas been in operation for22 years. The specific pro-gram developed by OIC totrain the mechanics iscalled the Urban MassTransit Resources Train-ing Program and is fundedby the Office of CivilRights of the Urban MassTransportation Admini-stration (UMTA).

In order to assessneeds, OIC tested RTDmechanics in the first shiftat each division. It wasfound that 30 percent ofthe mechanics tested were

deficient in reading andmathematics skills. OICwill offer the mechanics amathematics and readingprogram which they mayattend voluntarily on theirown time. The technicalskills training is offered oncompany time, and thus,attendance is mandatory.

Opening the first dayof class, Director of Equip-ment Maintenance RichDavis said that the de-partment was committedto training 700 mechanicsthis year. "The first railcar arrives in 18 months.We need to get ahead inelectrical/electronic devel-opment if we want to stayahead of the game," saidDavis. He noted that mostmodern transmissionsand engines are now com-puter control]ed and re-quired continuing educa-

tion for competent mainte-nance. "Learn as much asyou can," he told the me-chanics. "We need you,this is serious for us. Ourgoal is to be the very best.And, the best way to chal-lenge our critics is to beNumber 1 in the transitindustry."

Superintendent ofMaintenance Tony Cha-vira termed the trainingan "up-grade" program."The District has evolvedinto a high-tech environ-

ment. With the procure-ment of the double-deck-ers and the new 1100s,you've got a bus that func-tions under threecomputers,"said Chavira.He mentioned that manyRTD mechanics with sen-iority started at the Dis-trict when the 4801s werebeing used. These buseshad 38 wires at most, theheadsigns were the rolltype, and an engine couldbe shut down by a toggleswitch.


NOVEMBER 1987 HE ADWA Y 8

Director of Equipment Maintenance Rich Davis(left) and Superintendent of Maintenance TonyChavira (right) welcome the mechanics to dass.

...continued from page 8Today, most of the

fleet include air-condition-ing, the engines are elec-tronically controlled, thewheelchair lifts are elec-tronically activated, andthe charging systems havegone from 12 volts to 24volts. These technologicaldevelopments demandmore sophisticated knowl-edge, skill, and abilities onthe part of the Mainte-nance personnel saidChavira.

By up-grading theskill levels of all long-termmechanics, Chavira saidthey can compete with theadvanced requirements ofrail technology and theDistrict gains by retainingmechanics with a wealthof skill.

"I'll be out there ac-tively campaigning amongthe mechanics to takeadvantage of this training.

Thomas G. Neusom, pastpresident of the RTD, wasnamed to the AmericanPublic Transit Associa-tion's (APTA) Hall ofFame. APTA is the inter-national organization rep-resenting the transit in-dustry and is headquar-tered in Washington, D.C.

This special honor isreserved for individualswho have made outstand-ing contributions to thetransit industry on a sus-tained basis. Neusom wasinducted posthumously ata special ceremony duringAPTA's Annual Meeting

I want to see more me-chanics that are a threat tome. I started out as a Cmechanic, went to school,and worked my way up. Iwant to see the rest ofthem nipping at myheels,"said Chavira. He plans totie the training to theMaintenance Personnel

wilnma

For individuals

who have made

outstanding

contributions

on September 29 in SanFrancisco.

During his tenure,Neusom was a strong pro-ponent of the El MonteBusway and effectivelysupported transit on the

Qualifications Standards(MPQS) established tocreate a system that en-sures that each employeeis receiving adequatetraining in the skills re-quired to perform the jobeffectively. The standardsdocument the employee'sprogress and training re-

local, state, and federallevels. Neusom was alsoa founder and chairman ofthe Conference of Minor-ity Transportation Offi-cials.

"Tom Neusom pro-vided the dynamic leader-ship to push for bettertransit not only in LosAngeles but throughoutthe nation. His record inminority affairs and civilrights is an inspirationand model for the indus-try," said APTA Chairper-son Reba Malone [boardsecretary, VIA Transit,San Antonio, Texas].

ceived. "If an employeewants to promote fromMechanic C to B to A tosupervisor to senior super-visor, he or she will need toget signed off on thesevarious courses. This is away for us to measure abil-ity," he said.

nINaims

By up-grading the

skill levels... they can

compete with the

advanced require-

ments

of rail technology

111131n11111111111111131Z

Instructors for theclasses include Willie Mi-chael and Chuck Kingamong others from theOIC stall. Classes areoffered to all shifts.

OpenEnrollment1987Have you been consideringchanging your medicalplan? Does your dentalinsurance no longer meetyour needs? Do you needto add family members toyour insurance plans? Ifyour answer to these ques-tions is yes, then openenrollment is just for you.

December is open en-rollment month for allUTU, BRAC, and Non-Contract employees. Dur-ing open enrollment, youhave the opportunity tochange your medical anddental coverages. ForNon-Contract employees


Former RTD Board PresidentNeusom Named toAPTA Hall of Fame


...Open Enrollment

...continued from page 9all enrollment changesmust be received in thePersonnel Department byDecember 28, 1987. AllUTU and BRAC employ-ees should submit theirchanges to their insurancerepresentatives. Allchanges become effectiveJanuary 1, 1988.

Open enrollmentmeetings for Non-Con-tract employees are sched-uled to be held in theBoard Room at the Head-quarters Building on De-cember 9 and December

15, 1987. You can attendeither the 9:00 a.m. or the1:30 p.m. presentation onone of the above dates.

All open enrollmentmeetings for BRAC em-ployees will be held in theHeadquarters Cafeteria.Annie Sillifant will bethere to meet with BRACemployees. Exact timesand dates will be postedprior to the meeting.Meetings for UTU employ-ees will be held at theDivisions. Bob Schneider,Administrator of the UTU/SCRTD Health and Insur-ance Trust Fund will haverepresentatives at each

operating Division. Exactdates and times will beposted on District bulletinboards. Open enrollmentfor ATU employees washeld in October. Please getyour changes, if any, intoyour representative assoon as possible.

A tentative agreementhas been reached with themembers of the TeamstersUnion regarding medicaland dental coverage, and,at the time of this writing,Teamster employees willno longer participate inthe Non-Contract medicaland dental plans. Employ-ees who are members of

the Teamsters will be pro-vided coverage by theTeamsters Health andWelfare Fund.

Negotiations are cur-rently underway with theDistrict and PORAC, and,the issue of insurance cov-erage has yet to be re-solved.

Additionally, it is im-portant that all employeeswho now have the Allstatemedical coverage attendone of the Non-Contractmeetings. There will besome changes in that plan.As of this time, we havenot completed negotia-tion s with Allstate.

COMTO MeetingFeatures EEO Manager

The Conference of Mi-nority Transportation Of-ficials (COMTO) monthlymeeting featured DorothyDavis, RTD Equal Em-ployment OpportunityManager, as the mainspeaker on September 23at Irwin's Restaurant indowntown Los Angeles.

COMTO-Los AngelesChapter President CherriWilliams opened the meet-ing and introduced specialguests who included Assis-tant General Manager forOperations Robert Korachand Marvin Rogers, presi-dent of Financial Servicesamong others.

RTD Real EstateManager Velma Marshallintroduced the speakerwho has long been in-volved with civil rightsissues. Ms. Davis comes tothe RTD from the OrangeCounty Department of

Fair Employment andHousing, where sheserved as District Admin-istrator.

Ms. Davis gave a briefoverview of the functionsof the District's EqualEmployment OpportunityOffice. The RTD as a pub-lic agency is regulated byseveral federal laws thatgovern employment.These include Title VII ofthe Civil Rights Act of1964, Age Discriminationin Employment Act of1967, Fair Employmentand Housing Act, and Ex-ecutive Order 11246(which provides authorityfor Affirmative Action pro-grams). In all mattersrelative to equal employ-ment opportunity and af-firmative action, the RTDis monitored by the UrbanMass TransportationAdministration.

The RTD's EqualEmployment OpportunityDepartment monitors theDistrict's activities andensures that personnelpolicies and proceduresare in compliance withEqual Employment Op-portunity (EEO) laws andregulations.

Ms. Davis told heraudience of the serious-ness with which she treatsEEO matters. "There area lot of dollars involved-both directly and indi-rectly. A discriminationcomplaint is a seriousmatter—it involves accus-ing someone of breakingthe law," said Ms. Davis.

Ms. Davis presentedthe group with statisticaldata to give them an ideaof the District's status interms of EEO.

—72 percent of theDistrict's workforce is

Equal Employment Op-portunity ManagerDorothy Davis.

minority as compared to a60 percent minority Popu-lation in Los AngelesCounty. Most of theseminorities appear to beconcentrated in the busoperator and clerical das-sificati on s.

—There is an under-representation of minori-ties and women holdingkey positions such as divi-sion managers, depart-ment heads, and executive



Moncivais NamedOperator of the Month

For Your Information fromYour Credit Unionby Hyla HowardCredit Union Manager

Division 8's Gilbert C.Moncivais was namedRTD Operator of theMonth for August.

Moncivais has been anoperator for more than 31years and has never mis-sed a day of work due toillness. He has receivedthe maximum amount ofmerits awarded to anoperator with an out-standingperformance andsafety record, as well asnumerous letters of com-mendations from his divi-sion manager and the pub-

...COMTO...continued from page 10staff For example, out of12 executive staff mem-bers, there are three mi-norities, including oneHispanic and two Blacks.There are also two fe-males.

—Looking at salarygrades 19 and above, thereare approximately 70 em-ployees, including 20 per-cent minority and 8 per-cent female. This breaksdown into 9 Blacks, twoHispanics, and threeAsians.

Ms. Davis said whilethere had been some ac-

lic."Gilbert Moncivais is a

model employee," said As-sistant General Managerfor Operations Robert Ko-rach. "He sets a standardof excellence for all our op-erators to follow."

Moncivais drives line154 which travels be-tween Northridge andBurbank; and expressline 426 which travels be-tween Chatsworth anddowntown Los Angeles.

Moncivais is marriedand has two children andseven grandchildren. Heresides in Canyon Coun-try. His hobbies includereading and traveling.

The Operator of theMonth award is presentedin recognition of courtesydisplayed, excellence ofoperating and in apprecia-tion of the goodwill suchcourtesy and thoughtfulservice create for the Dis-trict.

complishments, addi-tional strides have to bemade. "While much of theintensity of the early CivilRights Movement hasfaded and its vitality gone,equal employment oppor-tunity is not an obsoleteissue. It is the law andeven though there is cer-tainly room for improve-ment, employers such asRTD cannot afford to allowdiscrimination to exist inthe workplace."

Ms. Davis concludedby inviting employees whohave EEO-related prob-lems to contact her office.

Ever heard of the FederalSavings and Loan Insur-ance Corporation (FS-LIC)? It's the Federal In-surance Corporation thatinsures depositors' ac-counts in Savings & Loans(S & Ls) up to $100,000.FSLIC is in trouble! TheGeneral Accounting Officeestimates the fund is $6billion in the red rightnow. And, if FSLIC wereto close the 450 S & Ls thatare currently insolvent na-tionwide, FSLIC would beswamped with some $30billion of red ink. The fed-eral government has al-ready agreed to back theFSLIC if it fails, and Con-gress is currently lookingat various plans to rebuildthe program. So, there islittle likelihood of individ-ual depositors losingmoney as long as they keeptheir accounts in S & Lsunder $100,000.

Unfortunately,FSLIC's woes are threat-ening to damage the repu-tations of the Bank Fund(FDIC) and Credit UnionFund (NCUSIF). It seemsthat much of the publicdraws little distinctionbetween credit unions,banks, and S & Ls when itcomes to federal insur-ance. FSLIC's plight couldwell affect public confi-dence in the entire finan-cial system.

At a recent presenta-tion, Treasury Undersec-retary George Gould said,"There is not a more safeand sound institution

than a credit union." Hepraised credit unions foravoiding the problemsthat currently beset othermembers of the financialservices community. Mr.Gould also stated thatcredit unions have "... hada minimum of problems-and where you've hadproblems, you've managedthem. Based an the record,the credit unions couldserve as a model for therest of the banking indus-try and financial institu-tions generally."

Whether or not theFSLIC is rebuilt this year,the S & L industry is goingto be in the news a lot.And, the publicity isn'tgoing to be favorable! Asyou hear and read thesestories, rest assured! Yourdeposits in the CreditUnion are perfectly safe!The NCUSIF Fund is thethe strongest federal in-surance fund of the threementioned. As a secondline of defense, TransitDistrict is extremelystrong in its own right.Our net worth to assetratio exceeds 8 percent (anexcellent level of protec-tion). Our loans are strongtoo. We have lent ourdeposits to members—thebest borrowers around!That's three levels of pro-tection: all strong and allprotecting your deposits.Keep your funds wherethey are safe—YourCredit Union.


0TOPpERATORSr g

Cleophus HicksBenjamin CupidHerbert ErnoKeith Linton

Lee PeppersRogelio MadrigalLeo HollandBenorce

M. BillingsleyBruceMontgomery

Mike Licon Blackmon 3212 Eduardo AcunaRonald Pierce Harold Carter Emiliano ChavezJes-us Jimenez Rosario Rodriguez Ca Lam

Eugene Adams Jose Reguero3203 Manuel Padilla Carol Jackson Eugene Rollins

Ronald Trejo Robert Harris Antonio RendonLawrence Flores John SpiegelThomas Byrd 3208 Max Aragon Robert SimmonsGary Padilla Jose GalvanBraxton Shankle George Sandoval 3215 Earl JonesLarry Busby Thomas Surko Singh ButaliaVicente Gonzalez Guadalupe James MartinezJesse Sanders Fonseca Judy OsorioPeter Bueras Ruth Gaitanis Anthony AvilaJohnny Smith Ralph Bruno William HarrisMichele Taylor Victor Arancibia Oscar Najarro

Jerrold Abramson Forest Churchill3205 Louis Pine Jimmy Meadows Rae Reed

Alphia Marshall- Lisa Vigil John SwinfordGoodall Doyle Flock Curtis WilsonRicky Wedlow Carmine ZeccardiFredric 3209 Richard SalcidoWashington Gibson Deck 3216 Alfonso GarciaJimmy Brown Joe Ellis Richard CrostonAlonzo Kelley David Gehring Francis DavieErnest McDonald Nelson Judkins N. A. GreenDaniel Keen Leonard Loa John HardgrowHsien Tang Johnny McKay Joseph McDonaldJoyce Forman Guadalupe Quiroz SamuelMichael Dade Ralph Ruiz McReynoldsAubrey Turner Larry Smith Wallace Rayford

3206 Phyllis Hunter Roberto TrejoJesus Diaz Donald Webster 3218 Alfred SappMelvin Braxton Michael SquallsEdward Jones 3210 Samuel Hill James CraigVictor Fenty Robert Worrell Charles GageLee Johnson Jeffrey Aemmer Wallace MooreRaymond Ernest Paredes Edroy BrewerHawkins Donald Lee Tonny LindseyAndrew Garcia Bruce Williams Arleen Collins

Jin Kim Printicen Smith3207 Richard Martin Alfreda Lanoix Mary Delgado

Lucy Turner Jerry Woodson Felton MooreMelody Kelly Ivy Hollingquest Isiah Robinson

The awards for theOperator Recognition Pro-gram for the month ofAugust were announced inthe latter part of Septem-ber. The presentationsinclude the Manager'sAward which is accompa-nied by a $35 check andthe Sweepstakes Awardwhich offers a windfall of$100. The program has asits purpose to recognizeand reward the many busoperators who consis-tently perform in an out-standing manner. Thetheme of the program is"In Pursuit of Excellence."Those operators excellingin their pursuit are listedbelow.

Manager's Award3201 Horace J. Strother3203 Quincy P. Carroll3205 Aubrey T. Turner3206 Andrew Harris3207 Charles Bledsoe3208 Roger D.

Halverson3209 Carlos Sahagun3210 Maudell Rayford3212 Mary Louise

Soloman3215 Rafael Perez3216 Herman

Koenekamp3218 Deborah D.

Duperon

Sweepstakes Award3201 Leroy Balag

Henry BassettWaldemarMazzoniThelma WilliamsRobert Zelden


OMMENDATIONS

Dear RTD Personnel,Today I rode Mr.

Johnson's [MarvinJohnson] bus on SantaMonica Boulevard. Thisdriver embodies all theprofessionalism we couldever want. He wasfriendly to everyone, al-ways a smile; he knew hisregular passengers well,waved to all the passingRTD drivers. He had real"esprit de corps."

He commented thatdriving a bus was betterthan TV—always adrama, but no commer-cials.

He was immaculatelydressed, even drivinggloves.

With all the bad presslately, I thought positivepraise is in order for thisgentleman.

Sincerely,Margaret TanquayVolunteer Docent,Los Angeles CountyMuseum of Art

Director of PersonnelI would like to recom-

mend Mary Collins to youfor some formal recogni-tion by RTD.

She is a most capabledriver who conducts herruns in a very organizedand smooth fashion. She

seems happy in her job andis extremely congenial andhelpful in her associationwith the passengers on theWilshire Boulevard lines.She calls out the upcomingstops in a firm, clear voiceand generally conductsher driving activities asthough she knows pre-cisely what is needed anddoes it very well indeed.She keeps up to scheduleand the movement of thetrip is continuous and or-derly.

It is a genuine pleas-ure to ride on her buses.

You would do me akindness if you made thisletter a part of her per-sonal register.

Cordially,Thomas T.Sweigart, DDS

Passenger Service:Unfortunately I can-

not write' a letter of com-mendation often, the RTDdrivers won't allow me to.However, I am pleased totake time to point out theextraordinary servicegiven by Operator DaleWatson.

I found out he is fromNew Orleans originally,and what a breath of freshair. Dale takes the thetime to call the upcoming

stops, reminds passengersto exit the rear door, andreminds passengers of theneed to relinquish theirseats to the elderly andhandicapped. He alwayswishes the passengers apleasant day, all with apleasant sounding voice.As a former radio an-nouncer on KGFJ, KUTE,and KACE the past 14years I have come in con-tact with most profession-als in Los Angeles, butnone more professionalthan Dale Watson.

Respectfully,Rick Roberts

Thanks for a JobWeil Done!

Division 1Andrews, DeraldKerich, Karen W.Serrano, Paul D.Valdez, Luis R.Division 5Credit, Will H.Hester, RobertHurston, Donald C.McCray, SedgwickMorehead, WardellOakley, DexterRichardson, ElbertWatson, DaleDivision 6Collins, Mary

Davis, Evelyn M.Kelly, Paul R.Potts, Rodney D.Suarez, German C.Walker, Marcia R.Division 7Duncan, Raymond E.Feldra, Larry F.Johnson, MarvinLister, Yandell C.Division 3208Arkow, StellaAustin, Nina M.Collins, Linda J.Gaitanis, RuthHolland,.MarkMirano, Guillermo M.Piche, Richard M.Robertson, TravisThomas, FrancesDivision 9Lopez, Damian G.McKinney, Johnny M.Division 10Barbosa, AndrewHighwolf, RaymondKaiser, Alphonso N.Kenan, Charlie W.Lawton, CalvinMadrid, Jesus H.Padilla, David R.Palomarez, Roy L.Saafir, Abdul M.Division 12Morris, Delwin R.Murillo, Rafael M.Scott, Albert E.Division 15Chatelain, William A.Coatsworth, G. A.Hardgrow, John F.Hill, TimothyJones, Dormin D.Moraga, Albert J.Rosen, Kathryn AnnScotti, ErnestDivision 16Rowe, Billie E.Division 18Alexander, Jimmy D.Berry, RalphReamer, Robert L.Reid, Hubert L.Simmons, John W.Teran, John R.Williams, Jerome


eir 1

RTD Retirees were recognized at the September 10Board of Directors' Meeting and were presentedwith plaques by RTD Director Joseph Dunning.Front row, from left to right: Division 9 OperatorGilberto M. Sanchez, Division 10 Walter M. Fle-wellen, and Division 15 Operator Earl F. Gastel.Bach row, from left to right: General ManagerJohn A. Dyer, Director Dunning, and AssistantGeneral Manager for Operations Robert Korach.

MENDATIONS

The Employees of the Quarter for Spring 1987 in the Marketing and Commu-nications Department were named by Director Tony Fortuno on September 11.Usually the department chooses only one employee among many deservingcandidates; however, this quarter presented hard choices for the supervisorsthat resulted in a tie between Marketing Planner David Wilson and Staff As-sistant Daniel Ruiz.

Criteria for selection includes attendance and performance, particularlyperformance that has enriched the District as well as the employee.

David Wilson received his award for his promotion and implementation ofthe Cities Sites and Scenes/Shop-by-Bus Program which generated approxi-mately $100,000 in revenue for the District. The program is a coordinatedeffort among independent cities, retailers, and RTD. The District provides thebus service that interchanges with the independent city's fixed route systemenabling riders to get to the business sites. In addition, the District producedcar cards that appeared in buses to promote each ofthe 11 participating cities.Said Wilson: "I feel overwhelmed and very honored. This is a very excitingprogram with a lot of potential. It meets the cities' needs well and providesthem with the kind of exposure they would never get because of cost."

Daniel Ruiz was honored for his willingness to handle his job and that ofhis co-worker's while she was out on maternity leave. His actions saved theDistrict the cost of hiring a replacement as-needed and at the same time hereorganized the records in the department which increased its efficiency. "Ifeel great about this, it's a real honor," said Ruiz. "But, everybody in this de-partment does good work... The thing is, you don't say `no'—you give it your bestshot."


MENDATIONS

The Facilities Mainte-nance Employee of theMonth for August wasDivision 18 ElectricianLeader Ken Buehner.His supervisor rateshim as the best electri-cian in his group. Hehas maintained an out-standing job Perform-ance and attitude.Buehner is known by hispeers and supervisorsalike to be cooperative,willing to learn, andeager to accomplish hisassigned tasks. His at-tendance record is ex-cellent. Division 9Property MaintainerRudy Valenzuela wasthe sweepstakes winnerfor August.

Mechanic A Leader SonJoon Yi (Sam) was cho-sen the Central Mainte-nance Facility Em-ployee of the Month forJuly. Yi has been withthe District for 14 years.He is a conscientiousleader of the SystemsShop and is responsiblefor troubleshootingand diagnosing theproblems found on theelectrical, air-condi-tioninglheating, andmechanical functionsof the bus systems. Hisknowledge and exper-tise is always in Je-mand throughout theCMF. He also main-tains an excellent at-tendance record. Yiwas presented with acertificate and a $50 U.S. Savings Bond byCMF SuperintendentKen Miller.

Certificates of Merit were presented to the AugustEmployees of the Month at the September 24 BoardofDirectors' Meeting by RTD Director Erwin Jones.Those employees included, front row, from left toright: Telephone Information Operator LeslieSmith, Division 15 Operator Gilbert Moncivais,and Telephone Information Operator CynthiaFarr. Back row, from left to right: General Man-ager John A. Dyer, Director Jones, and Division 15Manager William Griffin.

Assistant Director ofTransportation LeoBevon married RTDPlanning ManagerAnne Odell on August14. The couple makestheir home in Pasad-ena.


Transit Police Officers, newly promoted, show offtheir bars and stripes. From left to right: TPInvestigator Shari Barberic, TP Chief Jim Bur-gess, TP Lieutenant Sharon Papa. TP SergeantJavier Ramos, and TP Investigator Philip Suchow-ski. Not shown is TP Investigator Kyle Ramsey.

Transit Police Promote 5 in RanksThe Transit Police Depart-ment recently promotedfive within their ranks.Those promoted included:Sharon Papa to the rank ofLieutenant; Javier Ramosto the rank of Sergeant;Shari Barberic to Investi-gator; Philip Suchowski toInvestigator; and KyleRamsey to Investigator.

Each officer was se-lected for promotion basedupon his/her knowledgeand abilities as demon-strated during the testingprocess. Each rank par-ticipated in a separate se-lection process.

Sharon Papa has beenwith the Transit Police forseven years. She workedher way up through theranks since being hired asa Transit Police Officer.She is currently assignedto the Recruiting andTraining Bureau. She wasthe first female officerhired by the Department,was the first female ser-geant, and has now be-come the first female lieu-tenant. She served aspresident of the TransitPolice Officers Associationfor four years prior to herpromotion to a non-con-tract position. She holds ateaching credential andhas a bachelor's degree inmanagement. She intendson furthering her educa-tion and is currently con-sidering a law degree.

Javier Ramos hasworked for the TransitPolice Department since1980. He began his lawenforcement career withthe Los Angeles PoliceDepartment prior to RTD.

He was promoted to therank of Investigator in1981 and performed theduties of a Field Training

Promotion

was based

on the officers'

knowledge and

abilities

3111n1n1111IM

Officer until his recentpromotion to the rank ofsergeant. He is currentlyassigned to Patrol Divi-sion.

Ramos holds anassociate's degree in Po-lice Science from RioHondo College and is con-tinuing his education.

Ramos is married to a for-mer Transit Police Officer,Linda. Together they havea 12-year old son and a 15-year old daughter.

Shari Barberic hasbeen employed by the de-partment since February,1986. She was formerlyemployed as an officer forthe City of Hawthorne forthree years. Her assign-ments there included Pa-trol, Traffic Bureau-DUITeam, and Detective Bu-reau-Fraucl/Forgery. Thisexperience has assistedher in promoting to therank of investigator. Sheis currently assigned toPatrol as a Field TrainingOfficer.

She possesses an AAdegree in AdministrationofJustice from El CaminoCollege. She is marriedand has one son, Manny,age 13. Philip Suchowskihas been with the depart-

Sharon Papa

was the first

female officer

hired by the

Department and

now the first female

lieutenant

1111M111111n11•1111

ment since February of1986. He has approxi-mately 10 years of lawenforcement experienceand is a graduate of theChicago City College, Uni-versity of Illinois PoliceTraining Institute, andthe Federal Law Enforce-ment Training Center. Heis married with two chil-dren.

Suchowski is cur-rently assigned to Patrolas a Field Training Offi-cer. His goals are to beactively involved in thetraining of new officersand to work in the upcom-ing rail operation of theTransit Police Depart-ment.

Kyle Ramsey has beenwith the Transit PoliceDepartment since Decem-ber of 1982. He is marriedand he and his wife, Kim-berley, have two sons,Stephen, age 4, andStanley, age 2. He is cur-rently assigned to the Pa-trol Division as a FieldTraining Officer.


Special Assistants Offer

Passengers Assistance

Employment Booth Attracts Many atMexican Independence Day

Twenty-five special assis-tants (RTD employeesengaged in the modifiedduty program) hit thestreets in early Septemberto hand out brochures toRTD passengers and an-swer questions about thererouting of 30 downtownbus lines effective Septem-ber 20.

The redirecting of thebus lines is due to the con-

version of Grand Avenueand Olive Street into one-way streets by the City ofLos Angeles before the endof the year.

The lines affectedserve the San Gabriel Val-ley, South Bay, Pasadena,San Fernando Valley, andthe West Adams area.These lines include local,limited, and express serv-ice.

Although the conver-sion will affect an esti-mated 30,000 RTD pas-sengers, the City feels thechange will greatly assistthe flow of traffic throughthe streets of downtownLos Angeles.

The special assistantsacting as passenger assis-tants were given specialtraining to deal with thepublic and their comments

and questions through theOperations, Control, andServices Department. TheSpecial Assistant Pro-gram was designed 6 yearsago to bring the temporar-ily injured worker backinto the workforce andhopefully back into theirpermanent position assoon as the employee'shealth allows. The pro-gram is administered

Hundreds celebrating theMexican IndependenceDay in East Los Angelesvisited the RTD employ-ment booth September 13in Lincoln Park.

RTD personnel as-sisted Hispanics, whocomprise 41 percent ofDistrict passengers, inlearning more about ca-reer opportunities at theDistrict. The outreach ispart of an ongoing pro-gram to hire more minori-ties and women for thehundreds of RTD jobs thatopen each year.

The District also pub-licized bus service to vari-ous celebration sites over

IMIIIIIIIB•1111111•11M111111n11

through the PersonnelDepartment.

Lines that will be re-routed include the follow-ing: 14-37, 697. Details ofthe line changes are alsoavailable in brochuresaboard RTD buses, at RTDCustomer Centers, librar-ies, and Thrifty DrugStores.

the weekend and partici-pated in the annual EastLos Angeles parade com-memorating the 16 deSeptiembre.

In the photo above,seated are Transit PoliceOfficer Leticia Delgado,Operator Jesus Jimenez,and receivingjob informa-

The outreach

is part of an

ongoing

program to

hire more

minorities

and women

tion from Jesus, is JorgeRamos of Los Angeles CityRecreation and Parks.Standing are, from left toright: Transit Police ChiefJim Burgess, Director ofPersonnel Gayel A. Pitch-ford, Human ResourcesAssistant Mario Perez,and Director of Transpor-tation Leilia Bailey.

Director of Transportation Leilia Bailey spentsome time thanhing the special assistants for theirefforts in informing the public at various stopzones in downtown Los Angeles. The assistantswore identifying caps and windbreahers. In addi-tion to the notices of the Olive/Grand couplet con-version, they also handed out brochures detailingroute changes in response to the Pope's visit. Fromle ft to right: Leilia Bailey, Mariano Robles, Person-nel Analyst Hope Powell, Leonard Marden, andTOS Al Boctor.


Operator Honored in EastLos Angeles Parade

Letters to the EditorSeptember 1, 1987Dear Editor,

The 1987 HollywoodBowl season is over.Supervisors C. S. Smith,M. D. Johnson, and C. R.Harrison wish to extendour appreciation to theemployees of many RTDdepartments for a job welldone.

We'd like to thank theScheduling Department,

Waving to some of themore than 100,000 specta-tors who lined the route ofthe annual East Los Ange-les parade September 13are Hispanic Bus Opera-tors Joe Benard, Operatorof the Month for Septem-ber, 1986, and MariaFigueroa. RTD partici-pated to foster goodwill inthe community and to saythanks to the many His-panics who use RTD everyday (41 percent of RTD

and especially Mr. Kelleyfor their expedient hardwork in meeting the needof frequent schedulechanges.

Next, we'd like tothank the division andradio dispatchers whospent considerable timelooking for qualified op-erators to fill unscheduledadded buses. R.R. 27 Mr.Blair was a big heip.

Maintenance did an

ridership are Hispanic).Benard, a Lynwood

resident, is one of fourHispanic drivers namedlast year as operator of themonth based on toughperforman ce qualifica-tions. He has been drivingDistrict buses for 22 yearsand is based at Division 1.Ms. Figueroa, of BaldwinPark, works out of Divi-sion 3 in Cypress Park.She has been an RTDdriver for nine years.

outstanding job in provid-ing clean, well runningbuses and supplying spe-cial equipment whenneeded. We appreciateShirley Coleman fromDivision 7 and JoeMarques from Division 3in this regard.

Our biggest thanks goto the operators. Somedrove lines they'd neverworked before and othersdrove for us after alreadyputting in long hours.Their enthusiasm in get-ting the job accomplishedis much appreciated. Wereceived many compli-ments on them.

What makes this yearmost memorable to us isthe honesty of our fellowRTD employees. We arehappy to report at thedrafting of this letter, a100% recovery of all lostarticles left on the bus.Some of high value.

We take great pride inthe many RTD depart-ments working together ina united effort this pastsummer.

Last year we wereunable to fill some of theHollywood Bowl's re-quests for added buses.This year we filled all oftheir needs which we con-sider a big accomplish-ment.

Way to go RTD! Patyourselves on the back fora job well done.

M. D. Johnson,Supervisor

To: Headway EditorRe: Letter of Commenda-tion to Instructor M. Car-nivalDear Editor: . .

The thank-you cardsigned and sent by severalof us students to Instruc-

tor M. Carnival falls shortin expressing the senti-ments of those of us thatwere fortunate to havecome under Mr. Carnival'sguidance and tutelageduring our training in ElMonte and at Division3215.

Having attended sev-eral colleges and studiedunder many top profes-sors, I can attest that Mr.Carnival's teaching skillsrank right up there withthe best. Several times Iobserved first hand howstudents that were having

Mr. Carnival's

teaching

skills rank

right up there

with the best.

111n11•1111111MMII

a very difficult time learn-ing, were bounced aroundfrom instructor to instruc-tor, but to no avail. (Twowere serious candidatesfor resignation.) Thesesame students were some-how transformed after Mr.Carnival had them for justa few hours.

He seems to have theuncanny ability to knowjust the right buttons topush at just the right time.He can criticize you whileat the same time buildingup your confidence.

Mr. Carnival won andmaintains our respect. Heis an asset to the Districtas a whole, and in particu-lar to those of us who workwith him.

Sincerely yours,Eduardo A. UvalsDivision 3215

NOVEMBER 1987 H E AD WA Y 18

Lots ofyoungsters lived out a fantasy, tossing them-selves about in the ball pond amid what seemedlike a million rubber balls.

Bouncing yourself silly works a wonder at restor-ing one's equilibrium as these children discoveredat the bounce house attraction.

Division 16 Mainte-nance Manager JimFindley views the ballwarily as he takes theprecarious dunk tankseat.


Cover Story

Credit Union Picnic Brings Out FamiliesThe first Transit DistrictEmployees Federal CreditUnion Family Picnic (now,that's a mouthful!) heldSeptember 19 at EagleCountry in Irvine wasconsidered to be the eventof the season by the many

\ecentet c c'i e

Assistant General Man-ager for OperationsRobert Korach (left) be-comes a member of theCredit Union and opensa share drafts chechingaccount after hearingDivision 10 ManagerHarold Hollis' pitchabout the assortment ofbenefits offered.

hundreds of employeesand their families whoattended.

The day-long picnicwhich began at 11 a.m.featured, simultaneously,competitive games such assoftball, volleyball, bas-ketball, horseshoes, bingo,ping pong, and cardgames. Participationgames included the eggtoss, balloon blow-out,tug-o-war, and limboamong others.

Children could amusethemselves, while theirparents played cards, onthe paddle boats, thebounce house, ball pond,roller racers, and withrides on the fire engine.Several brave souls volun-teered to sit the dunk tankwhile many children aswell as adults attemptedto drench them. Boardmembers Harold Hollis,

The paddle boats were apopular attraction forall members of the fam-ily.

Homer Rogers, Jr., andJames Findlay took adunking. They tried totalk the Credit UnionManager Hyla Howardinto doing the dunk, butnothing doing. Other at-

tractions included con-tinuous music provided bydj Jesse Castorena and amarionette show.

After all that playing,the picnic menu hit the


...Picnic...continued from page 19

This youngster viewingmarionettes for thefirst time decided tojoin the show. We pre-sume it was because shedoesn't meet manycreatures her own sizeevery day.

spot offering scrumptiousfood without long lines.The bill of fare includedBarbecued beef, tacos,chili dogs, potato salad,cole slaw, watermelon,fruit, popcorn, and home-made chocolate chip cook-ies.

The raffle held en-abled some Credit Unionmembers to go home withsome great gifts: 19-inchcolor TV and a stereo toname a few.

Overall, Credit UnionManager Hyla Howardfelt the picnic was a greatsuccess. "We hope to putan more events like this inthe future," she said. "Toall those who attended andhad a good time, spreadthe word and maybe nexttime we will have 100 per-cent attendance."

Ismilmigemmffli

The day-long

picnic featured

competitive games,

egg toss, balloon

blow-out, tug-o-war,

and limbo...

Most of the picnickersreported the event aswonderfully relaxing andrecreational for everyone.Encore, encore CreditUnion!

Is it puppy love or just that they love those dogs(chili, that is).

UTU Local Chairman Stephen Smith doesn't standan ceremony as he helps himself to a picnic chilidog.

NOVEMBER 1987 HE ADWAY 20

It is truly amazing how long one can heep a raw eggaloft. Why, a flick of the wrist and a gentle under-hand toss covers a lot of ground.

Ira Hood

.1n1n1"A Day inthe Life"Needs You

Special AssistantEarns PromotionSpecial Assistant PhilipW. Thomas (formerly aBus Operator out of Divi-sion 3203) was just pro-moted to Data Technicianin the Risk ManagementDepartment. Phillip hasworked hard in preparingfor this promotion by vol-untarily working in theSpecial Assistant Pro-gram and attending schoolat night. Phillip was e spe-cially interested in com-puters and computer lan-guages and had an apti-tude for this type of work.

He assisted the Per-sonnel Department indata entry and helpeddesign the computer pro-grams used for Pension ad-ministration. He worked

Data Technician Phil-lip W. Thomas

most recently in Planning,developing and formattinga special crime report forthe general manager. Hewas also responsible for

In most divisions, im-printed on or near thelarge train room mirrors isa caption in block lettersthat reads: "ONE OF THEWORLD'S BEST-DRESS-ED OPERATORS."

When the roving cam-era of the Headway cameto Division 18, it discov-ered Operator Ira Hoodwhose expression seems tosay: "One of the world'sbest-dressed drivers andproud of it." Ira has drivenfor the District five yearsthis month.

collecting the crime datafrom radio dispatchtrouble reports and cate-gorizing this data into sub-groups relevant to theyear-long study.

Phillip has worked forthe District for twelveyears. He has been a Spe-cial Assistant since fall oflast year. He is thrilledabout the promotion andstates: "I'm doing some-thing I really enjoy doingand I plan to keep movingup in the District because Ifeel I have a lot to contrib-ute." We feel he has dem-onstrated that SpecialAssistants have real po-tential for learning othertypes of jobs and we areparticularly pleased withhis efforts. Phillip hasdefinitely set a good ex-ample of what is possiblewith enough hard work

Phillip has

worked

hard in the

Special Assistant

Program and by

attending school

and ambition. He furtherstated thathe is grateful toLeilia Bailey for her sup-port and positive influencewhich he says convincedhim that he was capable ofadvancement.

—Hope Powell

The relationshipsbetweenbus operators and theirpassengers are raw mate-rial for many good yarns orharrowing accounts de-pending on the circum-stances.

We invite all operatorswho have had unusual,bizarre, funny, ironic,touching, heart-warming,or even frightening experi-ences, (or any other kind ofsituation I didn't think of)while driving to sharethem in the Headway. Wewant to print your storiesin the Headway for the

...many good yarns or

harrowing accounts...

benefit of all of our readerswho have no idea what aday in the Life of anoperator is like. We arenot looking for award-win-ning English grammarcompositions, just aninteresting story. You donot have to sign your nameif you prefer to remainanonymous. We encour-age all operators to send inat least one story. We arehoping that the stories wereceive will comprise anew column entitled, "ADay in the Life..." Write usand send your storiesthrough company mail orto RTD, Headway, 2ndFloor, 425 S. Main St., LosAngeles, CA 90013.Thanks, we look forwardto hearing from you.

The Editor

One of the World'sBest-Dressed Operators

1987 HEADWAY 21NOVEMBER

Thanksgiving Is as Americanas Pumpkin Pie!Thanksgiving is a specialnational holiday, richlysteeped in individual andcollective meaning.Thanksgiving signifiesfamily, food, fun, history,and tradition all wrappedup into one mid-week day.

The Pilgrims cele-brated the first Thanks-giving Day in February,1621, to thank God fordelivering them safely tothis bountiful land. After-ward, Thanksgiving wascelebrated sporadicallyuntil 1789, when Presi-dent George Washingtonproclaimed a day for pub-

lic thanksgiving andprayer to acknowledgeGod's favor in establishingour republic. Still, itwasn't until 1864 that thefourth Thursday of No-vember was designated byPresident Abraham Lin-coln as the national day ofthanksgiving. We've beenobserving it as a holidayever since.

This year we celebrateon November 26.

The turkey dinner weeat now is reminiscent ofthe first celebration,which included four wild

turkeys that were pre-sented by the Indians tothe settlers as a sign offriendship. But the wildturkeys of the 17th cen-tury were tough old birdsin comparison to the suc-culent meat we eat eachyear.

Yet more importantthan the cranberries, pies,and turkeys we feast on isthe traditional meaning ofThanksgiving. It is a timeto pause and think aboutall the things for which tobe thankful. Here are afew suggestions on ways tomake your holiday a moremeaningful celebration.*If someone you know isgoing to be alone onThanksgiving, invite thatperson to dinner.*Donate a Thanksgivingmeal to a low-income fam-ily. Better yet, organize acommunity donation tosupply a soup kitchen withThanksgiving dinners.*Donate your time to helpprepare Thanksgivingdinner for a communityhall, nursing home, orchurch.

*Call a nursing home orseniors' apartment houseand arrange to invite anambulatory resident toyour home for dinner.*Ask all your guests tobring with them some-thing to read before dinnerthat conveys theirthoughts on Thanksgiving(such as a poem, an essay,or a self-composed work).*Instead of a traditionalgrace, ask each of yourguests to share what theyare thankful for.Have a rich holiday!

MicrowavedTu rkey—Modern

Holiday Twist

For a traditional Thanks-giving dinner with a mod-ern twist, consider zap-ping your bird in themicrowave.

It's a good, efficientidea whether you'repressed for time or simplylike the convenience ofmicrowave cooking. It canbe done with just a fewsteps:

Wash and dry the bird.Brush the turkey with acombination of browningmix and butter. Shield thebreast and legs with stripsof aluminum foil and placethe turkey in a cookingbaginside a roasting dish(lightly oil the inside of thebag to prevent sticking.)Add 1/2 cup liquid (wateror chicken broth) and closethe bag tightly. Pierce thebag to allow moisture toescape and then cook onmedium power for 21 to 23minutes per pound.

If you prefer, you caneliminate the cooking bagand place the turkeybreast side up on a micro-proof roasting pan. shieldthe legs and wings, andcook on high for 25 to 30minutes. Then baste withpan juices, turn the birdover, and cook on 70 per-cent power for 25 to 60minutes until juices runclear and the legs moveeasily. Turn breast sideup, wrap in aluminum foil,and let stand for at least 30minutes—the bird willcontinue to cook.


CHEDULANGESHave You

Ever EatenThis Much ona Holiday?

Calories2 pieces oftoast/1 egg. 250stuffed celery 2251 glass of cider 15010 crackers withcheese 7002 alcoholic drinks 3003 handfuls of nuts 8002 servings of turkey 400mashed potatoes 200candied sweetpotatoes 2001 helping of sauteedgreen beans 1501 helping of squash 50cranberry saute 1501 roll 1003 tbsp. of butter 3002 helpings of stuffing 6002 pieces of pie 8003 cups of coffeew/ cream & sugar 1506 pieces of fudge 1500Total: 8025 Calories

This represents a typical,day-longholiday blow-out,including a small break-fast, a main meal, and anevening snacking of left-overs.

When you considerthat 3,500 excess caloriesgenerate a pound of fat-and that a 125-poundwoman needs 1,400 calo-ries to maintain her bodyweight or that a 175-pound man needs approxi-mately 2,100 calories perday to maintain his—thenit's no mystery why theaverage person gainsweight so easily during theholidays.

Acosta, Pablo A., fromOperator Part-time toOperator Trainee.Aguilar, Kathy E., fromOperator Trainee toOperator.Alatorre, Ramon, fromPainter Trainee toPainter.Allen, Anita L., fromGeneral Services Man-ager to Acting FacilitiesMaintenance Superinten-dant.Anderson, Lonell M.,from Operator Trainee toOperator.Autry, Ronald E., fromOperator Trainee toOperator.Aviles, Ronald J., fromOperator Trainee toOperator.Baggan, John R., fromRelief Stock Clerk toStorekeeper.Baiza, Ernie, fromOperator Trainee toOperator.Ball, Deborah A., fromOperator Trainee toOperator.Barr, Bunni L., fromOperator Trainee toOperator.Berger, Suzanne B.,from General Clerk toMaterial Expediter.Bemal, David A., fromOperator Trainee Part-time to Operator Part-time.Berry, James E., Jr.,from Operator Part-timeto Operator Trainee.Bettis, Charles L., fromOperator Trainee toOperator.Biehn, Donald J., from

Operator Trainee Part-time to Operator Part-time.Black, Dean E., fromOperator Trainee Part-time to Operator Part-time.Blakely, Edwin L., fromOperator/Extra TransitOperations Supervisor toTransit Operations Super-visor.Boctor, Alfred F., fromSenior Transit OperationsSupervisor to Acting As-sistant Vehicles Opera-tions Manager.Bonini, Hugo P., fromOperator Trainee toOperator.Brown, George C., fromOperator Trainee toOperator Part-time.Bui, Phuoc H., fromOperator Trainee toOperator.Bustamente, Katy LaVon, from OperatorTrainee Part-time toOpertor Part-time.Carlton, Katherine M.,from Operator Part-timeto Operator Trainee.Castaneda, Juan H.,from Operator Part-timeto Operator Trainee.Castile, Darryl R., fromOperator Part-time toOperator Trainee.Ceja, Theodore, fromOperator Trainee toOperator.Cerellia-Ewell, Anita,from Transit Police Officerto Inspector General In-vestigator.Chavez, Sergio F., fromOperator Part-time toOperator Trainee.

Chuck, Stuart S., fromAdministrative Analyst toActing General ServiceManager.Clark, Patricia J., fromData Entry Operator toWord Processor OperatorI.Coleman, Carol A., fromOperator Trainee toOperator.Conaway, Linda J., fromOperator Trainee toOperator.Cooper, Anita, fromWord Processor Operator Ito Equipment RecordsSpecialist.Cooper, Mark R., fromOperator Trainee toOperator.Cortez, Fortino C., fromOperator Trainee toOperator.Cowley, George E., fromBuilding and GroundsMaintenance SupervisorII to Acting Rail FacilitiesMaintenance Supervisor.Craver, Anna M., fromBenefits Technician toActing Office Supervisor.Crawford, Garviette V.,from Operator Trainee toOperator.Damian, Gheorghe,from Operator TraineePart-time to OperatorPart-time.Daniels, David R., fromService Attendant toEquipment Service Super-visor.De La Paz, Ramon, fromPainter Trainee toPainter.Deluca, Donn A., fromStock Clerk to Store-keeper.Desouza, John P., fromOperator Trainee Part-time to Operator Part-time.Didier, James A., fromMechanic B to MechanicA.



CHEDULANGES

Diederichs, TerranceG., from Mechanic B toMechanic A.Dinh, Phung V., fromOperator Trainee toOperator.Dover, John M., fromTransit Operations Super-visor to Acting Radio Dis-patch Supervisor.Dunn, Michael W., fromOperator/Extra TransitOperations Supervisor toTransit Operations Super-visor.Duong, Lam V., from Me-chanic B to Mechanic A.Ebli, Frank J., from Typ-ist Clerk to General ClerkII.Epps, Leonard L., fromOperator Trainee toOperator.Fagernes, Kent 0., fromStock Clerk to Store-keeper.Farrington, David E.,from Operator TraineePart-time to OperatorPart-time.Federico, Lawrence,from Operator Trainee toOperator.Fernandez, Carlos A.,from Mechanic A to ActingEquipment MaintenanceSupervisor.Fernandez, Evelyn J.,from Typist Clerk to Serv-ice Attendant.Firouzi, Kamran, fromOperator Trainee toOperator.Fleischmau, Marlin,from Operator Trainee toOperator.Fleming, Ronald W.,from Mechanic B to Me-chanic A.Flores, Mark A., fromOperator Trainee Part-

time to Operator Part-time.Flowers, Dwayne C.,from Operator TraineePart-time to OperatorPart-time.Fluker, Fred A., fromOperator/Extra TransitOperations Supervisor toTransit Operations Super-visor.Forsness, Gilman R.,Jr., from OperatorTrainee Part-time toOperator Part-time.Fray, Elethia, fromOperator Trainee toOperator.Frumusanu, Gheorghe,from Operator Trainee toOperator.Garcia, Cecina, fromOperator Trainee toOperator.Gaytan, Linda, fromOperator Trainee toOperator.Gayton, Gregory L.,from Operator TraineePart-time to OperatorPart-time.Gessesse, Samson, fromOperator Part-time toOperator Trainee.Godwin, Philip T., fromProperty Maintainer A toProperty Maintainer ALeader.Gomez, Albert A., fromService Attendant toEquipment ServiceSupervisor.Gonzalez, Roberto H.,from Operator Part-timeto Operator Trainee.Grant, Alvie L., fromOperator Trainee toOperator.Greer, William, fromOperator Trainee toOperator.

Gresham, Denver L.,from Operator TraineePart-time to OperatorPart-time.Guglielmo, Emil L., fromOperator/Extra TransitOperations Supervisor toTransit Operations Super-visor.Harkins, Patricia, fromOperator/Extra TransitOperations Supervisor toTransit Operations Super-visor.Harris, Frank A., Jr.,from Records Clerk toTemporary Truck DriverClerk.Hart, Beverly J., fromOperator Part-time toOperator Trainee.Hawari, Marwan A.,from Operator TraineePart-time to OperatorPart-time.Haynes, Danny C., fromOperator Trainee Part-time to Operator Part-time.Hodge, Harris J., fromOperator Trainee Part-time to Operator Part-time.Hoffman, Robert J.,from Operator TraineePart-time to OperatorPart-time.Holdren, Charles M.,from Mechanic B to Me-chanic A.Holguin, Jose, fromOperator Trainee toOperator.Hughes, John E., fromOperator Trainee Part-time to Operator Part-time.Huynh, Vinh T., fromMechanic B to MechanicA.Jackson, Charles E.,from Operator TraineePart-time to OperatorPart-time.Jackson, Donald, fromOperator Trainee Part-time to Operator Part-

time.Jackson, Lee A., fromOperator Trainee Part-time to Operator Part-time.Jager, Rick L., fromNews Bureau Representa-tive to Acting Senior Com-munications Representa-tive.Jimenez, James, fromService Attendant toEquipment Service Super-visor.Johnson, Cynthia D.,from Operator Trainee toOperator.Johnson, Reginald F.,from Operator TraineePart-time to OperatorPart-time.Lakey, Kimberly S.,from Operator TraineePart-time to OperatorPart-time.Lakis, George J., fromOperator Trainee toOperator.Lau, Michael, from Me-chanic B to Mechanic A.Lewicki, Paul C., fromEquipment InventorySpecialist to MaterialManagement SystemsSupport Analyst.Long, Donald E., fromOperator Trainee Part-time to Operator Part-time.Mahome, Derick, fromOperator Trainee toOperator.Malone, Rachel B., fromKardex Clerk to Equip-ment Records Specialist.Mansker, Larry D., fromSenior Equipment Main-tenance Supervisor toEquipment MaintenanceManager.Marie, Laura, fromOperator Part-time toOperator Trainee.Mas, William M., fromOperator Trainee Part-time to Operator Part-time.

NOVEMBER 1987 H E A DWAY 24

Matthews, Jonathan C.,from Operator TraineePart-time to OperatorPart-time.McKenzie, Joyce M.,from Operator Trainee toOperator.Miller, Veronica J., fromTicket Clerk/Extra Serv-ices Director to ServiceDirector.Mittelman, J.B., fromOperator/Extra TransitOperations Supervisor toTransit Operations Super-vis6r.Molina, Julio, from Me-chanic B to Mechanic A.Moore, Le Vernon H.,Jr., from Service Atten-dant to Equipment ServiceSupervisor.Moore, Neal W., fromOperator Trainee toOperator.Moore, Pamela J., fromOperator Trainee toOperator.Mosby, Elgin L., fromService Attendant to Serv-ice Attendant Leader.Nguyen, Dinh V., fromOperator Trainee toOperator.Niebur, Dolores M.,from Operator Trainee toOperator.Nolasco, Ernesto, fromOperator Trainee toOperator.Novak, Howard S., fromMechanic B to MechanicA.Odell, Anne F., from Su-pervising Planner to Act-ing Planning Manager -Policy.Paniagua, Nadine C.,from Operator TraineePart-time to OperatorPart-time.Parker, Pamela E., fromOperator Trainee Part-time to Operator Part-time.Peniche, Ramon H.,from Operator Trainee

Part-time to OperatorPart-time.Perdon, Albert H., fromActing Assistant GeneralManager - Planning andCommunications to Assis-tant General Manager -Planning and Commun-ications.Perez, Maria G., fromOperator Part-time toOperator Trainee.Pham, Hiep T., fromOperator Trainee toOperator.Philips, Christine B.,from Painter Trainee toPainter.Poe, Joann W., fromOperator Trainee toOperator.Rabizadeh, Nemat 0.,from Programmer Analystto Senior ProgrammerAnalyst.Radia, Pankajkumar,from Operator Part-timeto Operator Trainee.Ramirez, Christine M.,from Operator Part-timeto Operator Trainee.Ramirez, Gloria R., fromTypist Clerk to Word Proc-essor Operator I.Ramirez, Myrna E.,from Operator/ExtraTransit Operations Super-visor to Transit Oper-ations Supervisor.Ray, James A. III, fromMechanic C to MechanicB.Resendez, David Z.,from Operator Trainee toOperator.Rhine, William J., fromDirector - Systems Designand Analyses to ActingAssistant General Man-ager - Transportation Sys-tems Development.Rhodes, Lucille H., fromOperator Trainee Part-time to Operator Part-time.Rios, Richard, fromMopper Waxer to Service

Attendant.Rios, Richard, fromOperator Trainee Part-time to Operator Part-time.Robateau, Polly J., fromOperator Trainee toOperator.Robinson, Paul D., fromOperator Trainee toOperator.Rodriguez, Irene D.,from Operator TraineePart-time to OperatorPart-time.Rodriguez, Ruben J.,from Operator Trainee toOperator.Rogers, William G., fromOperator Part-time toOperator Trainee.Rojas, Hector G., fromService Attendant Leaderto Equipment ServiceSupervisor.Roosen, Peter M., fromMechanic B to Mechanic A.Rosales, Rosalinda C.,from Operator Part-time toOperator Trainee.Salas, Rafael M., fromOperator Trainee Part-time to Operator Part-time.Sandberg, Joel J., fromSystems Engineering andAnalysis Manager to Act-ing Director of SystemsDesign and Analysis.Santana, Abel A., fromOperator Trainee toOperator.Scanu, Robert, fromOperator Part-time toOperator Trainee.Skarseth, Robert K.,from System ElectronicsCommunication Techni-cian to System ElectronicsCommunications Techni-cian Leader.Schegel, Larry L., fromActing Director of Manage-ment and Budget to Dir-ector of Management andBudget.Sechler, Robert P., from

NOVEMBER

Contract Administrator toActing Contract Adminis-trator.Shaw, Herbert E., fromMopper Waxer to ServiceAttendant.Shipley, Dan W., fromOperator Part-time toOperator Trainee.Shivery, Raymond E.,from Operator TraineePart-time to OperatorPart-time.Sias, Sharon R., fromOperator Trainee toOperator.Silva, Rudy K., from Me-chanic C to Mechanic B.Silvas, Ronald H., fromOperator/Extra TransitOperations Supervisor toTransit Operations Su-pervisor.Singh, Gurnam, fromOperator Trainee Part-time to Operator Part-time.Six, Rickey C., fromOperator Trainee toOperator.Slagle, Phillip R., fromLegislative Analyst to Act-ing Director of FederallState Liaison.Smith, Bruce E., fromOperator Trainee Part-time to Operator Part-time.Smith, Gregory K., fromOperator Trainee Part-time to Operator Part-time.Soderlund, Stephen W.,from Operator Trainee toOperator.Speed, Wayne D., fromOperator/Extra TransitOperations Supervisor toTransit Operations Su-pervisor.Storey, Harold E., fromSafety and Systems As-surance Supervisor to Act-ing Director of Systemsand Construction Safety.Takahara, Eldon Y.,from Utility A to Utility A

cont. an page 26...1987 HEADWAY 25

GREAT AMERICAN '

SMOKEOUT

...continued from page 25Leader.Taylor, Yvonne, fromOperator Part-time toOperator Trainee.Torres, Lucille G., fromKardex Clerk to GeneralClerk.Tran, To H., from Me-chanic C to Mechanic B.Trim, Michael E., fromOperator Trainee Part-time to Operator Part-time.Vicente, Joseph T.,from Systems ProjectLeader to Systems Engi-neer.Victorin, Ralph C., fromPainter Trainee toPainter.Wallace, Juanita G.,from Operator Trainee toOperator.Warrensford, Bruce E.,from Assistant ContractAdministrator to Con-tract Administrator.West, Elaine, fromOperator Trainee Part-time to Operator Part-time.White, Bennie 0., fromOperator Trainee toOperator.Williamson, Leon, fromTypist Clerk to ServiceAttendant.Wilson, Terrence K.,from Operator TraineePart-time to OperatorPart-time.Woods, David E., fromOperator/Extra Tran -sitOperations Supervisor toTransit Operations Su-pervisor.Wormley, Quintin L.,from Operator TraineePart-time to OperatorPart-time.Wyrick, Sondra A., fromOperator Trainee Part-time to Operator Part-time.Zimmerle, Fred G.,from Painter Trainee toPainter.

GASDayONCE AGAIN ITIS TIME TO JOININ THAT GREATNATIONWIDECELEBRATION,G.A.S. DAY—THEGREAT AMERICANSMOKE-OUT DAY! Eachyear the RTD participatesin this fun-filled event.GAS Day will be cele-brated on Thursday, No-vember 19. The idea is foreveryone, everywhere tojoin together in devoting aday to good health andfresh air by not smokingfor 24 hours. The 24-hourperiod begins at 12 a.m.

Atkins, Maurice A., be-gan with the District onAugust 27, 1957, retiredas a Transit OperationsSupervisor - V.O. on Au-gust 27, 1987.Daniels, Ned A., beganwith the District on Sep-tember 10, 1966, retiredas an Operator on Septem-ber 12, 1987.Dallas, Terrence C.,began with the District onJune 20, 1970, retiredas an Operator on August4, 1987.Flewellen, Walter M.,began with the District onJune 13, 1960, retiredas an Operator on August31, 1987.

the morning of the 19thand ends at midnight onthe 19th. The date se-lected is one week beforeThanksgiving. That waythose people who stopsmoking completely, willhave a way to celebratetheir first week free fromsmoking. That first weekis so important becauseduring the first smoke-free week, the nicotinegradually leaves the body.

Gauch, Fred J., beganwith the District on Octo-ber 28, 1961, retired asan Operator on September3, 1987.Guido, Dito, began withthe District on July 28,1975, retired as anElectrician Leader onAugust 30, 1987.Harris, Thomas B., be-gan with the District onSeptember 9,1957, retiredas a Senior ProgrammerAnalyst on September 12,1987.Jackson, Franklin D.,began with the District onMay 22, 1971, retiredas an Operator on Septem-ber 2, 1987.

For many smokers theirloved ones will truly givethanks for the victory overthe habit that will leavetheir loved one enjoying ahealthier future and alonger, healthier life span.

This will be the fourthyear for the RTD to partici-pate in this day. Plansinclude a brief video tapeat each division, survivalstations where people maypick up adoption papers toadopt a smoker for the dayand provide them withgoodies and encourage-ment to "survive" the daywithout smoking.

In some departmentsseveral people haveadopted one smoker andwith chuckles and warm,caring ideas helped thatperson be smoke-free for aday. (In past years, someof these people have madeout like bandits, which ispart of the fun). Adopteesreceived attention in theform oflunch, snack items,chewing gum, chocolatedrops, carrot sticks, spe-cial cards, and lots of en-couragement.

Some people sentcards to relatives encour-aging them to participatein the day. If you smoke,get your survival kit fromyour Wellness Represen-tative and join other smok-ers across the nation incelebrating your freedomfrom smoking on Novem-ber 19.

eFTINGEARS


ammaammn

IN MEMORIAMEpilepsy"It's Not What You Think"

Epilepsy. Mention theword and watch peoplecringe.

It is one of the mostmisunderstood maladies,yet it affects more thantwo million Americans.

Epilepsy is a disorderof the central nervous Sys-tem that causes seizures.The seizures can be mild orsevere. A partial seizure issometimes mistaken foralcohol or drug abuse inadults. The victim maywalk aimlessly, with un-controlled body move-ments, and he or she maysound drunk.

"Petit mal" seizureslast only a few seconds,during which the victimmay appear to go blank,stare straight ahead, andtwitch slightly. Petit malseizures are hard to recog-nize and may occur dozensor hundreds oftimes a day.

Convulsive "grandmal" seizures include aloss of consciousness and astiffening and violent jerk-ing of limbs. They arefrightening to watch, butare very rarely dangerous.

Because so manypeople have epilepsy, it isimportant to understandthat most—actually 80percent—have theirsymptoms controlledthrough medication.

Prejudice and misun-derstanding of the disor-der may cause people withepilepsy more difficultythan the actual condition.There's no reason whymost people with epilepsycan't be self-supporting.It's not a sign of mentalillness or stupidity, and

it's not contagious.Yet, many people with

epilepsy keep their disor-der a secret because ofprejudice, fear, and mis-understanding. If some-one has a convulsiveseizure, it's a good idea toknow how you can help.Here are some suggestionsfrom the Epilepsy Founda-tion of America:

*Don't try to revive the

lt is important

to understand that

most have their

symptoms

controlled through

medications.

person. Ease the seatedvictim to the floor. Put ajacket or sweater underthe head to protect fromthe hard ground or floor.

*Then, turn the per-son on his or her side to aidbreathing. Don't put any-thing in the mouth. Con-trary to popular belief, thetongue can't be swallowed.

*Move sharp objectsout of the way.

*Loosen tight cloth-ing, especially around theneck, and wipe away anysaliva around the mouth.

*Don't call a doctorright away. The personwill probably come out ofthe seizure in a few min-utes. If, however, the per-son seems to have one at-

tack after another or if itlasts longer than ten min-utes, call a doctor or anambulance.

*Don't try to hold theperson down or restrainany movements.

*Don't try to bring theperson out of the convul-sion by using cold water,slapping, or shaking. Itwon't work and you couldcause an injury.

*After the seizure, theperson may need to rest orfall into a deep, un-rousable sleep.

For more informationon epilepsy, write to theEpilepsy Foundation ofAmerica, 4351 GardenCity Drive, Landover, MD20785.

TheCommandmentsfor Fitness

There are many com-mandments for fitness.These are the first two:First fitness command-ment—To exercise youneed to stay "F.I.T."

To progress withinany exercise program, youneed to be aware of the"F.I.T." of exercise: fre-quency, intensity, and

Dennis, Clarence E., be-gan with the District onNovember 1, 1934, passedaway on August 15, 1987.Finley, Eugene L., beganwith the District on Janu-ary 17, 1942, passed awayon August 21, 1987.Janulewicz, Florian,began with the District onApril 29, 1946, passedaway on August 31, 1987.Kilgore, Austin F., be-gan with the District onMay 16, 1929, passedaway on August 26, 1987.Troy, William A., beganwith the District on Febru-ary 7, 1956, passed awayon September 7, 1987.Van Auker, Glen H.,began with the District onJuly 14, 1944, passedaway on August 18, 1987.

time. To get the full bene-fit of exercise, rememberto be F.I.T.

Frequency stands forthe repetition per exercise;the times you do leg lifts,how many times you Liftweights, the amount oftimes around the track,time on the treadmill orbike.

Intensity stands forthe resistance used duringeach exercise; the weights



Raiders Win 1987 RTDWorld Softball Championship

The Raiders, the Ameri-can League champions,upset the NationalLeague's Sharks on Sep-tember 26 in the play-offfor the championship inone of the most gripping,surprising games of theRTD softball season.

hood. Bordering the parkon one side is a wall of oildrums that line the South-ern Pacific rail line and onthe other is a row of mod-est, post-war tract homes.On this small bit of earth,two of the finest RTDteams raised a pitched

The victorious Raiders! From left to right, frontrow: Herb Moore, Tony Sims, Aaron Montgomery,Harris Douglas, Will Evanston, and Jerry Jenkins.Back row, from left to right: Ernest Kirkwood, RichSalido, Randolph Reece, Sam Johnson, Rich Wed-low, Rick Dorame, and Coach Herb Musgrove.

With a season win-loss record of 17-0, theRaiders were the favoritesover the Sharks whose1987 win-loss showingwas a presentable none-too-shabby 16-3. Eachteam is comprised of Dis-trict operators and me-chanics from almost everydivision.

The competition wasplayed at Roosevelt Parkin Florence. The park is awelcome patch of greenand Baseball diamond turfamidst the pock-marked,industrial decay of thesurrounding neighbor-

battle for the champion-ship.

The first two inningswere tightfisted, a stingytake-but-no-give on eitherside. Squeaking a runpast either one of thesesuperb teams was as diffi-cult as getting federalfunding for a poverty pro-gram out of a Republicanadministration. By thebottom of the third inningthe Sharks scored a run.But the Raiders were dosebehind them; and by thefifth inning the score wastied 2-2.


Examples: I am 52 yearsold and

220 220z.,52 :452168 168

x70% xam117.6 134.4

I should not exerciseat an exercise pulse (tar-get heart rate) lower than117 beats per minute if Iwant to improve in my fit-ness program and I shouldnot push my heart rateover 134 to avoid injury toany one of the many sys-tems I wish to maintain fit.

Remember:—Get permission

from your physician beforestarting a vigorous exer-cise program.

—Exerci se at yourtarget heart rate.

—Exercise to the Fit-ness Commandments. I'llbe back with more com-mandments in the future.

—Grandma Moses

Prescriptionsby MailRemember your Baxter-Travenol prescriptions bymail. Mail in your pre-scriptions and receive a90-day supply at less thanwholesale prices. You payand send the Baxter bill onto your insurer if you arereimbursed for medica-tions. Mail-in "kits" areavailable at all divisionsand from the PersonnelDepartment. For more in-formation, call Elia at 213/972-6333 or Luanna at213/972-6450.

...Fitness

...continued from page 27used duringbody building,lifting your arms and legshigh during aerobics, in-creasing the tension or theMPH on the treadmill orbike.

Time stands for thetimes a week you do yourexercise.

— 2 times a week=little or no gain.

— 3 times a week=maintain.

— 4 times or more aweek= improvement willoccur.

The rate of fitness willincrease with F.I.T. andthe gauge of fitness is yourtarget heart rate (the sec-ond fitness command-ment). Your heart is yourindividualized guide to fit-ness in an exercise pro-gram. Remember, beforeattempting any type ofvigorous exercise, consultyour personal physician-especially those who havemedical problems, areover 40 years of age, oranyone who has not seenhis/her physician in over ayear.

Second fitness com-mandment—to exercisewell and do it properly, youneed to exercise to yourtarget heart rate. To cal-culate your target heartrate, you take 220 andsubtract your age. Multi-ply the answer by 70 per-cent, then by 80 percent.The answer is your targetheart rate. Your exercise,to be beneficial cardiovas-cularly, should be no lowerthan the 70 percent and,to protect your heart, nohigher than the 80 per-cent.

NOVEMBER 1987 H E A DWAY 28

National League contenders, the Sharks, included,front row, from left to right: A. Soto, C. Hebrard, H.Kenneybrew, E. Harris, C. Alvarado, and D. Bau-tista. Bach row, from left to right: N. Mayes, R.Smith, R. Hardson, R. Edie, A. Wright, T. P. Hill, andCoach Tony Braxton.

...continued from page 28

The Raiders' pitcherWill "Chief' Evanstonhurls the Raiders on to aseason title.

By the top of the sev-enth inning the Sharkshad the feelingit was theirgame. They began chant-ing their now infamouscheer, "Shark Attack,Shark Attack." Two runs,back-to-back, were battedin by Sharks Eddie Harrisand Reggie Smith. It was2-4 and looking real good.You knew the Sharks

could taste their victorydinner. Just about thattime Raider Hec Hernan-dez stepped up to bat.Hec's frame looks a littlelike Fernando Valen-zuela's—chunky. He tookus all by surprise, swing-ing a hit that snaked pastthe short stop and intoright outfield. Chippingaway at a small chink in

IMMOIM111n111IM

With a season

win-loss

record of 17-0,

the Raiders were

the favorites

IMI•1111111111

the defensive armor of theSharks, Raiders began tohit with more confidence.And before you knew itthree runs were batted inculminating in a surpriseupset with the Raiderstaking the game with afinal score of 5-4.

Following the deleri-ously victorious rejoicingof the Raiders, both teams

shook hands and con-gratulated each other liketrue sportsmen. Theteams' managers, HerbMusgrove (Raiders) andTony Braxton (Sharks)also greeted each other ex-pressing mutual admira-tion and respect. It shouldbe noted that these man-agers are true profession-als who by their exactingstandards produce win-ning teams year afteryear. The Dodgers' Tom-my LaSorda could learnsome lessons from thesemen. Herb Musgrove at-tributes his team's re-markable success to thepower of prayer. "We praybefore every game. Every-body works hard, every

Born to Telephone Infor-mation Operators Johnand Irene Aviles; theirfirst child, John Matthew,June 17, in Hollywood.John Matthew weighed 7-1/2 lbs., and was 21-1/2inches long at birth. Hisparents say John is a tre-mendously responsiveboy. He is already (at sixmonths) trying to talk."Interestingly enough hedoesn't need any stimula-tion, he'll just pick a Per-son and off he goes tellingall the family secrets.What a character! We areimpressed with his de-meanor, he's always smil-ing and in good spirits.We've been blessed," saidhis father.

week we have hard prac-tices, but we leave all theresults up to God."

Tony Braxton stressesthe importance of a one-team effort. "Each mem-ber fills in when anotherisn'there. It's the vets thathold the team togetherand make the other guysplay. We've got a couple ofmen, T. P. Hill and HaroldKennybrew, who haveplayed on this team for 13years."

Whatever the sourceof their power these menknow how to play ball andprovide a wonderful showfor all who come out towatch. Congratulations toboth the teams from theHeadway.


A few of the cyclists pose for the camera as theypsyche up for the trip to San Diego.

Rest and refreshment are a necessityfor the bihers as they near the hills ofSan Diego.

Twenty-five Division 3207employees and others meton September 5 at thatdivision to begin the 124-mile trek to San Diego, noton buses but on people-powered bicycles.

The bicycle trip wasplanned by Operator Herb

Musgrove who coordi-nated a similar trip in1986. The riders gatheredat Division 7 and rode outat 5 a.m. down SantaMonica Blvd. turning ontoSan Vicente Blvd. to Ven-ice Blvd. then to WesternAve. and finaily pullingonto Pacific Coast High-way. Their meeting pointin San Diego was the Uni-versity of San Diego. Thelast riders pulled into USDat 5:30 p.m.

Many family membersof the bike riders followedbehind in cars or vans car-rying food and drink torefresh the riders at vari-ous rest stops along the124-mile journey.

Musgrove said he is

planning another trip fornext year. "It was a won-derful day. No one seemedreally tired when we got tothe end." In the mean-time, Musgrove is investi-gating the possibility of a5-day trip from San Fran-cisco to Los Angeles.

Divi-sion 7ManagerR o yStarks,one of thebike rid-ers, waspleas-antly sur-prised byhis per-formance."This wasthe far-thest I'dever rid-den a bike. The first 50miles I took it easy, butafter that I poured it on,"he said. The more expertriders arrived at the Uni-versity of San Diego two

hours ahead (3:30 p.m.) ofthe others.

Starks said he partici-pated for the personal sat-isfaction. "Another goalwas that I was wie of theoldest guys on the trip.Everybody thought the oldman wasn't going to makeit but I did," he beamed.

Riders reported theexperience as electric."Everyone was lookingafter everyone else. Onour rest breaks we ate,joked, and just had a lot offun," said one rider.

It wasn't all a downhillride Starks recalled. "Thehill before the Universityof San Diego goes on fortwo miles. Just as youthink you are there,there's more hill. It wasrough. But everyone's goalwas to make the hill andeveryone did."

Those interested in

participating in upcomingbike trips are encouragedto contact Operator HerbMusgrove at Division 7.

RTD TrivialPursuit

The following 20 questionsdeal with RTD service in-formation and were com-piled by Planning Man-ager Steve Parry. Whileknowing the answers tothese questions may im-press those of us who workfor the RTD, there is no'guarantee that being a

First five

entries will

win a

free RTD

t-shirt

or cap

whiz at these trivia ques-tions will make you popu-lar at parties with non-RTD folk, but if you takethis test you'll benefit fromus. Simply send your an-swers to the Headway be-fore December 1 and ifyour answers are correctand yours is one of the firstfive entries to be received,you'll win a free RTDt- shirt or cap.

1. What's the largest oper-ating division?2. What are the longestRTD lines? The longestlocal? The longest ex-press?3. What's the sh orte stline?


Division 7 Takes to Bikes from LAto San Diego


Difference Between Men andBoys Is Price of Toys

...continued from page 304. What line has the mostturns?5. Can you name the top 5lines in terms of ridership?6. What's the farthest youcan get for 85 cents andone transfer in the county?7. What line has the mostbuses operating on it?8. Which freeway has thegreatest amount of busridership?9. When did the first ex-press service begin be-tween downtown Los An-geles and the San Fer-nando Valley?

10. Name the last fivestreet car lines operatedby the MTA? And, whendid they cease operating?11. Three hundred buses

were purchased to replacethe street car lines men-tioned above. What seriesof buses were these?12. Which buses were thelast stick shift buses to beoperated at the RTD?13. What was the carnumber of the "Teardrop"car?14. What does the term"dog house" mean?15. Explain the term "rid-ing the cushions"?16. What does CEA standfor?17. What is the differentebetween the bus run num-ber and the bus number?18. Does the term "free-loader" apply to passen-gers who evade fares?19. Name the one intersec-tion in Los Angeles withthe heaviest amount ofbus traffic?20. Which bus stop has thegreatest amount of pas-senger boardings?

The answers to the 20questions will appear innext month's issue alongwith the names of thetest's highest scorers.

Division 16 Mechanic ALonnie Morrison has al-ways been fascinated byairplanes. But, becauseflying planes these days is

Using his transmitter,Lonnie taxies the ByronPitts Special down therunway.

so expensive, he took toflying the next bestthing—model airplanes.

He has been flyingmodel airplanes for thepast three years. Whenthe Headway caught upwith Lonnie at the Whit-tier Narrows Model HobbyArea, he was preparing tofly his "Byron Pitts Spe-cial," an actual scale rep-lica of a single-seat stuntairplane designed for airacrobatics. He put in al-most 100 hours construct-ing the model from a kitwhich sold for $900 not tobe confused with the oldbalsa wood kits that usedto seil for a quarter whenyou and I were kids.

Lonnie says you don'thave to know anythingabout aerodynamics tobuild these kinds ofplanes, it comes to you asyou go along. "You need alot of patience to put some-thing like this together,"said Lonnie. "But you

must like to work withyour hands. You shouldknow how to paint lac-quers, enamels, and youhave to be coordinated."

Lonnie's finishedproduct has a gleaming,fire-engine red with a con-trasting white stripedbody that weighs 16pounds and runs on a 2-horsepower engine up tospeeds of 65 to 75 mph. Allthe mechanisms on hisplane are electronic: theservos, batteries, and re-ceivers are controlled byhis transmitter. It's theman and the transmitter

MechanicA LonnieMorrisonshows hisvintageaircraft,the "ByronPitts Spe-c i a 1 "which hebuilt froma kit andhas suc-cessfullyflown.

that control the movementof the plane on the runwayand its flight in air. To-gether the man and the

instrument enable theplane to fly like a real one.

After preparing theflaps and revving the pro-peller, Lonnie taxied his"Byron Pitts Special"down the runway. Whenhe reached the tarmac fortakeoff, Lonnie increasedthe speed and "ByronPitts" was aloft. A beauti-ful sight with the sun glis-tening off its shiny enam-eled finish as Lonnie com-manded it to flip acrobati-cally about 250 feet aboveus. After approximately10 minutes in the air, withthe use of his transmitter,Lonnie summoned theplane down to a smoothtouchdown on the tarmac.Lonnie was relieved. Theplane made it safely

through this flight.Even as a young boy

Lonnie said he was put-continued on page 32...

Lonniechecks hisengine,propeller,wingflaps, andtail beforetakeoff.


A /,xer',47,‚,2# ;?'"/eAz

Maintenance Division 5 HostsSummer's End BBQ

Help Createthe 1988RTD Kid'sCalendarIf one of your parentsworks for the RTD you areeligible to participate inthe 1988 RTD Kid's Calen-dar contest. Come Janu-ary 1988, the Headwaywill run a centerfold calen-dar using the artwork of 12lucky kids. Each winnerwill receive $20 and his orher artwork will be part ofthe overall calendar. Ifyou want to enter, simplydraw a picture of an RTDbus or rail car put to itsbest advantage. For in-stance, show a bus or rail

...Toys...continued from page 31ting model airplane kitstogether. Now, with theadult version of the hobbyLonnie says the only Prob-lem is finding the room forall his planes. "My garagelooks more like an airportthan a car garage. When Ibuild one, I have to seil onejust to make room. It helpshaving an understandingwife."

When he built his firstplane, he spent long hourslaboring over it, but in 10minutes it fell apart. "It'sall trial and error. You canspend 100 hours buildingit and in a few minutes offlight have it all reduced torubble."

Mostly, Lonnie enjoysworking with his handsand that feeling of accom-plishment spent in some-thing he enjoys. "This is itfor me—to see somethingI've made fly."

car rescuing strandedpeople or a bus picking upPresident Reagan in frontof the White House or anRTD bus or rail car beingused in a Michael Jacksonvideo. Got the idea now?You can use pencil, pen,crayons, or markers-whichever means worksbest for you. Send yourentry picture no later thanDecember 1 to: RTD,Headway, 2nd Floor, 425S. Main St., Los Angeles,90013. If you send in awinning entry earlyenough we will make sureyou get your prize moneybefore Christmas. So,hurry up, send us yourpictures, and avoid theChristmas rush.

His investment oftime and money in thesport has been great, buthe recently committedhimself more seriously byentering an internationalcompetition in Las Vegas,Nevada the last weekendin October. Next year theCircus Circus casino inLas Vegas will sponsor aninvitational competitionwith the first-place prizeset at $100,000. "I hope tobe invited to that contest.To prepare I'm not takingany overtime. I am dedi-cating most of my time tothis hobby."

Lonnie will also dedi-cate time helping any newflyer who would like to getinvolved. He invites you tocall him at 714/628-6735."I'll help out the best I can.You just have to have thewillingness to hang inthere."

Maintenance Division 5held its end-of-summerbarbecue an August 28,beginning at 11:30 a.m.and continuing through 6p.m.

The crew of five cooksstoked the fires early to getthe coals good and hot forthe ribs, chicken, and hotlinks served to divisionpersonnel and guests. Alldinners sold for $3.50, areal bargain for the lip-smackin,' finger-lickin'good meal one got in re-

turn.Committee members

who did all the procuring,preparing, and servingincluded Mechanic ALeader Carl Smith, Me-

chanic A Steve Hearn III,Mechanic A Ida Houston,Utility A Pat Anderson,Mechanic A RosettaDrake, Mechanic B ReneeNavarre, Mechanic A Mal-colm Pruitt, Mechanic ABilly Sims, Utility B FayeTinson, and Utility B He-len Felder.

The Division 5 BBQ Committee: front row, from leftto right: Renee Navarre, Faith Tinson, HelenFelder, Malcolm Pruitt, and Rosetta Drake. Backrow, from left to right: Steve Hearn III, Pat Ander-son, Ida Houston, Carl Smith, and Billy Sims.

Division 5 Manager Luchus Smith and his guestDivision 15 Manager Tedd Brewinjoin Los Angelesfirefighters who also dropped by to enjoy the deli-cious barbecue meal prepared by the Division 5staff.


Division 3205Holds Annual BBQOperators volunteeringtheir free time startedstoking the coals for Divi-sion 5's annual barbecueat 6:30 a.m. on September24 so that their fellowoperators and their fami-lies could enjoy the tempt-ing dishes on September25.

"I am quite pleasedwith the turnout," said

and Margaret Cannon.The mainstay crew that

It's a

tradition at

Division 5

311n11111111•13•113M1

Division 5's BBQ cuisine staff. Front row, from leftto right: Thomasina Corbin, Harriet Gordon, andTerrell Davis. Back row, from left to right: LonellAnderson, Arnold Johnson, Barbara Harris, AlbertJudson, Mary Morrow, Robert Haskins, A. J.Taylor's grandmother Gladys Johnson, Callie MaeMurray, and Margaret Cannon.

Division Manager A. J.Taylor. "We even hadoperators from other divi-sions come by. This is atradition at Division 5. It'sone the operators wantedto continue and they gaveof their time freely."

The committee wasaided by A.J.'s maternalgrandmother GladysJohnson and her twofriends Callie Mae Murray

prepared the deliciouspork and beef ribs,chicken, and links wereArnold Johnson, TerrellDavis, Albert Judson,Barbara Harris, Thomas-ina Corbin, Keith Cour-seault, Mary Morrow,Shirley Overstreet, LonellAnderson, Ronald Watts,Marta Sivadon, HarrietGordon, and Charles Jen-kins.

How Time Marches Onor 1 Remember When...It is most interesting forme, reading the Headwaymagazine of how workand employee relation-ships are conducted to-day.

Awards for achieve-ments, inventions, andservice above and beyondduty, retirees, recogni-tion of service, promotionthrough the ranks...

Permit me to regressto a few years back, whenthere would be a gather-ing at noon by fellow em-ployees for one who wasretiring. A fellow em-ployee upon requestwould endeavor to recitesome praise and bestwishes.

An employee's privatestudy and previous train-ingwere mostly unknown.His social contribution inmusic and service workwere seldom heard.

We were in no waydisgruntled, because thatwas the way it was andwork was serious.

I was not discontentand enjoyed my associa-tions, which I believe havecontributed to my longev-ity (76 years).

May I now state someof my personal endeavors.At an early age: a 5-yearapprenticeship in truckand bus-building, about30 courses in night schoolon both technical andbusiness subjects, playingin the Shriners Bag PipeBand, President of theRTD Masonic Club, andupon request I gave retire-ment speeches for fellowemployees. As an avo-cation, I ventured into

Fred and Marion Har-rington on a May 1987visit to Los Angeles.

real estate and mobilepark management.

Today I help resi-dents in mobile park serv-

That's the way

it was and

work was

serious

1n111n1111

ice, I'm a ballroom dancer,and I participate in bar-bershop singing and Lodgeactivities.

My continued admira-tion for the wonderfulprogress of the RTD.

Frederick W.Harrington

The author of this remem-brance, Fred Harrington,retired from the SouthPark Sheet Metal Shop inApril 1974. Today Fredand his wife Marion live inParadise, California.


RTDI 11?-,(OES

MOVITES

When I went away to Eng-land for vacation, Ithought it would be aneasy task to visit a localcinema and report on thestate of the movies acrossthe Atlantic. From thestart, I ran into severalproblems. The first wasthat many of the towns westayed in simply didn'thave a local cinema. If thepeople want to go to themovies, it's a major eve-ning out into the nearesttown that does have amovie house. Second,when the town did have amovie theatre, it was usu-ally only a single screen,and one of the most com-mon features across thecountry was Secret of MySuccess, starring MichaelJ. Fox. I sat through itonce on the flight over, andit was not an experience Iwas eager to repeat. Thethird problem was exhaus-tion. After two statelyhomes, with attendantgardens, and a cathedral,it's much more temptingjust to go to the local puband have a few drinks andsome pub grub before re-tiring to your room to writethe day's postcards.

I did visit a movie the-atre, though, and foundthat there are some differ-ences. In Stratford-Upon-Avon, the Waterside Cin-ema runs a movie eachnight, but during the day

plays hosts to one ofStratford's tourist attrac-tions, The World ofShakespeare, which iswhat I attended. Afterpassing through the mock-Tudor facade, I was sur-prised to note that thelobby looked almost ex-actly like the lobby of anylocal theatre here. Theonly difference in decorwas the exhibition ofShakespeare artifacts andthe guestbook bearing thesignature of a few royalvisitors.

The snack bar waswhere the main differencelay. For drinks, theyserved tea and coffee, aswell as bottled fruit juicesand sodas. For snacksthey had a wide range ofsweets, as well as somefresh fruit and a few fresh-baked tea cakes. Therewas a popcorn machinealso, but it was onlyturnedon in the evenings for themovie, and an ice-creamcooler. I learned that ice-cream is a popular treat atboth the movies and the-atre. In fact, at all theatri-cal performances we at-tended, the ushers wereselling small tubs of va-nilla ice-cream in theaisles during intermis-sion, a practice which alsooccurs at the larger Lon-don cinemas. The pricesfor movie treats was cer-tainly much better, with a

bottle of Coke elling foronly 50 pence, approxi-mately $.83 in Americanmoney, as opposed to thedollar we pay for a smalldrink at theatres here.Candy also cost under adollar, and the sizes weremuch more generous. Asfar as the evening moviewent, the theatre was cur-rently running PoliceAcademy 4.

That was perhaps themost frustrating thing of

If the

people want to go

to the movies,

it's a major

evening out.. .

all. The British film indus-try is, for the most part, inhibernation. Unfortu-nately, the big-budgetAbsolute Beginners,which appeared anddisappeared last Christ-mas with nary a ripple, putGoldcrest Productions,the company responsiblefor Chariots of Fire, andthe largest productioncompany in England,heavily into debt. It's nextfilm, The Mission, while acritical success, did not dowell enough at the box-of-fice (especially in America,where the real money is),and Goldcrest was de-clared bankrupt. Now,almost the sole product ofBritish filmmakers is thelow-budget horror quick-ies of the type Elvirashows, and the English

turn to American movies,receiving them approxi-mately six months aftertheir release here. Theweek I was in London, TheUntouchables had justopened to what appearedto be critical and popularacclaim, generating thesame type of lines it didhere.

Movies are not theonly form of entertain-ment dominated by theAmericans. With thesmall number of cinemasavailable (London, one ofthe largest cities in theworld, has fewer thantwenty movie theatres),many British have whole-heartedly enveloped thevideo age. In Chepstow,Wales, there is no moviehouse, but we did findthree large video storeswhile walking from thetown parking lot to Chep-stow Castle, a distance ofhalf a mile. When I inves-tigated one of these stores,I discovered that most ofthe Films available forrental were American,with features such as Backto the Future, Ghost-busters, and Ramboprominently displayed. Itfelt like I was visiting TheWherehouse. Videos arealso available at gas sta-tions and corner markets,and it wasn't unusual tosee Jong lines even onweeknights.

American importshave even invaded Britishtelevision, with "Moon-lighting," "Kate and Allie,""LA Law," and "Dynasty"proving to be immenselypopular. It was on televi-sion, though, that I wasable to get a dose of currentBritish entertainment.It's an amazing range of



TheClassifieds

Classified ads sent bynon-employees are ac-cepted at a cost of $3.75 perline per month. Displayads are $20 per inch permonth. Please send pay-ment with your camera-ready ad and make checkspayable to the RTD. Sendads the first day of themonth for printing in thefollowing month's issue toHeadway, RTD, 425 S.Main St., Los Angeles, CA90013. RTD employees'and retirees' ads will con-tinue to run free.

For Sale

2-bdrm mobile home, secu-rity adult park, furnitureincluded $29,950. 5-starpet park, jacuzzi, baseballfield, basketball court,pool, recreation room, so-cial club. Great place tolive, great neighbors. Call818/912-8178, after 5:30a.m. and after 6 p.m.

18-foot Sun Ray boat, with65-horsepower, Mercuryengine. Console centerwith bow seats, propanestove and sink, 5-gallonfresh water tank, C.B.radio, depth finder.Trailer included. Runsperfect. $5,500. Call D.Watson at 213/296-7226.

For sale by driver. Uni-forms: 2 pair pants 34/32,$5 each. Seven long sleeveshirts $5, mostly tan. Sixshort sleeve shirts, $5 each,2 tan short sleeve shirts,almost new, $7. Call 213/682-1012, will deliver toDivisions 15, 10, or 9.

1986 Yugo, almost new.Great mileage, am/fm radiocassette tape deck. Forcedto sell, must relocate. Ask-ing price $2,500. CallMargie at 213/299-1082.

MENSA Anyone?RTD employees, any MEN-SANS interested in form-ing a SIG please contactRichard Benson, badgenumber 9064, Division 15.

Sie Transit .by Carl Motley

...continued from page 34highbrow and lowbrow.The people who gave us"Jewel in the Crown" canalso give us "Allo, Allo," atruly appalling comedythat makes "Three's Com-pany" look intellectual,but most of what's offeredfalls somewhere in-be-tween. One marked differ-ence was that almost ev-ery series follows a serialformat, the way "HillStreet Blues" did, with thestories continuing fromone week to the next. It'svery satisfying if you're aregular viewer, seeingthings grow and change,but it can be very confus-ing the first time you flipan the television. Theshows are a good deal qui-eter in tone than our pro-grams, with a notableabsence of the glamourtypes that populateAmerican screens. It wasnice to see that a womandoesn't always have tohave perfect make-up,designer clothes, a super-skinny figure, and be 21years old. After four weeksabroad, it was a bit disap-pointing to learn that theEnglish market is domi-nated by the same productwe get here, consideringthe sad state of televisionand movies today. I diddiscover, however, thatthere is one British mediaexport that fascinatesboth the British and theAmericans more than anymachinations Alexis Car-rington could come upwith, and is still the mostwatched and longest run-ning show in the country.It's called the Royal Fam-ily.

Be seeing you.— Carolyn Kinkead


Southern CaliforniaRapid Transit District425 So. Main St., 6th FloorLos Angeles, CA 90013

BULK RATEU.S. POSTAGE

PAIDLos Angeles, Ca.Permit No. 32705

RECREATIONALWS•

LakersColonnade SeatsNovember15 San Antonio $817 Portland $1020 Dallas $1022 Milwaukee $1027 Denver $10December15 Phoenix $829 Philadelphia $10

Lakers Senates$60 value for $30includes parkingNovember12 Clippers15 San Antonio

17 Portland20 Dallas22 Milwaukee27 DenverDecember2 Portland13 Cleveland15 Phoenix20 Seattle23 Sacramento29 Philadelphia

Kings Hockey Senateseats $25 value for $18.50November14 Quebec25 Chicago28 Calgary

29 New JerseyDecember1 & 3 Winnipeg16 Edmonton19 Calgary26 Vancouver

More EventsNovember14 UCLA vs. Washing-ton $11 for $814 USC vs. Arizona $16for $827 Glory of Christmas$14 for $12, CrystalCathedral

December12 Glory of Christmas$1412 Atlantic Star-Univer-sal $1714 Jewelry Show by Jade

& Gem, 40 percent to 60percent off retail-Headquarters Cafeteria, 8a.m. to 2 p.m.19 Pointer Sisters-Uni-versal $21.5020 Pointer Sisters-Uni-versal $19.50

ChristmasProduct DeadlinesOrders are now being ac-cepted for See's Candy,Grandma's Fruit Cake,and Knott's Jelly Prod-ucts. Order forms areavailable through theEmployee Activities De-partment. Deadlines toplace orders are as follows:Knott's, November 13;See's Candy, November20; Grandma's Fruit CakeIn stock—available atEmployee Activities De-partment.

r-Amyrr- 4

Published monthly for the employees andretirees of the Southern California Rapid Tran-sit District.

Editorial input and suggestions are wel-come. Deadline for receipt of editorial copy is thefirst day of each month. Send black-and-whitephotographs only. Requests for photographiccoverage of District events must be preceded by72 hours notice.

Mailing address: Headway, 2nd Floor, 425South Main Street, Los Angeles, CA 90013.

Mary E. Reyna, EditorStaff Writers:

Susan DeSantis, Elia Hager,Kathi S. Harper, Carolyn Kinkead,

Hope Powell, and Luanna Urie.

Typesetting, design, and makeup:Nancy Niebrugge Public Relations

Printed by: RTD Printing DepartmentAl Moore, Manager


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