Speaking Out for Those Who Can't

Since my article about limited term employees (LTEs) was published in the November 2009 issue of Women in Higher Education, I've received about thirty emails, all of which were extremely supportive of the article. (I previously posted the article: http://people.uwec.edu/lehmanjc/Advocate_WIHE11-09.pdf ). I've also had about one person a day come up to me since the end of November, thanking me for writing the article. Below is a collection of some of comments I received. Although the process of writing this article was difficult and frustrating, this feedback has given me a tremendous sense of accomplishment that I had the courage to speak up for those who can't.

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I feel the article covers the problem with LTE status very well. I was reminded this week how little consideration LTE’s get when I saw that classified staff, faculty and administration were all awarded pay for the snow day on the 9th but lowly LTE’s, many who like me as a single mom really needed the pay, were told no pay for you.
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I’m not sure I like the process of an LTE position becoming a permanent position as it would probably mean I would lose my job. I think if they wanted to be fair to the LTE’s who have held those positions, they should offer them first to the LTE and then open it up to the other options. I’m not sure I can favor a system that makes my position permanent but offers it to a host of other people before me. It seems like I would exchange one type of discrimination for another.
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I just finished reading your article on LTE positions…Many years ago I was an LTE working for the State xx Division…. When one of the positions became permanent – I applied and was beaten out by a younger person, whom I had actually trained for the job. I had more experience and had been there longer but because I was an LTE I didn’t have a leg to stand on. I’m not complaining about the position I have now – I’m happy just to get the few hours to help out my retirement. I just wanted to relate my story – and congratulate you on recognizing there is problem.
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Being an LTE this time of year isn’t easy – I’m always working, and pray I don’t get sick, so far I’ve have 5 years of luck that way. I’m so glad you have such wonderful co-workers to have done what they did for you to allow you to be with your mom – warms my heart – there are good people out there. Count yourself as one of those good people!
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Thank you for an excellent article you sent about LTE’s! It was very well written and accurate! I remember responding to a survey, but over time, forgot about it, because I thought nobody wanted to hear from us, let alone attempted to change the system! I was very much interested because I have been here over 18 years in 16 different positions, and for the last 15 years with two positions to be full-time. All along I have been taking the civil service tests, and all the hiring for the vacant positions were transfers…It really is neat that you are still fighting for LTE’s, and if there would be any changes in the system, I would probably lose all those years and have to start as a new state employee, which would also be beneficial for us to be grandfathered in, and have all those years of service have some meaning. It was fortunate that you could work for an understanding supervisor.
Thanks again for speaking on our behalf and I wish you all the best!
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Congratulations on your article about the inequities of LTE positions and women. It was very interesting to read, and I definitely learned a lot and "widened my spectrum" of understanding of that crazy thing called the professional world. All of the statistics were were especially interesting. Thank you very much!

Smoothie Recipe

My friend C asked me for my smoothie recipe so I thought I’d post it. I eat these almost every day for breakfast and they are satisfying and nutritious.

You have to experiment to get the consistency you want. I like my smoothies light and fluffy (rather than thick and icy), so here is what I do. Add the following into the blender and blend:

• One banana
• Two or three large spoonfuls of organic yogurt (I usually buy vanilla flavored organic yogurt. I buy organic because it’s generally not sweetened with large amounts of high fructose corn syrup, like other yogurts, which will make you crash with hunger in like an hour).
• About a ½ cup to 1 cup frozen fruit (you have to experiment with this amount) I buy large bags of frozen fruit either at Target or Sam’s Club. Usually I buy a triple berry mix or a tropical blend.
• About a ½ cup to 1 cup organic milk (again, experiment)
• If you have other fresh fruit that you want to throw in, add it in small amounts (like ¼ cup or less) or the smoothie will get really watery. Also, canned crushed pineapple is inexpensive and great in smoothies.
• Add any extras, like peanut butter, almond butter, cinnamon, honey…just a tiny bit, like a teaspoon of peanut butter or a sprinkle of cinnamon.
• I also buy flax seed in the natural foods section of the grocery store and then grind it in my coffee grinder and sprinkle it on top of the finished smoothie.
  

The longer you blend the fluffier it gets. Pour it into a glass. I sprinkle my flax seed on top, and/or stir it into the smoothie because I found it was kind of hard to clean out of the blender.
I don’t follow a recipe any more, or measure, I just throw stuff in. You’ll get the feel for how much to add to make the kind of consistency you prefer.

A note about the benefits of flax seed…Flax seed is supposedly one of those “miracle foods.” It’s high in omega three fatty acids…here are a few benefits:

(HealthCastle.com) Its high content of alpha linolenic acids has made the ancient flax seed become our modern miracle food. Alpha linolenic acid (ALA) is a type of plant-derived omega 3 fatty acid, similar to those found in fish such as salmon. Benefits of flax seed as shown in many studies include lowering total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol (the Bad cholesterol) levels. Other benefits show that flax seed may also help lower blood triglyceride and blood pressure. It may also keep platelets from
becoming sticky therefore reducing the risk of a heart attack…

One Way to Advocate for Equity

I am including this excerpt and link to my published article because I believe we should all advocate for fairness and equity, when given the opportunity to do so.

“Across Wisconsin, I see talented and tenacious women poised to lead this state’s economic growth—if only we clear obstacles from their path.”
—Lt. Governor Barbara Lawton

When Carol Accola became the manager of a University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire campus help desk and software training group, she quickly realized that her staff was mostly women who had worked five to ten years in the job classifi cation “limited term employees” or LTEs. These state employees earn low wages (a minimum of 20% less than permanent workers doing the same
jobs) with no vacation, sick time, personal or legal holidays, and sometimes no health insurance.

I experienced these inequitable conditions firsthand. In 2003, with four years of professional work experience and a master’s degree in progress, I became the coordinator for Accola’s software training program—an LTE position that had existed since 1995 and remained “limited term” for 12 years, until 2007...
http://people.uwec.edu/lehmanjc/Advocate_WIHE11-09.pdf

SNL Skit: I Threw It On the Ground!

Sometimes you just have to laugh at something stupid! Saturday Night Live is always good for that.

Chippewa Moraine Ice Age Reserve

The hiking book says that the Chippewa Moraine Ice Age Reserve contains a 4.5 mile hike (also known as the Circle Trail), which is the hike we completed, but there are also several shorter hikes not mentioned in the book. The Dry Lake Trail is a 1.8 mile loop and the Mammoth Nature Trail is a .7 mile loop. The 4.5 mile Circle Trail took us about an hour and 45 minutes.

I have to admit I have a phobia about bears, and this hike was woodsy, secluded, and long enough that my bear encounter fears reared their ugly little heads. But I've learned that the more you do something, the less afraid you are, and the less you do things, the more afraid you become. Just keep on trucking!

After all, think of everything you might miss out on if you let your fears dominate you. Here is a view taken from one of several bridges on the Circle Trail.

Labor Day Weekend Tour of the Upper Mississippi River Valley

According to the Alma, Wisconsin website, this unique town is located on State Highway 35, (the Great River Road), along the upper Mississippi River in western Wisconsin, only 90 miles south of Minneapolis/St. Paul, 55 miles north of La Crosse, Wisconsin, or 325 miles northwest of Chicago.

The website says that Alma's "setting between the Mighty Mississippi and the 500-foot limestone bluffs gives Alma a unique look and feel. Alma is a quaint river town, established in 1848 and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places."

Buena Vista Park is one of the must-sees of Alma local attractions. We hiked the nature trail that leads up to Buena Vista Park. The Alma local attractions website says "this scenic vista 500 feet above Alma and the Mississippi River Valley has a natural viewing platform. Visitors can watch barges traveling up the river and locking through Lock & Dam #4 along with views of the sand islands and backwater areas". Here are a couple shots we took from the top, an aerial view of the upper Mississippi River Valley and Lock & Dam #4:






On Hwy 35, right off the main street of Alma, you can access a platform adjacent to the lock and dam where you can stand and watch boats entering and leaving the lock (I've included a picture below). The website says "An average of 175 million tons of freight moves on the Upper Mississippi each year. One barge will hold an average of 1500 tons, which equals the tonnage of 15 railroad cars or 58 semi trucks. The lock is 600 feet long by 110 feet wide and raises and lowers traffic 7 feet..."



Although extemely small, Alma has a diverse offering of downtown shops, including art, pottery, flowers, restaurants, and a local bakery. Here are the fancy Wilder Rice and Halsa Breads we bought at the MadBaker of Main Street.



When leaving Pepin, if you continue a few miles on Hwy 35 south to Nelson, be sure to stop at the Nelson Cheese Factory for ice cream. (They also have great food).

We continued on Hwy 35 for about 10 more miles to Pepin, which is known as the birthplace of Laura Ingalls Wilder. Here is a view of Lake Pepin, taken from the deck of the Pickle Factory restaurant, where we enjoyed a delicious meal (Harbor View Cafe in Pepin is also one of my favorite restaurants). The Pepin website says that Lake Pepin is "formed by the delta of Wisconsin's Chippewa River," and that it is "a 28-mile-long, three-mile-wide natural waterway that is part of the Mississippi River."



Walk out on the pier, and you almost feel like you're on vacation...



And to think, all this beauty is only one small section of the Great River Road, which runs along both sides of the Mississippi. The seventy-mile Lake Pepin "circle route" is a fabulous drive, with historical markers, scenic overlooks and other attractions of the Mississippi River valley.

Three Sauces in One Outcome

It was ambitious but last week I did complete Janet Chadwick's 3-in-1 canning project I described in a previous post (and managed to be in bed by 10:30 pm every night). Above you see (left to right) seven half-pint jars of chutney, seven pints of sweet and sour sauce....

and below, seven pints of Indian BBQ relish...

It took me several days to prepare...one night to prepare the peaches and another to prepare the tomato puree. But it was worth it.

The entire process quieted my mind and relaxed me during a stressful week with school finally back in session.

I can't wait to crack open these sauces to serve with different dishes throughout the fall and winter.