The Bridge February, 2006 (Volume 22, number 6)

SPRING POTLUCK PICNIC

Your Honeywell Retirees Club will provide delicious baked ham, rolls, coffee, tea and water. Plates, utensils, condiments, etc. will also be available. Attendees are asked to bring a covered dish to share: hot casserole, baked beans, salad or dessert of your choice. Get out your favorite recipes and prepare your specialty to share with others. There will be no charge to HRC members and guests. The ham will be served hot from roasters that will have been caringly heated by your HRC Board. You may bring your own beer (we will have a beer permit) or soft drinks if you would like, but no glass containers are allowed in the park.

At North Mountain Park
Pima Ramada
Peoria Avenue and Seventh Street

North Mountain Park is just south of the Pointe Hilton at 7 th St. and Peoria. Turn west into the park, then turn right inside the park and follow the signs up the hill to The Pima Ramada. Ample and convenient parking is available. Overflow parking is also available at the Havasupai Ramada – then take the stairs up to the Pima Ramada. Plenty of handicapped parking is available.

TUESDAY, MARCH 21 from noon to 4 pm

If you have any questions, call either:
Shirley Krieger (602 942-4235)
Don Roeber (623 561-0678)

Remember there is no charge for this event other than the dish you bring to share – AND there will be door prizes awarded.

MARCH PACKED WITH OTHER HRC ACTIVITIES

1. Spring Training Baseball – March 14, Oakland Athletics vs. San Diego Padres - Peoria Sports Complex
2. Laughlin Overnight Trip – March 14-15, Bus trip from Phoenix - limited space – reservations required
3. Identity Theft – March 24, District Attorney from U.S. Attorney's Office – limited space – call ASAP

Check for details under “UPCOMING ACTIVITIES” . We hope you will attend all these great events.

PRESIDENT'S PERSPECTIVE

Here's hoping that the holidays were kind to you and that things are getting back to “normal”. The holidays seem to always bring the welcome family and guests from snow country, but also too often the nasty flu and colds season. Getting back to our “normal” chaotic routine in January is sometimes welcome.

With football over for another year, there may be a certain withdrawal feeling by some guys who wonder what they will do on Sundays, and cheers by certain spouses who can now hopefully expect progress on their “honey do list”. For those who miss the football wagering, we are considering a lottery on how many days it will be until it rains again in Phoenix and then parlay that into when the first 100-degree day will be.

Hopefully, the first will be before this Bridge gets to you and the latter after our Annual Meeting in April. Any takers?? (Just kidding!)

We are adding two events to our Spring schedule. The first on March 24 is an update on Identity Theft with an Assistant District Attorney from the Federal Courthouse Office in Phoenix. The second will be a get together luncheon for members and friends in the Prescott area. With our Prescott brethren separated from us by the drive and sometimes unpredictable I-17 traffic, we thought that a local event might be nice. Chuck Dumas and Jean Winslow have agreed to help coordinate for those who would like to attend. More information on these new events is inside this issue of The Bridge .

Our Spring calendar has now filled in and we hope you'll mark your calendars and come join us.

Ed Frick

HEARD MUSEUM: PRIVATE TOUR - February 21 (Tuesday)

We will be taking a Las Guias tour with a specially trained guide who can focus on areas such as jewelry, pottery, basketry, kachina dolls, textiles and contemporary art depending on the interest of the majority of our participants. Send your money and special areas of interest to: Virginia Clagett, P. O. Box 31937, Phoenix, AZ 85046. Contact via e-mail at VMClagett@aol.com

LAUGHLIN OVERNIGHT TRIP - March 14 & 15, 2006

30 PERSON LIMIT!!!

Send your check, payable to Honeywell Retiree Club, to: Dale Wendt , 7540 E. Becker Lane, Scottsdale, AZ 85260. Also, with your check, please enclose a note stating your preference for sleeping accommodations (e.g., one king bed or two queen beds, smoking/non-smoking, etc.) and which pickup location you will be at on Tuesday morning.

There are two pick-up locations:

1. SW corner of 35th & Northern (3667 W. Northern) departure at 7:45 AM on that Tuesday
2. The Sun City Senior Center at 99 th Avenue and Bell Road at 8:15 AM that day.

We will depart Laughlin at 2:00 PM on Wednesday and get back to Phoenix about 6:00 PM that evening.

SPRING TRAINING BASEBALL - March 14 (Tuesday)

ONLY 9 TICKETS LEFT AT PRESS TIME; CALL ED ASAP!!!!

Come and join us for HRC's first Spring Training Baseball outing. The Peoria Sports Complex is an excellent baseball facility. You may bring in your own food, snacks, and sealed bottled water.  No coolers are allowed.  We have just 19 tickets, so make your reservations NOW.  Call or e-mail Ed Skutecki to reserve your seats and then make out a check to Treasurer, HRC and note "baseball" on it.  Send the check to: Honeywell Retiree Club of Arizona; Honeywell, Mail Drop XO; 2500 W. Union Hills Dr; Phoenix, AZ 85027.

IDENTITY THEFT - March 24 (Friday)

LIMITED SPACE – RESERVATIONS REQUIRED

Get the latest on this important subject. Arizona reportedly is the leader in identity theft in the nation. New ways to steal your identity are constantly being invented by the bad guys. The speaker, Dan Drake, is an Assistant US Attorney, specializing in identity theft at the Federal Courthouse here in Phoenix. The Honeywell Retiree Club and the Deer Valley Credit Union are jointly sponsoring this event. It is open to all members of those organizations. Sperry Retiree Club and Garrett Retirees' Club members have also been invited . Space is limited to a maximum of 50 on a first come – first served basis , so please make your reservation as soon as possible. This will be a very popular event.

DAY AT THE RACES: Turf Paradise Park - April 3 (Monday)

*Cobb salad includes: Diced egg, bacon, bleu cheese, tomatoes, avocado, turkey, cucumber, served on seasonal greens with ranch dressing.
Croissant Club Sandwich includes: Freshly baked croissant filled with sliced turkey, applewood smoked bacon, tomatoes, American cheese and lettuce, served with fresh fruit, potato, or pasta salad.

Come and join us for HRC's first “Day at the Races”. We will have reserved seating in the Turf Club where we'll enjoy a fine lunch. Each table has a great view of the racetrack and also has a race TV monitor. Mutual betting windows are near by. Call or e-mail Ed Skutecki to reserve your seats - then make out a check to Treasurer, HRC and note “Day at the Races” on it. Send the check to: Honeywell Retiree Club of Arizona; Honeywell Mail Drop XO; 2500 W. Union Hills Dr., Phoenix, AZ 85027

PIMA AIR /MISSILE SILO MUSEUMS - Overnight April 6 & 7

On Thursday afternoon, experience a century of aviation and explore over 250 aircraft. The Pima Air & Space Museum is the largest Air & Space Museum in the Western United States. We have a special treat in store for you. Our own Honeywell Retiree member, Bob Preising , volunteers at the Pima Air Museum in the B-36 restoration project. He is arranging for us to visit the B-36 area, which is not on the normal tour. After he gives us the special tour, you can take a tram ride, ride the Morphis Simulator, climb aboard President Kennedy's Air Force One and gaze at the spectacular, supersonic, SR-71 Blackbird "Spy Plane" or just wander to your heart's delight. Then plan to relax and stay overnight in Tucson Thursday evening at a motel of your choice.

On Friday morning we will tour the Titan Missile Museum at 9AM. The Titan Missile Museum is the only publicly accessible Titan II missile site in the nation. When you visit the Titan Missile Museum you travel through time to stand on the front line of the Cold War. Tours include a six-story view of the Titan II missile in its silo, a visit to the underground launch control center, and a simulated missile launch. Walking shoes are required (no heels please). Food and beverages, except bottled water, are prohibited. Smoking is not permitted inside museum buildings or while on the guided tour. The underground portion of the missile site is accessed by a flight of 55 steps in the Access Portal. The Titan Missile Museum is an ADA compliant facility. A limited number of wheelchairs are available at the Visitor Services Desk, and all restrooms are wheelchair accessible.   An elevator is available to access the underground portion of the missile site for those who have limited mobility or who need special assistance.  Non-commercial photography and video recording are permitted. Commercial photography is not allowed without written permission.

The Titan Missile Museum is located approximately 25 miles south of Tucson, Arizona at 1580 W. Duval Mine Rd., Sahuarita, Arizona. From Tucson, take I-l9 south toward Green Valley and Nogales. Exit I-19 at Duval Mine Road (exit 69). Turn west on Duval Mine Road. Follow the signs to the Titan Missile National Historic Landmark. The entrance to the museum is on the north side of the road approximately l/l0 mile past the intersection of La Canada and Duval Mine Road.

After the tour you can visit other scenic sights in the area such as the San Xavier Mission, Tubac, Tumacacori, Green Valley, Rio Rico and Nogales. If you prefer to visit only one of these sites, we can make arrangements for this at a prorated cost.

Call for information. Please make reservations by March 15. Send your money to: Virginia Clagett, P. O. Box 31937, Phoenix, AZ 85046 . Contact via e-mail at VMClagett@aol.com or call 602-992-4204 if you have questions.

PRESCOTT HRC GET-TOGETHER - April 18 (Tuesday)

This is a chance for HRC members and friends in the Prescott area to get together and renew acquaintances. The long trip to and from Phoenix for events can be difficult given the traffic on I-17 and the time involved, so we thought a local get-together for those in this area might be of interest. This event is open to all members however, so plan a drive to beautiful Prescott and join the fun. A Google map showing the restaurant and the nearby parking garage is available by contacting Chuck Dumas.

NOMINATING COMMITTEE AT WORK

Nominating Committee for this year's officers and directors are Lorri Jordan, Ed Skutecki and Ike Templeton . Election of the Officers and Directors shall be held at the Annual Meeting on April 27, 2006. The ballot will be sent out in The Bridge next month . We will elect two Directors and a slate of officers. We are in need of someone to fill the Treasurer's position and one Director position. Volunteers are welcome and encouraged.

PAST EVENTS

BREWERY TOUR - February 2

Cheers to all that attended our first brewery outing that was held on February 2 at the Four Peaks Brewery (FPB) in Tempe. Great food, fun fellowship, an interesting tour and a cold beer, too---actually two! We had twenty-one (21) retirees with us and we saw some really big barrels/stainless steel containers fermenting away and kegs galore. They brew some 20,000 of them per year. FPB has two additional bar/restaurant locations in the Valley and I would recommend them anytime for a great lunch and lots of choices to have that special “cold” one.

Contributed by Lorri Jordan

HEALTH CORNER

News from Nurse Nance

Remember Your Colonoscopy: The international Parish Nurse Resource Center publication, Parish Nurse Perspectives, Fall 2005 issue reported that “fewer than one-third of Americans over 50 have ever had a colonoscopy, despite recommendations by the American Cancer Society for a first test at age 50 and a second at age 60. It typically takes about 10 years for a benign polyp to become cancerous”. The American Cancer Society's website: www.cancer.org states that 90% of colon cancer cases occur in people 50 and older and if found and treated early, there is a 90% five year survival rate. So…remember your colon screening.

Positive Psychology: The Oct. 2005 issue of “Harvard Women's Health Watch” had an article about positive psychology. Proponents of this identify “three routes to happiness: positive feelings, active engagement in life, and having a sense of purpose or meaning outside of oneself…Overall, positive psychology researchers have found that high scores on five key strengths – zest, gratitude, curiosity, hope, and love – were the best predictors of life satisfaction.” On page 4 at the website www.valuesinaction.org you may take a free assessment, the VIA Inventory of Strengths, to determine your signature strengths. Their research further suggests that using your top strengths each day increases happiness.

HRC SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM

It is time to get your eligible family members to apply for the HRC Scholarship Program.  Each year we make available a $1,000 award for each of the three state universities.  Application forms for these scholarship awards are available at each of the universities' scholarship offices (we do not keep forms at the HRC office).  Information on the awards is also available at each universities' web site. Applications should be submitted by March 13, 2006.  Awards are generally announced in May for use in the 2006-2007 school year.

The requirements to apply for these scholarship awards are:

1. Must be a family member of an active member (current dues paying) or associate member (spouse of deceased active member) of the Allied/Garrett Retiree Club or the Honeywell Retiree Club.  Family members are defined as children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, etc. of the retiree.  On all applications the submitter must include the company, last division, year of retirement, and the current phone number of the retiree or associate.
2. Only students that will be entering their sophomore, junior or senior year are eligible.
3. Students applying must have evidence of cumulative 3.0 or higher college grade point average.
4. Applicants must re-apply annually.
5. Receipt of this scholarship award does not restrict the student from receiving other scholarships.
6. Students majoring in Science and Technology related fields will be given preference, but if there are no applicants in these fields, then all majors will be considered.  In the case of equal qualifications, financial need will be the deciding factor. The evaluations of the applications are done by each university's Scholarship Office .

The web sites for the universities are:

ASU: www.asu.edu/fa/scholarships/private.html;
U of A: web.arizona.edu/~scholar/honeywell.doc;
NAU: www.nau.edu/finaid/scholarship

If you have questions, call the HRC hotline at 602-313-5050 or send and e-mail to: hotline@hrcaz.org

Contributed by Al Longanecker

FIGHT ONLINE ID THEFT

For those who think shopping malls can be unsafe places, the threats you can't see while shopping on the Internet can be far more dangerous. Consumers can take a number of practical steps, however, to keep their personal information – and computer – more secure.

Online shopping is increasing. It's estimated that 2.5 million households will make a purchase online for the first time this year. Experts contend, however, that as the number of online purchase increases, so does the risk of identify theft, spyware, viruses, worms and phishing.

Despite the threat, many home computer users fail to protect their computers and their confidential information. Officials at Sereniti, Inc. , a home and small office computer networking and security solution provider, recommend taking the following steps to combat identity theft:

• Print receipts of online purchases to check against your credit card bill and print copies of guarantees or warranties.
• Consumers who receive and official-looking e-mail requesting personal information should contact the business directly using an alternate means to confirm the legitimacy of the request.
• When shopping online, the Trust-e symbol or a Better Business Bureau online seal are good indications that the vendor has technology in place to protect sensitive personal information.
• Look for “https” in the address, instead of just “http” to confirm that a website is secure.

For additional information, visit www.sereniti.com or call 888-697-3736.

From the Desert Advocate – January 2006

PASSPORTS NEEDED FOR ALL BORDER CROSSING SOON

Got a passport? While making arrangements for your next vacation, plan ahead to make sure you meet new passport requirements. U.S. citizens will soon need a passport for travel within the Western Hemisphere via any mode of transportation – cruise, airplane or vehicle. Here are the new passport rules for U.S. citizens and other travelers coming to and leaving the United States.

• December 31, 2006: Passports will be required for all air and sea travel to and from the Caribbean, Bermuda, Central and South America, Canada and Mexico.
• December 31, 2007: Passports or other accepted travel documents will be required for land border crossings to and from Canada or Mexico.

Countries in the Western Hemisphere are the most heavily visited cruise destinations in the world, accounting for about 70 percent of all cruise ship visits. Cruise passengers may already be planning cruises for 2006, but currently, the State Department estimates that only 20 percent of all Americans have passports.

Avoid the Rush
To avoid the rush and the possibility of not being able to travel, the travel experts at the International Council of Cruise Lines offer these suggestions:

• Remember that the new travel rules will mean that a passport is required to re-enter the U.S. from travel to the Caribbean, Bermuda, Central and South America, Canada and Mexico.
• Even if you have a confirmed booking for travel abroad, you may be denied boarding if you do not have a valid passport.
• Your passport can open the doors to travel you may not have considered before, such as cruising in Europe, Australia and Asia.
• Passports are valid for 10 years. The initial price for a passport is $97 and then $67 when you renew. If you take two vacations a year, the cost of the passport per vacation is less than a frozen drink with an umbrella at the pool.

How to Get a Passport
A passport is easy to obtain by visiting one of the 6,000 passport acceptance facilities across the U.S. For more information about applying for a passport, U.S. citizens can visit www.travel.state.gov or call the National Passport Information Center at 877-487-2778.

From the Tatum Sun Times – January 2006

FIX IT GUYS

This group will help those who need repairs that they cannot do themselves, including minor electrical, carpentry and plumbing problems. You will have the security of having someone you can trust in your house. The cost of material is not covered. The Fix It Guys are Bob, Matt, Dick, John, Mike, Perry, Sam, Paul , Ed, Clint and Gene. Call 602-870-0813.

RETIREE CLUB MEMBERSHIP INFORMATION

Honeywell Retiree Club (HRC) active membership is open to all Honeywell retirees for a membership fee of $3 per fiscal year (May 1st through the following April 30th). This entitles you to receive our newsletter, The Bridge, participate in club activities and functions and to be a voting member.

As you may know, there are various Honeywell retiree clubs, i.e., Honeywell Retiree Club, Sperry Retiree Club, Garrett Retiree Club and several informal groups that periodically meet for lunch. While some of these clubs may limit membership, we accept members from all who have had ties to either the old or the new Honeywell.  You may want to join more than one group to maintain contact with your Honeywell friends through-out your working years.

HRC WEB SITE: WWW.HRCAZ.ORG

A long list of Phoenix area attractions with phone numbers and web sites are listed on the HRC web site for your reference. Check out photos of our past events as well as useful information from seminars like the Medicare Drug Seminar presentation. Also listed are all of our club's upcoming activities, with dates and contact information, plus a copy of The Bridge. If you have any photos of club activities, we'd love to publish them. Attach the pictures to an email and send to hotline@hrcaz.org .

Russ Henzel, website editor

NEW CREDIT CARD SCAM

This one is pretty slick since they provide YOU with all the information, except the one piece they want. Note the callers do not ask for your card number; they already have it.   The scam works like this:

Person calling says, "This is (name), and I'm calling from the Security and Fraud Department at VISA. My badge number is 12460. Your card has been flagged for an unusual purchase pattern, and I'm calling to verify. This would be on your VISA card which was issued by (name of bank). Did you purchase an Anti-Telemarketing Device for $497.99 from a marketing company based in Arizona?" When you say "no", the caller continues with, "Then we will be issuing a credit to your account. This is a company we have been watching and the charges range from $297 to $497, just under the $500 purchase pattern that flags most cards. Before your next statement, the credit will be sent to (gives you your address), is that correct?"

You say "yes". The caller continues - "I will be starting a fraud investigation. If you have any questions, you should call the 1-800 number listed on the back of your card (1-800-VISA) and ask for Security. You will need to refer to this Control Number. The caller then gives you a 6-digit number. "Do you need me to read it again?"

Here's the IMPORTANT part on how the scam works. The caller then says, "I need to verify you are in possession of your card". He'll ask you to "turn your card over and look for some numbers". There are 7 numbers; the first 4 are part of your card number, the next 3 are the security numbers that verify you are the possessor of the card. These are the numbers you sometimes use to make Internet purchases to prove you have the card. The caller will ask you to read the 3 numbers to him. After you tell the caller the 3 numbers, he'll say, "That is correct, I just needed to verify that the card has not been lost or stolen, and that you still have your card. Do you have any other questions?" After you say no, the caller then thanks you and states, "Don't hesitate to call back if you do", and hangs up.

What the scammers want is the 3-digit PIN number on the back of the card. Don't give it to them. Instead, tell them you'll call VISA or MasterCard directly for verification of their conversation. VISA will never ask for anything on the card as they already know the information. If you give the scammers your 3-digit PIN number, you think you're receiving a credit. However, by the time you get your statement you'll see charges for purchases you didn't make, and by then it's almost to late and/or more difficult to actually file a fraud report. MORAL: Never provide personal information unless YOU initiated the call and are sure of whom you are talking to.