In this issue

• Words from the Chair
• Staff Awareness
• Service Awards

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Cornbread Stuffing

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons chopped basil
1 large onion diced
2 stalks celery, chopped
3 scallions chopped
1 cup chicken stock
3 cups cornbread cubes, dried*

Directions: *Slice cornbread into small cubes and let sit on the counter while you are preparing everything else. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Sauté the garlic, basil, onion, celery and scallions until soft. Add stock. Bring to a boil. Simmer for about 2 minutes and remove from heat. Cool for 10 minutes. In a large bowl, mix together sauté mixture and corn bread. Let cornbread stuffing sit for a while, 10-15 minutes, so that the stuffing absorbs all excess moisture. Mix well again and add salt to taste. Makes 6 cups

Happy Hanukkah!

Latkes

Latkes are potato pancakes fried in oil. The oil is a reminder of the miraculous oil that lasted for eight days when the Temple of Jerusalem was rededicated.

(Warning: Always cook with a grown up for help and safety; fried foods can get very hot and can burn!)

You will need:
4 cups peeled, grated potatoes
1 large onion, chopped
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
2 tablespoons flour
2 eggs
pepper to taste
2 teaspoons chopped chives (optional)
Wash, peel, and grate the potatoes. Squeeze out liquid. Combine with onion, salt, flour, and pepper (and chives). Lightly beat the egg, and stir into the mixture.

Heat the oil in a skillet, and spoon in tablespoons of the mixture to make medium sized patties. Brown on one side, turn and brown lightly on the other. Repeat with the rest of the mixture.

Serve with applesauce, cottage cheese, yogurt, or sour cream.

UM STAFF ADVISORY COUNCIL MEMBERS 2004-2005

Richard Begemann, Chair
882-9229
Andy McAllister, Vice Chair
884-1298
Debbie Taylor, Sec.-Treasurer
882-6240
Becky Bohlmeyer, Historian
884-8848
Bill Martin
882-7200
Rhonda Turner, Newsletter
884-3360
Karen Huggins
882-4906
Mark McQuitty
884-8664
Linda Okamura, Web Development 884-4985
Rusty Crawford
884-1214

Parking: Chair, Mark McQuitty; Co-Chair, Bill Martin

Staff Awareness: Chair, Rhonda Turner; Co-Chair, Rusty Crawford

Staff Recognition Week: Chair, Deb Taylor; Co-Chair, Richard Begemann

Campus Health Oversight: Chair, Rusty Crawford; Co-Chair, Becky Bohlmeyer

Words from the Chair...
WISHING YOU A MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY NEW YEAR!

UM-SAC will do our best to keep all UM employee's informed on the Budget, Benefits and Retirement decisions. If you have any questions or concerns, please call or email any of the UM-SAC members.

Richard Begemann

Use it or Lose It - This is a reminder to employees who are currently enrolled in a Health Care or Dependent Care Spending Account that expenses must be incurred by the end of the year to receive reimbursement from your 2004 account contributions. You will have until March 31, 2005 to submit reimbursement requests for any 2004 expenses. The expense must be incurred in 2004 or you will forfeit any amount remaining in the account.

For the Health Care Spending Account, please remember that health care expenses not covered by your health plan are eligible for reimbursement plus many other health expenses. For a list of reimbursable services or other expenses please go to: <http://www.asiflex.com/misc.htm>

You Can Still Enroll for 2005 – This is a reminder that you still have time to enroll in the University of Missouri Flexible Spending Account Program for 2005. A flexible spending account can provide you with the advantage of paying, on a pre-tax basis, for dependent care expenses or health care expenses not paid for by the University’s health care plans. Paying for these expenses with pre-tax dollars can lower your taxable income. For additional information please go to the University of Missouri web site at or call your campus benefits representative. To enroll in either or both of the flexible spending accounts you will need to complete the Flexible Spending Account enrollment form. This form is available at http://www.umsystem.edu/hrs/benefits/forms/menu.htm. As an alternative, you can obtain the form by contacting your campus benefits representative. Enrollment forms should be returned to your campus benefits representative by December 31, 2004.

2005 Show-Me Shape Up

Now that the holidays are underway and you’ve been feasting on those delicious tidbits, are you feeling sluggish, bloated, can’t get your belts fastened type of thing? Our thoughts are – one of my New Year’s Resolutions this year is going to be – I will lose weight and begin an exercise program. How many of us say that every year? The Show-Me Shape Up program (part of the Show-Me State Games) is coming to your aid in January. Get a team of 2 to 10 people from your office, friends, or family members and take part in our 5-month physical fitness and health program. The cost is only $10 per person and you even get a workout t-shirt, plus weekly newsletters with lots of great healthful information and motivation tips. Last year’s teams accomplished great goals. They lost 3,152 pounds and accumulated 251,587 miles during the program. The actual kickoff in Columbia will be the 10th of January. If you would like to have a kickoff in your local area during the month of January, please let us know and we’ll do our best to get it done. Pedometers will be on sale beginning in January as well. For more information about the 2005 Show-Me Shape Up, contact Jean Hough at houghj@missouri.edu, 573-884-4998 or www.smsg.org.

Watch For Your New Prescription Cards....

This is to let you know that you will be receiving new prescription drug cards from Express Scripts that will have an alternate identification number instead of the social security number that is on your current card. You may begin using the cards immediately and you should destroy your old cards. The alternate identification number will appear on all Express Scripts generated mail or web materials. You can use the new alternate identification number or your social security number when filing a claim or when submitting a mail order. The Express Scripts service representatives can search either by the social security number or the new alternate identification number. There will be no change to the dependent 2-digit code following the subscriber’s identification number. If you are currently registered to use the Express Scripts web site, you will not need to re-register. If you are registering for the first time, you may use either your social security number or the new alternate identification number to register.  

Congratulations to the following UM-System Staff members who have attained these milestones of service!

December Service Awards

5 Years of Service
La Shonda Carter-Boone
Chris D. Fuemmeler

10 Years of Service
Albert Siong Wai Foo
Jeanne M. Sullivan

15 Years of Service
John S. Larkin

25 Years of Service
Richard L. Diamant

Editor's Corner!

Staff Advisory Council meetings are open to all UM System Staff. Meeting times are 9:00am-11:00am the second Thursday of the month. The location changes occasionally, so contact a council member if you are interested in attending.
--Rhonda Turner