Friday Feedback for December 21, 2018 Government …

[Pages:3]Friday Feedback for December 21, 2018

Government Shutdown ? Kalaus

As of Friday at noon, it appears a partial government shutdown is quite possible. If a spending bill is not passed by midnight tonight (12/21/18) several government agencies will shut down, including NASS. If that happens, all NASDA work must cease immediately until a continuing resolution or funding bill is passed. With that in mind, all enumerators must submit timesheets as soon as possible today, Friday (12/21/2018) and turn off your iPads. NASDA Coordinators and Katherine will be processing payroll today so that enumerators will get paid for work completed this pay period.

Also, in the event of a shutdown, DO NOT ship anything via UPS to our office (or anywhere else for that matter), be it paper questionnaires, iPads, supplies, personnel paperwork, etc., until agency funding is restored.

We ask that you stay informed about the status of the government shutdown via normal news outlets and social media (using personal devices only). We will notify supervisors immediately when the situation changes. We will also post a message in the "Office Updates and Alerts" section of the Purdue website when the shutdown ends. If you have questions of an immediate nature that need to be answered while the office is closed, please contact Charlie Ingram at 202-296-9680.

Regarding Blank Questionnaires Provided to Enumerators ? Miyares

In order to maintain tighter control on the budget and save on paper and UPS expenses, the number of blank questionnaires provided in enumerator packets for certain surveys will be reduced, especially for telephoned surveys to be completed on the iPad. Enumerators will not be able to receive one blank questionnaire per sample, but will be provided a sufficient number of questionnaires to meet their needs when enumerator packets are sent. Enumerators who, after receiving their monthly packets believe that they were not provided enough blank questionnaires for upcoming work, should first contact their supervisor with this concern before submitting a request for additional blank questionnaires with the Regional Field Office.

A Special Thank You ? Johnson

As 2018 comes to a close, we would like to thank all of the NASDA enumerators and supervisors for their hard work throughout the past year. Although 2018 was a year of many challenges, not the least of which was the big push to get through the 2017 Census of Agriculture, we became more efficient in our data collection efforts, saw response rates improve in many surveys, and kept our expenses in check. We're not certain what 2019 has in store for us yet, but it is our firm belief that with the teams we have built, we will be able to face the challenges that come our way, and continue to do great work in providing timely, useful, and accurate statistics in service to agriculture. On behalf of the entire staff of the Great Lakes Region, I would like to wish everyone a safe and enjoyable holiday season, and best wishes for the New Year.

Boxing Day Boxing Day, usually celebrated on December 26th, is celebrated in England, Australia, Canada, New Zealand and other former British Commonwealth countries. It is a legal holiday in these countries. Usually celebrated the day after Christmas, some would celebrate the following Monday when Christmas fell on a Friday or Saturday. Today, the giving of boxes includes filling boxes with food and clothing for the needy and performing volunteer work. Monetary gifts to charity are also common.

The roots of the holiday goes back to the Middle Ages. On this day, members of the merchant class would fill boxes with food and fruits, and give them to servants, tradespeople and the less fortunate. In the case of servants, who would work on Christmas Day, it was only fitting that immediately after Christmas, they would be given a day off to celebrate.

Friday Feedback for December 14, 2018

Winter Car Kit

Winter hasn't even begun and we've had some major snow storms. It is a good idea to carry the following in your car:

Stay Warm: hats & gloves, blanket, Scarves, hand & foot warmer & wool socks.

Stay visible & connected: flashlight & extra batteries, bright cloth to tie on your car, flares or whistle, phone charger

Winter Solstice

Winter Solstice, December 21, marks the beginning of winter and is the shortest day of the year. On this day, it seems as if the nighttime darkness lasts all day and all night. At the North Pole, the sun never rises on this day. It is not the coldest days of winter, as the northern hemisphere continues to lose more heat than it gains. This will continue until late in winter, as the longer daylight hours at that point begin to have a net warming affect. But for now, heat up a cup of hot chocolate and put another log on the fire! Winter will be here for a while.

By the way, while the northern hemisphere is experiencing its shortest day, the southern hemisphere is basking in sunshine and enjoying the first day of summer.

For thousands of years, Winter Solstice has celebrated the new solar year. It celebrates the return of the sun, as every day now will see more sun. The sun is at its southernmost point, and now begins its long, six month journey north.

Winter Solstice is also known as Christmas, Yule, and Saturnalia.

December 7, 2018 New NASDA Email Addresses Please Note: Charlie and the NASDA Team are transitioning to new email addresses: Charlie.ingram@, Elizabeth.rowland@, and Martha.dale@.

Human Rights Day Human Rights Day, always December 10th, was created by the United Nations, promotes awareness of the importance of Human Rights issues around the world. On this date in 1948, the UN General Assembly adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Each year, the United Nations, establishes a new theme for the year. Human rights is something we easily take for granted in the United States. Elsewhere, freedom and basic human rights are not a given.

Poinsettia Day These beautiful flowers are a well-recognized symbol of Christmas. Poinsettia Day was officially declared by an Act of Congress. It is in honor of Joel Roberts Poinsett, who died on December 12, 1851. Poinsett was the first Ambassador to Mexico. Poinsett brought this colorful plant back to his plantation in the U.S. He grew the plants in his Greenville, S.C plantation and gave them out as gifts to friends. According to Mexican folklore, there is a story of a little poor girl who had nothing to bring to church for Christmas. On her way to church, she picked some plants by the side of the road. As she entered the church, the leaves at the tips of the branches turned into bright, brilliant red flowers. You guessed it... Poinsettias.

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