The Owners' Manual - Issue 8 - Summer 2016

issue 8. summer 2016

table of contents

BL Buzz

All Things Owners

FYI

Around BL ........................ 1-2 Before + After ................... 15 Acts of Kindness ......... 28-29

Midnight Warriors ........... 3-7 Safety Photos .............. 12-14 "Where's Waldo" ......... 16-25

Recipe Favorites ........... 8-11 IT Tip ............................. 26-27 Legal Brief ......................... 30 Happenings ...................... 31

Front & Back Covers: New Haven Academy. See Page 15 for the "before + after" transformation.

Photo of Mark Heeb, Joe LaCagnina, Giant Carlisle Pennsylvania Director of Real Estate + Kerry Eck Giant Carlisle Real Estate and Joe Falcone of Lincoln Properties. The golfing event benefited the Our Family Foundation. Ahold USA and Giant Carlisle hold the annual outing, which raises money for Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals. It is the largest single day golf fundraiser for the Children’s Miracle Network in the country.

BL's Mud Volleyball team - "mission unBLockable" participated (and made the news!) in a tournament to benefit the Epilepsy Foundation of Connecticut.

The Wellness Committee hosted a smoothie day in July. Yum!

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The Marketing Dept. (+Brett Stark) attended the SMPS CT Annual Meeting in June. BL's employee owners donated backpacks & school supplies to 'r kids Family Center.

Everyone lent a helping hand to put together the new picnic tables in the Meriden office.

A group of BL volunteers spent a few hours at the Connecticut Food Bank in Wallingford, CT.

Fred Greenberg was honored with his very own Yankees jersey during his retirement party. Congrats, Fred!

The ESOP Communications Committee hosted a happy hour / family night in honor of Family Month in August.

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It’s 1 am. Do you know where your surveyors are?

This summer, if not asleep during the wee hours of morning, you may have been listening to a Seth Meyers comedic political monologue or whistling to a bit of James Corden’s Carpool Karaoke but if you were Jacob Houtz and Trevor Wentz you didn’t have time for any of that late night funny business. If you were Jacob and Trevor, you were too busy getting down to the real business of land surveying from 1 am until 1 pm on the Amtrak rail lines in Connecticut.

orking along with PAR Electrical Contractors and Middlesex Corporation our BL surveyors were

During the overnight shifts our survey crew was mobilized and ready to oversee the placement of soldier piles which support concrete precast retaining walls set every 10 feet. For those unfamiliar with this, soldier piles are some of the oldest forms of retaining systems used in deep excavations. Soldier pile walls have successfully been used since the late 18th century in metropolitan cities like New York, Berlin, and London…and this time in Connecticut. Since the piles are driven into the ground by heavy equipment it is the important job of our survey team to make sure the stake is centered and hits its target.

scheduled to assist with surveying the installation of retaining wall which is necessary to support the expansion of a second rail line from New Haven to Springfield. The work was slow and tedious due to activity on the existing railways. To expedite work the contractor and client created a schedule when the work could get done with the least disruption. They tried weekends and overnights and in some cases had 32 hours on the job straight.

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Over the course of the project, progress was slow due to the train activity but Jacob and Trevor, BL’s Midnight Warriors, handled the task at hand by working the night shift (which is no easy task to get used to), satisfying the client by showcasing our quality and expertise, and doing these things all while being away for weeks from their home base of Pennsylvania. Rumor has it that these land surveyors found it hard to sleep and left traveling home to PA on the weekends up to the “flip of the coin.” BL’s participation in this project is close to concluding and by the time you read this article, our hope is that both Jacob and Trevor have gotten some rest and if they are up at 1am that they are getting a chance to watch a little late night TV…I hear that carpool karaoke with Michelle Obama and Missy Elliot was pretty good.

Photo credit: Jeff Bord

Soldier Piles are steel I-Beams driven into the ground to help with soil retention. Soldier pile walls are ideal for sites that aren't conducive to excavation for geogrid walls, cantilever walls and other retention techniques.

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As the time has come to switch the beach supplies with school supplies and trade in beach balls for fantasy football, we can extend the summer by keeping the grill out and enjoying a nice night out by the firepit. Not sure what to cook? We have it all planned out for you from tasty kabobs to a grilled apple dessert.

1 lb boneless skinless chicken breast, and cut into 24 chunks 2 green onions 1 jalapeno, seeded and chopped 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 1 tablespoon gingerroot, peeled and chopped 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar 1 teaspoon ground allspice 1 teaspoon dried thyme 1/2 teaspoon salt 2 red bell peppers, cut in 1 inch pieces 1 8 oz. package of cherry tomatoes

1. In a blender at high speed, blend onions, jalapeno, ginger, vinegar, allspice, thyme, salt, and 2 tablespoons olive oil until combined. 2. Place Chicken chunks in a zip-tight plastic bag with marinade, turning to coat. 3. Place in refrigerator for 30 minutes. 4. Meanwhile, toss red pepper pieces and cherry tomatoes with remaining olive oil in small bowl. 5. Preheat the broiler or grill with rack close to heat source. 6. On 4 metal skewers, alternately thread chicken and red pepper. If you use wood skewers soak in water before adding meat and vegetables. 7. Brush Kabobs with any remaining marinade. 8. Cook a total of ten minutes, turning once, or until chicken is no longer pink inside.

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1 pound dried pasta shapes (fusilli, orecchiette, penne) 2 pounds tomatoes (around 6 medium) roughly diced 1/2-1 pound fresh, water-packed mozzarella, cubed 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar 1/2 cup olive oil 1 clove garlic, pressed through a garlic press 1/2 teaspoon mayonnaise 1 teaspoon kosher salt (or half as much table salt) freshly ground black pepper 1 packed cup basil leaves, washed, spun dry, and slivered 1/3 cup toasted pine nuts

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and salt it heavily (it should taste like seawater), then add the pasta and cook until just done. 2. Meanwhile, prepare the tomatoes and cheese and put them in a very large bowl.Whisk together the vinegar, olive oil, garlic, mayonnaise, salt, and pepper to taste; the mayo will help keep the oil and vinegar from separating. 3. Drain the hot pasta and shake it dry (don't rinse it), then add it to the bowl with the cheese and tomatoes and stir with a rubber spatula to combine. 4. Add about half the dressing, and stir again, then fold in the basil and pine nuts. 5. Now taste the pasta, and add more dressing, if it needs it, and more salt, which it will almost surely need. If you have time, cover it and let it sit at room temperature for an hour or so to let the flavors blend and to let the pasta absorb some of the juice that will come out of the tomatoes (don't refrigerate it, or the pasta may get tough and the tomatoes may get spongy. 6. Taste just before serving and re-season as necessary.

Preheat the grill for medium heat. Combine water and lemon juice in a large bowl.Add apple slices to the mixture. In a small bowl combine cinnamon and sugar. Place apples on grill rack and allow to cook for 6-8 minutes on each side, turning once. Once cooked, place apples on a large dish and sprinkle with sugar mixture. Serve with your choice of ice cream and stop with caramel sauce and chopped nuts.

2 apples, (granny smith works best) cored and cut into 1/4 -inch slices 1/2 cup/ 120 mL water 1/4 cup/ 60 mL lemon juice 2 tablespoons/ 30 mL brown sugar 1 teaspoon/ 5 mL cinnamon

Combine all ingredients in mixing glass and shake vigorously with ice. Strain over fresh ice in glass. Garnish with a lime wheel or wedge on the rim and serve. Salt Optional.

1 1/2 parts Tequila 1 part Lime Juice 1/2 part Triple Sec Liqueur 1/2 part Simple Syrup Lime

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June was National Safety Month. This month-long event brings national attention to accident prevention and focuses on reducing leading causes of injury and death at work, on the roads and in our homes and communities.

Throughout the month, BL Companies had employee owners from all offices submit photographs of employees being safe on various jobsites.

These photographs focused on the following safety topics:

 Wearing PPE  Work Zone Safety  Office Safety  Driving Safety  Distracted Driving

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New Haven Academy High School

Students at New Haven Academy High School in New Haven, CT, stepped into an entirely new school at the beginning of this school year. The building was "renovated as new" and was a multi-discipline project for BL.

Before

Before

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In May, BL Companies won another ESOP Association AACE Trophy for total Communications - making this our fourth trophy win! To commemorate the new trophy in our collection, our offices participated in the "Where's Waldo / Where's the Trophy" photo contest, which you'll see on the following pages.

The goal of this is two parts:

1. Submit your vote for your favorite "Where's the Trophy" scene to esop@blcompanies.com. The office/scene with the most votes wins!

2. Find the trophy in each scene! Each employee owner who participates in finding the trophy will receive extra raffle tickets to use during ESOP month (which is right around the corner!). The employee owner(s) that can find them all will receive extra raffle tickets AND be entered into a drawing to win an awesome prize. DIRECTIONS: Take a sneak peak at the following pages for a preview of the "Where's the Trophy" scenes. Since you'll need a "zoom" feature, visit the ESOP page on the Intranet for high-res PDFs. Either print those out and circle the trophy in each scene, or use the mark-up feature in the PDF to circle the trophies. Send your results to esop@blcompanies.com or provide to your local ESOP Communications Committee member.

Happy Searching!

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Data Security @ BL Companies Keeping BL Companies’ data secure has become more prevalent today than ever before. The increase in corporate security breaches coincide with the growing lucrative business of Cybercrime. Unlike the old days when you would see a lone hacker working out of their basement, today there are actual Cybercrime businesses with employees and dental plans. The best tool that BL Companies has in combatting this threat is YOU! Employee security education is the #1 defense above all other solutions including Anti-Virus. Employees can thwart potential incursions like phishing attempts before technology-based solutions have detected them. The IT group (David Parent) has been hosting Data Security lunch seminars. These seminars are be required, not optional . Please schedule to attend if you haven’t already (they will continue to be held through the month of September).

Social Engineering Red Fla

FROM: • I don't recognize the sender's email addre communicate with . • This email is from someone outside my related to my job responsibilities . • This email was sent from someone insid a customer, vendor, or partner and is ver • Is the sender's email address from a sus (like micorsoft-support.com) • I don't know the sender personally and by someone I trust. • I don't have a business relationship no with the sender. • This is an unexpected or unusual email or an attachment from someone I hadn'

by David Parent & Doug Campbell

SUBJECT: • Did I get an email with a subject line that i irrelevant or does not match the messa content? • Is the email message a reply to somethin sent or requested ?

CONTENT: • Is the sender asking me to click on a link negative consequence , or to gain some • Is the email out of the ordinary , or does errors ? • Is the sender asking me to click a link or o odd or illogical ? • Do I have an uncomfortable gut feeling an attachment or click a link? • Is the email asking me to look at a compr of myself or someone I know?

s

s as someone I ordinarily rganization and it’s not the organization or from unusual or out of character . icious domain ? they were not vouched for any past communications ith an embedded hyperlink communicated with recently.

TO: • I was cc’d on an email sent to one or more people, but I don’t personally know the other people it was sent to. • I received an email that was also sent to an unusual mix of people . For instance, a seemingly random group of people at my organization whose last names start with the same letter, or a whole list of unrelated addresses.

DATE: • Did I receive an email that I normally would get during regular business hours, but it was sent at an unusual time like 3 a.m.?

ATTACHMENTS: • The sender included an email attachment that I was not expecting or that makes no sense in relation to the email message. (This sender doesn’t ordinarily send me these types of attachment(s).) • I see an attachment with a possibly dangerous file type . The only file type that is always safe to click on is a .TXT file.

e I never

r open an attachment to avoid a hing of value ? t have bad grammar or spelling en up an attachment that seems bout the sender’s request to open mising or embarrassing picture

HYPERLINKS: • I hover my mouse over a hyperlink that’s displayed in the email message, but the link to address is for a different website . (This is a big red flag.) • I received an email that only has long hyperlinks with no further information and the rest of the email is completely blank. • I received an email with a hyperlink that is a misspelling of a known web site. For instance, www.bankofarnerica.com - the “m” is really two characters – “r” & “n”.

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Congratulations on spreading the kindness in honor of our 30 th anniversary! BL's employee owners shared a lot of kindness - we hope it was contagious and will continue throughout the entire year (and many years to come). Here's just a sample of some of the ways we left our mark on our communities and in our offices.

Received a hug when I needed it most! Thank you. Cleaned up food trash left on the ground in a parking lot. Donated to Pets Alive for their cat’s medical bills 28 people gave blood & that rocks Thank you for the coffee pick-me-up! Donated blankets and dog food to Humane Society Picked up trash on the beach Helped Southwest Airlines direct passengers to their flights after their computer system crashed. I am thankful for having another retirement plan (ESOP) Donated kitten food and litter to local animal shelter Thank you for the delicious blueberries – freshly picked, yum! Picked up a bagful of trash while walking my dog Helped search for a missing dog. Gave an elderly woman my seat on the train Chased down a man who left his sunglasses on a table next to me at a restaurant. Helped someone get something off the top shelf at the grocery store Thank you for the Starbucks treat! Gave a bicyclist my first aid kit after he fell off his bike and injured himself

Gave a homeless man at a gas station in Waterbury some money Volunteered at CT Food Bank! Got heady topper unexpectedly from a coworker, awesome treat! Rescued an injured dog and got it back safely to its family after running away Held the door open for UPS & FedEx delivery men Treated two coworkers to lunch Bought another intern a doughnut! Mud volleyball for charity Saved a seat for someone at a meeting Gave up my aisle seat on a plane and moved to a middle seat so 2 young siblings could sit together. Helped a contractor who was locked One of my coworkers brought me lunch today! Thank you S.K! I truly appreciate it! Donated blood A man atWest Haven train station was trying to pay for parking…and make the train that was pulling into the station. I told him go make your train…I’ll take care of your parking. Walked a pup at Meriden Humane Society,Woof! Bought my cousin shoes when she didn’t have money Paid for coffee at D+D in drive-thru Thankful for ESOP and afternoon ice cream out of the building. Brought in supplies

Bought coffee and bagels for the office Did Dad’s laundry Helped roommates move Bought flowers for cousin Praised the team for a job well done Celebrated a coworkers upcoming wedding by giving a gift card to a fancy restaurant Brought in neighbor’s trash Bought a beer for a new golfing friend Offered help to two ladies in road Directed someone to Liberty Mutual office Donated to NDASCE fund Helped friend move Helped lady in grocery store Gave brother a ride out of the goodness of my heart Gave directions to strangers to their hotel in the rain Bought lunch for a friend Donated blood Made donation to the Jimmy Fund Thanked a firefighter for their service Bought cream for office Bought Grandfather a laptop AND trained him on it! Bought a pie from a fundraiser to share with the office

Protected a friend’s identity! Sent an early morning e-mail to fellow employees warning of a major traffic accident on the highway! Brought in lunch for everyone! Gave me her last allergy pill so I could make it through the day! Helped with fax machine Helped me with FedEx packaging Breakfast sandwiches were brought in for the office! Brought in pretty flowers for a co- worker A life was saved from exploding glass bowls! Everyone pulled together to clean up the office and make an important client visit with minimal issues

No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted. ~ Aesop

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Legal Brief

By the Legal Dept.

Practical advice based on BL’s policies and procedures as well as things that might be helpful in your life outside BL.

For any employee who has attended the Legal Department’s orientation session, you have seen these words on one of the slides and you have heard me say them over and over. Why do I say them and why do I constantly harp on documentation? To give a real world example, we have a client who after repeated e-mails, letters and phone calls, still has not paid for the services we provided. Using our collections firm, we are now going to file a complaint against this client. Not only does the Project Manager have a signed contract (imperative) but also e-mail documentation showing that the client intended to pay. This kind of evidence is critical. Unfortunately, in the legal world, typically if it’s not in writing, it didn’t happen. Showing e-mails from the client promising to pay will be very helpful in front of a judge. This is not to say that picking up the phone and calling your client is not important. It is and is absolutely necessary to maintaining good client relations. But if a critical decision is made, something is approved over the phone, a change is made to your scope of work or the schedule of the next deliverable, you MUST follow that conversation up with a confirming e-mail which you then save to the project file. Having proper documentation when something is questioned or when things go wrong is always important in bolstering BL’s position.

September 9 Employee Owner Meeting 13-14 ICSC PA/NJ/DE Conference

21-23 LDEP Session #4 22 First Day of Fall

October

ALL MONTH LONG: ESOP MONTH!

10 Columbus Day 31 Halloween November 6 Daylight Savings Time Ends 11 Veterans' Day 16-18 LDEP Session #5 24 Thanksgiving

Did you know... Birthdays and BL anniversaries can be found on the Intranet!

December 21 First Day of Winter 24 Hanukkah Begins 25 Christmas Day

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Issue 8: Summer 2016

Newsletter TEAM Director: Heather Halotek Members: Liz Augustine Jessica Osborne Kathy Rodo Jocelyn Taylor Contributors: Doug Campbell

David Parent Julia O'Brien Trevo Wentz Jacob Houtz Bob Roper