26 Acts of Kindness/Paying it Forward...

Get your tissues out; this is what it TRULY means to Pay it Forward.  I wanted to share with you what my best friend of 21 years is doing.  This moved my heart so much that I want the world to hear, see, and feel compelled to continue this movement.  This shows that there are still good things happening in spite of these tragedies.  Bad things happen, and there is no explaining it… but it is how we respond that determines our character.  Please read what the most amazing, loving, and selfless friend in my life has done with the only outcome she is expecting and hoping for, is to change people’s lives.  See how it inspires your heart to keep this movement going…  How will YOU Pay it Forward with 26 Acts of Kindness in memory of the ones that lost their lives on December 14, 2012?

Max, Abby, Zack, and Chloe Leeper - 26 Acts of Kindess

When thinking about trying to Pay it Forward for the victims of CT we decided for the 20 children we were going to pick out a gift to donate in their honor just for them. I read their stories online and we either picked what they wanted for Christmas or something that would represent them. I should note that my children do not know about the tragedy but they are participating in the Pay it Forward idea. They helped pick out toys for each one of the kiddos 'we adopted for Christmas.' We thought this would be a great way to honor those sweet kiddos and also pay it forward. Now a child who might not have received a toy for Christmas will receive something great in honor of these sweet kids. Our local Salvation Army adopted 450 families for Christmas and we were planning on taking these toys there but if you know of someone in need, please message me or comment. I will take them tomorrow afternoon. Sooo here it is...

Charlotte went to school that day in a pink dress and pink boots.

-We got a barbie all dressed in pink.

Daniel loved firemen and had a lot of firemen at his service.

-We got a firetruck lego set.

Olivia was supposed to be dressing as an angel in a live nativity scene.

-We got a beautiful doll that looks like an angel

Josephine loved the color purple.

-We got a Disney doll all dressed up in purple

Ana's dad is a jazz musician and he wrote a song about her.

-We got a pink microphone that you can sing into.

Madeline was an avid reader.

-My kids picked out their favorite books.

Dylan loved video games.

-We donated a Leapster.

Catherine had beautiful red hair.

-We picked out a doll from Brave with bright red hair.

Chase loved outside.

-We got a soccer ball

Jesse liked to play outside and with the horses that live in his backyard.

-We picked out a horseshoe game.

James loved sports

-We got a baseball glove and ball that would fit a 6-7 year old

Grace was said to be 'a real little doll.'

-We picked out a baby doll that looks real.

Emilie loved being a big sister and doing crafts with her little sisters.

-My kids picked out a jewelry making craft kit.

Jack loved football and the NY Giants

-We couldn't find any NY Giants stuff here so we picked out a football

Noah was wearing a superhero shirt in his picture

-We picked out an Iron Man superhero character.

Caroline wanted a camera for Christmas.

-We picked out a kids camera to donate in her honor.

Jessica wanted cowgirl boots and a hat.

-We picked out some pink cowgirl boots for another little girl to have.

Arielle wanted and easy bake oven.

-We couldn't find it!! So we got a cake pops kit for kids to make cake pops.

Benjamen loved to dance and get people out on the dance floor.

-We picked out a guitar for kids

Allison loved to garden.

-We picked out a flower garden toy that grows.

We participated in some other random acts of kindness too and plan on doing more.

-We were at the dollar store and paid for the next person in line who was buying groceries there.

-I bought lunch for the man in line behind me at Subway.

-Jeremy bought lunch for the man in line behind him at McDonalds.

-We rescued two little dogs that were running down a busy street by our house and found them a safe home until their owners could be found.

-We gave food to someone who really needed it.

-We delivered flowers to a strangers house that helped us when we were in a car accident.

-Jeremy gave money to a lady who was pregnant that really needed dinner and didn't have the money.

This makes 27 but we don't plan on stopping there. I just might not post about it. ;) Part of it was kind of embarrassing sometimes to put yourself out there but then to see the smile on someone’s face when you made their day was awesome. I have been reading about ways others have been paying it forward and it truly has been inspiring. Thank you for sharing and posting.

Kara Leeper, 26 Acts of Kindness | Stacy Neill, Proud Best Friend

Project Spotlight – Valparaiso University Welcome Center

If you happen to find yourself in Northwest Indiana anytime soon, be sure to look for a Hagerman trailer on the campus of Valparaiso University.  Hagerman is currently the Design-Builder of the Valparaiso University Duesenberg Welcome Center on the south side of campus just south of the beautiful Chapel of the Resurrection.  More on the Welcome Center in a minute….first a little lesson on the extensive history between The Hagerman Group and VU.

THG has been involved in numerous projects over the years on the campus of Valparaiso University.  The most notable, however, would be the Chapel of the Resurrection.  Completed in 1959, the Chapel is one of the more famous and notable structures in the city of Valparaiso and really in all of NW Indiana.  In terms of beauty and distinctive architectural elements, it is unmatched. 

The Welcome Center was started this past June and will be complete by May 2013.  It is a roughly 15,000 SF structure that will serve the needs of current staff and prospective future students.  It has office space, presentation areas, conference rooms, a beautiful lobby and waiting area, and the ability to host University functions that are catered.  The site will include beautifully stamped concrete, outdoor patio areas, and a sidewalk that connects the entrance to the famous “Kissing Bridge”. 

The project team consists of Hagerman Inc. as the Design Builder, Design Organization as architect, KJWW as the systems and structural engineer, GAI as the Civil Engineer, and Lakeshore Landscaping as the landscaping consultant. 

John Kilbury | Project Engineer

Prepare to Love Taylor University

A video you must see!  We are proud to be Taylor Universities building partner.... check this out!

via ESPN.com

Why? Because Taylor University, an NAIA liberal arts Christian college in Upland, Ind., has perhaps the best hoops-slash-Christmas tradition in the whole wide world. That sounds like hyperbole, but it's not that far off.

What is this fabled tradition? It's called "Silent Night." Every year around Christmastime, Taylor students and fans pack the school's gym as they would any other game. Only on "Silent Night," the crowd dresses in pajamas and stays absolutely silent until Taylor scores its 10th point of the game. What happens then? Bedlam.

In fact, it's probably best you just watch the video for yourself:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LNo9x7KQ4ZI&feature=share

The Christmas-y fun doesn't stop there. In the closing moments of the game, Taylor fans unite for a singing of "Silent Night," and then reconvene for a school-wide Christmas party called Christmas Fandango where the school president reads the Christmas story, students compete in gingerbread house-making contests and children tell Santa what they want for Christmas.

In other words, if you don't like Christmas -- and yes, plenty of people do not like Christmas, including my roommate -- do not go to Upland, Ind., on "Silent Night." You probably wouldn't like it.

In the meantime, Taylor deserves credit for a thoroughly awesome college crowd tradition, one just begging for a big, well-organized Division I crowd to pay it tribute. Your move, Orange Krush

Six Hagerman Employees Graduate from the Kelley Executive Leadership Program

A CONGRATULATORY LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT

Team,

Today, I had the honor of witnessing six of your peers graduate from the KELP (Kelley Executive Leadership Program) program, which has been a two-year investment of their time and dedication.  Participants included Karen Schutte, Ken Stroke, Brad Smith, Tammy Mitchell, Evan Sutton and Ken Alexander.  Over the past two years, they have spent countless hours in lectures, researching, preparing for presentations, and learning about many different facets of the business world.  Not only was this program intended to strengthen the diversity of talent within each individual, but it will also provide significant benefit to the organization as lessons learned find their way back into our company and daily activities.  An additional benefit was the fact we partnered with three other organizations who also brought diverse talent and energy to the program (Cripe, Glick and Mikes Carwash).  This allowed our respective companies to share insights and problem solve together, thus strengthening our relationship with each. 

I was truly impressed with the level of sophistication, professionalism and passion each member presented throughout the program.  We can all be proud of how Karen, Ken, Brad, Tammy, Evan, and Ken represented The Hagerman Group!  

Please join me in congratulating each of these “new grads”!!

Jeff Hagerman | President

The Hagerman Group

THE HAGERMAN GROUP RECEIVES OUTSTANDING LARGE SCALE MASONRY ACHEIVEMENT AWARD

The Hagerman Group was recently honored to receive the Outstanding Large Scale Masonry Achievement Award for their work on The Palladium at the Center for the Performing Arts, at The Indiana Excellence in Masonry Annual Awards Program. 

This award recognizes outstanding masonry projects featuring brick, block, and stone for design, workmanship and creativity.  Kris Leckron, Superintendent for The Hagerman Group, describes this work as, “a once in a lifetime project for the stone masons; it has ranked with such projects as the old courthouses, opry houses, and turn of the century buildings.”

Featured in this photo are:

Evan Sutton, The Hagerman Group (far left)

Brandon Bogan, CSO Architects (center)

Kris Leckron, The Hagerman Group (far right)

Thanksgiving Dinner Has HOW Many Calories????

Got Thanksgiving plans? Of course, you do. You'll get together with friends, family or both, either at their house or yours. A few people will work feverishly in the kitchen, while the others will gobble up appetizers and drinks. Finally, everyone will gather together in merriment, and the grand finale will happen: The serving of the prodigal meal. Most will go back for seconds, some will undo the top button on their pants, some will thank their lucky stars they wore fat pants. Then most of us will fall asleep in the living room. Sound familiar?

Thanksgiving -- 'tis the season for over-indulgence. But just how much over-indulgence are we talking here?

According to this Thanksgiving quiz, a typical Thanksgiving dinner has 4000 calories. Ouch. But it's OK because it's only once a year, right? Want to know how long it will take you to burn that off? Well, volunteering for dish duty or organizing a game of touch football isn’t going do it -- you'd have to run for seven hours, do 20 hours of yoga or lift weights for 10 hours.

Yes, it's only once a year, but there's no rule out there that says you have to overdo it. Here are a few tips that could potentially shave a digit off this gross number:

• Make sure half your plate is veggies, preferably steamed or fresh ones. Go easy on the green bean and sweet potato casseroles.
• When taking turkey, go for the breast and skip the skin. If white meat isn't available, try the thigh.
• Go easy on the gravy and the stuffing -- they're both high in calories.
• When it's time for dessert, stick with tradition -- Pumpkin pie has less calories than pecan or apple.

Linda Cauger | Receptionist

NOTE:  Information was taken from an article in “Healthy Living” by Martha Edwards, contributor. 

A HEART ATTACK? A STROKE?

Is this just a cramp?  Am I having indigestion?  Am I just having a back spasm?  Or…. am I having a heart attack?  A question you never want to be uncertain of!

The Hagerman Group takes our core value of safety very seriously; we are conducting our annual "First Aid |CPR | AED (Automated External Defibrillator) | BBD (Blood-Borne Pathogens) Training" next week, where over 30 Hagerman Group employees will complete this training course. 

In the spirit of getting ready we wanted to share some of these life saving warning signs that could be the difference between life and death for you, your family, your friends, and/or co-workers. 

According to the American Heart Association:

HEART ATTACK WARNING SIGNS

CHEST DISCOMFORT

Most heart attacks involve discomfort in the center of the chest that lasts more than a few minutes, or that goes away and comes back. It can feel like uncomfortable pressure, squeezing, fullness or pain

DISCOMFORT IN OTHER AREAS OF THE UPPER BODY

Symptoms can include pain or discomfort in one or both arms, the back, neck, jaw or stomach

SHORTNESS OF BREATH

with or without chest discomfort

OTHER SIGNS

may include breaking out in a cold sweat, nausea or lightheadedness

MORE ABOUT HEART ATTACK

Some heart attacks are sudden and intense — the "movie heart attack," where no one doubts what's happening. But most heart attacks start slowly, with mild pain or discomfort. Often people affected aren't sure what's wrong and wait too long before getting help.

Immediately call 9-1-1 or your emergency response number so an ambulance (ideally with advanced life support) can be sent for you. As with men, women's most common heart attack symptom is chest pain or discomfort. But women are somewhat more likely than men to experience some of the other common symptoms, particularly shortness of breath, nausea/vomiting, and back or jaw pain.
 

Learn the signs, but remember this: Even if you're not sure it's a heart attack, have it checked out (tell a doctor about your symptoms). Minutes matter! Fast action can save lives — maybe your own. Don’t wait more than five minutes to call 9-1-1 or your emergency response number.
Calling 9-1-1 is almost always the fastest way to get lifesaving treatment. Emergency medical services (EMS) staff can begin treatment when they arrive — up to an hour sooner than if someone gets to the hospital by car. EMS staff are also trained to revive someone whose heart has stopped. Patients with chest pain who arrive by ambulance usually receive faster treatment at the hospital, too. It is best to call EMS for rapid transport to the emergency room.

STROKE WARNING SIGNS:  SPOT A STROKE F.A.S.T

 Face Drooping Does one side of the face droop or is it numb? Ask the person to smile.

 Arm Weakness Is one arm weak or numb? Ask the person to raise both arms. Does one arm drift downward?

 Speech Difficulty Is speech slurred, are they unable to speak, or are they hard to understand? Ask the person to repeat a simple sentence, like "the sky is blue." Is the sentence repeated correctly?
 Time to call 9-1-1 If the person shows any of these symptoms, even if the symptoms go away, call 9-1-1 and get them to the hospital immediately

MORE ABOUT STROKES

Immediately call 9-1-1 or the Emergency Medical Services (EMS) number so an ambulance can be sent.  Also, check the time so you'll know when the first symptoms appeared. A clot-busting drug called tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) may improve the chances of getting better but only if you get them help right away.
 

A TIA or transient ischemic attack is a "warning stroke" or "mini-stroke" that produces stroke-like symptoms. TIA symptoms usually only last a few minutes but, if left untreated, people who have TIAs have a high risk of stroke. Recognizing and treating TIAs can reduce the risk of a major stroke.
 

Beyond F.A.S.T. – Other Symptoms You Should Know
Sudden numbness or weakness of the leg

Sudden confusion or trouble understanding 

Sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes 

Sudden trouble walking, dizziness, loss of balance or coordination 

Sudden severe headache with no known cause

Stacy Neill | Marketing Director

A Hagerman Halloween

The Hagerman Group thought it would be fun to show pictures of our employees "mini me's" all dressed up for Halloween.  While most grownups looked to have a bit of a post-trick-or-treat sugar hangover.... we are still all smiling from getting to see our kids live out what we all remember to be a childhood favorite.  Or, as my 8 year old son Jackson put it best, "Mom... this is THE. BEST. NIGHT. OF. MY. LIIIIFFEEE.... EVER!!!!"  There you have it, enjoy The Hagerman Group kiddos Halloween 2012.

Nick Price's son: Cameron, and dog Harley

Nick Price's son: Kendall

Kelly Geller's doggies

Brian Hoeppner's grandson: Henry

Brad Smith's kids: Braden, Makenna, & Josie

Brad Neuhaus's son: Derek

Greg Delangrange's dog: Marshall














Glenn Gmitter's son: Kevyn

Jim Woodruff's clan

John Walter's daughter: Lilly on the right

John Walters doggy

Kyle Wilson's kids: Keaton and Chloe

Micha Gill's daughter: Shelby


Tammy Mitchell's daughter: Madison on right

Terry Greene's grandson: Jack

Chad Baker's boys: Austin & Josiah

Jason Richmans's kids: Tori, Brady, Alli

Jay Bangert's daughter: Basey

Josh Hackney's boys: Seth & Evan

Nate Fink's grandson: Ari

Stacy Neill's boys: Jameson & Jackson

Written By:
Stacy Neill | Marketing Director

Biking to Work

One advantage of living in a small town is that almost everything you need is within a few minutes of where you live.  Here in Valparaiso, that is no different.  Within a few minutes of my apartment I have a gym, a supermarket, a movie theater, and plenty of great restaurants.  However, the best and most convenient thing I am close to is work.

 My apartment is roughly 0.9 miles to work “as the crow flies”.  This allows me to ride my bike to and from work every day and also home for lunch.   This means that I ride roughly 3.6 miles every day, or 18 miles per week.  Having been here since May, this puts me at roughly 430 miles total. This would be like riding my bike from Valparaiso, IN to Nashville, TN!

I have seen the benefits of these miles in more ways than one.  The first, and most notable, is that I am in a lot better shape.  Not only is my daily ride good for my body, it is great for my wallet as well.  I have saved quite a bit of money I would have spent on gas….especially considering gas prices this summer.  Finally, I am proud that my daily ride also fits into the THG’s sustainability mindset.  The bike sitting outside our trailer every day represents one less vehicle on the road.

Unfortunately, my good habit will soon have to come to an end for a while.  Northern Indiana winters are generally not very kind to bikers...

John Kilbury | Project Engineer

A Day in the Life of an Engineering Intern!

Sarah's Blog

Beep beep beep goes the alarm, nothing better than the sounds of a 6:00 a.m. alarm on a Monday morning!

Brush your teeth, braid your hair, put on your work jeans and make a very large cup of steaming hot coffee.   I think to myself what challenges does Valparaiso University’s new Welcome Center have for me today?  While bike riding in the cool morning air to work there isn’t a car in site and the sweet sounds of birds chirping is like music to my ears.  Although I am tired, I know that there are twenty smiling faces waiting for me to arrive.  I park my bike next to the trailer and walk inside.  “Good Morning Sarah!” exclaim my fellow coworkers, John and Tim.  This is the first of many to come.  As I put on my work boots and throw on my fluorescent yellow hard hat I know that today is going to be a good day. 

When walking onsite I am greeted by twenty more smiling faces.  Leisurely talk of the weather and what has been going on in our lives has become a daily routine.  Once the general discussions have faded away, business talk starts.  I want to know what is going on today.  What can I learn?  What can I apply from my previous classes?  Although observation is a majority of my learning process, the key in my day to day activities is asking questions.  And you want to know what the best part is? Everyone onsite is willing to teach me.  Since day one everyone has expressed their willingness to help me become a successful engineer.  I have learned so much more than I could ever ask in the last six months. 

This is also due to the challenges that my coworkers give me.  They have faith in me that I can learn so they give me tasks that I am unfamiliar with.  Although it initially takes me more time, they are patient with me and understand that they are helping me develop as an engineer.  This support has benefited me more than they could possibly imagine.  Any engineering student would be lucky to have the experiences that I have had with Hagerman Inc.  Not only has it given me the opportunity to build my resume, but I am able to apply the knowledge that I gain in the field to my classes and vice versa.  Working on this site has given me the advantage of truly understanding what I am designing and how it will be implemented through construction.

At the end of the day when my work boots, now a little dirtier, have retired for the evening I can take that bike ride home and know that I have accomplished something.

Sarah Girls | Engineering Intern

Project Spotlight: IU Jacobs School of Music East Studio Building

If your travels take you to Bloomington, make sure to stop at the corner of Third Street and Jordan Avenue.  The Hagerman Group is currently constructing a new building for the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music.  Consistently ranked as one of the top schools of music in the country, this facility will give the school the additional space it desperately needs.  The 85,000 square-foot building will provide approximately 100 studio rooms, for use by faculty and students for teaching and practicing.

The building was initially designed to control vibration and sound from one studio space to the next.  The building’s columns and floors are constructed of concrete (performed by Hagerman’s Concrete division), and the shell consists of masonry block and limestone (performed by Hagerman’s Masonry division). Additional sound control details include floated wood subfloors, acoustical sealant and vibration isolation devices for mechanical, electrical and plumbing equipment.

The sitework for the project takes into account that the building is located at one of the gateways to Indiana University’s campus, with a plaza at the corner of Third St. and Jordan Ave. When complete, this building will be a showcase piece for the Jacobs School of Music and Indiana University.  Those occupying the space are very much looking forward to taking possession of their new building in time for the new school year in the Fall of 2013.

North elevation of the building (June 2012)

Northeast elevation of the building (September 2012)

Southeast elevation of the structure (September 2012)

Plaza at the intersection of Third and Jordan (September 2012

Andy Saska | Project Manager



Oktoberfest at The Bangerts'

As the cool air develops at night and the smell of bonfires cloud the air, we can hear the sounds of high school football in the distance and we know fall is officially here.  Despite loving the summer for boating weather and winter for the hockey season, fall has a special place in my heart as well.

Each year, the Bangert family hosts an Oktoberfest party at our house to celebrate our German heritage, eat delicious German cuisine, imbibe in some German hops, and spend an evening with friends.  We ask everyone to dress up in German attire and spend most of the night outside warming ourselves by the fire.  We serve only German and Oktoberfest beer, bratwurst with special beer sauce, homemade German hot potato salad, sauerkraut, sauerkraut balls, pretzels, and of course, many hot and spicy mustards.  The menu is similar to the real Oktoberfest in Munich. In addition to the true German food, we have hours of traditional and modern polka music.

Similar to most other Oktoberfest celebrations our party falls in the month of September.  Why does October’s namesake party always seem to be observed in the month of September you ask?  Well for us it works well around hockey season, it’s still warm enough and stays light until 8pm, and most importantly it’s in the middle of the true Oktoberfest in Germany.  This year particularly, as we were outside and the harvest moon shined upon us, I heard a few different stories on what the true Oktoberfest [hosted in Munich Germany every year] is really celebrating and realized many people don’t realize the true inception of this now annual event.

The first iteration of what we now know as Oktoberfest was actually held on October 12, 1810 in honor of Prince Ludwig, who later became King Ludwig I in celebration of his marriage to Princess Therese of Saxe-Hildburghausen.  The citizens of Munich attended the festivities held on the fields in front of the city gates to celebrate the happy royal event.  Horse races that marked the close of the event were repeated in subsequent years giving rise to the tradition of Oktoberfest.

The festival was eventually prolonged and moved ahead to September to allow for better weather conditions [one of the reasons our family hosts it the last Saturday of September].  Today, Oktoberfest is a 16-day (depending on the year 17-days or 18-days) festival taking place during the 16-days up to, and including, the first Sunday in October

The modern day Oktoberfest may be similar to we know as a State Fair with the festival celebrating the German traditions, agriculture, fair rides, parades, and their country’s breweries.

So now we know, every year, as Oktoberfest celebrations commence in cities and towns across the world, we are actually celebrating a wedding reception that took place over 200 years ago. I wonder why no one throws a party on my wedding anniversary every year?

Jay Bangert | Project Manager