County Communicator 11/23/22 Edition

COUNTY COMMUNICATOR

NOVEMBER 23, 2022

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Upcoming

Events

Events In & Around Grand Traverse County November

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5k Turkey Trot Join us this year for the 15th Annual Up North Media Traverse City Turkey Trot presented by 4Front Credit Union! This race has been a place of joy, family, friends (furry ones too) and a place where memories and traditions are made. For more info and to sign up to run.

Bed parade in Glen Arbor Now in it's fifth year, the fun and quirky Bed Parade returns the day after Thanksgiving, among other holiday traditions in Glen Arbor. You're invited to simply view the spectacle from the curb and cheer on participants as they roll their festively decorated bed on wheels down Western Avenue.

ANNUAL holiday open house and sale

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Stop by for refreshments, fun and special prices throughout each locations at Wilson's annual holiday open house and sale. Sales and discounts continue through December 3, 2022!

Giving Tuesday Happy Hour for Traverse Area Recreational Trails Giving Tuesday is a global day of giving when people around the world come together for one common purpose: to celebrate generosity and to give. Silver Spruce Brewing hosts this special Giving Tuesday happy hour to support Traverse Area Recreational Trails (TART). TART staff will be on hand collecting donations and talking trails. Join the conversation, learn about the area's fabulous trail system and grab a tasty cider or beer. A dollar of the price of each pint will be donated to TART!

NOVEMBER 10, 2022

THE COUNTY UPDATES

IF YOU HAVE INFORMATION FOR FUTURE COUNTY COMMUNICATORS: EMAIL HANNAH DUELL

NEW HIRES WELCOME TO THE COUNTY TEAM!

SHAYD RICHEY DEPUTY PATROL

AMANDA NEAL EMERGENCY COMMUNICATOR

HANNAH ISRAEL PUBLIC HEALTH TECHNICIAN

myGTC

myGTC UPDATE

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HOLIDAY CLOSURES Upcoming holiday closures: November 24 - Thanksgiving Day November 25 - Thanksgiving Day after

GRAND TRAVERSE COUNTY UNIVERSITY Have you checked out GTCU? County employees now have access to a wide variety of training materials for onboarding, Microsoft 365 and myGTC. GTCU is housed in SharePoint, and can be accessed here. Your login will be the same as your Outlook email login and password.

Other ways to access SharePoint: 1. Browser Outlook(Email) 2. Desktop Outlook (Email) Watch a tutorial on how to access SharePoint here.

VIDEO TUTORIAL ON FLIPBOOK Many people have had an issue with the size of the font within the flipbook version of the County Communicator. However, there are multiple ways to enlarge the format for better readability. Watch video below to learn how to maneuver within the flipbook.

Watch a video tutorial on how to use the flipbook version of the County Communicator.

myGTC UPDATE

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EMPLOYEE SHOUTOUT! - HOLLY DAVISON Holly Davison has been covering for an employee who has been on leave for the last month. She has been acting as both the Collections Specialist and the Child Protective Proceedings Specialist for 13th Circuit Court Family Division. The position Holly is covering is incredibly stressful and emotionally taxing. Holly comes to work every morning with a positive outlook and remains motivated to get the job done regardless of the many struggles and setbacks that come with the position. Her dedication and competency has not gone unnoticed and I would like to recognize her as a valuable employee and thank her for everything she has done and continues to do.

VETERAN AFFAIRS TOYS FOR TOTS DROP OFF Veteran Affairs has a Toys for Tots drop off at the Public Services Building. New, unwrapped toys dropped off will be given to children of struggling families this holiday.

Instead of a white elephant gift exchange that they normally do, they instead decided to donate toys to this worthy cause. Please feel free to donate and drop your items off at the Public Services building.

COUNTY UPDATES

UPDATES

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SWEARING IN CEREMONY - SAVE THE DATE! Save-the-Date! The 13th Circuit Court Administrator's Office will be holding a swearing-in ceremony for Hon. Charles M. Hamlyn on Thursday, December 29, 2022 at 4pm in Courtroom 3 at the red Historic Courthouse.

COUNTY UPDATES

UPDATES

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RESOURCE RECOVERY SURVEY Grand Traverse County residents and businesses. We would greatly appreciate your feedback on the future of waste and recycling opportunities in our region. Please take a few minutes to participate in this online survey.

Together, we can help to shape what the future of our beautiful region will look like. Thank you for your participation.

Click here to take the survey.

COUNTY UPDATES

UPDATES

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LIGHT PARADE POSTPONED- NOVEMBER 29TH! Due to the weather this past Saturday, the Downtown Traverse City Light Parade has been rescheduled to Tuesday, November 29th at 6:30 pm. Grand Traverse County has an entry in the parade, so if this new date works for you, please sign up here to join us! The timeline of events can be found in the signup sheet, as well as on the Downtown TC website. Light up accessories and handouts will be available at the lineup, and free parking is available all day at the Old Town Deck on 8th Street.

myGTC UPDATE

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GIVING TUESDAY! Giving Tuesday is a global day of giving. Following the energy of post Thanksgiving holidays like Black Friday, Small Business Saturday and Cyber Monday, Giving Tuesday is observed on the Tuesday after Thanksgiving and is recognized as the start to the charitable season.

On Tuesday, November 29, people around the world will come together for one common purpose: to celebrate generosity and to give.

New this year, Timber Ridge RV & Recreation Resort will match $8,000 of all donations to TART Trails in recognition of Giving Tuesday. Any donation made to us either in person or online on Tuesday, November 29 is part of the match

Here are some ways that you can support connected communities this Giving Tuesday: DONATE ONLINE and choose #GivingTuesday JOIN US! WHERE: Silver Spruce Brewing for a special happy hour DATE: Tuesday, November 29 TIME: 4-7 pm TART staff will be on hand collecting donations and talking trails. Be sure to grab a tasty cider or brew and a dollar of each pint will be donated to TART! SHARE this event and opportunity with friends & family and encourage them to support TART Trails!

myGTC UPDATE

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WELCOME TO THE GRAND TRAVERSE COUNTY! Sheriff Bensley swore in new Patrol Deputies, Correction Deputy and Bailiff.

Congratulations to Deputies Kreiner, Miller, Richey, Sapp, Corrections Deputy Wood and Bailiff Matsko.

WELLNESS FEEL, THINK, LIVE, BE... WELL!

WANT TO JOIN A RAGNAR TEAM? I'm looking to form a team of fun adventure-loving County coworkers to run the Ragnar Trail Relay in June or the Road Relay in September 2023! Here is a little bit of info (and web link) about both options: Ragnar TRAIL Michigan Hanson Hills Recreation Area, Grayling June 23-24, 2023 The basics: Team of 8 people take turns running on out and back dirt trail loops, starting Friday, until finishing on Saturday. Each runner has a total of 16.8 miles, split into 3 runs (3, 6, and 7.8 mile loops) over 2 days. While not running, you're camping and hanging with teammates at the bonfire in Ragnar Village (base camp start/finish zone).

"Your team will take turns running over two days and one night, relay-style, on three smooth, single-track trails perfect for any runner experience level. You’ll run on lush forested pine and maple paths, over rolling hills with scenic bluff overviews. At night, let a billion stars overhead (and your headlamp, of course) light your way along the trails. When you’re not running, you’ll be partying with your team and other runners at Ragnar Village. Think campfire stories, s’mores, music and even time to roll out those sore legs."

Ragnar ROAD Michigan Muskegon to Traverse City September 22-23, 2023 The basics: Team of 12 people (split between 2 large vans) take turns running on roads and paved trails, starting Friday morning, until finishing Saturday afternoon. This one has a bit more logistics involved as it requires renting vans and spending the night in or near Muskegon the night before for an early start. Each runner's total mileage ranges between 13.7 to 17.8 miles, split into 3 runs or "legs" over 2 days. While not running, you're napping/snacking/cheering on teammates from the van as you follow along the 200-ish mile course to each exchange point.

"Kicking off in charming Muskegon, this epic running journey will take your team past apple orchards, cherry blossoms, historic ships and did we mention lighthouses? For two days and one star-filled night, run through the vibrant fall foliage, picturesque towns and along the sand dunes of Lake Michigan. And if that isn’t enough you’ll spend 9 legs with beautiful beach views.

Your whole team will finish your adventure as you cross the finish line together at a beautiful open space park in Traverse City, right on the water’s edge. Tired but triumphant, drained but strengthened, teams find out what they can do when they truly come together."

I've run both events with near-strangers and had such a blast. It's hard work but an adventure that you won't regret! You DON'T have to be fast, and you don't have to fully commit this far in advance, but if we have enough interest in one event or the other, I'll register a team and we'll talk details later. Let me know if you're up for either event, which one you'd prefer, and what questions you have!

Jenny McKellar MSUE Office Manager / Wellness Team Lead jmckellar@gtcountymi.gov

WELLNESS FEEL, THINK, LIVE, BE... WELL!

TAKE THE AFFINITY GROUPS SURVEY! Have you ever heard of an affinity group? Affinity Group by definition means a group of people linked by a common interest or purpose.

The affinity groups will be self-organizing and Grand Traverse County will have no affiliation with the groups. Grand Traverse County is merely a means to connect people. An initial email group will be created for the groups to introduce members.

Affinity groups are open to all employees and employees are encouraged to link up with people with the same interest or interested in learning a new activity.

Emails will be coming soon, so watch for opportunities to join these groups for some fun and recreation with likeminded coworkers!

WELLNESS CHALLENGE WINNERS! Results are in from our Stress Less Wellness Challenge!

Participants logged a total of 534 stress reduction activities related to 4 weekly themes of stiving for better sleep, financial freedom, time well spent, and eating simply. Two successful participants were drawn as our grand prize raffle winners: Congrats to Russell Carter from the Health Department and Katelynn Brown from Parks & Recreation!

Russell and Katelynn get their pick from our grand prize catalog or can choose a half day off with pay! All participants who met the challenge goal received 50 points in our Rewards Program and are now at least half-way to the 100 points needed to be entered into this quarter's raffle for another shot at a grand prize!

Want in? The current quarter is underway and runs through the end of the year. Points are earned most commonly from annual physicals, daily steps, and wellness challenges, but there are tons of other ways to earn as well. Check out the Rewards tab at mymarqueehealth.com.

RECIPE OF THE WEEK

CRANBERRY BRIE KNOTS 2 tablespoons olive oil 28 ounces refrigerated pizza dough, at room temperature (see Cook's Note) One 4-ounce wheel Brie All-purpose flour, for dusting 3/4 cup prepared whole berry cranberry sauce 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted Directions 1. Brush the bottom of a rimmed baking sheet with 1 tablespoon olive oil and place the pizza dough on top.

Brush the top of the dough with the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil and cover lightly with plastic wrap.

Let rest at room temperature until just about doubled in size, 1 hour.

2. Cut off the rind from the sides of the Brie wheel, then cut the Brie into 18 equal-sized cubes. Set aside.

3. Lightly flour a work surface. Using floured hands, shape the dough into an 18-by-4-inch-rectangle.

Using a pizza cutter or sharp knife, cut the dough into eighteen 1-inch-wide strips.

4. Shape each strip into a 10-inch-long rope and tie into a knot, tucking the two ends of the rope underneath it. Divide the knots between two baking sheets and let rest until slightly puffed, 40 to 45 minutes.

5. Meanwhile, position the oven racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven and preheat to 425 degrees F. 6. Cut a small slit in the top of each knot with a sharp paring knife and use your fingers to create a small well. Spoon a heaping 1/4 teaspoon cranberry sauce into each well and top with 1 piece of Brie. Reserve the remaining cranberry sauce for serving.

7. Brush the tops of the knots with 4 tablespoons of the butter. Sprinkle with the Italian seasoning, 1/2 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of black pepper. Bake until the cheese is melted, and the dough is fully cooked and turning light golden, 20 to 25 minutes. Let rest for 10 minutes before serving.

8. Meanwhile, stir together the remaining cranberry sauce and 2 tablespoons butter in a small bowl. Serve with the knots for dipping.

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