Have you ever experience e-mail problems communicating with tuckerusa.com?

What percentage of e-mails is spam for your organization? Or, put it another way, how many of your e-mails are good ones, as compared to junk e-mail?

• Over the past four days, 2% of our e-mail have been acceptable, with 98% going to our spam filter


• Talking with our third-party IT representative, on average customers typically average 9% good to spam

If you have experienced issues e-mailing to any of our tuckerusa.com e-mail addresses, we invite you to e-mail us and re-connect. We apologize for the recent troubles that our third-party spam filter has had. We have changed providers and we look forward to a smoother situation in 2011.

Please let us know, if you have any questions?

Sincerely,

Robin Tucker for Tucker Manufacturing Co., Inc.

Robin Tucker has been appointed to City's Charter Review Commission

The City of Cedar Rapids at the recent regular City Council meeting on April 12, 2011, during the the consent agenda [PDF], appointed 13 members to serve on the Cedar Rapids Charter Review Commission. Section 7.02 of the Home Rule Charter [PDF] calls for a Charter Review Commission in the year 2011 and every ten years thereafter.

The Resolution appointed Paul Pate (co-chair), Kay Halloran (co-chair), Nancy Bruner, LaNisha Cassell, Monica Challenger, James Craig, Patricia (Tricia) Miller, Mary Nelson, Fatima Smejkal, Scott Overland, Robin Tucker, Nancy Welsh and Carleton Whiting (terms effective through 08/15/11) to the Charter Review Commission. Many of the Commissioners were taken from applications.

Background: The City’s Home Rule Charter Section 7.02 requires that a Charter Review Commission be established in 2011. The commission shall review the existing charter and may recommend any charter amendments that it deems appropriate to the council. Mayor Corbett along with all Council members each chose one individual and four at-large individuals to serve on the Charter Review Commission. The group’s final report should be submitted by 08/15/11. Recommendations by the charter can either be approved by the Council or submitted for voter approval. Ballots are printed in September for the November election and therefore recommendations from the Charter Review Commission must be submitted by August.

In 2004-05, the local Home Rule Charter Commission was formed, as 15 member commission to recommend to the voters an alternative form of goverment to the the current Commission form of government, at the time. In May 2005, the Home Rule Charter was constructed and presented to Mayor Paul Pate and the City Council. In June of 2005, by a vote of 69% support, the City of Cedar Rapids voted to move to Home Rule. The City had been under the old Commission form of government from 1908 to 2005. Cedar Rapids was one of the last cities above 100,000 still using the Commission form.

Today, the City of Cedar Rapids operates under the Home Rule Charter form of government as prescribed by Chapter 372 of the Code of Iowa. As section 4.01 as the Cedar Rapids, Iowa Code of Ordinances points out: The Home Rule Charter ("the charter") is set forth in this code as an unnumbered chapter. The Home Rule Charter [PDF] draws from the popular Iowa form of government: the Council-Manger form, along with some of the traditions of local government in Cedar Rapids, such as "citizen participation" in boards and commissions, which was a popular part of our commission form of government.

Robin Tucker served together on the Home Rule Charter Commission in 2004-05, along with Nancy Bruner. Ms. Bruner served as one of the co-chairs, while Mr. Tucker served as drafting chair on that previous commission. I look forward to the opportunity to serve with Nancy again, along with the other members who have been appointed the Commission.

The two co-chairs of the recently appointed Charter Review Commission are the most recent outgoing mayors for the City of Cedar Rapids. Mr. Pate was the last Mayor under the previous form of government, while Ms. Hollarn was the first Mayor elected under our Home Rule form of government. The other nine members of the Commission appear to represent a cross section of our community. Commission work is schedule to begin on May 5, 2011 and the Mayor and Council have instructed the Commission that they have until August 15, 2011 to compete the work of the Commission.

tucker pole

We welcome the Second Quarter and April 2011!

It has been a long Winter for many in North America. The signs of Spring are beginning to be seen, though the people in the Northeast section of the USA are not likely laughing on April Fools Day.

• Opening day of Major League Baseball has transpired


• We are now on Daylight Savings Time


• The Vernal Equinox has taken place


• School children are wearing shorts


• Spring sports have begun


• People are heading outside to do exterior work or for recreation

With Spring arriving, people are going to begin to head outside to reach, wash and clean. But, remember, to look up and check for wires, before beginning any cleaning project or any outside activity that could lead to danger. Whether you are in the City or out in Rural Areas, electric line safety is required. You may be working or playing, but Safety First is always smart.

Health and safety should always be on every one's mind, whether working inside or out. With the weather improving, many people will begin working with window washers and water fed poles outside. Remember, DANGER - DO NOT use near nor allow contact with electric wires. NO UTILICE dondequiera cerca, ni permita el contacto con Alambres Electricos - PELIGRO.

Survey the work area, look up and avoid power lines

STAY AWAY FROM THE DANGER ZONE and Stay Alive

Stay Away From All Overhead Power Lines!

Be Smart, Look Up, and Stay Away from all overhead power lines. Good advice, whether you are working on a farm, living in the city and when you are working with window cleaning equipment, including products like the Tucker® Pole Window Washers and Exterior Maintenance Systems.

tucker pole

Happy St. Patrick's Day to all, as Cedar Rapids enjoys SaPaDaPaSo 2011!

Think Green Cedar Rapids!

The SaPaDaPaSo Parade from Downtown Cedar Rapids will kickoff at 1 p.m. today. Our manufacturing facility is one-half block off the parade route at 613 Second Avenue SE. The Parade will start on Sixth Street SE and make the left turn on Second Avenue SE, just down from Tucker Manufacturing., Inc.

The SaPaDaPaSo Parade debuted on March 17th, 1975. The original parade took four minutes, which is certainly a sharp contrast to today's parade.

On behalf of everyone at Tucker Manufacturing Co., Inc., in Downtown Cedar Rapids, we want to wish you a safe and joyful St. Patrick's Day 2011.

On Saturday, a little Red will be in the air, with the St. Joseph's Day Parade in Czech Village in Cedar Rapids. But, today's it is all about the Green! Happy St. Patrick's Day...

tucker pole

We go to great lengths world wide!

Tucker Pole It Clean!

Happy St. Valentine's Day to all on this February 14, 2011

It's February 14Th and another St. Valentine's Day has arrived.

The weather has began to thaw here in Iowa. It may not be January, but it's nice to see the improved weather here in Cedar Rapids and throughout the USA this week. Our production team was happy, because with the weather, there appeared to be a little more activity at the start of the week for parts and equipment.

If you are in St. Pete for the IWCA Convention and Trade Show this week, we wish you a good time. After exhibiting at 21 straight shows, since the beginning of IWCA, we are not exhibiting this year. Several of our distributors/dealers are at the IWCA this year and they can provide you with information on our products and assist you with Tucker® brand parts and equipment.

Otherwise, you can always contact us for parts and product information on the Tucker® Pole Window Washers and Exterior Maintenance Systems - with various models to choose from.

tucker pole

We welcome the first weekend of February, with Super Bowl XLV: Green Bay vs. Pittsburgh from Arlington, Texas on Sunday

On Wednesday, Groundhog Day, our production was down and FedEx didn't deliver, due to this winter's biggest storm, here in Eastern Iowa. On Friday, we visited with our insurance representative, about our annual review. We want to thank our customers throughout the past year. We enjoying going to great lengths for you, with the Tucker Pole ...

It's finally here, Super Bowl weekend, with Super Bowl XLV from Arlington, Texas and home of the Dallas Cowboys. Too bad for Cowboy fans and Jerry Jones that they will not have the honor of home field, since it is the Green Bay Packers and the Pittsburgh Steelers taking the field, in what should be an outstanding Super Bowl this weekend!

The Wall Street Journal, page D3 on Friday, has it the Steelers 24, Packers 21. Will there only be 45 points scored in Super Bowl 45? In talking to a good friend yesterday at Lunch, he had it as a three point game. He mentioned that Green Bay was favored, against the all-time Super Bowl winner, the Steelers and that the Steelers should win. I guess he agrees with the WSJ.

It should be a great day of TV, food and fellowship on Sunday. Best wishes to the Packers, the Steelers and all taking in the sights and sounds of Super Bowl 45, whether live or in front of the millions of televisions turned to follow this year's clash ...

tucker pole

Happy Groundhog Day to All: No Shipping this Wednesday, February 2, 2011

The recent blizzard conditions and 12"+ of snow has grounded production today at Tucker Manufacturing Co., Inc. of Cedar Rapids, Iowa today. Most of our staff opted to make today a "snow day" since roads were not easy going this morning.

From our neighbor in Downtown Cedar Rapids, SourceMedia:

Area roadways still challenging
Main streets in Cedar Rapids should be open in the next couple of hours. Crews are working on residential streets. Highway 218 south of Iowa City is closed.

• LIVE mobile streaming weather coverage


• Delays and cancellations


• Road conditions


• Latest forecast information


• NEW TODAY: Winter storm photos from Cedar Rapids, Iowa City

We received the following information from our shipping partner, FedEx, by e-mail ...

To All:

• FedEx Ground:
  
  Will NOT be making any deliveries or Pick Ups today. We received no Freight in and nothing left Cedar Rapids last night.


• FedEx Express/Air:
  
  We will not be making any deliveries, freight did NOT make it out last night. As
  far as pickups go, I will no more after the lunch hour.


• FedEx Freight LTL Priority and Economy:
  
  We will not be making any deliveries or pickups. Freight did NOT leave the
  building here either.
  

Thank you for understanding.

FedEx Sales

• From our representative from FedEx Sales this morning.

We will not be shipping any orders today, due to the recent storm. We hope to resume normal operations on Thursday, February 3, 2011.

tucker pole