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by Stephen Parezo

October 30, 2006—From ghosts and goblins, witches to wizards, participating Fiducial offices across the country were pulling out all the stops last week to try and win the company’s annual Halloween Decorating Contest. After observing a full house of these creepy-looking beings, it was clear that you wouldn’t want to encounter any of these spookables anywhere at anytime, let alone a dark alley.

Photos will be submitted from each office taking part with a winner chosen later this week. The office with the most festive decorations will win a lunch party for the office for the entire staff. The winning office will be notified by Monday, November 6.

Taking a tour through the Halloween decorations at Fiducial’s Technical and Administrative Support Center (TASC) in Columbia, MD, one thanks goodness that this is only make believe.

Start your journey in the Fiducial Call Center. If you make it past the Grim Reaper and the sign painted in red (or is it blood?) that tells you to: Keep Out!, then you better keep your eyes and ears open. Beware of a floating skull with creepy bony fingers rising and descending in a web-like white shroud. Lookout for the giant fly and a vampire bat that looks H-U-N-G-R-Y! Be wary of those that didn’t keep their wits about them such as a shrunken head that’s just hanging around.

Latrina Williams, a call center representative, likes this time of year because Halloween decorating helps give people a lift.

“We can still solve problems and be able to handle the work load as well as put spirit into it,” she said.

David Ilowite, another CCR, also enjoys the Halloween spirit. “It’s fun, it creates a good atmosphere,” he said. “It’s a good diversion from the work load because it’s an opportunity to let off some steam.”

A have fun holiday

Up in Financial Services, there’s a bloody, severed hand clinging to a cauldron. On the floor beside the pot is what’s left of various limbs that belonged to who knows who? There’s even a pair of eyeballs staring up at you. Yuck!

Before you know it, a spider drops down from the ceiling. A flying bat whizzes by with flapping wings that sound like the real thing. Who knows? Maybe it was. Then there’s a walking and talking brain as well as a fog machine that runs on, what else, “fog juice.”

Karen Beech, president of Financial Services, dressed up as a witch. Why a witch? “Because I’m always asked where my broom is,” she joked.

Beech loves Halloween and the whole idea of getting to be someone else for a day. Scary music always helps to set just the right mood. She listens to a CD entitled “Out of the Darkness” by Midnight Syndicate. Her favorite selection: “Return of the Apparition.”

“I enjoy the bells because they call me to the graveyard,” she said.

Of course every witch needs a familiar. That’s why her hunched back black cat is close at hand.

James Haas, Fiducial’s compliance officer, wore a wizard’s costume though he admits he probably looks “more like Liberace” than a sorcerer. He views Halloween as “just a have fun holiday” that’s low maintenance.

Don’t look back

Over in the accounting department, you can’t help noticing the bloody hands on either side of the window sign that reads: “Price Check Per Hand. No hand, No check.” Talk about following the rules to the letter!

Around the bend, you’ll encounter the Pirate’s Cemetery before you meet “Fiducial’s Pirates,” which are based on characters from the movie “Pirates of the Caribbean.”

There’s a skeleton-pirate all decked out in full regalia, as much as any skeleton-pirate can be. With red, fiery eyes glowing out of a skull and bony arms brandishing a cutlass, this is one pirate whose pieces of eight you dare not plunder.

Each department at TASC it seems is good naturedly trying to outdo the other while keeping an eye on the competition.

“They all want to see what’s next,” said Olga Latimer, an administrative assistant in Fiducial’s legal department.

Upon entering the Executive Suite you’ll see headstone of The Monster and Count Dracula. The Monster died of “body parts failure (fell off)” in 1902 in Transylvania. The Count, meanwhile, died of a stake “in his evil heart” in 1742 in the coffin of the Castle on the Hill, also in Transylvania. Or did he?

Just remember the immortal words of Hall of Fame baseball pitcher Leroy “Satchell” Paige who observed, “Don’t look back—something might be gaining on you.”

Stephen Parezo is the Media Manager for Fiducial.

Whatever your small business needs, your Fiducial tax and financial professional can analyze your situation and recommend an appropriate action plan. To locate a Fiducial office nearest you on fiducial.com, see the Zip Code Locator located in the upper right hand corner of the page. Do you have a particular topic that we should be writing about that can help your business? Please send your suggestions to: stephen.parezo@fiducial.com.

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