interchange - december 2012

December 2012, Vol. 40, Issue 12

Casper Events Center New travel information screens make debut

2 Interchange n December 2012

InterchangeInterchange is published for

employees of the Wyoming Depart-ment of Transportation by its Public Affairs Office and a number of field correspondents.

Interchange invites submissions from all employees. Please send them to either your district correspondents or to: Carlie Van Winkle, Interchange editor, 5300 Bishop Blvd., Chey-enne, WY, 82009-3340. The Public Affairs Office may also be contacted by phoning (307) 777-4165, faxing (307) 777-4289, or sending e-mail to [email protected]

StaffWYDOT Director:

John F. Cox

Public Affairs Manager:Doug McGee

Editor/Art Director:Carlie Van Winkle

Contributors: Bruce Burrows Public AffairsDave Kingham Public AffairsCarlie Van Winkle Public AffairsRoss Doman District 1Jeff Goetz District 2Stephanie Harsha District 3Ronda Holwell District 4Cody Beers District 5Sgt. Stephen Townsend Patrol

Photography: Rick Carpenter Public Affairs

LettersFriends, WYDOT co-workers a blessing

My family and I would like to ex-press our gratitude to our friends and coworkers at WYDOT for their support and prayers during the time of my son’s death. Your kindness during this time of grief and hardship was greatly appreci-ated. Thank you for all your thoughts and prayers.

Gary LancePatrick Draw Maintenance

Sick leave donations to the rescue

I would like to thank everyone who generously donated sick leave on my behalf. As anyone with a cancer diagnosis knows, treatment takes a long time – in my case it will be a little over a year. Since I had only worked at WYDOT District 5 for a year, there was no way I had accu-mulated enough sick leave to handle the situation. All the donations are greatly appreciated. It helps so much to know that people care, and are willing to donate time. Thank you all again.

Carole BlakemanDistrict 5 Data Controller - Basin

Break TimeCan you spot the five differences in the photos below? Check your answers online at:

www.employees.dot.state.wy.us

Please

Rec

ycle afteR R

eading!

December 2012 n Interchange 3

Also in this issue

Letters ....................................2

Break Time ............................2

District briefs ........................4

District news ......................11

Extra Mile Awards .............12

WYDOT by the Numbers ...13

Passings ...............................14

Training at a Glance..........14

Be sure to check out the online version of Interchange at http://issuu.com/wydot.pao, or click on the link found on the employee’s internal Web site home page.

Contents

6 Battle Pass Scenic Byway Area rich in scenic vistas recognized

7 Wildlife reflectors to be studied Can we influence animal behavior 8 Casper Events Center Travel information screens a success

13 You Drink, You Drive, You Lose. Natrona County kicks off campaign

On the cover: The license plate tree was built by the owners of the Sugar Shack in Greybull as a tribute to the 2010 decision to place a Wyoming Christmas Tree at the U.S. Capitol. The owner said, “We just haven’t had the heart to take it down.”Photos: WYDOT file

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District BriefsContract awarded for first diverging diamond interchange

Cheyenne – The Wyoming Transpor-tation Commission has awarded a $3.1 million contract for construction of Wyoming’s first diverging diamond interchange.

Gillette’s S&S Builders submit-ted the low bid to build the diverging diamond at the Col-lege Drive Interchange on Interstate 25 in south Cheyenne.

The interchange experiences heavy truck traffic getting off the highway to access three truck stops and a McDonald’s restaurant, and then getting back on the highway.

The existing interchange doesn’t adequately accommodate current traffic volumes, and proposed developments in the area will put additional strain on it.

The diverging diamond configuration eliminates the need to make left turns across oncoming traffic and will improve traffic flow and reduce delays at the interchange.

It will improve traffic operations to meet projected traffic demands for the next 20 years without requiring structural changes in the existing bridge over I-25.

The diverging diamond also will be compatible with a future expansion to four lanes when traffic demands make that necessary.

The new interchange is scheduled to be completed by Oct. 31.

Construction of arterial road off US 30 under way

Laramie – Crews from WYDOT and the Knife River Corp. took advantage of the fine weather the first week of November to remove topsoil for the construction of a road to the Jonathon Quarry. The project is located approximately nine miles north of Laramie off US 30.

The new road will be three and a half miles of paved surface built by WYDOT then four and a half miles of gravel surface built by Pete Lien and Sons Corp. ending at the hilltop quarry.

Construction is scheduled to continue into the middle of December building a dirt grade on the WYDOT section of the proj-ect. The dirt will be left to settle through the winter. Construction will resume in the spring with the placement of base material and paving.

Quarter-mile acceleration and decelera-tion lanes are slated for the intersection at US 30 to bolster safety for both motorists on the highway and truck traffic entering and exiting the quarry road. The work is scheduled to finish next year.

This project is jointly funded between WYDOT, Albany County, and Pete Lien and Sons Corporation. The cost to WYDOT’s Industrial Road Program is $3 million.

Robertson Road reopened

Casper – Robertson Road, a Natrona County road just west of Casper, has reopened follow-ing several months of realignment and resurfacing work. The work was undertaken to accommodate the first phase of Casper West Belt Loop project, which began this past spring and will continue well into next year.

The belt loop, to be designated as WYO 257, will connect WYO 220 southwest of Casper to US 20-26 directly opposite the west end of the US 20-26 (Shoshoni) Bypass just outside Mills. The current project consists of building road-bed for the future route, with work in-cluding construction of two new bridges. A second belt loop project, for surfacing, will follow at a later date.

Construction of the belt loop required realignment of a section of Robertson Road, which runs north-south, and also of a portion of Poison Spider Road, which runs east-west.

Bird’s-eye view of the newly cut road north of Laramie off of US 30.

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New asphalt being driven on by a WYDOT vehicle after the recent resurfacing project.

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Holiday parties are in full gear.Law enforcement is

cracking down on drunk drivers. Please designate a sober driver.


US 191 southwest of Rock Springs set for wid-ening

Rock Springs – Three miles of US 191 leading south from I-80 toward Flaming Gorge will be wid-ened under terms of a contract let this fall to Ralph L. Wadsworth Con-struction. The firm, based in Draper, Utah, submitted the low bid of $14.5 million during the October bid letting.

The project includes rebuilding and widening the first mile of US 191 south from I-80, starting from the Flaming Gorge Interchange, exit 99.

The road will go from the current two lanes to five lanes; two travel lanes in each direction plus a center turn lane. The next two miles of the highway to the south will remain two lanes, but will get a new layer of asphalt pavement and be widened to include turn lanes.

Wadsworth’s contract carries a comple-tion date of Oct. 31, 2014.

VSLs in place in South Pass area

Lander – Variable speed limits (VSLs) are now in place on the high elevation section of WYO 28 in the South Pass area, thanks to the recent installation of remote-controlled electronic speed limit signs.

The signs allow the posted speed limit to be lowered, in 5 mph increments, to as low as 30 mph in accordance with road and weather conditions. The speed limit changes can be made promptly after maintenance personnel or Highway Patrol troopers recommend a reduction or increase to staff in the Transportation Management Center at headquarters.

The VSLs are in place on five sections of WYO 28, ranging in length from two to 12 miles, between mile markers 30 and 62.

WYO 28 climbs to a high point of nearly 8,300 feet near mile marker 51 and is prone to severe wind and surface conditions during storms, and it carries substantial heavy traffic as well.

“This is really going to help the travel-ing public and our maintenance guys up there,” said Don Detimore, WYDOT’s area maintenance supervisor in Lander. “Reducing speeds will help tremendously in preventing road closures due to crashes that can be avoided if drivers just slow down for conditions.”

The South Pass section of WYO 28

is the fifth stretch of Wyoming highway now served by VSL technology. The other four sections are on I-80, where 128 miles are equipped with variable signs.

“I know drivers on I-80 do slow down when the signs tell them to,” Detimore said. “The results there have been fantas-tic, and I think we’ll see the same im-provements up here.”

Long-term statistics show unsafe speed is a factor in more than 70 percent of win-tertime crashes in Wyoming. WYDOT is using VSLs and its “Ice and snow? – Take it slow!” information campaign to counter that problem.

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VSLs on WYO 28 Five sections between

mile markers 30 and 62

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Variable speed limit signs will help in prevent-ing road closures due to crashes.

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Know before you go.


Commission designates Battle Pass Scenic Byway

A 28-mile section of WYO 70 in the Medicine Bow National Forest between Encampment and Baggs has been desig-nated as Wyoming’s 16th scenic byway.

Battle Pass Scenic Byway crosses the Sierra Madre Mountains, reaching a peak elevation of 9,955 feet in an area rich in historic and cultural sites, scenic vistas and recreation opportunities.

The route was nominated for byway designation by the Grand Encampment Museum in Encampment. The Wyoming Transportation Commission approved the designation at it’s November meeting in Cheyenne.

The route passes between Bridger Peak and Battle Lake, and near the Huston

Park and Encampment River wilderness areas and Hog Park Reservoir.

It crosses the Continental Divide National Scenic Trail, and in addition to hiking, the area offers numerous oppor-tunities for camping, fishing, snowmobil-ing, cross-country skiing and hunting.

The route also passes near the rem-nants of once thriving mining and timbering communities at the Battle and Rambler townsites and Copperton, and the Ferris-Haggerty Mine, which at its peak in 1897 was the 27th largest copper mine in the world.

The byway intersects with Sage Creek Road, which provides access to Aspen Alley, a popular destination for viewing fall colors, and it features eight turnouts providing views of scenic, historic and geologic significance.

To be designated a scenic byway a

route must have at least one of six intrin-sic qualities: scenic, recreational, historic, archeological, natural and cultural.

“The Battle Pass Byway has all of those intrinsic qualities,” said Talbot Hauffe, WYDOT’s scenic byway coordinator. “This designation says this is a unique part of the world. We think it’s worth driving. You’re going to see places and views that are uncommon.”

Designation as a byway makes a route eligible for federal grants to preserve and promote features along the highway, how-ever, there is no grant money available under the current federal transportation budget.

Since the scenic byway program began in 1992, Wyoming byways have won nearly $14.3 million in federal grants.

– Dave Kingham

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The 28-mile section of WYO 70 (mileposts 22-50)within Medicine Bow Nat’l.Forest now designated asBattle Pass Scenic Byway


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The 28-mile section of WYO 70 (mileposts 22-50)within Medicine Bow Nat’l.Forest now designated asBattle Pass Scenic Byway

Study launched to deter-mine effects of wildlife warning reflectors on wildlife-vehicle collisions

WYDOT and Conservation Research Center of Teton Science Schools are beginning a three-year study this fall to evaluate the effects of wildlife warning reflectors on wildlife-vehicle collisions in Big Horn, Hot Springs and Fremont counties.

“More than 55,000 wildlife-vehicle collisions have been recorded in Wyo-ming during the past two decades, and of these, 6,000 have occurred within a 60-mile buffer of Thermopolis,” said Embere Hall, principal investigator of the

Conservation Resource Center of Teton Science Schools.

More than 17 million vehicle miles driven are recorded daily in Wyoming, and Fremont, Big Horn and Hot Springs counties rank seventh, 18th and 23rd, respectively, as counties with the most daily vehicle miles driven. But Big Horn, Hot Springs and Fremont counties also rank first, third and sixth, respectively, in the most wildlife-vehicle collisions per vehicle mile driven in Wyoming.

In 2007, WYDOT began installing wildlife warning reflectors (deer delinea-tors) throughout Big Horn, Hot Springs and Fremont counties.

“Wildlife warning reflectors are a rela-tively low cost wildlife-vehicle collision mitigation tool, especially when com-pared to wildlife overpasses and under-passes,” Hall said. “But little information exists on whether or not these delineators have reduced wildlife-vehicle collisions.”

Between 2007 and 2010, wildlife warning reflectors were installed west of Riverton on 4.7 miles of U.S. 26 between Kinnear and Riverton, and just north of Kinnear; on six miles of U.S. 16-20 be-tween Greybull and Basin; on 3.3 miles of U.S. 20 between Wind River Canyon and Thermopolis; and on 8.9 miles of U.S. 20 between Thermopolis and Lucerne.

Field research on the three-year study is scheduled for this fall and winter in the three counties. The Teton Science Schools research team will be parking near the highway this fall and winter to conduct its research in the three counties.

Hall said the study will determine the effect of the wildlife warning reflectors on the wildlife-vehicle collision rate; will quantify factors that influence wildlife-vehicle collisions; and will examine the effects of wildlife warning reflectors

on deer highway crossing patterns and behaviors.

“A properly installed modern wild-life warning reflector system consists of a series of roadside posts with unique reflectors mounted to face across the roadway,” Hall said. “As vehicles pass with headlights on, light is reflected in a moving pattern across the road at various angles. Approaching wildlife will notice the reflected light, causing them to halt until the vehicle and lights have passed.”

The manufacturer of the reflector system (Strieter Corp.) reports a 78 to 90 percent reduction in deer-vehicle colli-sions, but results of independent studies have varied on systems installed through-out the United States.

“Current information does not pro-vide a definitive conclusion on whether modern deer delineators are effective, nor is it clear if they influence deer behavior,” Hall said. “Our study will provide much-needed data on deer delineator efficacy as a wildlife-vehicle collision mitigation tool. It will address the effect of deer delinea-tors on roadside deer behavior, and it will develop an understanding of deer road crossing selection.”

Hall said results of the study should help WYDOT make future “informed decisions regarding transportation plan-ning, roadway improvements and mitiga-tion recommendations.”

– Cody Beers

Deer on the road can cause serious damage to vehicles and certain death for the animal.

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A wildlife warning reflector being used in various sections of highway on routes US 26, and US 16-20.

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Have you ever been at an event and by the time it’s over, the weath-er has taken a turn for the worse? At that point, have you wondered how on earth you will ever make it home?

Well, with the help of Vince Garcia and the crew at WYDOT’s GIS/ITS Program, folks attending events at the Casper Events Center (CEC) and the University of Wyoming Arena Auditorium can rest assured that before they exit, they can view updated road and travel information drawn from the WYDOT 511 Travel Information service that can help their decision-making process for getting home safely.

A recent installation of travel information monitors was unveiled at the Events Center. Garcia and other GIS/ITS staff oversaw the installation of more than a dozen 42-inch monitors screens with built-in web capability.

The screens refresh every five seconds to show a different traveling route. The routes shown at the CEC are I-25 north- and southbound, WYO 220, and US 20-26.

The information screens show real-time information from the 511 Web site (www.wyoroad.info). Transportation Management Center (TMC) employees keep the information updated with a click of their mouse. As soon as the changes are made in the TMC database, the changes to the maps are automatically pushed out to the event center monitors.

CEC manager Bud Dovala says the travel information screens

are a great addition to the Events Center.

“There was inclement weather during the recent State High School Volleyball Tour-nament,” Dovala said. “The public was very glad to have them. They were well used.”

Prior to the WYDOT travel information screens, the CEC had been using eight outdated and very large cathode ray tube televi-sion box sets for advertising at concessions. GIS/ITS replaced those sets with web-based monitors and added six monitors near exit locations to better serve guests leaving the facility.

GIS/ITS used the monitor frames and brackets that had been in use by CEC with minor modifications, including locking mechanisms, to hang the sleeker web-capable monitors on them. The GIS/ITS team supplied installation work. The CEC provided their own electrician to help with the wiring and connectivity issues.

Federal 402 grant monies were instrumental in funding the CEC project. Garcia credits Matt Carlson and other Highway Safety Program personnel for finding a way to provide grant funds used to purchase the electrical support from the CEC, as well as the 14 new monitors, the locking monitor brackets, and installation costs.

The travel information monitors at the CEC, although new to Casper, were not the first of their kind in the state. The UW Arena Auditorium in Laramie had been utilizing six travel infor-

Employees at the TMC in Cheyenne update weather conditions on the travel screens at the Casper Events Center and UW Arena Auditorium.

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travel information screen success

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mation monitors, two monitors per exit, and a touch screen, trip generator kiosk for some time.

Suzie Roseberry was responsible for creating the coding be-hind the Web feed that cycles travel information to both venues. Roseberry built the pages for the routes from UW Arena Audi-torium; I-80 east- and westbound, US 287 southbound and US 30-287 northbound. Once those pages had been established, it was easily converted to cover the information needed at the CEC. Each venue has a tailored Web site feed.

The UW travel kiosk, basically a 17-inch “laptop on a stand,” allows the user to point and click with a touch screen interface, to check weather and road conditions for specific areas not shown on the travel information monitors. The kiosks allow more func-tionality to select routes of interest for each user. Kevin Cox has been instrumental in developing the kiosk trip generators and looks to have a kiosk installed at the CEC in the near future.

The UW travel information project was funded with the GIS/ITS budget to purchase the six 42-inch Web-based monitors to broadcast travel information at the arena.

The Wyoming travel information monitor innovation has served as fodder for GIS/ITS staff when making presentations to their peers via a nationally broadcast webinar.

“The idea was well received by the attendees,” Garcia said. “To my knowledge, no other agency is utilizing the Web camera and travel information monitors in event centers. It may become a trend.”

These travel information monitors have great potential within the state, Garcia adds. For example, Powder River Mines is look-ing into putting WYDOT Web information up on their current hardware in three or four of their locations.

Many other buildings have potential for this type of streaming media. Ports of Entry, Travel and Tourism Information centers, and even privately run businesses such as ski areas could benefit from this technology. The travel information that WYDOT GIS/ITS sends out would be tailored for whomever needs the infor-mation.

Garcia was manager of the Information Technology Program when the first WYDOT Web camera, located at the I-80 Sum-mit Interchange, went live nearly a decade-and-a-half ago. Since then, WYDOT has averaged about eight new Web camera instal-lations annually, with the current total approaching 120.

Another WYDOT employee who has been instrumental in ex-panding the agency’s travel information service is Brian Peel, who along with Garcia and Kevin Cox, is one of the three employees remaining with the GIS/ITS since the program’s inception in the fall of 2003. Peel’s early work on WYDOT’s Road & Travel service (predecessor to 511 Travel Information) was recognized early on, being honored with the “Computerworld Smithsonian Award” in 1998. The award was focused on innovative work accomplished in simplifying and automating the data recording and distribu-tion process used to update Road & Travel reports.

– Carlie Van Winkle

Casper Events Center screen updates event-goers about weather they may encounter on their way out of the venue.

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Retirees and their guestsare invited to the

WYDOT RetireeChristmas Party

Thursday, December 136:00 - 9:00 p.m.

Cheyenne Airport Golf Club

Bring a potluck dish to share (don’t forget the serving utensil!)

Meat, place settings, coffee, tea and iced water

will be provided. Cash bar.

Please RSVP prior to December 13:Rick Eccli - 634-3231; John Lane - 638-6348;

Pat Collins - 635-2344; Pam Hendricks - 632-9151;or Ron Kisicki - 632-8413


District 3

District 2Welcome

Bryce Clements, Douglas Mainte-nance; and Kenneth Washburn, Midwest Maintenance.

Service AwardsMarc Drazick, Casper Maintenance –

5 years; andRandy Starkey, Douglas Patrol Field

– 5 years.

WelcomeDrew McMartin, Rock Springs

Maintenance; Reed Brandvik, Wamsutter Maintenance; and Derek Podleski, Kem-merer Maintenance.

Service AwardsBob Graham,

Evanston Construc-tion – 30 years;

David Racich, Pinedale Construc-tion – 25 years;

Brenda Phillips, Kemmerer Port of Entry – 10 years;

Tara Green, Pine-dale Construction – 5 years;

Andrew Jackson, Jackson Patrol Field – 5 years;

Clara Kindler, Rock Springs Con-struction – 5 years; and

Chad Ludwig, Jackson Patrol Field – 5 years.

District NewsHeadquarters District 1

WelcomeJoy Badwound, Highway Safety; For-

rest Bright, Patrol-Capitol Service Pro-tection; and Thomas Markos, ITS/GIS.

Service AwardsHuston Twitchell, Office Services-

Printing – 40 years;Julia Francis, Environmental Services

– 35 years;Kerry Casner, Driver Services-CDL –

30 years;Michael Patterson, Bridge Operations

Inspection – 30 years;Tracy Quinn, Materials-Surfacing – 30

years;Ronald Downey, Financial Services-

General Ledger – 25 years;Andrew Freeman, Materials-Bitumi-

nous – 15 years;Larry Sheridan, Telecommunications

Administration – 10 years; andMelinda Harmon, Motor Vehicle

Services-Registration/Title – 5 years.

RetirementsMichael Glass, Information Tech-

nology Support; Joyce Knapp, Patrol Dispatch; Laurie Wagner, Procurement-Buying; and Earleen Weaver, Motor Vehicle Services-Registrations/Titles.

CongratulationsKevin Lebeda has been chosen as the

new Land Management Program Man-ager I, replacing Michael J. Miller in the Right of Way Program. Kevin assumed his new duties on Oct. 24.

Service AwardsTy Nelson, Laramie Construction – 10

years;Sidney “Miles” Slater, Rawlins Main-

tenance – 10 years; Richard Demoney, Cheyenne Me-

chanics – 5 years; and Benjamin Schlosser, Rawlins Patrol

Field – 5 years.

CongratulationsShop Technicians who have completed

FOS testing recently: Mervin Breazeale, Cheyenne – power trains, general shop, electrical and hydraulics; Jeremy Chat-field, Laramie – engines and electrical; Carl Malone, Laramie – engines and rigging; and Daniel Thompson, Rawlins – general shop.

Cradle CallCongratulations to Rawlins mechanic

Danny Thompson and his wife, Stacy, on the arrival of their new son Garrett Riley Thompson. Garrett entered the world on Nov. 9 at 4:23 a.m., weighing in at 7 pounds 15 ounces. Congratulations!

Bob Graham

David Racich

Garrett Riley Thompson swaddled up tight.

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Richard DemoneyMiles Slater

Jeremy Chatfield and Carl Malone

Mervin BreazealeDanny Thompson

Submissions deadline for the January issue of Interchange:

12/12/12


WelcomeAngela Munger, Worland Mainte-

nance; and Tamara Robertson, Driver Services-Lander/Dubois/Riverton.

Service AwardsShelby Carlson, District 5 Adminis-

tration – 25 years;Keith Compton, District 5 Construc-

tion staff – 25 years;Bruce Johnson, Lander Construction

– 25 years;Eric Gaasland, Lander Construction –

5 years; and Robert Cecrle, Lander Patrol Field – 5

years.

Carlson reaches career milestone

Shelby Carlson of Greybull has earned a 25-year service award.

Carlson has served as WYDOT District 5 Engineer in Basin for more than

8.5 years.Prior to her promotion to district engi-

neer in Basin, Carlson was a construction staff engineer for five years in Cheyenne, principle engineer in project development for five years in Cheyenne, and a field engineer for five years in Cheyenne.

Carlson has worked for WYDOT since 1989. She also worked at the University of Wyoming for two years.

The Riverton native is a 1981 graduate of Riverton High School. She graduated in 1984 from Central Wyoming College in Riverton with an associate’s degree in engineering, and she graduated in 1987 with a bachelor’s of science degree in civil engineering from the University of Wyoming.

Carlson and her husband, Michael, have two daughters. She enjoys outdoor activities and watching youth sports in her spare time.

Compton earns 25-year service award

Keith Compton of Worland has earned his 25-year service award with WYDOT.

Compton has served as District 5 construction engineer in Basin for more than eight years.

Compton was most recently WYDOT’s construction staff engineer in Cheyenne. Prior to that, he served as principal engineer-bridge in Cheyenne, and his original WYDOT position was as a field engineer in Gillette.

Compton has worked for WYDOT since June 1988.

The Gillette native is a 1982 graduate of Campbell County High School. He received an associate’s of applied science degree in drafting from Casper College in 1984, and a bachelor’s of science degree in civil engineering from the University of Wyoming in 1988.

WYDOT District 5 covers northwest Wyoming, including South Pass, Lander, Riverton, Shoshoni, Thermopolis, Wor-land, Ten Sleep, Basin, Greybull, Lovell, Powell, Cody, Meeteetse and Dubois.

Compton and his wife, Wendy, have two daughters and one son.

District 4 District 5

WelcomeStephen Tarbotton, Reno Junction

Maintenance.

Service AwardsRebecca Kobielusz, Sheridan Con-

struction – 30 years;Ernest Grow, Gillette Maintenance –

20 years; and Shelly McDonald, Sundance Port of

Entry – 5 years.

CongratulationsJohn Collins transferred from Kaycee

Maintenance to Sheridan Maintenance; Robbie Goodnough, selected as Moor-croft heavy equipment operator; and Misty Wood, Sheridan Construction.

Extra MileAWARDS

Congratulations October recipients!WYDOT salutes the following Director’s Extra Mile Award recipients. The award is presented to individuals who have traveled the “extra mile” in service to WYDOT.

Don Legerski

Matt Phillips

James Kladianos

Sue Palmer

Lois Neckel

Erin Howard

Jessica Stevens

Dallas Ortiz

Brandon Hamilton

Bodie Ernst

Robin Clapp

Shane Pugh

Larry Anesi

Mike Miller

Serene Nordwick

Jared Nuhn

Paul Vanderbloom

Craig Walker

Jim Whetstone

For more information about the Extra Mile Award or to nominate someone, contact Janet Farrar at [email protected] or

Mel Anderson at [email protected].

Ernie GrowBecky Kobielusz

Keith Compton

Shelby Carlson


Dallas Laird, a Casper crimi-nal defense attorney, spoke out against drinking and driving at the kick-off news confer-ence for the 2012 Natrona County holiday drunk driv-ing campaign. Laird has been outspoken against drinking and driving as well as other forms of distracted driving.

The “You Drink and Drive. You Lose.” campaign is a multi-agency effort in Natrona County to reduce drunken driving through education and encouraging residents to call 9-1-1 to report drunk drivers.

– Jeff Goetz

Dallas Laird speaking out against drinking and driving at a press conference in Casper.

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October and November Service Award Recipients

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Service award luncheons are held by the Transportation Commission for employees celebrating milestones of 25 years of service or greater.

This month’s service award recipients: (clockwise from top left) Keith Compton, Shelby Carlson, Ron Downey, Kerry Casner, Becky Kobielusz, and Lt. Doug Dome.

In The Community

Total number of employees:

as of Oct. 31, 2012

2,055One month ago

2,046One year ago

2,021

Submissions deadline for the next issue of

WYDOT Outdoors:12/12/12Get your photos

[email protected]


Randall J. FuquaRandall J. Fuqua,

65, passed away Oct. 5 in Harrison, Arkan-sas after a short battle with cancer.

Fuqua was part of the Meeteetse maintenance crew for more than 13 years prior to his retire-ment in Jan. 2009.

All who knew him will miss his wry wit and sense of humor.

Richard “Dick” HandRichard T. “Dick” Hand, 79, of Chey-

enne, died on Nov. 15 at the Cheyenne VA Medical Center. Hand retired from WYDOT Project De-velopment in 1995.

Hand moved his family from Laramie, where he was hired by the Wyoming Highway Department in 1961, to Cheyenne in 1968 where he continued his career with the Highway Development Program.

Hand was instrumental in the develop-ment of the earthwork design system and project control systems within Highway Development.

During his career at WHD and then WYDOT, he distinguished himself as the recipient of the International Highway Engineers Exchange Program’s Glen Close award in 1994.

He was a board member of the Wyo-ming Highway Department Employees Association and chairman of the WyHy Credit Union.

Hand had served in both the United States Marine Corps and Army. He served one tour in post-war Germany.

Hand enjoyed all Wyoming had to offer. He was an avid reader of Wyoming history and enjoyed its wide open spaces, dirt roads and “alternate routes.” He enjoyed the sports of hunting, fishing and golf.

His final golf shot was a hole-in-one on the ninth hole of the Cheyenne

Airport Golf Course. He was an active volunteer at the Cheyenne Old West Mu-seum, was a Life Member of the BPO Elks and was a regular performer in the XJWC “Red Stocking Revue.”

Dick is survived by many family mem-bers and friends. Pat Hand, one of Dick’s surviving brothers, is a former Transpor-tation Commisioner.

A funeral Mass was held Nov. 29 at St. Mary’s Cathedral in Cheyenne.

Marvin D. LeffMarvin D. Leff, 87, passed away Nov.

6. Leff worked for the old Wyoming Highway Department, WYDOT’s pre-decessor agency, as a Right-of-Way land appraiser until his retirement in 1990.

Leff was born Jan. 17, 1925, in Chey-enne. He graduated from the New Mexico Military Institute and attended Texas A&M University.

From 1943-1946, he served in the U.S. Army and fought in the Battle of the Bulge, for which he earned two Bronze Stars.

A 60-year-volunteer for Cheyenne Frontier Days, he was recently inducted into the annual fair’s Hall of Fame. He is also a past president of the Cheyenne Ki-wanis Club. After Leff and his wife moved to Denver in 1993, he began volunteering at Bonfils Blood Center.

A graveside service was held at Eman-uel Cemetery, Denver on Nov. 8.

Passings

Date Class LocationDec 5 Business Writing Today CheyenneDec 6 Problem-Solving and Decision-Making WYDOT-only TLNDec 10-14 New Employee Orientation (NEO) CheyenneDec 11 Advanced Facilitation Skills TLNDec 12 Context Sensitive Solutions and Related Tools and Options TLNDec 18 Strengthening Our Emotional Intelligence Cheyenne Dec 19 The Mentor Relationship CheyenneDec 20 Living the Less-Stress Lifestyle CheyenneDec 19 Alternatives to Paving TLN

Coming up in January 2013:Jan 8-11 New Supervisor Orientation #1 (NSO) Cheyenne

To register, or to find out more details, call the Training Program and talk to David Talley (777-4792),

Jim Boyd (777-4791) or Rhonda DeLeeuw (777-4790).

When you call, ask about the videos, books and audiotapes available from the Training Resource Library.

Glanceat aTraining

Here are upcoming training opportunities from WYDOT University and the

Transportation Learning Network (TLN)

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Editor’s note: The How It’s Made program featuring

Mike Schulte and his jade golf putters has been delayed. Evi-dently, Hurricane Sandy caused some scheduling changes on the Science Channel.

The program is now scheduled to air on Sunday, Dec. 30 on the Science Channel. Check your local listings for more informa-tion.

Randall Fuqua

Dick Hand

Schulte showing Interchange staff his jade putter during his 2011 interview.

Phot

o: R

ick C

arpe

nter

Pre-sortedStandard

U.S. Postage PaidCheyenne, WY 82009

Permit No. 24

InterchangeWyoming Department of Transportation5300 Bishop Blvd.Cheyenne, Wyoming 82009-3340

Address Service Requested

ICE &SNOW?

Take it slowKnow before you go.

interchange - december 2012

Documents

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