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GUCA Celebrates at Annual Conference Falling Bridge Debris Snarls Atlanta Route
GUCA celebrated its 40th Stephens Inc. and associate memanniversary at the Ritz-Carlton, ber Large & Gilbert PC. Amelia Island, Fla., during the The National Utility Contractors 2011 GUCA Annual Conference Association Inc., represented by held on June 16 to 19, 2011. 2011-2012 Chairman Ryan The conference began with a Schmitt, Petticoat-Schmitt Civil welcome reception where attenEngineers, updated the members dees had the opportunity to neton issues at the national level and work with friends, clients and other praised the GUCA and its members member guests and families. for all of their accomplishments. The June 17 morning conferPresentations by Rhonda Gilbert ence session began with the and Tom Savage, Large & Gilbert GUCA Industry chit-chat. The PC, on “Ways to Cut Overhead”; business session followed and Joyce Klemmer, Smith, Gambrell included elections of the 2011& Russell LLP, on “Social 2012 GUCA Officers and Networking and the Law”; and Directors: President Charlie Ken Meyer, Alignment at Work, Murren, C.A. Murren & Sons LLC, on “Proactively Working Company Inc.; First Vice President with Municipalities” followed the Angela Lange, Peed Bros. Inc.; business session. Second Vice President Regina Newly appointed 2011-2012 GUCA The evening of June 17 memShelnutt, Robert M. Anderson Inc.; President Charlie Murren, C.A. Murren bers gathered for the Race to the Treasurer Ed Shipley, Ronny D. & Sons Inc., addresses the crowd at the Finish PAC Auction, which helped Jones Enterprises Inc.; Secretary 2011 GUCA Annual Conference. GUCA raise money for the GUCA Mark Gravel, Willow Construction PAC. Members and their families Inc.; Ex-Officio Mitch Stephens, John D. Stephens Inc.; enjoyed a live and silent auction and had a chance to parDirectors Matt Chatham, Blount Construction Co. Inc.; ticipate in the raffle price contest. Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers Brandon Cooper, Construction Perfected Inc.; Richard helped keep the live auction in motion while helping Krauss, STS/Utiliquest; Keith Plemons, Southeast GUCA reach its monetary goal. Connections LLC; Sanford Stokes, Western Summit The closing conference session began June 18 with the Constructors Inc.; and Associate Directors Ben Corbitt, GUCA Awards Breakfast. Each committee chairman highFerguson Waterworks and Jeff Duncan, Cowin Equipment lighted their committee accomplishments. Charlie Murren, Company. C.A. Murren & Sons Company Inc. was presented with the GUCA also recognized the following retiring board Committee Chairman of the Year Award. Other awards directors: President Mitch Stephens, John D. Stephens Inc.; were presented to the Hard Hat Safety Award winners, First Vice President Charlie Murren, C.A. Murren & Sons which included: 0-400,000 Man-Hours Plant Construction, Company Inc.; Second Vice President Angela Lance, Peed Douglas Electrical & Plumbing Company, Inc.; 400,000 + Bros. Inc.; Treasurer Regina Shelnutt, Robert M. Anderson Man-Hours Plant Construction, Skanska USA Civil Inc.; Secretary Mark Gravel, Willow Construction Inc.; Southeast; 0-100,000 Man-Hours Pipeline Construction, directors Matt McCormack, Archer Western Contractors Robert M. Anderson Inc.; 100,000 + Man-Hours Pipeline Inc.; John Morris, Heavy Constructors Inc.; Ed Shipley Construction, Richard Harp Excavation Inc.; and the Hard Ronny D. Jones Enterprises Inc.; Reese Taylor, Barnett Hat Safety Award Overall Winner, Douglas Electrical & Southern Corporation; Kelly Wilson, Western Summit Plumbing Company Inc. Awards also were presented to Constructors Inc.; and, associate directors Fielder Martin, Judy Turpin, Turpin Inc., for Contractor Member of the Shapiro, Fussell, Wedge & Martin LLP, and Tom Savage, Year and to Tom Savage, Large & Gilbert PC, for Associate Large & Gilbert PC. Member of the Year. The GUCA presented the 2010-2011 Star Partner of the Membership contest winners included first place, Mark Year Awards. The Star Partner Awards were presented to Accetturo, Reynolds Inc., with 11 recruits and second place the contractor and associate members who support GUCA, honors were split between Angela Lance, Peed Bros. Inc. not only through sponsorship donations, but also through and David Nelms, Brown, Nelms & Co. PC, with 4 recruits safety and education class registrations, conference and each. event registrations, and overall boundless support of this Other members participating included Chris Jones, association. The recipients of the Star Partner Awards for H&H Insurance Services Inc.; Regina Shelnutt, Robert M. the 2010-2011 year were contractor member John D. see ANNIVERSARY page 6
ATLANTA (AP) Metal railings rained down onto a heavily traveled interstate in downtown Atlanta from a landmark bridge late Aug. 13, narrowly missing vehicles on the key corridor and shutting off traffic both ways for hours during the night, authorities and motorists said. No one was reported injured when the aluminum fencing and canopy supports for a pedestrian walkway on the bridge crumbled above the main Downtown Connector shortly before midnight, said Karlene Barron, communications director of the Georgia Department of Transportation. “We’re extremely thankful nobody got hurt,” Barron told The Associated Press. She said inspectors determined early Aug. 14 that the 17th Street Bridge remained structurally sound but it appeared a secondary structure of aluminum fencing and walkway canopy supports atop the bridge had given way in one area. “It caused a sort of zipper effect because of the weight. One part failed and it just kind of ripped everything down,” she said, citing the initial inspection. She said the debris fell over the northbound side of the Downtown Connector about where Interstates 75 and 85 meet. Traffic backed up for miles, but police then re-routed motorists on other highways in and around Atlanta. The snarled corridor is one of the most heavily traveled in the area, snaking through the center of Atlanta. Barron told AP later that traffic was again flowing in both directions after sunrise. She said contractors would be at the bridge in coming hours to remove other sections of railing that hadn’t fallen and that could result in at least partial closures of lanes later in the day or night. Motorist Reggie Lee told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution that he saw something falling from the bridge as he was driving on the Downtown Connector and knew he had to stop carefully. But he said he didn’t want to cause a pileup and tried to ease up gently because of traffic. “I knew I had to brake slowly, try to give people behind me time to stop,” Lee said. “No one hit anybody.” Lee said the debris landed about 10 ft. (3 m) from his car and missed falling on any of the other vehicles in the area. Crews brought in dump trucks, cranes and flatbed trucks to remove the debris. An Associated Press reporter at the scene before dawn said the immediate area around the bridge had emptied of all but police cars and other emergency vehicles — like one vast, empty parking lot. The bridge opened in March 2004 and links Atlanta’s Midtown with a bustling live-in community of shops, trendy restaurants and homes just across the Downtown Connector on the other side. Some of the debris was seen on a ramp.