around
the cone
Vol. 3, No. 4
Spring 2018
In this issue A Message from Bart 3 Signs of Great Things to Come 3 Work Zone Awareness Week 2018 4 Hobson and Mann Receive Commissioner’s Award 4 Shared Facility Groundbreaking 5 VDOT and the (Masked) Bandits 5 Environmental Team Suits Up 6 Timsbury Creek Restoration Project Update 6 Safety Solutions 7 Employee Spotlight: Karen Kee 7 Richmond District Roadeo 2018 8 New Ashland Residency Administrator 8 The Buzz 9 World Down Syndrome Day 10 Employee Update 11
Cover photo: South Hill inmate supervisor Jessie Craig shows off his motorgrader skills in the Richmond District roadeo
A Message from Bart - Richmond District Engineer Who’s ready for summer? With warmer temperatures already upon us, it’s crucial to remember to practice safety when working in the elements, especially in the heat and sun. Pack extra bottles of water before heading out to the work site, find a shady area to take a quick break, and keep an eye out for heat illness or exhaustion in your colleagues. It’s so important to stick together and remind each other to stay alert when working outdoors. Speaking of the weather, I want to commend everyone for your outstanding work during the heavy rainstorms in May and early June. A number of roads in the district were flooded or damaged from washouts, and everyone responded with a sense of urgency and purpose. Drainage facilities were cleared in record time, small repairs were made, and long-term repairs were scheduled. I cannot thank you enough for your excellent work to ensure the public stayed informed and safe. The district saw a host of notable accomplishments during the spring. We broke ground on our joint facility with Virginia State Police and the Traffic Operations Center, the Central Virginia Sign Shop (housed in the Richmond District) completed its renovation and expansion, and two district employees received a coveted Commissioner’s Award for their efforts to improve workplace safety. Additionally, we wrapped up this year’s round of roadeos, thanks to the hard work and diligence of everyone who helped plan and execute the events. We have an outstanding team representing Richmond District this year and our expectations remain the same – Win It All!!! I am excited to watch our district winners compete at the Statewide Roadeo on August 2… hopefully, they will bring home the gold! Looking ahead, please remember to keep up with all job-related training, and don’t forget to submit safety ideas for the Chief Engineer’s Safety Excellence Award Program. Ask your supervisor for a copy of the safety improvement idea submission form, or speak to our Safety team to share your ideas on how we can make VDOT a safer place to work. Have a great summer and above all, be safe. Sincerely, Bart Thrasher, P.E.
Signs of Great Things to Come On May 9, the Central VDOT Sign Shop (CVSS) held an open house to celebrate the completion of its new renovation and expansion. Employees of the 15,000-square-foot shop walked visitors through the process of creating signs from the graphic design phase to final production. The commonwealth’s only sign facility gives the shop team a more streamlined production process with free flow between individual departments. Last year, the CVSS created 156,000 signs and decals for use statewide.
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Work Zone Awareness Week 2018 VDOT held its 20th annual Work Zone Awareness Week from April 9-13. On Tuesday, April 10, the agency gathered at the VDOT Workers’ Memorial on Afton Mountain for a vigil to remember those who lost their lives while in a VDOT work zone. The vigil opened with remarks from Culpeper District Administrator John Lynch, B&S Contracting, Inc. Owner and CEO Sheila Cramer and DRIVE SMART Virginia Executive Director Janet Brooking. Richmond District Repair Shop Manager Jeff Thompson followed with the story of how he lost his brother, William Ronnie Thompson, to a VDOT work zone crash in 1988. Thompson emphasized the importance of driving safely in work zones, and mentioned how Ronnie’s death impacts his behavior when driving today.
Closing remarks were given by VDOT Commissioner Stephen C. Brich, P.E., and Virginia Secretary of Transportation Shannon Valentine as the sun set and illuminated cones, signed by VDOT employees statewide, which stood as our pledge to remain safe in work zones.
Hobson and Mann Receive Commissioner’s Award for Workplace Safety Richmond District employees Ron Hobson (Project Controls Engineer) and Shane Mann (District Construction Engineer) received the Commissioner’s Award for Outstanding Achievement in the Workplace Safety category for their work on creating new methods of safety communication among construction employees and contractors. They created a series of short videos, text messages, phone blasts and emails to supplement regular safety meetings in the construction division. “We wanted to keep up with advanced and preferred technology in our workforce by creating messages that we knew would attract attention and enforce meaning and change in worker behavior,” said Mann. “Ron did a fantastic job cultivating new ideas for communicating with our team members in a less antiquated way than the standard email or often ignored poster.” Mann and Hobson will continue tossing around new ideas for conveying workplace safety to employees and their families. Be on the lookout for more great ideas from them! Around the Cone 4
VDOT, VSP Break Ground on Joint Operations Center VDOT and Virginia State Police broke ground on a new 85,000-square-foot facility on April 26 that will house several of VDOT’s Richmond District departments, VDOT’s Richmond Traffic Operations Center, VSP’s Richmond Division Emergency Communications Center, and the administrative offices for the VSP Bureau of Field Operations’ Richmond Division and VSP Bureau of Criminal Investigation’s Richmond Field Office. Richmond District Engineer Bart Thrasher, P.E., opened the groundbreaking ceremony with facts about the new building and the opportunity to co-locate with VSP. His remarks were followed by comments from VDOT Commissioner Stephen C. Brich, P.E., State Police Lt. Col. Tracy S. Russillo, Virginia’s Secretary of Transportation Shannon Valentine and Speaker of Virginia’s House of Delegates Kirk Cox. Speakers unveiled a rendering of the new facility, followed by an official groundbreaking. Construction is expected to be complete by fall 2019 and the new facility will be located on the grounds of the current VDOT Richmond District office.
VDOT and the (Masked) Bandits Following a recent round of heavy rainstorms in the Richmond District, Beach Area Headquarters crews were on the move to clear drainage facilities and debris. While removing a fallen tree blocking the road, a team member noticed small movements nearby. The team investigated further and discovered a pair of orphaned raccoon cubs, narrowly missed by the tree. Beach Area Headquarters Superintendent Buzz Bryant jumped into action, providing the abandoned siblings food and shelter until the wildlife rescue could respond. These cuties are safe and sound now, thanks to the Beach crew’s keen eyes!
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Environmental Team Suits Up for Adopt-a-Highway Members of the Richmond District Environmental team grabbed their gloves and orange bags and set to work clearing litter along Pine Forest Drive on April 23. The Environmental crew picks up litter on the roadsides two to three times a year in memory of their late colleague, John Wells. As part of the Adopt-a-Highway program, the team took over cleaning duties on Pine Forest Drive in 2007, shortly after Wells’ passing, to remember his passion for the environment and love for VDOT. “John was our Architectural Historian and Cultural Resource Manager, and a wonderful person,” said Palmer Stearns, Richmond District Environmental Manager. “The few staff members on board today who had the pleasure of knowing John miss him greatly, and we know he would be happy to see us beautifying Virginia as a team.” Stearns later added that the Environmental team encourages folks to get involved in the Adopt-a-Highway program, and to check out the goings-on in the department. “We always have small jobs to help keep Virginia beautiful, from collecting trash to watering the pollinator garden on-site.” VDOT’s Adopt-a-Highway program began in 1988, engaging Virginians to keep roadsides litter-free. In 2017, VDOT partnered with Keep Virginia Beautiful to increase outreach and volunteers for the program. Each year, nearly 18,000 volunteers collect more than 25,000 bags of waste along Virginia highways. If you or your team are interested in adopting a roadway, visit http://www.virginiadot.org/programs/prog-aah-about-adoption.asp.
Pictured above, left: Erica Jeter and James Hatcher Pictured above, center: Palmer Stearns Pictured above, right: Erica Jeter, Palmer Stearns, Kirk Millikan, Carey Jones and James Hatcher
Timsbury Creek Restoration Project Nears Completion Progress continues on the Environmental Division’s restoration of Timsbury Creek, which runs through the Richmond District complex. The creek will have 2,200 linear feet of new “natural stream design” channel which will reduce the amount of sediment entering Virginia’s waters by 145,000 pounds per year. It will also reduce nitrogen and phosphorous pollutants, improving the health of our waters and wildlife.
Pictured left: Environmental Compliance Inspector Nick Gerardi shows district employees the changes that have been made as part of the Timsbury Creek restoration project
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Safety Solutions Have you checked your list of hot weather safety reminders this year? Now is a great time to refresh yourself on how to stay safe outside during the summer, on and off the clock. When working in hot weather, remember three things your body needs to stay healthy: water, rest and shade. Water: • Water should be your primary source of hydration. • One way your body cools itself is through sweating. Drinking water replaces fluids lost when you sweat. • Drink 1-2 cups of water at home before you leave for work. • Plan ahead each day and have plenty of cool drinking water available on the job site. • During periods of physical work, drink a cup of water 3-4 times per hour, even if you’re not thirsty. • Minimize drinks that contain caffeine or alcohol. These drinks make you urinate more frequently and can lead to dehydration. • A sports drink may be appropriate if you have done a lot of sweating. Something to be careful about with sports drink is that many are high in sodium, so people with certain medical conditions such as high blood pressure may want to avoid them. Rest and shade: • Physical work causes the body’s temperature to increase. On hot days, this places extra stress on the body. • The amount of rest needed depends on how well-acclimated you are to the heat. • During the first couple of days of hot weather, take more frequent rest breaks and find a shaded or air conditioned area to cool off. This can be as simple as getting out of the sun several times each hour for a few minutes while getting a drink of water. • After 4-5 days of working in hot weather, your body will be better acclimated and you can work for longer periods of time between rest breaks. If you have any safety-related questions or if you would like more information regarding hot weather safety, contact Marchel Johnson, District Safety Manager at Marchel.Johnson@VDOT.Virginia.gov or (804) 837-9118. Make safety a priority every day!
Employee Spotlight - Karen Kee Richmond District’s own Karen Kee was recently featured by Tidewater Community College for her story about earning her Associate of Applied Science in Civil Engineering Technology. Kee, a construction program analyst, teleworks from home one to three days a week, and says that a civil engineering degree is a game changer. She began her VDOT career in Hampton Roads initially as a fiscal assistant. After more than four years, she was eager to begin a new adventure and applied for a contract administration position. She was rejected three times. She then moved into a fiscal technician position, but wasn’t satisfied. She left VDOT to work in consulting as a management analyst in construction services, all the while chipping away at a civil engineering degree. She graduated in 2012. “The degree was the icing on the cake to help with the skill set I had,” said Kee. “It made me a lot more valuable.” She returned to VDOT four years ago, working in the Richmond District Construction office. Congrats on your accomplishments, Karen! Around the Cone 7
Richmond District Roadeo 2018 Winners from the four residency roadeos and the district complex games stepped up to the plate for the districtwide competition on May 22. Below is the list of winners and runners-up. Best of luck to you all in the statewide games on August 2! Single Axle Truck 1st Place - Timothy Osborne, Nottoway Area Headquarters 2nd Place - Jerry Baisey, Burnt Store Area Headquarters Tandem Axle Truck 1st Place - Marc Clary, Sturgeonville Area Headquarters 2nd Place - Jeremy Hayes, McKenney Area Headquarters Backhoe 1st Place - Brandon West, Jennings Ordinary Bridge Crew 2nd Place - John Long, Victoria Area Headquarters Motorgrader 1st Place - Russell Ezell, Burnt Store Area Headquarters 2nd Place - Chris Flor, Jennings Ordinary Bridge Crew Tractor 1st Place - Matthew Perkins, Nottoway Area Headquarters 2nd Place - James Courter, Nottoway Area Headquarters Low Boy 1st Place - John Eckert, Richmond District Equipment Shop
Executive Staff Competition 1st Place - Brian Currin, South Hill Residency 2nd Place - Dianna Bryant, Petersburg Residency Richmond District Points Championship 1st Place - Petersburg Residency 2nd Place - South Hill Residency Pictured above left to right, back: James Courter (Nottoway AHQ), Brandon West (Jennings Ordinary Bridge), Marc Clary (Sturgeonville AHQ), Timothy Osborne (Nottoway AHQ), Matthew Perkins (Nottoway AHQ), Jerry Baisey (McKenney AHQ) Pictured above left to right, front: Chris Flor (Jennings Ordinary Bridge), Bart Thrasher (District Engineer), Russell Ezell (Burnt Store AHQ)
New Ashland Residency Administrator Please welcome Marshall Winn as the new Residency Administrator of the Ashland Residency. Marshall has dedicated the entirety of his 41 years with VDOT to working in Ashland, beginning as a Construction Inspector working on I-295. He also served as a Highway Maintenance Foreman, Transportation Maintenance Superintendent and Transportation Operations Manager before becoming Assistant Residency Administrator in 2012. Over the course of his career, Marshall has worked diligently to build respect and strong relationships with localities, citizens and residency staff. Marshall holds an Associates of Applied Science Degree in Drafting and Design from J. Sargeant Reynolds Community College. Congratulations on your new role, Marshall!
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The Buzz “My mom had a flat tire on I-295 today. Before family could get to her aid, Donel of your Safety Service Patrol stopped and had the spare on the car. What a great service. He was polite and helpful, and gave warnings about limits of driving on a spare tire. Thank you so much.” Margaret
“I wanted to send a compliment along for the supervisor that was with the tree trimming crew on Howards Mill Road. He was very nice and polite, and they did a great job on the trees. The supervisor went so far as to pick up broken asphalt in front of my house and came back to fix the hole. I told him about a hole on another street and he fixed that as well. I’m very impressed! Thanks for all that VDOT does!” Claude from Montpelier
“I had a bike crash on the Virginia Capital Trail. Clifton Morris came to the rescue and assisted me, loaded my bike onto the truck and made sure I received it later. I’m very grateful for his kindness and “I wanted to let you know how impressed I am with the local VDOT wanted to let him know.” crew. No matter what I report - downed trees, potholes, etc. - they William from Charles City are always fast and efficient with repairs. Compared to other states, VDOT exceeds expectations. Thank you.” David from Powhatan “Thank you for your work on service request #885222. I called it in at 10:09 this morning and the mowing has already been done. Thank you very much for a job well done!!” Judy from Pocahontas
“Regarding service request #875815, I wanted to thank VDOT for the work they did on cleaning the debris up on Echoway Road in “I was traveling on I-64 and stopped at the rest area at mile marker Richmond. They cleaned up the spots I knew of and also areas I 213. I was pleasantly surprised at how nice and clean the rest area didn’t know about. I’m really thankful.” Julia from Chesterfield was. I appreciate the hard work. I wanted to give an extra thank you to Mary, who was working there at the time.” Martie from New Kent
“I wanted to thank the crew that picked up the trash along Old Church Road. It looks much better.” Kenneth from New Kent “I appreciate the awesome job done on service request #880116. Thank you Jerry Bailey for all your help.” Pat from Burnt Store “I wanted to send a compliment to VDOT regarding the digital sign on I-95 near Exit 69 which read ‘Phones down, eyes up.’ I thought this was excellent and will be posting positive feedback on Facebook about this. Please send this up the chain of command.” Joseph from Chesterfield
See letter to left “To whom it may concern: A big ‘thank you’ to the employees of the Virginia Department of Transportation who maintain Highway 800 in Buffalo Junction.” James and Joyce from Mecklenburg “I wanted to thank the team for the quick response to this problem and for assistance with service request #879269 for Spruce Avenue in Chester. Thanks again!” Kathy from Chester
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“I put in a request to fill a hole on Easter Sunday, and it was fixed within four days. Just wanted to say THANK YOU and keep up the great work!” Heather from Nottoway
“I met with your representatives and talked to the crew chief, I believe his name was Ken Jones, and also talked with Charles [Banks]. Both were very interested in what I was hoping for as a result of improving my roadside drainage that had been in poor condition for many years. They listened intently and indicated that they would take great pride in achieving my goals. Upon my return to the property, I could see that they did exactly that. The resulting contour of the drainage easement was terrific and I am very appreciative of their efforts and the efforts of their crew. Thank you.” Allen from Pocahontas
Father-Son Duo Celebrates World Down Syndrome Day
World Down Syndrome Day (WDSD) is observed annually on March 21 to represent the three copies of the 21st chromosome that individuals with Down Syndrome have. It’s a day celebrated by the global Down Syndrome community in order to raise public awareness and create a single global voice advocating for the rights, inclusion and well-being of people with Down Syndrome. Main themes that participants strive to demonstrate are that individuals with Down Syndrome are more alike the global community than they are different, and that it’s important not to put a “dis” in front of anyone’s abilities. Blue and yellow are the official colors, and you can also show your support by wearing crazy socks. Richmond District project manager Adam Brooks celebrates WDSD in honor of his oldest son, Josiah, and all of his peers with Down Syndrome. Thanks for sharing this great story with us, guys!
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Richmond District Employee Update
Welcome to our new Richmond District employees Mary-Margaret Allen, Human Resources Manager - Richmond District Human Resources Christopher Barnes, Operator Maintenance - Prince George Area Headquarters Billy Beasley, Operator Maintenance - Prince George Area Headquarters Paul Bower, Jr., Traffic Signal Technician - Central Region Operations (CRO) Asset Management Tristen Bunch, Operator Maintenance - Nottoway Area Headquarters David Cain, Operator Maintenance - McKenney Area Headquarters Bailey Cain, Structure & Bridge Operator - South Hill Bridge Crew Michael Carretta, Roadway Design Engineer - Richmond District Location & Design (transfer from the VDOT Learning Center) Randolph Cashion, Operator Maintenance - Amelia Area Headquarters Annais Christian, Operator Maintenance - Prince George Area Headquarters Cam’ron Drew, Operator Maintenance - Church Road Area Headquarters Ryan Evans, Operator Maintenance - Pocahontas Area Headquarters Vincent Fogg, Operator Maintenance - Kenbridge Area Headquarters Jason Garretson, Operator Maintenance - Powhatan Area Headquarters James Gentry, Operator Maintenance - Montpelier Area Headquarters Willie Gordon, Jr., Land Use Engineer - Chesterfield Land Use (transfer from Central Office Location and Design) Erica Jeter, Senior Environmental Document Specialist - Richmond District Environmental (transfer from Central Office
Environmental)
Kimberly Kidwell, Construction Contract Admin Specialist - Richmond District Construction (transfer from Virginia
Department of Corrections)
Anthony Kren, Operator Maintenance - Prince George Area Headquarters Johnnie Lowery, Operator Maintenance - Prince George Area Headquarters Bob Spieldenner, Communications Manager - Richmond District Communications Kevin Stotesberry, Operator Maintenance - Sturgeonville Area Headquarters John Valentine, Traffic Signal Technician - Central Region Operations (CRO) Traffic Operations Management Jingzhu Wang, Senior Structure & Bridge Engineer - Richmond District Structure & Bridge Shelby Watson, Operator Maintenance - Bethia Area Headquarters Derrick Wayland, Sr., Construction Inspector - Northern Region Construction (transfer from the VDOT Learning Center)
A fond farewell to our retirees Anna Bitting, Senior Engineering Technician - Richmond District Structure & Bridge Charles Layne, Transportation Operator II - Chase City Area Headquarters Bruce McNabb, Resident Engineer - Ashland Residency Donna Prock, Program Management Analyst - Richmond District Planning John Walker, Construction Inspector - Central Region Construction
30 years of service 39 years of service 4 years of service 13 years of service 30 years of service
In memory Bill Harney, Sign Crew Operator - Chester Area Headquarters
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Around the Cone is a quarterly newsletter written for, by and about the employees of the VDOT Richmond District. Amelia Brunswick Charles City Chesterfield Dinwiddie Goochland Hanover
Henrico Lunenburg Mecklenburg New Kent Nottoway Powhatan Prince George
We want to hear good news from you! Send your story ideas for the next issue of Around the Cone, the electronic bulletin boards (EBBs), or InsideVDOT News to VDOTRVA@VDOT.Virginia.gov.