February 2015 Interchange

Interchange February 2015, Vol. 43, Issue 2

Road Condition Reporting App Advanced tool hits the road

Letters

WYDOT thanked for giving generously Dear WYDOT, On behalf of the local Cheyenne Toys for Tots 2014 campaign, I am writing to thank you for your continued support and contributions to our campaign this year. You and your team helped us to deliver toys to over 1,100 Laramie County children this year.

For the many volunteers, businesses and sponsors who make our local Toys for Tots campaign possible year after year, Toys for Tots embodies the true spirit of Christmas. The gift of a shiny new toy – something that most children take for granted – means to a needy child that someone cares, that he or she hasn’t been forgotten, that Christmas hasn’t passed them by.

The Marine Corps Reserve believes that “Every Child Deserves a Little Christmas,” and we want to thank you for your support and contributions in making this year a fabulous success in providing a Christmas of joy for over 300 Laramie County families.

With much appreciation, Wendi Henderson, coordinator Laramie County Toys for Tots

WYDOT thanked for professionalism and cooperation during project Mr. Cox, My name is Dayton Alsaker, the Region Manager for DOWL HKM. We were retained by the town of Lovell to design the utility replacement project for municipal water and sewer in Lovell’s Main Street (U.S. 14A), in conjunction with a WYDOT concrete road replacement/repair project in District 5.

The Main Street Project was approximately one mile in length and consisted of full replacement of water and sewer mains, water and sewer services to property lines and concrete surface restoration. For the town of Lovell, this was the last of five phases of the water and sewer replacement initiative in this community of 2,500. This final phase, Main Street,

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could have had major economic implication to the local businesses and citizens.

They knew this project could significantly impact them throughout the summer and fall and were counting on a team effort to minimize disruptions. The town received very few complaints during the course of construction.

The utilities replacement had to be closely coordinated with the WYDOT surface restoration (there was a detailed cooperative agreement between Lovell and WYDOT), and with SLIB and WWDC, the town’s funding sources. For efficiency and cost savings, the utilities and surface restoration were bid as one project. The design and construction of the WYDOT portion was overseen and inspected very professionally, allowing the project to progress smoothly for the town.

In this day there is always someone who will be quick to point out how something went wrong with a challenging project, but did not happen on this project. For this reason I wanted to take the time to let you know how professional your District 5 team was to work with – they made it happen for the town of Lovell! Shelby Carlson, Keith Compton, Ben Steed, Paul Koenig and Cody Beers were professional and hardworking throughout the project. I know there were also other hardworking people behind the scenes that I did not meet and also helped make the project successful.

Thanks for the professionalism and cooperation WYDOT showed in working with the town of Lovell and DOWL HKM. It made all the difference in completing a good project for the citizens of Lovell and the state of Wyoming.

Respectfully, Dayton Alsaker, P.E. DOWL HKM

Thanks to WHP and WYDOT families To all, As I sit to type this final email as a state trooper, I am happy to have been a part of this agency and to have served the people of Wyoming for the last 24-plus years.

When I needed courage to continue, I remembered the reason I began doing

Interchange Interchange is published for employees of the Wyoming Department 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., Cheyenne, WY, 82009-3340. The Public Affairs Office may also be contacted by phoning (307) 777-4165, faxing (307) 777-4289, or sending email to carlie.vanwinkle@wyo.gov

Staff WYDOT Director: John F. Cox Public Affairs Manager: Doug McGee Editor/Art Director: Carlie Van Winkle Contributors: Bruce Burrows Public Affairs Dave Kingham Public Affairs Carlie Van Winkle Public Affairs Ross Doman District 1 Jeff Goetz District 2 Stephanie Harsha District 3 Ronda Holwell District 4 Cody Beers District 5 Sgt. David Wagener Patrol Photography: Rick Carpenter Public Affairs

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February 2015

DOT publication

Also in this issue:

Contents

7

Letters.....................................2 District briefs.........................4 By the Numbers...................5

10

Noteworthy............................9 TechNotes............................14 Training.................................15

12

District news.......................16 Extra Mile Awards..............19

Wyo-Guest

14

Passings............................... 20

Wireless

WTDEA..................................21 Break Time.......................... 23

Access

7 Wyoming Aviation Hall of Fame

Rawlins native made outstanding contributions to aviation

10 Road condition reporting app

Robust new tool shows promise

12 Chief concern of Human Resources

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 website home page.

WYDOT workforce first and foremost

14 Wi-Fi guest access made easy

“Wyo-guest” access tear out tip sheet

On the cover:

A driver views a map on the newly installed Road Condition Reporting application found in District 1 and 3 maintenance trucks.

Photo: Rick Carpenter

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Transportation commission awards $32 million in highway contracts

Cheyenne – Contracts totaling nearly $32.5 million for five highway projects around the state, including two to be funded through the state’s fuel tax increase, were awarded by the Wyoming Transportation Commission during its January meeting in Cheyenne.

The largest of the contracts went to Casper’s Hedquist Construction, which submitted the low bid of $16 million for improvements to 3.33 miles of Interstate 25 in Casper from north of the Poplar Street Interchange to north of the Wardwell Road Interchange. Deteriorating pavement will be ground off and replaced with a new layer of asphalt, bridges will be rehabilitated, five overhead electronic messages signs will be added to keep drivers informed of conditions ahead, and a variable speed limit sign will be added for the southbound lanes.

The project also will include resurfacing work on a section of Howard Street at the Wardwell Interchange and on the US 20-26 Shoshoni Bypass between I-25 and North Poplar Street. The contract completion date is Oct. 31, 2016.

Simon Contractors and Subsidiaries of Cheyenne was the low bidder at $7.3 million for improvements to 16 miles of I-80 between the West Elk Mountain and Cooper Cove interchanges. The work will include replacing damaged concrete slabs in the driving lane and then overlaying both the driving and passing lanes with a high-performance asphalt wearing course to provide better traction and a smoother ride, and prevent water from seeping into the joint between the two lanes. The contract limits the wearing course work to between June 1 and Sept. 15. The overall contract completion date is Oct. 31, 2015.

Simon also won a $5.9 million contract for shoulder widening and a new layer of pavement on US 30 in Rock River and 6 miles to the north. The shoulders will

HQ

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be widened to 6 feet from the current 2 feet or less to improve safety, and culverts will be replaced to improve drainage. The project will be paid for with revenue from the 10-cent fuel tax increase. With a final chip seal to follow next year, the contract completion date is July 31, 2016.

McGarvin-Moberly Construction of Worland was awarded a $3.1 million contract for resurfacing and chip sealing 10 miles of WYO 432 immediately south of Worland. The work will be paid for with revenue from the fuel tax increase, and the contract completion date is Oct. 31, 2015.

Cowley’s S&L Industrial won a $182,000 contract to upgrade specific service signs along I-80 across the state by Oct. 31, 2015. The signs let the traveling public know the location of gas, food, lodging, camping and pharmacy services available along the route, and include the logos of the businesses providing the services. User fees paid by the businesses cover the cost of making and installing the signs, and any maintenance the signs require.

Butler announces change in WHP policy Cheyenne – Methods for gauging the performance of Wyoming Highway Patrol troopers changed starting January, Patrol Administrator Col. John Butler announced.

The recent mandate requiring a specified number of traffic stops made and citations issued by any individual trooper will no longer be used as a performance measurement during job evaluations. The standards were included by the Patrol as a component of the state of Wyoming’s performance appraisal system.

“We understand that our policy of setting forth the expected numbers of traffic stops and citations during a certain period of time is perceived by some as constituting a quota system,” Col. Butler said. “Although we in the Patrol have never considered it as such, we acknowledge that the perception exists and that’s why we are taking steps to address the issue.”

“Regardless of how our management tailors the job evaluation process, the

Pedestrian crosswalk upgrade in Douglas Douglas – WYDOT installed a new pedestrian crossing signal on West Yellowstone Highway at North Windriver Drive in January.

The new system, which compliments the pedestrian crossing already in existence at the location, will require motorists to stop at the crosswalk when pedestrians are present.

The HAWK (High-intensity Activated crossWalK beacon) system consists of overhead beacons, which first flash yellow, then switch to a solid red light once activated by a pedestrian using the crosswalk button. Currently, the crosswalk is only protected by a flashing yellow beacon.

Motorists are required to stop when the beacon is red.

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Photo: Jeff Goetz

District Briefs

Wyoming Highway Patrol’s overriding goal will continue to be the vigorous enforcement of traffic laws which directly impact highway safety,” he added. “We are committed to curbing hazardous driving behaviors whenever it is encountered, with emphasis on impaired driving, speeding, distracted driving and failure to wear seat belts.”

“It has always been our directive to troopers when they witness a violation of any traffic law, they should initiate a stop.

Troopers do have discretion whether that stop will result in a citation or a warning,” Butler said. “But when a seat-belt violation is discovered during a stop, it is our expectation that a citation will be written for that particular offense.”

The newly installed HAWK signal in Douglas compliments the current pedestrian crossing at that location.

WYO 59 safety improvement update Douglas – As 2015 begins, WYDOT continues efforts to improve safety on WYO 59, following many suggestions made at two public meetings held in late 2014.

WYO 59 is a north/south highway running 110 miles from Douglas to Gillette.

Two public meetings were held in October; one in Wright and one in Douglas.

At each meeting, members of the public voiced their concerns over increasing traffic volumes and provided suggestions on how to improve safety along the highway.

In response, WYDOT has begun implementing a number of projects designed to address public concern while improving safety and efficiency along WYO 59.

WYDOT has plans to implement several projects this year and in years to come. n WYDOT placed new speed limit signs in Bill, reducing the speed limit from 65 mph through town to 50 mph. n Crews installed new signs reducing

the speed to 50 mph from West Yellowstone (milepost 0.44) to the road closure gate at milepost 3.66 near Douglas. n A “No fuel for 75 miles” sign was

installed on WYO 59 just north of Douglas and just south of Wright to remind motorists there is no fuel available on that stretch of highway.

n Reduced speed signs with flags were

installed on WYO 387 into Wright.

n The name of Reno Junction was

changed to Wright on the WYDOT Web cameras and interactive maps. (wyoroad.info)

n WYDOT installed truck signage –

“Heavy truck traffic next XX miles”, to inform motorists when approaching busy side roads at the following county road intersections: a) County Subdivision Road South of Wright b) Cosner Road c) Sioux Ranch Road d) Isenburger Ranch Road

n Two rumble strip projects are set for

this year. The first will place rumble strips on the edge line of the highway from Gillette to Bill, where currently none exist. The second project will add a center-line rumble strip from Gillette to Bill.

WHP recruits put commercial vehicle training to use Casper – Recruits with the Wyoming Highway Patrol put their classroom training to use during a size and weight detail at the Casper Port of Entry on Jan. 15.

Troopers and staff assigned to the Commercial Vehicle Section were on hand to educate and support the training of the recruits currently at the WHP Academy.

The training is used to ensure compliance with the size and weight statutes and regulations.

During the six hour detail, 22 of 160 trucks that came through the port were inspected. Five of those trucks inspected were found to be overweight. One was found to be 13,000 plus pounds overweight and a second was 14,000 over.

Permits were issued to 17 drivers and six citations were handed out equaling $1,410.

The goal of the detail was to gain compliance through education and enforcement while also giving the academy recruits real life hands on experience.

Total number of employees: as of Dec. 29, 2014

1,968

One month ago

1,969

One year ago

2,010

contract this spring adding passing lanes and turn lanes at various intersections between Douglas and Bill in Converse County. The project will be constructed this year.

The Wyoming Highway Patrol also has listened to concerns, placing more troopers on WYO 59, especially during peak traffic times and utilizing portable speed monitors at different locations on WYO 59.

Additionally, Gov. Matt Mead has asked the State Legislature for $21 million in supplemental budget monies for the construction of passing lanes throughout the state with WYO 59 being a priority among the highways.

Photo courtesy Oil City News

n An auxiliary lane project will be let to

WHP recruits at the Casper Port of Entry inspecting commercial vehicles.

Robertson Road closed four days in January Casper – Robertson Road was closed to through traffic for four days beginning Jan. 26.

The closure was located just to the south of the intersection of Robertson Road and Painted Horse Trail.

Residents who live south of Painted Horse Trail needed to exit Robertson Road by going south to CY Avenue.

Those who live at Painted Horse Trail or north used Robertson Road north.

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Briefs continued from page 5

Letters continued from page 2

There was no restriction to residential access during this closure.

This closure allowed crews to install water lines and storm sewer components as part of the overall Robertson Road reconstruction project.

Portable message signs were set up and activated in the area advising drivers of the closure.

There are no further closures of Robertson Road expected on this construction project until the school year has ended.

The entire project is scheduled to be completed July 31.

this job – I wanted to make a difference and help people.

Now, as I move on to the next chapter of my life​,​I take with me the conviction that in my career I have been able to make a difference and have helped others. I will diligently seek to continue serving the citizens of Wyoming with discipline and integrity in my new position with Converse County.

It is with a great sense of humility I remember all the great people I have had the privilege to work with. Thank you all for all the great times and for being there to help me through the rough patches. As I optimistically embark on this new chapter of my life,​I remain loyal to the cause of safety and will be here if you need me.

Thank you for all the emails, cards, gifts​,​and well wishes. Remember why you do what you do and be safe.

Whiteout conditions and multiple collisions close I-90 during storm Buffalo – Strong winds mixed with falling snow created whiteout conditions Jan. 8 on I-90 between Buffalo and Sheridan. During the whiteout conditions, there were multiple crashes at milepost 40.

Troopers on scene estimated 18 passenger cars and trucks along with five commercial trucks were involved in crashes.

Along with the crashes, several dozen other vehicles slid off of the road due to the conditions or avoiding crashes in the roadway.

No fatalities occurred during the string of crashes. One serious injury and several minor injuries were reported.

The event caused I-90 to close between Buffalo and Sheridan as crews worked to clear the crashes. Deputies from both Johnson and Sheridan counties responded and assisted with the incident.

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Sincerely, Nate Hughes

What a great website!

I have been helping my parents in their travels across the country and I wanted to complement you on your website. It’s easy to navigate, easy to use, and updated frequently. The webcams are great and the weather readings are helpful.

When the interstate closed I was able to let them know to stay in their hotel and wait. Once it reopened, I was able to let them know. So far you-all have set the benchmark.

Great Job!

Michael Lantz Richardson, TX

Wyoroad.info is fantastic!

Of all the road reports – Colorado, Wyoming, Utah, Idaho – yours is the best.

You give the mile markers and what the actual road is.

I’d really like to comment that you do a fantastic job. So keep up the good work Wyoming, it’s very much appreciated by me and probably a lot of other truck drivers.

Thank you and happy New Year.

Gordon Stewart Werner Enterprises

WYDOT snow removal outside of Thermopolis Hello Mr. Cox, My name is Stacey DeCroo and I work for you in the Driver’s Services offices in Riverton, Lander and Dubois.

I live in Thermopolis and travel through the Wind River Canyon twice a day! I wanted to let you know how absolutely fabulous the roads have been taken care of through this winter season so far!

Those Thermop men/women in those snowplows are wonderful! I have not had even one trip that I felt in danger of bad roads. They are out there all night and all day keeping those roads clear!

As one who travels that road between Thermop and Shoshoni twice daily, I am wanting you and them to know how safe I feel and how thankful I am for their hard work!

Stacey DeCroo

Donated sick time greatly appreciated I would like to thank my WYDOT family who donated sick leave to me while I underwent my recent shoulder surgery.

I truly appreciate it. Thank you!

Tina Thomas

Classic? Hot rod?

Late model?

Two wheeler?

Get those photos in!

Rides

submission deadline:

02/13/15

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carlie.vanwinkle@wyo.gov

Noteworthy

Glen Larson in the cockpit of his McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom during the Vietnam War in 1972.

back to 1957, when he took his first flight with long-time Rawlins aviator John France.

Later he majored in mechanical engineering with an aerospace option at the University of Wyoming. While in Laramie, he earned his private pilot’s license at General Brees Field, and was active in the Air Force ROTC Detachment 940 on campus.

Upon graduation in 1970, Larson was commissioned a 2nd lieutenant in the Air Force, and received his flight training in numerous aircraft including the F-4.

Although he remained in St. Louis after retirement, he has maintained a close connection to UW, where he served on the National Advisory Board of the College of Engineering.

The Wyoming Aviation Hall of Fame was established in 1994 through the efforts of the late Red Kelso of Cheyenne. Acting under the auspices of the Wyoming Aeronautics Commission, the Hall of Fame is dedicated to honoring Wyomingites who have made outstanding contributions to the establishment, development, and/or advancement of aeronautics.

For more information about the Wyoming Aviation Hall of Fame contact John Waggener in Laramie at 307-766-2563. n

Photo courtesy the Wyoming Aviation Hall of Fame

Glen G. Larson, a decorated Vietnam War fighter pilot who continued to serve his country in the Air Force and Air National Guard and worked as a test pilot and executive for McDonnell Douglas Corp., is the 2014 inductee into the Wyoming Aviation Hall of Fame.

The Rawlins native earned four Distinguished Flying Crosses and 19 Air Medals during his combat service in Vietnam in 1972-73, and later was awarded the Legion of Merit. As an aircraft commander and fast forward air controller in the 435th Tactical Fighter Squadron of the 8th Tactical Fighter Wing “Wolf Pack,” he flew 221 missions totaling 422 combat hours over North Vietnam.

His aircraft on those missions was the F-4 Phantom, and after the war he served as an F-4 instructor pilot until 1975, when he was selected as one of the early instructors of the new McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle at Luke Air Force Base in Glendale, Ariz.

He also served as a squadron and wing scheduling officer, safety officer and flight examiner, before he left active duty.

His experience flying McDonnell Douglas fighter aircraft led to a career as a production test pilot for the company in St. Louis beginning in 1979. He tested the airworthiness of aircraft before delivery, and as an engineering test pilot, he tested aircraft systems.

Larson then transitioned into the role of experimental test pilot, conducting high-performance flight tests on the F-15, and later serving as chief test pilot for the F-18 Hornet. Performance tests included high-speed flight to near Mach 2, high-altitude flight to near 50,000 feet, structural limit tests that consisted of high-g-force flight up to 9g, and aeroelastic testing for wing flutter.

His knowledge of fighter aircraft characteristics led to his producing numerous technical papers published on attack angles, stalls, spins and autorolls, dual engine restart procedures, wing fuel imbalance, fuel leaks, flying with conformal fuel tanks, and landing and rollout. In 1984, he was a finalist for the NASA astronaut program.

Larson transitioned out of the cockpit and into senior management with McDonnell Douglas in 1988, where he guided sales of the F-15, and managed the Peace Sun Program that involved the delivery of fighter aircraft to the Royal Saudi Air Force.

As director of operations, Larson managed contract negotiation, establishing aircraft maintenance programs and evaluated profit-loss performance on annual revenues. He retired from McDonnell Douglas in 1998, when he accepted the position of director of engineering for Goodrich Aerospace. He then became vice president of aircraft systems, where he remained until 2001.

While in St. Louis, Larson served as an F-4 and F-15 pilot for the Missouri Air National Guard from 1981 to 1998. After surpassing 5,000 flight hours, he retired from the Air Force Reserves in 2000, ending his 30-year military career as a colonel assigned to the Pentagon.

The beginning of his long career in aviation can be traced

Photo courtesy the Wyoming Aviation Hall of Fame

Larson named to Wyoming Aviation Hall of Fame

Glen Larson in the signature orange flight suit of an experimental test pilot climbing into the cockpit of a McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle.

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Season

WTDEA Reps selling tickets:

Pam Fredrick (Internal Review) 777-4098 Tina Thomas (Highway Development) 777-4486 Merri Burkett (Aeronautics) 777-3959 Janet Vossler (Patrol) 777-3855 Renee Krawiec (Driver Services) 777-4871 Debbie Bott (WyHy) 638-4210

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Noteworthy

headache and fatigue, and can be fatal.

“When (Nelsen) became very ill, so tired and weak from her condition that she could no longer make it to work, Rebecca took it upon herself to insure that not only her employee was taken care of, but that her offices were taken care of too,” Driver Services Manager Don Edington said in his nomination letter. “Rebecca coordinated with her community to raise funds to help (Nelsen) pay her medical bills. She kept up with how many annual and sick days (Nelsen) had at work, and requested additional donated time from other state employees to help her out.”

At the same time, Hernandez kept her three offices running efficiently, sometimes working alone, and also trained a temporary employee to help out in Nelsen’s absence.

“It was extremely hard for her to even take a day off, as all offices were working short-staffed and very busy with the influx of work activity in Wyoming,” Edington said. “Rebecca did not let the urgency of keeping her offices running overshadow the importance of helping her employee out in every aspect. (Kely) appreciated the help Rebecca gave her, being there for her when she was so vulnerable, and that Rebecca did not look away and do business and life as usual during this year of need.”

Nelsen is still battling her illness and tires easily, but is able to work, and Hernandez is still watching out for her, said Debbie Trojovsky, Edington’s successor as Driver Services manager.

Hernandez is the first Wyoming examiner to receive the Examiner of the Year honor. n

Driver Services’ Hernandez honored Rebecca Hernandez, Driver Services’ field office supervisor in Worland, has been named one of the International Driver Examiner Certification Board’s examiners of the year for 2014.

Hernandez, a 10-year department employee, was one of five examiners honored in the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators Region 4, which includes 13 western states and six Canadian provinces.

Hernandez Hernandez and examiner Kely Nelsen staff the Worland office on Mondays, Thursdays and Fridays, travel to Thermopolis on Tuesdays to serve Hot Springs County drivers, and move to the Basin office on Wednesdays to serve Big Horn County drivers.

Hernandez received the honor for her efforts as a supervisor to help Nelsen during a yearlong illness, while still maintaining service for customers at the three offices.

In October 2013, Nelsen was diagnosed with West Nile virus, a mosquito-borne illness that causes symptoms including fever,

Trooper donates kidney to sister

After nearly a half-block of Dubois’ Main Street burned overnight on Dec. 30, WYDOT maintenance workers helped with the clean up of Main Street after the fire.

Subzero temperatures caused the water used to fight the fire to crust into nearly foot thick ice in some areas. Four buildings were lost to the blaze. n

Photos: Paul Boedeker

Photo courtesy Trooper Testerman

Wyoming state troopers assist people on a daily basis statewide. Trooper Gabe Testerman, a nine-year patrol veteran stationed in Cheyenne, pulled a life-saving assist on Jan. 13.

Testerman’s sister, Angela Sundstrom of Brady, Neb., has had Type 1 Diabetes since age three. Sundstrom, Trooper Gabe Testerman and his sister Angela Sundstrom prior to kidney transplant surgery. now 37, was told to start considering a kidney transplant a year and a half ago due to her long battle with diabetes.

In 2014, Sundstrom began kidney dialysis and it was discovered last August that Testerman was a suitable match for a kidney transplant. Without hesitation, he agreed to help his big sister.

Testerman gave Sundstrom his left kidney. The transplant was successful and both Sundstrom and Testerman did well throughout surgery and remain under observation.

Testerman is expected to return to full duty in approximately six weeks, minus one kidney. He said that he and Sundstrom have always been close, but now they are closer than ever. n

WYDOT assists in cleanup after devastating fire in Dubois.

Subzero temperatures caused water from the firefight to crust thick on Main Street and on the firefighters battling the blaze. Dubois maintenance worker Bruce Thompson, who is also a volunteer firefighter, needed help knocking the ice off so he could continue fighting the fire.

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Photo: Rick Carpenter

Robust new tool shows promise: Road Condition Reporting application makes debut

by Bruce Burrows

Screenshot courtesy GIS/ITS

A new tool to enhance information flow between WYDOT plow truck drivers, the agency’s Transportation Management Center (TMC) and the traveling public is being tested this winter, and initial results are encouraging.

A select group of plow drivers in District 1 and 3 began working with the “Road Condition Reporting” application in December. The application runs on a compact mobile computer, otherwise known as a tablet, which features a touch screen and Wi-Fi communication capability. The tablets dock to customized mounting brackets installed into the trucks’ cabs by the Telecom-

Maintenance drivers have the capability of reporting hazards other than slick roads and blowing snow.

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munications Program.

WYDOT’s GIS-ITS Program, working in coordination with maintenance staff, began developing the application in early 2014 with the goal of making it easier and faster for plow drivers to report road and weather conditions and other observations they make. Their reporting is central to WYDOT’s 511 Travel Information service and is used when adjusting variable speed limits (VSLs) and determining messages posted to roadside dynamic message signs (DMS).

“The traditional procedure has been for plow operators to radio in their road and weather reports. The operators in the TMC would then grab that same information to update the information flowing to the public via 511 or a DMS,” GIS-ITS Program Manager Vince Garcia said. “Now, with this new app, plow operators can touch a few buttons on the tablet screen and get that information directly to the public. The TMC gets the same report, but there’s no need to re-enter the information, so what used to take some time, depending on workload, happens almost instantaneously.”

Another enhancement offered by the application is that plow drivers now have immediate visual access to a wide range of pertinent information, such as the location of other WYDOT plow trucks, the status of road closure gates, what wording is currently displayed on dynamic message signs, the speed limit in effect, weather maps and alerts, etc.

Left: The inside of a plow truck contains everything a driver needs to stay in contact with their home base.

In all, 20 tablets are being used during the testing phase, which includes the entire I-80 corridor, as well as I-25 in the Cheyenne area. The tablets can be used in any truck equipped with a mounting dock. Drivers selected to participate in the test received about an hour of specialized training beforehand conducted by GIS-ITS staff.

Results of the test are already being documented and a summary evaluation report will be issued by this summer, according to Garcia.

“The initial feedback, and its anecdotal at this point, is very positive, so we hope to extend this in the fall to additional plow trucks,” he said.

The application uses several main display pages, also referred to as “tabs.” The most frequently used tab is “Reporting,” with one subpage being a display of the system of 8 and 9 codes long used by WYDOT to report road and weather conditions; e.g., “8-1, 9-1” is code for “dry road with favorable weather.” A simple swipe of the finger changes the “Reporting” tab to another subpage displaying a number of common “10 codes,” including “10-46, citizen assist requested” and “10-50, crash has occurred.”

Drivers can also use the Reporting tab to report damage to the roadway, guardrail, fencing or signs, and also to recommend a decrease or increase in a variable speed limit. Another subpage, titled “Snow Performance Measures,” can be used to report the observed depth of snow on a roadway and an estimate of visibility.

A second main tab, titled “Route Info,” brings up options for the viewer to see what messages, if any, are posted on individual DMS, or being reported by Road and Weather Information Systems (RWIS) devices, which are automated weather stations which gauge temperature, humidity and wind speed/direction.

The “Messages” tab gives the driver the ability to communicate via text messages with the TMC or other drivers, while the “Map” tab offers a graphical display similar to the Google Maps interface used by the 511 Travel Information (wyoroad.info)

website. When viewing the map, drivers can turn on or off icons which indicate the location of other maintenance vehicles, road closure gates, ITS deployments (such as DMS, RWIS and VSLs), weather maps, and wind speed and direction indicators.

The driver also has the option to employ the “Event Log” tab for tracking entries made using the application for reference and documentation purposes.

At all times, the tablet’s “status bar” provides the driver with an update of his or her current location (route, milepost and direction of travel), the current report of road and weather conditions for that location, and also conditions reported for adjacent road sections. In addition, the status bar has a “geotag” button that can be clicked to record the truck’s location on the Event Log and Map. Yet another function is an emergency call button, which can be activated to summon help in case of a crash or other dire situation.

The information flow from the truck-mounted tablets is captured in the TMC and displayed by what is termed the “Transportation Reports and Action Console,” or “TRAC” for short. The reports in TRAC are ordered by time received with color coding to indicate priorities from emergency to urgent to medium to low.

The Road Condition Reporting application uses Wi-Fi communication wherever that technology is present, and elsewhere it uses Bluetooth communications to relay messages across the WyoLink digital radio network. The method of transmission is relatively seamless to the user, according to Garcia, and few coverage gaps exist.

“This application was developed to allow WYDOT employees to use a computer to perform the same functions as they have been doing via radio or cell phone, with advantages including direct updates to data bases, easier access to information, and reduced strain on the radio system,” Garcia said. “We’re optimistic we will achieve our goals, but we want additional feedback from the users as we continue the evaluation process.”

PROJECT GOALS Road Condition Reporting application o Improve efficiency by enabling faster reports from the field and quicker updates to information sharing systems; o Improve traffic management

during weather events;

Photo: Rick Carpenter

o Enable more timely maintenance

A driver assesses weather factors, such as snow amounts on the road and visibility, which wirelessly report back to the TMC.

operation updates; and

o Improve situational awareness of

maintenance and Highway Patrol employees.

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WYDOT’s most valuable asset is Human Resources’ chief concern

by Bruce Burrows

Implicit in its name, the Human Resources (HR) Program’s chief responsibility is working directly with WYDOT’s most valuable asset – the approximately 2,000 men and women who make up the agency workforce.

Consider the fact that one of WYDOT’s primary stated goals is to “develop and care for our people;” in a nutshell, this duty is at the core of Human Resources dayto-day operations.

“An important task for us is partnering with the various Pfau WYDOT programs to foster learning and growth opportunities for employees,” long-time HR Manager Lon Pfau said. “This is not only beneficial for the employees, it also helps the agency as a whole to be more efficient and effective.”

Pfau, along with deputy manager Brian Foster and their five-member team of human resource professionals, are housed in the main building at WYDOT headquarters. Important HR duties are also performed in the five field districts and

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HR workload. Like any new development, there’s been a learning curve to deal with,” Pfau said. “Our HR team is involved in every step of the PMI process and there’s been considerable interaction with managers to ensure each PMI meets guidelines as it is being written. A lot of our input is providing training and helping as necessary in identifying goals and determining competencies.”

“We see the PMI process improving with experience, and we are optimistic it will serve to improve communication and trust between employees and supervisors,” Foster added. “Another plus is that for first time, as compared to previous versions of performance appraisal, we have a system that provides state government with a much more complete picture of how an agency, as a whole, is performing.”

Pfau described how there was a time when the agency’s Human Resources staff were specialized in their duties; for example, one staff member was assigned to handle all insurance enrollments, while another staff member worked mainly on position announcements and reclassifications. Now, the team is crosstrained and has the ability to address all HR functions.

HR does assist managers and employees when behavioral issues arise in the workplace. This may result in disciplinary action. Disciplinary action is designed to correct an unacceptable behavior, Pfau said.

“The goal is resolve issues at the lowest level possible. We can mediate and offer suggestions to ensure everyone understands what the behavioral expectations are,” he said.

“We are certainly not alone in emphasizing customer service, and we think we can best do so by cross-training our professionals to feel comfortable fielding any inquiry that comes their way,” Pfau added. “As much as possible, we want a question to be answered by the person who fields it. Another advantage is that our team can better assist each other as dictated by fluctuations in workload.”

“We encourage all WYDOT employees to look at your Human Resources Program as a partner and resource,” he said. “That’s one of the reasons for our strategy of periodically attending division and program staff meetings, to enable us to better understand their issues, while developing closer relationships for the benefit of all.”

Photo: Rick Carpenter

the Highway Patrol by human resource professionals who report to their respective district engineer and to Patrol leadership.

“On the organizational chart, it’s a dotted line relationship, but our headquarters team and the field district and Patrol specialists work together very closely,” Foster said.

One of the most visible tasks is maintaining personnel records for all permanent employees. The process starts when an employee is hired and continues throughout that employee’s career with WYDOT and even beyond – records are retained by HR for three years after an employee leaves the department. A long-term employee can amass a lot of data within his or her record and individual files can become voluminous.

Pfau says that although records management is a necessary task for Human Resources, providing services to their customers is first priority. The HR team must be knowledgeable and adept at numerous other responsibilities requiring a high level of functioning, which in turn, requires substantial and ongoing training.

That slate of responsibilities is a big one and includes employee recruitment, classification, placement and retention, as well as providing information to employees about compensation and the various types of benefits available, including different types of leave and the options for insurance coverage.

When it comes to recruitment, Human Resources takes a proactive role in assisting managers in any number of ways, including drafting and reviewing position announcements, developing questions for interviews, participating in interviews and helping evaluate candidates.

“When it comes to the hiring process, we help assess the applicants’ skills, knowledge, abilities and experience to make a judgment about who offers the best alignment with the agency’s goals. When WYDOT succeeds in doing so, it’s beneficial for everyone involved and is ultimately reflected in reducing our turnover,” Pfau said.

The HR professionals must also be proficient in learning and staying current in the use of three data management systems, specifically PeopleSoft, AMS and NeoGov. The PeopleSoft application, initially developed and now periodically upgraded via WYDOT’s Enterprise Research Project, is the tool HR uses for “position control,” which encompasses the full breadth of data maintained by the agency about an individual employee and the position he or she holds, such as job classification, pay range, reporting relationship, location and crew, history of the employee, etc. The AMS utility, managed by the State Auditor’s Office, relates mainly to payroll issues, while NeoGov provides the portal for posting job announcements on the Department of Administration & Information’s website.

“Although there is some interface, these data systems run mostly independent of each other, so our team typically has to enter the same data more than once,” Foster said. “The increasing automation of these systems offers a lot of advantages, such as easy access to a lot of information, but it also requires continual upkeep.”

Another recent data system is Halogen, which requires extensive HR involvement. This system manages the Performance Management Initiative (PMI) and the related Balanced Scorecard and Individual Development Program functions.

“The PMI is another example of technology impacting the

Human Resources at a career fair meeting prospective employees.

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TechNotes Website updates

Public Affairs has completed a review of the entire website looking for misspellings, bad links and other problems, and the site is now clean.

As we go forward please keep the following in mind: 1. Jahia includes a spell check tool that you can use by clicking either of the buttons in the top row of the button bar when you are in edit mode.

2. WYDOT IT policy prohibits including email addresses on the Web pages because that can lead to spam problems. If you need to include a link for email responses, we can create a link for you directly to a topic in the “Contact WYDOT” application.

3. If you include links to pages outside the WYDOT website, the addresses for those pages can change without you knowing it, creating broken links. If you need to link to outside pages, please check

the links periodically to make sure they still work.

4. Whether on the WYDOT site or the Employees site, any files that are meant to appear on the web pages must go in the “shared” folder and then the appropriate program folder. If there are files you update on a periodic basis and you no longer need the outdated version of the file, please delete the old file from the Jahia Document Manager to help keep space open on the server. n

Wireless

Access

Guest access to the internet is as easy as the steps listed below. If at any time you are unsure of how to gain access, please call (307) 777-3995.

How to connect:

4 Enter your current security key which is changed monthly and, if forgotten, can be obtained by simply calling the WYDOT Help Desk at (307) 777-3995.

1 Ensure that your wireless capability is turned on and enabled. You should see a stair-step type icon in the lower right hand corner of the screen near the system time and date.

It can also be found on the Web at: ets.wyo.gov. The security key is also available through an email notification sign up, located at ets.wyo. gov. When on the website, select the “Sign Up for Notifications” option from the Quick Links list.

2 A left click on the icon should display the available wireless networks.

3 Find the “Wyo-Guest” network connection and left click on “connect.” A window requesting a security key will be displayed.

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5 To verify the connection has been established successfully, hover your cursor over the wireless icon. It should display the “Wyo-Guest” network name.

Select an internet browser (Internet Explorer or Chrome) to verify the connection to the internet has been successful.

Clip and save

WYO-Guest

Clip and save

Training Google Collaboration training dates set

The dates have been set in March and April 2015 for the next Google Collaboration training to be held in Cheyenne at the centrally located, downtown Rogers Building.

Please go visit ets.wyo.gov and click “Login” under Employees Resources on the right-hand side of the webpage.

You may be requested to log into your Google gmail account. Once logged in, please click State Employee, on the lower right-hand side. On the next page please click Training Portal. This will take you to the Enterprise Training Calendar. On the right-hand side you can select either March or April Google Collaboration Training to register.

There are also other training opportunities listed on this page that are available to all state employees. n

Adding new and better ways to meet training needs

by Jim Boyd, Training Services WYDOT Training Services is making changes that should benefit you, whether an employee or supervisor. With Skillsoft e-learning, which will be available this month, users will have the ability to access a single, centralized internet site where multiple e-learning courses from Skillsoft, Risk Management, SANS Internet training, TLN’s LearnFlex, and Wyoming’s online e-learning portal, Moodle, may be accessed.

With Skillsoft, employees and supervisors will have direct access to personalized e-learning training history and supplementary training resources. You will be able to schedule e-learning classes, sign-up participants and determine whether employees have completed their training.

Benefits of having Skillsoft’s extensive catalog of online courses are many. An obvious benefit of the Skillsoft catalog is there are a wide range of courses avail-

Training ata Glance

able: nearly 1,000. As a result, you and your supervisor will be better able to address your core-competency and office software training needs by specifically selecting courses that are best suited for you. No longer will you be limited to existing face-to-face classes. These online courses will meet your scheduling needs: available 365 days a year, seven days a week, 24 hours a day. Additionally, these courses save you time and money. The only travel that is necessary is to make your way over to the nearest internetconnected computer, or to your tablet or smartphone.

This is a development which will allow more core competency training to be made available to everyone throughout WYDOT. Again, although it will benefit everyone, this will be of particular interest to employees in districts outside of Cheyenne. WYDOT is an agency thats workforce is spread throughout Wyoming. Like most agencies, headquarters can only be localized to one city. With the use of technology, these learning opportunities can be provided in a more equitable manner.

Training continued on page 19 Here are upcoming training opportunities from WYDOT-U and the Transportation Learning Network (TLN)

Coming in March: Date Class PMI Competency Addressed Location Mar. 4 Highway Pipe Installation: Construction and Inspection Vocational TLN Mar. 5 MBTI & Change Developing Others WYDOT-U Mar. 6 Landslides-Slope Stability, Hydrology, Analysis, Repair & Inspection Vocational TLN Mar. 9-11 New Employee Orientation Communication WYDOT-U Mar. 10 Legal Aspects of Traffic Control on Construction Projects (Tort Liability) Vocational Webinar Mar. 18 Bridging the Generation Gap / Generations in the Workplace Team Player WYDOT-U Mar. 19 Guardrail - Installation & Inspection Vocational TLN Mar. 25 Decision Making & Problem Solving Judgment & Decision Making WYDOT-U Coming in April: Date Class PMI Competency Addressed Location Apr. 1-2 Have a Nice Conflict Developing Others WYDOT-U Apr. 8 Conflict, Confrontation and Defusing Anger Customer Service WYDOT-U Apr. 8 Access Management Vocational TLN Apr. 14 7 Mindsets for Success and Team Building Team Player TLN Apr. 14-17 New Supervisors Orientation Leadership WYDOT-U Apr. 15 Conflict Management: The Not So Merry-Go-Round of Conflict Leadership TLN Apr. 16 Presentation for Power, Persuasion & Purpose Communication TLN Apr. 22-23 Crucial Conversations Communication WYDOT-U Apr. 27-29 New Employee Orientation Communication WYDOT-U Apr. 28 Delivering Leading Edge Customer Service Customer Service TLN To register, or to find out more details, call the Training Program and talk to Jim Boyd (777-4791) or Kurt Borgaard (777-4792).

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District News Headquarters

Welcome Kyle Alexander, Patrol-Safety and Training; Cory Iler, Patrol-Safety and Training; Chad Johnson, Patrol-Safety and Training; Mitzi Krois, Civil Rights Office; Kevin McMaster, Patrol-Safety and Training; Giovanni Ortiz, Patrol-Safety and Training; and Cody Smith, Patrol-Safety and Training.

Promotions and Transfers

Meena

Schmid

Paul Vanderbloom, Geology-Drillers – 10 years; and Breanna Thompson, Highway SafetyAdministration – 5 years.

Service Awards Joe Mikesell, Budget – 40 years; Joel Meena, Traffic-Administration – 30 years; Kevin Schmid, Bridge-Hydraulics – 15 years; Jeri Yearout, Bridge-Hydraulics – 15 years; George Pitt, Budget – 10 years;

Vanderbloom

Photo: Rick Carpenter

Rhonda Deleeuw, Management Services; Jeffrey Lee, Facilities ManagementBuilding Maintenance; Chelsey Lindsay,

Budget-Federal Aid; Sarah Rickgauer, Materials-Pavement Management Systems; Charles Rollins, Bridge-Engineering Design; Tracy Romero, Driver Services-CDL; and Stacie West, Human Resources.

Deleeuw

Lee

Rickgauer

Romero

Joe Mikesell receiving his 40-year service award from Assistant Chief Engineer-Operations Ken Shultz and Budget Manager Rodney Freier.

West

District 1

McGary honored for 40 years of service

Timmy Cisneros, Cheyenne Construction; and Travis King, Laramie MaintenanceGuardrail.

Tim McGary began his full-time career with WYDOT soon after graduating from the University of Wyoming with a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering in 1974.

The Cody native signed on as a project engineer in Rawlins in January 1975, beginning 40 years of service that also took him to Rock Springs, Cheyenne and his current post in Laramie.

After a year and a half in Rawlins, he moved to Cheyenne where he spent a decade, first serving as a resident engineer and then as a Construction Staff engineer.

McGary then moved on to Rock Springs, where he spent five years as District 3 construction engineer.

In 1990 he was named District 1 maintenance engineer in Laramie, a post he has held ever since. It’s a job that puts him in charge of the efforts to keep I-80 open over the Summit between Cheyenne and Laramie and through the Arlington-Elk Mountain corridor between Laramie and Rawlins.

Of the challenge of keeping two of the most difficult sections of I-80 open, McGary said, “I have gotten used to the beatings, so now it is just part of the job.” n

McGary

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Photo courtesy Jake Lonn

Cindy Petty receiving her 20-year service award from District Engineer Pat Persson.

Timothy McGary, District 1 Maintenance Staff – 40 years; Lavonn Kulmus, Rawlins Construction Jones – 20 years; Cindy Petty, District 1 Administration – 20 years; Cody Jones, Elk Mountain Mechanics – 15 years; Jeremy Chatfield, Laramie Mechanics – 5 Chatfield years; and Robert King, Cheyenne Patrol – 5 years.

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Photo courtesy Ellen Teigen

Promotions and Transfers

Lavonn Kulmus with Rawlins Construction receives her 20-year service award from Rawlins Resident Engineer Jake Lonn.

District 2

Hughes retires following 24 years with the WHP

Charles Adsit, Kaycee Maintenance; Erik Dieckmann, Lusk Maintenance; and Michael Jones, Torrington Port of Entry.

The final day of December marked Lt. Nate Hughes’ last day with the WHP. Lt. Hughes joined patrol on Sept. 4, 1990 and was initially stationed in Wamsutter. He remained in Wamsutter until his transfer to Jackson in 1996. In April of 2000, trooper Hughes became the Motor Carrier Officer in Douglas.

Hughes received his lieutenant’s bars in February 2003 when he was promoted to division supervisor in Jackson. In 2005, Hughes transferred back to Douglas as the division supervisor for the Douglas, Glenrock and Lusk areas where he finished his career.

Hughes was a lead DUI instructor at the Wyoming Law Enforcement Academy, where he trained both state troopers and other law enforcement. He is also one of the first drug recognition experts in Wyoming.

Hughes was happy to have been a part of Patrol and to have been able to serve the people of Wyoming for the last 24 years. Hughes said the reason he began his law enforcement career was to make a difference and help people. He retires

Promotions and Transfers Daniel Anderson, Casper Maintenance; Gary Enniss Jr., Wheatland Construction; and Joseph Scimone, Douglas Patrol.

Scimone

le Afte yc

r ading!

Re

ease Re c Pl

Enniss

knowing that he successfully achieved those goals on a daily basis.

Although retiring from WHP, Hughes is not done with his law enforcement career. He will diligently seek to continue serving the citizens of Wyoming with his new position with the Converse County Sheriff ’s Office in Douglas.

“It is with a great sense of humility I remember all the great people I have had the privilege to work with. Thank you all for all the great times and for being there to help me through the rough patches,” Hughes said. “As I optimistically embark on this new chapter of my life, I remain loyal to the cause of safety and will be here if you need me.” n

Photo: WHP

Welcome

Lt. Nate Hughes holding a sign made for his retirement celebration.

District 3

Welcome

Service Awards

Ronald Berg, Rock Springs Mechanics; Delyle Chappell, Patrick Draw Maintenance; and Bradley Neumann, Patrick Draw Maintenance.

Jason Green, Pinedale Patrol – 15 years; and James McIntosh, Evanston Mechanics – 15 years.

McIntosh

Photo: WHP

Compton named to head up District 3

Lt. Jason Green, Division T Supervisor in Pinedale, receiving his 15-year service award from Capt. James Thomas.

Keith Compton was promoted in January to become the new District 3 engineer based in Rock Springs.

He replaced John Eddins, who had taken an early retirement from WYDOT the previous month to accept a position with JFC EngiGreen neers and Surveyors.

Compton, a 27-year department veteran, moved to his new job after having served the past decade as district construction engineer for District 5.

Compton is a native of Gillette, where he graduated from Campbell County High School in 1982. He subsequently received an associates degree in drafting (1984) from Casper College and bachelor’s degree in civil engineering (1988) from the University of Wyoming.

Compton started with the old Wyoming Highway Department, WYDOT’s predecessor agency, in 1988 as a member of the Gillette engineering crew. He moved to Cheyenne headquarters in 1992 where he worked first as a principal engineer in the Bridge Program and then as a staff engineer in the Construction Program, before going to District 5 in 2004. n

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District 4

Service Award Recipients

Welcome Jason Heinz, Gillette Maintenance; Marvin McAmis, Hulett Maintenance; and Kodi Tarno, Sundance Construction.

Promotions and Transfers

Sweeney

Kevin Sweeney, Hulett Maintenance; and Mark Townsend, Sheridan Mechanics.

Rose Photo: Rick Carpenter

Service Awards James Rose, Sundance Patrol – 5 years.

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

Service award recipients at this month’s luncheon: (from left) Jim Cox, Tim McGary, Ellen Teigen, Kurt Miller and Vince Garcia.

Retirements Wyndell Dixon, Sheridan Port of Entry.

Dixon

District 5

Welcome

Pinedale engineer promoted to lead district maintenance crews

Chase Mead, Thermopolis Mechanics; Bret Moore, Worland Maintenance; Michael Reney, Basin Construction; and Scott Stiritz, District 5 Information Technology/ETS.

Mead

Moore

Stiritz

Service Awards James Cox, Lander Mechanics – 35 years.

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WYDOT’s resident engineer in Pinedale has been promoted to District 5 maintenance engineer in Basin.

Pete Hallsten is the new District 5 maintenance engineer in Basin. Hallsten replaces Ron Huff of Greybull, who retired in Decem- Hallsten ber after 36 years of service.

“Hallsten brings extensive engineering experience in Teton and Sublette counties to northwest Wyoming, and he is skilled in listening to people, both WYDOT employees and citizens,” said WYDOT District Engineer Shelby Carlson of Basin. “We look forward to Pete’s ideas and leadership of our maintenance program in central and northwest Wyoming.”

Hallsten joined WYDOT as an engineer

in June 1990. He was promoted to resident engineer in Pinedale in 1997, and he transferred to Jackson in 2000 and served the Jackson area until 2011. In 2011, he transferred to Pinedale as resident engineer.

“I’m looking forward to all the good hunting in the Big Horn Basin, and I’m really looking forward to learning the maintenance side of our business at WYDOT,” Hallsten said.

Hallsten was born in Fort Collins, Colo., and was raised in Fairbanks, Alaska.

His education includes a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from Colorado State University.

Hallsten and his wife, Shelly, have two sons, ages 22 and 20. The Hallstens’ oldest son lives and works in Pinedale, and their youngest son is a student at the University of Wyoming.

Hallsten enjoys fishing, archery hunting, riding bicycles and nordic skiing in his spare time.

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

• Organize and direct others; • Think things through and become more self-reliant; • Be more open to change as it occurs; • Better relate to other people; • Be more content, happy, and productive; • Develop speed, precision and optimize resources; • Develop strong principles; • Develop patience, thoughtfulness, conscientiousness, fairness, and inquisitiveness; • Seek opportunities to coach and mentor others; and

In Training Services, we look to add to the ways in which we are able to deliver training so that it most benefits all of WYDOT and WYDOT’s employees. Even as we anticipate this change, we take into consideration how varied our individual situations may be. We all have our differences when it comes to family, mobility, finances, age, health, career aspirations, relationships at home and work, personal events, educational background, and previous successes and challenges in working at WYDOT. Yet through each of our unique situations, we hope these Training Services changes give you the most favorable chance to take the best advantage of WYDOT training opportunities. n

IT

OR

K LIC

click it or ticket. no excuses.

ET

Training continued from page 15 This change gives WYDOT Training Services the ability to level the playing field when it comes to providing meaningful training opportunities, by benefiting not only those in proximity to Cheyenne, but expanding out from current face-to-face opportunities and adding more options which, through the use of technology, can be delivered wherever there is an internet connection or cell phone data signal.

Throughout WYDOT, we each have unique motivations and reasons for acquiring training. Here are some reasons why training might be important to you.

• Help others make a difference in their lives.

C

Training

Training helps you to: • Do your job better;

T IC K

Spring skiing?

Beach vacation?

Hunt lately?

Get those photos in!

Extra Mile

AWARDS Congratulations to our December 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.

Outdoors submission deadline:

03/13/15

carlie.vanwinkle@wyo.gov

Anthony (Tony) Richno Ann Smith Mike Janicek Debbie Ross Janice Kotlark

Marc Wheeler Mike Kurka Corey Kimzey Morris Ragland

For more information about the Extra Mile Award or to nominate someone, contact Janet Farrar at janet.farrar@wyo.gov or Mel Anderson at mel.anderson@wyo.gov.

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Passings James Shelden

James L. Shelden, 79, of Cheyenne, died Dec. 24 at Davis Hospice Center.

He was born October 18, 1935 in Hooker, Missouri, a son of Lewis and Nellie (George) Shelden. Jim attended schools in Mo., graduating from Dixon High School. He joined the U.S. Army following graduation and moved to Cheyenne in 1959. He was employed with WYDOT until his retirement, and served as state equipment engineer.

Jim married Carol and together Shelden they had two children. She passed away on February 10, 2006 in Cheyenne. Jim was married to Phyllis Sartnurak on January 27, 2007 in Cheyenne.

He was a deacon at the Vineyard Church and a member of the Antique Tractor Association.

Funeral services were held on Dec. 30. Interment followed at Cheyenne Memorial Gardens.

Keith Heiniger Col. Keith Heiniger, who served as a pilot for WYDOT during the 1990s, died Jan. 10 in Cheyenne.

He was 83.

Col. Heiniger flew for Photogrammetry and Surveys from April 1990 until his retirement at the end of 1999.

He was native of Seneca, Kans., where he graduated from high school.

He earned a bachelors degree in geology from Kansas State University and a masters degree in geodesy from Ohio State University.

Heiniger was a 23-year veteran of Heiniger the U.S. Air Force, culminating his career as the director of Operational Intelligence, USAF Europe. During the Vietnam War, he flew 356 missions accumulating over 900 hours in aerial combat. He was highly decorated, earning the Silver Star, four Distinguished Flying Crosses, and 15 Air Medals.

Memorial Services were conducted Jan. 16 in Cheyenne.

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Larry Bobbitt Lawrence A. “Larry” Bobbitt, who handled WYDOT’s legal matters for nearly two decades, died Jan. 6 in Cheyenne. He was 71.

Bobbitt was born and raised in Memphis, Tenn., where he earned a bachelor’s degree in history from Memphis State University. After serving five years as an officer in the U.S. Air Force, he attended the University of Wyoming Law School, earning his juris doctorate in 1974.

Bobbitt subsequently worked for the Legislative Service Office and the Wyo- Bobbitt ming Attorney General’s Office, and was assigned to WYDOT as a senior assistant attorney general from 1981 to 1999.

His community service included memberships in the Noon Lions Club and the American Legion, and he was a member of the First Christian Church.

A memory service was conducted Jan. 10 in Cheyenne. n

WTDEA

Employee Relief Fund helping those in need Last year was a good year for WTDEA, especially in the area of fundraising for the Employee Relief Fund.

The relief fund gained an additional 14 donors for the direct deposit contributions during last November’s headquarters-sponsored Annual Chili Cookoff, bringing the number of employees making direct deposits to the fund an even 154. In District 2, 14 employees signed up or increased their contribution at the January State Board Meet and Greet.

During the 2014 calendar year, the Employee Relief Fund raised approximately $14,887 through direct de-

Headquarters chapter shares 2014 accomplishments The past year was successful in fundraising for the headquarters general fund and a also in a successful membership drive. In addition to selling WYDOT apparel, the group’s classified site hosted officer and member of the year voting, raffles, contests and posted 28 classified ads.

The cafeteria committee purchased a salad bar for the Highway Cafe and also sponsored the monthly drawing for a free lunch for a lucky WTDEA member.

WTDEA shines when it comes to fundraising and community service. The group: • Granted $1,900 to 26 members through the Grant Assistance Program; • Awarded two $500 scholarships to students seeking higher education; • Hosted four blood donation drives with United Blood Services in Cheyenne; • Adopt-A-Highway volunteers cleaned area highways; • Daffodil Days raised $470 for the American Cancer Society; • The annual Chili Cookoff raised $591

posit contributions, cash calendar sales, WyHy’s annual donation and fundraisers by both District 2 and the Headquarters Chapter. Relief fund benefits were paid to 20 WYDOT employees statewide paying a total of $14,750. The income of all fundraising met the payout to employees in need.

Additionally, words are simply not enough to thank WyHy for the support extended to WTDEA and employees of WYDOT. Without their annual $2,500 donation, the board would have been forced to decrease benefit amounts in 2014 due to lack of income.

Employees working in every section of WYDOT statewide are challenged to help keep the Employee Relief Fund solvent and help with the unexpected crises we may all face in life.

Remember, when you or your coworkers have any circumstance or series for the Employee Relief Fund with the help of 16 chili participants and 95 attendees; • The holiday donation drive was able to deliver five large bags of coats/clothes to the Welcome Mat; blankets and towels to a local animal shelter; two boxes of food, and two bags of hats and gloves to the Salvation Army; two boxes of food to the COMEA Shelter; two boxes of food and assorted clothes to NEEDS, Inc.; and children’s hats, gloves and toys to SafeHouse; • Volunteers from WTDEA decorated a Christmas tree at the VA; and • The high school snowplow blade painting contest received two entries, and both local high schools were given a monetary award. The two snow plows were also entered in the annual Cheyenne Christmas parade.

The chapter was also host to fun and games during the past year. In addition to the annual Walleye Fishing Derby, which boasted more than 30 participants, holiday events and discount tickets for theme parks and skiing rounded out the year.

A detailed look shows what WTDEA provided throughout the year: • Coloring contests for children and the young at heart. Easter (51 entries), Halloween (50 entries), Christmas (52 entries);

of events occurring suddenly, providing no opportunity for preparation and causing sudden financial crisis or hardship, go to the intranet and complete the Employee Relief Fund application under the WTDEA State Board tab. All active WYDOT employees are eligible to apply for relief benefits.

Employees may help by donating through direct deposit or by buying a cash calendar, or doing both. The cash calendar is WTDEA’s primary fundraiser for the Employee Relief Fund. When sold, each calendar is numbered and then entered into a lottery. Several winners are chosen each month.

As a reminder, state board will be holding their next meeting in Rock Springs, May 6-8. n

• Halloween pumpkin decorating contest had four entries; • The WyHy-sponsored Halloween Carnival hosted 17 children and their parents; • The annual Family Christmas Party at Roller City was a success with 176 attendees. During the party, 40 gift cards with a value of $5 were given away; • The Adult Christmas Party was also a success with 134 attendees. Cash giveaways, gift baskets and gift cards sponsored by WYDOT programs and local merchants put a smile on everyone’s face. Grand prize giveaways included a KitchenAid Stand Mixer, a trip for four to the VeeBar Ranch, and a 40” television, while WyHy graciously donated a $500 WyHy Visa gift card; • Provided a website link for discounted Water World Tickets; • Elitch Gardens Theme and Water Park tickets – discounts for 92 park tickets, 7 season tickets, 8 meal deals and 10 parking passes; and • Provided 80 discounted Snowy Range tickets.

Headquarters chapter would like to thank all those who supported the various programs throughout the year. n

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Transfer those high rate credit card balances to a WyHy VISA by February 28th and receive a fixed rate of only

2.99% APR for 12 months!*

You’ll be happy with your new WyHy VISA all year long because our Platinum credit cards always come with: ¾ ¾ ¾ ¾

NO annual fee NO over limit fee NO gimmicks—what you see is what you get Low regular rate with a 3% rate reduction for the first 12 months on new purchases for new WyHy cardholders*

WyHy.org/VISA 800.442.2392 307.638.4200 Cheyenne 307.234.2373 Casper *Rate of 2.99% APR is only valid on balance transfers made from another financial institution’s credit card to a WyHy VISA credit card between the dates of January 15, 2015 and February 28, 2015. Offer applies to new WyHy cardholders and existing WyHy cardholders that balance transfer from another financial institution. All other transactions, rates and fees follow regular WyHy VISA credit card qualifications and guidelines per each member’s cardholder terms and agreement. Rates on the remaining balances from this offer will automatically increase to cardholder’s regular balance rate effective 12 months after the initial balance transfer relevant to this offer took place. Some restrictions may apply. No other VISA balance transfer offers or promotions apply. VISA credit card terms and rates are based on credit worthiness and are subject to change. Visit www.WyHy.org or contact the credit union for full details.

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Break Time Check your answers online at: employees.dot.state.wy.us, or if not able to access the employee site: www.dot. state.wy.us/home/engineering_technical_programs/manuals_publications/ interchange.html.

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