Putz family recovering from transplants ---- 3

Holidays and blended families ----------------- 4

Eye in the sky ---------------------------------------- 5

SecureID expiration may be near -------------- 6

Saved by geometry --------------------------------- 7

The Swansons revisited -------------------------- 8

Lighten up Iowa! ------------------------------------- 9

Line by line ------------------------------------------- 16

INSIDE

From my viewMark F. Wandro, P.E., L.S.

The recent elections prompted me to considerthe reasons we as public servants do the things wedo. I know we can count out a few ideas right offthe top. I don’t think most of us do what we do forpats on the back or awards, as those are too few andfar between to matter. And, although we all need tomake a decent living, I don’t think most of us workin state government because of the pay, which oftencan be higher in the private sector.

So if we don’t work for the glory or to get rich,why are we here every day, clearing roads, licensingdrivers, designing bridges, negotiating land pur-chases, tracking transportation-related legislation orany one of the thousands of activities that make ourorganization effective?

My first thought is one I hope you share, adesire to help others. I admit this wasn’t my initialambition when I became an engineer, but in mywork in state government, I’ve developed a realsense of accomplishment in knowing how manypeople benefit from our work. A new road can bethe springboard for business development thatreaches far beyond the motorists on the pavement.Knowing public transit is helping thousands ofIowans become more mobile and improve their livesby attending school or arriving safely at work issatisfying. And, of course, just look in the wide eyes

Why do you come to work?of any 16-year-old with that first driver’s license inhand who sees freedom in that piece of plastic. Bothfront-line and behind-the-scenes work make these,and countless other scenarios a reality, and shouldmake every member of this organization proud.

Taking pride in your work may be anotherreason you come to work every day. Every one of usis talented in some way. My hope is that the job youare asked to do is rewarding and that you are able to“do what you do best” in your work life.

I know I have tremendous pride in what we as agroup accomplish, and in the stories I hear aboutindividual employees going the extra mile to reachhigh goals. I think back often to letters I receivethanking employees for making transportationfacilities in the Iowa the best they can be, or com-ments made to me about our organization and theway we conduct ourselves as we go about thebusiness at hand. While I know every task may notbe gratifying in and of itself, I hope you join me inappreciating the end result when the pieces cometogether as we all strive to do our jobs well.

Another year is coming to a close. I’d like towish each of you a joyous holiday season withfamily and friends and a healthy and safe new year.

PAGE 2 DECEMBER 2004

A parent’s sacrificeDECEMBER 2004 PAGE 3

For most families, thebond between a parentand child is establishedeven before a baby is

born and grows stronger asfamilies endure trials and cel-ebrate milestones and successes.

Bonding took on a whole newdimension for David Putz of theDirector’s Staff and his 13-yearold daughter, Erin, over thesummer. Erin, who was born witha degenerative kidney disease, wasin need of a transplant. For yearsErin had to be very careful abouteverything she ate and how herbody reacted to food.

David and his wife, Carol,had known about the eventualneed for a transplant since she wasan infant, but when the finaldiagnosis was made, it was still awake-up call for them as parents.“Because the doctors told us aclose family member would be thebest donor for Erin, we had todecide which one of us wouldbegin the testing to become thepotential donor,” said David.“Since they would only test one ofus at a time, we finally decided,after a lot of discussion andprayer, that I would start thetesting and see what happened.”

As it turned out, David was agood match for Erin. On June 8both passed their pre-surgeryexams with flying colors. Thesurgery was scheduled for June 21at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester,Minn. David said he was a littleapprehensive about the surgeryand thought a lot about all thethings that could go wrong. Thethoughts of “What if…?” wererunning rampant. He creditsstrong support from friends,family, coworkers and his churchas helping the family through thisrough time.

While in Rochester, David,Carol and Erin were able to stayat the Ronald McDonald House,which helped keep expenses inline and alleviate some of thePutz’ worries. On Monday, June21, David went into surgery about9:30 a.m. and was back in therecovery room by noon. Erin’ssurgery began at 9:15 a.m., andshe was recovering about 2:30p.m. Both surgeries were deemedsuccesses by the doctors.

Recovery was slow, butsteady. While still in Rochester thefamily was visited by their twoyounger daughters, Makenzie andMolly, who had been cared for byCarol’s mother during the surgeryand recovery. Friends and familysent care packages with lots ofthings to do to keep them busyand visited occasionally – includ-ing a much appreciated visit forErin’s 13th birthday ten days aftersurgery. “The hardest thing wasstaying down and rememberingthat we were still recovering,” saidDavid. “Within a few weeks, wewere both feeling pretty well.”

On July 11 David was re-leased from his treatment inRochester and reunited withMakenzie and Molly at home inAmes. Carol stayed in Minnesotawith Erin. David expected to begetting ready for Erin to comehome on weekends and continueto spend the weeks in Rochester,but on July 12, her recovery wasso strong she was released to comehome for good.

By the beginning of AugustDavid was back at work and Erinwas preparing for junior high.Although Erin was still in andout of the doctor’s office severaltimes a week for lab tests, thesigns were positive that her dad’skidney had found a home insideher body. “You hang on everytest result. She’s suffered withsome related infections since thesurgery, so there have been somecauses for concern over the lastfew months. We’re grateful thatErin’s recent four-month biopsyin Rochester showed positiveresults,” said David.

Through the process ofhealing, both physical andemotional strength has increasedin the Putz family. “It’s easy toforget what is important. Thisexperience has put the focus backon family, faith and friends.Taking little for granted any-more, we try to enjoy each day.”

“It’s easy to forget whatis important. This

experience has put thefocus back on family,

faith and friends.”David Putz

Erin and David Putz

PAGE 4 DECEMBER 2004

Family holiday traditionsand rituals are importantbecause they communi-cate values, build unity,

and create meaningful memories.Their predictability providesstability and a sense of security.Extended family members adddimensions to holiday celebrationsthat can both enrich and challenge

Holidays and extended families -blending traditions

individual holiday satisfaction.In-laws, grandparents, stepfamilymembers who live outside thehome, and others often want toinfluence how the family cel-ebrates. The pressure to partici-pate in and conform to thetraditions and holiday ideals of somany can sometimes take the joyright out of the season.

Minimize conflictand maximize togetherness

It might be impossible to make everyone in the familyhappy when planning holiday traditions, but there are somepractical strategies for minimizing conflicts and maximizingtogetherness. Here are some ideas to keep in mind:

Plan ahead. The more complicated the family, the moretime and effort you may need for planning for upcomingholidays. Decisions that are left to the last minute could lead tocomplaints and rebellion from disappointed or angry relatives.When plans are made and communicated to others in advance,people have a chance to get used to and accept final decisions.

Be flexible and make sacrifices. You can combine,modify, or let go of old traditions in order to keep peace andorder in the family. After all, if you aren’t willing to compro-mise or sacrifice something, why should other family mem-bers?

Set boundaries and remain firm. Extended familymembers can pull you in different directions so that you endup feeling guilty no matter which decision you make. Yourown immediate family should come first. Decide what’s bestand most essential for you, your mate, and children. Beyondthat, do what makes sense without sacrificing your health,values, or dignity. This can be tricky. Agree to and set yourterms early, then stick to them.

Stay positive. Don’t get pulled into the negativity of“guilt trips,” bickering, accusations, threats, or bribes. Staypositive, patient, and calm when communicating with familymembers. Listen to and acknowledge their feelings and avoidbecoming defensive. You could say, “I know this is hard, butwe have decided this is what we need to do this year. I hopeyou’ll understand.”

(adapted from Reallife Times –a publication from the DOT’s EmployeeAssistance Program)

When couples move awayfrom their childhood homes andstart their own families, they taketheir holiday expectations withthem. A blending of old and newrituals gives the couple groundsfor establishing their own identityas a new and unique family unit.Finding traditions that respect theneeds of each partner requiresplanning, flexibility, and compro-mise. Planning that respects theconcerns of extended familymembers can be complicated.

New marriages create thein-law dimension of familydynamics. When children areborn, family dimensions multiply.Grandparents want their grand-children to connect with themthrough family rituals that havebeen important in their families,sometimes for generations. Whenspouses are of different faiths orconflicting traditions, holidayplanning can lead to familytension.

In stepfamilies, familydynamics are even more compli-cated. Multiple sets of parents,grandparents, half-siblings orstepsiblings may join in the mix.Added family members almostalways bring added expectations.

Of course, losing familymembers impacts family traditionsand rituals, too. When childrengrow up and move into their ownfamily units, or when a familymember dies, remaining familymembers often grieve the loss, notonly of the people who are gone,but of shared participation intraditional holiday activities.

DECEMBER 2004 PAGE 5

This eye in the sky watchesfor frost, snow and ice

The Office of Maintenancewill have a little help keepingtheir eyes on the road near

Ames this winter. A pilot projectusing a camera capable of takinginfrared and digital images is nowbeing tested on Interstate 35 at the13th Street exit. The camera wasfunded through our membership inAurora, a pooled-fund group ofseveral U.S., Canadian andEuropean agencies dedicated to theadvancement of researching newtechnologies for Roadway WeatherInformation Systems (RWIS) andweather issues. Currently, the DOTuses the RWIS information from53 stations with imbedded sensorsto detect roadway temperature,subsurface temperature, ambienttemperature, air moisture contentand other data. But RWIS stationsare not currently capable of usinginfrared technology to detect thepresence of frost, snow, ice orother precipitation.

“Pavement and subsurfacetemperatures can give us a goodindication of where snow and icemight be collecting on a roadway,”said Jim Dowd of the Office ofMaintenance. “We’ll look to thetime-lapse infrared and digitalimage from the I-35 camera to seeif these images can provideadditional information we can’tget from the current RWIS data,and to compare with weather dataprovided by the RWIS stationlocated at the same position as thecamera.”

Another application Dowdsees for the camera is assistance indetermining de-icing chemicaleffectiveness. Using the infraredimages, maintenance crews may beable to monitor results of chemi-cals applied to the roadway overtime.

For testing purposes, thesingle camera takes a new imageevery 15 minutes and can hold10,000 images, but Dowd says thedevice can be set at any timeinterval.

“The infrared images show iceas red, snow as blue and water aslight blue. Black areas are un-known substances and gray isclean pavement,” he said. “Usingthe images we hope to determinehow quickly ice melts followingchemical application at giventemperatures. This technologycould also be used for early frostdetection.”

If the infrared and digitalimages provide valuable data inaddition to the RWIS information,Maintenance staff may look toinclude the cameras at other RWISstations. “The technology ischanging so quickly, our currentcamera will be replaced in Januarywith a similar unit containingupdated features, and the companythat makes the cameras, GoodrichAerospace out of Minnesota, isworking with the RWIS stationmanufacturer to integrate acamera into each new station itsells,” said Dowd. “The images ordata could eventually be added tothe information available to thepublic on Weatherview.”(http:\\www.dotweatherview.com)

The camera the DOT iscurrently testing and the upgradedcamera, set to begin testing inJanuary, are a variation of tech-nology originally developed foruse in aircraft deicing operations.Thad Warner from GoodrichAerospace says the camera inAmes is the only one in thecountry set up to monitor roadwayconditions, although installationsare planned soon in Japan and

Norway. “The camera we’ll begintesting in January runs on aWindows operating system andhas a larger, heated lens that canbe hooded to keep snow frombuilding up. It is mounted 13 feetin the air on a steel pole, so weshouldn’t have problems withvandalism. The scan produces animage that contains 60,000 datapoints in about two seconds. Theimage contains much more datathan a digital camera.”

Other information availablewith the image is the percentageof snow, ice, water, clean roadwayand unknown substance in theimage. “The current camerarequires the images to be manu-ally downloaded, but the newerversion could be integrated intoour current RWIS data stream,”added Dowd.

Watch for updates on thistechnology and other wintermaintenance updates in futureeditions of INSIDE.

PAGE 6 DECEMBER 2004

Prior to the DOT’s switchfrom Lotus Notes toOutlook for our E-mail,many employees used a

SecurID fob to access the DOT’sE-mail, the mainframe and shareddrives from non-DOT locations.With the switch to a Web-based E-mail system, several of these fobsmay not be needed anymore andmay be reaching the end of theirelectronic lives.

An expiration date is listed onthe back of each fob. Once thedevice has expired the front panelwill read “card off.” If you are notusing your SecurID, the Informa-tion Technology Division (ITD) isurging you to turn it in, whetherexpiration is imminent or not.“Each fob is good for threeyears,” explained Judy Krough ofITD, “but since we switched toOutlook, many of these haven’tbeen used. People might notrealize that it costs the DOT timeand money to keep track of these.”

Your SecurIDExpiration may be near!

Krough says more than 600SecurID fobs are currentlychecked out to DOT employees.“A charge of $62 for each fob wasadded to the employee’s costcenter at the time the unit wasissued. That’s $37,000 over threeyears. If a new SecurID isneeded, the cost center will againbe charged $62 for the new three-year period.

Although E-mail and calendarfunctions on Outlook can now beaccessed over the Internet fromany computer equipped with anInternet browser, those employeeswho need to use the mainframe orshared drives from a remotelocation will still need to use theSecurID fob for that access.Krough said, “We know there are

Red Hat Halloweenin purchasing

still some employees who need touse the fobs, but we’re trying toreach those who only access E-mail or calendars remotely, andget them to return these devices.”

To access your E-mail accountor calendar from any Webbrowser, go to: https://webmail.dot.iowa.gov. This pagewill ask for a domain/user name.The domain is Idotcentral. Theuser name is your short name –for example, Judy Krough’s logonwould be: Idotcentral/jkrough.The password is the same as yourlogon password to the network.

If you have any questions,please contact Judy Krough at515-239-1762 orjudy.krough@dot.iowa.gov.

Front row from left: Kermit Wilson, Carol Coates. Back row from left:Christine Evans, Rhonda Ruard, Laura Linduski, Jan Halverson andMary Zimmerman

DECEMBER 2004 PAGE 7

Saved by geometry

This bridge offered aunique designchallenge becausecoal tar is present in thesoil below the bridge.

When it became clear thata bridge over RalstonCreek on Burlington

Street (Iowa 1) in Iowa Cityneeded replacement, severaloptions were initially consideredto expand the four-lane roadwayto include a center turning lane.The existing sidewalks alsoneeded to be replaced. Complicat-ing the closure of this busy routewas the knowledge that the areaaround the bridge was the site ofan old gas plant and potentiallycontaminated with coal tar.

Roger Walton of District 6said early soil work verified theexistence of the coal tar. “Theyfound the coal tar just underneaththe streambed. The Environmen-tal Protection Agency rulesprohibited us from driving anynew piles because the coal tarcould contaminate the groundwa-ter.”

Once the coal tar verificationwas made, city of Iowa Cityengineers and DOT officialsdiscussed other options withconsultant, Steve Jacobsen ofNNW Consulting Engineers. Thefirst option was to span the coal

tar site. This would have been anapproximately 150-foot span andhad the potential to close a sidestreet and impact a number ofbusinesses in the area. The secondoption was to install a culvert thatwould have required the excava-tion of the coal tar. Both optionswere estimated to be very expen-sive.

When Jacobsen discovered thatthe existing beams were structur-ally adequate for projected designloadings, he focused on thesubstructure. “We knew that three-quarters of the piles had adequatecapacity,” said Jacobsen. “We did alot of investigating to assure thatthe other fourth of the piles couldwithstand the load.”

Ross Spitz, a civil engineer forIowa City, said, “Whenever youdeal with contamination theproject takes longer and becomesmore complicated. We were verylucky that existing structure wasable to be used.”

Because the existing sidewalkhad been built on top of thestructure, the geometry of thebridge saved the day. “We used theincreased width from the sidewalk

to widen the roadbed, and thenadded new sidewalks beside thestructure,” explained Jacobsen.

In addition to using theexisting piles, the new structurewas also constructed in such a wayto clear out more space under thebridge for drainage and built witha new railing that will allow waterto run through it. “The creekfloods quite often,” said Jacobsen.“The city was looking for asolution that would increase theflow of the creek in times of highwater. We were able to providethat.”

Walton said the bid for therevamped bridge was $653,000,much less than either of the twoinitial replacement options.

Swanson update

T wo Christmases have passed since a trip toRussia increased Matt and Kim Swanson’sfamily by two. As you may remember, Iraand Natasha, now 8 and 12, were adopted

in Dec. 2002 through a program called Camp Hope.For the camp, Russian children are brought to theU.S. to spend a week with host families. The kids arenot told about the possibility of adoption to keepexpectations in check, but many of the perspectiveparents take part in the weeklong whirlwind to bondwith the kids and begin preparing a home for them inthe United States.

For the Swansons, part of that preparationinvolved their sons, Philip and Andrew, now 11 and9. “The boys adjusted very well, as have their sisters.They play, argue and support each other just like anyother siblings,” said Matt.

Matt, an accountant in the Office of Finance,says it’s amazing how well his girls have adapted toAmerica. “Natasha is very athletic,” he said. “Sheloves softball, basketball and volleyball. Ira is morethe creative type. She likes to participate in classes atthe Octagon in Ames and is our little chatterbox.”

Verbally, the girls picked up English veryquickly. Matt says they still struggle a bit with wordmeaning. “Since they speak very well, people assumethey have a larger vocabulary than they do. That’sfrustrating for the girls sometimes, but they aregaining on their vocabulary every day.”

In school, each of the girls is working at gradelevel, and Natasha has all but lost her Russian accent.“You can still hear Ira’s accent, but Natasha hascompletely lost hers. They have great teachers atUnited Community, especially the ESL (English as asecond language) teacher.”

Although she’s lost her accent, Natasha is thechild who most often remembers her homeland andsomeday wants to go back and find her naturalmother, said Matt. “We talk about our Russianexperiences and we’re very supportive of the girlsand whatever they decide to do as they get older as itrelates to their Russian family. Kim and I know weare Mom and Dad,” he said. “For a recent classproject Natasha had to trace her family tree. Therewas no hesitation on her part that the tree had thename Swanson.”

Although having four kids is a challenge for anyparent, the Swansons say they feel very lucky tohave gone through the adoption process. “I can’timagine life without all my kids,” said Matt.

Part of the pride the Swansons feel toward theirfamily is knowing the conditions Ira and Natashawould have faced had they grown up in Russia.Because of the situation of children placed in anorphanage, the girls would have only had assistanceuntil age 16. After that, they would have been on thestreets to fend for themselves. It is heartbreaking toknow there are so many more kids who face this fateeveryday in Russian orphanages.

To find out more about Camp Hope or theadoption process for Russian children, visitwww.storkadopt.com or www.camphope.net.

“We talk about our Russian

experiences and we’re very

supportive of the girls and

whatever they decide to do as

they get older as it relates to

their Russian family. Kim and I

know we are Mom and Dad.”

Matt Swanson

PAGE 8 DECEMBER 2004

Philip, Ira, Andrew and Natasha Swanson with their parents,Matt and Kim

Lighten up, Iowa!What is Lighten Up Iowa?

Lighten Up Iowa is a five-month competition thatencourages Iowans to

develop healthy activityand eating habits. Iowans

are encouraged to formteams of two to tenpeople and then go thedistance.

Lighten Up Iowa began as a statewide programin 2003. Since its first year, more than 20,000Iowans have been involved with the program.During those two years 4.8 MILLION MILES ofactivity have been logged and 65,000 pounds lost.

At the DOT, several teams participated last year.Once of the most successful was a team of 10 fromMaterials, Location and Environment, and Docu-ment Services. They lost a total of 105 pounds overthe six-month period. Mary Kay Solberg, teamleader, said, “I think this is a great way to makesome lifestyle changes. You have the support of theteam and can make the changes over a six monthperiod.”

When does Lighten Up Iowa begin? The 2005program will begin Wednesday, Jan. 19, and con-cludes Wednesday, June 8.

What divisions can my team enter? Team compe-tition is recognized in two divisions, weight loss oraccumulated activity. A team can enter either onedivision or both for their entry fee.

• Weight loss due to healthy, appropriate diet andphysical activity

• Accumulated activity in the form of miles

How much does Lighten Up Iowa cost? It’s $10per person, plus a team shipping and handlingcharge. Participants receive a training t-shirt, weeklynutrition and activity tips, and free entry into the2005 Iowa Games fitness walk (February) or theSummer Iowa Games volkswalk (July).

How do I get involved?1. Put together a team (2 to 10 members) of co-workers, friends or family.2. Pick a team name and captain.3. Register for competition.

Questions? Go to lightenupiowa.org for moreinformation.

For the second year members of the MotorVehicle Division and their families formeda team to “Walk for the Cure.” This breastcancer awareness fundraiser for the Susan

G. Komen Foundation was held Saturday, Oct. 23,near Principal Park in Des Moines.

Team members included LaVonne Short (Cap-tain), Dave Short, Melissa Short, Lynne Thornton,Gary Thornton, Wendy Foreman, Jennifer Dunaway,Karen Ballard, Gloria Aswegan, Deb Shafer, EmilyShafer, Andrea Coco, Samantha Coco, RhondaWernecke, Alicia Teran, Judy Hilsenbeck, SharonAnderson, Thelma Huffman, Mary Pane, MikeWinfrey, Merideth Winfrey, Pamela Cook, ShirleyAndre, Jenny Robinson, Kelly Hamilton and MarieDavis.

LaVonne said, “Although not everyone was ableto walk on Saturday, they were all part of the team.Some team members purchased pink ball caps towear Saturday. In an effort to raise awareness andexcitement for the Saturday race, all team memberswore their race shirts and pink hats on Friday beforethe race.”

According to a race day information packet,funds from last year’s Des Moines area Race for theCure provided no-cost mammograms for women andmen in need of financial assistance. The program hasprovided more than 5,000 mammograms over thelast nine years. Data collected by the Iowa Depart-ment of Public Health indicates that of these people,10 percent have needed further testing or treatment.Funds raised by Race for the Cure participants arealso used to provide educational information.

For information about breast health concerns orbreast cancer, please call the Komen Foundationhelpline at 800-462-9273 or visit www.komen.org.

Motor Vehiclewalks for the cure

DECEMBER 2004 PAGE 9

USA 37

Iowa Departmentof Transportation

Hats OffThese are letters thathave been submitted tothe editor. They mayhave been edited forlength and continuity.

To: Mark WandroFrom: Jerry and Mae Tellman, Jefferson City, Mo.

My wife and I would like to comment on the courtesyand honesty of your employee, Armin H. Martin.While we were visiting Iowa, which we do quite often,my wife accidentally left her wallet in a rest area on I-80. We were about 100 miles east of the Victor rest areawhen I called there. When we got to LeGrange, Mo.,my son called her cell phone to tell us Mr. Martin hadfound her wallet and would return it to us. It’s nice toknow there are still some honest people in this world.We are retired and the $400 in my wife’s wallet is quitea lot of money to us. We would certainly commend Mr.Martin to his superiors.

(Editor’s note: Armin Martin, rest area supervisor, isin charge of the Victor rest area crews.)

To: Terry Dillinger, Director, Office of Driver ServicesFrom: Thomas L. Koehler, Judge, Iowa District Court,Cedar Rapids

I have wanted for some time to write you a short noteexpressing my opinion that you have a very valuableemployee here in the Cedar Rapids office. Her name isBrenda Differding.

As you undoubtedly know, Ms. Differding is in theLynn County Courthouse on a routine basis workingwith judges, lawyers and the public. During her tenurerequiring her to be at the courthouse, I have heardnothing by praise from everyone with whom sheassociates. Her willingness to “go out of her way” tohelp people is especially remarkable.

Ms. Differding is certainly an outstanding employee ofwhom you should be proud to have on your staff.

(Editor’s note: Brenda Differding is a public servicesupervisor 2 in the Cedar Rapids DL station. She isinvolved in the “Rocket Docket” program to assistdrivers and the court system in quick resolutions todriver issues as they relate to Iowa law.)

To: Larry Jackson, District 5 EngineerFrom: Lisa Parker

I cannot thank you enough for your response to my E-mail, butmore for the action you have initiated. In this day and age it is rareto find someone who first, listens to what others have to say andsecond, has the dedication and courage to do the right thing, thento have the tenacity to follow-up and follow-through. I amimpressed by your responsiveness and grateful for the course ofaction that will be undertaken in the near future. I know I am notalone in thanking you. At a recent football game many peoplewere discussing how surprised and relieved they were that actionis being taken to alleviate the situation in front of the school.

(Editor’s note: This thank you note refers to an intersection onU.S. 218 in front of Central Lee High School. Larry Jacksonand others from District 5 and the central office have beenworking to add a turn lane and upgraded school zone signage atthis location.)

To: Linda Castillo, engineering operations technician,Grimes shopFrom: Gene and Shirley Buckley, Monroe

Thanks for the prompt action on my fence request. Iappreciated meeting you and was happy that you were afine person to work with. Thanks again.

(Editor’s note: The Buckleys contacted Linda Castillo fora permit to remove a fence line. Since she was going tobe in the area the next day, she was able to research andprepare the permit for them that afternoon.)

To: Doug DeWaele, rest area supervisorFrom: Shane Weber, Mitchell, S.D.

Thank you for finding and returning my wallet to me. Youhave no idea how sick I felt when I realized it was gone andhow relieved I was that it was found fully intact.

(Editor’s note: Doug DeWaele, rest area supervisor, foundthis wallet at the Pacific Junction rest area on I-29 andmailed it back to the Weber.)

To: Mark WandroFrom: John Slight, Mayor, Boone

Please accept this letter as our sincere thanks for all thehelp and cooperation that was provided by the Departmentof Transportation in the clean up of debris following thewindstorm Sept. 2. In particular, we are grateful to thestaff at the Boone maintenance facility for theirleadership in getting all the help that was required to getthe job done in a timely manner. With the help of thedepartment, we were able to get the job done just in timefor the many visitors who came to our community tocelebrate Pufferbilly Days and enjoy a clean and pleasantenvironment.

PAGE 10 DECEMBER 2004

Location andEnvironmentJean Jesse

Roger Larsen, transportationengineer, and his wife, Lynn, arethe proud parents of a newson. Caleb Andrew was born Oct.30 at 2:17 p.m. Caleb weighed inat 8 lbs. 3 ozs. and was 20 ½inches long. Big brother Jake,almost 4, and big sister Hannah,7, are very exited about their newbrother. The office has given theusual baby gift of disposablediapers and lots ofunderstanding. Congratulations tothe Larsens!

Bridge DesignJudy Whitney

Ron Stafford, bridgeinspector, played guitar and sanglive Nov. 15 on KUNI radio inCedar Falls with his group called“The Bluegrass Pals.” Stafford’s84-year-young uncle playedfiddle with the group. From allaccounts this was a great experi-ence and one Stafford hopes torepeat.

FamilyHappeningsAfter a staff meeting, you hear one of your staff members

muttering, “What a control freak.” Are you? You may be if you:

- Have a hard time delegating projects to others.- Go to great lengths to show employees that you’re right, even if

the point is trivial.- Need to make every decision, read every letter and approve

every expenditure.- Require constant updates on the progress of assigned tasks.- Feel anxious when someone suggests a different way to ap-

proach a project or task.- Do most of the talking at meetings.

If these statements ring true, there’s a good chance that yourcontrolling behavior is compromising your effectiveness as amanager. The following tips will help you overcome that ineffectivebehavior:

- Trust your employees to do the job. After all, if you hiredthem, they should have the qualifications they need to workindependently.

- Offer suggestions, rather than criticisms, if you see that some-thing is not going well. Your employees are more apt to listento your ideas if they feel you aren’t criticizing them.

- Try to find specific areas of work to direct your energies. Noone person can know how to do everything. That’s why youhave staff members.

- Concentrate on goals and objectives for yourself and guide youremployees, rather than hold their hands.

Adapted from “Must You Control Everything?” Paul Thomas,www.mdpublishing.com and reprinted from CommunicationsBriefings, November 2004.

Quick TipIf you have perfectionist or control freak tendencies, encourag-

ing feedback from your staff is vital. Be open with your teammembers and say: “I recognize I have this weakness, and I’m tryingto correct it. Tell me if you see me reverting to my old ways.” Youmay need to repeat the message a few times before staffers will feelcomfortable about being frank with you.

Adapted from “Eye for Minutiae,” Professional Manager,www.managers.org.uk and reprinted from Communications Brief-ings, November 2004.

Are you a control freak?

DECEMBER 2004 PAGE 11

PAGE 12 DECEMBER 2004

Trophy CaseRecent DOT Awards

Over the summer the IowaConcrete Paving Association(ICPA) held several golf outings.DOTers fared very well in theserelationship-building activities,winning several of the flights.This information was supplied byICPA.

June 16 – PleasantValley Golf Course,Iowa City

Championship Flight, 1st PlaceJerry Danforth, retired DOT; Don Likeand Mark Johnson, District 6; and RichVan Horbeck, retired DOT.

Jesse hitshole in one

Larry Jesse, director ofthe Office of Local Sys-tems, shot his first hole inone at Otter Creek nearAnkeny Oct. 25. Jesse wasusing an eight iron against aslight wind on the seventhhole, a 125-yard par 3. Theevent even made the sportssection of the Des MoinesRegister on Oct. 28. Jessesays this is his first hole inone in 25 years of golf.Great job, Larry!

June 22 – Legacy GolfClub, Norwalk

Championship Flight – 2nd PlacePat Bishop (non-DOT); Ed Mahoney,Larry Letze and Lance Starbuck, DesMoines area employees.

Second Flight – 1st Place (by cardback)Lee Shepard and Troy Annis (non-DOT);Greg Mulder and Jerry Lavine, DesMoines area employees.

Third Flight- 1st PlaceKevin Mahoney and John Adam,Highway Division administration; andJay Johnson and Mark Trueblood,Martin Marietta Materials.

Sept. 22 – Legacy GolfClub, NorwalkChampionship Flight - 1st PlaceJerry Danforth, retired DOT; Don Likeand Mark Johnson, District 6; and RichVan Horbeck, retired DOT.

Championship Flight- 3rd PlaceAndy Polito and Pat Bishop (non-DOT);Larry Letze and Lance Starbuck, DesMoines area employees.

Second Flight – 2nd PlaceMark Trueblood, Martin MariettaMaterials; John Adam, HighwayDivision administration; Dean Wiebkeand Willie Mohorne, District 2.

Third Flight- 1st PlaceRon Bunting, Barry Sieh, Dave Widick,Phil Meraz, central complexemployees.

ICPA summer golf outings

DECEMBER 2004 PAGE 13

DOT Office Directors

2005 HolidaysNew Year’s Day ....................... Friday, Dec. 31Martin Luther King Jr. ......... Monday, Jan. 17Memorial Day ........................ Monday, May 30Independence Day .................. Monday, July 4Labor Day ............................... Monday, Sept. 5Veterans Day .......................... Friday, Nov. 11Thanksgiving Day .................. Thursday, Nov. 24Friday after Thanksgiving .... Friday, Nov. 25Christmas ................................ Monday, Dec. 26

Solution to the November crossword

Across3 Local Systems5 Program Management8 Systems Planning10 Transportation Data12 Finance13 Bridges and Structures14 Right-of-Way16 Public Transit and Aviation18 Motor Vehicle Enforcement19 Enterprise Services21 Rail Transportation22 Motor Carrier Services24 Maintenance25 Vehicle Services26 Media and Marketing Services

Down1 Traffic and Safety2 Materials4 Construction6 Procurement and Distribution7 Location and Environment9 Employee Services10 Design11 Document Services15 Contracts17 Policy and Legislative Services20 Driver Services23 Facilities Support

PAGE 14 DECEMBER 2004

PPPPPERSONNELERSONNELERSONNELERSONNELERSONNEL U U U U UPDPDPDPDPDAAAAATESTESTESTESTESInformation supplied by the Office of Employee Services for Sept. 24 to Oct. 21, 2004.

SSSSSERVICEERVICEERVICEERVICEERVICE A A A A AWARDSWARDSWARDSWARDSWARDSInformation supplied by the Office of Employee Services for December 2004.

40 YearsSharon K. Dickerson, Employee Services; Patrick Sell,Systems Planning.

35 YearsCurtis Gracey, Motor Carrier Services.

30 YearsDouglas Erickson, Des Moines construction; GaryMcDaniel, Des Moines-north garage; Michael Winfrey,Motor Vehicle Enforcement.

25 YearsMark C. Brown, Latimer garage; Allen Gray, Donnellsongarage; Jon Harrison, West Union garage; Ronald Mahoney,Gowrie garage.

20 YearsRoger Conzemius, Boone garage; M. Steve Fisher, Bridgesand Structures; Paul Ginkens, Mount Pleasant garage;Kenneth Hatfield, District 6 Office; Scott Meeks, InformationTechnology Division; Mohammad Mujeeb, Materials;Timmy Niner, Newhall garage; Robert North Jr., District 1Office; Leo Michael Simms, Motor Vehicle Enforcement;Gerald Sydnes, Facilities Support.

15 YearsJudy Bagg, Waterloo garage; Lester Castillo, Creston garage;Tony Gustafson, District 1 Office; Rodger Hanson, Sac Citygarage; Judy Hilsenbeck, Vehicle Services; Krandel Jack,Contracts; Donna Kelso, Motor Vehicle Enforcement; JudithLugiano, Burlington garage; Eileen Myers, Spencer DLstation; Tina Shea, Marshalltown garage; Cindy Yarrington,Waterloo garage.

10 YearsTrista Hills, Driver Services; Mike L. Jackson, Right-of-Way;Laura Maxwell, Cedar Rapids DL station; Richard McLain,Motor Vehicle Enforcement; Dale O’Brien, District 5 fieldstaff; John Osborne, Pacific Junction garage; CandacePhipps, District 3 materials; Larry Schropp, Williamsburggarage; Andy Sheldon, Sidney garage; Lisa Skartvedt,Information Technology Division; Willy Sorenson, Researchand Technology Bureau; Eric Souhrada, Bridges andStructures; Michael Todsen, Bridges and Structures.

New HiresJason Arn, construction technician assistant, Design; SherrylBarker, driver’s license clerk, Waterloo DL station; JoshuaCedar, construction technician, Cherokee construction; SheilaCowles, secretary 2, District 3 Office; Erich Eggers,communications technician 2, Information TechnologyDivision; Charles Hughes, construction technician assistant,Design; Tammy Heidemann, driver’s license clerk senior, DesMoines DL station; Teresa Huntley, reproduction equipmentoperator 2, Document Services; Malinda Johnson, secretary 1,Motor Carrier Services; Heather Jorgensen, driver’s licenseclerk, Waterloo DL station; Charles Levy, informationtechnology specialist 4, Information Technology Division;Bryan Nguyen, driver’s license clerk senior, Des Moines DLstation; Thomas Parham, transportation engineer specialist,District 5 Office; Kari Pint, driver’s license clerk senior, DesMoines DL station; Tawnia Reed, typist, District 5 Office;Jonelle Strazdas, driver’s license clerk, Council Bluffs DLstation; Rachelle Wright, driver’s license clerk, Cedar RapidsDL station; Valerie Wright, secretary 1, Mason Citymaintenance; Mary Zimmerman, purchasing agent 3,Procurement and Distribution.

PromotionsCharles Barker, from information technology specialist 2 toinformation technology specialist 3, Information TechnologyDivision; Benjamin Gerdes, from transportation engineerintern, Design, to transportation engineer, Des Moinesconstruction; Charles Henderson, from constructiontechnician senior to construction technician supervisor,Ottumwa construction; Jennifer Hennings, from driver’slicense clerk, Davenport DL station, to driver’s license clerksenior, Clinton DL station; Danny Laing, from garageoperations assistant to highway maintenance supervisor, Tiptoninterstate garage; Russell Lucht, from construction techniciansenior to construction technician supervisor, Cherokeeconstruction; Gary Sandersfeld, from equipment operator tomechanic, Williamsburg garage; James VanSickle, from garageoperations assistant to highway maintenance supervisor, Amesgarage.

TransfersKevin Cooklin, mechanic, from Maintenance to Jeffersongarage; Melissa Davis-Oviatt, secretary 2, from Public Transitto Finance; William Lane, equipment operator, transfer withinHighway Helper cost center; Martin Merical, equipmentoperator, within Grimes garage cost center; John Mohr,equipment operator, Oakdale garage to Williamsburg garage;Kerry Morris, equipment operator, from Highway Helper toGrimes garage; Jeffrey Roll, equipment operator, from GrundyCenter garage to Iowa Falls garage.

RetirementsNone.

Service AwardsService AwardsService AwardsService AwardsService Awards continued on page 15

DECEMBER 2004 PAGE 15

Service Area Correspondent Phone

District 1 ..................................................... Lori Morris, Ames .................................. 515-239-1635District 2 ..................................................... Pam Cox, Mason City ............................. 641-423-7584District 3 ..................................................... Mary Beth Banta, Sioux City ................. 712-276-1451District 4 ..................................................... Marlene Jensen, Atlantic ........................ 712-243-3355District 5 ..................................................... Brenda Hadley, Fairfield ........................ 641-472-6142District 6 ..................................................... Jeanne Heeren, Cedar Rapids ................ 319-364-0235Bridges and Structures ............................... Judy Whitney, Ames .............................. 515-239-1564Construction ............................................... Nancy McMenamin, Ames ..................... 515-239-1043Contracts ..................................................... Peg Muxfeldt, Ames ................................ 515-239-1422Design ......................................................... Judy Lensing, Ames ................................ 515-239-1469Director’s Staff Division ............................ Lynn Purcell, Ames ................................ 515-239-1730Driver Services ........................................... Melanie Mathes, Des Moines ................. 515-237-3153General Counsel ......................................... Sheri Anderson, Ames ............................ 515-239-1509Information Technology Division ............. Colette Simpson, Ames ........................... 515-233-7728Local Systems ............................................. Kathy LaRue, Ames ............................... 515-239-1081Location and Environment ......................... Jean Jesse, Ames ..................................... 515-239-1225Maintenance ............................................... Cindy Shipley, Ames .............................. 515-239-1824Materials .................................................... Dawne Berner, Ames .......................... 515-239-1919Modal andPlanning & Programming Divisions .... Mary Kay Reimers, Ames ................. 515-239-1661Motor Carrier Services ............................ Diann McMillen, Des Moines ........... 515-237-3250Motor Vehicle Enforcement ...................... Val Hunter, Des Moines ......................... 515-237-3218Operations and Finance Division ............... Janet Kout-Samson, Ames ..................... 515-239-1340Research and Technology Bureau ............. Phyllis Geer, Ames .................................. 515-239-1646Right-of-Way .............................................. Linda Kriegel, Ames ............................... 515-239-1135Traffic and Safety ....................................... Linda McBride, Ames ............................ 515-239-1557Vehicle Services ......................................... Thelma Huffman, Des Moines ............... 515-237-3182

INSIDE is developed to help keep all Iowa DOT employees informed aboutcritical issues affecting them, recognize DOT employees for their excellentservice, and share interesting aspects in the lives of our coworkers. For moreinformation, contact Tracey Bramble, Office of Media and Marketing Services,515-239-1314 or e-mail tracey.bramble@dot.iowa.gov.

Mark F. Wandro, Iowa DOT Director

Tracey Bramble, Office of Media and Marketing Services, EditorLynn Purcell, Office of Media and Marketing Services, Desktop Publisher

J. Cory Heintz, Office of Media and Marketing Services, PhotographerPrinting Staff, Office of Document Services, Printing

800 Lincoln Way, Ames, IA 50010 • 515-239-1372.

PLEASE RECYCLE THIS ISSUE

On the cover:On the cover:On the cover:On the cover:On the cover: This wooden arch bridge is in Fontana Park near Hazelton.

5 YearsRaymond Aikin, Newton interstate garage; Sally Bartlett,Design; James Beckman, Council Bluffs-south garage;Robert Briggs, Mount Pleasant garage; Joseph Cihacek,Missouri Valley garage; Earl Clausen, Adair garage; MichaelDownes, Cedar Rapids garage; Scott Geer, Facilities Support;Daniel Harness, Design; Paul Harry, Creston construction;Guy Mitchell, Washington garage; Sean Passick, Des Moinesconstruction; Chad Rumbaugh, Boone garage; DenniceSvaleson, Facilities Support; John Willenbring, Dyersvillegarage.

Service Awards Service Awards Service Awards Service Awards Service Awards continued from page 14

From left: Kueier Chung, Lois Davis and Joe Reutter

The Kate Shelley story was revisited at theruins of the Honey Creek Railroad Bridgein Boone County on the evening of July 6.Attending the event were Kueier Chung who

studied the story of Kate Shelley in school in Taiwan;Lois Davis from Design, the daughter of the RayMitchell family who purchased the Kate Shelley farmfrom the Shelley family after World War II; and JoeReutter of Bridges and Structures, who provided theantique railroad lantern and is doing research about theKate Shelley farm.

The group paid a visit to the Kate Shelley farm andhung a lantern at the site to commemorate the heroicdeed of Kate Shelley on the night of July 6, 1881.

July 6, 1881, revisited

Curtis GraceyCurtis GraceyCurtis GraceyCurtis GraceyCurtis Gracey,Motor Carrier Services

PAGE 16 DECEMBER 2004

Line by line

Have you ever been told that sometalent or aptitude ran in your family?For Ken Dunker, transportationengineer specialist in Bridges andStructures, this discovery came on a

trip to his mother’s family farm near Frankenmuth,Mich., in the early 1950s. Relatives remembered thathis great-great-grandfather also had been somewhatof an artist. Years later Dunker discovered a folk artexhibit of his great-great grandfather, Johann AdamList. List was a master carpenter who was involvedin the construction of many early buildings and acovered bridge in Frankenmuth. An artist, crafterand builder since childhood, Dunker has continuedhis artistic bent in ways that serve others.

Dunker’s church was looking for artwork for thecover of the Sunday morning bulletins, and hispastor asked Dunker to draw the church. Afterphotographing the building from several angles,Dunker used his training as an architect to placeMylar sheets over enlarged photos and draw thebuilding in ink with a technical pen.

After completing the church drawings Dunkerturned to bridges. “I had photos of historic bridgesthat I had taken when I was editor of the ASCE(American Society of Civil Engineers) newsletter,”said Dunker. “I thought those would make interestingdrawings.”

Once he ran out of bridge photos to draw, Dunkermoved on to old barns and now to one-room school-houses. “I feel I have to take the photos myself andexperience the structure to get a feel for the way itwas built,” he explained.

Dunker says it takes about a week of spare time tocomplete one drawing. “It’s fun for me to go out andfind structures I want to draw,” said Dunker.

With his collection growing, Dunker thought ofways to share his work with others, and raise moneyfor charitable causes at the same time. After test-marketing inkjet note cards in Iowa DOT Toys forTots and Food Drive auctions, he had quantities ofcards printed for several nonprofit organizations.Dunker produced a set of note cards of four barndrawings to be sold for Iowa Barn Foundationfundraising. When this proved successful, he offeredsix of his Madison County covered bridge drawings tothe Lincoln Way Chapter of the Red Cross. Alsoselling Dunker’s note cards of historic bridges forscholarship fundraising is the Iowa Section of ASCE.Dunker’s work has the potential to raise thousands ofdollars for these causes. Cards with truss bridgedrawings will be in this month’s Toys for Totsauction.

Dunker, a DOT employee since 2000, retiredfrom a 28-year career at Iowa State University wherehe taught architecture and civil engineering prior tojoining the department.

To buy a set of Dunker’s barn note cards, log onto iowabarnfoundation.org. The covered bridge notecards are available from American Red Cross,Lincolnway Chapter, 426 Fifth Street, Ames, IA50010, 515-232-5104. For the bridge note cardscontact the American Society of Civil Engineers, C/ODave Moeller, P.E., Snyder and Associates, Inc., 501SW Oralabor Rd., Ankeny, IA 50021, 515-964-2020.

DECEMBER 2004 PAGE 17