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I am a dog person! I grew upwith dogs. As an adult I hada beagle for about eightyears, followed by a 16-year

love affair with a Lhaso Apsonamed Benji.

Benji died about eight yearsago and I have been dog lesssince. Recently I inherited a three-year-old Shih Tzu named Rileyand I have been reminded of allthe things I so like about dogs. Aswe’ve gotten to know each otherthese past five months, I’vethought a lot about what we canlearn from a dog.

1. Actions speak louder thanwords. Even though he can’tspeak, I always know what Rileyis thinking, whether he’s jumpingat my knees with his front pawswhen I come home; dancingfrantically at the door; standing byhis bowl with pleading eyes andwagging tail; or laying along sideme, belly up. There is no mistak-ing his messages. Words are soeasily and often misunderstood inboth our personal and work lives.In fact, poor communication isoften the cause of problems.Maybe if we said less, and let ouractions speak for us, we wouldencounter fewer problems.

2. Positive feedback encouragesgood behavior. Riley is a cratedog, so a simple “get in yourhouse” and he runs into his crateand settles in. He learned this bybeing rewarded with positivefeedback whenever he walked intothe crate. A scratch behind theears, a rub of his tummy, or asmall dog treat when he does

something good is a great motiva-tor for Riley to do something goodagain. Positive feedback - whethera simple thank you, a positivecomment, recognition of a jobwell-done among coworkers (likeKudos in Inside) - can be just theincentive we need to keep doingsomething good.

3. Trust is fundamental to a goodrelationship. Fact is, Riley has tobe a very trusting guy. He truststhat we will feed him, come homeat the end of the day, take himoutside, give him his allergy pill,take him for walks, get himgroomed, and take him to the vet.In return we trust him to be a goodboy! Because we trust each other -and live up to the trust we have ineach other - the relationship worksfor both him and us. Sounds like agood model for relationships withpeople, too!

4. If you treat someone right,they’ll be loyal to you. Riley is avery appreciative creature.Because we’re good to him andlive up to our end of the bargain,he is very loyal to and protectiveof us. He is always at our side -through thick and thin - and isintent on protecting us from theunknown, like someone at thedoor, a noise outside, or anotherdog near our house, all of whichwill illicit a warning bark. Thosewith whom we develop mutuallyrespectful and helpful relation-ships will similarly be there withus in both good and bad times.

5. Don’t mess in your ownhouse - you’ll have to live in it.Riley will -well, you know - “hold

it” forever in his crate. This samedog that wants outside to do hisbusiness every couple hours willhold it for 12 hours, maybelonger, in his crate. The moral forus is to do things right, keepthings clean and well done, anddon’t make “messes” that we thenhave to live with. Said simply, dothe right things the right way,even if it takes extra effort, so wedon’t have messes in our crates tocontend with!

6. Always take time to play. Ihave never seen a dog that likestoys as much as Riley! Hisfavorites are soft, plush thingswith a squeak inside. Throw in arawhide chew bone and you’vegot a fun time! Riley will chew,squeak, toss and chase for as longas you’ll let him. Clearly heunderstands that old saying about“all work and no play” not beinghealthy. A good thing for us toremember. We need to find waysto enjoy our time at work - thesocial aspect of work that I’vetalked about before - and to findtime away from work playing withour own “squeaky toys” in orderto refresh.

All this, and more, from a14-pound Shih Tzu! I’m thinkinglife might be sweeter if we weremore like dogs - if we let ouractions speak for us, if we demon-strate our feelings, if we are onour best behavior, if we aretrusting and trustworthy, and if weremember to lighten up and havesome fun!! How about it, let’s goto the dogs together!

By the way, by the time youread this I will have celebrated, oris the right word survived, my firstyear as DOT director. Thanks toall of you for your help andsupport; I couldn’t do it withoutyou!

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Are you tired of completing insuranceforms? A new Web-based solutionmay be the answer. Recently WellmarkBlue Cross and Blue Shield and the

Department of Administrative Services (DAS)teamed up to produce an electronic enrollmentand eligibility system called Blues Enroll.

Blues Enroll will allow you access to yourinsurance benefit information online with just afew clicks of the mouse. The system will allowyou to choose your benefit plan and update yourbenefits when you have a major life event like abirth or marriage. You may look up your planbenefits anytime from any computer with Internetaccess.

Kate Murphy, director of the Office ofEmployee Services (OES), is excited about Web-based access to insurance information. She said,“The ability to personally look up and makechanges to your own insurance information is agreat benefit for our employees. OES quicklymakes the changes once they are submitted onpaper, but this online resource will give each ofour employees more immediate access to theirpersonal information.”

This program was rolled out to OES fromDAS in September. Look for more informationcoming via E-mail on your ability to access thesystem. For employees with limited Internetaccess, paper forms will still be made availableduring the enrollment period coming later thisfall.

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Some Iowa DOT employees, while dedicated totheir work at the department, also have secondincomes outside state government. State

employees need to be aware that second jobs mightraise issues of conflict of interest with the work doneat the DOT or those entities regulated by the depart-ment.

A revised conflict of interest policy (PPM200.03) has recently been put in place to address theproper procedure that officials and employees of thedepartment shall use to obtain consent to sell or leasegoods or services to entities that are regulated by the

DOT. The details outlined in the policy are in linewith mandates set by the Code of Iowa.

By definition, “sale or lease of goods orservices” means the receipt of compensation forproviding goods or services. In general terms, thesale or lease of goods or services to entities that areregulated by the department is prohibited in anyinstance that would cause that sale or lease to affectthe official’s or employee’s duties or work functions,would give the buyer an advantage in working withthe department, or would otherwise present a conflictof interest.

Listed in an appendix to PPM 200.03 areentities that are regulated by the DOT. A few ex-amples include motor carriers, consulting firms,highway contractors, motor vehicle and travel trailerdealers, vehicle recyclers, people who move or escortover-dimensional or overweight vehicles, and ownersof advertising devices located along primary high-ways.

According to the policy, if you are an employeeor official of the DOT and want to sell or lease goodsor services to a regulated entity, you must completeForm 105023 and submit it to the proper authority.The proper authority for most employees is thedivision director. This form should be submitted forsignature at least 20 calendar days prior to theproposed sale or lease. However, there are specificinstances when the form is not required because theDirector of Transportation has granted blanketconsent to employees and officials. The policy liststhese specific consents, as well as details about otherconflict of interest issues.

“The best advice I can give to a DOT employeewho has a private business is to be aware that thispolicy could apply to them. You should complete theform if there is any question whether or not conflictof interest might be an issue,” said Mary Christy,director of the Operations and Finance Division.“That would allow the employee’s division directorto research the situation and identify any possibleconflicts.”

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Florida and spent two weeks visiting every themepark. In addition to spending time with family,Backous enjoys camping, working on vehicles, woodcrafting, and attending craft and trade shows withSue.

•“When I first started working at the DOT in

1961, I planned on working for three months beforeattending college. Three months quickly turned into45 years,” said Roger Swenson, design technicianspecialist, who is celebrating 45 years of service thismonth.

Swenson has witnessed several changesthroughout the years. “When I started at the DOT,very little of the interstate had been constructed, andit consisted of a mere three-mile stretch on thesouthwest side of Des Moines and a short section inSioux City,” said Swenson. He also rememberedwhen the personnel office was a one-person opera-tion with a file cabinet in a 12-foot by 12-foot office.

The most significant change Swenson haswitnessed has been the increase in traffic. “I remem-ber when the interstate was completed from Ames toDes Moines in the mid 1960s, and a person wouldrarely encounter other vehicles. That same stretch isnow a steady flow of traffic, and other locations havemuch more,” said Swenson.

Swenson said he enjoys the diversity of hisemployment with the DOT. Prior to his last 18 yearsin the Office of Bridges and Structures, Swensonworked in the soils section of Design, the Amesresidency and Office of Contracts. His present dutiesallow him to interact with different people fromvarious counties through his work in the processingand distribution of shop drawings. Additional dutiesinclude the coordination and review of secondaryroad system bridge and culvert plans containingunique details or features, and providing consultantswith analysis of box culverts when size or fill heightsare not standard.

When Swenson isn’t keeping busy at work he’sbusy at home. He enjoys golfing, traveling, theoutdoors, and anything that allows him to stay active.His wife, Virginia, is a mathematics instructor withthe Ames schools and Iowa State University. Theirdaughter, Angela, and son-in-law, Mark, both teachin the Des Moines area and welcomed a daughter,Emma, last year. As first time grandparents, theSwensons are enjoying Emma very much.

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Darwin Backous, Office of Bridges andStructures, celebrates 45 years of servicethis October. In light of his 45th year,Backous describes his career as a great

success. He’s fortunate to be one of the few peoplewho truly loves what he does for a living.

“I just love the work itself, detailing anddesigning culverts, culvert repairs and extensions,”said Backous, design technician specialist. Backousenjoys his work so much that although he is currentlyeligible for retirement, he maintains full-time em-ployment.

In addition to enjoying the duties of his job,Backous values his co-workers as well. “We’ve gotgood people up here. It’s been a privilege to work forBridges and Structures, and the DOT has been verygood to me,” said Backous.

Over the years Backous has adapted to thechanging technology with ambition and aptitude.“When I first started working in Bridges and Struc-tures everything was done with paper and pencils,then Mylar paper was used, and I can rememberwhen the first CAD station was introduced,” saidBackous. Backous describes it as a good learningexperience and enjoys keeping his mind active bycontinuing to learn new things.

Backous loves to analyze things to find a betterand more efficient way, a passion which he nowshares with his grandchildren. Backous and hisgrandson, Nathaniel, 20, are currently putting thefinishing touches on their annual haunted house. Theduo found a way to construct an electric chair forabout $250 in materials; and if they were to buy it,the value would be around $6,000. Nathaniel donatesthe proceeds to different charities and non-profitorganizations.

Backous grew up with two brothers and threesisters, and takes delight in being surrounded byfamily. Backous enjoys time with his wife, Sue, alibrarian in Boone. “Whenever I want to knowsomething I don’t go to a dictionary; I just ask Sue,”said Backous. The Backouses have been blessed withthree daughters, Laurie, Christie and Annie. They arevery much involved in the lives of their children andgrandchildren, Nathaniel, Caleb, 14, and Cody 12.Last year the Backouses took all three grandsons to

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What’s makes small town life in Iowa sospecial? It’s people like Phil Heinlenwho pour their heart and soul intomaking the town the best it can be.

Rockwell City, where Heinlen is the DOT’s highwaymaintenance supervisor and the town’s mayor, is asmall city of 2,224 located on U.S. 20 in CalhounCounty.

“I carry two cell phones, one for DOT calls andone for city calls,” explains Heinlen. Heinlen, a 28-year veteran of the DOT, has been mayor for almostseven years. “I try to stay neutral on the controversialissues in town and let the council do their job,” saidHeinlen. “They are the ones that make the motionsand vote. We have a good council in Rockwell City.They are very up front with the citizens and workhard to make the community better.”

Wearing both hats, Heinlen in constantlydealing with the public. As a life-long resident ofRockwell City, the town’s people know who to callwhen there’s an issue on a roadway or with a cityservice. “If I had one complaint it would be that Ithink there are so many qualified people out therewho could help out; however, there is a small groupof people doing the majority of the work. Whatwould happen if everyone said ‘I don’t have thetime?’ You have to be willing to commit your time tothe things that are important.”

Some of the efforts Heinlen and other RockwellCity leaders have been devoted to lately include anew 10,000 square-foot playground for the park,coined Kid’s Kingdom, (built with $130,000 in fundsraised by a civic group called “Mothers on a Mis-sion”) and a $2.5-million library/community centerproject. With the council, Heinlen has worked tocodify all the city’s ordinances, and the town’s policedepartment is now beginning to enforce city rules onjunk vehicles and dilapidated houses. “To be suc-cessful and bring in new residents and businesses, thetown needs to have a good image. Junk cars and run-down houses don’t fit with how we want to presentourselves.”

Sports are important to Heinlen, and eventhough his two children are grown, he still supportsthe Rockwell City-Lytton High School Booster Club.Although a few hundred miles from Iowa City,Heinlen is an avid Hawkeye fan who has made thetrip to the state’s original capital for 27 consecutiveyears of Hawkeye football games.

Heinlen and his wife, Jane, are the parents of adaughter, Krista, and son, Steven. Krista’s daughter,Ellie Claire, almost 4, is the apple of grandpa’s eye.The Heinlens have been known to make the trek toCouncil Bluffs often to visit their granddaughter.

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If this fall campaign season is like so manybefore, a new crop of political signs willsoon be popping up everywhere. Some ofthese signs are legally placed; others are set onpublic rights-of-way and other public land,

which is a violation of the law.Most sign violations are the result of efforts of

ardent campaign supporters who are unfamiliar withthe law. Here’s a guide for political candidates, partychairs, campaign workers, and election officials tohelp them become acquainted with the laws as thisyear’s signs are posted.

������������� ��� �������������Political campaign signs are any temporary

advertising device or sign that is designed to influ-ence the passage or defeat of any measure on theballot or designed to influence the voters with respectto the nomination, election, defeat, or removal of acandidate from public office at any national, state orlocal general or special election.

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There are state, county and municipal laws andordinances that govern political signs. Iowa lawstates that political campaign signs are not allowedon any property:

• owned by the state or governing body of acounty, city or other political subdivision of thestate, including all property considered publicright-of-way (examples include buildings,bridges, trees or other natural features, firehydrants, traffic control signs or devices, utilitypoles, posts, gates, fences, and vehicles);

• owned by a prohibited contributor under section68A.503 of the Code of Iowa (e.g. corporations,banks, insurance companies, etc.), unless thesign advocates the passage or defeat of a ballotissue or is exempted;

• without the permission of the property owner;

• on election day, either on the premises of anypolling place or within 300 feet of any outsidedoor of any building affording access to anyroom where the polls are held, or of any outsidedoor of any building affording access to anyhallway, corridor, stairway, or other means ofreaching the room where the polls are held; and

• within 300 feet of an absentee voting site orsatellite absentee voting station, during the hourswhen absentee ballots are available.

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The roadway right-of-way includes the road-way surface, the concrete or grassy median, intersec-tions, entrance and exit ramps, and a strip of land,usually bordering either side of the road, which isreserved for shoulders, drainage ditches, sidewalks,traffic signs/signals, fencing, electrical traffic signalcontrol boxes, utility lines, and future road expan-sion.

The right-of-way boundary is an invisible linethat may not be possible to identify without detailedlegal maps and a formal survey. When in doubtabout the location of the right-of-way line, contactthe transportation agency responsible for the road-way (DOT, secondary roads department engineer orcity public works director).

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State, county and city highway authorities; cityand county law enforcement authorities; and theIowa Ethics and Campaign Disclosure Board havethe legal right and duty to remove or ensure removalof improperly placed signs.

If a sign placed or erected upon the right-of-way of any public highway constitutes an immediateand dangerous hazard, a representative of thehighway authority or law enforcement agency shall,without notice or liability in damages, remove it andassess the associated costs against the owner of thesign. Normally, the DOT will simply remove thesign.

A political campaign sign placed or erectedupon the right-of-way of any public highway thatdoes not constitute an immediate and dangeroushazard will be removed without liability after 48-hour notice is provided to the person responsible forthe sign.

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Highway crews are asked to make reasonableattempts to preserve campaign signs taken down,transport them to the nearest maintenance garage andprovide campaign offices with an opportunity toclaim the signs. Signs are typically stored for 30days before being discarded.

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Political campaign signs may be placed withthe permission of the property owner on:

• residential property;

• agricultural land owned by individuals or by afamily farm operation;

• property leased for residential purposes (apart-ments, condominiums and houses);

• vacant lots owned by a private individual;

• property owned by an organization that is not aprohibited contributor under section 68A.503 ofCode of Iowa; and

• property leased by a candidate, committee ororganization established to advocate the nomina-tion, election or defeat of a candidate, or passageor defeat of a ballot issue that has not yetregistered pursuant to section 68A.201 of theCode of Iowa, when the property is used asheadquarters or an office (the placement of thesign is limited to the space that is actuallyleased).

��������������������������To reduce visual clutter, signs are to be re-

moved within a reasonable time following theelection or other event to which the sign refers.Signs for successful primary election candidatesgenerally remain in place until a reasonable timefollowing the general election. Iowa law does notestablish a time frame for removal of signs.

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Property owners can contact the campaign’sheadquarters to ask to have the sign removed andadvise the campaign about the error so it is notrepeated. The DOT has no authority over signsposted on private property.

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Improperly placed signs in the roadway right-of-way can reduce a driver’s view, distract from his/her attention, compound damages or injuries in theevent of a crash, endanger the safety of individualswho are erecting the signs along busy highways,present obstacles to crews who maintain roadways,and force pedestrians and bicyclists into dangerousareas close to the road edge or onto difficult terrainalongside the road shoulder.

Illegally posted signs also waste valuabletaxpayer resources. Each year, the DOT receivesnumerous complaints about improperly posted signs,or discovers them during routine inspections, mow-ing or other operations. DOT crews must follow upon these complaints and remove illegal signs…timebetter spent maintaining our roadways.

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The Iowa DOT was a bigwinner again this year at theannual National TransportationPublic Affairs Workshop held inOklahoma City, July 29 – Aug. 2.The event, sponsored each year bya different member-state of theAmerican Association of StateHighway and TransportationOfficials (AASHTO) and coordi-nated by the AASHTO Subcom-mittee on Public Affairs, show-cases the best in state DOT mediarelations efforts.

The Iowa DOT broughthome three awards: electronicnewsletter, CEO column andfeature articles. The Office of RailTransportation’s electronicnewsletter “Railroad Ties” wastops in that category. NancyRichardson’s “Johnny Cash”column from the May 2006edition of INSIDE beat out theother CEO column competitors,and the INSIDE series of articleson the 50th Anniversary of theInterstate System was the winningentry for feature articles.

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Barb Mallon, employeesafety coordinator in the Office ofEmployee Services, participated inthe 20th Annual Iowa SeniorOlympics, held June 8-11 in WestDes Moines. The Senior Olympicsis open to men and women age 50and older. There are more than 50events with competition in 10 agecategories. The Iowa SeniorOlympics is endorsed by the IowaGovernor’s Council on PhysicalFitness and Sports, and is a proudmember of the National SeniorGames Association.

Mallon entered the women’sbasketball competition and earneda first-place gold medal for free-throw shooting, making 11 of 15,and a second-place, silver medalfor the Around-the-World shoot-ing making 8 of 15 shots. Thiswas Mallon’s first time competingin the Senior Olympics, but shesays she plans to enter again nextyear, and is working with friendsto organize women’s six-on-sixplayer basketball games for thisfall and winter. If you’re a womanage 50 and older and are inter-ested in playing basketball,contact Mallon at 515-239-1594.

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Iowa DOT Motor VehicleOfficer Michael Rader representedour state at the North AmericanInspectors Championship held inNew Orleans, Louisiana, Aug. 14-18, 2006. The annual champion-ship hosted 53 North AmericanStandard Level I inspectors. Inaddition to the competition,officers attended training seminarson topics such as license fraud,logbooks, bus/motor coachinspections, and hazardousmaterials bulk/non-bulk inspec-tions.

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New at this years competi-tion was a team award. Partici-pants formed teams to completetasks. Mike’s team was recogniz-ing for best demonstrating cama-raderie and accumulating thehighest point average. Raders’steam members were from Califor-nia, Montana, New York, Pennsyl-vania, Tennessee, Texas, andQuebec, Canada.

Of his experience, Radersaid, “I have never been treated sonice in my life. The LouisianaState Police needs to be com-mended on their hospitality to allthe contestants and their spouses.The competition was fun. I feelhonored that I was given theopportunity to compete in such aprestigious event and meet amultitude of officers from the stateand federal level.”

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Ron Thompson, engineer-ing technician senior at theDistrict 5 Office, is one proud dad.His son, James, made his operaticdebut Aug. 10 to a crowd of nearly800 at Iowa Wesleyan CollegeChapel to a standing ovation.James’ mentor, Simon Estes, alsotook to the same stage. Thompson,a former music teacher in MountPleasant, studied with Estes inBoston.

•Congratulations to Mr. and Mrs.Nick Wilkerson on the birth oftheir baby boy. Garen Nicholaswas born Aug. 11. He weighed 6lbs. 7 ozs. and was 19 ¼ incheslong. Daddy Nick is an equipmentoperator at the Wapello garage.

���������Mary Beth Banta

Garry Carlson, mechanic inthe Sac City and Rockwell Cityshops, and his wife, Chrystal, arethe proud parents of their thirdchild. Max Gerald Carlson wasborn July 25 weighing 8 lbs. 15ozs. and was 22 inches long. Hejoins siblings Jacob, 7, andMegan, 5.

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��������Kenneth Williams Sr., of Des Moines, passed away Friday,

Aug. 25, 2006, at the Iowa Health Hospice Taylor House. Kennystarted working for the DOT in 1978 and was an equipment operatorat the Des Moines-north garage and then Des Moines-west, retiringin 2002.

•Robert L. “Bob” Landreth, 54, of Stratford, passed away

Thursday, Aug. 10, 2006, at Israel Family Hospice House. Landrethbegan working at the DOT in March 1986 as a design technician inthe Office of Design. He moved to the Office of Facilities Support

in 1990 as an architectural techni-cian. When Landreth found out hehad a brain tumor in March 2005,his goal was to hang around tocelebrate his 20th anniversary at theDOT and his 54th birthday. He gothis wish, and in March 2006, about60 people helped him celebratethese milestones with dinner atHickory Park. Landreth is survivedby his wife, Katherine; two sons,Scott of Great Falls, Montana andZach of Stanhope, Iowa; his mother,Delores, of Dayton, Iowa; and manyother family members.

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Jerry Sabin, motor poolmechanic, retired July 27 after 41years of service. A coffee was heldon his last day where he was givena clock, 41 gold Susan B. Anthonydollars and another monetary gift.Many DOT employees and friendscame to wish Jerry a long andhappy retirement.

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Ashley Smelser, architec-tural technician 2 in FacilitiesSupport, and her husband, An-drew, welcomed their first childJune 8. Isabel Renae weighed in at6 lbs. 8 ozs. and was 21 incheslong. Congratulations to theSmelsers!

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Kay Ridgway, secretary 1 in the District 1field office in Des Moines, is a state fair veteran. Thisyear’s ceramics entries include a 1st place for a“Pheasant Plate” in the plate and plaque class; 1st

place for “Dancing Bunnies” in the “other thanChristmas” holiday class; 2nd place for “CanadianGoose” in the dry brush class; and 2nd for “Pheasant”in the antique class. Ridgway also placed 2nd in thefloral wreath/swag class for a small purple swag. “Ifelt really good about this one because I am not aprofessional florist, but I was able to compete withthem,” she said. Ridgway’s other entry this year, abouquet of orchids and lilacs did not place at the fair,but can be seen in the Ames area engineer’s office.

Diane McCauley, policy analyst in the Officeof Rail Transportation, weathered her third year ofcompetition in the Fabrics and Threads category inhigh style. McCauley entered four categories. Herwool vest embellished with clematis flowers andvines won 1st place, a flower pin made of wool fiberbrought home a 4th place ribbon, and a small hand-

fetted andbeaded bagof wool, silkand otherfibers wasacceptedinto thejuried showand awarded3rd place inthe Fiberscategory.McCauley

also participated in the style show of hand-craftedgarments sponsored by the Ames/Central IowaSewing Guild.

“All around I have found the fair competition agood experience – interesting, and sometimeshumbling, to stack your stuff against others and seehow it fares. Probably more importantly, it forcesyou to hone your skills to prepare “fair-worthy”entries, which can’t just get done, but must be donewith a higher level of care, creativity and attention todetail in order to compete,” said McCauley.

Steven Schroder, transportation engineerintern in the Office of Traffic and Safety, entered twowood carvings at the Iowa State Fair this year. Hereceived participation ribbons for both.

Peggy Phipps, and her husband, Phil, enteredtwo horses in eight classes at this year’s fair. Theycame home with three 3rd place ribbons, one 4th place,one 6th place, and one 8th place with nine-year-oldstallion Zippo Scotty (Scotty) and three-year-oldmare, Ladys All Star (Ali).

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To: Diane Sappenfield, Driver ServicesFrom: Don Lovasz, Des Moines

Thank you for the phone call and follow up. I shared withseveral of your colleagues at the Office of DriverServices (ODS) that you have been a most pleasant groupwith which to work. Having recently moved here fromMissouri, and having lived in Illinois and Ohio prior tothat, I can say from experience that the Iowa ODS staffare the most courteous and professional of those I’vedealt with.

(Editor’s note: Diane Sappenfield is an administrativeassistant in the records management section of ODS. Sheassisted Mr. Lovasz in his request for a temporaryrestricted license.)

To: Bradley Steinhart, Highway Maintenance Supervi-sor, Washington garageFrom: Don and Beverly Gray, Montezuma

Recently, as we were traveling from Montezuma withour fifth-wheel, we blew a tire. As my husband andbrother-in-law were preparing to change the tire on theRV, two young men clad in orange and both namedMike passed us and saw our problem. They turned theirvehicle around and came back – not only to help, but tochange the tire for us. Our world and news are so full ofall the bad going on that we want you at the DOT toknow you have two very special young men working foryou. We need so many more “Mikes” in the world! Ourthanks to them and to all of you at the DOT.

(Editor’s note: The DOT employees who stopped to helpthe Grays were Mike Winters and Mike Todd, bothequipment operators in the Washington shop.)

To: Captain Donald PageFrom: Thomas R. WardlowChief of Police/Interim City Administrator

Dear Captain Page,I want to take this opportunity to thank you andyour staff for assisting our department during theRAGBRAI event on July 26-27. By workingtogether, we all ensured the safety of our visitorsand enhanced their enjoyment of our community.Your assistance allowed us to reallocate resourceselsewhere where it was also needed.

(Editor’s note: The officers involved in this eventwere Jennifer Bell, Jason Maahs, Randall Rice,Ryan Ridout, and Ronald Schipper.)

To: Delores Johnson, driver’s license supervisor 2, CouncilBluffs DL stationFrom: Christine A. Marsh and Patricia Orwig

I would be remiss if I failed to pen this note of appreciation toyou for your assistance in allowing Patricia to prove herworthiness to receive her driver’s license. She is so elated, andmore than that, her self-perception has been elevated. She toldme she was going to exercise and lose weight. She is affirmedthat hard work and tenacity are rewarded. I wish to thank youagain for your kindness, patience and professionalism. I knowthose with whom you work appreciate your abilities. You are apeople person. We are so fortunate to have you here in CouncilBluffs.

(Editor’s note: Christine Marsh is the mother of PatriciaOrwig. Patricia has just recently begun to live on her own andhad experienced difficulty in the past when taking the behind-the-wheel driving test. Delores Johnson personally worked tomake Patricia more comfortable and relaxed prior to taking thetest so she could prove that she is capable of driving safely onher own.)

To: Iowa DOTFrom: Ralph Kitterman, Fort Dodge

The public service rendered at the Fort Dodge office ofdriver’s license renewal deserves a letter of commendation.On Aug. 11, I appeared for the renewal of my auto driver’slicense. This was not a new experience for me, as I amcertainly classified as a senior citizen. Gracious hospitalityand helpfulness greeted me at all points in the process ofrenewal. The service I received when reporting in andassistance at various steps was laden with caring helpful-ness. During the waiting period, I witnessed a high qualityof professional assistance to all ages, varied ethnic back-grounds and socio- economic strata. Very clearly one coulddetect the staff people were sensitive to our needs as well asaffirming that we were people. With gratitude I left youroffice with my renewal and feeling of pride in the quality ofhelpfulness extended. I rejoiced again in being an Iowan andobserving our public servants’ high quality of service. Thankyou for the grace of service which you revealed. I saluteyou!

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To: Iowa DOTFrom: Peter Olson, Des Moines

I want to say thanks for the comforting presence that aHighway Helper brought to my situation today on I-235 in West Des Moines at 1 p.m. He was about 6’1",dark hair, short beard/mustache and driving a brown S-10-type pickup. My foot is in an immobilization boot,and when getting out of my truck today, I must havecaught the hood release. Six miles later, my hoodnearly flew open at highway speed. I stopped near anentrance ramp and was sandwiched between speedingcars. On crutches, I’m not as fast or responsive, so itwas a joy to see him pull up behind me just as thishappened. That gave me the confidence to get out,check the hood and get going again. I thanked him,and I thank you for the service. Much appreciated.

(Editor’s note: The Highway Helper mentioned in thisnote is Joe Salazar.)

To: Iowa DOTFrom: Deanna Retzlaff, Westmoreland, Kansas

I would just like to say thank you to Doug at the IowaDOT. We left our diaper bag in the ladies restroom whiletraveling. When we realized we no longer had it - wewere already to Minnesota! Thanks again Doug Dewaelefor taking the initiative to contact us and be sure we gotour bag back! Great job!!!

(Editor’s note: Doug Dewaele oversees the Adair,Underwood, Pacific Junction, and Loveland rest areas.)

To: Iowa DOTFrom: Curtis McIntosh, Equipment Operator, Fairfield garage

In the “Inside” magazine I often read letters that the public has sent to thankemployees for roadside assistance they’ve received. Well, my letter is tothank fellow employees for their roadside help to me.

Back in July I was patrolling U.S. 34 between Fairfield and Ottumwa, when Icame across some severe edge-rutting that needed immediate attention. In theprocess of getting off the road and turned around, I ran over a broken off steelpost just sticking out of the ground a few inches and blew a tire on my pickup.Two DOT employees out of the Fairfield materials office, Gary Dickey andTim Tedrow, stopped and changed the tire for me while two other employees,Tim Halbrook, Bloomfield maintenance, and Jerry Irwin, Fairfield mainte-nance, helped me get equipment around and helped work on the shoulder.They are both shared workers with the construction office. Without all theirwilling help, it would have taken me several hours to address the problem.With their help it took less than an hour.

To: Milly Ortiz-Pagan, Office of Systems PlanningFrom: Steve Libbey I recently bicycled back to Ames from the end of RAGBRAIin Muscatine relying almost exclusively on the state’sTransportation Map for Bicyclists to go where I wanted towith minimum traffic issues. In spite of having some seriousdoubts about a few of the ADTs indicated, I found the mapto be right on - not only helpful, but accurate. As a long-term bicyclist - both for daily errands and long-range touring- I think this map is an excellent use of bicycling-relatedtransportation monies. In terms of touring, I would suggestthat this map is more beneficial from an immediate bang-for-your-buck standpoint than building separate trails (whichis not to say bike trails are a waste). So, I just wanted towrite and express my appreciation for DOT’s bicycle maps.

To: Cheryl Williams, Office of FinanceFrom: Matthew Robinson, Crystal Clean

I am writing to commend your employee, Jerry Howell, foroutstanding customer service. I was calling in regarding apayment, and from the moment he answered the phone tothe moment our phone conversation ended, his customerservice skills were outstanding. Thank you for employingand training excellent employees.

(Editor’s note: Jerry Howell is an accounting technician 3in the Office of Finance, project accounting and payablessection.)

To: Manchester garageFrom: The Blakemans, Okauchee, WI

A big thank you to a DOT worker onU.S. 20. We were coming home fromvacation and had a flat. She saw usunloading the trunk, pulled over, helpedus, and then led us to a station that fixedour flat. We were on our way within anhour. She went above and beyond.Thank you, Iowa!

(Editor’s note: The employee whohelped the Blakemans was Judy Recker,equipment operator from the Manchestergarage.)

(Editor’s note: The Transportation Map for Bicyclists isproduced by the Office of Systems Planning.)

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��� ���Darwin Backous, Bridges and Structures; Roger Swenson,Bridges and Structures

���� ���William Kreinbring, District 1

�� ���Timothy Haynie, Shenandoah garage; Alvin Robert Price,Tama garage; Dennis C. Smith, Design; Ruth VanderSchaaf, Program Management

��� ���Christopher Domeyer, Manchester garage; BarbaraEspeland, Information Technology Division; Rex Lee Evans,Newton garage; Lawrence Lewin, Manchester garage;Katherine Martin, Design; Steven Poshusta, Decorahgarage; Jeffrey Rissler, Manchester garage; KathleenRobinson, Media and Marketing Services

��� ���Larry Hopkins, Bloomfield garage; James Myers, Carlislegarage; Paula Whitten, Cedar Rapids DL station

���� ���Donald Carlson, Davenport construction; Trev Cook,Des Moines construction; Gary Detrick, Mount Pleasantconstruction; Joseph Foreman, Information TechnologyDivision; Jack Goodale, Osage garage; Mark Hansen,Transportation Data; Kurtis Lawler, Fort Dodge garage;David McFarland, Maintenance; Gail Nordholm, LocalSystems; John Reid, Ottumwa garage; James Rost, Locationand Environment; David Smith, Martensdale garage; RonStephens, Materials; Dan Vasquez, Mason City garage;Dallas Walter, District 4 paint crew; Clinton Watson,Bridges and Structures; Daniel Wolfe, Osceola garage; GaryZidlicky, District 2 materials

��� ���Kevin Adams, Waverly garage; Mary K. Blake, BurlingtonDL station; Pamela Sue Kendrick, Carroll DL station;Rodney Lilly, Donnellson garage; Cheryl Ann Meyer,Fort Dodge DL station

���� ���Harold Adcock, Bridges and Structures; Brad Agan, Carrollgarage; Cheryl Bain, Ottumwa DL station; Theresa Fox,Motor Vehicle Enforcement; Patsy Freerks, Waterloo DLstation; Jeffrey Harness, Chariton construction; ScottKnudtson, Motor Vehicle Enforcement; Lori Morris,Des Moines construction; Jack Parsons, Leon garage

�� ���Brenda Kramer, Sioux City DL station

� ����� �Carol Carpenter, driver’s license clerk senior, Iowa City DLstation; Timothy Elliott, design technician, Design; DianaHeck, driver’s license clerk, Cedar Rapids DL station; AgataJanus, planning aide 1, Transportation Data; KimberlyJohnson, information technology specialist 2, InformationTechnology Division; Monica McCroskey, mail clerk 2,Driver Services; Karen Meeks, driver’s license clerk senior,Des Moines DL station; Jason Page, construction technician,District 2 Office; Jed Roe, construction technician assistant,Design; Phillip South, accountant/auditor 1, Finance

����������Larry Christiansen, from engineering operations technician,District 4 Field Staff, to engineering technician senior, District4 Office; Kelly Sharp, from mail clerk 1 to mail clerk 2,Driver Services

������ ��James Albers, equipment operator, from Ida Grove garage toCorrectionville garage; Alan Clayton, equipment operator,from Bedford garage to Mount Ayr garage

��� � ���Fred Cirksena, executive officer 2, Right of Way; IvanLemley, equipment operator, Donnellson garage; LawrenceLewin, equipment operator, Manchester garage; DarrellWeyen, equipment operator, Akron garage

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Service Area Correspondent Phone

District 1 ..................................................... Kay Ridgway, Des Moines ..................... 515-986-5729District 2 ..................................................... Lu Mohorne, 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 ................................ 515-239-1469Driver Services ........................................... Noralee Warrick, 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.

Nancy J. Richardson, 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.

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For some, it’s unusual that a person from Iowawith no close relationships affected by breastcancer would work diligently for monthsraising money to travel to Minnesota for a

grueling three-day walk to raiseawareness for the disease. Whenasked why she decided to do this,Susie McCullough from the Officeof Transportation Data says thateveryone she knows has someconnection to a breast cancervictim or survivor.

The Twin Cities BreastCancer 3-Day walk took place

Aug. 18-20. Walkers gathered in the Twin Cities withtheir walking shoes ready. A tent city was erected in aschool yard as home base for two nights, as the walkersmade their way around Saint Paul and Minneapolis.

McCullough explained the atmosphere, “It wasthree days of kindness and Minnesota ‘nice.’ Theweather cooperated and the opening ceremonies wereheld outside at the Saint Paul Zoo. Despite a little windand light rain Friday night, it was perfect walkingweather for three days.”

The mood at the walk was definitely festive asthemed stops along the way lifted the spirits of walkerswith sore muscles and blistered feet. “It’s difficult todescribe to someone who has never been there,” saidMcCullough. “It was obvious the superstar crew hadspent months preparing for this event. The themes atevery stop were amazing. We experienced a Christmas-themed lunch on day one, including the original Mall ofAmerica Santa. There was a circus-themed lunch on daythree, including a clown on stilts and a pirates of theCure-ibbean pit stop, including a pirate ship named theSG Komen that ‘misted’ the walkers. Another stop wasa Route 66 ‘grab and go’. It was all thought out andplanned so well.”

The local community came out to form theworld’s largest cheering stations over the course allthree days. They passed out candy, popsicles, stickers,and friendship bracelets, in addition to cheering thewalkers on. Melo-o-glaze Bakery baked ribbon-shapeddonuts and passed them out to hungry walkers. In camp,the walkers and crew also proved that dancing healsblisters, and helps aches and pains, when they danced toDisco Nights (including a conga line around the diningtent).

To sum up her three days in Minnesota,McCullough said, “I have never had a more positiveexperience in my life. Looking back, the one thing Inotice in pictures is that people are smiling. I had a crewguy tell me ‘you are always smiling.’ What else am Igoing to do? I can smile through the pain of a few

blisters and sore muscles because I know I am making adifference. My pain is nothing compared to the pain ofthose dealing with breast cancer. At the end of day one,I didn’t know how I was going to be able to make it twomore days. The answer was plain and simple, you justdo. Everyone was hobbling around camp in the morn-ings, then after about the first mile on the route some-thing or someone gives you a boost, and away you go. All along the walk you heard ‘you are doing great, wayto go! WHOO HOOO!’ I’ve never had so many high-fives in my life, and from total strangers. The supportfrom the community was awesome. There were desig-nated cheering stations for local people to gather, andthey came in droves. Constant clapping, cheering,whistling, and words of encouragement really helped usmake it through the days.”

McCullough walked with “The Eradicators,”which consisted of McCullough, and Julie and KenFogelsong/ of Boone. While planning the trip Mc-Cullough contacted Sue Bastian in Minnesota, anotherwalker who offered a place to stay on the night beforethe walk began. “We hit it off from the start and herkids had a little party for us the night before the walk. Itwas such a great way to meet other people all for thepurpose of making a difference,” said McCullough.

McCullough has already started fund-raising fornext year’s walk and she’s inviting any other DOTer tojoin her. She says, “To truly understand this event, youneed to participate!”

According to figures given at the closing ceremo-nies, approximately 2,500 people walked at the TwinCities event raising more than $6.2 million. For moreinformation on the three-day walk, please contact SusieMcCullough at 515-230-1597 or 515-432-2285 or e-mail susieben9289@yahoo.com.

Another opportunity is coming soon to supportbreast cancer research and the Susan G. KomenFoundation. The Des Moines “Race for the Cure” willbe held Oct. 28. Go to www.desmoinesraceforthecure.org for more details.

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