Joel Risser, a snowplow operator at the Dresbach Truck Station, prepares to plow the shoulders of I-90 from Dresbach to St. Charles. Photo by Paul Ryan, Houston County News

Television and newspaper reporters in Greater Minnesota recently gave their readers a sense of the everyday reality of working as a Mn/DOT snowplow operator.

Reporters based in Rochester, LaCrescent, Houston, Alexandria, Isle, Fergus Falls and other cities rode with plow operators as they cleared highways following recent storms. Their accounts detail the drama and the tedium as well as the sights, sounds and even the smells involved in snowplowing operations.

Mille Lacs Messenger reporter Diane Gibas accompanied Bryan Karels from the Brainerd/District 3 truck station at Isle as he plowed highways 25, 65 and 47 following a January storm.

"In addition to driving the truck, the driver watches oncoming traffic," she wrote. "One motorist veered toward the plow, missing it by mere inches. He keeps tabs on the vehicles behind the truck. He looks for debris in the roadway that could be hazardous and he operates three blades on the truck—the front plow, the wing and a scraping blade underneath the plow while he distributes the sand/salt mixture.

"The trucks have strobe lights that make them more visible to motorists, but when winds blow through the countryside or create eddies of snow over the highway, it’s sometimes hard for the plow drivers to see cars," she wrote.

Quoting Karels, Gibas wrote, "When it’s a dry snow, you can smell the plow. The plow scrapes the pavement where the snow has blown off the road. The bare pavement is hard on the carbide plow edges."

Houston County News reporter Paul Ryan joined Paul Risser, a snowplow operator at the Dresbach Truck Station at 2 a.m. on Feb. 2 as Risser munched on cheese and cracker snacks during his break period. They were soon headed down I-90 as Risser plowed the freeway’s shoulders from Dresbach to St. Charles.

Ryan observed some of the discomforts of the job—from the high cabin heat needed to keep the windows from freezing shut to drivers flying by at high speeds in the next lane.

Risser’s plow was struck by a car in January, the first crash he’s had.

"Luckily, the driver was okay and Risser hardly felt a bump because of the plow’s immense size," Ryan wrote, "but accidents like these happen all the time.

"Snowplow drivers take pride in being safe and it shows in Risser’s driving," he wrote. "During his route, Risser was watching approaching traffic in the side mirror as much as he was looking out the windshield."

A group of snowplow operators receives media relations training at Detroit Lakes from Judy Jacobs, district public affairs coordinator. Photo by Bill Hanson

Celeste Beam, a reporter for the Echo Press in Alexandria, rode along with Nolan Kloehn from the Alexandria Truck Station during an early morning sortie along Hwy 27 and Hwy 29 and I-94.

Beam described the complexity of controls in the snowplow’s cab and Kloehn’s mastery of them.

"He was calm yet cautious, checking out the mirrors jutting from each side of his snowplow. His head was in a constant back and forth motion—almost as if he were watching a tennis match," she wrote.

"While I was sitting in the plow, I realized how much responsibility snowplow drivers have when they get behind the wheel," she wrote. "They have to pay attention to other motorists, signs along the road, the position of the snowplow blades, road conditions, whether or not they need to apply sand and salt and much more."

Kloehn said the ride-along went well, noting positive reactions he’s received and the fact that the reporter included driving safety tips with his story.

One of Kloehn’s coworkers, Fergus Falls’ Tim Eide, shared his experiences clearing I-94 and Hwy 59 in December with Joel Hagen, a Fergus Falls Daily Journal reporter.

As they sat in the cab replete with hydraulic controls, switches, gauges and thermometers that measure air and pavement temperatures, Eide told Hagen the biggest changes have come in the equipment he uses.

Eide, who’s been snowplowing for 30 years, told Hagen he can usually make it around his route in about one hour, but on an icy night it can take as much as four or five hours.

"When it’s icy for cars, it’s icy for us," Eide said.

Both Kloehn and Eide received media relations training provided by the district to help them work more effectively with reporters.

Recalling his experience, Karels said he was happy to have reporter Gibas ride with him.

"It was good for the public to find out about what we do—especially when it’s someone else’s opinion, not ours," he said. "A number of people have mentioned the article to me since it was published. It’s been a very positive experience."

By Craig Wilkins

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Three recent fatal crashes at railroad crossings in Minnesota prompt Mn/DOT to urge that motorists follow the law and use extra care when approaching crossings.

The deaths occurred when a driver went around lowered crossing gates and was struck by a train Jan. 30 in Pipestone, and on Feb. 3 when two people died after their pick-up truck was hit by a train at Clara City. A third fatal accident occurred Feb. 14 when the driver of a sports utility vehicle attempted to cross tracks near Sabin and was struck by a freight train.

All of these crashes occurred during daylight hours.

"Rail crossings are hazardous and require people to be alert and mindful that a train could pass through the crossing at any moment," said Al Vogel, director of Mn/DOT's Office of Freight, Railroads and Waterways.

Vogel also advises that ice and snow can cause slippery conditions that could cause a vehicle to slide into a rail crossing, requiring additional caution by motorists.

Mn/DOT and Minnesota Operation Lifesaver promote rail-crossing safety education in Minnesota in cooperation with the state's railroads and the Minnesota State Patrol.

Rail-crossing crashes resulting in fatalities are down in the state compared with last year. However, four deaths within the first six weeks of the new year warrant concern, said Mike Langer, Minnesota Operation Lifesaver's state coordinator.

Langer said rail-crossing fatalities could be prevented if people were more aware of the dangers trains pose.

"Because of their size, approaching trains may appear to be moving at a slower speed, similar to the way a large jet aircraft looks when landing," Langer said.

Motorists, bikers and pedestrians should be aware of the following:

• Lowered gates indicate a road is closed and prohibit vehicles from crossing.

• About one-third of train-vehicle crashes in Minnesota occur at crossings that have active warning devices such as gates and/or flashing lights.

• Trains have the right of way at rail crossings; all vehicles are required by law to yield.

• Drivers, bicyclists and pedestrians should always expect a train; trains can run on any track at any time. After a train passes, motorists and others should be certain that another train is not approaching from a different direction before proceeding.

In 2003, eight people died in railroad crossing crashes; nine were killed in 2002. Minnesota's Operation Lifesaver promotes awareness to help prevent crashes at highway-rail crossings and on railroad rights of way. Its members include railroads, the Department of Public Safety and Mn/DOT. More information is available from the national Operation Lifesaver Web site, www.oli.org.

By Craig Wilkins

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Just two weeks into the 2004 legislative session and already there’s no shortage of information available on the Internet about what’s happening at the Capitol.

Mn/DOT employees can access weekly legislative summaries from the department’s Government Affairs intranet site at http://ihub/information/legislative2004/index.html. The summaries provide a recap of the previous week’s actions in the House and Senate, as well as committee agendas for the week ahead. For information on any of the items discussed in the summary, contact Petra DeWall, legislative assistant, at 651/284-3227.

In addition, the Government Affairs site provides links to the governor’s 2004 capital budget and a summary of legislative actions taken in 2003. (See also Mn/DOT Newsline, Jan. 21, 2004 for more information about the governor’s statewide bonding proposal.)

To learn about the current status of bills and find general information about the Legislature, visit www.leg.state.mn.us.

The last day of session is May 17.

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Receiving 2003 Bridge Construction Awards for Hwy 44 over Riceford Creek in District 6 are (from left) Darrin Aarre, bridge inspector; Steve Lund, District 6 assistant district engineer for construction; Mark Anderson, project engineer; Terry Kraling, Minnowa Construction.

Mn/DOT and the Association of General Contractors presented the 2003 Bridge Construction Awards on Jan. 21 to Mn/DOT project staff and the contractors on two bridge projects.

This is the second annual bridge construction award, which Mn/DOT and the AGC developed to recognize high quality bridge construction work completed during the past two years.

The awards fall into three categories based on bridge construction cost. Ten projects in two categories were submitted for consideration by the rating panel. Factors considered in selecting the winners included quality of material, overall workmanship, complexity of the project and innovations made during the project.

The award winner for the category of bridges with a cost of less than $1.5 million was Hwy 44 over Riceford Creek in Mabel in District 6. Mn/DOT staff involved in the project included Mike Kempinger, resident engineer; Mark Anderson, project engineer; and Darrin Aarre, chief bridge inspector. The contractor for the project was Minnowa Construction, Inc.

The award winner for bridges with a cost between $1.5 million and $8 million was Hwy 2 over the St. Louis River in District 1. Mn/DOT staff involved in the project included Ted Sexton, resident engineer; Don Stanley, project supervisor; and Tim Cameron, chief bridge inspector. The contractor was Lunda Construction Company.

From left are Dan Dorgan, state bridge engineer; Tim Cameron, bridge inspector; Ted Sexton, resident engineer; Bruce Reihl, Lunda Construction; Don Stanley, project supervisor; Tim Worke, AGC of Minnesota. The group received recognition for the Hwy 2 bridge over the St. Louis River in District 1.

There were no candidate projects submitted in the category for bridges with a cost of more than $8 million.

By Daneeka Marshall-Oquendo

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Brian Fuder, a real estate representative with Detroit Lakes/District 4, was appointed to the state Firefighters Board of Education and Training by Gov. Tim Pawlenty.

Fuder will serve a four-year term on the board. The board determines training requirements for both volunteer and professional firefighters.

Pawlenty selected Fuder because of his extensive experience as a firefighter and emergency medical technician at Breckenridge and his role as Wilkin County’s director of emergency management.

Fuder has served as a firefighter and EMT in Breckenridge since 1988. He was appointed to the county position in 1998.

The appointment, Fuder said, will enable him to represent small fire departments in rural areas and reflect their needs for training and development.

"Given budget limits for fire departments, especially smaller ones, I hope to find resources such as grant money to provide basic training and other education for firefighters," he said.

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Ken Pearson displayed his determination when he kept on working despite getting drenched after he fell into a swamp while surveying along Hwy 59 near Ogema during the summer of 1973.

Ken Pearson, Land Management office manager with Detroit Lakes/District 4, died Feb. 16 after a brief illness. He was 65.

A memorial service will be held for Pearson at 2 p.m. on Feb. 19 at the West-Kjos Funeral Home, 900 Summit Ave., Detroit Lakes. Visitation begins one hour before the service.

Survivors include his mother, three daughters, two sons and two grandchildren.

Pearson’s career with Mn/DOT began in 1959 when he was a member of a survey crew at Thief River Falls. He first worked with the department as a temporary worker during the summer of 1956 following his graduation from high school.

In addition to his service with Mn/DOT, Pearson was a member of the Minnesota Army National Guard and retired as a platoon sergeant after 20 years with the Guard.

Pearson came in from the field to become office manager in 1979.

Tom Harper, a senior land surveyor at Detroit Lakes, said Pearson’s vast institutional knowledge was an asset to the district as was his mentoring of new surveys people when they first joined the section.

"We could ask Ken what happened 20 or 30 years ago on a certain project and his memory would kick in and he would know," Harper said.

Ken Pearson

Brian Smith, a senior transportation generalist who worked with Pearson for the last 12 years, said, "Ken was a unique individual. Whenever we had a question or a problem we could go to Ken who usually knew of the problem or its cause. He would usually tell us the alignment or whatever we were trying to do didn’t work for him, either, and tell us how they just got it done. He was a person I got to know and to respect."

"Ken was a very valued employee and was close to retiring with 45 years of service," said Mark Waisenen, assistant district engineer for operations. "He will be missed by the district and we’re sorry for his passing."

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Downloadable Mn/DOT logos are available in various file formats from the department's Web site.

Highway signs, letterhead, Web sites, brochures, business cards, handouts, cars, snowplows, displays…these are just a few of the places that an observant citizen or Mn/DOT employee might see the Mn/DOT logo.

Over the years, many copies and imitations of the logo have been produced. The logo has sported sunglasses, adorned the headlights of a plow, had a highway bisecting it and the Moving Minnesota script attached to it. The color combinations the logo has worn would make the fashion conscious wince. Poor letter spacing and other modifications have also led to inconsistencies in the logo's appearance.

To help ensure that the logo you use is the correct one, the Office of Communications has created a Web site with everything you need to know about how and when to use the Mn/DOT logo. The site includes downloadable logos in various file formats.

If you have questions about the proper format for your specific use, contact Paula Gustafson, 651/284-3764, or Mordechai Dorfman, 651/284-0503.

Check out the Web site at: http://www.dot.state.mn.us/mediaroom/logos.html.

By Kay Korsgaard

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