CALTRANS NEWS

Hats Off
District 10 Electrical Maintenance Employees Receive Governor’s Employee Safety Award

Hats Off to three District 10 employees who won a Governor’s Safety Award for their outstanding contribution to workers' safety.

The three men who received a group award in August at California State University, Sacramento, included John Peters, Region Maintenance Manager I; Howard Hill, Caltrans Electrical Supervisor; and Richard Montoya, Caltrans Electrician II. They were recognized for developing, building, and testing a portable flasher unit for use during highway maintenance.

The flasher units are self contained, lightweight and easy to use. They have become a key part of District 10’s nighttime safety package for traffic control for maintenance operations. These new units cost approximately half the price of the original and are much lighter, requiring only one employee for set-up, reducing the chance of injury. The new flasher units increase employee and public safety by increasing work zone visibility.

“Most folks would have lived with what they had, so it is a mark of true dedication that these three fine examples of our District chose to ‘build a better mouse trap’ to make others safer,” said District Director Kome Ajise.

Director Kempton:

We would like to thank you for the beautiful letter you sent to our daughter Reyna. Having been selected to have her drawing in Caltrans’ 2006 kids’calendar is of a great meaning for all of us, and it encourages her to keep being a role model.

We spread the word in her school, and she was recognized in their weekly assembly as an artist, a person who cares for others and a great citizen.

We think the kids’ calendar is a great public safety campaign that not only reminds us to “slow for the cone zone,” but also to educate our children to be cautious even at an age they are not driving yet.

Finally, as you well said, we are proud of our daughter, as well as being part of the Caltrans family.

Genaro Genel (Construction)
and
Catalina Flores (Landscape Architecture)

Director Kempton:

Congratulations and thanks are due to District 10 Director Kome Ajise, who was “arrested” recently on the charges of being a “wonderful and dedicated supporter of the March of Dimes.”

D10 Director Kome Ajise in ‘Jail’

The March of Dimes “Jail and Bail” is a fund-raising event that targets area leaders to raise money for good causes. Always a good sport, Ajise did not hesitate when contacted to participate.

Placed in a mock jail, generally for an hour, “arrestees” spend time on the phone with friends and colleagues raising bail in the form of contributions prior to the actual “jail time.”

“I was notified by mail to appear at the Stockton Jail-site at the Sherwood Mall here in Stockton and to bring $500 “bail money,” said Ajise laughingly. “It sounded like a great way to have fun, raise some money for a good cause and put a friendly face on the Department. So, I recruited the Public Information Office to act as the “probation office” so to speak.”

Yours truly volunteered.

However, Director Ajise and I were both in for a surprise. When we appeared before the “judge” at the Sherwood Mall, I learned I was “under arrest” as well. “Bail” had been raised to $2,000. The crime: not having enough March of Dimes beanie babies on our desks.

(In past years, we had sold beanie babies for the charity, and this past year our sales dipped.)

So we stayed in “jail” for an hour calling friends and co-workers to “bail” us out, but we also had an opportunity to negotiate low terms for our release, including singing karaoke and dancing.

District 10 ultimately raised $770 for the charity.

Tina Walker
Formerly of D10 Public Affairs

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