Street Talk | November 2011 Issue

STREET TALK VOLUME 1 ISSUE 6

REPORTING ON WHAT MATTERS TO PUBLIC WORKS

NOVEMBER 2011

inside: Feature:

Got culture? We do! Public Workers share their traditions and cultural heritage around the upcoming holidays.

All Around Austin:

See what’s been happening and what’s coming up next.

Guest Column:

The City’s Veterans’ Consultant Allen Bergeron shares his perspective and information with Public Works.

Exclusive Interview:

Assistant City Manager Robert Goode sits down with our roving reporter, Stephanie McDonald, to talk about Public Works, the City, and even Whataburger…

Got

? e r u t l Cu We do!

ral u lt u c d n a s n o ir traditi e h t e r a h s olidays. s r h e g k r n i o m W o c c li p b u u P d the heritage aroun

director’s message

BY HOWARD LAZARUS DIRECTOR

STREET TALK

Honoring Cultures, Traditions, our Workforce and Those Who Serve

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his month, we focus on customs and traditions that help to define who we are, both individually and as an organization. The diversity of cultures represented throughout Public Works is highlighted as we approach the end of the year, and sharing our individual traditions adds warmth and understanding to our collective celebration of the holiday season.

On the topic of diversity, I’d like to pass along some thoughts I had while participating in “Diversity and Inclusion – What it is Not!” - a discussion sponsored by PWD and ATD’s Diversity Council. Organizational diversity is a tough topic to tackle, and sometimes it is easier to determine what something isn’t before you can decide what it is.

Our conversation touched on many of the essential characteristics an inclusive organization possesses: being representative of the population served, being tolerant of different perspectives, having an environment where personal and intellectual safety is provided, offering opportunity to all employees, and promoting integrity in word and deed. All of these traits are necessary for diversity to exist, but they alone cannot define a diverse workplace. The common thread among all of them is vertical trust and communication, which leads me to…

EDITORIAL Editor in Chief: Chief Reporter:

Contributing Writers:

Sara Hartley

sara.hartley@austintexas.gov

Michelle Frith

michelle.frith@austintexas.gov

Howard Lazarus

howard.lazarus@austintexas.gov

Sharon Warren

sharon.warren@austintexas.gov

Vera Labriola

vera.labriola@austintexas.gov

Nadia Barrera

nadia.barrera@austintexas.gov

Luciano Tamayo

luciano.tamayo@austintexas.gov

leadership team does use the LTW input to develop and implement strategies to address employee concerns. Some areas to note (more than 5% variance from City averages):

Gerald Nation

gerald.nation@austintexas.gov

Stephanie McDonald

stephanie.mcdonald@austintexas.gov

Allen Bergeron

allen.bergeron@austintexas.gov

Tyleah McGuire

tyleah.mcguire@austintexas.gov

Communications: PWD employees felt that its management uses the LTW results, communicates the im- design Alexa Muraida Chief Graphic Designer: alexa.muraida@austintexas.gov portance of being the most livable Wisner and best managed City, and keeps Director of Photography: Shannon shannon.wisner@austintexas.gov the workforce informed about City of Austin occurrences at a higher rate than the City average. first step in preparing each year’s budget, and our intent this year is to be more incluEmployee Recognition: PWD employ- sive, reach deeper into the department for ees indicated that the department feedback, and look at the metrics (both inrecognizes and rewards good work at ternal and external) that define our “picture a higher rate than the City average. of success,” not only for next year, but for the long term.

Organizational Performance MeaLastly, as you receive this issue of sures: PWD employees responded Street Talk, Veterans Day will be upon that PWD provides performance re- us. This is a day to express our gratitude lated data and measures at a lower to those who have served our country in rate than the City average. uniform. While the holiday formally refers to those with military service, we also The data is broken down to the divi- acknowledge and thank those who have sion level, and is given to your Assistant served in all public safety roles. We are Directors and Managers. There is dispar- fortunate in Austin to have a citizenry who ity among the divisions in how many of honor and respect this tradition of heroism, the specific questions were responded to, and a City government that supports those and we will follow-up to find out where we who have chosen and continue to serve. As need to focus our efforts to best manage Veterans Day serendipitously falls on a FriThe Listening to the the department and make PWD a work- day this year, I ask that you start your long Workforce (LTW) 2011 place of choice! holiday weekend by cheering on your City results are in!

As for Organizational Performance veterans along the Congress Avenue paPWD participation more than dou- Measures, we collectively have the oppor- rade route. It’s a feel-good experience, and bled from 2010, at about 50% participa- tunity to review and asses what we do in one that is an Austin custom and tradition. tion. I want to thank all of you who com- PWD as part of the business planning propleted the survey, and stress that the PWD cess. Developing our business plans is the Let the holiday season begin!

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cityspace.austintexas.gov/departments/pwd VOLUME 1

ISSUE 6

contents NOVEMBER 2011

COVER STORY

Got Culture?

We do! Public Workers share their traditions and cultural heritage around the upcoming holidays.

2011 NOVEMBER STREET TALK

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contents

cityspace.austintexas.gov/departments/pwd VOLUME 1

ISSUE 6

NOVEMBER 2011

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ALL AROUND AUSTIN

Public Workers spent time in September and October doing all kinds of things around town to highlight the work we do in PWD. See what’s been happening and what is coming up next.

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW Assistant City Manager Robert Goode sits down with our roving reporter, Stephanie McDonald, to talk about Public Works, the City, and even Whataburger…

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STREET AND BRIDGE OPERTATIONS DIVERT DANGER ON DALTON ROAD

It’s not just a pothole! Teamwork in tough times shows how cohesive the SBO Divisions are in helping our community.

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Michelle Frith profiles two employees that work hard for PWD everyday, who you may have never met!

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NEIGHBORHOOD CONNECTIVITY STRETCHES BOND FUNDING How NCD is improving bicycle infrastructure… and making our dollars count!

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WESTGATE: THE “FINAL FRONTIER” For Engineering Services, the Westgate Boulevard Improvement Project marks their final foray into the construction management side of CIP projects.

CIPID: BEHIND THE SCENES Here, you’ll get to lace up your steeltoed boots and meet the CIP Inspection Division’s Plant Group.

HOW WELL DO YOU KNOW YOUR NEIGHBOR?

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THE SAFETY ZONE How safe are you staying on the job?

Tips on how you can make improvements on the job and in your daily life!

THE DIVERSITY COUNCIL: Director Howard Lazarus discusses the topic ‘What Diversity is NOT’ at the first ever Brown Bag Luncheon.

GUEST COLUMN: CITY’S VETERANS’ CONSULTANT How Public Works and other City departments are trying to make Austin the most livable city!

This Month: The City’s Veterans’ Consultant Allen Bergeron shares his perspective and information with Public Works.

safety zone

BY SHARON WARREN CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Safe Operators = Smooth Operators ‘Safety’ comes before ‘schedule’ only in the dictionary, so the PWD safety office plans for safety by adding a component to your SSPR.

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taying safe on the job is crucial to the success of Public Works and the City at large in many ways. It is important to preserve a healthy and injury free workforce, ensure the safety of our citizens, and to help our department function smoothly and efficiently without incident. To reflect this, the Safety Office and the Director’s Office felt that the addition of a safety component to everyone’s SSPR would help us to evaluate how safe we are being while on the job.

Here’s how it’s all going to roll out: There are two separate safety SSPR evaluations, one for the employee and one for the supervisor/superintendent/manager.

The items that will be included in the employee Safety SSPR are:

employees

supervisor/superintendent/manager

Attending all required safety meetings and safety trainings.

Attending all required safety meetings and safety trainings.

Number of preventable collisions.

Number of preventable collisions an employee had.

If there were any willful safety violations or non-compliance with investigations.

Reporting of collisions and incidents in a timely manner.

If there were any incidents or accidents due to unsafe work conditions.

Wearing of personal protective equipment (if required) and observing safety policies and procedures.

If there were any willful safety violations or non-compliance with investigations.

Percentage of work team reports that were turned in within the required time frame.

Percentage of work team employees attending scheduled safety meetings and other work related trainings.

How a supervisor/superintendent/manager encourages their employees to wear their personal protective equipment and observe safety policies and procedures.

You should expect these items to be discussed with you and your team in the very near future and they will be included in your next SSPR evaluation. Until then, stay safe out there!

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divisions

BY LUCIANO TAMAYO CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Finishing Westgate Boulevard:

The Final Construction Frontier for Engineering Services.

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he Westgate Boulevard Improvement Project is the last project that the Engineering Services Division is managing, from the aspect of construction management, so it marks a sort of “final frontier” for our division. This project connected the missing section of Westgate Boulevard from Cameron Loop to Cohoba Drive and is classified as a MAD-4 road, meaning a major arterial divided four lane road.

The new roadway extension will improve traffic flow and accessibility on Westgate Boulevard, especially to Cowan Elementary School. The project has a 114 foot right of way and consists of approximately 3,100 linear feet of new four lane roadway. It is divided with a median, has a five foot bicycle lane, a six foot sidewalk, new curb and gutter, two water quality and detention ponds, and a new storm sewer line and water line.

The total construction cost of this project is 4.6 million dollars. The project was designed in-house by ESD Team 3, managed by Rustin Roussel, P.E. and sealed by Wale Odufuye, P.E. and Thu Cao, P.E. However, the project was not without its challenges. Specifically, the Balcones Canyonlands Preserve area in western Travis County is partially within the project location. The Balcones Canyonlands Conserva-

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tion Plan (BCCP) is the oversight for the preserve, and there were many design and construction challenges, all of which were met by our team.

The preserve is important because it provides habitat for a number of rare and endangered plant and animal species found nowhere else on earth.

Above ground are unique woodlands, wetlands and grasslands. Below ground is a honeycomb network of caves, sinkholes and springs containing highly specialized animals adapted to these unique environments. Still deeper are a series of aquifers, including the Edwards Aquifer that is the primary drinking water source for over 1.5 million central Texas residents. Also – part of this project (half of the road) is within the Edwards Aquifer Zone!

Another challenge for the team was keeping access open to Cowan Elementary

School. Traffic in this area is quite substantial, especially during the rush hours of morning drop-off and afternoon pick-up of children.

The project team worked hard to make sure the school was informed throughout the process and that traffic could continue to move through safely and effectively.

The Westgate Boulevard Extension will be opened to traffic in mid-November 2011.

Congratulations to ESD Team 3 for completing a great project!

Key Dates Open Enrollment: October 17- November 18 Online Enrollment *Preferred Method*: October 17- November 20 (24/7) Telephone Enrollment: October 17- November 10 (Monday-Friday, 8:00 am- 5:00 pm)

Announcing 2012 Benefits Enrollment for City Employees October 17, 2011 through November 18, 2011 Enrollment and Benefits presentations will be held: October 27,2011 One Texas Center, 1st Floor (old credit union area) 3:30pm- 5:00pm November 3, 2011 One Texas Center, 1st Floor (old credit union area) 10:00am- 11:30am November 8, 2011 St.Elmo large conference room 1:00pm-2:30pm Please make every effort to attend to obtain updated information regarding your benefits!

To make your changes online, visit: www.coaopenenrollment.com

divisions

BY VERA LABRIOLA CONTRIBUTING WRITER

CIP Inspection: Behind the Scenes

Time to meet your inspectors! In this issue, we’ll take you out to the field with our CIP Inspection Division’s Plant Group.

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fter getting familiar with the Technical Support team of the CIP Inspection Division, it’s time to put on your hard hat and vest and tromp around in the steel-toed boots of our Plant Group inspectors. The Plant Group, under the supervision of Jim Vickery, works out of the Rio Grande Field Office. This group of inspectors covers a wide range of different projects and most of the time they stay close to the construction site, completing much of their office work in trailers adjacent to the work site. In the last four years, the Plant Group has been incredibly busy with facilities projects like waste water treatment plants, Water Treatment Plant 4, and various pump stations.

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The Plant Group supervisor, Jim Vickery, has been with CIPID since March 2001 and he became a supervisor four years ago. He started in the construction field at the age of ten helping his father maintain and remodel rental properties. For years, Jim worked as a YMCA Director with a specialty in aquatics, but has been back in the construction business since 1979 and has over thirty years of experience. Jim loves water sports; he used to be a scuba commissioner in Miami and recently remodeled a vintage 1983 ski boat for water skiing on Lake Travis.

Freddie Alonzo has recently joined the group as the Lead Inspector. He has been with CIPID for over three years and trans-

ferred from Pat Webre’s Group. Freddie was one of the inspectors who worked on the high-profile East 7th Street Improvement Project and currently is inspecting the Davis Water Treatment Plant Priority 1 Improvements Project. Freddie has fourteen years of construction experience, with a strong geotechnical background, but he says his specialty is asphalt. According to his supervisor, he is very conscientious about his work, is adapting very well in his new group, and has a good sense of humor. Freddie dedicates a lot of time to his church in Crystal City that he recently helped re-open.

August “Rip” Hirsch has tried out many different professions during his career.

divisions He used to work as a biology teacher and also spent seven years in the airline industry. Rip has been with the division for over eleven years and has close to twenty five years of construction-related experience.

His strongest background is in infrastructure rehabilitation, as he has worked on wastewater rehabilitation projects in the Houston area and New York City. He currently works on a federally funded project, the Hornsby Bend Biosolids Management Facility (where Dillo Dirt is made). Rip likes to fish and says, “Put me close to the water and I’ll be happy”.

John Bowman has twenty five years of experience in engineering, surveying, and the drafting industry, and seven years in construction inspection. He is known for being organized and grasping engineering concepts very readily. John considers his most important skills to be problem solving and design. He has volunteered and participated in numerous disaster relief projects in the United States and in several other countries, many sponsored by the Samaritan’s Purse.

For John, one of the most significant ones was rebuilding people’s homes and lives on the Gulf Coast after Hurricane Katrina. Currently, he is the inspector on the Water Treatment Plant 4 Project.

Peter Morales has been with CIPID for about five years and transferred to the Plant Group eight months ago. He has twenty seven years of experience, most of it in highway and bridge construction brought from California. Peter is known to be very attentive to contractors’ compliance to project requirements. He currently inspects the Pilot Knob Pump Station that is being constructed on the site of an extinct volcano.

Peter has recently obtained the NICET Level I and Level II certification in just one testing!

He loves to hunt and fish with his ten year old twin boys. He is very active in the Go Fish Ministries group that builds churches in Mexico and is involved in the cleanup effort after the recent fires in Bastrop.

David Menhard has close to thirtyfive years of construction experience. He managed numerous large-scale projects like Dell’s Austin Children’s Museum and the Schlotzsky’s flagship store on South Lamar Boulevard from start to finish. His background includes structural, as well as civil construction. Currently, David works as an inspector on the Austin Energy Systems Control Center Project, comprised of remodeling and extending the existing building structure. David and his wife are avid cyclists and participate in chili cook-offs in the area.

His daughter, Sarah, is pursuing a degree in Asian Studies in Japan.

Kirkland Fordham started with CIPID recently and has more than seventeen years of quality assurance experience. Kirkland has a very strong structural (reinforced concrete) background. He inspected major plant facilities in Southern California and spent some time working in the Houston area where he inspected over one hundred commercial projects. Among the projects he prides himself on are the courthouse facility in the City of Lake Jackson, Texas and the fire station in Pasadena, California. Currently, he is very busy inspecting three pump station projects (Spicewood, Allen, and Barclay) and the WTP4 Raw Water Intake and Tunnels Projects. If you run into Kirkland, you will notice that he always has a story and a joke to tell. In his free time, he enjoys spending time with his wife and son and also motorcycle racing.

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guest column

BY ALLEN BERGERON GUEST WRITER

Honoring our Veterans

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his year, Veterans Day is uniquely characterized by 11/11/11, but this is always a special day - set aside for all of us to honor the military personnel that has served our country. It is also a special day for our Veterans to reflect on their service and look back on their patriotic duty. For their brave service and sacrifice, we are forever grateful.

We are fortunate to have several military Veterans within the ranks of Public Works. Employees like Lek Mateo, a First Sergeant in the Texas Army National Guard.

Lek pulled double duty, serving our country abroad and our city here in Public Works.

Upon his return from one of his deployments to Iraq, Lek nominated the City of Austin for the prestigious Secretary of Defense Freedom Award. Lek said he nominated the City because of the exceptional support he and other employees received from the City while deployed to Operation Iraqi Freedom. Subsequently the City was awarded the Freedom Award and is still the only city in the country to have received this

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noteworthy honor.

The City of Austin remains the lead City in the country when it comes to supporting its Veterans, and its members of the National Guard and Reserves. As a City we currently employ over 1400 Veterans, approximately 85 Guard and Reserve members and over 250 disabled Veterans. We believe these Veterans bring intangible traits like leadership, loyalty and commitment. All of these are professional characteristics that exemplify dedication to service and are what plays an integral part of making the City of Austin one of the finest cities in the country.

This year, our Veterans Day parade will begin at 9 a.m. Friday, November 11, 2011. It will start on the Ann Richards Bridge, heading north toward the Capitol on Congress Avenue. Immediately following the Parade, there will be a Veterans Day celebration and memorial on the south steps of the Capitol.

All are welcome to attend both events, and as Howard said in his Director’s message, we encourage you to take part.

The City of Austin is also hosting its annual Veterans Appreciation Luncheon on Wednesday, November 9th from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at the Palmer Events Center.

We encourage all military Veterans of Public Works to take part in this event. Due to schedules and commitments, please communicate with your supervisors to ensure proper work coverage.

Veterans Day comes only once a year, but honoring and thanking our Veterans should be a daily thought and action throughout the year. America’s Veterans have done everything asked of them in their mission to serve our country!

Helpful Links: http://www.va.gov/opa/vetsday/ www.nov11.org

divisions

BY NADIA BARRERA CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Neighborhood Connectivity Stretches Bond Funding

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hen was the last time you spent a dollar, and were given nine more to spend in return? Chances are, not since you were a kid bargaining with your allowance. This summer, the Neighborhood Connectivity Division (NCD) did just that when it applied for almost $9,000,000 in Federal funding for three separate projects and will be providing less than $1,000,000 in matching funds. These matching funds come from project-specific monies that were allocated through the 2000 and 2010 Bonds. Leveraging our existing funds helps us stretch our money and better serve the citizens of Austin by designing, constructing, and maintaining more facilities.

Soon we will know which of our three projects have been selected for funding.

The first two projects, Phases I and II of the Mopac Bicycle and Pedestrian Bridge will enable bicyclists of all ages and abilities to safely and securely ride or walk from southwest Austin to downtown Austin. This project is widely supported by area cyclists, and includes a match from four private corporations in the immediate vicinity of the project.

Phase I of the Mopac Bicycle & Pedestrian Bridge is a structure over Loop 360 which is “grade-separated,� or at a different level than the roadway. It includes sidewalks that will link the Twin Falls Barton Creek Greenbelt access to Tuscan Terrace to the north (see Project Map). This phase connects the area north of Barton Creek to downtown Austin and plugs pedestrians and bicyclists of all ages and abilities into the existing sidewalks starting just north of Tuscan Terrace. This is an improvement over the current situation, where cyclists wait in a painted refuge area for a gap in traffic, since vehicles heading northbound

on Mopac from Loop 360 are executing a free-right turn. Phase I will alleviate this potential site of conflict by grade-separating the cyclists and pedestrians from motor vehicles.

Just south of Barton Creek Square Mall and the intersection of Loop 360 & Mopac is a spot where many cyclists can become uncomfortable. Mopac crosses over Barton Creek, leaving no other option than to join high speed traffic. Northbound travel on Mopac is also difficult for cyclists along this same area, as it also means sharing the lane with highspeed highway traffic. So, Phase II of the Mopac and Pedestrian Bridge will include the construction of a gradeseparated bridge along Mopac, connecting at the two Mopac frontage road turn-arounds on the north and south sides of Barton Creek. This makes an improved facility for cyclists and pedestrians to get across the creek to the Phase I section of the projects.

The third project, North Lamar Sidewalk Improvements from US 183 to Parmer, will improve pedestrian conditions along the North Lamar Corri-

dor. This project met with overwhelming support from area schools, religious institutions, and advocates for those with disabilities. The improvements will include pedestrian infrastructure improvements that meet Americans with Disability Act standards and will improve access and mobility for everyone in the corridor.

We are hopeful for the future of all three of the projects, so we can bring better facilities to all of the traveling citizens in Austin!

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columns

BY MICHELLE FRITH CHIEF REPORTER

How Well Do You Know Your Neighbor?

Michelle Frith profiles two employees that work hard for PWD everyday who you may have never met!

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t’s sometimes astonishing that people differ in many ways but share so many things in common. Shirin Helmi has a fascinating background and cultural traditions but in our talk we also discovered that we share many interests. Shirin was born in Tehran, Iran under the regime of the Shah. As the youngest of five, Shirin came to the US at 17 as an International Student during the revolution in Iran.

She dreamed of becoming a dentist and enrolled at the UT Health Science Center in San Antonio but found Gross Anatomy and working with cadavers to be too difficult emotionally. She NEIGHBOR had two Shirin Helmi older brothers who atDIVISION tended UT and A&M, so Engineering Services she enrolled Division at UT in 1994 to study Civil TITLE EngineerEngineer C ing. She met her husband Karim in an ethics for engineering class and graduated in 1996.

Shirin’s first job was with the City of Cedar Park in 1998. She later worked for the City of Austin for two years. During this time, she met a woman at PBS&J who piqued her interest in floodplain management and hydrology and hydraulic analysis. She wound up receiving a position there and remained there for several years. She then received her Professional Engineer license (P.E.) in 2003. After her mentor left the company, Shirin was offered the position of President of a small civil engineering business, but soon left

the business to return to the City in January, 2008. She is currently an ‘Engineer C’ in the Engineering Services Division, working on three design projects including East 6th Street, Davis/Leo and Little Shoal Creek Tunnel and managing Group 19 phases 1 & 2. She earned her CFM (Certified Floodplain Manager) Certification in 2007 and last August received her PMP (Project Management Professional) Certification.

Shirin and Karim were married in June, 2000. Shirin describes her husband as an international – a mixture of Italian, Egyptian, Turkish, German, and French; born in Egypt but raised in the U.S. The couple has a daughter, Izabella, who will be 7 in November. Izabella loves math and is very artistic, as are her father and paternal grandmother. Karim does abstract art and many of his paintings are in their home. Karim’s Italian grandmother, Sonia, made beautiful pyrographic art pieces (wood burnings), which are also displayed in their home. Shirin too is artistic in many ways, but particularly enjoys sewing. The four remaining siblings and mother live in Austin and gather for dinner parties once a month, and her mother returns to Iran for half of the year.

Shirin’s family traditions include the Persian New Year, Nowrūz is March 20/21 – the first day of Spring. This holiday originated in the Zoroastian religion, the primary Persian religion before the Arab invasion. They mark Nowrūz by first visiting with the eldest family members and proceeding home to home, eldest to youngest to pay respect. Each host offers sweets, fruits and nuts and later returns the visit. Hospitality is a key to this culture.

The prelude to Nowrūz, Chaharshanbe

Shirin Helmi

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Suri (Festival of Fire) is the last Wednesday of the Iranian year. The evening celebration involves building bonfires in the streets and the celebrants jumping over them, singing “My sickly yellow paleness is yours, your fiery red color is mine” as a purification rite. Loosely translated, this means you want the fire to take your paleness, sickness, and problems, and in turn give you redness, warmth and energy.

People wear disguises and go door-todoor to get ajeel (mixed nuts and berries) or a bucket of water.

Shirin hopes to grow in Public Works and continue to learn, take on additional responsibility, and contribute as much value as she can. Her dream project would include every aspect of engineering design and project management including street drainage and utilities, coordinating with many different kinds of engineers. She particularly appreciates Director Howard Lazarus’ management style and respect for his employees, balancing the needs of the department with the needs of the individual.

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gentle nature and warm smile are a large part of Thomas Hernandez Jr.’s character. When meeting Thomas, one is instantly put at ease with his attitude.

Thomas is a Street and Bridge Drainage Assistant working out of the Harold Court facility and is a man who enjoys his job, his family and his life.

Thomas was born and raised in Austin and attended both Travis and Johnston High Schools. His dad, Thomas Hernandez Senior, has been an employee of the Public Works Street and Bridge Operations Seal Coat Division for 10 years. He also helped Thomas Jr. to apply for a position in PWD. Thomas Jr. NEIGHBOR explains that Thomas Hernandez Jr. seal coating is a process in DIVISION which a distributor lays Street & Bridge oil and then a chip spreader TITLE comes beStreet and Drainage hind to lay Maintenance Assistant the chips on the road.

There are two sizes of chips: 5 and 6. Size 6 is larger and gets fewer citizen complaints, although they both seem to last about the same amount of time. He also explains that the crews seal cracks in the roads with hot mix and pulling a squeegee over the mix. Thomas does traffic control on the projects and takes safety classes every couple of years. He stayed cool this summer by drinking plenty of water, using a wet towel on his head and neck, seeking shade when appropriate and taking appropriate rest breaks. “It’s not bad. I’ve gotten used to it,” he says.

Thomas beams when talking about his children. Young Thomas Jr., 13, made A’s and B’s on his report card this week, which made him very proud. He is a member of Boy Scouts and has a big brother

from the Boys & Girls Club.

He likes movies, barbeque and plays ball with his dad.

Jeremiah, 10, loves to read and is a great student, also earning A’s and B’s on his report card recently.

He played baseball for 4-5 years and loves to play video games.

His son Jaelyn, 5, is boisterous and full of energy, or “wild and crazy” as Thomas Jr. notes. He loves sports, riding his bike that he received on his birthday, and playing with his dad too. Finally, Jez-lyn, 3, is Daddy’s Girl, the only daughter. Thomas laughs as he says, “that’s my baby girl, my princess.

She is trouble with a capital T”. She is very energetic and loves to play with her brothers, her mom Jennifer, and father.

Jennifer, who has been with Thomas for 10 years, works at residential “make ready” and is very hard-working. Thomas says he is awed and grateful for everything she does for him and the children. Thomas will soon be looking into the City of Austin benefits in the Childcare Assistance Program. A large family requires looking at every benefit out there!

Thomas’s values clearly revolve around his family. He shares that his

mother and father are role models for him and that they are both great parents to have. “I learned a lot from my dad about my job, but also about being a good dad.

I just want to do the best I can for my family”. When asked about his family’s traditions, he laughs and says that they all get together at Grandma’s house during the holidays to eat and watch football. His mom, who used to be a restaurant owner, now teaches her son and grandchildren how to make traditional tamales. Thomas is passing on not just family tradition, but family values!

Thomas Hernandez Jr. 2011 NOVEMBER STREET TALK

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Exclusive Interview INTERVIEW BY STEPHANIE MCDONALD

The View from City Hall

This issue, Street Talk wanted to bring you a perspective from our City Hall Executive Team, and sent our roving reporter to talk with our Assistant City Manager, Robert Goode.

assistant city manager

Robert Goode

INTERVIEW BY STEPHANIE MCDONALD

SLM:

So how did you get started in local government?

I am a civil engineer by training and started my career in the private sector. When I realized that upper management in the private engineering firms were really salespeople and I was primarily interested in the delivery of services, I left the private sector. It may sound like a cliché, but I was drawn to public service and it was my goal to become a Public Works director. I realized that goal in Fort Worth and thought I would retire as a Public Works director, but Marc Ott who was my boss at the City of Fort Worth tapped me to join his team here in Austin as an Assistant City Manager. I actually said no at first! But, we have a great partnership and he’s been my boss for the last ten years.

RG:

SLM:

Where else have you worked? I know that you have worked in Austin before.

I grew up in the mountains of Idaho and attended the University of Idaho. After college I joined a private engineering firm, but one of my college

RG:

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classmates had moved to Austin and told me to visit. Texas was booming at the time and I ended up working for an engineering firm here. Then the economy tanked and my firm went from 45 to 13 employees. I went to go work for Travis County as a flood plain administrator in 1988, then left to work for the City of Olympia, Washington in the design construction division, and then returned to Travis County as a Planning Engineer Supervisor in 2000 before I moved to Fort Worth in 2001.

SLM

What does an Assistant City Manager do?

It’s a lot of meetings! Primarily my job is to guide the departments I oversee: Aviation, Code Compliance, Solid Waste Services, Public Works, and Transportation. I “plow the road” and clear obstacles so the department directors can do the hard work of delivering services. I work with the departments to set goals and guidelines and serve as a facilitator and frequently Hmm, so what made you a problem solver. Right now, Solid Waste return to Austin?

Services—now Austin Resource Recovery—is working on a Master Plan to guide (Laughs) I met my wife Claudia the department as their service to the when I was working for Travis community changes from just hauling County in the late 1980’s and away trash. after the birth of our son in Olympia, we What excites you about came back to be closer to her parents here Public Works and made in Austin.

RG:

SLM

RG:

SLM

you want to be a Public Works Director?

Exclusive Interview What makes working in Public Works is all about the Austin challenging? core service that a city provides.

We do the things that everybody expects and although Public Works We have an engaged citizenry is not always as visible as public safety, it and so many eyes on everycontributes to the city’s overall safety. The thing we do. Most of the time, streets, water, sidewalks, are all critical to a they will focus on the 1% that might have city; it makes the city tick. gone wrong and not on the 99% we’ve done right. There are a lot of special interWhat is the biggest chalests that want to direct what we do. There lenge facing the Public aren’t clear lines like we want to think Works department? What exist. The line can blur between policy keeps you up at night? making and performance or implementaIt’s the same challenge of the tion—on our end too. city overall: not enough reWhat will be the impact of sources. Austin is in a better the number of employees position than a lot of other municipaliretiring in the next few ties, but we need more resources for betyears? ter and more innovative services. We do a great job at providing the basics, but are I think that the current ecogoing to have to be more creative if we are nomic conditions are keeping going to do more. many employees from retiring when they originally planned. I really valWhat is your goal for Public Works in the future? ue the talent of our employees and it is a benefit to the city that they aren’t retiring I am a data driven decision now. But, I recognize the need for succesmaker and I think it is important sion planning and also the City Manager for citizens to know that we are is really working on building the city as a looking for ways to track how we are pro- team— and eliminating many of the silos viding core services. Howard Lazarus is between departments.

SLM

RG:

RG:

SLM

RG:

SLM

RG:

SLM

RG:

really well down the path to find metrics and other quantifiable data to guide our future work.

SLM

SLM

What else would you like to add?

I really respect the men and women who make this city function. I have nothing but pride in our Capital Delivery folks, the vertical construction we do, the CIP teams as key divisions in our department. Streets are vital for a city and the Public Works Department provides critical services.

RG:

The theme of the month’s Street Talk is about holiday traditions. Can you tell me about your family and your holiday tradition?

SLM

My wife Claudia and I have a 12 year old son and a 6 year old daughter. I’m a complete family man and my favorite things to do involve my family like watching my son play soccer and my daughter play the piano. Christmas is all about the kids. I love giving presents and even remember how exciting they were as a kid. We celebrate with our extended family with a big dinner, but usually open the gifts on Christmas morning with just the four of us.

RG:

SLM RG:

I know that you are a fan of Whataburger for lunch.

What’s your order?

I am man of simple tastes: A double with just ketchup.

How does this translate for someone on a Street and Bridge crew?

I think every employee knows that there are department and division goals. For Street and Bridge, it’s the number of lane miles of overlay a year for example. I think that they should take great satisfaction in exceeding their goals—32 miles this year, 2 more than their stated goal. I think it must be difficult to be a planner who plans for the next twenty or thirty years and can’t see the fruit of his or her work. Our Street and Bridge crew can see the good work they did for the citizens of Austin at the end of every day.

RG:

ACM Robert Goode caught in his element.

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events

BY SHANNON WISNER CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Public Works Connects You...

All Around Austin!

Public Works builds our city’s future and celebrates our successes with PWD staff and events all around town.

Austin High ‘Gets Schooled’ by Public Works

journey at the St. Elmo field office where they decorated hard hats and were given an equipment tour by Eli Mendoza and Johnny Colvin. The tour then progressed to the Animal Services Center, managed by Kalpana n October 13th, PWD helped par- Sutaria, who took them around the site and ticipate in the National Forum for explained its sustainability features. The Black Public Administrators (NFBPA) by tak- tour closed with a visit to the Waller Creek ing it to the field with 12 eager Austin High construction trailer to look at some cool School students! The students began their 3D models and discuss the project. Project

Manager Gary Jackson and the Waller Creek team then lead the kids down to the Boathouse to check out some of the current construction work. After the students returned to their school, we received word from their teacher that they were talking about the trip to all of their friends and showing off their hard hats!

PWD Piques Citizen Interest - CityWorks Academy 2011

and is a great way to build awareness in the inner workings of City government - thanks to all who participated this year!

O

internally by using Envista, and how citizens will soon be able to check out what we’re doing by using Citizen View. The Academy is an 11-session curriculum, occurs annually,

On Tuesday, September 27th, the Public Works Department participated in the CityWorks Academy. CityWorks is a unique program where executive team members, department directors and other City staff host unique, interactive and informative sessions designed to give Austinites hands-on experience in City government operations. Sara Krause was on hand to discuss our Neighborhood Partnering Program and received thoughts and comments from the group.

Annie Van Zant was also in attendance to relay to the group how we coordinate work

2011 NOVEMBER STREET TALK

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events

continued from pg. 17

East 7th Street Celebration Has People Dancing in the Street The City of Austin hosted a ribbon cutting and street fair in honor of the completion of the East Seventh Street reconstruction program. The celebration occurred the morning of August 27th at the corner of East Seventh and Gonzales Street, and included booths hosted by 7th Street merchants, various City of Austin departments, tours of new artwork installations, games for children, and performances by local dance companies; including Ballet Folklorico and Aztlan Dance Company. The food, music and interactive dance performances were the highlight of the ribbon-cutting. Project Manager Clay Harris heated up the 110 degree weather by demonstrating his Latin dance skills- who knew? Congressman Lloyd Doggett, Rep. Eddie Rodriguez, City Council Member Mike Martinez and Coun-

Congressman Doggett watches as a butterfly bike from the Austin Bike Zoo glides by.

cil Member Kathie Tovo were in attendance, among others. Completed improvements include upgrades to water and wastewater lines, reconstruction of pavement on East Seventh Street and improvements to landscape, lighting, art obeliscos and specialty

pavers in intersections, resulting in a truly beautiful thoroughfare for Austin. Thanks to everyone who helped out at the event – it was quite the spectacle!

Fairgoers enjoy a performance put on by a local dance company.

Photos courtesy of Victor Ovalle

Partnering for the Public: The North Austin Community Recreation Center Celebrates a Groundbreaking The City, the YMCA, and the North Austin Civic Association gathered together October 13th to turn the dirt at Rundberg and Lamar in celebration of the beginning of construction on the North Austin Community Recreation Center (NACRC). The three groups have been working together for many years to bring this project to construction. This center is truly an unprecedented public-private collaborative effort between the entities.

The City owns the land and will build the facility and the YMCA will manage the center for 20 years with an option to renew the lease. Some of the areas of the facility will be freely accessible to the public and other areas will require a YMCA membership, but no one will be turned away due to financial circumstances. The facility will boast a large community area with a computer lab and areas of senior and youth programs, games, and social events as well as a large fitness area and gymnasium, indoor and outdoor pools, a community garden and an outdoor play area.

Project Manager Mark Schruben anticipates the center will be open in October 2012.

18 STREET TALK NOVEMBER 2011

Street and Bridge Operations and Art in Public Places Help Sculpt South Austin A dedication for the new artwork along South Congress Avenue was held on September 10th at the South Austin Island Park.

There was a short ceremony and following the ceremony, the artist, James Talbot, spoke about his work. The work is entitled ‘Your Essential Magnificence’ and is made of ferrocement, ceramic tile, glass, concrete, and found objects. Imbedded inside and out of view are objects and mementos which the artist collected from iconic South Austin locations including the Broken Spoke, the Armadillo World Headquarters, and the Cathedral of Junk. Talbot has spent more than 2,000 hours building the steel armature, assembling and filling it with concrete, and cladding the form with mosaic tile. Many interested community members volunteered to assist with the mosaic process and our very own Street and Bridge crew assisted with improving the surrounding area of the sculpture. If you haven’t driven on South Congress lately, go check it out!

street talk extra

milestones

UPDATES FROM THE PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT

eddy Shuv L. R -town

takes P

os story and phot

Shuv and the town cryer,

p

by Robin Cam

My vacation this year started just as the deadline for vacation pictures with Shuv L. Reddy arrived. So, since I was already committed to taking him along, I took the task up with gusto… probably a little more than my traveling companions would have preferred!

We have a timeshare in Provincetown, Massachusetts, and this year, with the Texas drought and extreme heat, we were particularly ready to go… even though hurricane Irene was already on its way up the Eastern Seaboard. Not deterred, we packed our bags and headed out with Shuv in hand.

Provincetown is a popular tourist destination for many reasons. Want to go whale

Ken.

kout for Always on the loo ployees! em ks or W fellow Public

watching? The MacMillan Wharf is the place.

Want to people watch? The human parade up and down bustling Commercial Street is an endless opportunity! Want to climb higher than anywhere else on Cape Cod? Climb the Pilgrim Monument, rising 252 feet above the 100 foot hill it sits on. And a large part of Provincetown lies on the National Seashore where there is a visitors’ center and miles of scenic bike trails. Obviously, it was quite a vacation – just ask our mascot…who may have gotten a bit of a “roughing up” due to the dogs being jealous that they didn’t get to go! Oh well – it was fun while it lasted!

Sunday morning, as Hurricane Irene arrived.

Upon our re expresses turn home, Eddy h our trip (a is opinion about nd our m ascot).

2011 NOVEMBER STREET TALK

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milestones

street talk extra

UPDATES FROM THE PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT

WHO’S

THAT?

PWD’s new employees and Director Howard Lazarus pose as sculptures at the New Employee Breakfast, held at the Umlauf Sculpture Gardens.

SSD:

SSD:

sbo:

sbo:

Anna Villasana

Evie Bishop

Frank Kee

Tyler Steinbarger

Recently transferred to Public Works due to the recent split of the Drainage & Transportation User fees. She previously worked for the Watershed Protection Department, which was a very challenging and rewarding experience for her, but feels that coming to Public Works has opened another door of opportunity. Presently, she handles over 340,000 accounts for the Transportation User fees and part of her daily duties include communicating with commercial and residential customers, reviewing billing for accuracy, adding new customers, and calculating adjustments. She has really enjoyed meeting all of the new people on the Finance Team and is grateful for Financial Manager, Susan Cox, for making her feel welcome.

Has joined the Financial Team under Susan Cox to administer the Transportation User Fee (TUF). She has administered both the TUF and Drainage Fees for over 17 years. Once the decision was made to split the fees, she feels as though she had been sent back home to Public Works and vows to make the TUF the best it has ever been! She is married to Randy Bishop of the Neighborhood Housing Department and has a son, step-son, stepdaughter, and step-grandson. She enjoys living by Lake Austin very much, especially the beautiful area by Mansfield Dam and says that she’s so glad to be here!

Has recently joined the Street and Bridge Division’s Overlay Operations as a Truck Driver. Frank is married with three kids and moved to Austin in 1986. He brings with him 5 ½ years of experience as a Senior Utility Tech plus four years in construction. He also has experience with water line maintenance, wastewater lift stations, the SCADA system, emergency and on-call, as well as customer service assistance to the public. Frank holds a Class C Distribution water license, Collection I wastewater license, and a Class A CDL license. Frank has also been trained in CPR and First Aid. He will be located at the Harold Court field office.

Is a new Project Coordinator for Street and Bridge Operations and joined the City of Austin in September. Tyler works in the Infrastructure Management Division at the Cheatham building at St. Elmo. Tyler comes to the City from Toll Brothers Inc., where he managed residential and development operations for the national homebuilder in and around Austin for the past 5 ½ years. As a near lifelong resident of Austin, Tyler graduated from Southwest Texas State University with a B.S. in Urban and Regional Planning and Development.

Tyler and his wife Lori spend most of their free time with their new son, Colton. Tyler is also an avid outdoorsman and enjoys spending any time he can in South Texas or the Coastal region.

NEW EMPLOYEES NOT PICTUREd:

Jose Rodriguez- Operator 2, Street and Bridge Operations. Larry Butler- Truck Driver, Street and Bridge Operations.

Director for a Day

E

li Mendoza and Howard Lazarus spent some quality time together for the ‘Director for a Day’ program this October. This meant Eli accompanied Howard to a few meetings and City Council and in exchange Howard tagged along with Eli out in the field! If you or someone else you know might be interested in participating, contact Dianna Robles in the Human Resources Office.

20 STREET TALK NOVEMBER 2011

Shuv L. Relay team runs it out!

The Public Works Department was well represented

by Team Shuv L. Reddy at the 2011 Silicon Labs Marathon Relay on September 26! Team Captain Roger Hickman and runners Keri Juarez, Michael Nguyen, Richard Fraser and Jennifer Massie-Gore braved the heat and humidity to complete a total of 26.2 miles. The City covers the registration fees for City employees for this annual event, so start putting your team together for next year! Great job, team!

milestones

continued from pg. 20

aewcaorgdnsi&tion CIP Inspection Division r ‘Pat on the Back’ award

Division Managers award

kenneth kirk Kenneth Kirk received a ‘Pat on the Back Award’ for covering projects for several coworkers.

Even though he’s new to the division, he handled all the tasks and situations like a seasoned pro.

David Menhard, Ramiro Hernandez, Judy Die, Lek Mateo, Mansoor Yazdi. Not Pictured: Carlos Lopez, Valerie Dickens, Jim Vickery, Peter Morales, Kirkland Fordham, Rip Hirsch, and John Bowman all received a Division Manager’s Award for being recognized by CIPID’s customers in the Annual Customer Service Survey.

Engineering Services Division

s n o i t a c fi i s s a l c re

Shirin Helmi, P.E. Engineer B to Engineer C

aaron Hanna Graduate Engineer A to Graduate Engineer B

Congratulations to the following ESD employees who were reclassified!

john garza Engineering Associate C to Graduate Engineer A

cuong nguyen Engineering Associate C to Graduate Engineer A

daniel arredondo Engineering Associate B to Graduate Engineer A

2011 NOVEMBER STREET TALK

21

Milestones

sohuot ut

Kudos to Rohini Kumarage

baby news!

feedback:

Rohini and all others involved in the 32nd Street “ Dear repair project, I wanted to write and tell you again what a wonderful group you have contracted to work on 32nd Street.

They have gone above and beyond to make our street safe and hopefully beautiful by the time it is all over with! Please tell them many times how pleased we are with the great work they have done. We’ve enjoyed getting to know the crew and my son, Luke has enjoyed watching all the trucks, tractors and bull dozers that have come our way.

”

With warm regards and appreciation, The Smith Family...Travis, Suzanne and baby Luke

Street and Bridge Employees invest in knowledge and their future The City of Austin supports and encourages its employees to grow and better themselves.

Recent employee interest in acquiring General Educational Development (GED), or high school equivalent diploma, has empowered some employees to do just that! Several employees across SBO recently began the journey by registering for GED classes through Austin Community College. These classes help employees without a high school diploma prepare for the GED test, develop life skills, job-readiness skills, and potentially move into better jobs due to their willingness for self improvement.

Employees are placed in a class that fits their level and then the instructor determines an individual learning plan. Classes include math, reading, writing, social studies, and science. The classes move at the employee’s own pace, and work is sometimes done in a group or class setting.

The City of Austin recognizes the extra efforts these employees are putting forth to become more valuable employees and is looking into reimbursement for testing once the diploma or GED is received. Superintendent of Utility Repairs Clay Rivers has coordinated with ACC to help facilitate registration and orientation. Employees wanting more information can contact Mr. Rivers at: clay.rivers@austintexas.gov.

We are very excited to recognize the following employees who have taken the first step and registered for classes this semester.

22 STREET TALK NOVEMBER 2011

Another addition to the Engineering Services Family!

Congratulations to Patrice Shackleford and her husband who are now proud parents of baby Jackson McCrae Baugh, who was born August 25, 2011 weighing 7.7 lbs.

ESD Annual Award & Recognition Luncheon The Engineering Services Division held their A&R Luncheon on September 29, 2011 at Threadgill’s to thank everyone for doing such a great job, and for everything they have contributed to the division.

Gabriel Flores, Oscar Ramirez, Jorge Rangel, Sam Samilpa, Johnny Trevino, Ildefonso Carbajal, Alan Collins, Flavio Rodriguez, Jose Mendoza, Benny Palacios Jr., Miguel Segura, Michael Howard, Jose Perez, and David Chavez

columns

BY TYLEAH McGUIRE CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Diversity, Brown Bags and Lunch with Howard

The Diversity Council members present their first quarterly brown bag luncheon.

T

he room was filled with people and lunch bags aplenty as James Snow thanked everyone for coming, introduced the Diversity Council to the group by asking them to stand, and thanked them for their work behind the scenes - time spent growing the seed of Howard’s and Rob’s heartfelt desire to have diversity permeate Transportation and Public Works.

Walking up to the whiteboard, Howard grabbed the eraser and cleared a large swath, making a blank slate with enough space to start the discussion of the loomingly large and encompassing topic that diversity can be. That is why the topic was picked of what Diversity is Not, as a single word can only do so much to define a broad idea. So talking about what Diversity is not can lead toward greater insight into the core of what Diversity is.

Howard talked about his days back in High School, his dreaded Geometry class and the proofs it was built on. The class based on an idea - that individual concepts can be necessary to prove something, but may not be totally sufficient to achieve it and that some concepts can be both necessary and sufficient to achieve the intended goal. Not just an idea to be

confined to Geometry - helping teenagers and triangles - but it can illuminate how the different concurrent concepts about Diversity come together.

As time passed, the board grew crowded with all the ideas that Howard and the group shared on what was necessary to achieve a Diverse work environment:

representation Tolerance Safety Opportunity intelligence & awareness pride in the organization commonality integrity This was no standardized PowerPoint -no one-sided conversation- the meeting continuing forward with open discussion growing and the whiteboard filled further with the conceptual elements of diversity. The meeting continued well over the anticipated hour, as everyone kept sharing his or her ideas on the building blocks that are necessary to obtain the goal of diversity. The meeting finished with Howard stating his main point- is anything listed sufficient enough to achieve diversity on is own? No! All these concepts come together,

building up to the main goal sufficient enough to lay the solid groundwork necessary to enable diversity to thrive…

Trust

It’s the goal that all these powerful aspects lead up to and support. It’s the glue that binds together a wonderfully diverse workforce, and helps us become better than we would be alone.

Trust allows everyone to offer his or her viewpoint freely, without fear of recrimination. Trust allows you to be able to take what people say at face value. Trust allows us to move outside the limiting bounds of societal group think, as just saying what we think others want to hear only perpetuates the status quo. Trust allows an idea that differs from the status quo to be shared, one that could be the key to an amazing advancement that would otherwise be unrealized if left in the dark.

Diversity is about you. It’s your individual background, life experiences, and unique viewpoint that you bring to Public Works and Transportation that helps make our divisions stronger. The whole made more than the sum of its parts by bringing together everyone’s individual spark.

The lunchtime conversation about diversity was a good start; trust that Howard and Rob are steadfast in their desire to achieve this lofty goal for Public Works and Transportation. And so Diversity Brown Bag Lunches are already planned to be a quarterly occurrence. So please keep your eye out for those and more to come from the Diversity Council. As diversity is more than a mere once a year event and we intend to keep the momentum going.

2011 NOVEMBER STREET TALK

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features

BY SHANNON WISNER CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Got Culture?

We do! Public Workers share their traditions and cultural heritage around the upcoming holidays.

Foreword Before I went to work for the City of Austin, I held a job that involved international travel. To help prevent embarrassing situations, those that traveled internationally were trained in how to act in other cultures. A few of the rules (dependant on the country) were: Never touch someone with your left hand – this is very insulting in some cultures Never point the sole of your shoe at someone

Festivals YALDA

WRITTEN BY MANSOOR YAZDI Yalda has been celebrated in Iran (formerly Persia) for centuries and is the name of the longest night of the year, the 21st or 22nd of December. This tradition is connected to the ancient Iranian religion, Zoroastrian and latter Mithraism. When the days (Light or Good) started getting longer and nights (Darkness or Evil) were getting shorter, people believed it to be the sign of

the victory of the sun over darkness, or birth of Eyzad (sun). Due to many similarities between Christmas and Yalda, some researchers believe that early Christians adopted this event and linked it to Christ’s birthday.

Today, Yalda is a social event rather than religious as families and friends get together for fun. Different kinds of nuts, seeds, and fresh dried fruits are served.

Never point with your finger Do not wear shoes inside Do not speak to a person’s spouse without permission What do these rules have to do with working in Austin, Texas? Well, we are made up of employees from many areas of the world who were raised with different perceptions, traditions, and customs.

These attributes of a person do not change merely because they have changed their geographic location.

This being said, I encourage you to get to know the people that make up our diverse organization in Public Works. You will find honorable, family oriented, ethical and hardworking people from every culture! You might make a new friend, learn something new and interesting, and at the very least, you will learn that an individual’s diverse cultural background is a thing that should be embraced.

Gerald Nation, Division Manager, Street and Bridge Operations

24 STREET TALK NOVEMBER 2011

This symbol, hand-written by Mansoor Yazdi, is a symbol of the rising sun. In the center is a Persian poem which says, “The dawn of prosperity will not break unless you go through the long night of difficulties (Yalda)”.

MID-AUTUMN FESTIVAL WRITTEN BY MICHAEL NGUYEN The Mid-Autumn Festival, or Tết Trung Thu, is a popular lunar harvest festival celebrated by the Vietnamese culture and is also known as the ‘Moon Festival’ or the ‘Mooncake Festival’. It is held on the 15th day of the eighth month of the Vietnamese calendar (September to early October on the Western calendar).

The Vietnamese version of the holiday recounts the legend of Cuội, whose wife accidentally urinated on a sacred banyan tree.

Soon after desecrating the tree, she sat on one of the tree branches and the sacred tree began to grow until it reached the moon, leaving Cuội’s wife stranded there. Every year, during the Mid-Autumn Festival, children light lanterns and participate in a procession to show Cuội’s wife the way back to Earth. Besides the indigenous tale of the banyan tree, other legends are widely told as well.

One important event during the Vietnamese Mid-Autumn Festival are the lion dances. Dances are performed by both children’s groups and trained professional groups. Lion dance groups perform on the streets, arriving at people’s homes and asking for permission to perform for their hosts.

If the host consents, the “lion” will come in and start dancing as a blessing of luck and fortune for the home. In return, the host gives ‘luck money’ to show their gratitude.

Last month, the Vietnamese community here in Austin celebrated the Mid Autumn Festival in the Linh Son Temple in Leander. Due to the fire ban, the traditional candles for the lanterns were substituted with flashlights.

Santa Claus or St. Nicholas?

WRITTEN BY VERA LABRIOLA The Czech version of Santa Claus, Mikuláš (St. Nicholas), has nothing to do with Christmas. He stops by on December 6th, accompanied by a devil and angel, and fills the boots of good children with candy, fruit, and sometimes small gifts. To get the goodies, the children put their boots in the windows the night before. Naughty kids might find a piece of coal along with the candy in their boots as a warning for the next year!

Traditions

Rhonda bolick’s family

When my husband and I had kids, we decided to bring traditions from both families into our home. His family had moved to Laredo, TX when he was in junior high and adopted the tradition of having tamales on Christmas Eve. About 20 years ago, I learned how to make tamales so we could have them fresh every year. We also adopted my family’s Christmas morning tradition of having breakfast after we opened presents. We had homemade cherry Kolaches with dark green rings of icing around them, which looked like wreaths, and would put a candle in everyone’s Kolache and sing happy birthday to Jesus.

nathan wilkes’ family My strongest tradition for the holidays is sharing quality time with family, so around this time each year I start thinking about transportation logistics. My family all lives in the I35 corridor (Dallas/Fort Worth, Waco and San Antonio) and because I don’t have a car, I start thinking about trains, buses, friend’s cars and of course the old bicycle.

Having taken a couple of week-long bicycle camping tours carrying my own gear, I’m no stranger to the power of the bicycle to take me quite a distance.

After securing time off from work for a two-day ride to Fort Worth with a layover in Waco at my grandparents’, two days back, and some quality time in between, my lady friend Caitlin and I set off on a tandem bicycle. We get a late start after a night of leaving work late, packing, outfitting our friend’s tandem bike with extra racks to hold our pannier bags, and leaving instructions for the house sitter. Even worse, the essential guide for Texas bicycle touring that boasts every street (even the dirt roads) fails to warn us that SH130 would present a couple of bicycle tourists significant challenges that very day, 10 years after its publication.

So, we break for lunch in the town of Weir and reassess. There is a huge cold front blowing in at nightfall forecasted to drop

the beautiful high of 60 to a bone chilling 30 with a strong north wind. Caitlin thinks that she has a second cousin that lives in Temple, which is achievable (we were only 1/3rd of the way to Waco), and she sets off making phone calls. We arrange to stay with her long lost second cousin Trish McEver, have a great time catching up (she last saw Caitlin as a toddler), and the next morning jump on the northbound Amtrak train, cozy behind the frosted glass, and arrive ahead of schedule for what we were really after: that quality family time.

sara krause’s family After my brothers and I grew up and went our separate ways, we lost some of our holiday spirit. Now that our family has grown, and my nieces and nephews are at the age where every holiday season is new and exciting, we are adopting new family traditions. Thanks to my sister-in-law, each year the kids get to help bake made-fromscratch cookies to leave out for Santa. They help mix the ingredients, cut the cookies into shapes, and watch them bake in the oven.

Each cookie is carefully decorated with the kind of creativity only a 5 year old waiting for Santa can possess! After selecting the best cookies for Santa’s plate, and writing Santa a note, we all sit down and read The Night Before Christmas. When the kids are finally asleep, the adults respond to the note, and then attack the cookies full throttle!

bringing in christmassimon orta’s family My family attends Midnight Mass on December 24th to bring in Christmas. We have a late dinner and then head to their church early, about 11:30 p.m., to be able to get good seats for the 12:00 a.m. Mass.

Got Culture?

2011 NOVEMBER STREET TALK

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features

continued from pg. 25

Traditions continued

Don’t believe in the golden pig!

WRITTEN BY vera labriola Christmas in the Czech Republic is celebrated over three days, December 24th through 26th. The main holiday and the day children are most excited about is Christmas Eve—called the Evening of Generosity in Czech. No meat is consumed that day and some people forgo all food until dinner. According to a whimsical tradition, kids are told that if they skip all meals and snacks before dinner, as midnight approaches, they will be rewarded by a vision of a “golden pig” on the wall. Unfortunately, it doesn’t work. I tried more than once but never saw even a hoof of the promised “golden pig”. I suspect this might be a Czech way of keeping the kids away from Christmas cookies, or maybe I just never stayed up long enough.

Early in the afternoon, children have to leave the living room and are not allowed to re-enter until after dinner. The table has to be set for an even number of guests. In the event that the family has an odd number

Recipes

trish wadsack: no more boring turkey sandwiches!

Are you tired of eating leftover turkey for weeks after Thanksgiving? Patricia Wadsack has a tip: forget the same old turkey sandwiches and turn your leftovers into a delicious turkey and sausage gumbo! Patricia grew up in Louisiana, where making gumbo in wintertime is a local tradition.

26 STREET TALK NOVEMBER 2011

of members, one set of plates is added just in case an unexpected visitor knocks on the door. The meal is served when the first star comes out and consists of cream of sauerkraut soup, potato salad, and breaded carp -not the fish from American ponds! Nobody is allowed to get up until dinner is finished or it’s bad luck. When the dinner is over, children are finally let back in the living room to see if Ježíšek (little Jesus) brought a Christmas tree and left some presents for them.

While kids play with their new toys, adults may entertain themselves by keeping some old traditions alive.

They all get a scale from the dinner carp to keep in their wallets, so they will not run out of money next year. They may each cut an apple crosswise to see if its seeds are in a shape of a perfect star, which forecasts good health. Single women may throw a shoe over their shoulder to find out whether they will get married next year (if the toe points to the door they will), and the real lovers of old traditions will pour a little molten lead into a sink of cold water to predict their future from the shapes when they harden. At the end of the night, many families attend Midnight Mass. The next two

To make the gumbo: 1) Start with dark red-brown or black

roux - and getting it right is the most important part!

2)

Make sure the oil is smoking hot before you add flour, which should be stirred in gradually.

3)

To avoid burning the roux, you have to stir constantly. As soon as you get the desired color, remove it from the heat.

This is a traditional Czech Christmas decoration, made from straw or corn husk, but is unfortunately not seen much in people’s homes anymore.

days are spent hosting or attending family luncheons and dinners and tasting at least a dozen different kinds of homemade Christmas cookies in every house.

4)

Now add what in Cajun cooking is called the “holy trinity”: onion, bell pepper, and celery.

5)

Adding the vegetables at this time will not only stop the browning of your roux but it is essential for extracting the most flavor from them.

6)

Then follow the steps of any good gumbo receipe!

Golden Mango Shrimp

rhonda bolick: float & almond crescent cookies Our family decided to keep the Bolick tradition of having something called ‘Float’ during the holidays. Float is vanilla custard with pecans and coconut that you eat with a spoon and a side of Almond Crescent Cookies.

Float

1 gallon of milk 8 eggs 1 cup sugar 10 tablespoons flour 2 teaspoons vanilla 1 cup whipping cream 1/4 cup powdered sugar 1 package chopped pecans 1 package coconut

Mix together flour and sugar in a large pan Whisk in eggs and 2 cups milk until smooth Add the rest of the milk and cook over medium heat, stirring consistently until mixture coats the spoon Remove from heat and add vanilla, place in refrigerator to cool Whip the cream then add the powdered sugar mix into cooled custard Refrigerate until ready to use To serve, pour into cups; let everyone add pecans and coconut and eat with a spoon, serve with Almond Crescent Cookies.

Almond Crescent Cookies

1 cup softened butter 1/4 cup powdered sugar plus more to roll the cookies in 2 teaspoons vanilla 2 cups flour 1 cup sliced almonds

Mix together butter, 1/4 cup powdered sugar, vanilla and flour; add almonds Roll into small crescent shapes and place on cookie sheet Bake at 350 degrees until golden brown Let cool, then roll in more powdered sugar

songlian wu: golden mango shrimp 21 oz. Peeled Shrimp

10 ea. Cherry Tomato

11 oz. White Sandwich Bread

1 ea.

Sweet Yam

21 oz. Fresh Mango

4 oz.

Potato Starch

4 oz.

3/4 oz. Carrot

Yogurt

1 oz. Fat

3/4 oz. Raisins

¾ oz. Cilantro

2 ea. Egg

1

ea. Kiwi Fruit

Seasoning: salt, rice, wine, pepper, dried fish essence, corn starch, sugar, sesame oil Cut off the crust of the white sandwich bread, and cut into small pieces. Peel mango, cut in half. Dice one half and puree the other half in a blender.

Peel and de-vein shrimp and dry off excess water. Mince shrimp until it looks like paste. Put the shrimp paste in a bowl and add in the egg white; mix well so it becomes viscous. Add seasoning and minced cilantro.

Using your hands, form the mixture into a small ball, inserting the mango pieces into the center of the ball. Coat lightly with bread crumbs.

Heat oil in a frying pan and fry shrimp balls until they become golden brown.

In a separate bowl, add potato starch into hot water, mix well, and add in yogurt until it becomes a paste.

Put the paste mixture into a cheesecloth bag and squeeze into a ball shape. Place it on the shrimp ball.

Peel the sweet yam and slice into thin round pieces. Deep fry until cooked then set aside.

Dice carrot into small pieces, and cook in hot water.

Put the shrimp balls on a serving plate. Place the yam slice on top of the potato mixture.

Put the carrot pieces and raisins on top of the yam slice and pour the mango puree sauce on the shrimp balls. Top with kiwi fruit and tomato. Then serve!

Got Culture?

Kiss Chef

the

2011 NOVEMBER STREET TALK

27

divisions

BY GERALD NATION CONTRIBUTING WRITER

A Small Pothole – A Dangerous Understatement!

What awaited Public Workers at Dalton Road was way more than your average pothole call.

P

ublic Works is an organization that provides services to our citizens by working as one cohesive unit, regardless of the number of different areas of operations involved in the solution. PW management works to eliminate the silos that are a byproduct of having numerous business units in one organization. The incident that occurred on Dalton Road is an underscoring of how that type of unity is being achieved within the Public Works organization.

On Thursday, September 15, 2011, the District Maintenance Division (Districts) received a telephone call from the Austin Police Department (APD) that there was a dangerous street situation at 1000 Dalton Road.

Luis Soto and Johnny Colvin immediately went to the location to investigate the situation. What was found was a small pothole approximately 18 inches by 12 inches.

This was not the standard pothole that could be repaired with cold-mix, because

28 STREET TALK NOVEMBER 2011

it went down into a culvert. Sensing the possible danger to the traveling public, the Districts employees immediately closed this section of road and set-up a temporary traffic control that diverted traffic into one lane of travel on this very busy road. Flagging was being performed by a Superintendent, a Supervisor and a Division Manager! Then they contacted the Infrastructure Management Division (IMD) to have engineers sent to the location to determine the best course of action.

Sam West and Daren Duncan arrived to perform an inspection on the pothole and the culvert. Their inspection not only confirmed the findings of the Districts personnel, but sent the failure to the next level of a “potentially dangerous” situation. The culverts had failed. There were five culvert lines at this location and each completed culvert line was comprised of eight 4-foot long by 60 inch diameter concrete culvert sections.

This equated to 40 culvert sections at this location!

The four foot sections of culverts had disengaged at each culvert, which caused a very serious and dangerous situation. Right away, the Districts team borrowed a steel plate from the Watershed Protection Department, placed it over the pothole, and asphalted the edges

to prevent an accident.

To permanently repair this section of road, all four operations divisions of Public Works would be required to work as one group. The plan was designed by Pirouz Moin’s group in IMD. It would require placing a section of a high tensile strength plastic over each location where the culvert sections had separated as a form to keep the poured concrete from going into the culverts. They then would have to pour concrete over the entire 5 lines of culverts, pave the street after completion, and add a curb and railings on each side of the road where the road crossed the creek.

The plan was agreed to by all parties involved and the work began. Every single division had to get involved and work together quickly and efficiently to make this dangerous situation safe for the public.

IMD did all of the coordination between departments due to the road closure, and designed the plan of work, inspecting the various phases. Districts did much of the hands-on work to excavate, place barricades, prep the area and make notifications of the closure to local trucking businesses.

The Utilities and Structures Division (USD) helped with prep, built forms, poured concrete and built curbs. The Pavement Operations Division came in to pave the final roadway and make it safe to reopen.

This is such a great example of the four operations divisions working as one unit, all just as important as the other in the success of the operation- repairing and opening the road in a timely manner. This shows how we, as an organization, are devoted to public service- the Department with a Heart! It is not just individual units, but one cohesive operation.

in every issue

where is shuv-l-reddy?

Where In The World Is Shuv-L-Reddy?

Remember Carmen San Diego? Waldo? Well, Shuv wanted in on some of the action…play our guessing game as he wanders around the city at various PWD-related sites...and beyond!

Can you correctly identify both project site locations that Shuv-L-Reddy has visited? Write in to: streettalk@ austintexas.gov for a chance to WIN A PRIZE! location 1

location 2

Answers from last issue: Location 1: Northwest Recreation Center Location 2: Univision Studios Congratulations to Steve Nelson from PMD for guessing the correct locations from the last issue!

2011 NOVEMBER STREET TALK

29

events calendar 2011 NOVEMBER Monday

Tuesday Wednesday Thursday

1

2

0

3

0

0 First Thursday

Defensive Driving class 8 AM-4 PM OTC-325

9

8

7

0

0

0

New Employee Safety Orientation class 1-5 PM LRC@ABIA

OSHA 30 Hour

4

5

1

6

1

1

1

2

2

3

1

8

1

New Employee Safety Orientation

0

2

4

2

2

Thanksgiving Day Offices Closed

Pay Day

class 1-5 PM LRC@ABIA

Turkey Trot

0

9

3

2

OSHA 30 Hour 8-5 PM LRC@ABIA

30 STREET TALK NOVEMBER 2011

9

1

Sunday

3

2

2

1

Animal Services Ribbon-Cutting

Sunday

Veteran’s Day Offices Closed

8-5 PM LRC@ABIA

class 8:30-12:30 PM Cheathem Facility

8

1

1

5

0

0

OSHA 30 Hour

Roadway Safety (S&B employees)

2

7

6

1

Austin Celtic Festival

Sunday

CIPID Division Meetings

0

class 8:30-9:30 AM 105 Riverside Room 200

Wurstfest

4

0

1 Pay Day

Saturday

Wurstfest

Computer Ergonomics

8-5 PM LRC@ABIA

Friday

5

2

Thanksgiving Friday Offices Closed

6

2

Sunday

7

2

DECEMBER Monday

Tuesday Wednesday Thursday

Friday

1

0

0

Saturday

2

First Thursday

4

class 8 AM-4 PM OTC-325

6

5

0

Safety Plus Meeting (PMD/ESD/NCD/QSMD) class 8:30-9:30 AM OTC-325

New Employee Safety Orientation class 1-5 PM LRC@ABIA

2

3

1

1

Safety Plus Meeting (CID/HRO/Shared Services/Financial Services, OOD, Systems Engineering) class 8:30-9:30 AM OTC-325

9

0

1

Defensive Driving class 8 AM-4 PM OTC-325

2

class 8-9 AM Cheathem Facility

Safety Plus Meeting (ATD)

1

Hanukkah (begins at sunset) New Employee Safety Orientation

6

Christmas Holiday Offices Closed

7

2

Safety Plus Meeting (S&B Utility & Structures)

8

6

7

1

1

Sunday

CIPID Holiday Luncheon

8

1

class 8-9 AM Cheathem Facility

2

2 Pay Day

2

1

1

9

2

4

3

2

2

Christmas Holiday Offices Closed

class 1-5 PM LRC@ABIA

2

Sunday

Pay Day

5

4

2

0

1

Armadillo ChristmasBazaar

1

1

class 8-9 AM Cheathem Facility

0

class 8-9 AM OTC-325

Armadillo ChristmasBazaar

Safety Plus Meeting (S&B District Maintenance)

9

0

Eat Local Week Safety Plus Meeting (S&B Pavement & Infrastructure SSD)

0

8

7

0

3

0

Eat Local Week Capitol Tree Lighting

Sunday

Defensive Driving

0

German-Texan Christmas Market

Sunday

5

2

0

1

3

3 New Year’s Eve

Buy a New Calendar Day!

2011 NOVEMBER STREET TALK

31

Write in to us with your suggestions regarding:

Milestones

nominations

writing a guest column photo contribution special events going on in your division employee PROFILE NOMINATIONS ...and anything else we may have missed or you want people to know about

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