Layout 1 (Page 1) - Nebraska Department of Roads

Public Service (cont’d. from page 7)to get to the stranded vehicles. Notwilling to give up, Nebraska StatePatrol Communications SupervisorRebecca Bliven contacted NDORrequesting the assistance of a snow -plow and a truck equipped with asnow blower.Meanwhile, Nebraska State PatrolSergeant Kurt Von Minden andTrooper Shane Flynn were briefed onthe situation and Sergeant Von Mindenrequested assistance from TrooperTrinity Jones, Troop A, Omaha, to driveto the town of Union, approxi mately10 miles west of Highway 34, wherethe vehicles were reportedly stranded.Sergeant Von Minden and TrooperFlynn met up with Trooper Jones andthe NDOR personnel driving thesnowplow and snow blower. While inroute, a third stranded motorist wasalso discovered.While continuing to keep contactby telephone with the strandedindividuals, Bliven was advised bythe male motorist that the femalemotorist’s hands were beginning toblister from the cold, and she wasshaking uncontrollably. In addition,Bliven could tell that the male motoristwas becoming more incoherent astime wore on.After nearly four hours, the strandedmotorists were located and transferredinto Sergeant Von Minden’s vehicle.They were transported following theNDOR equipment, which paved theway keeping the road open fromblowing and drifting snow, to waitingemergency medical responders. Fromthere they were taken to a localhospital for treatment. The thirdstranded motorist was able to followthe caravan of vehicles out of the areaand make it to safety.The NSP bestowed this specialrecognition to each NDOR employeefor their assistance as supervisor, snowblower driver and snowplow driverin rescuing these individuals. NSPColonel Tuma also thanked NDORRoads Director Monty Fredricksonand Deputy Director Jake Jacobsenfor their efforts to make Nebraska’sroads safer. ◆Dan Ziska Named ProjectManager of the YearDan Ziska, of O’Neill, was honoredby the Nebraska Chapter AssociatedGeneral Contractors of America (AGC)as Nebraska Department of Roads’Project Manager of the Year. Ziskareceived a traveling trophy and aplaque at the Project Managers’Conference in Kearney on March 24.Ziska has worked at NDOR for thepast 30 years and has been a projectmanager at the District 8 O’Neill officefor over 12 years. He began his careerin O’Neill as an Engineer Aid in 1980and worked his way up through theEngineer Associate and ConstructionTechnician ranks to become HighwayProject Manager in 1998. Dan alsoworks with the Nebraska Chapter ofthe American Concrete Institute as atrainer for the ACI Level 1 and 2courses.Recent projects managed by Ziskainclude “In O’Neill,” an urban con -crete paving project on Highway 20,and “Chambers Junction North,”a rural resurfacing and wideningproject to add surfaced shoulders onHighway 281. The project completedthe addition of surfaced shouldersto the Priority Commercial Systemin District 8.NDOR District 8 Engineer MarkKovar noted, “Dan enjoys the chal -lenges that come with highway work,and the satisfaction that comes fromworking with others to improve thehighways for the citizens of Nebraska.”The award is presented annuallyby the AGC to a NDOR projectmanager who has upheld thestandards of conducting businesswithin the highway constructionindustry with the highest level ofethics and inte grity. The trophy iscalled the Lyle Leader MemorialAward in tribute to Mr. Leader, whowas a project manager at NDOR for34 years. He was active in the District 3Hartington office at the time of hisdeath in August 1991 and was highlyrespected by his peers within thedepartment and by the contractormembers of AGC.All contractor members submitteda nomination for this award and thenominees were voted upon by themembers of the AGC. For the year2010, Ziska received the high honor. ◆Photo by Jay Bailey, NDORShown, l to r: Dan Ziska, 2010 Project Manager of the Year; Katie Wilson,President, Nebraska AGC; and Claude Oie, NDOR Construction Engineer.Roadrunner ◆ April/May 2010 8