National Public Works Week

APWA honors New York City Department of Sanitation

Kansas City, MO – On May 22 in Orangetown, New York, the American Public Works Association (APWA) presented two awards to the New York City Department of Sanitation recognizing their efforts following the World Trade Center tragedy. The awards were presented as part of National Public Works Week and during the APWA New York Metro Chapter's Equipment Show and Product Exposition.

Bernard "Buddy" Sullivan, Chief of Operations for the New York City Department of Sanitation, received a national award from APWA Region II Director Howard LaFever and a special chapter award from Ron Delo, New York Metro Chapter President, in recognition of "the extraordinary and outstanding service to the citizens of New York City in the aftermath of the September 11, 2001 World Trade Center disaster."

"The New York City Department of Sanitation has done a remarkable job in cleaning up the city under tremendous adversity," said Richard L. Ridings, APWA President. "I am proud of the way our public works colleagues in New York City have responded to this terrible tragedy and in the dedication and commitment they have shown."

The American Public Works Association is a not-for-profit, international organization of more than 26,000 members involved in the field of public works. APWA serves its members by promoting professional excellence and public awareness through education, advocacy and the exchange of knowledge. APWA is headquartered in Kansas City, Missouri, and also staffs an office in Washington, D.C. For more information, please call (816) 472-6100.

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National League of Cities
The National League of Cities featured an ad in the May 13th and 20th issues of Nations Cities Weekly.

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City of Naperville, IL
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State of Iowa
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Commonwealth of Kentucky
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Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
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State of Connecticut
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State of Mississippi
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State of Washington
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City of Rancho Mirage, CA
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City of Mission, KS
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State of South Carolina
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City of Davenport, IA
Working with area schools and the neighboring communities, we will take over 80 water quality samples from all the creeks in the entire Scott County, Iowa. The samples will then be analyzed for a variety of parameters. We will also do benthic monitoring of all sites. We hope to involve the community in establishing this "snapshot" of our local streams.

After sampling, the State Geologist will speak to all participants on "Streams in Action" during the lunch period. We hope to sample again in the fall and use the information to educate and involve our community in water quality issues as well as Public Works employess.

In our area much research has been done on the Mississippi River and we would like to expand our caring for water quality by involving the community in knowledge of our streams.

State of North Carolina
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City of Gastonia, NC
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State of Wisconsin
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State of Delaware
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Clark County, NV
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Ferron Elementary School Certificate of Appreciation (PDF)

Kansas City, MO
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State of Maryland
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State of California

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Commonwealth of Massachusetts
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Province of Manitoba
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City of Lee's Summit, MO
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City of Encinitas, CA

The City of Encinitas and the San Dieguito Water District particpated in NPWW 2002 by visiting three of our local elementary schools and meeting with over 1100 students grades Kindergarten through 6th. This year's program was praised by one of the schools as being the "best assembly we have had in the past four years I have been here." The children and the City employees alike enjoyed the PW Week presentations and look forward to an even more successful program next year!

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City of San Bruno, CA

The City had a large equipment fair at the local elementary school. For a better description, please visit our website, www.ci.sanbruno.ca.us. There is a link for NPWW on the left hand side of the page toward the bottom.

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State of Wyoming
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Clark County, WA

Clark County, WA. along with the Cities of Camas, Vancouver and Washougal - entered the Hazel Dell Parade of Bands using the popular & successful GEM concept of inter-agency cooperation. The parade was held on Saturday, May 18th - and was a great 'kick-off' to National Public Works week. Clark County also hosted a retirees reunion, including an equipment show for retired maintenance workers.

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City of Gresham, OR

On Wednesday, May 22, the City of Gresham, Oregon, and Multnomah County Transportation Division celebrated the American Public Works Association Public Works Week theme, “Everyday Heroes; Committed to our Community” with an exhibition of equipment for hundreds of local school children. Each child was presented a Department of Environmental Services bag filled with a yellow hardhat, a “Celebrate Public Works” pencil, a hero badge, and an APWA comic book donated by Operations Management International, Inc. Cookies were donated by Quality Food Centers, Inc.

In keeping with the theme, the exhibition was followed by a presentation of a hero medal and certificate to thirty city and county employees who were nominated by their co-workers for acts above and beyond the call of duty. The nominees ranged from life-saving events to others who give 110% on an everyday basis. Gresham City Councilor Chris Lassen and Multnomah County Commissioner Lonnie Roberts presented the awards with introductions by Dave Rouse, DES Director and Rob Fussell, Gresham’s Interim City Manager.

In addition, displays increasing public awareness of public works contribution to our communities were placed in the Gresham Post Office, Multnomah County Library, and the Gresham City Hall lobby.

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City of Fort Smith, AR

The City of Fort Smith, AR, selected 6 employees of the year from departments representing public works operations. Each employee was recognized at a board of directors (city council) meeting and presented a plaque and jacket. A local Kiwanis club will select a public works employee of the year from these 6 departmental employees. A poster of these employees along with the APWA NPW poster were displayed in the lobby of city hall. An employee appreciation picnic was held to recognize the 400 employees who provide services. The picnic received newspaper and TV coverage. The mayor also issued a proclamation.

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City of Maitland, FL

The City of Maitland, FL, gave residents an opportunity to get up close with Public Works. The open house enabled the community to gain an in-depth look at the department and how they contribute to the standards of living within the community. Activities included: selling trees at an unbelievable $25 for Maitland residents, education on water conservation, a parade of the largest vehicles in the city, live active and interactive demonstrations, hands-on opportunities, questions and answers, Capital improvements for the future, Stormwater advice and incentive program information.

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Sarasota County, FL

The Suncoast Branch of the Florida Chapter of APWA held a Road-eo on May 22. There were 83 participants, 10 events and 9 vendors displaying products. Sarasota County Public Works employee, Mark Postma won overall and Danny Young, Utilities took second. Mark also won two events and overall at the State APWA Road-eo in Jacksonville, FL.

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Alameda County, CA

On May 7, 2002, the Alameda County Board of Supervisors proclaimed May 19th - 25th Public Works Week for the County of Alameda and recognized the 45th anniversary of the Alameda County Public Works Agency. APWA posters "Everyday Heroes" announcing National Public Works weeks were distributed to local Chambers of Commerce and local community groups. On Thursday, May 23rd, the Agency celebrated Public Works Week with an employee recognition BBQ picnic and games at Kennedy Park in Hayward. Visors embossed with the "Committed to Our Communities" theme, a bookmark with a message to employees from Agency Director Donald LaBelle, and pens bearing "Alameda County Public Works Agency" were distributed to employees. The event also included presentation of 5, 10, 15, 20, 25 and 30-year service awards and a speech by Assistant Director Daniel Woldesenbet thanking employees for their contributions and recognizing how they have demonstrated their commitment to our communities. The three recent recipients of the American Public Works Association Award of Merit were also recognized during the event.

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Los Angeles, CA

On Monday, May 20, the City of Los Angeles honored 55 individuals and/or organizations with Certificates of Appreciation for their work in cleaning up their communities through tree plantings, neighborhood clean-ups, beautification projects, graffiti paint-outs,and other tasks which further the cause of Public Works.

For the rest of the week, the Public Works Department traveled to various locations throughout the City to showcase vehicles and equipment. Staff displayed tables with informational material and giveaways and was available to answer questions and process service requests.

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St. Joseph, MO

On Saturday, May 18th the St. Joseph Public Works Department held an Open House. The Street Division operation center was the primary location where visitors could view static displays of equipment, view demonstrations of various equipment (Sewer system CCTV, Vactor, stripping machine, traffic signal equipement, etc.), and tour the facilities. Kids were given an opportunity to operate the hoe of a small excavator, under the supervision of an operator. The local utility companies were also invited to attend to set up booths (on hand were representatives of MGE gas company and 1-800 Dig Rite). The local police also had a booth for creating children's I.Ds (part of the AMBER alert program).

The Transit Division also provided free bus shuttles to other Public Works facilites at designated times for facility tours. Tours included the wastewater treatment plant, Rosecrans Memorial Airport (a Gen. Aviation/military airport), the municipal solid waste landfill, and the recycling center. Guided tours were given at all locations. Over the lunch hour there were free hot dogs, hamburgers and soda pop at two of the locations for all who attended. There were also many free give-aways for the kids, including APWA coloring books and stickers, and local printed frisbees.

The open house was advertised in two local papers the two weeks preceeding the event. Additionally, flyers were mailed to the local elementary schools.

This year was the third such event. St. Joseph has been having an open house every other year since 1998.

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Missouri City, TX

Annual Public Works Week Picnic and Award Ceremony.

Each year, the City of Missouri City, TX, hosts a Public Works Appreciation picnic for all of the City's Public Works employees. Invited guests include Mayor and Council, prominent city figures, Public Works contractors and engineering consultants, County Road and Bridge personnel, and Public Works folks from neighboring cities. Each picnic begins by recognizing all invited guests and having some words by the mayor of council then a quick safety progam is presented covering a topic relevent for all attendees. Next, the Public Works Employee of the Year is recognized. Food is then served including hamburgers and hot dogs and all of the employees can mix with the guests. Past years have had an equipment display for the guests.

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Lenexa, KS

Lenexa Public Works held a NPWW kick off event on Saturday, May 18th at the Lenexa HyVee Grocery Store. They showcased some of their equipment (tandem with snow plows, excavator, bucket truck, etc.). Lenexans, especially the children, enjoyed climbing into the equipment and gaining the driver's perspective. In addition, they had games such as "Which Watershed do you live in?" and GIS mapping photos "Where in Lenexa is this?". They also had handouts about Public works, projects and programs, word finds, and APWA Comic and Coloring Books. The event was a success.

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San Joaquin County, CA

To kick off Public Works Week, an employee pancake breakfast was held. The event was a great success, with over 200 employees starting their day with a warm meal. On May 21, 2002, the San Joaquin County Board of Supervisors proclaimed the week of May 19th - 25th as Public Works Week. The week concluded with an open house. In addition to fellow employees, two local 5th grade classes were invited to participate. The children seemed particularly impressed with the vehicles that the crews use on a daily basis.

http://www.co.san-joaquin.ca.us/pubworks/2002_public_works_week.htm

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City of Willowick, OH
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Buena Park, CA

The City of Buena Park, CA, had a great outdoor bbq (California style - the weather was beautiful!) attended by many City employees from other departments. The City treated them to lunch, and showed off several pieces of equipment that used in everyday operations. Then the City gave out awards to their "Everyday Heroes"--plumbers, concrete workers, sewer and water workers, secretaries, et al--who, like their counterparts during the September 11 tragedy and thereafter, always give of their blood, sweat and tears to help with any rescue efforts and with making sure the living got back the services they needed as fast as was humanly possible. It was a wonderful day filled with fun, but most of all gratitude to those men and women whose service we often take for granted.

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Lodi, CA

The City of Lodi, CA, celebrated with their 13th Annual Public Works Week Breakfast. Their feast of pancakes, eggs, ham and sausage was on Wednesdy, May 22 held at the Municipal Service Center. The Public Works Managment staff along with one City Council member and the City Manger helped prepare, cook and serve the breakfast to not only current Public Works employees but also retirees. New Public Works hats were made up and distributed to those who attended the breakfast. After the breakfast they conducted equipment safety awareness tours for a local elementary school. The children were able to see some of the equipment in action and learn how to be safe around them.

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Marana, AZ

In honor of Public Works Week, the Town of Marana officially proclaimed it to be Public Works Week. All Public Works staff were presented with certificates of appreciation. Staff kicked off Public Works Week with a bbq lunch at the Public Works Yard.

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Southern Pines, NC

The town of Southern Pines, NC, gave out donuts and drinks to the Public Works employees and also gave them APWA caps.

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Mount Prospect, IL
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Tompkins County, NY

On May 20th, 2002, a grand opening and ribbon cutting ceremony was held for the 11,000 square foot addition to the Public Works facility to house Highway administration office space, Facilities administration office and shop space, and Public Works administration office space. The project, along with the 11,000 square foot addition also included the removal of an old, small office building and renovations to the existing Highway facility at a total cost of $2.3 million. The project started last July 4th and is now complete except for some exterior work and punch list items. The project was unique since the employees remained in the facility during the project which required immense tenacity and flexibility on their part - moving and noise became a part of daily life. Even though substantial completion was reached in February, 2002, the grand opening and ribbon cutting was postponed until May 20th so it could be celebrated during National Public Works Week. In addition to the formal event on May 20th, an informal family day was held on May 18th which allowed the employees who work in the facility to bring their family and friends in to see the new facility and where they work. This project allowed for the facility to be upgraded from "the highway barn" to a state-of-the-art, integrated Public Works facility.

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City of Billings, MT

The City of Billings, MT, held two Public Works Equipment Shows, one at Bitterroot Elementary School and one at McKinley Elementary School. There were two Equipment Naming Contests: Bitterroot Elementary School students named a street sweeper and McKinley Elementary School students named a garbage truck. Customized City of Billings Public Works coloring books and Crayons were distributed. Public Works Department employees received City of Billings key chains. The Mayor also signed a proclamation.

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Montgomery County, MD

The Montgomery County, MD, Department of Public Works and Transportation planned a series of activities to commemorate the week. These included: a photo contest, staging the grand opening of an ethanol fueling site to coincide with NPWW, proclaiming a day as DPWT employee appreciation day, holding equipment show-and-tell displays at 5 local elementary schools, and placing NPWW posters in 300 buses and 250 facilities.

http://www.co.mo.md.us/news/press/02-184.HTML

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Walla Walla, WA

To kick things off, the City of Walla Walla, WA, took a yearly PW photo of employees from a Boom Truck. A display was set up at a local mall May 17-19, 2002. This display offered information about storm drains, recycling, wastewater, traffic signals, a short questionnaire where an individual could win a gift certifcate to any store in the mall donated by Operations Management International, Inc. and a clown toss game for children. Local elementary third graders were invited to the Service Center on May 22 for a "Show and Tell" of equipment. The children enjoyed a parade of Public Works equipment, viewed the equipment "close up," listened to presentations on recycling, GIS and water meters. Following the presentations, prizes (donated by local businesses) were given for a coloring contest to the top six students from each school. Punch and cookies and a small bag with a PW Paws Comic Book, National Public Works Week button, pencil and ballons were given to each child. An Employee Recognition BBQ was held on May 23 with a PW Division contest. The winner of the Division contest gets to keep the mascot (A Purple People Eater metal statue) for the year and has to add something to the statue before the next year's BBQ. An Equipment Rodeo rounded out the BBQ's activities.

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Huntsville, TX

The City of Huntsville, TX, held an equipment road-e-o, including a dump truck obstacle course and backhoe operations contest. Part of the dump truck exercise was a pre-trip inspection test. Some employees cooked some brisket sandwiches and everyone enjoyed a day of fellowship with their fellow employees.

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Alice, TX

All the superintendents from the Public Works departments made lunch for the employees. They cooked, served and cleaned up after them. They were allowed a 1 1/2 hour lunch that day consisting of fresh brisket, sausage, beans, potatoe salad and three choices of dessert. The City Manager came out to help with the serving line and to tell the guys how much they are appreciated.

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City of Orange, CA

The City of Orange celebrated National Public Works Week on June 1st at the city's C.O.P.S. (Community Organizations and Public Services) Expo. Displays included equipment used in Maintenance, Traffic and Water operations, old and new traffic signal technology, stormwater education, sewer camera demonstration, current project maps and photos of employees at work. Educational materials were handed out on water quality, pollution prevention and recycling, and they gave out a lot of free gifts. Also, six Public Works employees with more than 30 years of service to the City of Orange attended the May 14th City Council meeting and accepted the NPWW Proclamation along with the Director.

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City of Oceanside, CA

On Thursday, May 23, 2002, the City of Oceanside held its 2nd annual Public Works Day Celebration. Although the event was primarily focused on elementary and middle school children, many adults enjoyed the exhibits after visiting the adjacent morning Farmer's Market. The event provided Public Works staff with the opportunity to showcase the wide variety of services provided to the public, as well as to meet individually with citizens and school children and answer questions one on one. A special treat for staff was the debut of the Public Works Department logo on event tee shirts and other items. Exhibits highlighted the many diverse aspects of Public Works, including traffic management, parks maintenance, engineering, fleet management, street maintenance, water and sewer, and recycling and water quality programs. A special exhibit was presented by young engineers from Jefferson Middle School, showcasing "Tamaqua" their city of the future, which won the first place prize in the regional division of the Future Cities competition, and secured them a place in the national finals. Water quality characters Fancy Fin the Fish and Phineas Frog mingled with the crowd and posed for photos. There were several interactive educational exhibits and for the second year, the most popular activity was organized by the street maintenance team. Children were given the opportunity to decorate a concrete brick with colored glass, seashells, and marbles, and take it home with them. In addition to City owned equipment, local equipment companies donated equipment to be on display, and many young imaginations were inspired sitting in the drivers seat! The day was a great success, and enjoyed by all, staff and visitors alike!

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Mason, OH

A luncheon was held in recognition of "National Public Works Week." The city manager, assistant city manager, and assistant to the city manager attended our luncheon to discuss concerns, problems, etc. Posters were hung up throughout the city to honor NPWW.

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Newport News, VA
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Province of Saskatchewan, Canada
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State of Maine
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State of Nevada
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Orangetown Highway Department

The South Eastern New York Branch hosted an Equipment Show with special honors to Bernard "Buddy" Sullivan, NYC Sanitation Department, for his efforts with the cleanup after the WTC tragedy.

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Glendale, CA

Public Works Week -- Public Works Hosts An Open House for the Community, "A Celebration of Public Works" – Over 350 Students Attended Last month, the Public Works Division hosted the third annual "A Celebration of Public Works" in observance of National Public Works Week, which was held across the United States, May 19-25, 2002. This year's theme was "Committed to Our Communities," and reflected the Division's motto, "Serving Our City with Pride." This celebration features the people involved in public works who are charged with maintaining and protecting Glendale's most valued assets and services. With each year, attendance continues to increase. Over 350 students, representing varous local schools, visited Parcher Plaza and were treated to hands-on displays and tours of the Municipal Services Building, one of the most architecturally unique structures in Los Angeles County. Students also participated in various educational activities coordinated by Division staff. The Mayor and other City officials welcomed community members and met with the young visitors. The students, many of whom, were not aware of the numerous projects and programs conducted by the Public Works Division, thoroughly enjoyed the many activities of the day's event, and learned about the positive impact of Glendale's public works activities. The week prior to the official Public Works Division's special events, several employees representing various Sections, attended a City Council meeting to receive a proclamation declaring the week of May 19-25, 2002 as National Public Works Week in the City of Glendale. The second event held in conjunction with National Public Works Week was the 13th Annual Pancake Breakfast, held on Thursday, May 23, 2002 in the wee hours of the morning to accommodate the schedules of our Public Works Divisional employees that being their day at the Division's Corporate Yard. This event is a special way of recognizing our public works heroes who work hard at maintaing and improving municipal infrastrucures despite fiscal challenges faced by every community, not only in Glendale. Dignitaries that were in attendance, as over 300 Divisional employees were being served breakfast, by Divisional senior managers, the Mayor and various Council members, along with City Manager, Jim Starbird. Once again, both events were supported by a number of local sponsors that donated gifts-in-kind, ranging from food to an assortment of raffle prizes. Their support was very important to the success of this special event. Both of these events are designated to promote a greater appreciation for the importance of public works in community life, to increase confidence in public works employees who are dedicated to improving the quality of life for present and future generations, and to engender the interest of young people to pursue careers in the public works field.

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Polk County, Florida

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Town of Richmond Hill, Ontario, Canada

http://www.lynnfoster.com/Pworks2002.htm

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Baltimore, MD

http://www.ci.baltimore.md.us/government/dpw/press/020517.html

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Washington County, OR

http://www.co.washington.or.us/../deptmts/lut/news/natpww02.htm

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Yolo County, CA

http://www.yolocounty.org/docs/press/ppwweek.htm

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Redwood City, CA

http://www.ci.redwood-city.ca.us/news/2002/pr_national_public_works.html

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Mississauga, Ontario, Canada

http://www.city.mississauga.on.ca/corpsvcs/communic/HTML/press/press2002/NationalPublicWorksWeek.htm

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Brampton, Ontario, Canada

http://www2.cdn-news.com/scripts/ccn-release.pl?/2002/05/13/0513065n.html

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Bowling Green, KY

http://www.bgky.org/npwweekphotos.htm

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State of North Dakota

http://www.health.state.nd.us/NDHD/press/n020516.htm

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Carson, CA

http://carson.csudh.edu/CityDepartments/citymgr/pio/02-032.htm

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Town of Shrewsbury, MA

Kid's Equipment Day. The Board of Selectman pronounced the week of our event as Public Works Week in Shrewsbury. On Saturday May 18th we held Kids Equipment Day with Highway, Parks, and Water Departments are participating. The day of our event we had pouring rain, so we held the event in our garages. The highway dept gave children rides in a sweeper and a sand truck. All trucks were on display. Water dept. had a display of hydrants and water pipes. Families also received handouts from local vendors of reflective stickers. We sold orange town of Shrewsbury t-shirts.

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Carlsbad, CA

The City of Carlsbad hosted a Public Works Fair on May 22, 2002. Vistors to the Fair had the opportunity to see and learn about the equipment used daily by Public Works through various vehicle demonstrations, table displays, games and hands-on activities. Public Works employees spoke with vistors, explained their jobs and responsibilities and were available to answer questions from the public.

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Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada

Winnipeg Selected as National Public Works Week Winner

Washington, DC - Winnipeg, Manitoba has been selected to receive the Canadian Public Works Association's (CPWA) National Public Works Week (NPWW) award for the outstanding work they did in promoting the field of public works during NPWW of this year.

"Committed to Our Communities," the NPWW 2002 theme was held May 19-26, 2001, and celebrated in Canada and the United States. Winnipeg's public works department demonstrated their commitment by hosting a city-wide event, in conjunction with the Department of Highways and the Heavy Equipment and Rental Association, where citizens where able to see an equipment roadeo, equipment displays, and aerial bucket truck rides. The public works department of Winnipeg also managed to collect 23,000 pounds of food and cash donations for a local food bank organization.

"Winnipeg hosted an extraordinary day of events. The goal of NPWW is to educate citizens about the value of public works in their community. With over 5000 people attending the Winnipeg events, it is clear that residents in Winnipeg truly appreciate the role of public works. Winnipeg certainly deserved the CPWA NPWW award," said Executive Director Peter B. King.

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City of Lakeland, FL

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