Tag Archives: Kent County Road Commision

Poster contest, street sweeper, bucket truck; some highlights from Wyoming Public Works Open House

3-bottom, Citizen Journalism, City of Wyoming, Kent County, West Michigan, , ,




Lillian Reiner

By Lillian Reiner
WKTV Contributor
greer@wktv.org

Wyoming street sweeper Carlos Ochoa was eager to share with the community about the 1,500 miles of streets he’s responsible for cleaning at the recent 15th Annual Public Works Open House last Monday.


Ochoa also talked about the valuables such as wallets and phones that he often picks up and returns to their owners. 



Carlos Ochoa speaking with guests about the street sweeper. (WKTV/Lillian Reiner)


Attendees could explore a street sweeper, hydro excavator, sewer cleaner, bucket truck, plow, sign truck, and motor grader just to name a few. Beyond learning about the vehicles, families could enjoy a free hot dog and play games, as well as interactive demonstrations about stormwater runoff,  maintaining sink and toilet pipes, and how to recycle old household products and gas that many do not know where to dispose. 

“This is a great community event for families and anybody really, that’s interested in what we do and the services that we provide as a city,” said Jay VanDyke, Assistant Director of Wyoming Public Works. “Out of this garage we do water, sewer, and street infrastructure maintenance, as well as managing traffic signals, including the engineering components of those kinds of things.” 

The Public Works Department is responsible for the construction, maintenance, and repairs of streets, sidewalks, waterlines, sewer systems, traffic signals and signs, and city vehicles and equipment. 

Work Zone Safety Poster Contest

Third graders from around Kent County received awards for the caution signs they designed at the Open House. In the 10th annual Work Zone Safety Poster Contest, students were tasked with creating a caution sign showcasing safety tips for motorists approaching a work zone, including no distractions, obeying flaggers and signs, and slow down/move over.



The third-grade semifinalists and finalists display their creations from the Work Zone Safety Poster Contest with Steve Roon (back left) and Jay VanDyke (back right). (WKTV/Lillian Reiner)


Steve Roon, Director of Maintenance and Local Road Construction at Kent County Road Commission, shared that this contest encourages students to think back to what they’ve learned about road safety and to be more aware of the signs when they’re driving through work zones that are full of them.The Wyoming Public Works Department has hosted the open house for 15 years, allowing community members the rare opportunity to explore and learn about the vehicles and people they see maintaining their roads and waterways everyday.

“You can look around and see hundreds of kids running around, really getting to see what we do many times for a brief second as we go by following snow or fixing a water main that’s broken in the front yard and causing a hardship,” Roon said. “They can see us maybe as community members, drivers, operators, and see what we do everyday,” 

Wyoming residents Holly and Ryder Waldenmeyer saw the signs for the open house while driving by and decided to stop in and learn more.


Holly and Ryder Waldenmeyer. (WKTV/Lillian Reiner)


“Ryder is super interested in water towers, roadwork, and construction vehicles, so this was a perfect learning opportunity for him, and we thought it would be really fun to explore and see all the vehicles,” Holly said. For Ryder, the highlight of the night was being able to go inside all of the equipment that he’s never been in before.”


The bucket truck that is often used for traffic signal maintenance. (WKTV/Lillian Reiner)


This year’s National Public Works Week ran from May 17-23, with the theme “Rooted in service, powered by community,” highlighting the important role that Public Works personnel play in their local communities.

Kentwood Department of Public Works and Kent County Road Commission to host community open house during National Public Works Week

3-bottom, City of Kentwood, West Michigan, ,
Last year’s open house. (Courtesy, City of Kentwood/Ingrid Campos)



By WKTV Staff

greer@wktv.org



The Kentwood Department of Public Works and Kent County Road Commission are inviting community members to take a behind-the-scenes look at how local public works departments serve residents during an open house Wednesday, May 22.

The open house takes place 4-7 p.m. at the Kentwood Department of Public Works, 5068 Breton Ave. SE. Community members of all ages can meet the Public Works team, learn more about the services it provides and explore vehicles and other equipment used by the department. The event is in recognition of National Public Works Week, which is May 19-25.

“The Kentwood Department of Public Works is dedicated to enhancing the quality of life, health, and safety of our community, whether that’s clearing roadways, beautifying green spaces or ensuring the reliability of public safety vehicles,” Public Works Director Chad Griffin said. “We welcome this opportunity to engage with our community members, provide information about our operations and showcase the tools we use to fulfill our mission.”



Last year’s open house. (Courtesy, City of Kentwood)



The event features giveaways, hands-on activities, live maintenance and repair demonstrations and more. Complimentary food and refreshments will be provided.

Additionally, semifinalists and finalists of the Work Zone Safety Poster competition will be recognized at 5:30 p.m. Sponsored by Kent County Road Commission and public works agencies throughout Kent County, the poster contest invited third-graders from across the county to design a caution sign focused on safety tips for driving through a work zone. A gallery of entries will be displayed during the event.



Last year’s open house. (Courtesy, City of Kentwood)



The Kent County Road Commission also will have team members and equipment on-site to share more about their role in the community.

“We look forward to this event every year. It provides a fun and interactive opportunity for the community to experience the collaboration among local agencies, meet our teams, see our equipment, and discuss the ways we work to keep Kent County moving,” said Kent County Road Commission Managing Director Jerry Byne.

The Kentwood Department of Public Works has five divisions that work together to maintain the City’s infrastructure, which includes more than 150 miles of pipes underground and more than 155 miles of streets above ground, as well as City parks and grounds, buildings and vehicles. The divisions are building maintenance, fleet services, grounds maintenance, streets maintenance and utilities (water and wastewater) services. To learn more about Kentwood DPW, visit kentwood.us/DPW.

Prior to the open house, Kentwood Mayor Stephen Kepley will provide a proclamation for National Public Works Week during the Tuesday, May 21 City Commission meeting.


Last year’s open house. (Courtesy, City of Kentwood)

Kentwood, Kent County host work zone safety poster contest for third graders

3-bottom, City of Kentwood, , ,

2017 Contest Winners: (top row, left to right) Faith Rogers, Appleview Elementary; Adeline Bender, Beach Elementary; (bottom row, left to right) Maria Huston, Saint Patrick Parnell; and Hritvi Mahajan, Orchard View Elementary

 

In support of National Work Zone Awareness Week (NWZAW) running April 9-13, the Kent County Road Commission and Kentwood Public Works Department invite third-grade students in Kent County to participate in the second-annual Work Zone Safety Poster Contest and help spread the message that Work Zone Safety Is Everybody’s Responsibility.

 

National Work Zone Awareness Week is an annual spring campaign held at the start of construction season. This year’s theme, “Work Zone Safety: Everybody’s Responsibility,” reminds drivers that we all play a role in maintaining safety during construction season. For motorists, this means using caution and care when driving through work zones.

 

For the poster contest, third-grade students are asked to design a “caution sign” that focuses on one of the following safety tips for driving through a work zone:

  • Avoid distractions. Dedicate your full attention to driving. Avoid using a phone or changing the radio station.
  • Pay attention to directions. Follow directions from work zone flaggers and pay attention to warnings posted on work zone signs.
  • Keep an eye out. Watch for construction workers and their equipment. Also, stay alert to the vehicles around you.

 

Students may use crayons, markers, colored pencils, pens and/or pencils to create their design. Posters (i.e. caution signs) will be judged on creativity, originality, and their ability to strongly convey a message.

 

Submission deadline is Friday, March 23: Educators will collect submissions from their students and submit the entries to the Kent County Road Commission, as directed.

 

Families may also participate directly. For more information, email us here: mlamoreaux@kentcountyroads.net

 

Three posters will be selected as winners and schools will be notified during National Work Zone Awareness Week, April 9-13, 2018.

  • Contest winners will receive a special prize and metal replica of their sign
  • Each student participant will receive a certificate of appreciation
  • All contest submissions will be exhibited at the 2018 National Public Works Week Family Event on May 16