Published by and for the Employees of the Detroit Water...

WATER POWER 1SUMMER 2007

Published by and for the Employees of the Detroit Water & Sewerage Department

VOL. 24, NO. 1 SUMMER 2007

Inside . . .

by Michael DaisyPublic Affairs

The Hurlbut Memorial Gatehas been the public face ofDWSD’s Waterworks Parksince 1894, when Detroit wasknown as the Paris of theMidwest and the park was apopular destination for touristsfrom around the world. Thememorial is expected to berestored to its original glory bythe end of September whenrestoration efforts currently inprogress are expected to becomplete.

Chauncy Hurlbut, thememorial’s namesake, was amember of the Board of WaterCommissioners (BOWC) from1861-63, and 1868-85. Heserved as BOWC president formost of his second term andpresided over the acquisitionof the park’s original 56 acres.The park, currently 110 acres,has been a continuous sourceof high-quality drinking waterfor Detroit since 1877.

On his death in 1885, Hurlbutbequeathed most of hisestimated $250,000 estate forbeautification and mainte-nance of the park.

The Memorial Gate actuallyserved as a grand entrance tothe park when it was open tothe public. It is classified asBeaux Arts, an architectural

Restoring DWSD’s past

Upper RougeTunnelProject


DWSD’s Upper RougeTunnel Project is receivinghonors for excellence evenbefore construction begins.The Department receivedtwo awards during the 26th

Annual Renaissance Awardspresentation in June in the“Community Relations” and“Direct Mail/Direct Re-sponse” categories.

The Renaissance Awardsrecognize best practices incommunication management,marketing, public relations,writing and art, and design.The Awards are sponsored bythe Detroit chapter of the14,000 member InternationalAssociation of BusinessCommunicators.

Construction is scheduled tobegin in 2008 on the $500million Upper Rouge TunnelProject and take six to sevenyears to complete. Theseven-mile-long tunnel willrun on a course roughlyparallel to the Rouge River.It will divert heavy stormflow away from the River tothe Wastewater TreatmentPlant. The Tunnel is ex-pected to reduce the numberof annual Combined SewerOverflow events to theRouge to one from 55.

picnics, is now locked forsecurity reasons. Two workingwater fountains in the shape oflions’ heads were, at one timesituated at either end of thestructure. Twin staircases leadto a second level 12 feet abovethe ground. A stone eagleproudly sits on top of thedome, which rests on columns.A bronze bust of ChauncyHurlbut sat on an Aberdeengranite pedestal beneath thedome until 1975, when it wasstolen by vandals.

Recognizing Veterans.......... 2

National Arts Pgm................. 4

Summertime.......................... 6

Service Award....................... 8

DWSD workers help one oftheir own........….................... 9

Angels without wings ........... 11

style popular in Victoriantimes. It measures 132-feetwide by 40-feet deep by 50-feet high, and cost $30,000 tobuild (equivalent to more than$650,000 today).

Sadly, the cast iron gate,through which park visitorsonce leisurely strolled on theirway to band concerts and

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airs Vintage image of

gate from DWSDarchives

A crew works on restoring the103 year-old Hurlbut Gate.

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2 WATER POWER SUMMER 2007

DWSD BOARD OF WATERCOMMISSIONERSMary E. Blackmon

PresidentMarilynn E. Gosling

Vice-PresidentJimmy L. Cooper

Kenneth R. DanielsHilliard L. HamptonCarla Walker-MillerWilliam G. Westrick

• • •Victor M. Mercado

Director

PRODUCTION STAFFS.R. Boland

Michael DaisyPaul Gomez

Barry JenningsLinda PhilsonMary Sevakis

Gregory Smith

WATER POWERis published

quarterly by thePublic Affairs DivisionWater Board Building

735 Randolph, Suite 1001Detroit, MI 48226-2830phone: (313) 964-9570

fax: (313) 964-9580

City of DetroitKwame M. Kilpatrick, Mayor

Detroit City CouncilKenneth V. Cockrel, Jr.

PresidentMonica Conyers

President Pro TemSheila M. Cockrel

Barbara-Rose CollinsBrenda Jones

Kwame KenyattaMartha Reeves

Alberta Tinsley-TalabiJoAnn Watson

City ClerkJanice M. Winfrey

Detroit Water & Sewerage Department

VOL. 24, NO. 1 SUMMER 2007

by Louise BannermanPublic Affairs

Once the smoke cleared afterthe final weigh out in March,there were 12 winners out ofthe 26 who weighed in for thespring 2007 edition of the 10-N-30 Club. The lucky 12were:

Louise Bannerman (WBB)Nancy Dorsey (WBB)D’Andre Ford (FE)David Hensley (WBB)

Marilyn King (WBB)Tracey Mack (JMB)Cheryl Ramcharan (WWTP)Rebecca Scruggs (FE)Dan Smigels (CSF)Tina Sumner (WBB)Jewell White (WBB)Michelle Wright-Bailey(WBB)

The 10-N-30 Club is a twice-yearly (spring and fall)tradition at DWSD. Entrantspay $10 into the pot to weighin. If they lose 10 or more

pounds by the time of theirfinal weigh-out 30 days later,they split the pot with theother winners. The size ofshares depends on the numberof winners. Winners hope totake out more than they putin.

There is a very real DWSDconnection to Iraq in theform of co-workers and thechildren of our co-workers.That’s why we thought itwould be a good idea torecognize the members ofour DWSD family who arehonorably serving (or haveserved) our country.

If you served (in DesertStorm or Iraqi Freedom),have family members whoserved, or know co-workerswho did, let us know aboutit. We will add the namesto a list of those being

recognized for servingtheir country. The list willbe published in a futureWater Power, hopefullythe fall 2007 edition.

We currently have a fewnames, but want to dosomething more complete.This is strictly non-political. We are honoringindividuals. We neednames, photo if available,branch of service, currentjob title (or familyconnection), and senioritydate – DWSD as well ascity if applicable.

Quotable“He whoangers youconquers you.”– Elizabeth Kenny

“Don’t lookwhere you fall,but where youslipped.”– African proverb

10-N-30 Club winners

Recognizing Veterans

The Black Lagoon is no more.In June, the infamous,polluted corner of the DetroitRiver in Trenton was renamedEllias Cove, for HowardEllias, whose family donatedthe land for the adjoiningMeyer-Ellias Park.

The cove’s former disparagingmoniker came from the colorof the oil released into the

River update

Detroit River there. For manyyears, it served as a convenientdumping ground for McLouthSteel, located just upstream.While the plant was closed in1995, a nine-foot-thick layercontaining approximately30,000 cubic yards of contami-nated sediment remained.

Sediment removal will cost anestimated $9.3 million.


by Betsy SprattPublic Affairs

The Audiovisual section of thePublic Affairs Divisionrecently received threeCommunicator Awards foroutstanding work in thecommunications field. Two ofthe three were Awards ofExcellence – forcinematography andinformation – for coverage ofthe Detroit International AutoShow. The third was an Awardof Distinction for the “Mayor’sTime” segment that aired onDWSD’s “Division Spotlight”on Detroit Cable TV channel10.

The 2006 ceremony was the13th annual presentation of theAwards. It was the fourth yearthat DWSD has participated inthe event, and marked the first

time DWSD has garnered theevent’s top honor, the Awardof Excellence.

The Communicator Awards is

an international competitionthat recognizes outstandingwork in the communicationsfields for audio, video, andprint media. The Award ofExcellence is presented toprofessionals who are the bestin their field. The Award ofDistinction recognizes projectsthat exceed industry standards.Honorable Mentions are givento entrants who meet the highstandards of the industry.

As winners of theCommunicator Awards, theAudiovisual section joins anexclusive list of videoprofessionals recognized as thebest in the industry.

Audiovisual section wins top award

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by Suzanne StapletonCommercial Operations

Carolyn Barnett, CustomerService Representative I ofDWSD’s Customer PhoneCenter, earned a Masters ofBusiness Administration andEntrepreneurial ManagementDegree from DavenportUniversity in December. She ispictured with Leslie Gaffney,Customer Service Representa-tive I, who also graduated inDecember with a Masters

Degree in Strategic Manage-ment.

The two new graduatesinvited their coworkers to abelated celebration of theirachievement because, “theirsupport was instrumental inhelping us reach this goal,”said Barnett. Singled out forspecial mention were fellowCustomer Service Represen-tatives Alicia Smith,Michelle Walker, AnnetteKeith, Tina Regan, PatriciaBowerman-Jackson, andAnnie Kuykendall.

Neither Barnett, nor Gaffneyplan to use this noteworthyaccomplishment as an excuseto rest on their laurels,especially Barnett. Carolyncontinues to be deeplycommitted to her work atGreater Apostolic FaithTemple in Detroit, where shehas been appointed to theboard of Directors. Barnett alsoserves on the Executive Boardof Ministerial Alliance withthe title of “Evangelist.”


Janet Romeo, Customer Service Representative II, is flanked bysome of her co-workers on June 1, her last day on the job inDWSD’s Customer Service section. Left-to-right: AnnieKuykendall, Carolyn Barnett, Janet Romeo, Anjanette Myers,and Leslie Gaffney. Friends and coworkers gathered to saygoodbye and celebrate Romeo’s 19 years of faithful servicewith a lot of laughter and a few tears. Jan is looking forward tospending a lot of her newfound leisure time with her family,which includes four sons and eight grandchildren!

New masters at DWSD

MBA gratuates Carolyn Barnett& Leslie Gaffney (R)

She’s out of here!

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Shaunte’ Brown took a bite outof the Big Apple in May whenthe “Achiever Ladies En-semble” performed at CarnegieHall in New York City. TheEnsemble is a choral groupmade up of students from theDetroit School of Arts HighSchool (DSA) where she is aJunior.

Shaunte’ (who is shownisolated from the other mem-bers of her Ensemble) was partof the group shot above, whichwas captured outside CarnegieHall on the day of the perfor-mance.

Her mother, DeborahPalmer, is a Senior DataProcessing Telecommuni-cation Technician in theInformation SystemsNetwork Group atWastewater. Palmer, a 20-year DWSD veteran, isjustifiably proud of herdaughter’s achievement.

Brown and the rest of theEnsemble performed aninspiring rendition ofStephen Paulus’ “Songs ofMeditation” with the NewEngland SymphonicEnsemble. “Songs ofMeditation” is a spiritualsuite comprised of sixsections, or songs, based

Big Apple performance


This year marked the thirdannual collaboration of theNational Arts Program (NAP)and the Detroit RecreationDepartment to give cityemployees and their familiesthe opportunity to displaytheir art and compete forprizes. The NAP was created in1983 to give aspiring artists avenue to display their worksprofessionally.

Prize winners were honored atan awards banquet at theScarab Club in late April. Theworks (more than 50 of them)were then displayed at theSkillman Branch of the DetroitPublic Library throughoutMay.

Entries by DWSD employeesand family members includedan Honorable Mention toKenneth Keith II for twodrawings entered in theAmateur Youth division.Kenneth, 11, is a sixth graderat University PreparatoryAcademy. His proud mother is

Commercial Division’sTammy Keith.

Account Management’sBeverly Welch is anotherproud mom. Her daughter –Jesse-Cathline Nichols, whobegins her senior year at CassTechnical High School this fall– won First Place in the YouthDivision and $100 for herdrawing “Padua.” She plans tostudy fashion design in NewYork. Her painting, “AWoman’s Delight,” wasfeatured at the 70th AnnualDetroit Public Schools StudentExhibition at The DetroitInstitute of Arts earlier thisyear.

Welch had an entry of herown, “St. Thomas,” a photo-graphic image of the islandtaken during a Caribbeancruise in 2005.

Kay Francis Moore, ofCommercial Division’sCollection’s Unit, wonSecond Place and $200 in theProfessional Artists categoryfor her photograph, “Givemyin April.” She spent 10 yearsat the Detroit Institute of Artsbefore coming to DWSD.Moore earned her Bachelor’sin Fine Arts from Wayne Statein 1986, and is disciplined indrawing, painting, sculptureand photography. Several of

her works have won prizes inlocal exhibitions.

Maria Hensley’s “ElCorazon” and AndresHensley’s “Totem Pole Guy”were also featured. Maria andAndres are the wife and son ofDavid Hensley, PlantMaintenance Subforman atthe Water Board Building.

Third Annual Detroit National Arts Program

Prize-winning entry -“Padua.”

on poems written bywomen who livedfrom the 11th through14th centuries, andembracing aspectrum of culturaldiversity: Indian,German, andJapanese.

“This was a greatexperience for theseyoung ladies. It’s notoften that you hearthe good things ourstudents are doing inthe Detroit PublicSchool System. So,this proud momwanted to share thisfantastic news,” saidPalmer.

Photo courtesy of Deborah Palmer

Jesse-Cathline Nichols-artist

Beverly Welch-proud mom



DWSD’s Connor CreekCombined Sewer Overflow(CSO) Control Facilityreceived the 2007 Honor-able Conceptor Award forEngineering duringceremonies in February in

Mt. Pleasant. The award ispresented annually by theAmerican Council ofEngineering Companies ofMichigan and the MichiganSociety of ProfessionalEngineers. It is the highesthonor in the organizations’Engineering and SurveyingExcellence Awards pro-gram.

Connor Creek is honored for excellence

given a surprise showerorganized by a small group ofconspirators led by BethanyBatie, Stephanie Hogue,Sylvia Mosby, and KnyieshaCarroll. There was muchlaughter, a few tears, andseveral gifts, both naughty andnice.

Life is, indeed, good.

* from “At Last” – by Harry Warrenand Mack Gordon

DWSD’s Mirza Rabbaig and Terry Moore (2nd and 3rd fromleft) are flanked by Khamis Al-Omari (far left), Curt Courterand Charlie Hocking (far right) of Hazen and Sawyer.

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Doris E. Butler – CustomerService Representative II,Commercial Operations –was singled out by one of theDepartment’s retail customersfor helping her to obtain a finalmeter reading. Butler went outof her way to get thecustomer’s information duringher lunch break, and waspraised for her communicationskills, dedication, and ability toget “the job completed in areasonable amount of time.”

Louise Bannerman – OfficeAssistant III, Public Affairs –helped straighten out a billingconcern for a Detroithomeowner mistakenlycharged for 207 units of water.Bannerman brought the issueto the attention of DWSD’sField Investigation unit, whichresulted in a credit of nearly$1,000.

Lynnette Boyle of the SterlingGroup was glad she contactednew Assistant DirectorTerrence D. King earlier thisyear after the DetroitDowntown DevelopmentAuthority contracted Sterling toresolve some maintenanceissues on four buildings inHarmonie Park. King, who wasSuperintendent of WaterSystems Maintenance andConstruction at the time“…responded promptly,professionally and followedthrough on solving our (water-related) problems…”

Gwendolyn Card –Commercial OperationsSpecialist I, CommercialOperations – helped acustomer straighten out abilling problem that resulted ina refund of $29,149.56.Lovette M. Jackson, PastoralAssistant/Office Manager forSt. Elizabeth R.C. Church onEast Canfield in Detroit saidthe assistance she receivedfrom Card “made this verylong process very pleasant”and called her “a wonderfulasset to the … WaterDepartment.”


Michaela Cleckley – Cus-tomer Service RepresentativeIII, Commercial Operations –can’t believe how much herlife has turned around. All herenergies had turned inward,focusing on church, her sonsand grandchildren since heracceptance of the widowhoodimposed on her by the illnessthat claimed her husband’s lifein 2003.

Then came that fateful day lastNovember at Eastland Mallwhen she caught the eye ofDannell Williamson. The

attraction was immediate.There was conversation andphone numbers were ex-changed. They learned theyhad much in common,especially a strong faith, loveof sports and music of alltypes. Suddenly, life wasimitating art from a song byEtta James, “My lonely daysare over, and life is like asong.” *

Their whirlwind courtship wasfollowed by a quiet exchangeof nuptials on March 5.

Michaela’s co-workers weredelighted by the news. Whenshe returned to work she was

Life is good

The state-of-the-art ConnorCreek facility becameoperational in 2005, and isone of Michigan’s largestCSO treatment facilities. Itcan treat up to 2.2 billiongallons of overflow, andeliminated three outfalls tothe Detroit River.

A unique feature of thisaward-winning location isthe 76,000 square-foot fishhabitat constructed innearby Maheras GentryPark, a 52-acre publicspace abutting the groundsof the treatment facility.The habitat has addedimmeasurably to the park’srecreational utility.

DWSD received theEnvironmental Manage-ment Association’sEnvironmental Achieve-ment Award in 2003 inrecognition of its efforts tominimize the impact ofdredging operations on theDetroit River duringconstruction.


Water Safety Tips

More than 4,000 people of allages (mostly children)annually lose their lives indrowning accidents in theUnited States. Most of thesetragedies are preventable. Thefollowing tips will help youand your children safely enjoyyour summer:

· Never leave a child alonenear water: a bathtub, thepool, or at the beach. It onlytakes seconds for a tragedy tooccur.· Learn to swim, and swimwell. Enroll children over agethree in swimming lessons.Don’t forget about olderchildren. They tend tooverestimate their swimmingskills, or underestimate thedepth or speed of water.· Know how to perform CPR.If your child is 13-19, makesure he or she knows as well.· When boating, make sureevery passenger is wearing aU.S. Coast Guard-approvedflotation device. Store someextra gear aboard in awatertight container thatfloats: flashlight, extrabatteries, matches, a map ofwhere you are, flares, sun-block, first-aid kit, and extrasunglasses.

Sources:About dot comAmerican Academy of PediatricsAmerican Red CrossArizona Department of HealthServicesLoyola University Health SystemMayo ClinicNational Safety CouncilUniversity of Missouri Extension

Hot Weather Pet SafetyDon’t forget about the welfareof the four-legged members ofyour family. “The MichiganHumane Society (MHS)reminds pet guardians to keeptheir animals’ comfort andsafety in mind this summer.As always, MHS recommendsthat pets live indoors withtheir owners. However, ifanimals are left outside forany length of time, it’s criticalthat they have access to shadeand fresh, cool water. Whenthe weather is especially hotand humid, animals shouldbe brought inside,” saidNancy Gunnigle, MHScommunications manager.

The following tips will helppet owners who keep animalsoutdoors safeguard their pets’health in summer, especiallyin extremely hot and/orhumid weather:

· Outside pets need plenty ofwater and ample shade/shelter. Animals exposed toextreme temperatures thatexperience rapid panting andlethargy may be suffering heatexhaustion. Symptoms caninclude restlessness, excessivethirst, dark tongue, rapidheartbeat, vomiting, or lack ofcoordination. If you noticesuch symptoms, immerse himin cold water, or pour coldwater over him, and contactyour veterinarianimmediately.· Avoid exercise or vigorousactivity with your pet duringthe heat of the day. If ananimal’s body temperaturegets too high, irreparablebrain damage or death canoccur in a short amount oftime. Limit shared activitieslike jogging or long walks toearly morning or evening

hours. Be sure to provideplenty of cool water before,during, and after exercise.· Avoid hot concrete orasphalt surfaces. These candamage or cause discomfort toan animal’s paw pads.· Do not leave animals inparked cars. Even on arelatively mild 85-degree dayin the shade with the windowscracked, temperature inside acar will reach 120-degrees inminutes. Your dog’s or cat’sbody can only tolerate the heata short time before it becomesa life or death situation.· Your animal’s coat providesprotection from both cold andheat, and helps preventsunburn. After consulting yourveterinarian, you may want toconsider shaving the fur ofthick-coated dogs and catsdown to one-inch to preventdiscomfort in hot weather.Some breeds like SiberianHuskies should never beshaved.· When camping, hiking or atthe beach, a nontoxic sun-block containing zinc oxide asan active ingredient can beapplied to areas susceptible tosunburn, such as light-colorednoses, belly, or tips of the ears.

For more information, visitwww.michiganhumane.org, orcontact Stephanie Baron at(248) 799-7479.

Source: Michigan Humane Society

Healthservices inMichigan

Michigan Go Local is aproject launched inJanuary 2007. Their Website provides a comprehen-sive listing of healthservices available inMichigan broken down bycounty and city. The wholehealth-care enchilada inone place.

The project is a componentof a larger initiative called“MedlinePlus Go Local”created by the NationalLibrary of Medicine andNational Institutes ofHealth to help peoplelocate health servicesavailable in their localcommunities.

The site doesn’t quitecover the range of avail-able services from A-to-Zbecause there’s nothingcurrently listed for “Z”.What is covered for WayneCounty is A (AbdominalPain) to Y (Yoga Programs)with hundreds of listings inbetween includingAlzheimer’s Disease,Asthma in Children, DanceTherapy, Faith-basedPrograms, Poison Control,Thoracic Surgeons, andmuch, much more. You caneven find listings forhealth care servicesavailable in other states.

Visit http://migolocal.blogspot.com/.Click the “Michigan GoLocal” link, then “Servicesby Location”. For localservices for any one ofMichigan’s 83 counties,locate the county on themap of Michigan and clickon it. It’s easier than itsounds. Check it out.

It’s Summertime, Summertime, Sum-Sum-Summertime…


A cure forAlzheimer’sdisease?

Get ready to be inundated byads about aspirin as a wonderdrug that wards offAlzheimer’s disease. Recentstudies conducted by TheEuropean Journal of ClinicalPharmacology (EJCP) claimthat people who take a low,daily “dose of aspirin forseveral years reduce their riskof developing Alzheimer’s by13 percent.”

Alzheimer’s disease is causedby inflammation that disruptsproteins in the brain. Re-searchers believe aspirin andpossibly other nonsteroidal,anti-inflammatory drugs suchas ibuprofen or Advil candisrupt the process.

Aspirin is recognized as ablood-thinning agent that

makes it harder for blood clotsthat can cause heart attacksand strokes to form.

There has been some corrobo-ration of the EJCP study fromresearchers who studiednonsteroidal drug usage bymore than 3,000 people inUtah either developing ordiagnosed with full-blowndementia. On the other hand,findings were questioned byanother study of 6,000 olderwomen who took regulardoses of 100 milligrams ofaspirin. Researchers claimcognitive skills of thosewomen were no better thanparticipants given a placebo.

And the debate goes on. Staytuned.

Aspirin has other known sideeffects. It can cause stomachbleeding and ulcers. That’swhy you should consult your

in sensitivity to their surround-ings seems to have made themsmarter,” said Dr. James Bibb,assistant professor of psychia-try at the University of TexasSouthwestern Medical Center,who headed the study.

“It’s pretty rare when you canmake an animal smarter,” hesaid.

Not only smarter but, better attasks based on associatedlearning. “(That is) the mostimportant kind of learning inthe animal kingdom. It’s howwe know where our car is andthat is our wife or our husbandand that’s our kids. It’s howwe connect things,” he said.

Sources: CNN, The New YorkTimes, Cynthia D. Mulrow, MD.

doctor before undertaking anyAspirin regimen.

Turning off theAlzheimer’s geneThere’s more potentially goodbrain news thanks to anunrelated study published inthe journal Nature Neuro-science. Scientists successfullyswitched off a gene associatedwith Alzheimer’s disease inmice bred in the lab giving riseto the likelihood for new drugsand treatments that will controla disease that robs people oftheir sense of self.

The gene, Cdk5, is linked toAlzheimer’s and other diseasesdistinguished by a die-off ofneurons in the brain.

The mice with the turned-offgene appear to be smarter.“Everything is more meaning-ful to these mice. The increase

by Greg SmithPublic Affairs

You probably can’t start anargument by walking into acrowded bar and announcingthat lead is harmful forchildren and other livingthings. Most people willlikely agree with you or, wantto know exactly what pointyou’re trying to make.

Lead is especially harmful tochildren. Lead poisoning cancause a long list of problemsincluding mental retardation,impaired educational perfor-mance, as well as impairednerve and muscular develop-ment, and the list goes on. Forexample, did you know thatlead poisoning at an early agecan lead to osteoporosis inlater life?

Lead is a big concern inDetroit because of the number

of homes built when lead inpaint and plumbing fixtureswas commonplace.

RenovationsAre you considering upgrad-ing your home by takingadvantage of one of thosedeals where you get onewindow free for everyhowever many windows you

buy? If you live in an olderhome (or have tenants livingin an older home you own)with lead based paint, becareful. If proper precautionsaren’t followed when the oldwindows are removed, you canend up with lead-based dustdistributed throughout thehome. Avoid consequences

down the road by making surethe job is done right.

For more information aboutlead and lead poisoning, visitthe National Safety Council(www.nsc.org), the U.S.Environmental ProtectionAgency (www.epa.gov/lead/,also click the link for “Addi-tional Resources”), theConsumer Product SafetyCommission (www.cpsc.org),or the U.S. Department ofHousing and Urban Develop-ment (www.hud.gov).

For more information specifi-cally about HUD technicalguidelines for evaluation andcontrol of lead-based painthazards in housing, visit thefollowing link: http://www.hud.gov/offices/lead/guidelines/hudguidelines/index.cfm.

Lead awareness

Your Health

Gire el folleto para la traducción

en Español.

Protect Your Family From

Lead In Your Home

and

Keep It Clean:An Insider’s Guide To

Lead-Safe Painting And Home

Improvement

EPA’s


Not pictured:Terry G. Valentine, HeadWater Plant Operator (25years); Patricia A.Thompson, CustomerService Representative III(25 years); Ricky Dew, PlantMaintenance Foreman (25years); and Thycodathu

Shajahan, Water TreatmentPlant Operator (30 years).Not present were RalphMcCarty, Field OperationsSupervisor (30 years);Michael Lewis, AssistantChief of Water and SewerageSecurity Administration (25years); Daniel G. Levi Sr.,Industrial WastewaterSystems Investigator (25years); Walter Lockhart, PlantMaintenance Mechanic (25years); Jarvis Ray Nelson,Wastewater ProcessController (25 years); andJohn M. Thomas, DraftTechnician III (25 years).

Service Award Recipients

by Eva M. HawkinsSecurity

Out of curiosity severalyears ago, this writerattended DWSD’sRetirement Party.That’s what it wascalled back then, and itwas held at Cobo Hall.The event has beenrenamed the “AnnualParty” and this year’sedition lived up to thename. It was a Par-Tay!

This year’s party wasthe second in thiswriter’s 27 years as an em-ployee of the Water Depart-ment. This one was held at TheRoostertail, and you betterbelieve it was good.

The room was decoratedmagnificently. The food wasdelicious and served buffetstyle. You could even go backfor seconds. And did wemention the dessert table?

For $25, ticket-holdersreceived a meal, two drinks, allthe soda, juice, and coffee youcould drink, and entertain-ment. There were lots of raffleprizes and, each attendee

received a souvenir bagcontaining two coffee mugs.

The 36 retirees who attendedwere honored and then every-

one was up on the dance floor.The men and women weredressed to the nines (do theystill say that?).

Kudos to the committeeresponsible for bringing thisevent together (coordinatorsMarilyn Smith, Linda Philson,and Tara Danforth-Brown).Ladies, you did a wonderfuljob. Everything was posh frombeginning to end.

And let’s not forget thevolunteers without whomthere would have been noparty: Michael Andrews,Louise Bannerman, HarryBullard, Rick Dew, LynwoodElmore, Paul Gomez, AquandaGreen, Loraine Griffin, BenitaHamilton, Alma Harris, Barry

Annual party a hit

Service honorees featured inthis group shot (L-R) areRichard Nowak, Auto RepairForeman (25 years); Ernest C.Alix, Water Treatment PlantManager (30 years); OdiaHunter, Auto Repair Foreman(25 years); Harold W. Collins,Head Sewage Plant Operator(30 years) and Terrance MooreSr., Assistant Head Sewage

Plant Operator (25 years); .Not shown: Richard A. Bova,Stores Operations Supervisor(30 years); Phillip M. Olson,Engineering Support SpecialistII (30 years); Andrew Whidby,Head Sewage Plant Operator(25 years); Munshi R.Galhotra, Engineer of WaterSystems (25 years).

May 2007April 2007

Recognized forservice ChesterL. Adams,PrincipalGovernmentalAnalyst (25years);

Jennings, Jacqui Jennings,Felicia Johnson, RodneyJohnson, Tashia Kelly, AngelMason, Cora Riley, CarolRizzo, Chequita Scott,LaTanya Smith, DanniStillwell, and Andrew Whidby.

In closing, Security was on thejob and looking smart. Yourreporter can be forgiven fordisplaying a tiny bit of biastowards her coworkers, can’tshe?

If you have never been to theWater Department’s AnnualParty, you’re missing awonderful evening of safe,enjoyable, entertainment.


by William WareOPMA

When it comes to helping outone of their own, it’s hard tobeat DWSD employees forgenerosity. They certainlycame through for DebraWestbrook, an AdministrativeSpecialist I in DWSD’s Officeof Program ManagementAssistance, or OPMA. Debraand her family suddenly foundthemselves out of house andhome in April because of adevastating fire.

Fortunately, the house wasempty when the fire occurred.Still, all of Westbrook’sbelongings, in particularclothing, was either burned ordamaged by soot, and she waspretty much left with what shehad on her back.

Debra’s co-workers pulledtogether contributions totalingmore than $1,000 in addition

Even though the fire onlydestroyed things that can bereplaced, the loss of her homewas heartbreaking because itwas newly purchased in 2004after many long years of

renting. Debra is currentlyliving in temporary housingwhile she searches forsomething appropriate andmore permanent, either ahouse or apartment in Detroit.She hopes to find somethingclose to Children’s Hospitalwhere Marvin – who hasCerebral Palsy, a neurologicaldisorder that usually presentsin early childhood or infancy– receives treatment for hisspecial needs.

Debra has spent most of her28 years with the City ofDetroit at Water. Beforecoming to OPMA in 1996,she spent time with Contractsand Grants, Industrial WasteControl, and Commercial. Shealso spent two years at DetroitCity Council where she was asecretary for Council MemberNicholas Hood.

to other needed items, includ-ing 25 dresses and 15 shirts forher son, Marvin, 20. She was“overwhelmed by the generos-ity of DWSD, and considers it ablessing.”

DWSD workers help one of their own

In Loving MemoryIn Loving MemoryIn Loving MemoryIn Loving MemoryIn Loving MemoryLaHoma SparkmanMarch 28, 1939 – February 20, 2007 May 23, 1943 – March 30, 2007

Mr. Cruz is a formerDWSD employee whoworked for thedepartment for about10 years. Informationis incomplete, but wehave been advisedthat he may havebeen assigned to theWastewater TreatmentPlant as part ofEngineering. Mr. Cruzwas separated fromthe department as aresult of a disabilityretirement. He issurvived by his wife,Flordeliza Cruz.

Anyone who knows anydetails about Mr. Cruz’DWSD career is urgedto contact Water Powereditor Mike Daisy at964-9493 [email protected] for thepurpose of doing aproper memorial of ourco-worker.

Romeo Cleofas Cruz

Debra Westbrook, an Administrative Specialist I

There is perfect joy and beautyIn this everlasting light.(from memorial)You could always depend onLaHoma Sparkman to bringhomemade chicken and dumplingswith her to the annual SecurityChristmas Dinner. Althoughretirement separated her from herformer co-workers, she was alwaysthere for the annual dinner.Members of Security wereprivileged to have Ms. Sparkman

with them at dinner lastDecember. It wasdisappointing to hear thatshe wasn’t feeling well,but we didn’t think muchabout it since she washer usual upbeat self thatday. So, it was bothsurprising and sad whenwe learned that she hadpassed in February.She will be missed.Ms. Sparkman worked asa Service Guard. Shewas assigned to theCentral Services Facilityat the time of herretirement.Ms. Sparkman waspreceded in death by herhusband. She is survivedby two children, agrandchild, and, ofcourse, members of herDWSD Security family.



The silver spoons pictured here are from the col-lection of Cathy Daisy, who began collectingDetroit memorabilia about a year ago. Her collec-tion includes depictions of many locations that,sadly, no longer exist, like the old city hall inCampus Martius, and the stately old post officebuilding.

All of Daisy’s Waterworks Park spoons, as well,focus on lost treasures like old Pumping StationNo. 1, and the 185-foot tall standpipe, once theworld’s second tallest man-made structure. Still,collectables focusing on the Department’s oldestlocation serve as proof the park was once not onlyopen to the public, but a popular tourist attrac-tion, as well.

The “souvenir spoon craze” in the U.S. beganaround 1890 and lasted for around 30 years. Thedecade of the 1890s is recognized as the goldenage of spoon collecting because more patenteddesigns were issued in that one decade than thecombined total issued before or since.

Like many American hobbies of the Victorian era,spoon collecting was British inspired. The Brit-ish version dates from around the time of the Crys-tal Palace Exhibition in London in 1851. Mar-keters created then willingly fed the demand forsouvenir spoons that travelers purchased as me-mentos of their visits to noteworthy destinations.

Two American silversmiths – M.W. Galt of Wash-ington, DC, and Seth F. Low of Salem, MA – arecredited with transplanting the European “fad”to the U.S.

Of course, the real question remains unanswered.Who first thought that fancy flatware would be agood way to memorialize a visit to a tourist at-traction?

Source: Antiques and Art Around Florida

When Water Works Park was in its glory


by Eva HawkinsSecurity

Angels and heroes aren’talways easy to recognize, butsome of them work forDWSD. Just ask ValerieWilks, who works for ABMJanitorial Services at theCentral Services Facility.Never mind, let her tell youwhat happened in thelunchroom in April:

“I wasn’t feeling well, so Itook some medication. I put apill in my mouth, but it gotstuck in my throat. I tried topush it down with my finger,with no luck. I started losingmy breath. Tony Virgona(Electrician) was nearby andsaw my distress. He tried tohelp me by hitting me on theback several times, but stillthe pill stayed stuck.

“About this time JohnnyBarney (Water SystemsRepair Worker) came intothe room. I was unable to talkso I gestured with my hands.Tears were running down myface and I was losing it. That’swhen Johnny hit my back, buthe was also unsuccessful. My

eyes beganrolling back inmy head whenJohnny put hisarms aroundme andperformed theHeimlichmaneuver. Hesqueezed sohard he liftedme off thefloor. The pillpopped out.

“It took me afew minutes before I couldbreathe normally, but when Iwas able I couldn’t thankthem both enough. If theyhadn’t been there I mighthave died.

“I would like to thank JohnnyBarney and Tony Virgona for

saving my life. They are myheroes. God always has anangel around!”

Barney said he was on hisway to the vending machinesto get a juice to go with hislunch when he saw Virgonaand Wilks. She was coughingand crying. “Her eyes hadrolled back in her head. Iknew something wasseriously wrong,” he said, “SoI performed the Heimlichprocedure I had seenperformed on television.

“It was several minutes beforeshe could breathe normallyand talk but,” he said, “whenshe did she kept calling Tonyand me her heroes and thatGod had sent her angels.”

Angels without wings

Not long ago, Chuck JacksonIII received a wonderful giftsimilar to the one given toGeorge Bailey in the 1946holiday classic It’s a Wonder-ful Life. Like George, Jacksonwas given the opportunity tosee how his life affects others.

Jackson, a General AutoMechanic assigned to DWSD’sWest Yard garage, met PrestonRobinson, 13, at “Meet YourMatch,” an event sponsored byChildren’s Hospital, and theAmerican Red Cross at theCharles H. Wright Museum ofAfrican American History inFebruary.

Preston has Sickle CellAnemia, a debilitating diseasethat affects one of every 12African Americans, as well aspeople of Mediterranean andMiddle Eastern descent.Jackson is one of Preston’sregular donors.

Jackson, who began givingblood in the 1970s, about thetime he came to DWSD,donates four or five times ayear. “I love giving,” he said,“I think I’m on my fourth orfifth gallon of blood.”

Sickle Cell Anemia is sonamed because of the shape ofthe red blood cells thatdistribute oxygen in the body.

Normal red blood cells areround and move freely. Sicklecells are banana or crescentshaped. They tend to get stuck,restricting blood flow andoxygen to extremities andorgans. The reduced flow cancause severe pain, organdamage, anemia, and, in severecases, stroke. Roughly twomillion Americans have thedisease.

Once bedridden and plaguedby migraine headaches, Preston

has become “a normal child”since he began receivingmonthly transfusions aboutthree years ago, according tohis mother, Melisa Robinson.

Jackson, who has beeninvolved in department blooddrives for years, said, “I loveknowing that out of one pintof blood, which is about 20minutes to give, you can savefour lives.”

A wonderful gift

Qualified blood donors mustbe in general good health,weigh at least 110 pounds, andat least 17 years of age. Formore information, call 1-800-GIVE-LIFE or visitwww.givelife.org.

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Johnny Barney, Valerie Wilks, and TonyVirgona share a bond.

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Bitz ‘n’ Pieces

Off into the Wild Blue YonderChaneita Wilson graduated fromCrockett Vocational School in June.Chaneita’s parents are AnnetteWilson-Stoudemire of DWSDSecurity, and Lamar Stoudemire,Water Systems Repairman.Chaneita’s graduation included acertificate for Pharmacy Technician.She is currently waiting for herdeparture date for enlistment in the U.S.Air Force.

photo courtesy of AnnetteWilson-Stoudemire

photo courtesy of Patricia-Moy Jennings

photo courtesy ofDarlene King

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ElectedFelicia Johnson –Messenger, DocumentManagement – was electedTrustee for AFSCME Local2920 in March. The two-yearterm ends in 2009. The 12-year DWSD veteran (1990City of Detroit seniority) hasbeen an active union memberfor the last 10 years, part ofwhich she served as a chiefsteward involved in unionorganizing training. Johnson isa graduate of the College ofUrban, Labor and MetropolitanAffairs at Wayne StateUniversity, also known as“The Labor School.” Sherecently took part in a year-long program of anti-racistand diversity trainingsponsored by the ArabCommunity Center forEconomic and Social Services(ACCESS).

By the way, Felicia’sdaughter, India Johnson, is amember of “Switch Play TV,”a local comedy troupe.

photo by Paul Gomez,Public Affairs

Honored for AcademicExcellenceJetaun C. Coleman – CustomerService Supervisor, CommercialOperations, was presented with the“Dean’s Award for DistinguishedAcademic Performance” from theUniversity of Detroit Mercy in March.Coleman, a Junior, is working on herBachelors Degree with a double majorin Arts & Science and Sociology.

SelectedAndreia Johnson – OfficeManagement Assistant, WaterSupply Operations Group – wasselected in May for membership tothe Alpha Sigma Lambda NationalHonor Society at Wayne StateUniversity’s College of LiberalArts, and Sciences. The Society isnationally recognized as a groupof students beyond traditionalcollege age who have excelled incontinuing education programsthrough scholarship andleadership. “…Andreia hasexemplified the kind of employee-student-citizen of whom we can beproud,” said Marsha Richmond –Acting Chair of the Department ofInterdisciplinary Studies at theCollege of Liberal Arts, andSciences.

And the winner isJeanette Fitts – Senior VoucherAudit Clerk, Accounts Payable– won a new DVD player at thevendor fair at the Water BoardBuilding in June. Jeanette’s namewas selected from those whoentered the drawing sponsored byLyons Financial Group, a financialadvisor. Fitts has worked for theCity of Detroit, most of it withWater. Before coming to DWSD inthe ‘80s, she worked for theFinance, Assessors and PublicWorks Departments.

With HonorsDarlene King – Office Assistant II,Office of Program ManagementAssistance – accumulated a 3.84grade point average to graduate summacum laude with an Associate’s Degreefrom Wayne County Community Collegein June. She decided to return to schoolin 2001 to enhance her promotionprospects, and chose criminal justicebecause of the opportunity it affordedfor her to work with young people. The10-year DWSD veteran said the hardest

part of her return to academia was working every day andattending classes at night. She plans to attend Wayne State in thefall to begin earning a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Criminal Justice.Prior to coming to OPMA in 2006, King worked at the Operationslab at the Wastewater Treatment Plant.

Graduate and MotherNicole J. Brown – daughter of PatriciaMoy-Jennings, Office Assistant IIIat WWTP – graduated from BakerCollege in June with a Bachelor’sDegree in Business Leadership. Nicolewill be continuing her educationalcareer at Wayne State Universitywhere she plans to earn a Master’sDegree in Instructional Technology.Nicole and her husband of 10 years,Michael, have two lovely daughters;Alexis, 9, and Niah, 4. Patricia is very

proud of Nicole’s ability to hold down a full-time job, be a full-timeMom, loving wife and excellent student while keeping a very levelhead on her shoulders and maintaining a sense of self. You go, girl!

Metro Detroit leads U.S.in giving

According to Charity Navigator – anindependent charity evaluator – Detroit

leads the nation in overall charitablegiving for the second straight year.

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Contributors to thisedition’s Bits ‘n’Pieces include:

Suzanne Stapleton,Commercial; and

William Ware, OPMA.

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