Big Truck Day in Chicopee – The famous orange Asplundh Lift Truck got its day in the sun in Chicopee, MA at the Big Truck Day on October 13. The event, sponsored by Chicopee Electric Light, is part of the 2001 Public Power Week celebrations, which gives families and community members a chance to learn more about the companies providing vital services in their area. Foreman Jeff Bliss and crews from the George Leszkowicz Region volunteered their time to answer questions about Asplundh, and, of course, "The Truck!"

A Fond Farewell to a Good Friend – On August 12, employees in the Dale Ellifritz Region in Kentucky suffered a terrible loss when General Foreman James May, a 14-year Asplundh veteran, passed away after a long illness. Determined to honor James, his co-workers joined together to make his farewell something special. Supervisor Rob Earlywine, and General Foremen Dennis Mauk, Jeff Holder and Gary Minter volunteered their time to remove a tree at the Northcutt & Son Funeral Home to help pay for his tombstone. Near the end of August, friends and family of James gathered for a memorial fish fry at the Ellifritz Region yard to share special memories and anecdotes about their departed colleague. At the gathering, co-workers presented James' widow with nearly $1,000 they had raised through a collection.

Lending a Helping Hand – On August 24, crews in the Don Cummings Region volunteered, along with Massachusetts Power, Northern Tree Co. and the Tyngsboro Police Department, to remove several pine trees from the backyard of a woman who had been critically injured on her property earlier in the year by a 90-foot pine that fell on her. Vice President Don Cummings, General Foreman Ron Boucher, Permissions Person Tom Bauer and Log Truck Operator Max Pearson donated their time to help clear out the pines, making the family's property safer.

Up the Creek . . . With a Mission – The idea behind the Gorst Creek Stream Restoration Project in Bremerton, Washington, was to replace an old concrete channel with a more natural environment to promote a better habitat for salmon and other wildlife. Who better to handle this massive project than Mick Kavran Region Community Forester for Puget Sound Energy Jim Trainer and Consulting Utility Forester Janet Brown? With the help of local companies and agencies, the reconstruction phase of the channel was completed earlier this year. Hundreds of volunteers have planted close to 7,000 trees and other types of native vegetation on the site. The project is already a success since Chinook, Coho and Chum salmon were observed running up the creek this year. Next on the agenda for the project are trails and interpretive signs to make Gorst Creek Stream the county's premiere site for salmon watching. Keep an eye out in future issues of The TREE for more details on this project.

I am a foreman
On a manual crew
There's a trimmer and groundman
Who are relatively new.

We always work safely
We are always alert
That way we are sure
That no one gets hurt.

We work smoothly and steady
Without any breaks
And we never push branches
Through the chipper with rakes.

We use a bigger branch
To feed it along
And I correct them at once
When I see something wrong.

I don't wait an hour
I won't wait a day
I'll stop them at once
To show the safe way.

I encourage them to ask questions
And ask them at will
Because questions when answered
Increase their skill.

Before climbing a tree
I plan out my trip
I keep a secondary hold
In case I might slip.

We don't pull hangers off
The power line by hand
We use a non-conductive tool
To bring them to land.

Before I drop a log
Out of a tree
I make sure everyone's watching
And listening to me.

I give an audible warning
So everyone can hear
And then again I make sure
That the area is clear.

When operating a chainsaw
We wear earplugs and chaps
Because we don't want to end up
On a poster like Hap.

We are always courteous
We are always polite
And when a customer argues
We don't pick a fight.

We talk to them calmly
And try to explain
And when the job is done
They are happy we came.