Crews & News
(Continued)

Community Service Community Service

A Tradition of Support Continues - For over 25 years, the Asplundh office in Forty Fort, Pennsylvania has supported the United Way of Wyoming Valley. This year, Construction Supervisor John Zardecki and crews along with the International Brotherhood of Electric Workers Local 1319 raised $4,000 to help the United Way meet its goal of raising $4.6 million for its 2001 General Campaign, which supports 30 local non-profit organizations and over 70 community programs. The amount also represents a stunning 42 percent increase in giving from last year. Let's hear it for this fantastic group of giving employees!

An Opportunity to Educate - Last August, Mel Riley Region crew noticed that they were attracting a lot of attention while clearing lines across the street from a daycare center in Kansas City, Kansas. The children were lined up at the fence, eagerly watching the crew trim branches around power lines. The crew, consisting of Foremen Dan Moreno and Robert Roderick, (standing, L to R) and Foreman Larry Eicholz (sitting) and Apprentice Phillip Plake (kneeling), realized that they had a unique opportunity to educate the children about power lines and work zone safety. After receiving approval from General Foreman Brian Plake, The Kansas City Board of Public Utilities (their customer) and the daycare center, the crew spent some time with the children, talking about safety and tree trimming. The children were treated to lollipops courtesy of Brian Plake, and were allowed to climb into the famous orange Asplundh bucket truck.

Asplundh Intern Makes an Impact - Meghan Pressley (L) joined the Rocky Robinson Region as an intern and site pre-inspector as a way to gain valuable hands-on experience in the vegetation management industry. A graduate student at the University of Florida with a degree in botany and environmental horticulture, Meghan began work on several projects for Gainesville Regional Utility (GRU) with Utility Forester Joe Wolf (R). They revised design specifications for selecting plant materials for use around utility infrastructure and created landscaping designs for utility substations. Meghan also found the time to visit local schools and talk to the students about her education and her job. As you can see from the heartfelt thank-you's (above and left) created by the children she spoke to, Meghan's impact on Asplundh and the Florida communities she served will be felt for a long time to come.

Up to the Challenge - On April 28, 2001, Steve Bostock (top photo, front row, center) and 50 Asplundh employees stepped forward when the City of Birmingham issued a community-wide challenge to plant 2,000 five-gallon trees in three hours. City Councilman Dr. Jimmy Blake provided the trees as part of the city's beautification program. The challenge was met, as all 2,000 trees were securely in the ground within the three-hour time limit and it is estimated that the Asplundh volunteers planted around half of the trees. But that was just the beginning, as Asplundh volunteers came through again for the City of Birmingham when it revived its tree-planting program in the fall. Councilman Blake once again provided the trees and Asplundh provided the eager labor. Employees from the Steve Bostock Region (bottom photo) volunteered on October 13, 2001, this time to plant trees on the properties of elderly residents of the Gate City area. The residents were appreciative of the volunteers' hard work and we're grateful to have such caring employees as a part of our company!

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