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Idaho Transportation
Department

Office of Communications
P.O. Box 7129
Boise, ID 83707
208.334.8005
Fax: 208.334.8563
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April 2, 2010

Direct from the Director

— Legislative wrap-up —

ITD employees,
For the past 2½ months, the majority of my time was spent in the capitol building advancing the issues important to you and our department. I believe this effort was in our best interests.

Today, the 2010 legislative session ended.

Our budget was passed by the Legislature and is awaiting the Governor’s signature. Our department received spending authority of nearly $484 million in state and federal funds for the coming fiscal year. Most of the Governor’s budget request for ITD remained intact, with a couple of minor reductions. Contract construction declined from $278 million to $261 million, which will require deferral of some programmed highway construction projects.
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Environment
District 1honored for conservation efforts

The Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation recently honored ITD’s District 1 as an Imperial Habitat Partner. The award recognizes the foundation’s partners in developing conservation easements to protect and preserve wildlife habitat throughout the Rocky Mountain region.
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Procurement
South Korean learns ITD processes from the inside

Soon Jae Yoo and his family will miss beautiful summer weather, extra free time for the children, Boise’s Greenbelt and the city’s libraries when they return to Korea mid-July. Most of all, Yoo must say good-bye to many friends he’s made since coming to ITD to observe the department’s business and procurement practices as part of The Korean Government Fellowship for Overseas Study.

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Highway Safety
Motorists urged to use caution in highway work zones

Relatively mild winter conditions in Idaho this year enabled a number of highway construction projects to continue uninterrupted. Activity on many other projects either has resumed or will begin in the coming weeks. Increased highway construction brings a renewed plea by ITD for motorists to drive carefully through work zones.

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Patrols watch highways for aggressive drivers
Aggressive driving behaviors contribute to more than half of Idaho’s traffic fatalities, so ITD and law enforcement agencies across the state remind motorists to make safe driving decisions when behind the wheel. ITD is partnering with Idaho law enforcement to make highways safer by funding high-visibility aggressive driving patrols that began Thursday and continue through April 12.
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Aeronautics
Flight re-creation planned for Idaho Centennial observance
Imagine the sight of a motorized aircraft sharing the sky over Lewiston with hawks, sparrows and doves nearly 100 years ago. That’s where a 1909 Glenn Curtiss Model D Pusher aircraft became the first powered aircraft to fly over Idaho on Oct. 13, 1910. The memorable flight and active role of aviation in Idaho were recognized as part of a proclamation prepared by the Idaho Aviation Association and signed by Gov. C.L. “Butch” Otter in February designating October 2010 as Idaho Centennial of Flight Month.
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Alternative transportation
Plan your tours with new Google-based bike map

Spring has sprung in Idaho and with the warmer weather many of us are waking our bikes up from their long, winter hibernation. Now is the time to start planning your trips and mapping your routes, and Idaho’s Bike Map can help you do that.
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Legislature
Governor thanks legislators for difficult decisions

Idaho. Gov. C.L. “Butch” Otter applauded Idaho’s citizen legislators this week for the efficiency, sensitivity and civic virtue with which they conducted the 2010 session, which ended late Monday. “They have my thanks and my respect for the way they did the job of representing the people we all serve,” Otter said.

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Preparedness
When and how to use 9-1-1 in an emergency
April is National 9-1-1 Education month. Every member of a household should know how, why and when to dial 9-1-1. It starts with this simple question, “Is this really something that requires police, firefighters or an ambulance?” In an emergency, dial 9-1-1 on your phone. It's a free call. You can use any kind of phone: push button, rotary, cellular/wireless, cordless, or pay phone. Some pay phones may require coins to get a dial tone. Your cell phone will reach the correct 9-1-1 dispatch for the area you are currently in regardless of the area code that the phone is designated to.
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Published previously

March 26, 2010

Highway safety
Lewiston DECA members tackle TWD (texting while driving)
Sometimes it takes one to know one. Young people from Lewiston High School are stepping up to help local teenagers recognize the danger of texting while driving as part of a project the group hopes ITD may consider adopting statewide.

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Aeronautics
Grant to help improve two backcountry airstrips
Two of Idaho’s popular wilderness airstrips will receive much-needed renovations this summer as a result of a federal grant from the Southwest Idaho Resource Advisory Committee (RAC). The RAC approved a $50,000 grant proposal submitted by the Idaho Aviation Network (IAN) and Payette National Forest. The IAN, U.S. Forest Service and Idaho Transportation Department’s Division of Aeronautics announced the grant award this week.

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Highways
Protecting the rights-of-way
Utilities buried in the correct place and depth, turn lanes with proper slope, access points at least 500 feet apart – little things to the general public but vitally important when dealing with state right of way. But those responsibilities were only a part time job until a year ago when Dave Jensen was handed the job of permit coordinator to help developers and contractors. It was as if there was a new sheriff in town.
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Winter skipped over D-4 snowplows
Some years you get it, other years not so much. The snowfall this winter was more of the latter. Despite the amazing lack of snow that fell across District Four during the winter of 2009-2010, maintenance crews still managed to keep busy chasing a handful of small storms. “Snow year?” asked Ron Robinson, D4 maintenance coordinator. “What snow year?
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Employees
Ideas for making you a success at work
How well you work is always key to your success. But you can hurt yourself with an offhand comment to a colleague in a break room, a tendency to criticize new policies or relying too much on e-mail to communicate with co-workers and clients. Look at some of the biggest mistakes you can make on the job, and tips about how to avoid them...
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News to Share

Columbia High student wins pageant crown

Valencia Maclin, daughter of Derra Kolar at Division of Aeronautics, won Royal Queen in the Miss American Starlet pageant at the Nampa Civic Center March 20.  She will go to the Grand Nationals in Palm Springs this summer to compete for the National title. Valencia is a junior at Columbia High School in Nampa. She graduated from Barbizon Modeling school in February and is pursuing a modeling career.  Her goal is to get scholarships to go to college and become a personal fitness trainer.  Valencia loves fitness, eating healthy, horses, drawing, reading and photography.


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