Photo Album

Here's a peek into CWLP's photo album ... a pictorial record of some of the events and activities in which the utility and our employees have been involved.

This is a photo of Mike Dirksen onstage, talking to students seated on the gym floor below him. Some studentes are raising their hands to answer Mike's questions.

CWLP, Black Hawk School Celebrate Arbor Day 2010

CWLP celebrated its eleventh annual Planting the Tree of Knowledge Arbor Day Celebration in the Schools at Black Hawk Elementary School in late April 2010. The afternoon's event included a song by third graders, poetry readings by fourth and fifth graders, a presentation of award certificates and books to students who had been named winners of school coloring and poster contests, talks by Mayor Tim Davlin and City Arborist Mike Dirksen, and the presentations of a $250 check from Nelson Tree Service and books from CWLP to Principal Bob Mitchell. Following the indoor ceremony, students and faculty, as well as other invited guests—including CWLP General Manager Todd Renfrow, CWLP Superintendent of Electric Transmission and Distribution Mike Patterson, CWLP Line Clearance Supervisor Carl Tega, and Nelson Tree Service's Dan Rhodes—trooped outside to view the planting of two trees donated to the school by CWLP.

Top Photo: City Arborist Mike Dirksen holds an interactive discussion with students about the valuable role trees play in our modern world.

Second Photo: Dirksen explains to students the proper way to plant one of the two trees donated to the school by CWLP.

Third Photo: Students selected to help with the tree planting proudly display the $250 check donated to their school by Nelson Tree Service. (back row, l-r) CWLP Line Clearance Supervisor Carl Tega; City Arborist Mike Dirksen; Black Hawk Principal Bob Mitchell; Nelson Tree Service Regional Supervisor Dan Rhodes; Mayor Tim Davlin; CWLP Superintendent of Electric Transmission and Distribution Mike Patterson; and CWLP General Manager Todd Renfrow.

This is a photo of Mike Dirksen kneeling at the base of a small tree while three students start to shovel dirt onto the tree roots. Other students stand in the background.

This is a photo of five students holding a large ceremonial check as they stand in front of the seven men named in the cutline. The tree the students just planted can be seen rising above the men's heads.

	CWLP Takes Best of Show in 2009 Christmas Parade CWLP's entry into the 2009 Springfield Jaycees/Ansar Shrine Christmas Parade won top honors for most closely representing the parade's theme, Chillin' With Jack Frost. Among a plethora of other decorations, including a soaring Santa mounted on a bucket truck boom, the utility's three-truck convoy sported a jewel-studded, snowflake-dangling Jack Frost atop a utility pole and signs proclaiming "Jack Frost might be chillin' but CWLP is working hard to keep you warm." In spite of Jack's best efforts to chill parade participants and attendees to the bone with low temperatures and nippy winds, bright sunshine and loads of enthusiasm made the parade a fun and heartwarming experience for everyone involved. Top Photo: Santa Claus and his reindeer get set to soar with a little help from Dave Oschwald (Journeyman, Electric T&D) and Aaron Hanselman (Material Handler, Dallman Power Plant). Second Photo: Jack chills as Dave Oschwald secures him to the utility pole. Third Photo: Eric Hubbard (Chief of Security) and daughter Shea are excited to lead the CWLP convoy in a Christmas-tree-bedecked Security truck. FourthPhoto: The middle section of CWLP's three-truck convoy rounds the corner onto Capitol Avenue. Bottom Photo: Mike Hanselman (Maintenance Supervisor, Electric T&D), Dave Oschwald and Aaron Hanselman proudly display CWLP's Best of Show plaque.

This is a photo of Commercial Office employees dressed up as the three blind mice and the farmer's wife.

This is a photo of a Commercial Office employee dressed up as a tie-dyed hippie.

Ghouls Just Want to Have Fun

Employees of the CWLP Commercial Office got into the spirit of the season with a Halloween costume contest on Friday, October 30. Cashiers, Service Reps, Account Clerks and Technicians, a Methods & Procedures Analyst, and even the Commercial Office Manager had fun showing different sides of themselves to their co-workers and customers. Taking first place in the contest were the Three Blind Mice and the Farmer's Wife (group entry) and Elly Mae Clampett (individual entry).

Top Row (Left): The three blind mice—Julie Lloyd, Shannon Knox, and Linda Volk—scampered in a vain attempt to save their tails from the farmer's wife, Angie Hood. (Center): Gloria Schweska took a trip back to the sixties to transform herself into a Rolling Stones groupie. (Right): Commercial Office Manager Ramona Yuskanich lives by the credo: "If the broom fits . . . ride it."

Middle Row (Left): Jayne Morrison, as Mario the Chef, claimed to have the recipe for fun. (Center): Perfectly suiting Springfield's drab and soggy October, Karen Pruitt was Cloudy With a Chance of Rain. (Right): Ellie Squires, as Elly Mae Clampett, was convinced there's gold in them thar cornfields of Central Illinois.

Bottom Row (Left): If you need to get something done right away, call on Barb Hassebrock, because she proved she's Johnny on the Spot. (Right): Finding just the right costumes was in the cards—the tarot cards, that is—for Tinia Kulavic as the Magician; Cleta Lovekamp as the High Priestess; Tricia Stuart as Justice; Kassandra Wilkin as the Queen of Cups; Kathy Cox as the Queen of Swords; Dietra McJunkins as Temperance; and Kim Sonneborn as Strength.

This is a photo of a Commercial Office employee dressed up as Mario the Chef.

This is a photo of a Commercial Office employee dressed in a dark blue t-shirt on which she has pasted several white cotton balls to represent clouds. She is carrying a barometer. She is cloudy with a chance of rain.

This is a photo of a Commercial Office employee dressed in a white t-shirt on which she has written the name Johnny. She is standing on a red circle. She is Johnny on the Spot.

This is a photo of seven Commercial Office employees dressed to represent various characters found in a deck of tarot cards.

This is a photo of the Power Plant of the Year Award presented by Power Magazine to the Dallman Four Power Station in August 2009. The award symbolizes a stylized electric turbine supported by a lightning bolt. A CWLP hard hat lies on the table in the background.

CWLP Builds Best New Plant In the World

In August 2009, POWER magazine, the nation's leading power industry publication, named CWLP's Dallman 4 Power Station its Power Plant of the Year. The plant, which began producing electricity in May 2009, was selected from approximately 40 other power plants from around the world that went online in 2009. Officials from the publication arrived in Springfield on October 15 to present the award to CWLP. More information about the Power Plant of the Year award and the Dallman 4 Power Station can be found elsewhere on this website.

Top Photo: The award represents a stylized turbine rising from a lightning bolt.

Second Photo: POWER magazine Publisher Brian K. Nessen (second from left) and Editor-in-Chief Bob Peltier (far right) presented the 2009 Power Plant of the Year award to General Manager Todd Renfrow (center), Chief Utilities Engineer Eric Hobbie (far left), and Major Projects Development Director Doug Brown (second from right) in the Dallman 4 control room.

This is a photo of CWLP and Power Magazine officials taken in the Dallman Four control room following the presentation of the Power Plant of the Year Award.

This is a photo of the three linemen who made up CWLP's team in the 2009 AEIC Lineman's Safety Rodeo in October 2009. They are holding their Best Overall Team award.

Laying It On the Line

CWLP's three-man team won the Best Overall Team award, as well as several event awards, at the 2009 AIEC Lineman's Safety Rodeo in early October. Competing against 14 other teams from throughout Illinois, CWLP linemen Jeff Nemecek, Matt Huff and Mark Clemens (top photo, l-r) took first place team awards in the Egg Climb and Mystery events and second place team awards in the Hurt Man Rescue and URD Cable Splice (bottom photo) events. The Mystery event turned out to be a 4/0 URD triplex service change out.

The guys did well in individual events, too, with Jeff taking first place in the URD Cable Splice; Matt taking first place in the Egg Climb, second place in the Mystery, and third place in the Hurt Man Rescue; and Mark taking second place in the Egg Climb and third place in the Mystery.

The Rodeo is an annual event sponsored by the Association of Illinois Electric Cooperatives.

This is a photo of the CWLP team participating in the URD Cable Splicing team event.

This is a photo of a CWLP Energy Services Office employee riding a bike that is hooked up to an electric panel of light bulbs. The bike acts as an electric generator; the faster it is pedaled, the more electricity will be produced and the more light bulbs will light up.

ESO Talks Efficiency at Earth Awareness Day Event

Michael Schneider, of the CWLP Energy Services Office (ESO), demonstrates how much pedal power it takes to light a panel of incandescent light bulbs compared to the amount of energy needed to provide an equivalent amount of compact fluorescent lighting. The demonstration was part of ESO's display at the 2009 Earth Awareness Day event held in May at the Prairie Capital Convention Center.

This is a photo of a woman learning to apply caulk at one of CWLP's Low-Cost/No-Cost Efficiency Workshops.

ESO Holds Low-Cost/No-Cost Efficiency Workshops

Since early November 2004, employees of the Energy Services Office have hosted several Low-Cost/No-Cost Energy Efficiency Workshops for Springfield residents. The workshops teach do-it-yourself skills that enable customers to make needed efficiency improvements to their homes. Although open to all customers, the workshops are aimed especially at low- and fixed-income residents who can't afford to hire someone to make the improvements for them. Participants in the workshops, which focus primarily on improvements that cost little or nothing to make, receive a take-home "starter" kit of several of the efficiency products discussed during the program. A schedule of workshops for the current calendar year can be found elsewhere on this website.

Top Photo: Participants at the Low-Cost/No-Cost Efficiency Workshops get hands-on instruction in how to apply caulk, install weatherstripping, and make other do-it-yourself energy efficiency improvements.

Center Photo: Energy Conservation Manager Bob Croteau explains the best uses for expanding foam caulk to two workshop participants.

Bottom Photo: Energy Specialist Gary Hurley demonstrates the difference between different types of weatherstripping.

This photo shows an Energy Services Office employee discussing expanding foam caulk with two customers at a Low-Cost/No-Cost Efficiency Workshop.

This photo shows an Energy Services Office employee discussing weatherstripping with customers at a Low-Cost/No-Cost Efficiency Workshop.

This photo was taken looking through the opening of a deteriorated 19th-century cast iron main to a wooden World War II era main in the background.

Digging History

In the course of doing their jobs, CWLP water crews have unearthed some pieces of Springfield's history. Two water mains, one of cast iron dating to 1892 and the other of wood from the early 1940s, have been excavated in recent months. The nineteenth-century main was uncovered at Color Plant Road, on the north side of town near the Sangamon River in the vicinity of Springfield's first water works plant. This was one of the two original transmission mains that conveyed water to the city from the riverside plant. The wooden main utilizes wood stave construction wrapped in thin steel binding and coated with tar. Originally installed during World War II to serve the U.S. Army depot on the far south end of town, this piece was found during installation of water service to the United Community Bank branch at Stevenson and S. 6th Street.

Photo: A section of the World War II-era wooden water main can be seen through this view from inside a cast iron main dating from the mid-19th century.