CWLP 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.
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Chemical Storage
Building Construction Progresses
Construction of the Water
Division's Chemical Storage and Feed Build-ing for the Water
Purification Plant is progressing, as indicated by
this June 7, 2010, photo. The building, which is expected to be
operational by early 2011, will
greatly enhance the utility's ability to safely store and dispense
many of the large quantities of chemicals used in the water
purification process. Construction financing is being provided by a
no-interest loan and a partial loan principal forgiveness grant from
the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency and the federal
government's American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) stimulus
program. As a result of the $1.15 million in principal forgiveness,
CWLP's total out-of-pocket cost for the $4.6 million project will be
reduced to roughly $3.5 million, which will be payable over the
20-year life of the loan. |
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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. |
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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. |
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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. |
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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.
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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.
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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. |
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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.
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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.
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It's In Our Fiber
CWLP's fiber optic network is the
backbone of the utility's communications system. The utility first
began installing fiber optic cable in 1993 and, by 1996, was
utilizing the fiber network for data and voice communications
between our major facilities. With over 100 miles of cable now
installed throughout the city, CWLP also makes access to the network
available to commercial customers at a price that is usually very
attractive compared to what a private communications company would
charge. Currently, a number of commercial customers, including
schools, hospitals and other government agencies, take
advantage of the City's fiber network.
More
information about CWLP's fiber optic network can be found elsewhere
on this website.
Top Photo:
CWLP Communications Personnel Jim Bowsher (left), Randy Black
(center), and Mark Seabolt splice fiber optic cable in preparation
for its installation.
Bottom Photo:
Mike Hickey mounts a splice to a support cable.
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About CWLP
Last updated:
06/09/10
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