Clearwater Celebrates Centennial

The Newsletter for Current and Former
City of Clearwater Employees
CON NEC TION
Volume 17, Issue 5
Feb/March 2015
Clearwater
Celebrates
Centennial
The City of Clearwater will celebrate its 100th
birthday this year on May 27, 2015. A variety of
special events will take place throughout the
year that will help to celebrate this milestone.
City employees are encouraged to wear their
centennial shirts on Fridays.
Employee Spotlight
Paul Mack, Park Service Supervisor I
By Krystie Epperson
Monday through Friday, and sometimes on
Saturdays, Paul Mack supervises the
contracted crews that take care of more
than 640 properties, including various
city facilities, in Clearwater.
Outside of his day job he is coach
and director of 727 Youth Track and
Field Club, Inc. He’s been a track
coach since 2004 and founded the 727
Track Club in 2006 along with fellow city
employee, Leviticus McKinnon, Parks Service
Technician II.
A typical day for Paul begins at 4:50 a.m. He
works his city job until 3 p.m. and goes home
to relax for about 45 minutes and then heads
to track practice at Northside Christian School
from 5 to 9 p.m. He usually returns home by
10 p.m. to start all over again.
“We’ve sent many kids to college throughout
the years. Kids that have come through our
program have received college scholarships
because of their hard work in sports and
academics,” said Paul. “We hope that in the
future, the kids that have come through the
program and have been successful,
will come back to run the 727
Track Club.”
He also sets up fundraising
opportunities for the club so
that they can attend track meets
at other locations in Florida. 727
Track Club has a partnership
with Northside Christian
School and they assist them
with their track meets as well.
In return they are able to use
their facilities free of charge.
April will be the busiest month of centennial
celebrations including the Spring Training
Clearwater Day on Thursday, April 2 at 1:05
p.m. The Phillies will take on the Tampa Bay
Rays and the players will be wearing a special
centennial patch throughout spring training.
The annual Fun ‘n Sun Festival, which includes
the 3rd Annual Pier 60 Sugar Sand Festival,
will run from April 17 to May 3. There are also
several designated centennial events during
April, including the sunrise and full moonset
on the rooftop of the Main Library on April 4,
a historical lecture featuring Clearwater at
Heritage Village on April 19, and Blast
Friday on April 24 featuring Southside
Johnny and the Asbury Jukes and a
100 foot birthday cake.
On Wednesday, May 27, the
centennial will be celebrated with
(Continued on Next Page)
In This Issue
Total Wellness is Mind AND Body. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Street Sweepers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
City Staff Hosts Visitors from Nagano, Japan. . . . . . . 2
Fire Station Grand Opening . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Station 45: By the Numbers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Exercise Classes for Free. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Personnel Corner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 & 5
Service Awards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Meet Lori Burdell . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Tracey’s Pick for Favorite Reads. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Relay for Life. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Rotary Recognizes Public Safety . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Top Cops Take Honors. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Clearwater Fire & Rescue Awards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Employees of the Month & Team Awards . . . . . . . . . . 7
Cause for Applause . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Employees Wear Red. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Clearwater Celebrates
Centennial (Cont’d from Page 1)
an evening of baseball and fireworks at Bright House Field.
Pregame ceremonies will begin at 5 p.m. and the Clearwater
Threshers will take on the Fort Myers Miracle at 6 p.m.
Fireworks will follow. City departments are encouraged to
participate in the Centennial Parade on Saturday, May 30. This
is a great opportunity for all city departments to engage with
the community they serve. Email Jennifer.Keller@myclearwater.
com for more information about participating in the parade.
Street Sweepers: “The
first defense against
pollution”
Other projects to commemorate the centennial include a
Clearwater-themed art display. It can be viewed at Westfield
Countryside Mall and Morton Plant Hospital’s Cheek Powell
Heart and Vascular Pavilion. See the updated calendar at
myclearwater.com/100.
A photographic coffee
table book highlighting
Clearwater’s past
100 years is currently
available for pre-order.
It features more than
120 pages of photos
displaying Clearwater’s
history since becoming
a municipality on
May 27, 1915. You can
pre-order copies
at myclearwater.
com/100.
Don’t miss out on all
the centennial fun!
The Stormwater Maintenance Division, including Street
Sweeper Operators Jessie Croskey, Antonio Tambone
and Larry Roberts, were featured in an article in “Bay
Soundings,” a quarterly news journal covering Florida’s
largest open-water estuary. Read the article online, http://
baysoundings.com/street-sweepers-first-defense-pollution.
City Staff Hosts
Visitors from Sister
City Nagano, Japan
Total Wellness is Mind
AND Body
By Michelle Kutch
Wellness is made of many components and is not just physical.
The city offers a free Employee Assistance Program where
employees can receive the tools to deal with the daily stressors
in their life.
The city’s EAP program is offered through Aetna Resources for
Living and offers both telephonic and face-to-face counseling
for you and all members of your household, regardless of your
medical insurance. Services are free, confidential and are
available 24 hours a day.
The program offers five free sessions per issue, per year, with
licensed network professionals. Resources for Living can assist
in the areas of stress, relationship issues, anger management,
legal services, financial services and more. To learn more about
the resources offered, call 1-800-272-3626 or visit mylifevalues.
com Username: City of Clearwater; Password: 8002723626.
2 Connection, Feb/March 2015
To celebrate the 55th anniversary of the sister cities
relationship between Clearwater and Nagano, Japan,
an adult delegation from Nagano visited Clearwater
Feb. 8 - 11. Many official and celebratory activities
took place while the delegation was in Clearwater.
On the last night of their visit, a Sayonara party took
place at the Clearwater Beach Recreation Center.
It took many staff to prepare for their arrival and host
them while they were here. Shown left to right are
Julia Tynefield (Payroll Technician), Ellen Ayo (Senior
Staff Assistant), Angie Aldrich (Staff Assistant),
Chris Hubbard (Cultural Arts Specialist), Felicia
Leonard (Administrative Support Manager), Jennifer
Moulton (Payroll Technician), Louis Christou
(Administrative Analyst) and Shawn Stafford
(Station Manager).
It’s A Grand Opening Indeed For New
Fire Station 45
By Rob Shaw
Exercise Classes
for Free
By Regina Novak
Wellness dollars are now being used toward
paying for employees to take part in certain
classes offered at our recreation facilities
on a rotating basis. If you have wanted to
try something new, now is the time to do it.
Classes will change every four months.
Current city council members joined former elected officials and Clearwater residents
in helping to open the new Fire Station 45 on Court Street in January.
About 200 people gathered inside the apparatus bay inside the fire station, which
is located at 1140 Court St., for the ceremonies. There were refreshments and tours
of the new station, which replaces its predecessor at 645 Franklin St. The building is
three stories tall and has 33,000 square feet. It is built to withstand hurricane-force
winds of 150 mph, enabling personnel to remain there to serve residents of the area
even when a storm threatens.
To take part in these free classes,
employees need to have a valid Play Pass.
Bring your Play Pass and city I.D. badge each
time you attend a class. Listed below are
the current offerings. These programs will
be free for employees through April 30.
If you have any questions regarding these
classes, contact Regina Novak at 793-2339
x238 or regina.novak@myclearwater.com.
The construction cost was $8.7 million – which was $600,000 under budget. “This
is a state-of-the-art facility in a much more central location,” said Clearwater City
Manager Bill Horne. “Having administration, emergency management, operations,
support services, fire prevention and the Station 45 crew all in one building will create
efficiencies and synergies we did not have in the previous buildings.” The station
houses 31 total staff, including 25 uniform personnel and six civilians.
Fire Station 45: By
The Numbers
Long Center
Rungo Dance Fitness:
Mon. 6-6:55 p.m.; Sat. 10-10:55 a.m.
Adult Learn to Swim classes:
Winter Session 2 and 3
Masters Swim Program:
(10 swim punch card or monthly pass)
Yoga: Tue. & Thu. 7-8:15 p.m.
Here’s a look at Station 45, by the
numbers:
33,000 - square footage
$8.7 million - Cost of project construction
$600,000 - Amount under budget
31 - Total staff, 25 uniform and six civilian
28 - Length, in feet, of station’s two fire poles
23 - Average number of calls per day
15 - Dorm rooms
2 - Minutes to run a load of dishes in the
station’s state-of-the-art dishwasher
Countryside Recreation
Kickboxing with Mike:
Wed. 7:30-8:30 p.m.; Fri. 6-7p.m.
Pilates: Tue. 7-8 p.m.
Yoga: Mon. 6:30-7:30 p.m.
North Greenwood Recreation
Zumba: Mon. & Wed. 6:30-7:30 p.m.
Clearwater Beach Recreation Center
Yoga: Tue & Thu. 9:15-10:30 a.m.
Zumba: Tue. 11-12 p.m.
Butts and Guts:
Wed. 10:15-11:15 a.m.
Connection, Feb/March 2015 3
Personnel Corner
Nov. 29, 2014 to Feb. 4, 2015
New Hires. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
TRANSFERS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Amber Brice, Library Assistant, Library
Donald Ross, Building Construction Inspector,
Planning & Development
Barry Slack, Ballfields Parks Service Technician
III, Parks & Recreation
Donald Robinson, AmeriCorps Coordinator,
Police
RETIREMENTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
William Smith, Public Utilities Technician I,
Public Utilities
Jennifer Patterson, Controller, Economic
Development & Housing
Elizabeth Montes, Library Page, Library
Joseph Contreras, Recreation Leader, Parks &
Recreation
David Muniz, Police Aide, Police
Daniel Simpson, Engineering Specialist II,
Engineering
Kristen Parete, Legal Staff Assistant, Legal
Bonita Amen, Library Assistant, Library
Michael McCormick, Police Aide, Police
Natalie Lamb, Recreation Specialist, Parks &
Recreation
Russell Reed, Police Aide, Library
Mark Smith, Stormwater Technician I,
Engineering
Stephanie Springer, Library Page, Library
Jeffrey Gow, Accounting Technician, Solid Waste
& General Services
PROMOTIONS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Loren Pratt, Wastewater Treatment Plant-Chief
Operator, Public Utilities
Keith Shive, Fire Medic, Fire & Rescue
Charles Kindred, Fleet Mechanic, Solid Waste &
General Services
John Scott, Customer Service Director,
Customer Service
Penny Dobson, Police Aide, Police
Betsy Clement, Public Information Specialist,
Public Communications
Richard Phillips, Fleet Mechanic, Solid Waste &
General Services
Stephen Langevin, Firefighter/Driver-Operator,
Fire & Rescue
Benjamin Leeper, Public Utilities Specialist,
Public Utilities
Barbara Moon, Aquatic Programmer, Parks &
Recreation
Kimberly Reger, Library Assistant, Library
Virginia Gallon, Police Officer, Police
Christopher Smith, Police Aide, Police
Jim Wood, Building & Maintenance
Superintendent, Solid Waste & General
Terri Ralat to Solid Waste Service Coordinator,
Solid Waste & General Services
Dustin Dulek to Parks Service Technician III,
Parks & Recreation
Service Awards
Kayla Grant to Librarian II, Library
20 YEARS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
30 YEARS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Erick Peterson to Parks Street & Sidewalk Tech
III, Public Services
Brian Schonborn, Fire Lieutenant, Fire &
Rescue
Janet McMahan, License Inspector,
Planning & Development
William Dauber to Senior Customer Service
Representative, Customer Service
Stephen Colbert, Fire Medic, Fire & Rescue
Roberta Gluski, Development Review
Specialist, Engineering
Paul Chute to Wastewater Treatment Plant
Operator B, Public Utilities
Jason Slaughter to Solid Waste Supervisor I,
Solid Waste & General Services
Darrin Maser, Firefighter/Driver-Operator,
Fire & Rescue
Vicki Dettenwanger, Risk Management
Specialist, Finance
Eddie Blackshear, Public Utilities
Technician II, Public Utilities
Michael Deegan, Gas Program
Coordinator, Gas
Delbert Foster to Solid Waste Equipment
Operator, Solid Waste & General Services
Diane Hufford, Economic Development
Coordinator, Economic Development &
Housing
James Kleinsorge to Police Major, Police
25 YEARS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Richard Auskalnis to Recreation Supervisor I,
Parks & Recreation
Carolynn Duncan, Library Assistant, Library
Michael Holmes, Housing Manager,
Economic Development & Housing
Bradley Golomb, Fire Medic, Fire & Rescue
35 YEARS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
WELCOME BACK . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Michael Stonelake, Police Officer, Police
John Ryder, Solid Waste Equipment Operator,
Solid Waste & General Services
David Young, Police Sergeant, Police
Torin McCray, Welder, Solid Waste &
General Services
Julia Daniel, Accounting Clerk, Solid Waste &
General Services
Erin Marks, Librarian I, Library
4 Connection, Feb/March 2015 Christopher Squitieri, Police Sergeant,
Police
Peter Hegedus, Building & Maintenance
Supervisor, Solid Waste & General
Services
Sympathies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Meet Lori Burdell
To the family, friends and colleagues of
Kelly Sue O’Brien, former Staff Assistant,
who passed away Feb. 23; and to Kelly
O’Brien, Engineering Specialist II, on the
passing of his wife.
To Torin McCray, Welder, on the loss of his
uncle
To Diane Bennett, Communications
Supervisor, on the loss of her mother
To Erick Swinton, Solid Waste Supervisor I,
on the loss of his mother-in-law
To Shawn Lawrentz, Firefighter/DriverOperator, on the loss of his father
To Victor Rosado, Solid Waste Equipment
Operator, on the loss of his brother and on
the loss of his spouse’s grandfather
To Alex West, Utilities Mechanic, on the
loss of his uncle and his aunt
To Sylvia Francis, Police Information Tech,
on the passing of her mother-in-law
To Carol Barden, Senior Staff Assistant,
and Jared Barden, Network Analyst,
on the loss of her father-in-law and his
grandfather
To Dale Johnson, Wastewater Treatment
Plant Operator, on the loss of his sister-inlaw
To Jeff Roberts, Driver-Operator, on the
loss of his grandfather
To Joshua Sherman, Solid Waste Equipment
Operator, on the loss of his brother
To Mark Beery, Solid Waste Supervisor II, on
the loss of his aunt
To Logan Cruz, Fire Medic, on the loss of his
uncle
To Robert Weiss, Fire Chief, on the loss of
his mother
To Kayleen Kastel, Budget Manager, on the
loss of her father-in-law
To Andrea Beane, Senior Accountant, on
the loss of her husband
To William Brown, Parks Service Technician
II, on the loss of his wife
To Patty Kuligowski, City Council Office
Executive Assistant, on the loss of her
grandmother
To Tim Hulburt, Arborist, on the loss of his
mother
To Scott Burrows, City Manager’s Office
Assistant, on the loss of his grandmother
To Doug Ball, Equipment Operator on the
loss of his father
To Jay Polglaze, Councilmember, on the loss
of his father
To Jim Copechal, Equipment Operator, on
the loss of his father
To John Mitchell, Crossing Guard, on the
passing of his sister
To Orlando Rivas, Parks Service Supervisor
I, on the loss of his grandmother
To Tim Henson, Solid Waste Equipment
Operator, on the loss of his mother
To Phillip Horne, Water Distribution
Operator, on the loss of his father
To Bryan Tingling, Solid Waste Worker, on
the loss of his aunt
Births . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
To John McDowell, Tradesworker, a
daughter, born Dec. 9 weighing 7.1 lbs .
To Heather Parsons, Public Information
Coordinator, a daughter named Alannah
Bridgett, born Dec. 23 weighing 7.12 lbs.,
20.5” long.
To Nicole Kennedy, Librarian I, a son named
Elliot, born Jan. 25 weighing 6.12 lbs., 20.75”
long.
By Anna Gurney
To Steve Wannos, Police Sergeant, a
daughter named Lennon Everly Wannos,
born Jan. 28 weighing 7.10 lbs.
To Gary Coffey, former Maintenance
Supervisor II (ret.) Terry Coffey, former
Accounting Technician (ret.), a grandson;
and to Ann Marie Knight, Accountant,
and Danny Knight, Utilities Mechanic, a
nephew, named Gideon Finn, born Feb. 4,
weighing 9.8 lbs.
Lori is the new Recreation Programmer at
the Henry L. McMullen Tennis Complex.
She comes to the City of Clearwater as
a certified USPTA Teaching Professional,
former Head Men’s and Women’s Tennis
Coach at University of Central Florida and
Teaching Professional with Walt Disney
World Resort/ Contemporary Racquet Club
and the Grand Floridian. She also played
at West Virginia University on a full tennis
scholarship. She is currently on the racquet
advisory committee with Tennis Magazine
reviewing new models for 2015.
“I am excited to be a part of such a beautiful
and great tennis facility. I look forward to
growing the programs and continue to
make Henry L. McMullen a thriving facility
within the City of Clearwater and beyond,”
said Lori.
“Lori is a wonderful addition to the staff
at The Henry L McMullen Tennis Complex!
Her tennis background as a Pro and her
standing in the tennis community lends
much credibility to the city’s continued
commitment to tennis in our community,”
said Bob Carpenter, supervisor of McMullen
Tennis Complex.
Stop by the office and meet Lori and
welcome her to McMullen Tennis Complex!
Connection, Feb/March 2015 5
Relay For Life
Tracey’s Pick for Favorite Reads:
The Peripheral, by William Gibson
By Tracey Reed
William Gibson arguably has had as much, if not more, influence on the technology
that we use on a daily basis as Star Trek. In his novel Neuromancer (1984), he
popularized the term cyberspace long before the Internet became widespread. Much
like Philip K. Dick (whose novel Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? was the basis
for the movie Blade Runner), his writing has influenced countless science fiction
writers and inventors.
The Peripheral takes place both in the near future and approximately 80 years from
then, when significant changes such as The Jackpot, have taken place to the Earth
and humanity. Flynne and her brother, Burton, become involved, through what they
believe is a job for a gaming company, in future events. Flynne witnesses a murder
in the “game,” which causes endless problems for them in their real time and in
their future. Those they become involved with, because of what Flynne has seen,
have resources – both technological and financial – beyond Flynne’s and Burton’s
conception. They bounce back and forth between time periods, living in the future
inside peripherals, which allow them to move around freely and see what the world
could be, will be and has become.
In a tightly woven, tense tale, Gibson takes his readers into realities that we have no
problems imagining just might happen.
The American
Cancer Society’s
Clearwater Relay
for Life event is
happening Saturday, May 16 from noon to
midnight at Coachman Park. The City of
Clearwater’s Relay for Life team is looking
for more people to join in the fun!
There is no sign up cost and no minimum
amount to raise. Each team member sets
their own fundraising goal, and can modify
it at any time. You can find the event and
team page at relayforlife.org.
If you aren’t interested in joining the team,
you can still attend the event to walk some
laps and purchase food, drinks and other
items that each team will be selling to raise
money during the event. The event is also a
designated Clearwater centennial event this
year.
For questions about Clearwater’s Relay for
Life, call Lance Kielich at 562-4890 ext. 2867.
Top Cops Take
Honors
Rotary Recognizes Public Safety
By Joan Martell
Three Clearwater Police officers and
one Clearwater Fire & Rescue firefighter
paramedic have been honored by the Rotary
Club.
The Police Department held an awards
ceremony on Thursday, Jan. 8. Below is a list of
the award recipients:
Corporal Badges presented to:
Officer Shante Dean
Officer Adam Kraft
Awards presented as follows:
Medal of Valor: Officer Christian Zarra
Award of Excellence:
2013 District I Anti-Crime Team - Sergeant
Jay Holsombach, Sergeant Jeffrey
DiVincent, Officer Shane Cason, Officer
Adam Jacques, Officer Richard Kelly and
Officer Christian Zarra
Award of Excellence: Detective Michael
Stonelake
Medal of Meritorious Service: Detective
Thomas Dawe, Officer Christopher
DeFayette and Officer James Stewart
Medal of Meritorious Service: Officer
Christopher England, Officer Michael
Leonardo, Officer Daniel Loder and Officer
Christian Zarra
Letter of Commendation:
Sergeant William Hodgson
6 Connection, Feb/March 2015
By Rob Shaw
Sgt. Jeffrey DiVincent and Officer Christian
Zarra received the Cornelius Award – the
police department’s highest honor – for
their efforts to save a man whose car had
veered out of control and crashed in the chilly waters of the Intracoastal Waterway in
December of last year. They dived into the water without hesitation and brought the
man to the surface.
Officer Fontayne Egger was recognized as the 2015 Rotary Public Safety & Service
Award winner from the police department. She was honored for all of her work in the
community off the job, ranging from buying prom dresses for girls who can’t afford
them to helping families out at Thanksgiving and Christmas. She also assisted another
family after their home had been ravaged by fire.
Firefighter Paramedic William Billups, meanwhile,
was given the 2015 Rotary Public Safety &
Service Award from the fire department. He
was recognized for all of his community service
with the Shriners Hospitals for Children and the
Muscular Dystrophy Association, among other
organizations. Billups also befriended a youngster
battling leukemia and invited him to the fire station
for a dinner and purchased a set of authentic
firefighter gear for him.
The awards were handed out Feb. 4 at the Belleair Country Club during a joint
luncheon with the Clearwater and Belleair Rotary clubs.
Clearwater Fire & Rescue
Awards
2014 Firefighter of the Year award winner Jevon Graham
accepts his award.
Clearwater Fire & Rescue hosted their employee awards
ceremony on Friday, Jan. 30. Below is a list of the award
recipients:
2014 Firefighter of the Year:
Lieutenant Jevon Graham
2014 Turner Award for Paramedic Excellence Award:
Fire Medic Lesli Bland
EMPLOYEES OF THE MONTH
JANUARY
FEBRUARY
Ben McBride
Fire Medic
Clearwater Fire & Rescue
Mike England
Marine Facility Operator
Marine & Aviation
TEAM AWARD
JANUARY/FEBRUARY
Fire Station 45 C-Shift
Clearwater Fire & Rescue
2014 Turner Award for Paramedic Excellence Award:
Fire Medic Tammy Whitham
Fire Chiefs Unit Citation for Distinguished Service
(Drowning call at Shepherds):
Gary Spence, Don Thomson, Jon Lopez, Rod Wilt, Jason
Thibault, Scott McGrail, JD DeSaulniers, Mike Remillet and
Tony Tedesco
Fire Chiefs Unit Citation for Distinguished Service
(Tech Rescue Cleveland Street):
Bob Keane, Paul Capo, Mark Anyon, JD DeSaulniers, Tori
Martin, Liz Pierce, Dave Marlowe, Kevin O’Connor, James
Vanzandt, Jim Groth, Alex Monte, Mike Brown and Spike Fry
Fire Chiefs Unit Citation for Distinguished Service
(Tech Rescue Japanese Gardens):
Chris Hoyne, Al Hinson, Colin Ettienne, Jevon Graham, Eric
Miller, David Lawrence and John Savage
Fire Chiefs Award for Distinguished Service
(Rescue at Accident Scene):
Fire Medic Ben McBride
Fire Chiefs Award for Distinguished Service
(Rescue at Accident Scene):
Lieutenant Jay Schmitt
Fire Chief’s Award for Distinguished Service:
Driver/Operator Tim Smith
Promotions:
Lieutenant: Heath Brenner, Doug Kellin, Jarett Hood,
Christian Schuele, Rob Lee, Mark Wing; LR: Monte Gibson;
Driver/Operator: AJ Ryan, Christian Miller, Greg Keane, Blaise
Sciarra; Account Tech: Heather Latham
Team members are Lt. Robert Keane, Fire Medic Dave Marlow,
Fire Medic Elizabeth Pierce, Fire Medic James Desaulniers,
Driver/Operator Kevin O’Connor, Driver/Operator James
VanZandt, Driver/Operator Mark Anyon, Firefighter James
Groth, Firefighter Victoria Martin, and Lt. Paul Capo
Cause for Applause
Congratulations to Kyle Wilson, Water Distribution Operator, for
winning the Motivational Mentor award for December 2014.
The Safety Recognition Award winner for January 2015 is Manuel
Cordero, Parks Service Technician II. Manuel was nominated by
fellow employee James Alton for avoiding a serious traffic accident.
The Public Utilities Employee of the Year for 2014 was awarded to
Rose Lara, Public Utilities Supervisor I. Public Utilities also named
Steve Martindale, Water Distribution Operator, as the Employee
of the Month for January 2015 and the Team of the Quarter (1st
Quarter 2015) went to the Hydrant Boyz, which includes John Allen,
Joe Assed, Scott Breeding, Matt Dombrowski, Eric Kelly, Rodney
Mitchell, Matt Mosier and Kyle Wilson.
Connection, Feb/March 2015 7
Employees Wore Red to Support American Heart Month
February is American Heart Month.
The Go Red for Women campaign
designated the first Friday in February
as the national day to raise awareness
about women’s heart health.
This year’s National Wear Red Day®
was held Friday, Feb. 6. Employees
from across the city wore red to show
their support the cause.
Connection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
is produced bi-monthly by the City of
Clearwater’s Public Communications
Department.
Joelle Castelli Executive Editor
Krystie Epperson
Editor/Designer
CONNECTION
P.O. BOX 4748 • CLEARWATER, FL • 33758-4748
727.562.4708
George N. Cretekos, Mayor
Hoyt Hamilton, Councilmember
Doreen Hock-DiPolito, Councilmember
Bill Jonson, Councilmember
Jay Polglaze, Councilmember
Bill Horne, City Manager
www.MyClearwater.com
Contributors
Kelly Adkisson, Denise Balog, Paula Chaplinksy,
Betsy Clement, Terri Coffey, Mary Cressman,
George Cretekos, Laura Davis, Gina DeWitt,
Sylvia Dinoto, Deborah Humes, Sarah Kessler,
Lance Kielich, Kris Koch, Michelle Kutch,
Roseanne Lacey, Joan Martell, Suzanne Melton,
Mitch Moen, Jenifer Moulton, Regina Novak Bill
Peterson, Tracey Reed, Terri Rowland, Nancy
Scott, Rob Shaw, Michelle Sheldon,
Julia Tynefield, and Anne Wills
If you have a story idea,
article, personnel news,
or photos to share, please
e-mail them to the Editor
at krystal.epperson@myclearwater.com
or call 562-4681. Let us know what you’d
like to see in the next Connection!