SPRING LUNCHEON MARCH 14th

               PLAN TO ATTEND!Jim Springstead (Graphics) has quickly stepped in to plan the Spring Luncheon, substituting for Joe and Marion Bodnar. It will be held at Roman Hall in the Chamberburg section of Trenton. A great menu is planned, food is always good and plentiful at Roman Hall, and the price is very reasonable at $18.

 

DOTRA TRIP INFORMATION

                     By Jay Johnston

 

 

There is still room for the Southern Caribbean Cruise on April 23^rd to May 4^th 2007. This is an 11 day cruise on the Norwegian Dawn, leaving from NYC harbor. The ship will sail to St.Thomas, Antigua, Barbados, Grenada, Dominica and Tortola. Cost is $1699 per person, double occupancy for an Ocean view stateroom with balcony.

 

Call Jay Johnston at 609-588-0930 for more details!

 

   

 

       TRAVELS BY DOTRA MEMBERS

   

Dear DOTLINE –

 

“Enough of Seth Barton already ! Check this out!”

 

“My wife Carol and I recently rode our Harley Davison motorcycle to Maggie Valley ( in the Smokey Mountains ) in North Carolina to meet our friends from Ormond Beach Florida. (They also rode their Harley Davisons.)

 

“While staying in Maggie Valley, we visited the “Wheels Through Time Museum” which features hundreds of antique motorcycles and antique cars. If you like motorcycles this is the place to see.

 

“We also rode the notorious ( to motorcycle enthusiasts) “Dragon” in Deal’s Cap North Carolina, an 11 mile stretch of road that contains 318 curves – this is a white knuckle ride!

 

“OK – back to Seth Barton and his world travels!

 

                     From Gary Gronroos

 

Ed.Note- Thanks Gary. See Members- we will print just about any news!

You also see that Gary is a YOUNG Retiree!

 

Seth- We enjoy your letters and are waiting for a report on your last trip!

 

 

 

FLORIDA REUNION “SHAPES UP” FOR THE “WEST COAST ON FEBRUARY 13th!

 

Reports are being received from our Florida contact - Frank Wegel - that the Florida Reunion will be held on the west coast of Florida this year at Bonita Fairways in Bonita Springs on Tuesday February 13, 2007.

 

Cliff Heckman (Materials) has been working on preliminary arrangements for the event- not easy when you are residing in New Jersey during the summer months, and checked out the Bonita Springs site at the recommendation of Fergie Reeves (Procurement). Frank reports that Cliff visited at least 25 possible sites, and had a drink in each one of them. It’s time to stop Cliff.

 

The menu will be a great buffet including soup thru dessert, and as always, at a very reasonable price. Bonita Springs Fairways Golf is an executive course and playing it is an option available to DOTRA reunion attendees, reservations required.

 

We are hopefully expecting a great turn out of West Coast Florida members who have been requesting a change in venue from the East Coast to make the event available to them.

 

Directions are fairly simple for “old highway people” who can use a map! Take I-75 , and it is ten/twelve miles south of Fort Myers. At Exit 116, go west on Bonita Beach Road , then north on old US 41 to West Terry Street. Make a left to the Bonita Springs Fairways Golf Course.

 

(Good Luck! We traveled with Frank in Europe and still cannot figure out how he managed to get us circling around the Arc de Triomphe in rush hour grid lock.)

 

Contact Frank now. Guests are welcome too!

 

Frank Wegel at 772-388-3991

8060 142^nd Street Sebastian FL 32958

                     or

Email - fwegel@bellsouth.com

 

 

HERE AND THERE

                                           By Dot Andres

 

We’d like to meet and hear about some of those good things you are doing! Participate in the fun and share your lives with the rest of us.

 

Our Holiday Party in December had a great turnout of DOTRA members and guests. We can always count on our “regulars” to support our events and we wish to thank them for their continued support. Nice to see that we had a few former Commissioners among our DOTRA members who were there. Bob Innocenzi, Jack Lettiere, Al Ari, and Jim Snyder- all retired but continuing to work as “consultants.” Helen Giba (Administration) was there also and gives some history to our organization, starting with the Department back in Dwight Palmer’s reign.

 

Some of our earlier retirees were recognized -Andy Cella (ROW) and wife Janice were there and reminded us that he has been retired the longest among the group there . Sante Falvo (Construction) and Maria were there , now living part-time in Mercer County and Naples FL. Adrian and Anna Lincoln were there leading a group from ROW. Support Services continues its role and has an excellent reputation for supporting our social functions – Ralph Hartman, Bill Amerine, John Troiani, and Phil Vecere

 

A group of our more recent retirees were there-

Janet and Frank Stia, Frank and Terri Palise, Wayne and Toni Smith, Art and Ann Egan, all with Materials affiliations, and Art Eisdorfer (Design/ Planning). Our Harley-Davison representative - Gary Gronroos and wife Carol (Design –Survey) were visible with the Design group attendees.

 

Also, Sue Case (Gary’s wife) Doris Jones (Ed’s wife) were with old friends from the Design group and nice to see Mary Thompson (Traffic Engr) and Wilma Gruzlovic (Associate Member) there with their DOTRA friends

 

Learned that Carl Breccia and wife Mary (C&M) celebrated a big 50^th anniversary recently with a party and cruise in the Caribbean. The Christmas holidays brought a number of people back home. Saw Marie Cleary (Joe’s wife) who is still living in Sandford, NC and looks forward to keeping in touch by receiving the DOTLine.

 

Our DOTRA Mail Box included some notes- Anita White (ROW) wrote from Freehold- always looks forward to reading DOTRA and getting information on former co-workers. Would like to see a Luncheon held in Monmouth County in the future. Anyone willing to set this up? Give one of our Directors a call now! Richard Frank (Electrical) writes that he will be in Palm Springs Florida for 5 months this winter- maybe we will see you at the Florida Reunion? Mike Gross (C&M) sends Greetings from Florida where there is no snow! Hey Mike, there hasn’t been any/much in NJ yet either. Mike is now living in Boynton Beach FL. Norma Spleid (Electrical-Region 1) writes from Sun City California. Norma retired in 1989 and sends best wishes to her former co-workers and “hopes all are well, fine and dandy.”

 

Evelyn Medley (C&M) is living in Princeton and has been retired since 2002, after 34 years .She hasn’t been able to do any traveling as she’s taking care of her sick brother, “I hope soon I will be able to travel and even be on a cruise with some of the retirees.” Look forward to seeing you there Evelyn.

 

Marie Beatty sent a note- Marie worked in the Office of State Highway Engineer- Otto Fritzche. Now there is a name for some of the old-timers to recall!

 

Got a call from Patel Navinchandra (Bridge Design) requesting info on our Florida Reunion. His son has his practice in the Fort Meyers area and he frequently spends his vacations here when not in India. Hope to see you there.

 

And Art Eisdorfer (Design/ Planning) one of our more recent retirees , writes that “every day is now a vacation day.” Art has been spending many of his days traveling around the country. There was one bad one in Palm Springs California where he had emergency intestinal surgery and a one week trip lasted into two weeks. “If you are going to be ill, Palm Springs is the place to recover.” Since then Art has been traveling back and forth to the Fort Lauderdale area. We hear that Art doesn’t remember working for the NJDOT anymore.

 

My, how fast we forget!

 

 

 

Does this sound like anyone you know?

 

          What’s the biggest gripe of retirees?

                     There is not enough time to get everything done.

          Why don’t retirees mind being called Seniors?

                     The term comes with a 10% Discount

          What is the common term for someone who enjoys work and refuses to retire?

                     NUTS!

          Why are retirees so slow to clean out their basements, garages,etc.?

                     As soon as they do, one of their adult kids will want to store stuff there.

 

       Thanks to Hazel Rockhill for sharing these with us.

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