DOTRA'S ... DotLine ...

I would estimate that 25% of our members are now Life Members. NO MORE DUES. If you are going to be moving soon, please give DOTRA your new address. Some members give it to the post office and when we send out their DOTLINE, we get it back from the post office with either nothing on it or forwarding order expired. I have tried getting the new address from pensions. Sometimes I get them, sometimes I don't. It makes it impossible to mail your copy of of DOTLINE to you or it doubles the cost of sending it to you.

I attended the 8th annual Florida reunion at Rockledge Country Club in February. Over 50 retirees and their guests attended. I got to see a lot of old friends that I knew when we all worked for the NJDOT. Some of the retirees drove over from the west coast of Florida, North Carolina and New Jersey. I thank all the retirees that attended the affair. Next year will be the 9th annual reunion in Florida during the second week in February on the 11th.Mark your calendars now. Attend it.

DOTRA will be making some changes in our By-Laws. We are going to publish these changes in DOTLINE. You can get a copy of the existing By-Laws at our WebSite or send a request to DOTRA- PO BOX 77160, West Trenton, NJ 08628.

I enjoyed my first two years as President. I hope that I did not step on too many toes during those two years. If possible, I would like to continue.

DOTRA BY-LAWS TO BE AMENDED

At recent DOTRA Executive Board meetings, there was considerable discussion regarding the language for inclusion of LIFE MEMBERSHIP to Article X - Dues and Assessments of the DOTRA By-Laws. It was determined that "Life Member status shall be offered to members at a cost of $75 if they are in good standing and all previous years dues have been paid." To accomplish this transition, any member who does not have current dues paid and wishes to apply for Life Member status will have until June 1, 2002 to apply. After that date, all back dues must be paid before a Life Member application will be approved.

Accordingly, the By-Laws on annual dues are unchanged - Article X- Section 1- "The annual dues shall be ten (10) dollars or as designated by resolution adopted by the Board and shall be collected by the Treasurer upon enrollment and no later than the thirty-first day of January each succeeding fiscal year."

CALL FOR NOMINATIONS !!!

Terms for Directors are for 3 year periods and expire on June 30th of the appropriate year. Officers are elected by the Board of Directors every two (2) years at the September meeting. DOTRA is requesting that anyone interested in serving on the Executive Board as a Director or Officer, or knowing someone who would be willing to work with this great organization, should contact the Chairman of the Nominating Committee Don Hutchinson at 609-585-9329. or send the nominations to Don's attention to the DOTRA 77160 West Trenton NJ 08628 by May 31st.

SPRING BUS TRIP

Fran Geurds and Jim Springstead, DOTRA's new Social Co-Chairmen have announced a bus trip to the Fiesta Theater in Wood-Ridge to see "Grandpa Stole My Girlfriend" . The ticket costs $50 and includes a full dinner, transportation and the show. See the attached flyer and respond by May 15th if interested.

SAVE WEDNESDAY JUNE 5TH
DOTRA'S 11th ANNIVERSARY LUNCHEON

Dotra 's 11th Anniversary Luncheon Celebration is scheduled to be held at Roman Hall on June 5th . Chairman Adrian Lincoln has planned a great menu choice for our members. The Anniversary Lunch is one of our popular social events. Reservations must be returned by May 30th. See the attached flyer and send it in today !!

DOTRA BOARD MEETINGS

DOTRA BOARD MEETINGS ARE HELD MONTHLY ON THE FIRST TUESDAY OF THE MONTH.

DOTRA will hold its next regular Monthly meeting on Tuesday, May 7, 2002

First Tuesday of the Month
Eddies Eatery
628 Arena Drive, Hamilton Twp.
609-888-1414.

Dutch treat lunch at 11:30 - 12:30
Meeting starts promptly at 12:30

All members are welcome!!

Future Meetings -

Tuesday, June 4, 2002
Tuesday, August 6, 2002

NEW MEMBERS CORNER

We welcome the following retirees and spouses who have recently joined the DOTRA organization:

Patrick M. Yanucil   Hamilton Square, NJ   Construction and Maintenance (40 Years)
Robert Micai   Clermont, Florida   Construction and Maintenance
Josephine Kanda    Ewing, NJ    (Associate Member)Wife of Joe Kanda -Planning

LIFE MEMBERS REPORT

Since January 1st,2002 the following DOTRA members have renewed as Life Members:

Herbie Beatty   Washington, NJ   Health Services
Fred Bogdan   Trenton, NJ   Design
Albert Compton   Lambertville, NJ   Sign Shop
Dennis Katzara   Piscataway, NJ   Equipement
Michael Marut   Concord, VA   Maintenance
Nicholas Mina   Jersey City, NJ   Maintenance
Joseph McGee   Hamilton Sq., NJ   Laboratory.
Alan Nass   Reading, VT   Maintenance
Dolores Neuman   Trenton, NJ   Construction & Maintenance
John Nolan   Hobe Sound, FL   Inv. Svc.
James Pittman   Pennington, NJ   Construction & Maintenance
Joan Schonwald   Ewing, NJ   Construction & Maintenance
Wally Schonwald   Ewing, NJ   Construction & Maintenance
Ed Stella   Hamilton Sq., NJ   Construction & Maintenance
Matin Van Riper   Lake Arrowhead,CA    Construction
Frank Wegel   Sebastian, FL   Materials
Robert Wilcox   Oceanport, NJ   Planning

SPRING LUNCHEON A BIG SUCCESS
Joe and Marion Bodnar, Co-chairpersons

On Wednesday March 13th, seventy seven DOTRA members and guests attended the Spring Luncheon held at The Country House on Route 530 in Pemberton. Although it "rained on our parade" that day, members and guests enjoyed not only the social hour, but also the delicious food served by gracious and pleasant waitresses. A very enjoyable time was had by all.

CHAPLAIN'S REPORT
By Guy LoBue

We would like to be informed of any retiree who is ill, those who are in the hospital, anyone confined to their home, or any retiree who needs help in one form or another. Please call or send a note to Guy at 609-585-4979 or write to 19 Mount Avenue, Hamilton, NJ 08620.

Recent Obituaries:

Ellen P. Mathis (81) MVS ?
Wayne Tusing (91) DOT ?
Daniel J. Puliti, Sr. (87) DOT 1979
John "Ted" Kiselewiicz (76) DOT 1987
Irma Berrien (88) MVS ?
Rose Pennacchi Pannone (76) MVS 2000
Bernard H. O'Keefe (79) DOT 1992
Anna M. Galayda (93) DOT 1975
Steven S. Ryba (80) DOT ?
Geraldine L. Majeski (73) MVS ?
Laraine F. Dobronte (78) DOT ?
Arthue J.DeBronzo (87) DOT ?
Lucy A. Swen (74) MVS 1989
Mary Cunningham (84) DOT 1975
Helen D. Waraksy (85) DOT 1982
Frank DeBoskey Jr. (71) DOT 1990
Sallye J. Youth (69) MVS ?
Bridget C. Marolda (90) MVS 1970
Bernard Localio (85) DOT ?

Recuperating at home:

We often hear of someone having been ill and hopefully are well on the way to better health by the time we publish our quarterly issue of DOTLine. We are sure that Charles Peak (Materials) would like to hear some cheery news from his DOTRA friends. Cards can be sent to 279 Washington St. Perth Amboy,NJ 07761. Also, Walter Edge (ROW) is presently at a nursing home but notes can be sent to his home at 96 Pennsylvania Ave., Trenton NJ 08638.

DOTRA EXECUTIVE BOARD
OFFICERS

PRES.-Dick Hobson
1st VP -Guy LoBue
2nd VP- Walter Gable
TREAS -Frank Herrera
REC.SEC-Hazel Rockhill
CORRES.SEC-Dee Wisneski

DIRECTORS

Joseph Bodnar      Dolores Murphy
Mary Stafford      Don Hutchinson
Wilma Gruzlovic       Peg Wieger
Chet Andres       Fran Geurds
Adrian Lincoln

COMMITTEES

CHAPLAIN - Guy LoBue
MEMBERSHIP - Chet & Dot Andres
BY-LAWS - Chet Andres
HISTORIAN - Wilma Gruzlovic
ACTIVITIES - Fran Geurds & Jim Springstead
DOTLINE - Dot Andres & Dee Wisneski
WEBSITE- Kristina Erin Kaye 609-918-0603

DOTRA's ON THE INTERNET!!

Our DOTRA Website can be accessed at:

http://www.dotra.org or if you're really good ... just type >>> dotra.org <<<

Dial in and let us know how you like it. We would like your input. Also, members have indicated a desire to contact DOTRA members via e-mail messages. Record your e-mail address with DOTRA via the Web Site.

NJDOT RESEARCH LIBRARY ALERT !!

The NJDOT Research Library is attempting to rebuild its Library collection of "older transportation-related materials and publications". A letter from NJDOT Librarian Carol Paszamant has been received requesting former NJDOT employees and retirees to look through their work- related "junk" and prior to tossing it out, give her a call at 609-530-5289 . Or, send her an e-mail at carol.paszamant@dot.state.nj.us . Your "junk" may be a valuable inclusion in the NJDOT Library and if they can't use it, they will find it a new home. Older editions of Association journals and publications are welcome to fill in missing editions.

The NJDOT Library collection is in the process of being catalogued into the State Library system and can be viewed on-line in the State Library catalog at http://www.njstatelib.org .

HISTORIAN'S CORNER
By Wilma Gruzlovic

Looking Back 30 Years Ago to the First Breakaway Sign
Excerpted from "Transporter", September 1976 issue

"In 1969 the Department successfully tested its life-saving breakaway sign post at Fernwood. Later, full scale testing was completed at the Cornell Aeronaurical Laboratory in Buffalo, NY. The coupling device of the breakaway sign permits large signs struck by automobiles to beak away without damage to vehicles or injury to their occupants.

Early this year, Commissioner Alan Sagner announced that the design of the Department's breakaway sign post would be available free of charge to all states. The FHWA said the Department is to be "highly commended for this important contribution to the field of highway safety" and expressed special appreciation tfor Commissioner Sagner's personal involvement in making the breakaway unit widely available without charge.

In New Jersey last year, almost one-third of all fatal accidents involved fixed objects. This represents 82 percent of all single motor vehicle fatal accidents. New Jersey has been a pioneer in road building since the 1600's, during which time the first public road act was formulated to provide a road from Middletown to Piscataway.

America's first hard-surfaced road is reported to have been built partly in New Jersey by the Dutch prior to 1664. It passed through Warren and Sussex counties linking the famed Pahaquarry Mines with Kingston, New York, more than 100 miles apart. Other "firsts" for the State and the Department include: jughandles, designed to improve safety of cross-traffic turns; concrete center barriers, rail lighting; non-glare low-level illumination for bridges; frangible signal and light poles, made of breakaway aluminum to help reduce fatalities and vehicular damage."

Editors Note: We know some of you "pioneers " are still out there and have been involved in some of NJ's firsts. Congratulations and thanks to you all!

Only in America…...

Why can a pizza get to your house faster than an ambulance?

Why do drugstores make the sick walk all the way to the back of the store to get their Rx while healthy people can buy cigarettes up front?

Why do banks leave both doors to the vault open and then chain their pens to the counters?

Why do we leave our expensive cars in the driveway and put our useless junk in the garage?

Why do people order double cheese burgers, french fries, and a diet coke?

Why do they have drive-up ATM machines with braille lettering?

Why do we use answering machines to screen calls and then have call waiting so we won't miss a call from someone we didn't want to talk to in the first place?

Only In America !!

8TH FLORIDA REUNION A BIG SUCCESS !!

On Tuesday February 12th, a sunny day in Rockledge Florida, a group of happy DOTRA retirees were gathered. Thanks to the planning of Frank and Kathy Wegel and Shirley Birkhead Pierce, a very successful reunion of NJDOT retirees from Florida and beyond was held. It was great to see all those Florida and southern state residents who are unable to attend our New Jersey social activities.

The Construction Division was again well represented. Marie and Sante Falvo drove over from Naples, Florida. Catherine and Maury Guadagno drove down from Daytona Beach, as did Dave Quaid. All looking terrific after so many years of retirement ! George Kook (Design) drove up from Greenacres,FL with NJ buddy Don Hutchinson (Design). Did you know that George went to High School with celebrities Burt Reynolds and George Hamilton ??

Joan and Rick Fugaro (MVS) drove over from nearby Titusville,FL and Loretta and Charlie Zweigle (EQT) live in nearby Orlando. John Nolan (Commissioner's Office), still going strong, drove up from Hobe Sound with fiancee Rada. Peg and Bob Micai(C&M) were at their first Florida reunion, driving over from Clermont. Both Bob and Peg are "cast members" at Disney World and keep very active with their interesting part-time positions and keeping up with their visitors!

Construction retirees, Dave Benoist of Vero Beach was there with perennial visitor Ted Hamler, now a Belvidere, New Jersy resident again. Dave Benoist cannot let go of his former life. Active in the ministry since moving to Florida, Dave is very busy with the construction of the Emmanuel Baptist Church in Vero Beach. Noticing one day that there was a partially constructed church building in Vero that was abandoned, he went to work to resurrect interest in construction of the building as well as the church community. He has accomplished both and the primary building is almost completed and there are hopes for expansion to accommodate the rapid population growth in Vero. A wonderful tribute to Dave's accomplishments were published in the Vero Beach News.

Peg and Mike Busketa (Electrical) have been at all Florida reunions and now live in nearby Summerfield. Another foursome who attend all the Florida reunions were Jim and Trude Hart (Data Processing) and Ernie and Ruth Zasoski (Accident Records) They all drove up from Palm Beach Springs. Trude and Jim spend part of their year in Cape Cod. Betty and Frank Roy (Data Resources ) are residents of Stuart FL but still visit and attend DOTRA functions in NJ. Betty and Chuck Bernasco (Design) are looking great and came over from Umatilla in the center of Florida.

Marie and Joe Cleary (Eqt) scheduled their annual trip to Florida purposely to attend the Reunion. Now living in Sandford North Carolina, they are happy and settled in to their new residence. DOTRA President Dick Hobson and wife Ceil drove down from New Jersey for the event. Dick briefly addressed the group and distributed DOTRA pins to those who had not yet received them. By the way, if you haven't received your pin, contact Dick directly!! And then there were the group of annual snowbirds who flock to Florida for the winter months of the year - Stan and Doris Friedman (Maint) who migrate from Ewing to Cape Coral annually; Frank Scarpati (C&M) who migrates between Seaside Heights and Florida . Right of Way was represented by Barbara and Jack Wauters as well as Adolph Stepowany and Marie, representing Civil Rights Office, as well. Jack missed last years reunion because of by-pass surgery, but looks terrific today! The Andres were there from New Smyrna Beach.

And lastly there was the contingent from the Sebastian area- Al Alaimo (C&M) and friend Lisa, Kathy (Materials) and Frank Wegel (Materials). What a great job Frank did organizing and contacting people. It is wonderful also that Shirley Birkhead Pierce provides for DOTRA the perfect meeting place for our members to gather annually. After picture taking and goodbyes, we scattered around the south and points north , looking forward to the next meeting on Tuesday February 11th, 2003 !!!

HERE AND THERE
By Dot Andres

Thanks to so many of you out there, our DOTRA mailbox has been overflowing with notes accompanying your renewal checks! Nice to hear from so many of you that you enjoy reading the DotLine and reading about your former co-workers.

Received a nice note from Esther Peak, wife of Charles (Materials). Esther writes that Charles has been under the weather recently so keep him in your prayers. They both send their warmest regards to all the nice people at DOTRA. Also, a short note from Joe Combs (Personnel) now living up in Connecticut and whose activities have been somewhat curtailed this winter. Bob Fitzpatrick (ROW) and wife Mary have moved to Columbus,NJ and wants to be remembered to the DOTRA people. Norma Spleid (Electrical), is out there in sunny California and .."always looks forward to the next issue of DotLine." Nice to hear from you Norma! Richard Phillips(Office of Safety) writes,"I've wintered in at my place in Hilton Head, SC since 1994, and am still picking up ships out of Port Savannah. Will return to NJ sometime in May- havin' fun! John "Mike" Hanlon (Support Services) and wife Jan down in Cape Coral send their regards to all. Sante Falvo (Const) and wife Maria are in Naples Florida. Sante sends "Sentimental greetings and best wishes of good health to all my co-workers." Sante and Maria are regular attendees at the DOTRA Reunion annually. Rita Cunningham ( Traffic Engrg) says, "Keep up the good work on luncheons and trips." Rita hopes to get back to attending DOTRA functions soon.

Eleanor Diehl (Health Services) writes to say that she keeps in touch with some of the retirees from the Region 2 Newark office. She mentions Region 2's Mary Cerra (Electrical) and Joe Mulholland (Health Services) are doing fine. Dominic Tassone (Equipment/ Region 4) writes, "February and March we will be spending our winter vacation at their place in Hallandale, FL. Keep up the good work!" Rockledge isn't that far from Hallandale, Dominic! See you next year? Mike Marut (Maintenance) writes from his home in Concord ,Virginia. "Keep the news coming, great to hear from you. A touch of back home." Adrian Lincoln (ROW) is recovering after a heart attack earlier this winter but is now back to his normal activities as a DOTRA Director. Another of our DOTRA Directors, Peg Wieger (Maint) and husband George are back to normal activities again! Good to see their familiar faces again at DOTRA activities. Good to hear from Pete Hollis (Eqt). Pete is one of our perennial attendees at DOTRA events so when he doesn't show up, we get concerned.

Wintering in Florida allows Chet and I to reconnect with former co-workers while here. Recently spent the weekend with Frank and Kathy Wegel (Materials), fun fishing in the surf at New Smyrna Beach while cautiously watching for those infamous black shark fins which occasionally show up around the Inlet. Yes, there was a surfer bitten that afternoon ! Frank and Chet had a short visit with Nick Nicu (GeoTech Engrg) who lives in nearby Spruce Creek Fly-In.

Keep sending your news to us. Everyone wants to hear from you !!!

HAVE YOU NOTICED THAT DOTRA DOES NOT PUBLISH ADDRESSES OR TELEPHONE NUMBERS?

We always strive to protect our membership from "junk mail" or unsolicited mail and therefore never have distributed our Membership List. However, we know that you may want to re-connect with former coworkers and do not know how to contact them. Just send us your written request, along with person's name and last work location. We will do our best to locate them and we'll send your note to them to contact you directly.