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Post by gearofzanzibar on Jun 21, 2008 19:00:13 GMT -5
Correct me if I'm wrong here, but road maintenance and paving within the city of Utica is handled by the DPW, right? And this is one of their normal responsibilities?
The reason I ask is that Mr. Roefaro is claiming he's using a private firm to "monitor" paving operations in the city. Since, as far as I know, the DPW is assumed to have competent management this seems a little odd, as well as needlessly expensive. Is this something that's even allowed under union rules?
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Post by Clipper on Jun 21, 2008 20:30:22 GMT -5
Unless things have changed in the last couple of years Gear, the city is not capable of doing blacktop paving. They patch and repair streets, but they contract paving to a blacktop contractor. It has been that way ever since I was a kid in the 50's and 60's. I remember a company called "Midstate Roads" doing a lot of the work when I was a kid.
To the best of my knowledge the city doesn't have adequate equipment to support a major repaving job. It takes a constant flow of trucks and quite a bit of manpower to make a paving job "flow" at an efficient rate, and it is cheaper to hire a contractor than to maintain the specialized equipment to do it themselves.
I could be wrong. Maybe Ralph or someone that is living in the city presently can more accurately address your question.
By the way. I am enjoying the blog. LOL. Keeps me on the edge of my chair not being able to jump in and respond, hahaha!
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Post by gearofzanzibar on Jun 21, 2008 22:59:43 GMT -5
Unless things have changed in the last couple of years Gear, the city is not capable of doing blacktop paving. They patch and repair streets, but they contract paving to a blacktop contractor. It has been that way ever since I was a kid in the 50's and 60's. I remember a company called "Midstate Roads" doing a lot of the work when I was a kid. To the best of my knowledge the city doesn't have adequate equipment to support a major repaving job. It takes a constant flow of trucks and quite a bit of manpower to make a paving job "flow" at an efficient rate, and it is cheaper to hire a contractor than to maintain the specialized equipment to do it themselves. I could be wrong. Maybe Ralph or someone that is living in the city presently can more accurately address your question. By the way. I am enjoying the blog. LOL. Keeps me on the edge of my chair not being able to jump in and respond, hahaha! Thanks. I assumed DPW handled patch jobs, but I didn't realize full street paving was farmed out. BTW, I've turned on comments for about a week now. So far it hasn't been too bad, but I do go back and shut them off after a few days. For some reason there's a high-performance racing gear spammer that homes in on my name and that avoids the worst of the comment spam. |
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Post by Ralph on Jun 23, 2008 0:34:31 GMT -5
The DPW/City still does farm out the street paving, but...... Several years ago they did purchase a paving machine capable of laying down a decent strip of hot top, about the width of a driveway if I remember correctly. The idea was to train the guys to use it so they could repair some of the streets that hadn't gone completely into the crapper yet. They even talked about using Barnes Ave. to play with it on. But I have not seen it since the first year it was purchased. They also have a special truck attachment that is capable of dispensing hot liquid asphalt sealer so that they can go around and seal the seams in the roads, such as the Parkway, to prevent water from getting in and doing more damage.......bought it to go along with the paver. I have actually seen that machine...it does exist!!! These were not cheap, but Lord only knows if they are being used now and even where they might be. Having an outside source monitor the city streets for paving is a lot like letting the fox monitor the hen house so he can tell you if the chickens need to lay more eggs for him for breakfast.  |
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Post by stoney on Jul 5, 2008 18:49:44 GMT -5
If you have a scanner, listen to the DPW on 156.620. They can reaally be a hoot to listen to.
~~Stoney, who is amused easily
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Post by dgriffin on Jul 5, 2008 19:49:55 GMT -5
If the guys are like the drivers and helpers down here, they know their wives and sweethearts are listening and tend to ham it up. This used to happen in the fire department until everyone was told to knock it off.
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Post by stoney on Jul 6, 2008 9:00:08 GMT -5
Actually, Dave, they sound like the Keystone Cops.  |
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Post by Ralph on Jul 6, 2008 23:58:23 GMT -5
You got that right Stoney.............mentally challenged Keystone Cops!!
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Post by stoney on Jul 7, 2008 11:52:43 GMT -5
Just now, 2 of the guys were talking about another guy having "Swamp Ass".
Only in Utica, folks.
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Post by nhcitizen18 on Jul 7, 2008 15:56:41 GMT -5
Is there a list somewhere that indicates which streets in the city have priority for paving? I have always been curious about that. Two Utica streets that I travel on a relatively frequent basis - the bottom of Higby Road and parts of French road have been in really bad shape for years. It would be interesting to see which streets are being paved ahead of those.
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Post by Ralph on Jul 7, 2008 17:03:16 GMT -5
This years streets scheduled to be paved:
Street - Limits
Albany St. - City Line to Pond Lane
Booth St. - Buchanan Rd. to Dawes Ave
Conkling Ave. - Eagle St. to Arthur St.
Craig Ave. - Merriline Ave. to Lawrence St.
Crouse St. - Tilden Ave. to Ontario St.
Elmdale Ave. - Deerfield Dr. E to North End
Mapledale Ave. - Elmdale Dr. to Roseclair Dr.
Mapledale Ave. - Elmhurst Dr. to Jeanette Dr.
Nob Rd. - Ty Pl. to W. End
Square St. - Seymour Ave. to Conkling Ave.
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Post by dgriffin on Jul 7, 2008 20:58:13 GMT -5
the bottom of Higby Road and parts of French road have been in really bad shape for years. Ha Ha! I remember falling off my bicycle in 1955 after a moment's inattention caused me to slam into a pothole coming down the hill on Higby Rd. Skinned my arm up to my shoulder! So you're correct about the road being in need of repair for years. |
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Post by wilum47 on Jul 8, 2008 8:22:55 GMT -5
the bottom of Higby Road and parts of French road have been in really bad shape for years. Ha Ha! I remember falling off my bicycle in 1955 Good thing we wore those knee pads and helmets back then eh? |
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Post by dgriffin on Jul 8, 2008 19:34:27 GMT -5
Yeah, right! Most of our parents would be arrested for neglect and child abuse today.
You've probably seen this: Don't remember where I found it, maybe here!
I Can't Believe We Made It!
According to today's regulators and bureaucrats, those of us who were kids in the 30's, 40's, 50's, 60's, 70's or even the early 80's, probably shouldn't have survived. Our baby cribs were covered with bright colored lead-based paint. We had no childproof lids or locks on medicine bottles, doors, or cabinets, and when we rode our bikes, we had no helmets. Not to mention the risks we took hitchhiking ...
As children, we would ride in cars with no seat belts or air bags. Riding in the back of a pickup truck on a warm day was always a special treat. We drank water from the garden hose and not from a bottle. Horrors! We ate cupcakes, bread and butter, and drank soda pop with sugar in it, but we were never overweight because we were always outside playing. We shared one soft drink with four friends , from one bottle, and no one actually died from this.
We would spend hours building our go-carts out of scraps and then rode down the hill, only to find out we forgot the brakes. After running into the bushes a few times, we learned to solve the problem. We would leave home in the morning and play all day , as long as we were back when the street lights came on. No one was able to reach us all day. No cell phones. Unthinkable! We did not have Playstations, Nintendo 64, X-Boxes, no video games at all, no 99 channels on cable, video tape movies, surround sound, personal cell phones, personal computers, or Internet chat rooms.
We had friends! We went outside and found them. We played dodge ball, and sometimes, the ball would really hurt. We fell out of trees, got cut and broke bones and teeth, and there were no lawsuits from these accidents. They were accidents. No one was to blame but us. Remember accidents? We had fights and punched each other and got black and blue and learned to get over it. We made up games with sticks and tennis balls and, although we were told it would happen, we did not put out any eyes.
We rode bikes or walked to a friend's home and knocked on the door, or rang the bell or just walked in and talked to them. Little League had tryouts and not everyone made the team. Those who didn't had to learn to deal with disappointment. Some students weren't as smart as others, so they failed a grade and were held back to repeat the same grade. Horrors! Tests were not adjusted for any reason. Our actions were our own. Consequences were expected. The idea of parents bailing us out if we got in trouble in school or broke a law was unheard of. They actually sided with the school or the law. Imagine that!
This generation has produced some of the best risk-takers, problem solvers, and inventors, ever. We had freedom, failure, success, and responsibility --- and we learned how to deal with it. And you're one of them!
Congratulations. Please pass this on to others who have had the luck to grow up as kids before lawyers and government regulated our lives for our own good !!!
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Post by Swimmy on Jul 9, 2008 13:34:32 GMT -5
I remember reading this a while ago, but it never grows old. I was one of those early 80s kids and can relate to much of it. I think I was 8 or 9 when the original NES came out, my parents would not let my brother and I play it until after dinner, and only for an hour. Many in my generation, however, fall into the later category of lazy, unmotivated, always-dependent-on-mommy-and-daddy kiddies.
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