For the second time in four years, the Woonsocket State Department of Transportation (DOT) shop earned the statewide Shipshape Award. The Woonsocket State DOT shop staff received their award from the State in Sioux Falls on Sept. 29. 

The State DOT hands out an annual Shipshape Award to reward units who keep their maintenance yards clean and orderly. The award is given to one maintenance unit in each of the four regions of the state, and this year’s winner for this region is the Woonsocket location and crew.

Each of the four Region Engineers of the State DOT nominates two or three shops in their region for the region award. Once each region winner is announced and awarded their certificate, one plaque is awarded for the “Outstanding Maintenance Unit Statewide” to the maintenance unit with the highest individual score statewide, and this year’s recipient of the statewide award is the Woonsocket unit.

The award was started in 1988 in preparation for South Dakota’s 1989 Centennial celebration as an incentive to get workers to clean up their shop yards and show pride in their unit for that event, and the tradition has just continued for the same reasons.

Mike Kogel, Woonsocket’s Lead Maintenance worker, has stated that the Woonsocket unit has earned the region Shipshape Award a few times, but to receive the Outstanding Maintenance Unit Statewide Award is quite an honor. Now that they have earned the statewide award twice, the Woonsocket crew can still be proud that their hard work and dedication has been acknowledged.

…See a picture in this week’s issue of the Sanborn Weekly Journal!