This year's National Work Zone Awareness Week (NWZAW) kicks off April 27 with the theme, “Drive Safe. Work Safe. Save Lives.”

The themed poster commemorating this year's awareness week features a vehicle driving along a winding road surrounded by work zone technologies that make work zones safer for workers and motorists.

The poster reminds everyone to:

Drive Safe: A reminder that work zones need everyone’s undivided attention. When approaching a work zone, motorists should always slow down, follow all posted signs, be alert, and remain calm. Risky driving behavior affects more than just the driver – everyone’s lives and families are at stake.

Work Safe: Technology is helping to make work zones safer by collecting data and automating processes, which can remove workers from dangerous situations and provide motorists with important information. It is also a reminder that work zone safety begins with workers who are dedicated to safety.

Save Lives: If we ALL work together, we can achieve zero deaths on our roads and in our work zones!

The Ottawa County Road Commission asks all motorists to do their part to maintain a safe construction work environment this upcoming construction season.

For more information about NWZAW, please visit http://www.nwzaw.org/.

As we count down the days until we begin our 2021 construction projects, you should know that there's a new way to keep up-to-date with all of the work we have planned.

An interactive, online dashboard has been developed containing all of the useful information you need to know about this summer's county road and infrastructure work.

The online dashboard includes:

• A complete list of both county road and county bridge/drainage projects.
• A map of where each county project is located.
  • Click on a county project from the project list and the map will zoom in on its location, revealing additional information about the work taking place.
• A breakdown of how many projects of each type are taking place in each township.
• Information that tracks how many county road and bridge/drainage projects are completed so far.

Please be sure to bookmark the county project dashboard and visit it often. We plan to update the information on a regular basis. We hope you find this new tool useful!

If you have any comments or suggestions for additional information to be displayed in future versions of the dashboard, please contact OCRC Communications Administrator Alex Doty.

For information about MDOT road projects, visit their online MI Drive project information map.

Spring cleaning is a great way to declutter your home.

But make sure you dispose of all household garbage properly when you clean out excess housewares and other trash.

Placing items along the side of the road is illegal, not to mention unsightly. If you are caught dumping garbage along the roadside, you could face penalties.

State Law classifies improper disposal of garbage as a misdemeanor with fines up to $500 and/or 90 days incarceration.

We’re pleased to welcome Heather VanVleet to the OCRC staff.

VanVleet joins the organization as the new OCRC Finance Coordinator. She officially started working with us on Monday, March 15.

Born and raised in the Grand Haven area, VanVleet moved away and raised her 2 sons in the Hesperia area. Once her youngest son graduated high school, she then moved back to the area.

VanVleet said she is excited to work for the OCRC and with a public organization, and also said her accounting degree and job experience in similar roles will help her ease into the new position.

A fun fact about VanVleet: Her grandfather used to work for the OCRC, and her grandmother also delivered mail in the area.

In her spare time, VanVleet noted that she likes hiking, walking, going to her parents’ home to vacation in Florida and reading books.

Ottawa County Public Utilities Director Pat Staskiewicz has been named to a county board tapped at investigating countywide groundwater issues.

The new Ottawa County Groundwater Board is comprised of 15 members who will provide policy recommendations and help develop regulatory standards to protect and conserve this vital resource.

In addition to Pat, other board members include:

• Greg DeJong, County Commissioner, District 8
• Matthew Fenske, Vice Chair Commissioner, District 9
• Adam Elenbaas, Supervisor, Allendale Charter Township
• Kevin Peters, Supervisor, Blendon Township
• Alan D. Steinman, Ph.D, Allen & Helen Hunting Director & Professor, GVSU Annis Water Resources Institute
• John A. Yellich, Director, Michigan Geological Survey
• Steve Hecksel, Proprietor, Hecksel Bros. Well Drilling, LLC
• Megan Boos, Executive Director, Ottawa Conservation District
• Dale Buist, Owner, Countryside Greenhouse
• Travis Williams, Chief Executive Officer, Outdoor Discovery Center
• Angela Brown, Director of Facilities Management, Ottawa Area Intermediate School District
• Dale Zahn, Chief Executive Officer, West Michigan Lakeshore Association of Realtors
• John Truscott, Chief Executive Officer, Truscott Rossman
• Dave Kraker, Retired (Kent County Environmental Health)

This board will help guide the County’s efforts to effectively manage our precious groundwater resources into the future in collaboration with the County’s Planning & Performance Improvement Department.