Inside KDOT: Tracy Eaton has a hidden talent under the orange hat

Tracy Eaton, Equipment Operator for the Concordia Subarea

By Ashley Tammen, Public Affairs Manager for north central Kansas

When we think of the equipment operators here at KDOT we probably picture them in an orange vest and hat working hard on the roads but overlook their other skills, hobbies, or talents they may have. One of those hidden talents was found in District Two in Concordia.

Tracy Eaton's mixed media drawing of an angry snow plow moving snow, Snow Matter.

The Concordia Subarea employees and Supervisor, David Casper, discovered their coworker, Tracy Eaton, had been coming into work early every morning before getting to work so he could draw pictures. Tracy Eaton’s pictures were not just paper sketches that any person could draw but rather artistic artwork he had created of KDOT equipment and more. Tracy enjoys drawing and says he must have been born with his artistic talent because he’s drawn his whole life.  Although he has never taken art lessons, he did take 2^nd place in his high school art class!

Eaton's colored pencil drawing of a classic car. 

Tracy’s coworkers liked his pictures so much that they began asking him for specific drawings of the KDOT snow plows, cars, etc. Tracy keeps several sketch pads in the break room at work to draw in when he is on break.

Kansas kids win poster/video contests, focus on improving traffic safety

Winners of two Put the Brakes on Fatalities Day statewide contests have been announced as part of the national safety campaign Put the Brakes on Fatalities Day.

For the poster contest – Kaymi Zink of Claflin, Finley Maloney of Kingman and Abigail Coons of Lawrence are the statewide winners. Each student was first selected as a regional winner and will receive a bicycle and a helmet donated by Safe Kids Kansas at presentations at their schools. A total of 836 Kansas kids ages 5 to 13 participated.

As statewide winners in their age categories, they will also receive a Kindle Fire tablet from the Kansas Turnpike Authority, a $50 gift card from the Petroleum Marketers and Convenience Store Association of Kansas, a $50 gift card from Wal-Mart and movie passes from AAA Kansas. 

Abigail Goons, created this poster. She is a student from Lawrence. 

Finley Maloney, created this poster and is a student from Kingman. 

Kaymi Zink created this poster and is a student from Claflin. 

For the video contest – Andrew Marshall Tabb from Shawnee Mission West won first place. He will receive his choice of an iPad, GoPro or Osmo Steadicam along with a $500 donation to the school, class or booster club.

Students from Eudora High School captured second place, and students from Lawrence High School placed third in the video contest. Each will receive one of the remaining prizes listed above. There were 37 entries from teens across the state. To see the winning videos, go to http://bit.ly/2018PTBOF.

Organizations that work together on this safety campaign include the Kansas Department of Transportation, Kansas Turnpike Authority, Kansas Highway Patrol, AAA of Kansas, Kansas Contractors Association, Kansas Family Partnership, Kansas Traffic Safety Resource Office, Federal Highway Administration and the Kansas Society of Professional Engineers.

Put the Brakes on Fatalities Day is a nationwide effort to increase roadway safety and reduce all traffic fatalities. For more information and a list of all the winners across Kansas, go to www.ksdot.org and click on the Put the Brakes on Fatalities Day information.

Art contest highlighting aviation takes flight

The KDOT Division of Aviation officials are encouraging young artists take their talents to new heights by participating in the 2017 International Aviation Art Contest, “Beyond the Clouds.”

The contest, for which there is no entry fee, is for artists ages 6 to 17 years of age and is intended to “celebrate the adventures and excitement only available in that special place beyond the clouds.” It is sponsored by the Kansas Department of Transportation, the National Association of State Aviation Officials, the Federal Aviation Administration and others.

Artists will compete in age groups:

• Those born between Jan. 1, 2007 and Dec. 31, 2010
• Jan. 1, 2003, and Dec. 31, 2006
•  And Jan. 1, 1999, and Dec. 31, 2002

The top three state winners from each age group will have their work entered in the national competition. The three winners in each group at the national level will then have their entries considered in international competition.
State winners will receive a certificate and state recognition; national winners will receive certificates, ribbons and a framed reproduction of their artwork; and international winners will receive certificates and medals.

The deadline for entries, which cannot be computer-generated and must be submitted in 11¾-by-16½-inch format, is Jan. 20, 2017.

For more information and contest rules, visit  http://www.nasao.org/education/nasao-center-for-aviation-research-and-education/international-aviation-art-contest/