p class=MsoNormal>"The" can’t be stressed enough in Columbus,
Ohio. Higher education rules in this town, where Buckeye-crazed locals refer to
the largest institution in the country as THE Ohio State University. The
American Public Works Association likes the way the natives think, and knows it
will be in the right place for its 42nd Annual North American Snow
Conference—called THE premier event for snow and ice
management—April 14-16 at the Greater Columbus Convention Center.

Once again the association has greased the NASC with
uplifting keynote speakers, hot-spot technical tours and informative general
sessions. A preview of the event follows.

Personal triumph

Jeff Tobe (Sunday, April 14, 3-4:30 p.m.) and
explorer/entrepreneur Jeff MacInnis (Tuesday, April 16, 3-4:30 p.m.) will talk
the talk during NASC. Both are the featured keynote speakers.

Tobe, with his “Color Outside the Lines”
approach, will help participants tap their innate creativity to enhance both
their professional and personal lives. As budgets shrink and the public’s
demand for services increases, public employees not only should but must
develop creative approaches to ordinary and new problems. Tobe challenges the
individual to step outside the comfort zone, grab the crayons and meet the challenges
of public service.

MacInnis achieved a 400-year-old challenge when he led the
first team to sail the Northwest Passage. This endeavor covered 2,500 miles
over 100 days in an 18-ft boat named “Perception.” The expedition
survived an ice-choked passage that has claimed more lives than Mt. Everest.

MacInnis also was a member of the first team to journey over
land from London to New York. The Overland Challenge was a grueling 15,000-mile
trek around the globe.

In his presentation, MacInnis will show that accomplishing
dreams is possible if you trust yourself and others.

Tour the area

The conference breaks out the map for a pair of technical
tours on Sunday.

A trip to the Transportation Research Center (TRC) is
scheduled for 10 a.m.-2:30 p.m. The TRC conducts programs designed to test for
safety, energy, fuel economy, emissions, durability, noise, braking, off-road
mobility, crash simulation and performance of vehicles. The facility features a
7.5-mile track for durability and endurance testing, an ATV course and an
impact laboratory for evaluating the effects of high-impact accidents.

Those in attendance also can venture over to the City of
Columbus’ Maintenance Facility and Emergency Management Operations (11
a.m.-2:30 p.m.). At the new maintenance facility participants will see the
entire operation. The tour will then move to the Ohio Emergency Management
Operations Center and Joint Dispatch facility, which is used during all
statewide emergencies and features state-of-the-art equipment.

Lots to learn

Thinking about trips will be out of the question starting
Monday, when the snow fighting show turns serious with the first of 35
educational sessions. Here’s THE list of topics.

Monday, April 15

9:45 - 11 a.m.

Taking Care of Winter Operations Equipment is Big Business;
What Did We Learn From Canadian Environmental Assessment of Road Salts;
Selecting the Right Anti-Icing Chemical For You; How to Be a Dynamic and
Memorable Speaker.

2 - 3 p.m.

Combat Winter Maintenance Nightmares; Sleep Deprivation and
What It Costs; Not All Streets Are The Same—Plowing Techniques for
Different Applications; Fixed Automated Anti-Icing Systems; How to Be a Dynamic
and Memorable Speaker.

3:30 - 5 p.m.

(Roundtable Discussion Topics)

Specification Writing for Deicing Chemicals; Winter
Maintenance Performance Measures; Snow Fighting Equipment; Outsourcing Road
Maintenance; Weather Forecasting; Environmental Effects of Abrasives and
Chemicals; Which Chemical Works Best Under What Conditions and What Expense?

Tuesday, April 16

8:30 - 9:30 a.m.

Effective Resource Management; Salt Brine Successes for Both
Anti-Icing and Pre-Wetting; A Leader’s Role in Snow and Ice Operations;
Safe Plowing—Applying Intelligent Vehicle Technology.

9:45 - 10:45 a.m.

The Slippery Streets of Cincinnati; ITS & Winter
Operations Management SCAN of January and February 2002; ODOT Roadside
Surveillance; The History of Snow and Ice Removal.

11 a.m. - 12 p.m.

Effective Communications; Become a Weather Forecaster;
Assembly of State Trucks; Snow Elimination in Montreal—Solving Problems
and Implementing a Strategy; Improving Services and Reducing Costs in Winter
Snow Management.

1:30 - 2:45 p.m.

Selecting the Right Anti-Icing Chemical For You; Taking Care
of Your Fleet; Avoiding Winter State of Emergencies; Customer Driven
Benchmarking.