"Golden Spike" awards go to local responders

Union Pacific railroad tracks run through a total of 7,296 communities across the United States. On Wednesday, Dexter was recognized for being one of those communities that continually works with the railroad's special agents as they strive to keep the community safe from rail-involved accidents.

"We want to be a good neighbor to every one of these communities," said Union Pacific Senior Vice President Bob Turner, as he presented Golden Spike Awards to both Dexter Police Chief Sammy Stone and Fire Chief Al Banken at City Hall yesterday morning.

"As we think about our relationship with these communities, it's really multi-faceted," Turner said. Significant, he said, is the relationship the railroad has with emergency personnel in the area. That relationship, he noted, has been tested and tried on many occasions over the years. Ironically, the most recent involved a truck/train collission Tuesday morning just east of Dexter.

Calling their relationship "unique" with first responders among the communities whose paths Union Pacific crosses on a daily basis, Turner credited the city's police and fire departments for putting their lives on the line on a daily basis as they answer the call to emergency situations.

"It's because of the things you are called upon to do," Turner told those in attendance at City Hall for Wednesday's presentation, "that we honor you with these awards."

Union Pacific sponsors several annual projects dealing with public safety awareness. Part of the reason for the Golden Spike Awards presentations was to honor the city's long-standing cooperative effort in helping support UP's effort when addressing railroad safety within the community.

"Thank you for what you do as a community," Turner told city officials.

Also commending the city for their cooperation with the railroad to promote safety awareness was Dan Witthaus, Superintendent of Transportation Services from the St. Louis Service Unit.

"In Stoddard County six or seven years ago," Witthaus stated, "we had a lot of road crossing accidents. We've taken that count down to almost nothing (with the cooperation of local law enforcement agencies)."

Union Pacific sponsors periodic special crossing enforcement projects, working with city officials to make railroad crossings safe within the Dexter community.

"Glad to help," Fire Chief Al Banken responded when personally thanked by Witthaus. Mayor Joe Weber echoed those sentiments, stating, "We appreciate your presence and your collaboration, along with everything you do for the town."

"When looking at the infrastructure challenge that our country has," Turner told the mayor, "communities that have rail service are looking at a brighter future than those that don't. What drives the economy is going to want to move by rail.

"If you're in a town that has tracks," Turner continued, "you're going to have an advantage. You've got a connection in this community to the global economy that a lot of towns don't have and wish they did."

Union Pacific will observe its 150th anniversary in 2012. With that in mind, Turner told the group, "We think our best years lie ahead."

Referring to rail transportation, he commented, "Generally there's an advantage cost-wise over moving freight on the highway. Clearly, it's greener. We can move a ton of freight 500 miles on one gallon of diesel."

As the standard of living grows around the world, Turner explained, so will the quality of the population's diet. Crediting Southeast Missouri with being at the heart of one of the greatest food producing regions of the world, the senior vice president of UP said with the increasing productivity within the farming industry, the advantage of having rail service will be a "huge advantage" to the community at large.

Looking to the future of the rail industry, Tuner concluded, "It's going to be a real opportunity."