Storm survivor honored
Asa Bloomer supervisor gets state honor for work
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Ralph Claudio (right), the building maintenance supervisor at the Asa Bloomer State Office Building in Rutland, accepts an AHS Secretary’s Community Award on Tuesday from Robert D. Hofmann, secretary of Human Services. Cassandra Hotaling / Rutland Herald |
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By Stephanie M. Peters STAFF WRITER - Published: November 19, 2009
For nearly 17 years, Ralph Claudio has been the man behind the scenes at the Asa Bloomer Building who makes sure the lights are on, the employees are comfortable and visitors are happy.
Over the past two years, it's a challenge that's included running damage control as the building's basement filled with water during two torrential rainstorms.
On Tuesday, however, the building maintenance supervisor took a break from the daily demands of overseeing the state office building to receive the Vermont Agency of Human Services Community Award for the Rutland region in a ceremony held in the building.
"I was surprised," Claudio said after the award ceremony of learning about the honor. "I've always figured it's a job. I do it with more care because of the people I work with.
"I just love the job," he said. "I love the people here and I want to keep the building as safe as possible."
During the ceremony, Claudio was characterized as the building's "true unsung hero."
"The last couple of years we've had some water issues," said Richard Giddings, the Rutland field director for the Agency of Human Services. After the Father's Day Flood of June 2008, as Giddings said the storm is referred to around the building, state employees were displaced for three weeks due to the water damage the building sustained.
It was Claudio who worked around the clock to ensure the building was restored to a condition in which it could be occupied, Giddings said.
"I would check in every day during those three weeks… whether it was 5 a.m. or 11 p.m., he was here," Giddings said.
Although described as a "100-year storm," Claudio again found his building flooding in August with water during a Friday afternoon storm. Again, some employees were evacuated, but come Monday everyone was back to work in the Merchants Row building.
"All weekend long he was here," Giddings said of the cleanup from that storm. "I don't even know if he knew where home was."
John Russell III of OR Parker LLC, the company that owns the building and employs Claudio, was also at Tuesday's award ceremony.
"You couldn't find a better employee," Russell said of Claudio. "To have this many office employees and state employees happy for 17 years – I think that says it all."
Last year, the same award was presented to Mayor Christopher Louras and Rutland City Public Schools Superintendent Mary Moran for their assistance in relocating Asa Bloomer building employees to space in Stafford Technical Center after the June 2008 flood, Giddings said.
Claudio was one of 12 honorees recognized by Secretary Robert Hofmann with AHS Community Awards on Tuesday between two ceremonies. Earlier in the day, award recipients from the northern part of the state were recognized in a ceremony at the Statehouse.
stephanie.peters@rutlandherald.com
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