Local Lodge 5, Zone 7

BILLY SHICK FROM Local 374 (Hobart, Indiana) took home the top honor at the 2019 National Apprenticeship Competition held at Local 28 (Newark, New Jersey) August 12-16, upsetting Detroit Local 169’s four-year winning streak. The close finish had L-169’s Justin Zueski coming in as this year’s runner-up. Team honors went to the Great Lakes team of Shick and Zueski.

Boilermaker National Apprenticeship Program chairman Michael Bray, from Riggs Distler Company, spoke at the awards dinner and praised all the competitors.

MORE THAN 20 MILLION tourists from around the world visit Niagara Falls each year to marvel at the massive power of 600,000 gallons-per-second of water rushing down the Niagara River, roaring over the trio of falls and crashing like liquid curtains over the rocky riverbeds 160-some feet below. Of those 20-plus million annual visitors, more than 1 million will take a ride against the river current on the famed Maid of the Mist boat tour to experience the mighty falls from a unique—and wet—on-the-water vantage point.

L-26 sponsors instruction at Georgia Power nuclear plant

WITH HUNDREDS OF Boilermakers working at nuclear power station Plant Vogtle in southeast Georgia — many of them living in temporary housing near the project and far from the nearest union hall — Local 26 (Savannah) BM-ST Johnathon Bates decided it only made sense to bring Boilermaker Code training onsite.

Over two successive weekends, April 14-15 and April 21-22, MOST Code trainers Steve Speed and Ray Parrot taught four day-long classes. MOST Representative Tony Smarra provided technical support.