Lewis County's Sweet leaves work behind

LOWVILLE — When Thomas M. Sweet retires today as Lewis County's superintendent of highways and solid waste, he'll leave a legacy that includes several innovative bridges.

"I've been in construction all my life," said Mr. Sweet, 63, a certified professional engineer. "I built bridges before I got here. I really like that work."

James F. Craig, an engineer at C&S Cos., Syracuse, attended the June 2 meeting of the county Board of Legislators and read a letter of commendation for Mr. Sweet.

"Tom has played a vital part in putting Lewis County on the map by engaging in some of the most unique and innovative bridge projects in the U.S. from 2001 to 2008," Mr. Craig said.

Because of Mr. Sweet's regular participation in the Federal Highway Administration's innovative bridge program, Lewis County is recognized as one of the nation's top counties in using fiber reinforced polymer bridge materials, he added.

The county has undertaken four such bridge replacement projects — primarily funded by federal dollars — on Glendale, Osceola, Erie Canal and Cemetery roads, according to Mr. Sweet. The most recent one, on Cemetery Road in the town of Martinsburg across Roaring Brook, is featured in the latest edition of Advances, the C&S newsletter. It is accessible at the company's Web site.

Along with the bridge projects, Mr. Sweet said he was pleased, through experimentation, to help perfect a repaving process in which the old pavement is ground up and used as part of the base.

"It saves a lot of money, and it does a good job," he said.

Mr. Sweet, a member of the New York State County Highway Superintendents Association board of directors, also touted the progress made by that organization over the past several years by visiting Albany en masse each March.

"We got a lot of extra money that way," he said.

Lewis County is using some of that additional funding to pay for summer highway workers who had been cut from this year's county budget.

Mr. Sweet was granted a four-year appointment in November 1997 to the county post, replacing Gary F. Buckingham, who retired. Legislators renewed that appointment in 2001 and 2005.

He also serves on the county Planning Board, Traffic Safety Board, 911 Oversight Board and Water Quality Coordinating Committee.

Mr. Sweet said that he and his wife, Wendy, who retired a couple of years ago, plan to do some traveling.

"We have three children and six grandchildren, and they live all over the country," he said.

While looking forward to retirement, Mr. Sweet said he does expect to miss one aspect of the job.

"You always miss the people that you interact with every day," he said. "I'm sure I'm going to miss it."

County highway worker Chuck Langs will serve as interim superintendent through Oct. 31, when a permanent replacement should be named.

Mr. Sweet commended Mr. Langs and the other supervisors in his departments.

"They just do their job," Mr. Sweet said. "You don't have to worry about it. It makes it nice."

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