Road Project
BUTLER TWP — Students from two classes at the Butler County Vocational-Technical School painted a snowplow that will be used this winter by a state Department of Transportation truck.
Lee Ann Clutter, an advertising design teacher at the school, facilitated the project in which 12 students from her class as well as a graphic design class were selected to decorate the large plow with PennDOT's 2017 theme: “Ice and snow, take it slow.”
The students collaborated to come up with the wintry design, which is a blue background containing more than 150 snowflakes of various sizes, a snowman on top of snow, the PennDOT theme and the vo-tech school's logo.
Mike Mattis, District 10 maintenance manager, came to the school on Monday to congratulate the students on their design.
“The students at the vo-tech did an exceptional job,” Mattis said. “I couldn't be happier.”
He said the vo-tech was the only school in the county to decorate a plow, although all were invited to.
Mattis said a total of 42 plows were decorated by students in PennDOT District 10, which includes Butler, Armstrong, Clarion, Jefferson and Indiana counties. A contest is under way to pick a Fan Favorite from photos on the Butler Eagle Facebook page.
Clutter was proud of the students and the way they collaborated to create the winter scene on the plow.
“Their dedication, talent and precision made the plow successful,” Clutter said. “They did a wonderful job and are excited to see it on the road.”
Brycen Moore, a senior at Butler High School who takes graphic design classes at the vo-tech, painted the snowy background and snowman on the plow. He appreciated working with the other students on the project.
“We built off of what each other was doing and tried to make it look nice,” Moore said.
Ryan Petrak, also a senior at Butler, came from the graphic design class at the vo-tech. He printed the school's logo on multiple layers of vinyl for the plow.
“I think it was a very constructive idea for us to be part of,” Petrak said.
Butler senior graphic design student Kylie Smiesko agreed, saying she appreciates that some of her artwork will be out and about in the community.
“It's super cool,” Kylie said. “I'm going to feel really good seeing the plow knowing I was part of it.”
Kurt Speicher, vo-tech director, was excited about the plow and the visit from Mattis on Monday.
“The students take a lot of pride in what they do,” Speicher said. “We think it's going to be a formidable opponent to all other plows across the state.”
A PennDOT news release said the painted plows “will be used within the schools' communities to enhance public awareness, promote safety, and foster greater appreciation of both PennDOT and the school's art program.”
In addition to Brycen, Ryan and Kylie, the following vo-tech students participated in the Paint the Plow project: Cassandra Cornelius, Molly Horstman and Trevor Valent of Butler High School; Kolls Bren, Reilly Nulph and Jazmyne Young of Knoch High School; Tyler Arblaster of Slippery Rock High School; Kyle Hilliard of Moniteau High School, and Dori Zielinski of First Baptist Christian School in Butler.
