Nick Selhorst: “Why does Eric have a giant pile of Squishmallows at his desk?”

There’s no question that Choice One’s survey crew is packed with action heroes. They pilot drones, battle swarms of gnats, and have even starred in an A-Team-style video showcasing their skills in the field. But every now and then, we get a glimpse of their softer side.

Matt “East” Hollowell: “Took you long enough.”

Every survey site comes with unexpected challenges. Sometimes it is a steep bank into a stream. Sometimes it is an unfriendly raccoon in a catch basin. And sometimes it is realizing that the truck you need is currently running in the middle of a job site—with the keys locked inside.

Aaron Plas: “Look! No hands!”

Many know Aaron as one of our Survey Coordinators, but he’s also Choice One’s unofficial Office Wizard. When something around the office breaks, sticks, rattles, or just doesn’t seem quite right, Aaron is usually on the case before anyone can say “abracadabra.”

Just this week, Megan Bornhorst witnessed Aaron holding the front door open with only the power of his mind. His triumphant announcement above did little to quiet the rumors. Some witnesses claim a doorstop was involved, but the evidence remains inconclusive.

Then again, Choice One has a history of unexplained phenomena. For example, we’ve uncovered a magic carpet hidden in our logo and have the uncanny ability to transform almost anything into a roundabout. Maybe Aaron’s wizardry isn’t so far-fetched after all. Thanks, Aaron, for using your powers for good.

Kari Meyer: “Do you notice something different about this picture?”

While out refreshing her headshot, Casey Reichert found a Choice One fan in the wild. Literally. As you can see, this fan took the form of a very excitable squirrel who chose that exact moment to photobomb the camera at full speed.

Choice Oners seem to be particularly prone to attracting fuzzy friends. Like the time a dog joined our survey crew for the day, or when a bird was so eager to check out our new office it flew straight into the window. Maybe animals are drawn to us because they are great judges of character. Or maybe our aspiring boy-band star, Kyle Siegrist, has been out there singing to them Snow White style. Hard to say.

Max Keeley: “Typically we get a number for our table, but this week we gained ‘Regulars’ status.”

This week Loveland’s Choice One crew leveled up at their local BBQ joint. After months of consistent repeat visits, the restaurant gave them their own custom table number featuring their names, our services, and a splash of Choice One’s green for good measure.

Enthusiasm for local cuisine is almost as much of a staple of Choice One as our love of roundabouts. In years past, we’ve created brackets to rank our favorite eateries and even reserved tables at Skyline to see who can eat the most coneys in under an hour. What can we say? Friendly competition pairs pretty well with food.

The best part? All of this happened organically. No coupons or rewards program required. Just coworkers who enjoy spending time together and eating an impressive amount of brisket.

Nora Schwartz: “If the stormwater team started a band, what would we call ourselves?”

Like most great ideas at Choice One, Nora’s band-building idea didn’t take long to gain traction. Like our Ryan Lefeld Waiting Room and candy-based messaging system, what started as a passing thought quickly turned into something much bigger. The result? We would like to officially introduce The Runoffs.

The group wasted no time pulling together their debut lineup. The setlist features “It’s Raining Men,” “Itsy Bitsy Spider,” “Rain Rain Go Away,” “Purple Rain,” and “How High is the Water.” A cohesive theme? Maybe. A little heavy on precipitation? Definitely. But the vision is there.

At Choice One, hidden talents aren’t unheard of. Even in the realm of music, Michael Kunzi brings real band experience, and Kyle Siegrist has fully committed to his role as a boy band frontman before. Will The Runoffs ever take the stage? Hard to say. The setlist may need a little workshopping, but if a debut show ever does happen, we already know one thing: the flow won’t miss a beat.