Robert Service working on the Thousand Islands Bridge. He and another worker, Donny Sanford, went up and took off the old aviation lights to install LED lights, lowering the old lights down on a pulley. 1988. Near the Thousand Islands, NY. Courtesy of Robert Service.

Service graduated from Alexandria Central School in 1969, and went to work at the Thousand Islands Bridge in 1973 as an electrician. Eventually he became Director of Maintenance & Construction and Bridge Operations, and oversaw over 40 workers. He says climbing on top of bridges could be dangerous, but he learned the tricks of the trade from a former paratrooper – listen to his story in the audio clip.