Making safety the ‘Norm’ on 16th Street

Health Sciences

Making safety the 'Norm' on 16th Street

It's ironic that his name is Norm, because just like the character on the iconic TV show Cheers, everyone seems to know this Findorff Construction employee's name. Whether he's guiding physical therapy patients across 16th Street near the Wellness + Helfaer Recreation facility construction site or waving a student through to their next destination, everyone agrees that laborer and safety flagger Norm Klein is a class act.

Norm Klein

The 61-year-old has been working construction for 22 years, the past two at Findorff. And for over a year, Klein has been making sure others crossing the street safely is his top priority.

Patty Przybylka is a patient account representative at Marquette's Physical Therapy Clinic, located across the street from where Klein works. She sees first-hand the difference he makes with the patients and students every day. Przybylka notes it's not just the care he takes with each person, but also his upbeat attitude.

"With the construction going on, patients really value the fact that he walks with them across the crosswalk, because cars are not slowing down just because there's construction," Przybylka explains. "He's very conscious of people's safety. And anything that happens with the patients, he lets us know immediately. He takes care of them, letting them know if they have a flat tire or if they've parked in the wrong spot. He's a godsend."

Patient Joseph Reiter says Norm was a constant in the week he started physical therapy at Marquette, making a positive impact on his day-to-day life.

The world needs more Norms.

Patty Przybylka

"As soon as I pulled up, opened the car door and made eye contact, he was always there with a smile and a wave," Reiter remembers. "Rarely was there a day that I didn't say, 'How's it going, Norman?' as I was assembling my wheelchair. He even noticed progress when I assembled my chair faster. It turns out we both had new members of our family born in the same week too."

Klein admits he's not sure what the big deal is. But he has discovered that he's not just good at construction work but also relationship building.

"I mean, I just do my job," Klein says. "I try to be nice and converse with people. I smile and tell them to have a good day. A few of the students have interacted with me, so we say, 'Hey, what's going on today? I have an exam, and I'll say good luck with that.' And then when they walk back, I'll ask them how it went, stuff like that. After being here for a year, you get to know people."

Aimee Smith also works in the Physical Therapy Clinic and witnesses the special treatment that only Klein gets.

"We have one patient whose caregiver brings only Norm cookies," Smith adds. "We've had patients bring in root beer floats and they invited him up to come up and enjoy the floats and sandwiches that they brought. He's got it good!"

Funny enough, this isn't Klein's first stint at Marquette - he would visit campus when his dad, Norman Klein, Sr., earned his Ph.D. in education here.

"I'd come down here as a little kid and participate in some of his education psychology exams. I was probably seven or eight years old," Klein says. "So yeah, it was pretty cool."

There will soon come a time when Klein is no longer needed as a safety flagger on 16th Street. The Wellness + Helfaer Recreation facility is set to be completed and ready to open in early 2025. Despite having to move on to a new construction site, his kindness and consideration have left a lasting impression at Marquette.

"When Norm isn't out there, we freak out because who's going to take care of our patients?" Przybylka says. "I think we're going to be at a loss when he moves on with Findorff. We want Norm to stay. The world needs more Norms."

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