The Villages - June 2022 - 46

Before They Were Villagers
CURTIS CALKA
ENJOYS A CAREER IN NUCLEAR ENERGY
STORY BY RICA KEENUM * PHOTOS BY NICHOLAS CONZONE
Curtis Calka wants to thank " Nuke " for his
riveting career as a certified reactor operator. The
sign that hangs near the entrance of his Villages home
offers tribute, bearing the atomic whirl, a symbol of
electrons orbiting the atom's nucleus. In laymen's
terms, it's a science logo that represents Calka's work
controlling the flow of electricity, and other significant
tasks he enjoyed in his nearly 40-year career.
" I grew up in Grosse Pointe Woods, a suburb of
Detroit - came from a family with eight children, " he
said. " So I was more of a worker bee, cutting lawns,
shoveling snow, watching kids and changing diapers,
doing dishes, all of that. "
Calka notes that his efforts at school were halfhearted.
" I
went and made kind of a lazy attempt; it
wasn't fast-paced enough for me. "
As
a
young
adult,
Calka's
friend
Rick
approached him with a business opportunity. Not
having a clear path for his future, Calka agreed.
" Rick and his father had a plumbing
business (Stanley and Sons), so I gave him
some money and became a 25% owner, " he
said " And I thought, we were working at it. "
A year and a half later, Calka made a
shocking discovery.
" I was sitting in a (diner) talking to the
gentleman next to me, and he said he had
some plumbing work done, " Calka said. " I was
curious who did it, so he told me it was Stanley
and Sons. He said a guy named Rick did the work. I
figured out he was taking the truck and the tools and
doing other work without telling me, pocketing all
of the earnings. I really felt like I had a sense of the
company; we were building - not leaps and bounds,
but there was growth. "
Disappointed and unwilling to overlook his friend's
betrayal, Calka confronted him.
" I said, 'I can't trust you, so I'm out; give me my
money back and I'm gone,' " he said.
46
JUNE 2022

The Villages - June 2022

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of The Villages - June 2022

Contents
The Villages - June 2022 - Cover1
The Villages - June 2022 - Contents
The Villages - June 2022 - 1
The Villages - June 2022 - 2
The Villages - June 2022 - 3
The Villages - June 2022 - 4
The Villages - June 2022 - 5
The Villages - June 2022 - 6
The Villages - June 2022 - 7
The Villages - June 2022 - 8
The Villages - June 2022 - 9
The Villages - June 2022 - 10
The Villages - June 2022 - 11
The Villages - June 2022 - 12
The Villages - June 2022 - 13
The Villages - June 2022 - 14
The Villages - June 2022 - 15
The Villages - June 2022 - 16
The Villages - June 2022 - 17
The Villages - June 2022 - 18
The Villages - June 2022 - 19
The Villages - June 2022 - 20
The Villages - June 2022 - 21
The Villages - June 2022 - 22
The Villages - June 2022 - 23
The Villages - June 2022 - 24
The Villages - June 2022 - 25
The Villages - June 2022 - 26
The Villages - June 2022 - 27
The Villages - June 2022 - 28
The Villages - June 2022 - 29
The Villages - June 2022 - 30
The Villages - June 2022 - 31
The Villages - June 2022 - 32
The Villages - June 2022 - 33
The Villages - June 2022 - 34
The Villages - June 2022 - 35
The Villages - June 2022 - 36
The Villages - June 2022 - 37
The Villages - June 2022 - 38
The Villages - June 2022 - 39
The Villages - June 2022 - 40
The Villages - June 2022 - 41
The Villages - June 2022 - 42
The Villages - June 2022 - 43
The Villages - June 2022 - 44
The Villages - June 2022 - 45
The Villages - June 2022 - 46
The Villages - June 2022 - 47
The Villages - June 2022 - 48
The Villages - June 2022 - 49
The Villages - June 2022 - 50
The Villages - June 2022 - 51
The Villages - June 2022 - 52
The Villages - June 2022 - 53
The Villages - June 2022 - 54
The Villages - June 2022 - 55
The Villages - June 2022 - 56
The Villages - June 2022 - 57
The Villages - June 2022 - 58
The Villages - June 2022 - 59
The Villages - June 2022 - 60
The Villages - June 2022 - 61
The Villages - June 2022 - 62
The Villages - June 2022 - Cover3
The Villages - June 2022 - Cover4
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