Randall's Island Park

The Daily Plant : Monday, November 6, 2000

PARKS CELEBRATES 8 GREAT EMPLOYEES OF OCTOBER 2000

Daniel "Marathon Man" Moon is the Bronx's Employee of the Month for October. Daniel started with Parks on February 17, 1981 and is an Electrician with Bronx Shops. Daniel's responsibilities include diagnosing and repairing boiler problems, fire alarm systems, and other electrical fixtures. The Bronx's go to man for all electrical problems, Daniel recently installed a PA system at Orchard Beach, and designed a rodent proof barrier at the Van Cortlandt Golf Course electrical vault. Reliable and skilled, Daniel was nominated by Plumbline.

Rosita "Roses" Haynes is Brooklyn's Employee of the Month for October. Roses began with Parks on October 13, 1987 and works as a Crew Chief for WEP in District 4. Recently, Roses played a critical role in responding to a life-threatening situation. On October 9th, a WEP participant that Roses was supervising fell ill and suffered a seizure. Roses rushed the participant to the hospital and stayed by his side until his family arrived. The attending doctor said that Roses' actions may well have saved the participant's life. For her contribution to WEP and Brooklyn, she was nominated by Marmot.

Berney "Caduceus" Maldonado is Citywide Services' Employee of the Month for October. Berney joined Parks on June 12, 1995 and works as an Urban Park Ranger with Parks Enforcement Patrol. Berney works on mobile patrol, enforcing park rules and educating patrons about our regulations. In 1999, Berney was in the top ten of 175 officers in summons writing. He was also effective this summer as a sergeant at Crotona Pool in the Bronx, one of PEP's most challenging assignments. An EMT, Berney was the first to aid an injured park patron on five occasions this year. Professional and dedicated, Berney was nominated by Bronco.

Jeffrey A. "Stats" Shatz is Management's Employee of the Month for October. Stats joined Parks on August 17, 1998 after graduating from Yeshiva University in May 1998, where he majored in Political Science. Stats works as a Project Manager for Revenue, where he manages vendor permits and Requests for Proposals. Last May he oversaw the successful transition to a new operator for the Turtle Cove Golf Driving Range. Overall in FY00, he is working on projects that generate over $10 million in revenue. This October, Stats also helped with coordination for the Subway Series. Patient and thorough, Stats was nominated by Lifeguard.

Cheryl D. "Cee" Grice is Manhattan's Employee of the Month for October. Cee joined Parks on April 1, 1985 and works as a Parks Supervisor for District 11 which includes Randalls Island, and Wards Island. She inspects sites for PIP issues, and coordinates WEP cleaning and park repairs. Cee also works at Manhattan Garage and assists with fleet issues such as PMI and MVI scheduling and accident tracking. A dedicated and competent supervisor, Cee is a rising talent in Manhattan and was nominated by Scottoobee.

Mark "Hot Sauce" Edwards is Queens' Employee of the Month for October. Mark began at Parks on September 13, 1994 and works as a Recreation Specialist. Mark supervised the Playground Associate (PA) program at fourteen sites this summer and also organized programs such as "Mommy and Me," a developmental program for children. Artistically talented, Mark assisted with artwork and prop construction for this year's Halloween Haunted House in Queens. Mark also recently completed the time consuming task of organizing the Queens Recreation Storehouse. Creative and hard working, Mark was nominated by Devil Dog.

Vincenzo "GoodBlood" Bonsangue is Staten Island's Employee of the Month for October. Vincenzo has worked seasonally for many years at Parks and began full time on September 7, 1999. He is a City Park Worker for the Nursery. Vincenzo maintains Greenstreets, which entails planting, trimming, and watering these sites. This past spring and summer, he assisted in planting a number of flowerbeds, including the renovation of Stonehenge's beds. A hard worker with a good eye for detail, Vincenzo was nominated by Hortus.

Tom "Reed" Ching is the Commissioner's Employee of the Month for October. Reed began with Parks on October 19, 1989. Parks Director of Horticulture for many years, Reed has played a key role in various technical environmental issues including our weed prevention programs and horticulture training for M&O staff. Recently, Reed has made the jump himself to M&O as a PRM in Manhattan, maintaining such high profile sites as Carl Schurz Park and St. Catherine's Park. Like Jones and Tavola, Reed has made an enthusiastic and effective jump to operations and is bringing new skills and insight to this role. For his many years of service and for accepting this new challenge, Reed was nominated by A-Train. Prepared by Kermit and Lollipop

THIRTEEN YEARS AGO IN THE PLANT
(Monday, November 9, 1987)

SCHOOLCHILDREN AND SKATING STARS OPEN WOLLMAN RINK FOR WINTER SEASON

When it was their turn to take to the ice, over 300 schoolchildren from public schools in Manhattan and Brooklyn moved quickly for a chance to be the first to skate on the 33,000-square-foot Wollman Rink in Central Park this winter.

QUOTATION FOR THE DAY

"To bemoan the messiness of politics is not just a folly; it betrays a dangerous impatience with basic human realities. It is like becoming disturbed that people do not fall in love sensibly-and so deciding to computerize the problem."

Theodore Roszak (b. 1933)