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CSEA members’ ideas, work swing big savings LIDO BEACH — CSEA Nassau County workers hit a hole in one when they recently built a new short-game golf course, or pitch and putt, on the county’s Nickerson Beach. Not only is the new pitch and putt more than up to par for the public, the CSEA members saved the county hundreds of thousands of dollars. In yet another example of how CSEA members can make a difference with their work, Nassau County chose to contract-in the work to build the golf course, rather than hiring a private contractor to do the work. The result? A savings to county taxpayers of $355,000. “Our members are experienced and qualified to do work like this, because they are the front-line workers, day in and day out,” said CSEA President Danny Donohue. “When I saw it for the first time, I said ‘This is gorgeous!,’” said Nassau County Local President Jerry Larricciuta. “We have the people with the know-how and this is good judgment by the county to use the work force and save money,” Larricciuta said. The local is using the project as part of its promotional advertising about the good work of CSEA members. Nassau County project CSEA Nassau County Local members and greenskeepers Tom Gordon and Tom Lewis, along with more than 20 other CSEA members, worked closely to bring the pitch and putt to Nickerson Beach. While cleaning up around the beach’s cabanas after Hurricane Sandy in 2012, it occurred to Tom Gordon and Tom Lewis, Nassau County greenskeepers at the new pitch and putt at Nickerson Beach. Gordon that the area would be a great spot for short-game golf. While many traditional golf courses have 18 holes, short game courses, or pitch and putts, instead feature nine holes, and the fairways play much shorter. Golfers usually carry just two clubs: a pitching wedge and a putter. Gordon grew up playing golf and has worked on golf courses, and thought building a course would be a fun project. County officials soon approved the pitch and putt, and Gordon, Lewis and other CSEA members got to work building the course themselves, saving the county loads of green in their pursuit of building the greens. “A private contractor gave us a quote of about $630,000. We did it for around $275,000,” said Gordon. “Before I started working for the county, I did golf course construction. It seemed like an exciting project, once we got the go-ahead to do it.” Before it was a golf course, the land was mostly moss and weeds. CSEA members worked on building the landscape of the course, including using wood from an old boardwalk. With time and creativity, the workers transformed the area into the pitch and putt in which county workers take pride. CSEA members have also given beachgoers an additional, and affordable, recreation option. In recent years, New Yorkers have increasingly turned to public parks and facilities for leisure and the new pitch and putt at Nickerson Beach has been no exception. Since the pitch and putt opened to the public in July, it has proved to be very popular. The success of the Nickerson Beach project has led to plans to build another pitch and putt at Cedar Creek Park. “We’ve gotten a lot of positive feedback,” Lewis said. “People are really happy that we’re here, and they keep coming back.” — Wendi Bowie Before After October 2015 The Work Force 3


Work_Force_October_2015
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