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UD has ‘grounds’ for celebration
This beauty also is a key factor as prospective students think about applying to UD. According to Lou Hirsh, director of admissions, UD is drawing record number of applicants that he attributes to the University’s reputation, its image and to the attractiveness of the campus. Many individuals work to maintain UD’s acres of eye-pleasing landscaping. The Grounds Services unit—part of UD Facilities headed by Bob Stozek, associate vice president for facilities—consists of maintenance and operation of the Wilmington and Newark campuses, supervised by Michael Loftus, and the Lewes campus, supervised by Bruce Campbell, both assistant directors.
Grounds Services is responsible for the maintenance and upkeep of the land surrounding buildings. A staff of 39 refuse collectors, grounds equipment technicians, caretakers, grounds workers, arborists, horticulturists, grounds technicians, excavators, drivers and their supervisors, provide total care for more than 525 acres of land in Newark and Wilmington. Loftus calls his crewmembers, “a great group.” “I am very proud of their accomplishments. They have a dedication to their jobs and combined levels of experience that make their work tremendous. It’s been well-documented that UD has one of the most beautiful campuses in the country. We couldn’t do it without their talent and hard work,” he said. The 50-acre Lewes campus has a staff of 15, including carpenters, plumbers, grounds workers, mechanics, custodians, an electrician and an HVAC technician. They manage and maintain the Hugh R. Sharp Campus, the Franklin C. Daiber Housing Complex for graduate students consisting of 30 semi-detached ranch houses near the Sharp campus, the Henlopen Dormitory and the Kent County extension office in Dover. Campbell has nothing but praise for his workers. “The crew does a great job. They are all willing to pitch in wherever and whenever they are needed, whether it’s trash or snow removal.” But, since the Lewes campus is largely beach property, Campbell said their landscaping chores are minimal.
Grounds managers Sam Jones and Roger Bowman work closely with award-winning landscape engineer Thomas Taylor, who oversees the design of plantings of trees, shrubs and flowering plants on campus. Once Taylor has created a landscape plan, the grounds crew plants and maintains it. Crampton, who operates a big mower, sprays for pests, spreads fertilizer and cares for ornamental beds and grasses, often pairs with Emerson “Buddy” Loller on jobs that require two people. “I enjoy getting up every morning knowing I’m coming to work. The University is a hell of a place to work!” he said. The people Loller works with are quick to verify how dedicated he is. They say he is the first to arrive and the last to leave. One of Loller’s fondest memories was when UD President David Roselle came to one of the crews’ monthly meetings. “He wanted to thank us personally for the work we do and how it affects the campus and recruitment. He gave us each [a UD engagement calendar highlighting the campus grounds] and thanked each of us with a big handshake.” That calendar contains special thanks to Taylor for his planning and the Grounds crew for maintaining campus gardens, grounds and landscapes. March through May, Loller, Crampton and the rest of the crew apply fertilizer and chemical controls for crab grass and broadleaf weeds, mulch, water, plant, seed and reseed. They work up to 12 hours a day, six days a week. “We only have a certain amount of time to plant and fertilize before germination,” Loller said. After that, they overseed for thinning grass, aerate the turf, spray for insects, water and mow the grass—sometimes twice a week—until the fall when they concentrate on removal of leaves, pruning, replanting annuals, decorating for events and preparation and maintenance for sporting events. Winter is their second busiest season with tree and bush pruning, landscape renovations, resodding of beds and snow removal. Crampton, Loller and many of the grounds crew are sent to trade shows, seminars, workshops and classes regularly so that they can keep up with the latest methods of doing their jobs. They’ve also attended seminars on plant disease, turf and irrigation. Caretaker Bob Jackson’s job includes inspecting the campus for downed limbs, litter, trash and other problems that would mar the look of the land. He was graduated from UD’s College of Agriculture and Natural Resources in 1978 with a degree in plant and soil sciences and has owned his own landscaping business for 32 years. He is in the process of selling it and said that, while he likes having his own business, he never cared for the paperwork. He started at UD last October, and now, Jackson said, he has it all. “It’s tough not being in charge, but it’s nice not having to take care of the business end.” As for being back at his alma mater, “It’s like coming home again.”
As grounds keeper for UD, Lopez does bedding work, edging, pruning, mulching, maintains walkways and gutters, cuts grass and sprays for weeds. “I feel proud and fortunate to be working for the University,” Lopez said. “It’s a great place to work with a lot of nice people, not just the grounds crew but all over campus.” During the summer, with an elongated growing season and fewer people on campus, grounds crews can do more transplanting of perennials, reshaping of beds and be more exacting with florals and shrubs, Joe Bennett said. Bennett is a caretaker on the Laird Campus. Since his territory surrounds residence halls, Bennett said they can’t begin mowing until after 9 a.m. While their main job is to keep the campus green and growing, everyone has to help out during heavy snowfalls. “We can get a call at 1 in the morning to come in for snow removal,” Crampton said. “Once, we stayed on campus for three days working in 18-hour shifts,” he said. “You were lucky if you got five hours of sleep,” Lopez said. Regardless of the type of job they do, grounds crewmembers all share Loller’s attitude. “We don’t know how lucky we are to have the job we have,” Loller said. Article by Barbara Garrison
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