Feature Article: Tending the Grounds | New Jersey City University

The Team Behind NJCU’s Impeccable Campus

In late January of this year, a monumental blizzard by the name of Winter Storm Jonas paralyzed Jersey City when it delivered three feet of snow over the course of one weekend. Howling 50 mph winds gusted, thousands of flights across the Northeast were canceled and most city residents were huddled under blankets, mentally willing the power to stay on. Meanwhile, across the Hudson River, New York City had issued the first travel ban and state-of-emergency in decades.
By Monday morning not a school in the area was open—except NJCU.

“We hunkered down on Friday and slept in sleeping bags at the school,” explained Head Groundskeeper Sabato Caporrino, a strong, personable man of Italian descent. “Just a handful of us crazy guys tried non-stop to remove the massive amounts of snow that fell so quickly. We were so proud that we pulled it off, but I’ll tell you, some faculty and students were not as thrilled when they saw our school was open that Monday!” laughed Caporrino.

In early May, sitting on the ledge of a marble fountain, admiring the 15-foot wideexpanse and the low-flowing water, it’s hard to believe the storm ever happened. Reminiscent of January, a flurry of light-pink petals gently fall on the pathways but any thought of snow is quickly forgotten as the sun beats downand the temperature reads 62 degrees. It’s spring and the campus displays signs that nature is emerging from hibernation. Chirping sparrows fly overhead, dozens of Azaleas boast bright pink flowers, and scattered amongst the ancient Pin Oaks flanking the University walkways are small Maples and floral Yoshino Cherry trees. The seemingly endless greenery and blossoms create the look of a small arboretum.

As magnificent as Pennsylvania’s Longwood Gardens, it’s hard to imagine you are in urban Jersey City. Even harder to imagine are the tireless efforts behind maintaining this beautifully landscaped campus.

“The beauty that Mother Nature gives us eventually becomes something to shovel, mow, water, rake or clean up later,” said Steve Mulholland, Supervisor of Landscape and Grounds for Facilities & Construction Management, the mastermind behind maintaining a green and clean outdoor campus
at NJCU.

Gary Closs, Associate Supervisor of Housekeeping for Facilities and Construction Management, held a similar indoor perspective, “Unfortunately, what grows or falls outside these walls quite often wreaks havoc inside of them, too,” in reference to tree pollen creating a thick film on facility windows.
Completing tasks independently, yet in coordination with one another, the grounds team and the housekeeping team have created an oasis at NJCU, working with pride and diligence to maintain beauty and cleanliness in an environmentally and fiscally responsible way. “We call it, green and clean,” enthused Closs.

BIGGER DIG 2020

In October 2015, Mayor Steven M. Fulop joined with the Jersey City Parks Coalition to announce the launch of BIGGER DIG 2020, an expanded partnership with the City and the Parks Coalition to plant 2,020 trees citywide over the next five years.

NJCU is proud to be a partner in the greening of Jersey City. By participating in this project with Mayor Fulop and the Jersey City Parks Coalition, NJCU will do its part to beautify the city scape, help clean the air, and increase shelter and food for wildlife. As part of NJCU’s West Campus redevelopment, the University will plant 300 trees.

KEEPING IT GREEN

“There are over 500 trees on campus, and we take care of them non-stop, year-round,” said Steve Mulholland. “Each tree is numbered and entered into a GPS system so I know exactly where it is,” he proudly stated, pointing to a tree on the walkway just beyond the fountain. At the tree’s center a small, oval-shaped silver plaque declares that this particular small tree is #115. “And, the new upgraded system will soon allow us to store a photo and health history of each tree as well,” Mulholland added.

Standing tall in his weathered green uniform and work boots, pride beams through Mulholland’s gentle blue eyes as his tanned skin peeks out from under
a worn NJCU Baseball cap. His uniform has a clean, simple look and is designed to protect him from the elements and dangerous equipment he uses daily. Mulholland repressed laughter when asked about his sunscreen regimen, “I’ve pretty much given up on that stuff,” he joked.

Mulholland fell in love with landscaping as a young boy while helping his grandfather care for his country home in Montville, NJ. “It was only two acres, but I loved being outside with him,” he said, a stark contrast from his inner-city upbringing, “It was exciting enough to make me want to study Landscape Science at County College of Morris.” After completing his degree, Mulholland went to work for a private landscaper but when the landscaper closed his business, “I wasn’t sure what to do. Then, I saw an ad in the paper for a grounds worker at NJCU, where my mother had gone to school, and applied.” Since that day, 23 years ago, Mulholland has ambitiously worked his way up the ladder, no pun intended.

“You see these?” Mulholland asked as he pointed to a bush which most would wander past, without a second thought. These unique plants feature fuzzy white stems like that of a dandelion, ready to make a wish. Mulholland gently pulled off a few petals, causing a subtle fragrance to linger in the air, “These are called Fothergilla plants and although they make a mess, they emit a sweet fragrance that’s so unique in the damp, early morning hours of spring every year. Most people walking to the Student Union Building don’t even realize what they’re smelling,” he added with a smirk.

Mulholland emphasized that he is only one member of the steadfast team, which manages the daunting task of caring for the NJCU campus. His six full-time staff members work tirelessly alongside him to maintain a pristine campus, even as it rapidly expands. Caporrino, one of those team members, has been Mulholland’s right-hand-man for 21 years.
“Sabato is our campus mayor,” Mulholland said, “If he’s five minutes late for a meeting, I know he’s stopping and talking to everyone along the way.” As if scripted, Caporrino strolled into the room at the tail end of Mulholland’s comment – exactly five minutes late! The duo laughed jovially.

Born in Italy, he landed in America for a vacation in 1993 and never left, after falling in love with a girl from Hoboken. Originally employed as a custodian by NJCU, Caporrino worked his way over to the Grounds Department when a full-time position became available. A family affair, his daughter will start her freshman year at NJCU this

NJCU PARTICIPATES IN COUNTY-WIDE GREENING EFFORT

NJCU is participating in a county-wide greening effort — funded by the National Science Foundation – as an applied-learning project that uses GPS technology to identify and map trees throughout Hudson County. More than 1,200 trees have been identified and mapped in the past two years thanks to NJCU Professor Bill Montgomery, a team of NJCU geoscience majors, and a group of students from Hudson, Bergen, Middlesex, and Passaic Community Colleges.

FROM ADVICE TO ATHLETICS, IT’S ALL IN A DAY’S WORK

Caporrino estimates that he walks about 8-10 miles a day while caring for the grounds, occasionally taking short breaks to offer gardening advice to eager faculty members. While standing near the Fitness Center recently, Aquatics Director Tom Lee stopped him and said, “Hey, Sabato! Can I plant Azaleas now? And what about a tree? I need a good-sized tree!” Caporrino, pretended to hide behind Mulholland but jumped out and enthusiastically replied, “Of course!” Lee confessed that after decades living in Hoboken condos, he is a gardening novice and that his new home required some landscaping. Before Caporrino walked away, Lee pointed to a beautiful tree with clustered white flowers and said “What about that one?” Mulholland eagerly interceded, “That’s a Dogwood and you don’t want to plant one of those! They are temperamental, hard to keep happy and they don’t like direct sunlight.” Money-saving advice for the fortunate rookie gardener.

Knowledge combined, the grounds team is the equivalent of a landscaping encyclopedia but these individuals know how to get their hands dirty as well. A well-oiled machine, the team spends the fall preparing snow equipment and supplies for the winter. In the winter, they plant flowers in a warehouse, preparing seedlings for spring. Spring brings laborious tasks such as distributing 400 cubic yards of new mulch, the equivalent of five full tractor-trailer loads, and prepping the 15 various irrigation systems for ongoing use.

“Each of the irrigation systems has its own control center. In addition to these sprinklers, there are 300 sprinkler heads we manage over at Gerrity Athletic Complex to keep the softball and baseball fields, and the two soccer fields evenly green,” said Caporinno.

Roughly a mile from the main campus, Gerrity Athletic Complex commands breathtaking views of the Newark Bay. “We have to clean up beforehand, cut the grass, draw the lines on both the baseball and softball diamonds, rake the clay and ensure that it’s not too wet or too dry,” says Caporinno. Throughout the spring, grounds people spend 24 hours a week mowing, while the Athletic fields require twice the labor and time.

THE GARBAGE FAIRIES

About a quarter of the grounds crew’s day, every day, is spent managing yesterday’s garbage. “People think there’s a garbage fairy that comes every night!” declares Mulholland, “But really, that magical creature is us.” An average day for the team begins at 6:30 a.m. with a two-hour ritual of garbage pickup, emptying the campus’ 120 trash cans and replacing the can liners.

“We just put new lids on the garbage cans,” said Caporrino. “Those darn squirrels would go inside the lid and get caught, then a student would lift the lid to throw something away and a squirrel would jump out!” he laughed.

The Team Behind NJCU’s Impeccable Campus

BIGGER DIG 2020

KEEPING IT GREEN

Steve Mulholland, supervisor of
landscape and grounds,
keeps NJCU green.

Sabato Caporrino, head groundskeeper, in his element.

NJCU PARTICIPATES IN COUNTY-WIDE GREENING EFFORT

FROM ADVICE TO ATHLETICS, IT’S ALL IN A DAY’S WORK

THE GARBAGE FAIRIES

IT’S THE LITTLE THINGS: FROM SOAP TO LIGHT BULBS

“Simple things like no soap or worse, a clogged toilet can plague us, but we’re working to manage the situation through a pilot program using cellphones. Soon, students and faculty will be able to text us a problem allowing us to fix it quicker,” said Michael D’Aquila, Interim Associate VP, Facilities & Construction Management, D’Aquila’s clean-shaven face and relaxed demeanor could easily disguise him as a grad student if not for his polished, dark blue suit. A SUNY Maritime College Marine Engineering major, D’Aquila focused his energy on land rather than sea, opting to dedicate his career to facilities management. Employed for a stint as Director of Facilities at NJCU, he sought experience in the private sector briefly before recently returning to the University. D’Aquila focuses on saving costs without compromising cleanliness or quality.

As he passed Rossey Hall, where many of the undergraduate classes are held, D’Aquila gestured, “It’s frustrating in the ‘shoulder seasons’ when we receive complaints that the buildings are too hot or too cold. One day it’s 75 degrees and the next it can drop into the 50s. People sometimes don’t realize that this building was constructed in the 1960’s; it is heated and cooled by steam, which can’t be done in a minute or two, or with a turn of a knob like you do at home. Although it’s a much healthier and more efficient form of heating and cooling, it takes a day to convert because if you do it too quickly a pipe can break.”

And then there are the light bulbs, “Don’t get me started on light bulbs,” laughed Closs. The team has spent countless hours meticulously changing burnt-out bulbs across campus. Closs walked into Hepburn Hall’s bright hallway and smiled as he remembered, “The first day Mike was here I really wanted to impress him, but as we went around and viewed all the facilities, the first door I opened had a light bulb out overhead!” The incident is now the longest-running joke between the two men. “We aim for a strong first impression,” he concluded.

Closs, who also acknowledges the nicknames “Sergeant Friday” and “The Whip,” is a 24-year NJCU veteran, starting his career as a housekeeper and diligently working his way up the ranks. Born in Henderson, NC, Closs moved with his family to Newark as a teenager where he still lives today. Like Mulholland, he bragged about his 50-person cleaning crew and the fact that dirty windows, crisp fall leaves and melting snow traipsed inside are a small fraction of the complex tasks his team completes to keep the campus’ 1.1 million square feet of facilities pristine.

“All our products are green sealed and hydrogen peroxide based,” Closs stated, “They are healthier for the staff as well as others using the facilities.” Unbeknownst to many is that there are procedural steps to clean a bathroom properly and efficiently. D’Aquila and Closs found a way to make the sequence more fun for their staff when they built a mock-bathroom in Gossnickle Hall for a competitive event.

“Working with the vendor, we challenged staff to show us how to properly clean a bathroom. Not only did we let peers judge peers and give away prizes, but by making it fun we hoped we helped give the respect that this job deserves,” D’Aquila added.

LAWN & ORDER

The uniforms of the facilities personnel are as immaculate as the buildings and halls they care for. Despite trying to fly under the radar, team members are frequently stopped and addressed by their first name, which is clearly embroidered on their chest for all to see.

“I get asked for directions or where to find things all the time,” said lifelong Jersey City resident Sherry Thomas, a member of the Housekeeping team for 19 years. Thomas, who works primarily in the Hepburn Hall early childhood learning center and bathrooms explained, “You have to be meticulous when cleaning the day care center because those kids put everything in their mouths!”

When asked about her boss, who was out of earshot, Thomas grinned and said, “He pushes you hard and bends your arm a bit, but I respect the fact he started at the bottom as a housekeeper, like us.”

Down the cement walkway tucked behind Vodra Hall 18, next to a small loading dock is the door that leads to the housekeeping headquarters. Five people have crammed their makeshift offices in the small space, but the team insisted that the room is “much roomier than it used to be.” The only female team-member stationed in the office, Linda Griffin, is no doubt the nucleus of the office. Her desk is the meeting point of The Container Store and a label-maker advertisement, each meticulously organized file and folder labeled in beautifully handwritten green lettering. “Without order I can’t get anything accomplished,” she said in her calming voice. The matriarch of the department, Linda has spent the past 27 years coordinating this team—hard to believe as she beamed a youthful smile.

TIME AND A HALF

“People say to me all the time, especially when they see us on a weekend, ‘Don’t you have a home?’” Caporrino said. A perhaps little-known fact is the length of time required to remove snow, mulch flower beds, clean a stairwell and complete the endless laundry-list of other tasks required to keep NJCU at its finest.

“Closs is always asking me if can get this new toy or that,” D’Aquila said, referring to his persistent requests for new equipment that would potentially save time and reduce cost. “It’s difficult to say no, but many times we find a compromise,” he concluded, although the NJCU team is not convinced that technology is always the answer.

“See this? It’s called ‘no mow grass,’” scoffed Mulholland as he pointed to a quiet nook outside the newly remodeled Student Union Building, “There’s no such thing! If it doesn’t sprout grass, it grows weeds. Anyone could see that!”

Some newly implemented technologies have enhanced efficiency at NJCU, but they, too require the attention of a passionate human caretaker. Changing a burned-out light bulb, touching-up the grout separating each one-inch bathroom tile, and flagging brown patches of grass still require the time and energy of a maintenance team member. And so it seems, technology cannot replace the unsung heroes of NJCU: The Grounds and Housekeeping teams.

Photography by Paul Gargiulo.

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