Like, who
replaces the light bulb when your kid bashes his head on the light fixture and
breaks the whole thing? Have you ever thought about how the new cabins get
built, or why is there a stream down at the nature center? Well, the
maintenance team is the main proprietor in all of those enterprises. You may
have had some interactions with any one of us throughout the summer, but
mostly, we try to stay out of sight for most of the day. Our motto is “If it’s
broke, fix it, but don’t let anyone see you doing it.” Just in case you haven’t
met any of us here is a short bio of all of the guys that keep this place
running.
ROB
The first person you should
probably know is Rob Whorton. He is our fearless leader. He is the boss. All
decisions made in the facilities department go through him. He actually lives
here on camp property. If you have been on SWAT you have probably been to his
house for a bible study at some point or another. He and his wife dawn have two
boys, Jacob and Caleb, and one foster girl, Catlin. You might have seen his
boys playing smashball this summer.
SCARY TERRY
Then there is Terry, or as I like
to call him “Scary Terry.” Contrary to the name, Terry is not scary at all. In
fact, he is one of the nicest guys you will meet. Terry has been at camp since
the inception. He helped build this place so he is our walking encyclopedia of
knowledge about camp in general. Terry is the go to guy for where water lines
are buried, what trees are dead and need to be trimmed, how much water the
fishing pond leaks a day, when the sprinklers come on, and everything in
between. He probably knows more about the facilities of camp than everyone else
combined.
RED-HAIRED ROB
You might have seen Rob Kahle in
the wood shop from time to time. A good distinguishing feature of the second
Rob is his red hair. Some people like to call him “Red-Haired Rob.” Real
creative, I know. Rob came out to camp mid way through the building of the
place so he has seen everything grow throughout the years. He takes care of all
the water around camp. He keeps the pools and cove clean so everyone can swim
in them, but one of his favorite things is the derby car races on Friday during
mish-mash.
HOLLYWOOD
The lake is a hot spot around camp.
And for those of us who have been on lake crew at one point or another, we all
know it is a full time job just keeping the boats up and running. That’s where
Daniel Sherry comes in. Our resident boat mechanic, welder, and bus guy; he can
fix most anything mechanical that we can throw at him. Daniel also helps light
the fire works for Red, White, and Blue and WaterWorld. He says it satisfies
the inner pyromaniac that we all have deep down inside of us.
RAUL
Raul Rodregez… What to say about
Raul? If you know Raul at all, you will agree with me in saying that he is
crazy. But the good kind of crazy. Raul brings entertainment to all of us all
of the time. I don’t think that I have seen him sit quietly for more than 30
seconds at a time. Raul made the jump from Ozone staff to maintenance staff a
few years ago. He is probably one of the most meticulous carpenters I have ever
met and helps out in the wood shop when he can. He is also the guy that most of
the maintenance requests fall upon so he might have replaced a light bulb or
two for you in your cabin. Remember to thank him for it.
JUAN
One of the hardest workers I know
goes by the name of Juan Trevino. He is in charge of the upkeep on the light
vehicles (Vans and trucks). During the off season, he does most of the staining
of fences and buildings around camp. One fun fact you may not know about Juan
is that he used to play semi-pro baseball in Mexico before he had to have
shoulder surgery. We recruited him for our softball team and at 57 years old,
he is the best player on the field. Seriously, you should watch him play, It is
pretty impressive.
RICH
One of our newest additions this
year is Rich Holliday. He just recently married Sara Cory who works here in the
office on September 14th. All
of the landscaping lights around camp have been his baby since he started
working here. All of the little lights on the fences and in the steps have been
personally installed by Rich. Rich is another one of our carpenters and helps
out on various wood working projects that are going on around camp. And for all
of you hunters reading this, he is also a skilled taxidermist specializing in
deer shoulder mounts and does some great work.
CUBBY
If you worked in the chow hall at
any point this summer, you might have ran into Steven (CubbY) Hoover. During
the summer Cubbie is kind of Bear’s go to guy in the chow hall. He does
anything that is asked of him. Now that the summer is over however, he has made
the switch to be on maintenance and is our heavy lifter. He has had his hand in
more than a few different projects since he started working here. Cubbie is
married to Sydney, who also works here in the office.
JUSTIN
Last, but not least, is me;
Justin Pianalto. During the summer, I am in charge of SWAT so I have met a good
number of you but not everyone. In the off season, I am Rob’s right hand man. I
pretty much do whatever needs done. I do purchasing and some design research. I
have been charged with projects such as the foam machine and the nature center
stream. I started here 6 years ago as a lake crew guy and moved up to top staff
for 2 years and then full time staff 2 years ago. As I am writing this, I am 3
days away from marrying Sarah Burgess and I can’t wait.
So next year when you show up for
camp take note of everything that has changed. Then take a step back and
remember the guys that make stuff like that happen. And next time you see any
of them around, remember to thank them for the thankless jobs that they do.
