1/29/10 My local number is now 158.The International president Vince Giblin wanted us to combine as many of the upstate locals into one strong local and still keep the individual districts of 106, 832 and 545 . I was present at the Union meeting in Syracuse on Tuesday, January 25th. It was good to see some of my friends from the dredging site, Patty and Scott and Billy from Callanan. Dan McGraw is Business Manager and our office is the main branch for Local 158. I will update with more info when I receive it from the hall. I do know that you can be on any of the out of work lists but only on one at one time. So if you happen to be closer to Binghamton, or Syracuse you can put your name on their district list instead of ours. I don't think allot is going to change but time will tell. Harrigan said our pension is in much better shape than it was in 2008 and things work wise are looking up everywhere. I hope all of you out there have a great work year! I'll get back with more when I have it! Click on photo to see more!

9/27/10 A special Union meeting tonight! A Watch presentation ceremony for 50 year members(or more!) I saw my good friend and mentor, Gene Messerecola and he was presented with a lifetime membership award and gold card for his years of fine service and membership in our Local. I am please to say he looked as great as always and got to take a picture with him! I didn't dress for this occasion as I didn't know that it was going to be such a special night. Members with 50 years of service or more were presented with a beautiful gold watch from the union and Dan McGraw made the presentations. I am very glad I go to these union events and meetings. It is always important to be a active member.

9/24/10 Went to the Labor day parade down in Albany tonight. There were fireworks after at nightfall, and hot dogs and hamburgers. It was cool. I would have liked the quantity of our members there to have been larger and matching shirts and our banner would have been better. Bill Gray and his little daughter led us down State Street and it ended at the Corning preserve park over the bridge. Nice time. Lots of politicians. See pics at my Labor Day Parade Album

8/28/10 Just returned form the Annual Operating Engineers picnic. We had a little rain but it was a great success and a good time for all. Of course the food was terrific and Jeanne Picard was running around making sure everyone was satisfied . She's a great lady. We love it there,and try not to miss it. Many awesome prizes were given out. I have some pics from the day at My 2010 Picnic page on Google.

7/27/10 At the Longevity Awards ceremony at Michaels Banquet house in Latham. A great many Longevity pins were given out and members from 25 thru 50 years with Local 106 were in attendance. See my photos at Longevity Awards

6/19/10 Bobby Jones retirement dinner was held last night and it was a good time for all. Many of his family members were present and a lovely slide show was played and many people spoke about Bobby and his relationship with them and the benefit of his time as a member of Local 106. I took allot of photos and they can be viewed at my Bobby Retirement Album

4/09/10 Am currently up at West Milton again and was on the night shift for about 6 months and worked with fellow operator Michael Redmond and Brian Biche. It was a long shutdown and is still underway and I am probably going to be seeing night shift again, shortly. I really would like to stay here if possible so I will take what I can get! I avoided a layoff and am very glad to still be working during this hard economic time. We will be having a good deal of operators retiring as of June of this year and there will be some major changes down at the hall, except for Dan McGraw who is now our new Business Manager now that Bobby Jones has officially stepped down. We hope he enjoys his retirement! Can't wait myself!

2/4/10 The Tower crane is back up at the Capitol building and John Kakely and Kevin Socia are operating it It is taller than the one that I was on and it's boom is longer with an extra jib on the end. It also has mechanical and operational updates that were not present on the Liebherr that was constructed on the North side of the Capitol. This crane is erected on the east side and there are also higher security measures in place to protect the Capitol building and the state workers and politicians.

2/3/10 This is the first time that I have been able to update this site. I really have not been keeping up with anything on my computers as I have either been working(great) or trying to maintain my household, so this web stuff was thrown to the side. I am pleased after working for Shaw at the Hudson dredging site that I was able to return to the West Milton site. I have been there since June and since October have been on the night shift which was a little tough to adapt to. I am away from my husbands great cooking at dinner time so I have lost some weight! That's the best part. Also, working during the months of the winter that I usually would be laid off for. I am hoping to stay on permanently but one never knows.

7/25/09 Wednesday night I had the pleasure of viewing the awards ceremony at Michaels Banquet house and also took some photos. I wish I had been better prepared as I will bring a tripod next time and have my camera set up in advance for larger jpg photos. I hope anyone that would like to see them visits my photo gallery with Picasa at AWARDS DINNER!

6/30/09 Have been very busy...Today,on the way home,I took some shots near Rogers Island off the bridge on the river near Route 197 in Fort Edward where I am working as of May of this year. I am operating a filter press with a fine team of operators including Scott Frost. Bert Veldman. Dave Judaekis. Patty Egan. Eric Fox. Bob Prusinsky. and others. "Tiny", Justin Morris, Chris Labombard, Master Mechanic, "Larry the Lull", "Chip",and others... Mark Langlois on excavator, Mark Lounsbury... We are all involved in this world renown project that hopefully will rid the Hudson of PCBs dumped throughout the years by GE. I am sorry I will be leaving soon to go back to my job at West Milton as we are having a great time working together as a team and everyone here is giving it their all as working in this heat with tyvek and all the other PPE can be draining; it really helps to work with good people! If you would like to see some photos click here!

3/30/09 Took the Fork Lift training offered every Monday at the Union Shop. Got a call from the hall and will be starting on a job up in Fort Edward operating a filter press, which I'm told is pushing buttons and working inside, out of the weather, so that's great. I guess it could be a little boring but at 12 hour days and 6 days a week I'll be comatose before I'm bored! That is until I see my gross pay for the week! You know me, I'll take most any job the union sends me to, and I do appreciate getting out... just about now. I'm going stir crazy being laid off. Hopefully they'll be pleased with me and everything will go well, I might be allowed to read, which will keep me aware and make the time go by quicker. The info site for this project is at the Hudson River Dredging Project.

I also wanted to touch on th TWIC card. This is needed if you are planning to work at the Port of Albany. This site Transportation Worker Identification Credential will give you the links for your specific locality and you can fill in an application for an interview and speed up the process by doing some basics online. I was able to go February 28th to fill in and pay the fee( 132.00)I am still waiting to go pick it up although I've been approved and am waiting for the call from the port to pick it up.

1/1/09 Happy New Year to all. I am out and about now and hope to get a few shots of work sites around the Capital region. Allot of my friends are working down in Rensselaer and I got to work a few days for DA Collins under Kubricky at the Locks in Waterford while a fellow operator took care of a flood at home . The Lock 6 in Waterford is gettingg an overhaul and the work started in December. A few shots of this site can be seen at my web album site.

11/02/08 Almost at the finality of this election campaign and am glad it is almost over. Suffice to say I am voting for my union pics as they are the ones providing my income and way of life. I also would like to see if a change can do us some good. I hope so. Either way life goes on and we will get up and go to work and live our home lives without being too changed by the president elect. We are not of the rich and all us hard workers are closer to the working poor then we like to think. Paycheck to paycheck we just are trying to make our way. Our hope is for the lives of future generations to be happy and healthy and enjoy there home lives and be as safe as we can be in this crazy world. Be sure to get out and vote because that is what really matters. Every vote counts.

11/1/08 Got the Union magazine and my buddy Herm Bussie has an awesome photo of the pipeline in Binghamton. He is a great master mechanic and a terrific friend. I hope that everything is great out there. Our work situation here in the upstate area has been great and this coming year looks even better. Hope everyone has a safe and lucrative one! Our union album page is an awesome addition Check it out!

8/30/08 Photos of the Operating Engineers picnic can be found at this Picasa site.

5/22/08 Yeah, I have finally figured out how to update my site without using Front Page as my web server stopped allowing it. I am supposed to be at the training school this morning but decided to update my website as I had things to take care of at home. We have a beauty of a new crane at the school. We now own a Linkbelt 108 50 ton lattice boom crane that is used in our Training facility on Haney in Glenmont. Many operators have re taken license tests that were abruptly suspended due to NY State Labor Department errors and are now justifiably operating the cranes that they have been safely since receiving their licenses. Articles pertaining to this issue are found here

5/10/08 I have taken the liberty to present a few of the photos that I took at the awards dinner at Michaels Banquet house, May 19th 2008. It was an outstanding venue and was a proper celebration for those that are very worthy of their accomplishments and proud of them. It was a beautiful setting for a dedicated group of individuals who have given a lifetime to preserving and honoring our union. They can be viewed at my Picassa site

6/30/2007 Am at present and hopefully a formidable future working for General Dynamics at one of the facilities and am enjoying every minute of it. Safety issues are at the forefront and the other operators that I am working with are all past friends and coworkers, Gerry Biche, Ray May, Phil Pita, Kevin Tambasco, Dick Ruby, Tod Kalefant and now Michael Redmond, so the surroundings and conditions are fabulous for me. Real bathrooms and not portal johns are a definite plus and a workout area that I can utilize off hours will help me get back into fighting condition for the 50's to follow!

2/12/07 Have been working at a Superfund site in Glenville New York on Freeman's Bridge Road for DA Collins. The brother company, ESMI is operating the soil cleaning plant that I am using a loader to feed with the PCB contaminated soil which is then burned and refined to a "clean" state to be recycled and used in other ways. More info on this process can be found at their site. On board are great guys like Bobby Christman, Mark Lounsbury, Fred Tingsley, Chris Parks, Larry, and Rich Thomas and their leader , Dean Blodgett.

I am working on the second shift and my team is mainly three fellas that work great together and with me. It is a pleasure working with these professional guys. I think I might be here a while even though it was only supposed to be a couple weeks. I have heard that before. The Tower crane in South Glens Falls was supposed to be three days. It was four months!

1/14/07 I am about to start a job in Scotia New York on a Hazmat site, I have gotten re certified and gotten my physical all squared away. I guess I'll be busy for a while and I am back on a loader after all these years. We will see how long I can take the grueling hours in the dead of winter when my bed is so warm and so far away....!LOL

8/30/06 Started a temporary position with Rozell Industries in South Glens Falls operating their Pecco Tower crane with my fellow operator Joe Wells, whom I haven't seen since Bechtel in Athens. He's been all over the state plying his craft and is a great coworker. Not as hard to climb as the Albany crane but a beautiful view as well. See pics

8/23/06 Got a nice email from another future operating engineer who was in contact with me back when she was a guard across the street from a tower crane and got the bug to operate. It sounds like her dreams will soon be coming true and I'm happy to host her story. See Aimee Brooks. Also out Operating Engineers picnic is this weekend and I hope to see all my friends there. Hopefully we'll have good weather, Picard's Grove always has good food!

8/13/06 Left the job in Plattsburgh as I missed home and not enough overtime for hotel expenses. I am a homebody at heart. I am temporarily at the Gilboa Dam project for Nicholson Construction, and am oiling for Roger Howerton, and he has graciously allowed me some seat time and training on this 300 Ton Manitowoc with a lengthy boom of 390 feet! What an opportunity for someone who has only been on hydraulics up to 150 ton and 150 ton friction truck cranes. I am ecstatic! Other great operators on the job are, George Ward, steward, Jeff Ives, Master Mechanic, Michael Giancarlo, Dave Zakett, Jason Holliday on cranes.888, and others, Billy Sheldon, Jim, Jeff Hamlin, Rob, that I have had good relationships with on other jobs such as Athens, Bechtel. Also Hi to Tommy Thomas and Gary Eros, Pee wee, with Local 190, Laborers. See photos.

7/16/06 Great news. Started working for Burkhalter Rigging at the lay down yard for Noble Environmental on a 75 ton Linkbelt . The Ironworker's of Local 12 are doing a fabulous job rigging and maintaining safety and cleanliness on the job while ensuring top quality and efficient unloading and storage until the installation process to begin. New members of Local 106, Mark and Bobby on 100 and 85 ton Grove and Krupp truck cranes. Hopefully overtime will begin soon because expenses are high for travel and lodging but I really am excited about the technology and new experience. Tough being away from home all week. No new jobs locally so it its my best bet for now. Here are some Noble Wind Farm pics from others on our union job site photo page.

6/26/06 Had another granddaughter born today. Healthy and beautiful. I am not working currently but have had a few jobs here and there the past few weeks. Am waiting on the Big One, Aren't we all! See you at the meeting!

5/28/06 Hope everyone is starting a great work season. I took the Commercial driving test and past. It is great to finally have my CDL B. Now I really have to watch my heavy foot when I get back in my little Ford escort!

3/21/06 Ready to venture back out into the world. Am getting ready for my husbands 50th birthday party and am trying to spring clean my house and paint and organize all in the same week. Hopefully it will turn out great. Family and friends are what makes life interesting and full. That we have much of and am looking forward to another great year at work.

3/1/06 Just wanted to check in and let everyone know I am still trucking! I have been working the last week for Brownell Steel at Gloversville High School with some of the Egan boys and Big Ed. I had a 75 Ton American that was a sweet old girl and 175 foot of boom setting steel. Hadn't had much experience on friction and hope I didn't make them struggle to much. I was happy to get out of the freezing cold those guys had to work in. The wind chill was below zero on Wednesday. Would love to work with them again sometime. Bike Week bound....

2/26/06 Was invited to my last Monaco Winter Party given by Al Hasbrouck of Monaco Restorations. Had an awesome time at the Dakota Restaurant in Latham and Al was an excellent host, as usual, and made everyone feel proud to have worked for him and on the project. Will miss all. Photo at left are some of our great team. I was at the Capitol building on and off for the past 3 years and many of the people I worked with have become friends not just coworkers. The masons of Local 2, Danny and Phil of the Laborers' Union, the many roofer's, ironworker's, sheet metal workers, were a pleasure to work with.

1/19/06 Click on photo to the left, to see the full photo taken on the steps of the Capitol building with my past boss, Al Hasbrouck of Monaco and friend and Capitol Architect, Jim Jamieson, Rich Hynes and Dave Butynski. Also in this photo is Susan Knack, a civil engineer for Simpson Gumpertz Heger, who has done exceptional work on this project herself, and it has been great to have another nontraditional woman working on the site. See who we are Capitol Photo

12/17/05 Happy Holidays to everyone and a great New Year to come! Still working for Royal Crane in Pleasant Valley on and off. Have been getting a lot of different experience on other machines and am working on my CDL at this time so I can legally drive these big monsters like the 125 ton, down the highway. Hope everyone is safe and healthy and the New Year is looking bright. Am updating the 106 page as we have a major change of officers. We congratulate Dan McGraw on his appointment as Regional Director for Region 1 of the International Union of Operating Engineers, effective January 1, 2006, and hope his new post suits him as well as Local 106 did. We will miss him around the office and on the other end of the phone. Good Luck and Best Wishes to Bob Jones on his appointment to Business Manager our Local, and Mike Dodig as new President.

11/14/05 Am working for Royal Crane in Pleasant Valley about an hour and a half away. They have great equipment and the fellows there are all terrific. Operating a 100 Ton at the Poughkeepsie Water Treatment Plant installing new 8.5 ton screws! CDM is the contractor and Jay, their boss is excellent.

11/11/05 Finally am able to update this site. Have had all kinds of problems with my web server and am pleased I can finally let you know what I have been up to. Got laid off around Oct 7th from the Capitol. The Tower crane is coming down on November 14th and will be stored in Burt crane's yard till it's sold. I am sorry they aren't using it on the State St side. Western is the new contractor for the third phase and Sweeney and John Kakely are on the 125 with Burt crane and rigging and are attempting to do what took us 6 months to do with the tower in 20 days. Guess that's how they beat the other bids by 2 million!!! We'll see! I hope that everyone works safe and has a great holiday.

9/17/05 Great day for a parade! Was proud to be in the Labor Day parade in Albany today. Have had lots of updates to post but haven't had a chance I will be taking off the 2003 picnic page and placing photos from our 2005 picnic online this afternoon and also photos from the parade on the same link.

7/30/05 Went to the awards dinner the other night and they had it at the Temple , the food was great, got my picnic tickets, and took some photos. Irene Lounsbury reached her 25 year and I know that was a big thing as the few women that there are in this union, it is awesome to see this great lady achieve that goal. Can't wait to join her! Of course it goes without saying the great guys getting there 25,40,and 50 year pins!

6/30/2005 Have been seeing allot of my brothers and sisters going back to work this year. Cindy is over at RPI at the Empac site working with another great operator, Kevin Parker who I met on a derrick crane a few years back across from where I am working now.

This is an article that the Schenectady Gazette did on Ian Phillips and I in 2003 about the Tower crane so here they are...Click on individual photos left for a better view!

John Kakely and I are getting the Towers back together and ready for another 100 or so years of wear before the next renovation! See Photos!

Across the street off of Sheridan Ave there are another great bunch of operators, Brian, Tim ,Mark, Ed and Larry, Tom and Sully and more that I don't know, I'm sure. The Empac site is looking great from 787. I will try to take a ride up there this week and get a few updated photos.

4/22/05 As you probably already know I am back at the Tower and am thrilled to be flying the granite stones back to their proper placement on the 150 year old roof. Hi guys! I know you have all been waiting for me to post some more great pictures of you on the Tower in Albany at the Capitol building, so here they are...Click on individual photos for bigger view!

Click this link for my new blog,Cranes and other not so girly things...

Crane Operators desperately needed in Australia, see this post.

3/06/05 Finally off the Jersen site at RPI. No more crane and I rather fly then lull if you know what I mean. I am encouraged at the number of projects going on in the area but am sure to be flying stone at the Capitol shortly. The climb is tough but the job is exhilarating. I am glad to have had the opportunity to work for Jersen, the fellows and my foreman, Terry Lounsbury were great. Hi to Chuck and Mark on the Tower.2/17/05 The TOWER crane at the Site is up and running and I'll have some awesome pictures posted this week. Turner is the site manager for this job and is maintaining excellent safety standards and is open to everyone's input for better site safety practices and immediately implements the means necessary to keep this an excellent job site. The folks at Jersen are great to work with and I am enjoying being so close to home!

2/5/05 Good Day! Still at RPI and working with the carpenters laborers and ironworker's setting wall forms and rod and getting these walls ready for the next step in this awesome project. Up on the highest point of the job so great views are afforded me. Chuck Egan has joined the operators and he is on a 50 ton crane. It's great to be part of a local project.

1/17/05 Hi everyone! I am working again at RPI for Jersen Industries this time on a 35 ton Grove and a nice Lull. Everything has heat and brakes so I am a happy camper. It is great to be so close to home. I have been working in the snow and rain but not suffering as badly as the poor fellows like the carpenters and laborers and ironworkers who are soaking wet by the end of the first few hours. I have so many clothes on myself I look as if I weigh 300 lbs! See Their site!

12/23/04 Merry Christmas everyone and Happy New Year! Have been working for McKinney Drilling at RPI at the Experimental Media Performing Arts Center (EMPAC). The $141 million facility signals another development in the renaissance at Rensselaer . the enrichment of campus life and of the student experience. See Photos and info on the project on the EMPAC page

12/08/04 Have been at the Alpine Environmental Services training for Asbestos Handler certification this week with many of my brother and sister engineers. Certification is required on a few of the really big jobs that are coming up in the near future and we'd all like to be on them.

11/5/04 Had a quick stint on the Thruway operating a 40 ton Link Belt for Fahs Rolston Paving Corp. moving some permanent barriers into place near exit 6. Two nights and worked during the day for Monaco on the Tower crane with Chuck Egan. He's off to DA Collins and I think I'll be back on this on Monday. Mark Murray joined me on Monday and it's been a great week of catching up on all the jobs around and who's where. RPI is in full swing on the new arts building on the hill behind the biotech building that was done last year.

10/4/04 Got laid off Thursday and am waiting for the hall to call for my next assignment. The water filtration plant needs to be filled before back filling and other work can be done. It must be tested to be sure there are no leaks.

9/12/04 My website was featured in the REGISTER STAR ONLINE today as a source of photos of the work in progress ate the water treatment plant in Hudson working with Jett Industries and carpenters from 370 and Newburgh Local 19, ironworkers from Interstate Reinforcement and Laborers from Local 1000 and 36 who are all working hard to get this concrete poured before the real cold weather hits.

This photo of the Albany Skyline taken from my crane is a great desktop wallpaper. Download here.( Click saved as wallpaper on Large photo page)

9/11/04 I have been very busy since May here and there and everywhere! I have rolled black top in the Catskills and operated a bobcat and lull in Rhinebeck and been on the barges of CD Perry in South Bethlehem and operated a few cranes and lulls for others. I think I am on my 10th contractor this year! I am presently working for Jett Industries in Hudson New York operating a 125 Ton Link Belt for a new Water treatment plant. See Photos on Jett Page! While at South Bethlehem my friend and coworker Irene Lounsbury got her picture snapped and Tutt made every effort to get me time while others were on vacation or on other jobs. It was much appreciated. A very important key to working is being able to operate as many pieces of equipment as possible! Sign up with Gerry Decker at the school for the next set of courses!

8/22/04 Our 2004 Engineers Picnic was a great time again this year at Picard's Grove where I hope we always go! The teaks are just right and so is the good time! We had great weather and everyone enjoyed themselves.

7/3/04 Was part of the great crew that Siemens had repairing a generator down at Athens. I worked for Marino crane and operated both the 30 ton carry deck and the 110 ton gantry crane. It was allot of hours in a short time but the great guys got it done!

5/11/04 Good Day! I am back to work but this time for Alberici at the Bethlehem Power Site operating a carrier deck Grove inside one of the buildings. It is allot easier to get to in the morning and we are working 4 - 10 hour days. I should be there for the season at least. The crane is quite a bit smaller in lifting capacity and room but it's nice to be around all my old friends from the Bechtel site and some new ones. I am working with pipe fitters and the crew seems great. I hope to have a great working season.