Greenspace Management Division Crew Wins TRAP GOLD!
Groundskeepers from park departments across Southeast Texas met in Pearland on Thursday, October 29, to compete in the TRAPS (Texas Recreation and Parks Society) Region 4 Equipment Rodeo. Competitions included a lawnmower obstacle course, backhoe skills event, nail driving skills competition, irrigation system assembly, plant identification, trailer backing competition, backpack blower skills and a tug-of-war.
The Houston Parks and Recreation Department was represented by 5 teams, and all placed in the competition. Special congratulations go out to the Houston Memorial Central Team, which was the overall winner with 21 total points.
Martin Sotelo brought home a decisive 1st Place win in Nail Driving with one blow. Jed Aplaca, a field supervisor working on his Master’s Degree, made the department proud with a 1st Place win in Plant & Weed Identification. The team placed 1st on two different lawnmower obstacle courses, Dagoberto De Leon on the outfront mower and James Harris on the midmount mower. Harris has placed 1st three years in a row. Sixteen year veteran Chief Irrigation Installer Daniel Cerda and Field Supervisor Mitch Symons came in 2nd in Irrigation Assembly. Competing in backhoe skills with only a few minutes of training, Antonio Gutierrez wowed the crowd and came in 4th. And the tug-of-war team of Michael Edwards, Michael Marshall, and Damon Slater were well on their way to a win when mud came into play.
The competitions are designed to encourage park department employees to develop skills that will be used in their day to day work.
Congratulations to all of HPARD’s competitors, and to the Houston Memorial Central Team for its 1st Place win!
