July 2003 STAR of the Month
 

Ed Cavallero, lead groundskeeper and July STAR of the Month, finished a major task before taking his summer vacation.

The construction of a new wheelchair ramp between the Fine Arts building and the Garden of Remembrance forced him to reroute the irrigation system for the garden, and then, once the ramp was complete, restore the system to its prior arrangement.

No doubt it was a lot of work, but Cavallero enjoys such challenges on a college campus.

"It's like a little city here with utility and telecommunication lines," he said. "It's an interesting place to work."

He also relishes toiling alongside his colleagues.

"It's a good crew -- fun to work with," he said. "We joke and kid around."

"Ed is a miracle worker," said Phil Evans, director of campus grounds. "No matter how difficult or demanding the task, he breaks it down into manageable steps and moves forward. His mechanical sensitivity is outstanding, so we have come to rely on him for all unusual utility projects."

The Garden of Remembrance posed a special challenge because of its placement in an area with other utility lines as well as a concrete ramp and a staircase. Cavellero easily passed the test, installing the pump housing and lines while keeping the number of bends in the system to a minimum.

But his tasks aren't limited to the big challenges -- he also does the routine maintenance.

"I keep the pump operating right, the water clean, the mosquitoes out, and the weeds pulled," he said.

Born and raised in San Francisco, Cavellero has worked on campus since 1983. He began as an irrigation specialist, moved onto paving and cement projects, and returned to irrigation and other groundskeeping projects.

He and his wife Alicia enjoy traveling -- something they're able to do now that their children are grown. In fact, the Cavalleros are currently touring sunny Spain and will make a stop in England before returning home.

As the STAR of the Month, Cavallero will enjoy four free lunches on campus, a free parking pass or equivalent in one month's public transportation costs, and more. He will also be eligible for the STAR of the Year award.

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