Northeast, Great Lakes hold area competitions

The Northeast Area honors its 2008 contestants. L. to r. are Stephen Murphy, NEABAP co-coordinator; John Cammuso, Babcock Power Inc.; Gary Gresko, L-13 apprenticeship coordinator; Jim Banford Jr., L-13 BM-ST; Paul Spear, L-29 contestant; Timothy Spencer, L-7 contestant; John Cawley, L-13 contestant (NEABAP runner-up); Sean Murphy, NE Area IVP; Chris Torrell, L-28 contestant; Jason Dupuis, NEABAP Co-Coordinator; Donald Goodwin, L-154 contestant (NEABAP winner); and John Hughes, L-154 apprenticeship coordinator.

Goodwin and Cawley win Northeast; Zeman and Avery win Great Lakes

THE NORTHEAST AND Great Lakes Areas held their annual graduate apprentice competitions jointly May 12-15 at Local 13 (Philadelphia) facilities in Newportsville, Pa. Locals 13 and 28 (Newark, N.J.) hosted the event.

Donald Goodwin of Local 154 (Pittsburgh) and John Cawley of Local 13 placed first and second, respectively, in the Northeast Area Boilermaker Apprentice Program (NEABAP) competition.

Richard Zeman of Local 647 (Minneapolis, Minn.) and Matthew Avery of Local 85 (Toledo, Ohio) placed first and second, respectively, in the Great Lakes Area Boilermaker Apprentice Program (GLABAP) competition.

The top two finishers in each contest went on to represent their areas in the national contest in Kansas City, Kan., Sept. 21-25. Avery won that competition, and Zeman was the national runner-up. The two men also won the team competition.

Also competing in the NEABAP contest were Daniel Badiali, Local 237 (Hartford, Conn.); Paul Spear, Local 29 (Boston); Timothy Spencer, Local 7 (Buffalo, N.Y.); and Chris Torrell, Local 28 (Newark, N.J.).

Other contestants competing in the GLABAP event were John Swift, Local 374 (Hammond, Ind.), and Robert E. Theisen, Local 169 (Detroit). Union judges for the NEABAP contest were Howie Anderson, L-28 welding instructor; Ernie Dorsey, BM-ST, L-193; Nick Gushue, L-13 welding instructor; Bob Heine, Intl. Rep; James Horkay, retired IBB; Phil Hornberger, L-197 welding instructor; Ray Orsi, L-154 welding instructor; Bob Pandori, L-197 welding instructor; and Michael Stanton, L-154 welding instructor. Contractor judges included Mike Bray, Shelby Mechanical, Inc.; John Cammuso, Babcock Power Inc.; Peter Carey, Boiler Erection & Repair; John Carey Sr., Boiler Erection & Repair; Larry Ross, NAES Power Contractors; and Matthew Schmitt, Simakas Brothers Co.

Union judges representing the GLABAP were Intl. Rep Pat Stefancin and Local 1 (Chicago) Assist. Bus. Mgr. Robert Schwartz. The GLABAP contractor judges included Ron Brian, Morrison Construction, and Tom Sciarra, Forrest City.