Page 16 • April 11, 2012 • www.constructionequipmentguide.com • CONSTRUCTION EQUIPMENT GUIDE
Tappan Zee Bridge Ken Thomas Re-Joins Wood’s CRW’s Being Mulled as Earthmoving Equipment Sales Team Pedestrian Bridge By Michael Gormley ASSOCIATED PRESS
ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) The state is considering turning the Tappan Zee Bridge into a greenway instead of demolishing it when a new span is built to cross the Hudson River, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said. A review is under way to see if the idea is feasible for the 3-mi. bridge in the New York City suburbs. The Cuomo administration said it will cost $150 million to demolish the 57-year-old Tappan Zee, so officials are trying to “reimagine” it as a world-class recreation site. A railroad bridge 45 mi. upriver at Poughkeepsie has been turned into Walkway Over the Hudson and is a major attraction for that area. “The question of the ‘old bridge’ is exciting,” Cuomo said. “It’s an exciting opportunity that we are going to be exploring.” Construction on the new Tappan Zee could begin this year. President Barack Obama has made it eligible for fasttracked federal approvals. The anticipated cost is $5.2 billion. The idea of turning the old bridge into parkland was floated last year by Paul Feiner, supervisor of the town of Greenburgh, and other politicians and environmentalists in the Lower Hudson Valley. They applauded the governor on Feb. 22. “We can make the bridge and area a world-class destination point,” Feiner said. “I’m very excited.” Assemblyman Tom Abinanti, who represents the district on the east end of the bridge, said, “We believe an unbiased study will show that it will be less expensive to leave the bridge up than to take it down, and at the same time, you’ll be providing a marvelous recreational opportunity with beautiful views of the river.” “Everyone’s so focused on economic development, and this would become an attraction and stimulate development,” he said. David McKay Wilson, executive director of the Bike Walk Alliance of Westchester and Putnam Counties, said, “There’s a huge public investment in this bridge. We’ve spent $500 million over the past 10 years to keep it up, and we believe that once we’re finished with cars and trucks driving over it, there will be a lot of life left in it.” Besides the walkway at Poughkeepsie, backers of a Tappan Zee Park have cited the success of the High Line in Manhattan, an elevated freight line turned into parkland. Both those projects are much smaller than the Tappan Zee. In addition, plans for the new bridge call for using the same landfalls as the current bridge. Some politicians in Westchester and Rockland counties, which are linked by the bridge, have faulted the plans because they don’t provide for mass transit to immediately be part of the bridge. Abinanti said approving a Tappan Zee park would be a way for Cuomo to make the new bridge “more community friendly.”
Ken Thomas is re-joining the Woods CRW earthmoving equipment sales team as product/sales manager of the Terex compact equipment lines in New York. Thomas brings with him more than 30 years of combined construction equipment sales and management experience. In addition to his past experience with Wood’s CRW, Thomas has worked for Beauregard Equipment and recently owned and operated a farming equipment dealership, Harvest Equipment. This strategic hire and placement will allow CRW to better serve its New York partners by providing and supporting Terex product solutions — equipment sales, rentals, parts and service. Thomas also will be covering new and used equipment sales for Franklin, Essex and Clinton counties in New York. For more information, call 802/6581700 or visit www.woodscrw.com.
Ken Thomas is re-joining the Woods CRW sales team as product/sales manager of the Terex compact equipment lines in New York.
Construction Industry Legend J. Fletcher Creamer Sr. Dies at Age 85 J. Fletcher Creamer Sr., age 85, of Park Ridge, died Friday, March 30, 2012. Born in Teaneck, he lived in Saddle River and also enjoyed his home in Spring Lake, N.J. Fletch joined the U.S. Navy and served in the Pacific Theater of World War II and during the Korean Conflict. Fletch was Chairman of J. Fletcher Creamer & Son. Inc.; also had many business affiliations including: past director of Commerce & Industry Association of N.J. and was the chairman from 1984 to 1985; director of the New Jersey Alliance for Action. He also was: a member of the Fort Lee Fire Department where he served a term as chief; director of the Fort Lee Chamber of Commerce; finance chairman of Bergen County under Gov. Tom Kean; a member of the Board of Governors of Hackensack University Medical Center; commissioner of Hackensack Meadowlands develop-
ment; commissioner of the New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority; honorary member of Bergen County Police Chief’s Association; founding member and director of the 200 Club of Bergen County; finance chairman and director of D.A.R.E. New Jersey; president and charter member of Hudson Tuna Club; charter member of Palisades Park/Fort Lee No. 2475 BPOE; life member of Veterans of Foreign Wars — Post 2342; member of the American Legion Post; member of the Fort Lee Athletic Club; and chairman of the Holiday Beagle Club. Fletch also received many awards and honors including: man of the year from the Bergen County Boy Scouts of America; the De La Salle Award from Paramus Catholic Boys High School; CYO big guy of the year; first honoree of the 200 Club of Bergen County; man of the year from the Fort Lee Chamber of Commerce; man of the
year from the Boat Jumpers; man of the year from D.A.R.E.; inducted into the Hall of Fame of the foundation for Free Enterprise; and inducted into the Construction Hall of Fame of the Utility and Transportation Contractors Association. Fletch is survived by his sons Fletch Jr. and his wife Edie of Wyckoff; Glenn and his wife Leigh of Saddle River; and Dale and his wife Nadine of Ramsey; 10 grandchildren, 2 stepgrandchildren and 3 greatgrandchildren. Fletch was predeceased by his wife Kissie in 2011 and their son Jeffrey in 1989. In Lieu of flowers memorial contributions in memory of Fletch may be made to the Hackensack University Medical Center Foundation, Jeffrey M. Creamer Trauma Center, 30 Prospect Ave., Hackensack, N.J. 07601 or Villa Marie Claire, 12 West Saddle River Road, Saddle River, N.J. 07458.