Volunteers Extend a Helping Hand at JFK, Newark Liberty

Posted on April 18, 2018 by PANYNJ PORTfolio

By Cheryl Albiez, Media Relations Staff

Mel M.2017

JFK airport volunteer Mel Manheimer

At the age of 92, U.S. Army veteran Mel Manheimer no longer serves his country on active duty. But service is still an essential part of his life, as the last nine years as a volunteer for Travelers Aid assisting passengers in need at John F. Kennedy International Airport will attest.

“Volunteering [at the airport] adds years to your life. You can’t get a better position,” he said.

The same goes for Tony Scimeca, who retired after 45 years as an aircraft mechanic for TWA but couldn’t get the airport environment out of his blood. He, too, is a volunteer working with Travelers Aid at JFK, assisting global and domestic travelers who need help finding transportation or information on their flight, or buying coffee and a muffin for a stranded passenger.

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JFK airport volunteer Tony Scimeca

“I get great satisfaction hearing someone say ’thank you.’ That’s something you don’t get staying at home watching T.V.!” he said.

Nearly 150 volunteers staff JFK and Newark Liberty International Airport are part of Travelers Aid International, exemplifying the spirit of giving, and helping the Port Authority meet its commitment to provide customer-centric initiatives that improve the travel experience. Volunteers come from various backgrounds, including retired airport and aviation veterans such as former Newark Liberty General Manager Richard Heslin.

Traveling through the two international airports, a warm smile from someone in the organization’s distinctive blue blazer can provide an unexpected uplift for travelers in need of guidance or reassurance. These friendly faces help make an often difficult travel experience much easier.  At LaGuardia Airport, volunteers work with Big Apple Greeter to assist customers.

For all volunteers, the payment is hugs, smiles and heartfelt thanks. Their concern for the individual traveler is heartfelt, too.

“When someone in flip flops and an oversized backpack approaches me looking for transportation to New York, I often ask what kind of accommodations they are looking for and provide them with the most economical means of getting there,” said Michael Guarnaccio, a retired HR specialist of 38 years who volunteers at Newark Liberty.  “I even carry a change purse for the $1.60 fare to help them get on the NJ Transit bus to Penn Station.”

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Newark Liberty volunteers Michael Guarnaccio, Kayoung Song and Tyrone Laval

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Volunteers Guarnaccio and Laval both carry change for passengers in need.

Guarnaccio has spent most of his life volunteering: at his church, at senior housing, his children’s baseball team, for a crisis communications hotline and – for the last four years – at Newark Liberty.  “Helping people gives me chills,” he said. “I just love being around and helping others.”

For some volunteers, knowing when travelers require assistance is almost intuitive. Tyrone Laval has been with the program for six years.  An avid traveler, volunteering his time at the airport seemed like the perfect fit for him.

“When I approach someone asking if they need assistance, they often ask ‘how do you know I need help?’” Laval said with a smile. “I’ve been a teacher for 40 years, I recognize the blank stare.” For Laval, it’s a rewarding experience that has influenced others in his life to do well, including friends from Baltimore who now volunteer services at their airport.

Kayoung Song joined  the Travelers Aid program as an exchange student from South Korea, through the government’s Work English Study Travel (WEST) program. Song, who has an infectious smile, said that “English is not my first language, and I like meeting people who speak different languages and have different accents.”

“I am proud to be one of the first people they see when they arrive here,” she said. “They are not familiar with the area and I understand their situation, so I do my best to find a solution for them.”

Carolyn Brown, retired social worker after 50 years of work, has been guiding JFK passengers with an easy laugh and warm smile for the last nine years.
Travelers Aid JFK volunteer Larry Zeluck
Travelers Aid Newark volunteer Kayoung Song
“It’s always meaningful to help people – that’s the joy of being at Travelers Aid!” — Muriel Watkins, volunteer for nearly 10 years and retired Social Services worker after 36 years.
Larry Margolin, retired advertising executive and 8-year volunteer, describes his role as equal parts concierge, social worker and boy scout.

Interested in volunteering at JFK or Newark Liberty?

Volunteers are at the heart of Travelers Aid’s work at airports, bus and train stations. Last year, nearly 2,100 Travelers Aid volunteers assisted more than 9 million people at 24 transportation centers on 3 continents.

To volunteer or for additional information, please call Travelers Aid JFK at (718) 656-4870 or Travelers Aid Newark at (973) 623-5052.

Or to become a volunteer with Big Apple Greeter at LaGuardia Airport, visit https://bigapplegreeter.org/volunteer/ or call 212-669-7308

Posted in air travel, airport terminals, airports, aviation, aviation geeks, customer service, EWR, international travel, John F. Kennedy International Airport, Kennedy Airport, Kennedy International, National Volunteers Week, New York, Newark Liberty International Airport, NY/NJ region, NYC, Port Authority of New York & New Jersey, Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, Port Authority of NY/NJ, public transportation, Travelers Aid, Travelers Aid International, Uncategorized, volunteers | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Volunteers Extend a Helping Hand at JFK, Newark Liberty

GWB Painters: Working with Nerves of Steel

Posted on April 13, 2018 by PANYNJ PORTfolio

By Rudy King, Media Relations Staff

The George Washington Bridge is one of the crown jewels of American infrastructure, tons of steel and concrete topping out at more than 600 feet high. To keep the world’s busiest bridge painted and protected from the elements, GWB painters need to be as much daredevils as they are skilled workers.

The first requirement is having nerves of steel. Painting columns and arches while suspended under the bridge makes it a job that’s not for everyone — especially at dizzying heights with 14 lanes of car traffic buzzing below.

“This is nothing you’ve ever done on this scope before,” said Todd Whitehill, who recently retired as a bridge painting supervisor after 25 years. “Even if you’ve done tree work or worked in aviation, nothing prepares you to climb steel 600 feet in the air.”

Bridge painters have been at it since the GWB opened in 1931, working as part of the Port Authority Engineering Department. The work entails painting, varnishing and waterproofing all bridge surfaces and structures, and keeping corrosion in check.

GWB painters today….
….and yesterday.

To qualify for the job, candidates must pass a rigorous series of written and physical tests, including three on-site challenges – climbing to the top of the bridge, walking the six-inch beam for approximately 90 feet across, and overcoming other structural challenges. Walking the steel at this height, Whitehill said, is a critical requirement.

“If you don’t pass the height tests, there’s no reason to continue the exam because we can’t teach walking the steel at this height,” Whitehill said. “It’s not something you’re bad at today and good at tomorrow.

The views are majestic: north up the Palisades, particularly in the fall when it’s awash in autumn colors, and south along the majesty of the city skyline. But paying attention is critical. More than 70 percent of those hired stay on the job and make it a career. They must requalify periodically, with additional training requirements for scaffold and ladder navigation, handling hazardous materials, lead abatement training, operation of various aerial lifts, among other things.

Not everyone who aspires to become part of the GWB painting crew is equipped for the job. “Either you have it, or you don’t. It’s like American Idol – with gravity,” Whitehill said.

Posted in George Washington Bridge, GWB, Uncategorized | Comments Off on GWB Painters: Working with Nerves of Steel

The Conductor Behind the ‘Crazy’ PATH Announcements

Posted on April 4, 2018 by PANYNJ PORTfolio

By Joe Iorio, Media Relations Staff

On a recent afternoon at PATH’s World Trade Center Station, a Newark-bound train rolled by the platform around 3 p.m. and slowed to a complete stop when a loud and familiar voice sounded over the train’s PA system.

“Let ALL the people off the train! Let all the people off the train first! Let ‘em off,” The voice commanded. “For those of you boarding the train, if you have a book bag, take your book bag off before getting on the train. NO ONE wants to get hit by your book bag on a crowded train!”

Waiting passengers who recognized the distinctive voice immediately grinned.

After everyone on the train disembarked, a medium-sized conductor sporting clear safety glasses and a conductor’s hat adorned with pins approached. He had a long, reddish looking beard, was wearing black gloves and introduced himself as Mike Allen.

Mike Allen

For regular PATH travelers, Allen, a Brooklyn native, has been “performing” on the Newark-World Trade Center line for 11 years now. Since the beginning, he has brightened the day of countless passengers who travel on his trains. Recently, he took Portfolio along for a ride, part of his normal 2:30 – 10:30 p.m. shift on the Newark-WTC line.

“Since I was a kid, I always knew that I wanted to work at a railroad in some capacity,” he said. “So, in 2007, I placed my name on both the MTA and PATH conductor wait lists, but was offered employment by the Port Authority first. When I got the call from PATH, I was so happy to leave my previous job at a hardware store – it was great.”

Allen frequently tells people that, for him, every day at work is completely different. “I love PATH,” he said. “Working the railroad is great to see what life in the city is all about. Different people from all over ride these trains and it’s a fun experience to interact with them.”

Here’s a video of Mike’s signature announcement, taking place as the train reaches its final Newark Penn Station destination:

There’s something unique about Allen’s lively voice, word-selection and calculated pauses that give the feeling of a theatrical performance rather than repetitious train announcements.

Over the years, these unusual announcements have brought him a level of local stardom. People from everywhere recognize and engage him in conversation, which is rather uncommon for most PATH conductors. One time, while walking down 3rd Avenue in Bay Ridge with his wife, he said a group of guys spotted him and thought he looked like “the guy behind those crazy PATH announcements.”

Guilty as charged.

Recently, a passenger asked him to record her personal voicemail tape on her behalf. He also said it’s common for passengers to ask for a picture, or to record his routine. Some have even posted their videos on YouTube. All in a day’s work, he says.

So why does he do it? To “spice up” the daily commute, of course.

“Commuting stinks,” he said. “No one enjoys doing it every day, but you gotta do what you gotta do. It’s even worse when you hear boring train announcements, so I try to give people something different. I think it’s fun.”

Here’s a video of his arrival at the World Trade Center, the final leg of the journey:

Posted in PATH, PATH customer service, Uncategorized, WTC PATH station | Comments Off on The Conductor Behind the ‘Crazy’ PATH Announcements