THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, August 10, 1995 TAG: 9508100160
SECTION: SUFFOLK SUN PAGE: 12 EDITION: FINAL
SERIES: In the Hot Seat
SOURCE: By SHIRLEY BRINKLEY, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: SUFFOLK LENGTH: Medium: 53 lines
The recent heat wave had 19-year-old Nicole Emmons wiping her brow, but it didn't dampen her spirits.
A Yale University sophomore, Emmons opted for the heat and humidity at Suffolk Golf Course instead of an air-conditioned office this summer. She weeds, waters plants and trees, cuts greens with a gas-powered mower, and rakes sand traps five days a week.
``I wanted to work outside because I want to be an architect and this is basic landscape architecture,'' Emmons said. ``I've had inside jobs before and I hated it.''
Emmons is the only female on John Daniel's six-member crew. Her first day at work, she was given a small weed-eater.
``I've grown out of that and I use a large one now,'' Emmons said, laughing. ``I've gotten stronger.''
Her alarm clock rouses her at 5 a.m. She dons shorts, a T-shirt and tennis shoes and reports to work at 5:30 a.m., working until 2 p.m. After a short nap, she can get through the evening without falling asleep in the middle of a conversation.
Raking traps and kicking up sand with the weed-eater is no fun on a hot day, she said. But she has stuck it out.
``Once or twice, I had chest pains and felt light-headed,'' she said, ``but I got water and went right back outside.''
Her most embarrassing moment was stepping on a rake that snapped upright and struck her head, stunning her.
``I had an ice pack on my head all day and it's been a running joke for three weeks,'' she said.
Recently, Daniel's staff had a hot and dirty job - repairing pipes in the irrigation system.
``We watered the course heavily and then started digging, cutting pipes and repairing them,'' Daniel said. ``It was like digging about four graves in one day. Then, we refilled the holes and laid the sod on top.''
In spite of the pitfalls, Emmons has no regrets about her job choice.
``I've really enjoyed it,'' she said. ``The crew gets along and I see half of the people that live in Suffolk . . . at least, all the retired ones. I'm not in a hurry for it to be over with.'' ILLUSTRATION: Staff photo by MICHAEL KESTNER
Nicole Emmons digs an irrigation ditch on the grounds of the Suffolk
Golf Course.
by CNB