For 26 years, John Cooper has been Longshore Club Park’s golf pro, the town appointed guy who runs the golf pro shop, a non-salaried position that allows him to draw proceeds from shop inventory, golf cart fees and the money from buckets of balls used on the driving range.
John Cooper: Longshore golf pro. LinkedIn photo
Now, his tenure is in question as his contract ends Dec. 31, and the Parks and Recreation Commission has gone out to bid for the role.
The town has received four bids from the request for proposals sent out this fall. One of the four was from Cooper, and it’s not clear whether he is still under consideration.
That has generated a groundswell of concern among golfers on a local blog, suggesting Cooper is no longer in the running.
According to Charles Haberstroh, chairman of the Parks and Recreation Commission, “We’re currently in negotiations,” and it is not definite who will get the post.
He would not say whether Cooper was still under consideration.
Cooper has had five five-year contracts with the town, his last one ending Nov. 30, 2015.
“And given that Jen Fava (Parks & Recreation director) was new, and it was important to have her working a year with John, we asked for a one-year extension,” said Haberstroh.
“John’s a great guy and has served the town well for 26 years,” he said.
“And I have nothing but praise for him, and now we’re in negotiations, and both he and the town have to make the decision that’s right for them.”
—James Lomuscio
