TURF INDUSTRY NEWS

2015 Field of the Year Winners Named The Sports Turf Managers Association (STMA) has announced their “Field of the Year Award” winners. For fields used by profes- sional teams the winner in baseball was Ed Smith Stadium at Baltimore Orioles in Sarasota, FL. Daniel Thomas is the head groundskeeper. The winning pro soccer field is MAPFRE Stadium at Columbus Crew SC in Columbus, OH. Weston Appelfeller, CSFM, is the director of grounds. There were four winners in the College and University category. The winner for football was Davis Wade Stadium at Mississippi State University, Starksville, MS. Brandon Hardin is the sports turf superintendent. The softball win- ner is Cyrill Softball Stadium at University of South Caro- lina Upstate in Spartanburg. Bruce Suddeth is the director of building & landscape services. For soccer, Klöckner Stadium at University of Virginia in Charlottesville is the winner. Jesse Pritchard, CSFM, is sports turf manager and Phil Bathalon is assistant sports turf manager. The sporting grounds winner is Fifth Third Bank Stadium at Kennesaw State University in Kennesaw, GA. Shane Hohlbein, CSFM, is the sports turf manager. The schools and parks category had five winners. The baseball winner was Ivey-Watson Field at Gainesville City Schools in Gainesville, GA. David Presnell, CSFM, is turf manager. North Area Athletic Complex Field at Jefferson County School District in Golden, CO, won for football fields. Sun Roesslain and Christi Clay are stadium manag- ers. For softball the winner is Blue Eagle Softball Complex at Clover School District in Clover, SC. Will Rogers, CSFM, is the sports turf manager. The soccer field winner is Varsity Soccer Field at Collegiate School in Goochland, VA. The grounds manager is Allison Moyer. For sporting grounds Championship Field at Pleasant View Sports Com- plex in Boulder, CO, took the honors. John Cogdill is park turf & irrigation manager. “Each year, we look forward to hand-picking the best natural grass athletic surfaces in the country through the Field of the Year Awards,” says Kim Heck, CEO of STMA. “With a record number of applicants in 2015, the selection process has become more rigorous, which serves as a testament to the high-quality fields our 2,600-plus members produce across the U.S.” A panel of 15 judges independently scored entries based on playability, appearance of surfaces, utiliza- tion of innovative solutions, effective use of budget and implementation of a comprehensive agronomic program. Judges may not award a field in each catego- ry. Turf News takes this opportunity to congratulate all the winners.

Progressive Turf Equipment Gives and Gets Awards TPI member Progressive Turf Equipment has created an an- nual scholarship that is to be awarded to a Central Huron Secondary School student who pursues a recognized ap- prenticeship in a manufacturing related discipline, such as machinist, millwright or welding, among others. This year’s recipient is Logan Forbes. The winner is selected by the instructors of the technical classes and the Co-op Coordina- tors at CHSS. CHSS was awarded a “RED SEAL” designation in recogni- tion of their manufacturing focused curriculum. Progressive Turf Equipment provided support for the application by CHSS to the Ministry of Education for the designation. In November, the Huron County Manufacturing Associa- tion (HMA) presented Progressive Turf Equipment with two awards, Employer of the Year and Manufacturer of the Year.

Legendary NFL Player to Sign Autographs in Houston Donnell Woolford, who played for the Chicago Bears, Caro- lina Panthers, and Pittsburgh Steelers and is in the Clemson Hall of Fame, is scheduled to sign autographs at the TPI 2016 International Education Conference & Field Day this February in Houston. Woolford is a proponent of natural grass for sports fields. Attendees will have the opportunity to meet Woolford, get a picture taken, and take home an autographed photo of the player. Woolford was named a two-time All American at Clemson, was a first-round pick for the Bears in 1989, a 1993 Pro Bowler, and played for a decade in the NFL as a cornerback. He will be in the Pre- mierPRO Bermudagrass booth in the exhibit area.

Some Bad and Good News Out of Washington The bad news is that during the process of working on the multi-year transportation bill, two Republicans offered an amendment that would have adversely affected the green industry. House of Representative members, Vicky Hartzler of Missouri and Richard Hudson from North Carolina offered an amendment that would have broadly prohibited federal transportation funds from being used for vegetative enhancement, we call it landscaping. The good news is that, thanks to AmericanHort, the American Society of Landscape Architects, and others that mobilized to reach out to their representatives, the amend- ment was successfully defeated by a vote of 255 nays to 172 yeas. Craig Regelbrugge serves as the American Horticul- tural Industry Association’s vice-president for government relations and research. He says, “Yes, this was a critical victory for horticulture. But let’s unpack it and think about what it means. At its core, the fact that two Republicans

TPI TURF NEWS • JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2016

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