I +~------~-~-~-~-~-+- in & on the ground I i

BY STEVE WIGHTMAN PREPARING FOR SUPER BOWL XVII

achyear on the final Sunday in January one of sports greatest specta- to ledgue specifications. cle; manifests itself on nearly every television set in America as well as Under the direction of George TOl11aand Ed Mangan with the NFL, field prepam- all radios, 1Il bars and at street corners 1Il every town from San Diego tions for Super Bowl )O.,\'V11in San Diego began at 6:00 p!lll on December 29, 2002, to Bangor, IvlE. It is also watched and listened to m nearly every just 65 TT1111lltesfollowing the Charger/Seahawks regular season gamc, Although 28 days country on the globe. Nearly half of tbe preceding 6 months the NFL before Super Bowl kickoff, there was much to be done. Under the stadium field lights, hasEscheduled one-on-one competition that began with preseason games, regular season the entire field floor at QualcOlTllrl Stadium was sod-cut with all irrigation components standoffs, and playoffs that have finally left only two teams with the best records in foot- marked and capped by 10:30 PM that night. ball squaring off against each other in the Super Bowl. At morning's first light the following day, fifteen IS-wheel end dumps and a 3 112- For most, the culmination of the NFL season begins the week before the Big Came yard loader began scooping up the cui sod and hauling it away to be recycled into organ- when the League champions l1a\'e been decided. The media frenzy and the ensuing ic mulch, At 2: 15 PM the entire field floor was clear of all remaining gmss from the dis- game analysis creates predictions based on yards-per-carry, percentage-of-completions, appointing Charger season, Before the last trucks left the stadiutn, the field was already strength against the rush, yards passing, and the like. '111etwo teams that have earned the being laser graded to establish the perfect grdde ill preparation for new sod.

right to represent their respective leagues III pursuit of the golden ring have but a fell' At 3:00 PM on Tuesday, December 31, the entire field floor had been laser graded to clays In prepare for one another. However, there have been other preparations taking within +1- 1/Z inch in any direction for 100 feet. By 6:00 PM on Wednesday, [anuarv 1, place for the Big Game long before the first round of playoff.1even began. all of the irrigation heads hacl been reinstalled to grade dlld adjusted for proper operation, As the focal point of the entire game (with hundreds of millions of viewers and The field was then irrigated to establish adequate soil moisture and to settle countless pl-lOtographsto follow) the playing field must be per- and firm Jny remaining loose soil fect in cvery aspect-from aesthetics to safety areas. ! ------~-~-~~--~--~--- in &. on the ground

TIl(; following day, 011January I, the sand-based field was rolled withn 3-ton dmITI rolls 42 inches wide and 30 feet long with each roll weighing 2,OODpounds. roller to establish uniform soil firmness. The field then was laser graded one finallime to At 4:00 PM on the third day all 100,000 square feet of sad had been securely placed reestablish that perfect grade in preparation for sod. and the long task of primplTlg awl manicuring began and continuing right up until kick- The nexl 2. clays were spent fertilizing the soil, staging and positioning the rain tarps, off With the llllckno::;:;ami weight of each roll deep roollllg became secondary to a tigllt and receiving all of the grounds and painting equipment that would be necessary to dense canopy hoth ensuring stable and firm fooling for the quick and agile 30()-polllldters maintain the field over the next 3 1/2 weeks. These 2 days were also taken up with visits now so common in the NFL. and evaluations of the two practice sites that would be used by the two Super Bowl teams In addition to the stadium field, the two practice sites for the competing teams were when lhey arrived in San Diego. also included 111 the daily routine of cultural practices On Sahlrday, [anuarv 4, the first 35,000 sqU8re feet of sod arrived awl t11(; crew of 25 Tell days before the Big Came the initial painting of the practice fields began. Since immediately began cnrefnllv placing it 011 the prepared soil. The sad used for Super Bowl it was unknown at this time which of the four teatns still in the playoffs would advance to XXX\'l! W8Simproved benuudagross that had been oversecdcd with perennial ryegrass the Super BOI\'lcrews painted the lypical lincs and hash marks. The stadium field's initial and grOl\T1to NFL specifications for the past 8 months. Harvesting begilll at the sed fanu painting was done at this time also. rollowing the fin~1 playoff weekend when the two 12 hours before placement at the stadium. The sod was harvested in ] II2-inch thick cut teams were decided the crews added each team's predetermined specifications at the practice sites. Many teams have special field markings on their practice fields deplctillg various otTense and WITH 25 KNOWLEDGEABLE CREW defcnsive alignment.s The endwnes on the sladiulII field were also painled after that final playoff weekenrl MEMBERS AND FIVE SPRAY MACHINES when it became cerlaill thilt they would read, "Raider~" and "Buccaneers." THE TASK OF BRIGHTENING THE The 7 days leading lip to the Big Game were filled with 10gislicall1lglihI1Hre:;between the morning dew from the cool humid soutl,ern California ilir, the COLORS AND SHARPENING THE LINES preg;lme, halftime, and postgame rehearsals as well as MediH OilYand team practices. ·10 help protect th(; sta- AND EDGES TOOK BUT 7 HOURS. dium playing surface during Ihe 3 dHysand llumeroll.s haUl:; of rehearsals, the field wa~ covered with a prolec- livc tarp upon which Ihe crew 118dpainted an entire footb~1I field to assisllhe pHrtieipHntswith ~leir align- ment:; and positions. The day before the game WilSthe final painting of the field that had lo be orche~trated around each leam's practice. With 23 knowledgeable crewmembers awl fil'e ~pray machines tilt l<15kof brightening the colors and sharpelling thc lines and edge~ took Gut 7 hour,. At tile end of the day the entire crew dOllated their multi- colored sliOe:;to the rafters located high above the main tunnel entrance to the field al QIl;llcOlllTTlStadium, a longtime tr~dition at the Q, The :;ho<;;:;rmlain even lodil)' as 8 fond reminder of an exciting and salis~'ing

exp~rienee for lIS all, Histmy was m~de at Super Bowl XXXVII. For the firslllJlle there were female groundcrew members thal helped prepare the field for thi~ gre~t event. Abby McNeal, CSFM, of the Denver Bronco" and Raechal Volkening of the Milwaukee Brewers, conlribuled tlteir hard work and experlise as member:; of the Super Bowl crew. Crew members handpicked for tlleir work ethic from numerous hal1c1ubs ~eTOSSthe COUlltrya:; well as Japan worked ~ide by side 7 day:;a week for 11-14 hours each day to accomplish

Steve Wightman is turf manager for Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego.

10 JannaI)' 2004 SPORTSTURF • http://www.greenmediaonline.com BY SUZ TRUSTY HONORS MINOR LEAGUE TURF MANAGERS

om Nielsen, Ed Attalla, Tommy walston, and Joe Skrabak earned waters by hand to keep moisture at ideallevels. With eight quick couplers positioned top honors as the ZOO)recipient> of the Sports Turf I\'lanager of the around the field, the entire field can be watered by hand with a 130"fool hose. Year Awards for Millor,League B,a~eball, sponsored by the Sports Turf Nielsen's staff consists of a full-time assistant sports turf rn~nager, three full-time Managers Association I,ST!'vIA). I he Awards were presented by seasonal employees, and two game day employees. There is also a crew of two part- STMA President Bob Campbell, CSFrvl, presented tne awards at the lime employees who lake care of the extensive landscaping that en hances the outside BaseballTWinter Meetings in New Orleans last December. of the stadium Nielsen takes an encouraging, mentoring approach to personnel man- Each of the 16 leagues has selected a winner 1Il recent years for recognition, pre- agement, whicll allows his slalTto make the most of their abilities and produces a dedi- sented by Major League ami Minor League Baseball. The four classifications of Sports cated, highly skilled team III fact, his former assistant, Peter Lockwood, ill his first year 'Iurl Managcr of the Year Award recipients were selected from the 2003 league win" ners. In 2001, STMA entered a 3-year agreement- with Minor League Baseball to honor the Sports Turf Manager of the Year for each of the four classifications. Tn his letter to S'Tl'vLA.in support of the 's nominee for that year, President Randy Fertigation A. Mobley wrote about the joint relationship, "The increase in the level of sophistica- tion within your industry that has taken place in the past decade is quite remarkable. Turf Feeding System s is the leader in golf 111e recognitionlo be given the best of these professionals working in Minor League and landscape fertigation systems - Worldwide Baseball as a result of this new relationship is certainly well deserved." To qualify fOT award consideration, individuals must have been named Sports Turf l'vIaIlager of the Year for their respective league. (See tile list below of individuals so, hcnored.) These individuals were asked to submit the following information for review by the STMA judging team: Photos documenting the events and staff on the field; a narrative outlming the staff; budget; number of events and/or games per season; cultural prac- tices: a brief history of the facility; and a narrative on the game day routine outlining the type of equipment used, how it is used, and staff management details. Also required: a letter from the League President outlining why tile individual was selected as Sports Turf Manager of the Year for that league; a letter from the team's Cenersl Manager outlining why the individual should be named the League's Sports TurfManager of the Year; and all explanation, in 100 words or less, by the individual as to why he or she chose this as a career and the individual's goals for thr: sports turf industry.

ClassAAA The Class AAA. Sports Turf Mallager of the Year is Tom Nielsen of Louisville Slugger Field, Louisville, KY, home of tile Louisville Bats, affiliate of the , The 13,300-~eal Louisville Singger Field opened in April 2000. Underneath the 100 per- cent Keutuckv bluegrass turf is an 8-ineh sand based root zone, topping a 6-inch byer of washed gntvd with 4-inr:h and 6-ineh drain tiles on ZO·footcenters throughout the Six Models - Ten Capacilies- 3-50 acre, field. The irrigation system consists of 89 heads in 13 zones, with full field coverage, Call Today (800) 728-4504 inclurling the infield clay area. The irrigation system can be controlled by a control ~ Turf Feeding Systems, Inc. panel or by remove control. Nielsen manually adjusts the irrigation run times based . -,,,""!!!' WWW.TURFFEEDING.COM upon the daily use of a hand-held soil moisture sensor. In between irrigation cycles, he

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nancc program is essential. 'To add to the challenges, Louisville is in the transition zone on the Ohio River, where the climate runs to extremes. The winters are very cold and the summers are hot and humid. Nielsen's attention to detail, well-planned and pre- cisely implemented maintenance program, and innovative solu- tions to problem solving have taken his field management pro- gram to the higl'est levels. In support of Nielsen's nomination, International League President, Randy A. Mobley, wrote, "Tom Nielsen is the epitome of a sports turf professional in the new millennium. With a degree in horticulture and 13 years of varied experiences, Tom has dearly established himself as an expert within his field and is second to none within the Minor League Baseball Industry. After working in the upper Midwest on both the Brewers and Packers fields m Milwaukee, multiple spring training sites in Florida, a Class A baseball facility in Eugene, OR, and a Double A field in the near-south (Chattanooga), Tom had quite the complete resume when hired to care for the turf in beautiful Louisville III the head position with the Eugene Slugger Field in the fall of 1999. Tom brought with him experience ill virtually all cli- Emeralds. tied for the Northwest mates of t-hecountry while having worked with numerous varieties of grasses. League Sports Turf Manager of the "As evidenced by his field receiving the 2002 Sports Turf Managers Association Year honers. Baseball Field of the Year Award for professional fields, Tom was and is the right man In 2003, Louisville Slugger Field for the job in Louisville." played host to over 100 events includ- Cary Ulmer, Louisville Bats President, wrote, "Bringillg Tom Nielsen to Louisville ing: 7Z Bats Games, eight college and was one of the best decisions 1 have ever made. As we knew nothing about turf fields, we high school games, Belts team workouts, 7 days of clinicsftry-oul camps, four privately have relied entirely on Tom's judgment- and expertise. We have been right 10 do so as sponsored batting practices, a 2-day cheerleading competition, three kids camp outs on managers and players have, 011 countless limes, expressed that our field is far and away field with tents, on-field television commercial production, and 3 pre-game baseball the best in Minor League baseball. Tom h

baseball history and nostalgia The field ilself was installed during construction, Gut the Suns and Attalla were 1I0table to bcgin work- ing on it llnt-il mid-March It is a credit lo the efforts of the Suns and the expertise and commitment of Attalla and his staff that they were able to get the field into condition and ready for play in such a tight timeframe. Witll a first ycar facility, the field manage- ment and maintenance program is a constant work ill process, always subject to fine- tuning as weather patterns and field microclimates produce their impacts on the precise pre-season phulJIing. As \\"<:11 as constantly monitoring conditions, Attalla integrated

Circle 106 on oard or liWIIW.oners,im5,~a/2906.1D6 interactive communication with the team lllilnager and players to discern their pcrccp-

14 January 2004 SPORTSTURF· http://www.greenmediaonline.com in & on the ground

lions of field conditions to insure lite highest levels of safety and playability were manager arc unparalleled and he has earned thc respect of the entire Southern League." achieved. Peter D. Bragan, [r, Vice Presideot/Ceneral Manager of the Jacksonville Suns, Attalla's staff consists of one full-time assistant who works during the clay in-season wrote, "We were fortunate to 1110VCinto the new Baseball Grounds of Jacksonville for and five part-time personnel who assist Attalla ami his assistant during the SUllS' horne the 2003 season. I hired Ed this past january (2003) to head LIpthe field operations. games. Due to the stadium construction, he was unable to get control of the field until mid- The field at The Baseball Grounds hosted 70 SUIlS home games between April and March, with an April 11 Opening Day to gct ready for. September, along with six softball "The job Ed did wilh our field, especially con- games, one high school game, one sidering the short lime hame ht had to work with, community baseball game and a num- make it a clear cut decision in my mind that he ber of concerts and corporate events. should be honored with this award. During the Altal!;.l anticipates the event schedule to 2003 Southern League All-Star Came that we host- become even more intense after this ed this summer, many of the general managers and Inaugural year, as there will be more sl;lff froru other tc.nns in our league commented on time to schedule and work all larger how professional the field looked and I have events. received many compliments from the umpiring ln support of Attalla's nomination, crews and visiting teams on the field condition and Don Mincher, Southern League also Ed's approach to them and making the playing President, wrote, "Ed Attalla began his field as safe and attractive as he and his career with the .I\A Bowie Bcyso«. After staff could," 2 seasons in Bowie, Ed spent one sea- SOil at' Jack Kent Cooke Stadium, (then) Class A horne of the NFL's Washinglou The Class A Sports Turf Manager of Redskins. Following his time in the Year is Tommy Walston of Grainger Washington, Ed worked one season for Stadium, Kinston, NC, home of the the Delmarva Shorebirds of the South Atlantic League where lu::received the 'Best Kinston Indians, affiliate of the Playing Field' award 1Il 1998, He made the move to Jacksonville in l999 to work for Cleveland Indians, Grainger Stadium Spectacor Management Group (SMC), the operator of sports facilities in Jacksonville, was built in 1949. The playing surface including Alltel Stadium and the former home of the SUIlS, Wolfson Park. was a native soil without any d,aillagc "Having won this award in his first year with the Suns speaks volumes for the incred- or irrigation, The infield was resodded in the 1980s. No additional renovation had taken ible talent and work Ed Attalla devoted to making the Jacksonville Suns' home one of place before Walston's arrival ill 1996. Kinston, a town of25,OOO, i.1the smallest full sea- the finest playing surfaces in all of Minor League Baseball His skills as a sports turf son market in professional baseball. \Vhile the team has earned the full support of the community, understandably the budget is limited. Walston needs to be meticulous about every purchase for the field, while striving for the very best pLlying surface. Walston SclYS,"i'vlydesire \,vasto conduct a complete rellOl,,,tioll. IVlydream came true ill the fall of 1998 whcn I designed and installed a ,and-based field, 'llle lotal cost of the project was $135,000, I was able 10 complete this pruject by obtaining COmlll\lnity donations. A private contractor donated the excavatiOIl of thc old surface. Free trllcking of matcrials was providcd by the City of Kinston Public v\lorks. The new surface has 10 inches of purc sand, an automated irrigation system, drainage un 20-foot centers, new infield clay, a warning track, and 96,000 squart fcet ofTifway 4 I9 berllliidagrass," This was obviously a great accomrli~hment for \Valstol1, the City of Kill~toll awl the Kinston Indians. \'v'alston's staff consists of one full-time ~easunal assistant who worb a maximllin of 40 hours per week from i'vbrch throllgh August and four part-time employt<:s who work game nightl, \Valston \vorh wilh illeSt p

he earned an AA III tnrE management at vVayne COllllllunity College in Coldsboro. III 19%, he mOl'ed to his current position, combining hi.\ educational backgroulld with his Jove for basebalL In support of Walston's nomination, John Hopkills, Prcsident of the CJrolina Le

SllillCconsideration to the visiting cluhs III the league,

Circle 108 on card or WVIIW.onal'S.ims,oaj2S0S-10B

16 January 2004 SPORTSTURF· http://www.greenmediaonline.com "Especially this year, we gol a lot Stadium, the home field of the Tri-City ValleyCats of rain in Kinston, and Ihave found Baseball, Troy, NY, all affiliate of the Houston Astros Tommy to be thoroughly professional and members of the New York-Penn League. The sta- and most cooperative III getting diurn is also home field for Hudson Valley games played even in difficult condi- Community College (HVCC). Skrabak is responsible tions," for the full maintenance of all the Community North Johnson, College athletic fields, which includes the softball President/General Manager of field, football field, and football practice field, as well Kinston Indians Baseball, wrote, "My as the baseball field. The Valleyt.Iats and (HVCC) working relationship with Tommy broke ground for the 4,500-seat baseball stadium in through all the trials of this season 2001 Bruno Stadium offers fans close proximity to the was super. I-Ie is always very profes- field and many amenities, includ- sional in handling matters at the sta- Illg a spacious group picnic area, dium and does an excellent job of extensive concessions menu, and a verbally communicating his plans, I major-league quality video/score- never feel uninformed when it board. It features such player perks comes to the playing surface. Tommy as large dugouts, spacious club- always explains to me in detail what houses, and ~!I indoor batting cage he is doing and why he is doing it. In on the third base side. The playing his eyes he never settles for less and he expects the field to be perfectly manicured. field was completed in the first "He is well respected not only in our immediate area, but through the: state of North phase of construction and includes Carolina, Tommy founded and is very involved with the Eastern North Carolina Sports a native sand soil profile topped Turf Association, I can recall IIIJlI organizing free, ell-day seminars here at Grainger with Kentucky bluegrass turf. Stndiun, on Saturdays for high school coaches and anyone involved with athletic fields. Skrabak's season-long staff consists of one full-time assistant and one part-time staff He is committed to helping other coaches improve their fields, He truly has a passion members. Three part-time individuals are added during the spring and summer to assist for his work." with HVCC and the ValleyCuts baseball seasons. The field hosted 38 regular season home games for the Tri-City ValleyCat.\; 20 Short Season A Hudson Valley Communily College baseball games and team practices; two high school The Short SeasoTl A Sports Turf Manager of the Year is Joe Skrabak of Joseph L. Bruno games, a f-team Division III NCAA regional tournament, a -l-team NCjAA regional tournament; six classes of high school baseball finals; a Connie Mack tournament; a charity softball game; and a company-sponsored fantasy baseball dar. cYGttET TU-U: travels the country stripping and installing sportsfields In support of Skrabak's nomination, Ben J. Hayes, President of the New York-Penn with its patented equipment. In addition, we've also supplied the League, wrote, "Throughout the 2003 season, Joe Skrabak maintained the playing field following teams with our sand-based sports turf: in optimal, if not immaculate, condition, Even in the most adverse conditions, his cxpc- rience, management skills and, most importantly, tireless efforts, permitted the 'In-City club to play, and complete, virtually all of its home games." $ CHICAGO BEARS PRACTICE FACILITY Rick Murphy, Ceneral Manager for the ValleyCats, wrote, "Joe Skrabak is the con- $ MINNESOTA VIKINGS PRACTICE FACILITY summate sport, turf manager. His dedication to the turf maintenance has been exem- $ INDIANAPOLIS COLTS PRACTICE FACILITY plary. With a limited stuff Joe has been able to keep the field at a level that is compara- $ ST.LOUIS RAMS PRACTICE FACILITY ble to many Triple A facilities. Joe's ability to meet the demands of the ficld manager, $ BALTIMORE RAVENS PRACTICE FACILITY while understanding the fiscal responsibilities of the general manager, has made it a $ SOLDIER FIELD pleasure to work with him, Although the To-City ValleyCats play in a short season $ KANSAS CITY ROYALS league, Joe's work continues throughout the year on the various athletic fields on the $ CLEVELAND BROWNS campus of Hudson Valley Community College, $ TOLEDO MUD HENS $ CINCINNATI BEN GALS 2003 Minor League Baseball League Sports Turf Managers of the Year: International - Tom Nielsen, Louisville Bats Pacific Coast - Monte McCoy, Oklahoma RedI-Iawks Our patented machines carry the Eastern - Pat Coakley, Altoona Curve ro/ls,turn them at ground speed, So whether it's your turf or ours, and install down a controllable slide Southern - Ed Attalla, Jacksonville Suns (or tighter seams. call Texas - Dennis Klein, Round Rock Express California - Clark Neuvert, Stockton Ports NO ONE ELSE CAN MAKE THIS CLAIM. cyattET T(J~F Carolina - 10mmy Walston, Kinston Indians when it's time to install! Florida - Keith Blasingim, Fort Myers Miracle U.S. Pat #5,215,248, & 5,307,880 Midwest- Ryan Kaspib::ke, Darton Dragons SOllth Athlltie - Greg Elliott, Lake County C~pbiTls Welcome to San Diego Ncl\' York - Penn - Joe Skrabak, Tri-City Valley Cats Northwest - (tie) Peter Lockwood, Eugene Emeralds, 2nd Bret Whiteman, Spokane all STMA Members lndians TURF Phone: (419) 354-1112 App~laehian - Mike Thompson, Burlington IJlcJians r.... ettf Farm: (419) 655-2020 Pioneer - Ken Kopinski, Ogden RaptOTS Gulf Coast - Chris Connell, Gulf Coast Yankees Fax: (419) 352-1244 IVlexican - Florencio Vidal Miranda, Pericos d Puebla & Tigres Jt: la Ange1opolis ST

Circle 110 on card or www.oners.ims.ca/2906-110

18 January 2004 SPORTSTURF· http://www.greenmediaonline.com ,---<------in &, on the ground

RECHARGABLE SPRAYER SHURfio has introduced its ProPack SRS-540 rechargable back- pack sprayer. Powered by a tz-volt battery, the unit elimi- nates the need for manually pumping and can spray up to 120 gal. on one charge. RAVENS PLACED NEW SURFACE Battery pack can be removed for remote charg- Momentum Turf, by Sportexe, was put in M&T Stadium in ing; status lamp indicates Baltimore, home of the NFL's Ravens, before this past season, when recharging is needed, Head coach Brian Billick believes they've chosen "the best possible field," calling Momentum turf a "safe, consistent sur- SHURflu/Soo-8S4·321 B Fur information, circle 1189 or R3i face that allows these great see www.anersJms.ca/2906-oB9 athletes to compete at the high- est level." Sportexe/800-692-6o11 For information, circle 092 Dr see www.oners.lms.ca/2906-D92

Circle 116 on card Dr WIiWII.oners.ims.ca/2906-116

20 January 2004 SPORTSTURF • http://www.greenmediaonline.com ---e in & on the ground f------~' ------

TRAVELLING SPRINKLER The Rain Train traveling sprinkler from Pioneer is for maintenance departments that don't have time to move sprinklers or don't have underground systems, Water pressure powers the unit down the field up to 200 ft. Once set, the adjustable travel speed allows you to evenly apply light, moderate, or heavy applications in a single pass, says Pioneer. The sprinkler automatically turns off at the end of the pass. Pioneer Manufacluring/BIJ0-Bn-150o FClrInfcrrnatlcn, circle 0'/7 cr see www.Clners-ims.ca/2906-o.17

••~ii~, "" ' )fMonument'· Herbicide NEW HERBICIDE CUSTOM COLORS Syngenta Professional Products World Class Athletic Surfaces announces the EPA has granted manufactures bulk and aerosol registration of Monument herbi- paints and custom stencils. cide for post-ernerqence weed Made of 100% acrylic, these control use in commercial turf super concentrate paints are markets, including golf courses, guaranteed to be brighter, last sad farms and commercial prop- longer and are kind to turf. The erty management. The active company creates custom colors. ingredient in Monument, tritloxy- WClrldClass Athletic Surfaces sulfuron sodium, provides con- 800-148-9649 trol of sedges and green kyllinga For information, circle 087 Dr in the warm season turfgrass see www.onersoims.caJ2906-087 species, including Bermudagrass and Zoysiagrass. Syngenta Professional Prodllcts/S66- SYNGEN Til. For information, circle 093 or see www.oners.lms.caJ2906-093

FIELD MARKING MACHINE Newstripe has added the NewRider 1000 to its line of field marking equipment. The unit's 30-gal. tank can paint up to 12,000 ft. of 4-in. line and up to 23,000 ft. per hour. Features all welded steel chassis, 6.5-hp commercial engine, and the easy-to-see front- center mounted spray head. Newslripe!Boo-624-6106 For Information, circle 090 or see www.oners.ims.caJ2906-090

Circle 114 on card Dr WINW,oners,ims.ca!2906·114

22 January 2004 SPORTSTURF· http://www.greenmediaonline.com in & on the ground

NEW FUNGICIDE BASF says its Insignia fungicide has FEATURES ASTROPLAY received registration from the EPA. Insignia gives spray technicians broad Superdome management in New spectrum, extended control of more than Orleans replaced its s-yeer-old artifi- 15 major turfgrass diseases cial turf last fall with AstroPlay syn- as well as dollar spot sup- thetic lurf from SRI Sports. Saints pression. Compared to some RB Deuce McAllister said, "The new ~ older strobilurin chemistries field is.oefinitely going to prolong in the market, Insignia sup- some guys' careers," Instqrua fUNGICIDE presses dollar spot, instead SRISports, Ind512-259-008G of flaring it. For information, circle 091 or POROUS CERAMIC IN BASFTurf & OrnamentaI!91Ii-547-z8z9 see www.oners.[ms.ca/2906-091 For information, circle 096 or SOLDIER FIELD Soldier Field in Chicago's reconstructed field see www.oners.ims.ca!z906-096 features the addition of Profile Products' porous ceramic soil amendment to the root- zone. The inorganic soil amendment helps enhance strong root growth, prevent com- SPECIALTY HERBICIDE paction, provide permanent air porosity and Dow AgroSciences LLC has received registration from EPA for improve drainage. Profile particles are equally Spotlight specialty herbicide, a postemergence herbicide for balanced between water- and air-holding improved clover control and control of other annual and pores to achieve uniform balance in a root- perennial broadleaf weeds. Spotlight is labeled for use zone mix. on established turf, including golf courses, parks, sport Profile Products LLC!80o-Z07-6457 fields, and other commercial turf areas. For information, circle 095 or Dow AgroSdences lLC!J17-337-JOOO spotlight' see www.onE!rs.ims.ca!z906-095 For irlformation, circle 094 or see www.oners.ims.ca!Z906-094 ....,- ...... "",'~ ...... li.C

Because their definition of "playable" will never be the same as yours.

Most sport facilities are often faced with very short periods of time between sport seasons to get their fields "playable".

Dupont" Turf Blankets" will enhance germination and root growth, allowing for earlier usage and greater survival through seasons.

For more information call: 1·800·289·2448 DuPont'" Turf Blan kef'" with Xavane

The mimcles of science'

Eir-cle 112 on card or www.oners.ims.ca/2SD6-112

24 January 2004 SPORTSTURF· http://www.greenmediaonfine.com i------~~ -+ ! in & on the ground ! _~_~ l ~~_

PERRY BELIEVES IN INNOVATIVE THINKING

loydPerry, director of Ci\'tS (Grounds Maintenance Services) for tool is a camera. It is easier to get funding if yon can show your boss any concerns you Sports Fields, presented a series of workshops in the Midwest last would like addressed, t\ camera also comes ill handy for capturing creative ideas you summer, sponsored by Conserv FS, The workshops were held at dif- see being implemented at other fields. ferent locations in Illinois and Wisconsin. The afternoon sessions were devoted to pitcher's mound, home plate, and lip main- tenance. There were also equipment demonstrations of drill-and-fill technology, line F marking machines, and other equipment. During the morning sessions, Perry presented a series of slideshows. In one, highlight- ed some innovative equipment that sports turf professionals on low budgets have creat- Perry is the author of three groulldskeeping pictorial guides: "Covering All the ed Oil their 011'11 to S,Ne lime, labor, and money. T1H~slides underscored his message of Bases," "There Ain't No Rules!" and "Softball Facilities Maintenance - Maintain T1Easy ""Vork smarter, not harder." - Keep It Safe." He also produced a three-part video presentation entitled "The ABC's Perry also presented a series of slides that showcased field designs that are aestheti- of Grounds Maintenance," which highlights timesaving maintenance techniques for cally pleasing, and easier to maintain. "Do something creative," Perry said. Perry (old baseball, softball, soccer, and football field maintenance. attendees to write down the good things that they do, and also the things that they The event sponsor, Conserv FS, has developed alliances with certain vendors to would like to improve upon. He urged them to tap into their creative side, because provide a multitude of options for athletic field renovations. The Certified Turf there is a "genius' in everyone. Specialists at Conser- FS work closely with turf managers from professional teams, col- From a business standpoint, Perry said that a sports turf manager's most important leges, and high schools ST

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26 January 2004 SPORTSTURF. http://www.greenmediaonline.com