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Speakers Vanini and Fortin Will Highlight the Event at Oxford Community Center
MPSTMA Fall Workshop Returns To St. Paul on September 5
VOL. 2, NO. 2 SUMMER 2012
NEWS
The MPSTMA FallWorkshop is set forWednesday, September 5 atthe Oxford CommunityCenter (Jimmy Lee RecCenter) located onLexington Parkway in St.Paul. The athletic fields areboth synthetic and naturalturf. Make plans to joinyour vendors and cus-tomers for a worthwhileday of education. On handwill be Dr. J. Tim Vanini,Ph.D, New York, alongwith Connie Fortin, FortinConsulting. Take advantage ofthis opportunity to hear fromone of our country’s finesteducators in the turfgrass industry!
Tim Vanini
Tim Vanini is a writer, speaker, turfgrass scientist, and co-inventor of a U.S. Patent (5,622,002) for topdressing crumbrubber to natural turfgrass systems. He has worked and con-sulted on golf courses, sports fields, and lawns. Dr. Vaninistudied Ornamental Horticulture at Cornell University (B.S.)and Turfgrass Science at Michigan State University (M.S.,Ph.D.). He has published in Crop Science, Applied TurfgrassScience, Agronomy Journal and American Society for TestingMaterials as well as SportsTurf and Golf Course Superintendent.Dr. Vanini is continuously researching the most up-to-dateproducts and management strategies for sound environmentalstewardship.
In 1993 and 1994, he was intimately involved with con-struction and management of the portable turf field system
implemented at thePontiac Silverdome inDetroit, MI for the 1994World Cup. At NicholsSchool, he providedexpertise for sports fieldand landscape manage-ment for the campus aswell as two sports fieldconstruction projects.
Connie Fortin
Connie Fortin is thepresident of FortinConsulting, an environ-
mental consulting firm.Her company works in avariety of ways to protect
water quality. Ms. Fortin is very active in bringing together the trans-
portation and environmental communities to reduce impactsof de-icers while maintaining a high level of service. FortinConsulting and a technical expert team wrote Winter ParkingLot and Sidewalk Maintenance Manual, ReducingEnvironmental Impacts of Chlorides, Minnesota Snow and IceControl Handbook for Snowplow Operators. Connie initiatedthe Road Salt Symposium which is now in its 11th year. FortinConsulting has trained over 3,000 professionals in wintermaintenance with reduced environmental impacts. Conniebelieves that by working together we can be successful in pro-tecting our lakes, rivers and groundwater.
As always, there will be dedicated time for vendors andcustomers to talk. Lunch is included. The complete agendaalong with registration and sponsorship information will beavailable on July 1.
M P S T M A
www.mpstma.org
NEWSTHE OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE MINNESOTA PARK AND SPORTS TURF MANAGERS ASSOCIATION
Jimmy Lee Field at Oxford Community Center
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
OFFICERS
PRESIDENTDAVID NOZAL
Tree [email protected]
VICE PRESIDENTKEVIN FERNANDEZ
White Bear Lake Area [email protected]
TREASURERROGER WEINBRENNER CSFM
University of St. [email protected]
PAST PRESIDENTSTEVE GILBERTSON
City of Lino [email protected]
DIRECTORS
GENERAL DIRECTORAMY HOWARD
City of [email protected]
GENERAL DIRECTORLOWELL LUEBECK
City of [email protected]
COMMERCIAL DIRECTORJON ALMQUIST
The Toro [email protected]
COMMERCIAL DIRECTORJOE CHURCHILL
Reinders [email protected]
MTGF REPRESENTATIVEPAUL GRIFFIN
City of [email protected]
MTGF REPRESENTATIVEKEVIN MANLEY
JRK Seed & Turf [email protected]
EXECUTIVE SECRETARYJEFF TURTINEN
MPSTMA Office: 952-473-3722 P. O. Box 617
Wayzata, MN [email protected]
www.mpstma.org
“Thanks, to Two of our Leaders”DAVID NOZAL
MPSTMA President
thanks, an expression of gratitude <return thanks before the meal>—oftenused in an utterance containing no verb and serving as a courteous and some-what informal expression of gratitude <many thanks> http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/thanks
As we spend some time in this newsletter reviewing the careers of two
longtime members who are about to or have recently retired, I wanted to saythank you to them and to our members for your service to your community,your employer and to this association. Vince Cockriel was the MPSA presidentin 1989 and Dick Riemenschneider was president in 2006. Both men have hadlong careers in their respective communities of Edina and Woodbury. I’ll leavethe career details to the articles later in this newsletter but I do want to high-light the common threads I see between the two individuals. Both men have astrong love of the outdoors, are always willing to take the time to share theirknowledge, and both have a commitment to passing on a legacy to those whofollow behind them. A true test of one’s leadership is what happens whenyou’re not around; I expect to see the fingerprints of Dick and Vince’s work formany years to come.
To Dick and Vince: From our organization, and personally, I would like tosay thank you, I wish you a happy and fulfilling retirement. I enjoyed the sto-ries, the counsel and the opportunity to get to know you. Please stay in touch.
To our members: Thank you for your support and remember to thank some-one from your own organization, I am sure many deserve it.
In the words of Dick Riemenschneider; ‘Have a super day!’
Sincerely,
David NozalDavid Nozal
President, Minnesota Park and Sports Turf Managers Association
2 MPSTMA NEWS www.mpstma.org SUMMER 2012
Athletic Field• Construction• Re-Construction• Maintenance
Golf Course • Tee Construction• Re-Construction
• Sodding • Seeding • Over Seeding• Laser Leveling
• Grading • Spraying• Aeration
• Fertilizing • Detailing• Consulting
www.magicturfs.com
Here Today, Lawn Tomorrow!E-mail: [email protected] Park Dr., Rogers, MN 55374
Mike Brunelle(612) 817-5296
Town & CountryLandscaping
of Rogers, Inc.
PRESIDENT’S PERSPECTIVE
MPSTMA NEWS ADVERTISERS
SUMMER 2012
2 Town & Country Landscaping
3 Cushman Motor Company
5 The Tessman Company
6 Turfwerks
7 S & S Tree and Landscaping
Specialists
9 Frost Services
10 Coverrmaster
11 DH Athletics LLC
12 Town & Country Fence
SUMMER 2012 www.mpstma.org MPSTMA NEWS 3
IMPRELIS: Not Just a Lawncare IssueBy STEVE SYLVESTER
S&S Tree & Landscaping Specialists
For those who have not heard about the recent issuewith Imprelis, here’s what you’ve missed:
Imprelis is a new broadleaf turf grass herbicide. It wasreleased in early spring. It has been widely used through-out the country to combat particularly stubborn weeds.When used in open grassy areas it has been very effective.When used in areas with certain spruce trees, particularly
Norway and eastern white pine, it may kill or at the veryleast injure these trees. As of September 30,2011, it hadpotentially killed thousands of mature trees. The investiga-tion is open and ongoing.
As a green industry professional you might think thisissue doesn’t affect you. But it does. Whether you treat,remove or plant trees, this is an issue you’re going to wantto keep an eye on.
If you treat or prune trees: Your customer may blameyou for declining or dying spruce trees when the real issueis the chemical application completed by the lawn carecompany. It is not yet known how long it takes before atree starts to show signs of distress or why some are affect-ed more than others. It could be weeks or months afterapplication, there isn’t enough data yet to determine.
If you plant trees: Ask your customer if they have theirlawn treated with Imprelis. If a spruce tree is beingreplaced, ask your customer why it was removed. It isunclear how long the chemical remains in the soil. Soil of alawn treated with Imprelis may be contaminated forweeks or months after application. A tree planted near thesame location as a tree that declined or died due toImprelis may suffer the same fate. As of September 30,DuPont has recommended people hold off on plantinguntil additional research can be done.
If you remove trees: If you are removing a spruce treedue to death or decline, find out if it was due to Imprelis.Woody material may still contain Imprelis and care will
need to be taken with disposal. Wood chips should not beused in landscaped areas, they could cross contaminate thesoil with Imprelis killing additional plants and trees.
Protect yourself and your company: Start a conversa-tion with your customer. Find out how they control theweeds in their lawn. If they use a lawn care company,research the company and find out whether or not theyused Imprelis. Currently Imprelis is no longer being sold,however companies may still have reserves of it on handor have used it before the issue surfaced.
As an additional safety measure you may want to con-tact your local department of agriculture. In Minnesota, apesticide applicators license is required by all employeesapplying chemicals and a record of the type and amountof chemical applied on each property needs to be providedto the customer and kept on file with the company for fiveyears. These records are your most reliable source fortracking down Imprelis usage on your customers’ proper-ties.
(Editor’s Note: To report problems or find more information onImprelis, DuPont has created the following website: www.imprelis-
facts.com)
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Examples of Imprelis damage at Spring Hill Golf Club in Wayzata, MN
4 MPSTMA NEWS www.mpstma.org SUMMER 2012
For the past 35 years, VinceCockriel has not wondered aboutbeing in any other profession. Henever stayed up at night thinking heshould’ve been a lawyer, doctor orbeen in some other field. Vince is veryhappy with his chosen profession,and he has no regrets and is veryproud of what he’s accomplished.
Vince began his adult career inthe Third Marine Air Wing duringthe Vietnam War flying as a rescueman on board search and rescuehelicopters. Upon returning to thestates, he got married and took ajob as an iron worker/crane oper-ator for three years.
The City of Oakdale hiredVince in 1978 and within sixmonths, he was promoted to ParksMaintenance Supervisor and stayedthere for 10 years.
For the past 25 years, Vince hasbeen employed by the City of Edinafirst as the Parks MaintenanceSupervisor for 10 years, then he waspromoted to Parks Superintendent,the position he holds today.
Vince hires his own crew. He notedthat in the 80s, many of his crew hadbeen farmers with as little as a sixthor seventh grade education.
Nowadays, workers are far moreeducated as half of his staff has col-lege degrees and all of them have pes-ticide applicator licenses and othercertifications as well.
Vince feels age is not a factor whenhiring a new person and says it is notnecessary to hire a young person andgroom them. Trial and error at someprevious employer is a good thing.Vince readily admits he favors hiringveterans feeling the road they took toget to the City of Edina was a tougherpath that prepares an individual foranything in life. Nothing surprisesVince. Through his military experi-ence, he has seen it all and has a keenperspective of people. He expects the
best out of his crew. He doesn’t com-pare what each worker does. If theyboth are doing the best they can, theyare on the same level in his eyes.
Vince looks for dependability in aperson and advises those beginningtheir careers to make them knownand seen as someone that is account-able. “Being someone you can counton is worth more than any type ofschooling,” said Vince.
Vince feels the best part of his job
is meeting the people and having theresources to make them happy with-out really working at it. An exampleis when a person calls about some-thing and Vince would say, “We’lltake care of it.” Most of these taskshave already been scheduled anyway.“It’s fun to have people appreciate theservice you have supplied,” saidVince.
Every now and then Vince dealswith “crabby, unreasonable” people.In early spring, when working with ashorthanded crew, some things can’tget done every day or people want toplay ball on the fields but the build-ings are locked and no one is there tounlock the doors. It is not in the bestinterest for the City of Edina to paysomeone overtime in March or hire a$10 an hour employee to open andclose the doors. It is a situation whereyou can’t please them. It is a budget-ary concern.
Vince realizes that today’s tech-nology has raised everyone’s expec-tations. More working hours havebeen added to everyone’s plate withtechnology. It takes away from quali-ty time. Someone can be fishing orgolfing, yet deal with phone calls and
emails without really taking a breakfrom the job – you just do the workfrom a different location.
Vince is a past president of theformer Minnesota Parks SupervisorsAssociation and encourages involve-ment in today’s MPSTMA. He looksback at his own experience on theBoard and noted that he was able tomeet a lot of people and see how the
organization is run. Involvementmakes you part of something big-ger than your own city.
Networking is key in anyassociation. Sharing trade secretswithin the industry helps the bet-terment of the whole. Years ago a
guy in Eagan manufactured an iceshaver. Vince learned about it whenhe was with the City of Oakdale, thenlater made one for the City of Edinaand everyone thought he was a wiz-ard. He later explained that a mechan-ic in Eagan invented it. This exampleof sharing a trade secret is somethingyou can’t teach in school.
Vince will share information withany other city and feels this is veryimportant for the industry. He talkswith anyone and treats an hourlyemployee with the same respect as hewould the owner of a big company.
When the day comes to retire,Vince plans to travel to Italy and re-visit Vietnam with his wife Cindy.He will continue to farm his 100 acresin southeast Minnesota and wouldlike to open a “Military” museum inthe southern part of Minnesota as hehas been a collector of military patch-es and pins and has a very big WWIcollection to share.
Vince is retiring after an enjoy-able career and will leave the City ofEdina on very good terms. He looksforward to spending time with hiswife, daughters and grandchildren.
Vince Cockriel Plans to Retire From the City of Edina in Fall
By JEFF TURTINENMinnesota Park and Sports Turf Managers Association
Vince Cockriel
“Being someone you can
count on is worth more than
any schooling.” - Vince Cockriel
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6 MPSTMA NEWS www.mpstma.org SUMMER 2012
MPSTMA Community Service Project WillUpgrade Baldwin Field on August 8
The MPSTMA is seeking volunteers to help with the2012 Community Service Project (CSP) at Baldwin Field inCircle Pines, MN.
To complete this project, the use of equipment, dona-tion of products and on-site labor is needed!
Mike McDonald, CSFM, TCF Bank Stadium, and PaulGriffin, City of Woodbury, co-chair the CSP Committee.Other MPSTMA members who serve on this committeeare: Dave Nozal, Tree Trust; Jon Almquist, The ToroCompany; Mike Brunelle, MagicTurfs, and Greg Hoag,City of Brooklyn Park.
These committee members traveled around the arealooking at various sites and picked Baldwin Field as thebest fit for the project this year.
The work day is from 8:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. An 8-hour shift works best but 4-hour shifts help, too.
In summary, we are looking for product, equipmentand plenty of personnel for the manual labor.
If you have not participated in this annual event before,it is a very satisfying and rewarding opportunity.
Please contact Mike McDonald at 612-625-5154 if youare interested in volunteering or have equipment or prod-
ucts available for the August 8 MPSTMA CommunityService Project.
A previous project’s “before” ...
... and the “after”
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SUMMER 2012 www.mpstma.org MPSTMA NEWS 7
S & S TREE AND LANDSCAPINGSPECIALISTS HOSTED MPSTMANETWORK PICNIC IN APRIL
In April, S&S Tree and Landscaping Specialists hosted aMPSTMA Network Picnic at their South St. Paul facility.The pictures show how mulch is processed. (above) Treesare mulched in the Vermeer Tub Grinder 7000. (left) Themulch is then transported to the colorizor. (top left) Themulch then is separated by color. MPSTMA member TomRudberg, along with Gail Nozal, Mark Stennes and ownerSteve Sylvester hosted the MPSTMA network event.
8 MPSTMA NEWS www.mpstma.org SUMMER 2012
Keeping sports turf healthy under stressful conditions isno easy task. Among the many challenges sports turf man-agers face, soil moisture management is a primary con-cern. Water repellent soils are common in sand-based ath-letic fields and can result in irregular patches of wilted anddrought-stressed turfgrass, often referred to as localizeddry spot (LDS).
Wetting agents can help alleviate soil water repellencyand limit development of LDS in turf. Soil wetting agentsreduce the surface tension of water, allowing it to pene-trate and wet the soil more easily. Irrigation and infiltra-tion surfactants are designed to help increase water infil-tration and irrigation uniformity.
When it comes to wetting agents, no one product is bestfor every situation or sports turf management program.Consider a variety of factors when selecting a product,such as efficacy, management intensity, intended use,product longevity and price.
Before deciding on a wetting agent product, requestuniversity or reputable third-party trial data from themanufacturer to support product claims. Carefully consid-er the validity of any product claims not supported byindependent research results.
Long-Term Wetting Agents
Many turf managers prefer the convenience of makingonly one application in the spring without follow-upapplications. Because long-term wetting agents generallypersist for at least three months in the soil, this may be anideal solution.
An important note to keep in mind is that long-termwetting agents have greater potential for development ofphytotoxicity and discoloration if the applicator is not cau-tious. In addition, long-term wetting agents are more lim-ited when it comes to tank-mix compatibility with otherproducts (i.e. fertilizers, pesticides, plant growth regula-tors, etc.), in comparison to short-term wetting agents.
Long-term wetting agents are an excellent option forseason-long prevention of LDS development on waterrepellent, sand-based greens in the Northern UnitedStates. Using long-term products on golf course tees andfairways, as well as difficult-to-treat areas, will minimizethe number of applications needed during the growingseason.
Short-Term Wetting Agents
Short-term wetting agents are typically applied at two-to four-week intervals and allow superintendents to makeapplications only when environmental conditions demandtreatment. Moreover, there is potential to incorporate themonthly application into existing turf management pro-grams. Short-term wetting agents have greater flexibilitywith tank-mix options when compared to long-term wet-
ting agents.Because short-term wetting agents generally persist for
only 28-30 days in the soil, more frequent applications arenecessary, requiring more time and labor investment.However, short-term wetting agents typically reduce therisk of leaf discoloration and phytotoxicity during hot, dryweather, especially when compared to long-term wettingagents.
Short-term wetting agents are best selected for waterrepellent sand-based greens, especially in transition andwarm season zones, although they are becoming morepopular in cool season zones. An additional use for short-term wetting agents includes late season “rescue treat-ments” to correct symptoms of LDS.
Irrigation and Infiltration Surfactants
Irrigation surfactants may be a low-cost alternative toconventional wetting agents to treat difficult-to-wet areascaused by thatch or low soil surface hydrophobicity. Thecost is further reduced when the agent is injected into theirrigation system.
In general, irrigation surfactants are not as effective as astand-alone wetting agent product to manage LDS or alle-viate moderate to severe soil hydrophobicity. However,these agents are useful in difficult-to-wet native soil areas,as well as tees and fairways.
(Continued on Page 9)
Selecting the Right Wetting Agent for Sports TurfBy CHRIS QUINLAN and MARK HOWIESON, Ph.D.
Becker-Underwood
SUMMER 2012 www.mpstma.org MPSTMA NEWS 9
JRK SEED AND TURF SUPPLY HOSTED THE MAY MPSTMA NETWORK PICNICAttendees were treated to a great lunch and a tour of the facility. JRK Seed and Turf Supply is located in Eagan.
MPSTMA member Kevin Manley along with Alan Shaffer, Ben McClellan and Mike Kelly hosted the event.
Wetting Agents - (Continued from Page 8)
Tips for Success
Wetting agents cannot alleviate soil water repellency fromthe turf canopy, but need to be watered into the soil to bemost effective. Water long-term wetting agents into the soilimmediately following application. Most short-term wettingagents need to be watered in within 24 hours of application.Always check the label and follow directions.
It is proven that wetting agents can help increase thewater infiltration rate into the soil profile in hydrophobicsoils. However, in areas with excessive thatch (greater than½ inch) or soil organic matter (greater than 3.5%) the soilsurface may retain moisture. Core-aerating and topdressingwith sand to reduce thatch and organic matter content willhelp prevent moisture retention at the soil surface.
Moisture retention at the soil surface is exacerbated whenwetting agents are not watered into the soil profile. If wet-ting agents are not watered in with a sufficient volume ofwater to penetrate the hydrophobic layer, a temporary“perched water table” may form above the hydrophobiclayer that maintains excessive moisture at the surface.
If you know that you are dealing with hydrophobic soilsor LDS, a wetting agent can help alleviate the symptoms andbring your turf back to a healthy-looking condition. Do someresearch to find out which products will work best for yoursituation.
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The 2012 MPSTMA SpringWorkshop held on March 7 atNorthwestern College in St. Paulbroke an attendance record for theevent as 165 people were on hand.
An all-star lineup which includedUniversity of Minnesota GoldenGopher football coach Jerry Kill alongwith Minnesota Twins headgroundskeeper Larry DiVito coupledwith a well-planned program madefor a grand day for all involved.
John Hopko, Professional Turf andRenovation, gave a talk entitled “Turf101: Turf Maintenance Practices”which focused on basic fundamentals.This was a very well-attended andinformative session.
Everyone enjoyed the talk by DaveKemp, The Catholic Cemeteries, whospoke about leadership.
Twenty-one vendors were on handwith table-top displays.
The newly remodeledNorthwestern College proved to be agreat venue to host the event. Theevent has been held annually at theUniversity of St. Thomas which also is
an outstanding facility for the event. Thanks go out to workshop hosts
Jeff Hintz and Nick Germann. And,also Spring Workshop chairmanRoger Weinbrenner, CSFM.
10 MPSTMA NEWS www.mpstma.org SUMMER 2012
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Spring Workshop Breaks an Attendance Recordfor the MPSTMA Event at Northwestern College
Dick Riemenschneider served the City of Woodbury forover 40 years and retired on April 1. He began his careeron November 1, 1971 as a Parkskeeper, was promoted toSenior Parkskeeper in 1975, to Parks Supervisor in 1989and to his current position of Public WorksSuperintendent in 2006. “It is a significant achievement tohave served this community in the Parks and Recreation
and Engineeringand PublicWorksDepartments asthe City grewfrom approxi-mately 6,200 res-idents when hebegan his careerto approximately63,000 in 2012,”said Clinton B.Gridley, CityAdministrator
for the City of Woodbury.Dick helped plan and build dozens of parks during
the city's rapid growth. More than 125 miles of trailsmeander in Woodbury. His many achievements includehelping to build and maintain three water towers, a golfcourse and streets that grew in number from 42 to about250.
Riemenschneider is well-known locally for the manyprojects he's been part of and regionally because of thenumerous committees and commissions he’s served.
"When you're in public works, you want to be appreci-ated but not noticed, because when you do [get noticed],it's maybe that you've turned on a faucet and nothingcame out, or that you couldn't get to church because thestreets weren't plowed," he said, believing that publicworks employees "lead a different life," where obscuritycan be good.
Riemenschneider's history with the City of Woodburyhas spanned from a rural township with plenty of cornfields but no stoplights into one of the state's most pro-gressive suburbs, with a tenfold population explosion dur-ing his tenure. The city's many parks have increased innumber from four to 43 during Riemenschneider's tenure.
The community appreciates that all of Woodbury’splaygrounds include equipment for handicapped children.
An upbeat guy, according to coworkers,Riemenschneider exemplifies how to achieve job longevitywith his ability to continually improve himself, his work,keep a positive attitude, and adapt to change in all areas ofhis department, from the heavy equipment in the city'sfleet to new environmental practices.
Riemenschneider worked with people at all levels of the
organization to achieve the desired results."He was always open to new ideas and changes," said
David Jessup, engineering and public works director forthe City of Woodbury. "He's been very dedicated andcommitted to the city, doing whatever needs to be done,putting in whatever time it takes to accomplish it."
Former coworkers note Riemenschneider's willingness
to team up with other divisions, such as the joint powersagreement he forged with the division responsible formaintaining Eastview High School's grounds. Sharingequipment and manpower with the adjacent BielenbergSports Center saves time and money.
“Riemenschneider’s willingness to tackle big projects,his ‘forward-thinking’ and the fact that he ‘always, alwayscame to work with a positive, can-do attitude’ and gen-uinely cared about the people he was involved with,” saidPublic Works Director David Jessup.
SUMMER 2012 www.mpstma.org MPSTMA NEWS 11
After 40 Years, Dick RiemenschneiderRetires from the City of Woodbury
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UPCOMING CALENDAR
JULY 6-7MINNESOTA/IOWA CHAPTER CLASH
NATIONAL SPORTS CENTERBLAINE, MN
AUGUST 8COMMUNITY SERVICE PROJECT
BALDWIN FIELDCIRCLE PINES, MN
SEPTEMBER 5MPSTMA FALL WORKSHOPOXFORD COMMUNITY CENTER
ST. PAUL, MN