This-N-That

© Can Stock Photo / ygluzber

USDA Awards $5.5M In Grants To Conserve Community Forests

Washington—The U.S. Department of Agriculture awarded $5.5 million in grants for conservation projects on 11 forests from Alaska to North Carolina. 

Grants funded through the Community Forest and Open Space Conservation Program provide financial assistance to local governments, Tribal governments, and non-profit organizations. Grantees use those funds to acquire and establish community forests to benefit both rural and urban communities, including helping to mitigate extreme heat. 

In total, the 11 grant projects will create or add nearly 7,000 acres of community forests for the long-term benefits of the communities they serve.

Since 2012, the program has permanently conserved 27,500 acres through fee-simple purchases and supported 99 community-driven projects across 26 states and territories.

Jack Buzzard Named Irrigation Award Recipient

Fairfax, Va.—The Irrigation Association named Jack Buzzard, of Corona del Mar, Calif., the recipient of the 2022 Industry Achievement Award. The award, sponsored by Hunter Industries, recognizes an individual whose career demonstrates outstanding contributions to the advancement of the irrigation industry.

Buzzard began working for Rain Bird in 1968 as an assistant controller, and by 1975, he had taken on the role of vice president and director of the Rain Bird International Strategic Business Unit. During his career, he lived and worked in France, introducing Europe, and later parts of South America, to the concept of total, complete automatic irrigation systems as we know them today. Buzzard’s visionary, global approach and his steadfast support of training set the standard for other businesses to follow. His future-forward focus introduced irrigation into areas of the world that truly needed a faster, more efficient way to keep crops and landscapes healthy with less water.

Buzzard and the other 2022 IA award recipients will be recognized during the Irrigation Show and Education Week in Las Vegas Dec. 5-9. 

Wesco Turf, Inc. Acquires 100+-Year-Old Hector Turf

Sarasota, Fla.—Wesco Turf, one of The Toro Company’s top North American distributors of irrigation, golf, and grounds equipment, has acquired Hector Turf, another Toro distributor headquartered in Deerfield Beach, Fla. Terms of the transaction, which was effective August 1, were not disclosed.

The acquisition of Hector Turf will provide additional scale to Wesco’s golf, grounds, and residential landscape businesses.  Wesco Turf’s resources in IT infrastructure systems, parts ecommerce website, operations, service management, human resources, and training will provide the platforms to complement services to customers.  

Hector Turf’s 50+ associates will join the Wesco Turf team. The two companies will market under two brands: Wesco Turf in Central/North Florida and southern Georgia and Hector Turf in South Florida, Puerto Rico, and most Caribbean Islands. The corporate headquarters for the combined entity will reside in Sarasota, FL, operating as Wesco Turf, Inc.

© Can Stock Photo / gajdamak

In Case Of A Tick Bite 

Just because the weather has cooled, it doesn’t mean you’re out of the woods and tick season is over. According to Global Lyme Alliance CEO Nancy Del Genio, ticks remain active as long as the temperatures are above freezing and the ground is not frozen or covered by snow. So what if you’re out taking a hike or even in your backyard and discover a tick on your body? Don’t panic. It typically takes 24 to 48 hours before a tick can begin to transmit diseases, including Lyme Disease. If you’ve been bitten, it is important to dislodge an embedded tick from the skin’s surface as soon as possible to minimize the effects of the bite.

• Use fine-tipped tweezers as recommended by the CDC.

• Steadily grasp the tick; using the tweezers take hold of the tick as close as possible to the skin’s surface and pull upward in a steady motion.

• Use rubbing alcohol or hydrogen peroxide to clean the bite area and tweezers when done.

• Attached ticks should be never be disposed of or destroyed. Keep them in a Ziploc bag for identification and testing. Remember a diseased tick does not necessarily transmit illness.

• Call your doctor if you experience flulike symptoms such as fever, headache, muscle or joint pain, stomach issues or a target-shaped rash that can develop within three to 30 days. If bitten by a tick in an area where Lyme is prevalent, a physician may suggest and prescribe a precautionary dose of antibiotics to reduce the risk of getting infected.

--Information provided by Dan Wolff, founder of TickEase, Inc.  

Codelocks Expands Midwest Distribution Center 

Rancho Cucamonga, Calif.—Codelocks Inc., an access-control company designing and distributing access-control solutions and keyless door locks, announced its expansion in Indianapolis, Ind., with the opening of its first facility outside the California Headquarters.

This distribution facility will allow Codelocks to better serve its customers in the middle and eastern regions of the United States. The facility will be used to distribute its large range of Codelocks products and KitLock by Codelocks range, including heavy- and light-duty push-button mechanical locks, digital electronic locks, smart locks and stylish locks. In addition, Gate Solutions by Codelocks will also be a key product distributed from the new facility.

For more information, visit: https://www.codelocks.us/.

Field Notes  

Ecore, a company that transforms reclaimed materials into high-performance products, hired John “Jay” R. Doubman as chief operating officer of Ecore International and president of Ecore Commercial. He has more than 28 years of experience in the industrial, chemicals, building products, and management consulting industries, with both public and private equity ownership.

JLG Architects in Minneapolis hired Ryan Freeland, AIA, as Sports Studio Design Leader. Freeland brings over 15 years of experience in award-winning sport, recreation, entertainment, and community design, with specialized skills in the application of architectural technology and data analysis to inform large-scale facility design solutions.

Indianapolis-based Schmidt Associates, a regional architecture, engineering, and interior design firm, has hired Greg Litteral, RA, RCDD as an electrical designer. The firm also welcomed Monty Smart, PE, as a plumbing designer.

© Can Stock Photo / Binkski

A Little Fun With Numbers 

Since retiring two years ago, after serving more than 30 years in the parks and recreation industry, it’s been a challenge keeping up on emails from Sportsman Warehouse, ESPN, Netflix, LinkedIn, Facebook, Ticketmaster, Kuhl, SiriusXM, AAA, Zillow, and others. 

Then it dawned on me. Our lives are truly filled with numbers. The stock market is down. Gas prices are up. I’m not sure if unemployment is down or up right now. Same with the housing market. SiriusXM has over 150 full-time channels. My smart TV has more stations than I can find. Traveling around the country in an RV, I’ve discovered firsthand campgrounds numbers are way up. The number of forest fires have never been higher. Race cars and athletes are breaking speed records. There are so many different brands of beer and wine displayed at our local supermarket. It really helps when someone is offering those samples to help clear my mind while deciding what to buy.

Our options, alternatives, and choices, just over the past decade, have accelerated exponentially. Some would say it's good, that it's no longer a one-size-fits-all world and everyone can find something unique that fits their own individuality.  Others would say it’s not so good, perhaps overwhelming our senses, desensitizing our appreciation mode. Not wanting to be judgmental, I simply don’t know.  

What I do know is that our world needs parks, recreation, and open spaces more than ever. Places to calm the nerves. Places to walk, run, sit, play, and have fun. I’m grateful for all those people who are committed and passionate about creating, maintaining, and delivering these opportunities. So many work so hard with little recognition or fanfare. 

I’ll admit to sometimes missing the camaraderie and challenges that come with performing in the parks and recreation industry. Recently, I’ve considered re-entering the workplace. I understand a lot of retirees are. It makes sense having invested most of a lifetime learning, growing, developing knowledge and skills to be successful. Maybe I will. After all, my age is just a number.

Doug Buell is president of Buell Recreation Business Coaching, which specializes in collaborating with recreation business owners to help with a variety of industry challenges.