Association News

Source: www.TurfMagazine.com

Drs. Wendy Gelernter and Larry Stowell received TOCA’s2009 Environmental Communicator of the Year award.

TOCA Presents Communicator of the Year Award

The Turf & Ornamental Communicators Association awarded its 2009 Environmental Communicator of the Year award to Drs. Larry Stowell and Wendy Gelernter, the founders of PACE Turf. They received the award, sponsored by Project EverGreen, for their efforts to promote environmental stewardship on turf in industry meetings, trade journals and their turf management information service. Through PACE Turf, Stowell and Gelernter provide extensive free public services, including the PACE Turf Super Journal and turf management guidelines.

TPI Revises Web Site

Turfgrass Producers International revised its Web site at www.turfgrasssod.org. The site is easier to use and offers more storage for photos, uncluttered home page, drop-down menus, search engine optimization and more, with the news, classified ads and events sections visible at all times.

IA Holds Legislative Conference, IAEF Faculty Academy

The Irrigation Association hosted its Legislative Conference, where IA members traveled to Washington, D.C., to meet with members of Congress, senior congressional staff and administration officials. During the conference, Reps. John Linder, Jim Costa and Bart Stupak introduced a House resolution celebrating July as Smart Irrigation Month. IA stated its support of a bill from Rep. Rush Holt that will authorize the WaterSense program for federal funding and create a nationwide rebate program for WaterSense-labeled irrigation equipment and services. Participants addressed the benefits of efficiently irrigating landscapes, recreational areas and farms.

The IA Education Foundation hosted its seventh annual Faculty Academy at the Doubletree Hotel & Executive Meeting Center in Omaha, Neb. The two-day session provided intensive classroom and field instruction for high school, community college and university faculty in irrigation concepts and best practices. Topics covered included sprinkler uniformity, sprinkler efficiency, agriculture sprinklers and precipitation rates.

ASLA Announces Award Winners

The American Society of Landscape Architects and the National Trust for Historic Preservation announced the PepsiCo World Headquarters in Purchase, N.Y., as the winner of the 2009 Landmark Award. The award recognizes a project’s design excellence, longevity and contribution to the public realm.

ASLA announced the winners of its 2009 Professional Awards. The SWA Group, Houston, Texas, won the Award of Excellence in the general design category. Honor Awards went to Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates, Inc.; Landworks Studio, Inc.; Tierra Design (S) Pte Ltd.; Ken Smith Landscape Architect; WORKSHOPWEST; Mikyoung Kim Design; SWA Group, Sausalito, San Francisco and Los Angeles, Calif.; Surfacedesign, Inc. + Harari arquitectos; Beijing Tsinghua Urban Planning & Design Institute; CMG Landscape Architecture; Coen + Partners, Inc.; West 8 + DTAH; Ten Eyck Landscape Architects, Inc.; OLIN; Janet Rosenberg + Associates; Claude Cormier Architectes Paysagistes; Hariri Pontarini Architects; and Nelson Byrd Woltz Landscape Architects.

Honorees for residential design included Blasen Landscape Architecture; Andrea Cochran Landscape Architecture; Tom Leader Studio; Coen + Partners; Paul R. Broadhurst + Associates; CMG; Lutsko Associates Landscape; Verdone Landscape Architects; and Marmol Radziner & Associates.

Mossop Michaels, LLC, New Orleans, La., won the Award of Excellence for analysis and planning. Honor Awards went to Michael Van Valkenburgh; Mia Lehrer + Associates; Robert Sabbatini; The Jaeger Co.; SWA Group (Houston); The Planning Partnership Ltd.; Tom Leader; BNIM; David Kahn Studio; Michael Tavel Architects; Siteworks; and Wallace Roberts & Todd, LLC.

The Award of Excellence in communications went to Georg D.W. Callwey GmbH & Co. KG, Munich, Germany. Honor Award recipients included James Urban; Lucy Lawliss, Caroline Loughlin and Lauren Meier; de la fleur LLC; University of Pennsylvania School of Design; and Ujirany Group.

Steven N. Handel received an Honor Award for research.

ANLA Applauds Reintroduction of AgJOBS Bill

The Agricultural Job Opportunity, Benefits and Security Act of 2009 (or AgJOBS) was reintroduced in the Senate and the House. The American Nursery & Landscape Association’s top goals relating to immigration reform are passage of the AgJOBS bill and H-2B reform. AgJOBS would overhaul the H-2A program to make it more affordable and efficient and less litigation-prone.

NAEDA Recognizes Power Pro Dealer

The North American Equipment Dealers Association recognized Watson Tractors & Equipment, Inc., Mount Forest, Ont., as a Power Pro dealer. The dealership, owned by Lloyd and Cathy Watson, earned accreditation by meeting industry standards related to operational performance and customer commitment.