CONNECTICUT CLIPPINGS December/January 1985 Volume 19 Number 6 Charlie Baskin CAGCS Superintendent of the Year Charles Baskin Jr., superintendent of the Country Club of Waterbury, was voted by his peers as the CAGCS Superintendent of the Year. Charlie is the third recipient of the annual award which is based on an individual's knowledge and understanding of turfgrass management and related sciences, comprehension of the game of golf, contributions to local and allied associations to local and allied associations, length of membership in the CAGCS (minimum of five years) and excellence in golf course conditioning. Previous winners of the award were Fred Bachand (1983) and Robert Viera (1984). Charlie epitomizes the standards which the award represents. He has taken great strides toward bettering the quality of the superintendent's profession both locally and nationally. Charlie has been in charge of the golf course at the Country Club of Waterbury for the past 33 years. He took over the position from his father, Charles Baskin Sr., in 1962. Like his father before him, Charlie is an ardent believer in progressive management techniques. With an under- graduate and graduate degree in civil engineering, he continues to broaden his knowledge through seminars at Rutgers and at the GCSAA conventions. He has participated in an ecology course at Yale University; a subject in which he has a keen interest. Charlie has devoted much effort to further research on chemicals used on golf courses. He has worked with chemical companies experimenting with new products before they come onto the market. Before research ex­ periment stations were established, the Country Club of Waterbury allowed Charlie to use their nurseries as test plots for new products, continued on page 3 Steve Cadenelli Candidate for GCSAA Director Former CAGCS President Steve Cadenelli has been nominated for Director of the Golf Course Superintendent's Association of America. Cadenelli, who in June relo­ cated to central New Jersey, is an eleven-year member of CAGCS and has been active in CAGCS throughout most of that time. Steve's in­ volvement included seven years on the board of directors serving as President in 1979 and 1980. Five years were spent as editor of the association newsletter Conn­ ecticut Clippings with several more years as associate editor Greg Wojick. Also, he served on the association's Organizational Study Committee which presented revised bylaws to the membership in 1979. His most recent involvement had been as coordinator of the Educational Seminar of the association held yearly in January. Steve's interest and involvment with GCSAA is nearly as long-termed as his Connecticut undertakings. His first exposure to GCSAA came working with Frank Lamphier on the long since past GCSAA Chapter Relations Committee. Several years as Connecticut's alternate voting delegate and the Metropolitan Association's voting delegate have provided him a fairly thorough understanding of GCSAA’s electoral process. However, it was Steve's three-year stint as a member of continued on page 3 Connecticut Association of Golf Course Superintendents President Greg Wojick, CGCS Vice-Pres. Robert Chalifour, CGCS SedTreasurer Ronald Holcomb Past Pres. David Stimson, CGCS Director Mike Chrzanowski Director Director Director Director Douglas Cooper Steve DiVito Richard Mareks Peter Pierson Director Michael Wallace, CGCS Director Thomas Watroba Assoc. Dir. Henry Lesinski The object of this association is to encourage increased knowledge of golf course management and greater pro­ fessionalism though education, re­ search, exchange of practical experience and the well being of each individual member. 2 A Case for a CAGCS Executive Director Discussion regarding a CAGCS executive director goes back to 1978. The need for an executive director, I'm sure, goes back way beyond that. The duties of a CAGCS board member, regardless of his assignment, requires that he put in a great deal of personal and professional time into the job. The board members that I have been associated with have had no problem or gripe with that kind of committment to CAGCS. I feel, however, that the duties of a board member should concentrate more on policy-making and less on the implementation and leg-work. I know from personal experience that I have many times had to make the choice between duties and responsibilities here at the club versus CAGCS business. The job comes first and association business second. But who comes up on the short end of the stick-CAGCS. Let's take a look how an executive director can help CAGCS. The duties of the Secretary/Treasurer include: preparing an annual budget and monthly financial statements. He must handle all the billing of dues and other similar charges. He must provide notices, minutes and general printed materials for the association. He must maintain the records and files of the general business of the association. This job takes hours and hours of work. The executive director could handle most of this workload (via our personal computer system). The publication of the newsletter has infinite possibilities for inovation and improvement. But quality work takes time. The executive director could handle most of the duties involved in the publication of the newsletter (via our personal computer system). Gettting out job openings and taking membership surveys takes time to organize and execute. These duties could be taken care of by an executive director (via our computer). An executive director for CAGCS could also do much of the leg work associated with setting up our special events and running monthly meetings and golf tournaments. Many phone calls and negociations are necessary to hold a well run event or meeting at a reasonable cost. Fund-raising activities such as the S&R tournament, newsletter advertising and benevolent fund raffles could be handled by an executive director. Keeping an up-to-date membership is a never ending task that, through our personal computer system, could be easily handled by an exective director. An executive director could also take the initiative to interact with all segments of the local golf, media and turf management industries in a manner that will provide visibility and benefit to the Chapter. The Connecticut Clippings is an official publication of The Connecticut Association of Golf Course Super­ intendents, Inc. The list of duties for an executive director could go on and on. The right person as our executive director could allow our association to grow into one of the premier associations in the golfing community. At the very least, an executive director would allow a CAGCS member to become a board member (and eventually hold office) without having taken on a part time job. Greg Wojick, CGCS, Editor 1347 Newfield Avenue Stamford, CT 06905 §ee.ybu iit Greg Wojick, Editor <4 r t|c Lyco 3 Baskin (continued from page 1) before they come onto the market. Before research experiment stations were established, the Country Club of Waterbury allowed Charlie to use their nur­ series as test plots for new products. The chemical companies, Charlie believes, are largely at fault for "saying only what they legally have to about their chemicals. Nobody was giving the chemical applicators enough information about the total impact that these chemicals would play on the environment." The department of Environmental Protection is just recently starting to put very tight restrictions on chemicals and their applications and Charlie warns, "We must improve out act, or else." The restriction of all chemicals is a very real threat, and one that could change the direction of our profession's growth. Charlie has testified on the state and national levels in order to keep safe chemical products available. Charlie has served as President of GCSAA and CAGCS. While serving as GCSAA President in 1974, Charlie was responsible for increasing the floor space available to suppliers for exhibiting their products at the annual convention. He felt it was very important to our profession to be able to see what industries had available, and therefore to hold the trade shows in much larger arenas. While serving on the GCSAA’s weelfare committee, Charlie testified in Washington in order to get IRA’s available to superintendents through their clubs. About his stint with GCSAA Charlie says, " I traveled over 100,000 miles and found it a very rewarding experience especially meeting people." In the late 1960's, while on the boaard of CAGCS, he started and was the first editor of Connecticut Clippings. "It was designed to disseminate information." Charlie says, and he got the idea from other chapters which were using news­ letters as a communications tool. ny Cadenelli (continued from page 1 GCSAA’s Education Committee that provided him the opportunity to directly contribute to GCSAA’s educational program as well as offering the opportunity to learn GCSAA’s inner workings. These experiences confirmed his beliefs that our national organization possesses vast potential to enhance not only the profession of golf course managers but of their personal lives as well. As Steve sees it, "the contribution of golf course managers to the game of golf is second to none. The leadership of GCSAA during the recent past has had the opportunity to push our profession to the forefront of the golf world. These leaders have aggressively begun to establish the role of the golf course superintendent in the hierarchy of golf while at the same time strengthening the educational programs of the association which are the backbone of GCSAA. This beginning must be continued and developed further through expansion of the public relations efforts, membership development, increased exposure to those who have not yet joined our ranks and, of course, educational programming." Steve's other committee assignments have provided him with a very broad exposure to GCSAA. These include serving on the Editorial, Com- municaiton and Awards, Conference and Show, Scholarship and i Research and Tournament committees. Also, Steve represented GCSAA in 1982 at the International Turf Conference in Ipswich, England, where he presented a paper, "Education - U.S.A. Style." Steve strongly feels that the years of involvement have formed a sound basis for seeking a position on GCSAA’s governing body. "I feel good about my previous involvement at both the national and regional level. I feel I've acquired some of the understanding and sensitivity required to make one a positive, contributing GCSAA director. My desire is to represent all members of GCSAA as a board member — one whose votes will be cast only after thoughtful, deliberate consid eration." Steve's links to his many friends and associates in Connecticut remain strong. "The nearly eleven years spent in Connecticut were the most rewarding and satisfying years of my life. Leaving Connecticut has been difficult for many reasons but leaving friends, as everyone knows, is never easy. I'm thankful for the continued support of everyone in Connecticut and will do all that I can to uphold the high standards established by Charlie Baskin and Bob Osterman during their tenures with GCSAA." Dick__ Parsons Memorial Scholarship Awarded annually to Students of the University of Massachussetts Winter Turf School. To be eligible for this scholarship applicants must 1. A member of be: CAGCS, or 2. Child of a CAGCS member, or 3. An employee of a CAGCS member. The award will be presented at the Winter Turf School graduation cer­ emony and will consist of reimbursement for the cost of textbooks required for the course. Special Note: Appli­ cations must be requested in writing from the S&R Committee before January 15. Completed applications must be submitted to the S&R Committee before February 15. Charlie not only extends himself in the golfing community, but also in civic activities at home in Waterbury. He has served on the library board, the charter revision board and the board of education to name a few. When asked which award was the most meaningful to him over the years, he states, "being elected to the Connecticut Sports Writers Hall of Fame. This gave recognition to our profession, which was a real honor.” In the den of their house, Charlie and wife Molly proudly display the CAGCS chair, that was presented to himfor being voted as the 1985 CAGCS Superintendent of the Year. Congratulations Charlie, you're a real credit to our association and profession. Tracey Holliday OMIGOD! What Do You Do When Your Best Employee Flies the Coop? by Mary Ann Allison and Eric Allison What you don’t have to do is panic. Even if there isn’t a successor in sight, there are six steps you can take to smooth the transition. When Russel Janies, vice president of corporate communications for Avis, lost one of his top training directors, he was left with a huge hole in his organization. A replacement was waiting in the wings, but James felt he needed another six months to a year to groom the person for the job. He didn't have that time. James figured he had two choices: bring someone in from outside or do the job himself until the internal candidate was ready to step in. Both options seemed equally unattractive. If you're lucky enough to have a well-groomed successor for every key position on your staff, then you'll probably never find yourself in a bind like James did. But even if you do end up at a temporary impasse, you needn't feel your hands are tied. There are a number of strategies you can put into action to keep the department on a steady course. 1. Take the proverbial bull by the horns. The departure of a key employee often brings out the deepest insecurities of those who remain. Some are afraid of losing power in an organizational reshuffle; others may fear that you'll bury them under a load of new assignments. "The best way to handle the situation is to tackle it by communicating regularly with your staff,: recommends Dr. Lynn Diamond, president of Innovative Information Techniques, Inc. As soon as the resignation is official, rally everyone affected. Round up the departing manager's peers, his or her staff, and any others within or outside the department who worked closely with the person. Explain why the employee is leaving and where he or she is headed. Keep it upbeat. If you don't have a replacement for the job, announce that you will be setting up temporary reporting lines. Outline a timetable for reassigning tasks and responsibilities. And by all means, address any concerns that may crop up during the meeting; you don't want to fan any mutinous rumblings. 2. Don't let the lame duck perform lamely. With the proper monitoring, a great deal can be accomplished in the short time the departing employee still has on the job. 3. Part on amicable terms. No matter how aggravated or snowed under you feel, fight the temptation to vent your frustrations on the "traitor" who's responsible for the headaches. After all, that person may someday become a valued addition to your professional circle. 4. Consider the option of job redesign. Before making major staff changes or additions, seize the moment to evaluate whether the job description needs revamping. 5. Divide up the person's tasks and temporarily parcel them out to others. Analyze the departing person's attributes, skills, and knowledge as unique and separate elements, advises Diamond. Then canvass your department for people who can pick up the pieces. 6. Don't let the seams show. If your department works closedly with other groups within the organization, make sure everyone in those areas knows what is going on. A final recommendation from Diamond: "Guard against magnifying the contributions of the person who has left." There’s a strong tendency for the "halo efect" to materialize, whether the person resigning is a former U.S. president or an ex-employee. The sins or weaknesses of the former job occupant are forgotten while his or her strengths are put on an altar. This psychological trap can make all applicants look inadequate or sabotage the new person on the job. It's all too easy, even during a well-planned transition, to feel that "we can't live without so and so." It isn't true, but the belief can make it reality. CAGCS Scholarship Application Policy, The Scholarship and Reasearch Committee of CAGCS has adopted the following as their policy regarding CAGCS scholarships: 1. Immediate family members and employees of members are eligible to apply. (Family members will recieve preference). 2. Applicaitons must be requested in writing from the S&R committee. Any member may request an ap­ plication. 3. Requests for applications must be made before March 1. 4. The deadline for submitting applications is May 1. 5. Incomplete applications will nto be acted upon. 6. Each scholarship will be for a minimum of $100, with the total number of scholarships and the amounts awarded to be determined yearly by the S&R committee, based on available funds. 7. Interviews and copies of the applicant's transcript from his or her last attended school may be requested, at the discretion of the S& R committee. 8. An applicant may recieve this scholarship for a maximum of four years. 15 the unusual Ther e fourth approach to green because of a rule at the tjeppoon Golf Club lu ^us tr altla . Queensland, take their Golfers must "A ball hitting a chances. must be played kangaroo as ts . " Terror At Tenerife Everyone Was Burning to Death Around Him, Yet He Was Protected Norman Williams admits he was a wayward Christian - at least before he found himself walled in by flames scorching everyone around him. He was one of the fewe people to survive the Canary Island crash of two jumbo jets in 1979 in which six hundred died. Amidst the chaos of the burning aircraft, Williams' head cleared and Bible verses he didn't realize he even knew came to mind. Above the screaming and cursing from burning people which filled the air, Williams shouted: "I stand upon The Word." Later from his hospital bed, Williams promised God he would tell his story to anybody who would listen. Since then, Williams has traveled over 300,000 mimles testifying to God's presence in his life to all who would hear. He will be sharing his story with us in San Francisco at our annual Christian Prayer Breakfast at the San Francisco Hilton on Friday, January 31, 1986. Coffee and rolls will be served at 6:30 a.m. with the program from 7:00 to 8:00 a.m. The purpose of the breakfast is to seek God’s blessing ont eh Conference, its affairs, our membership, our directors, our staff, our Nation, and to share God's love. Everyone is welcome. At his moment of trauma, Norman Williams found Christ at the center of his life. But we don't have to wait for trauma. Christ stands just outside the center of our lives waiting for us to invite him in. If you want to know Christ better, take this opportunity and join us. For more information, contact: John Ebel 212 N. Hager Avenue Barrington, IL. 60010 5 President's Message My crystal ball tells me that 1986 will be a terrific year for CAGCS. In 1985 many CAGCS members fell upon illness and hard times so we are due for a good year and some good times. But just sprinkling a little magic powder won't bring good times and a prosperous year for CAGCS, hard work and dedication, however, will certainly tip the scale in our favor. Speaking of hard work and dedication - enter your CAGCS Board of Directors. I'm very fortunate to have a great bunch of people serving on the Board of Directors with me this year. Already this year we have met twice and have spent hours revamping our CAGCS by-laws. We are recommending a large number of changes—most of the changes are simply necessary updates. Bob Chalifour, CGCS, is heading up the Organizational Study Committee which is made up of all the members of the board and Bob Osterman. Look for bylaw changes in your mailbox soon and be ready to vote on the recommended changes at our March membership meeting. New members to the board this year are Mike Wallace, CGCS(not really a new member), Mike Chrzanowski and Henry Lesinski. Mike Wallace with his eight years experience on the board (he's a past president too) will handle the very important job of education chairman. Mike has completed the winter seminar arrangements and is now quickly trying to complete our 1986 meeting schedule. Mike Chrzanowski, although new to the board, has already set up the golfing events for 1986 and, along with his committee will handle our golfing arrangements this year. Henry Lesinski is our new associate director on the board taking over from Carl Wallace. The PPUC and Richard Mareks have become synonymous. In a very short time Richard has lead this group into a formidable foe fighting unwarranted pesticide legislation. The PPUC has most recently hired a lobbyist and an executive director. Richard will again this year head up the CAGCS Public Relations committee. David Stimson assumes the role of employment referral chairman as well as historian of CAGCS. David is in his second decade of helping his fellow super­ intendents as a CAGCS board member. Steve DiVito enjoys raising money for CAGCS scholarships and research and will once again take charge of the Scholarship and Research committee. Steve and his committee have set up some new guidelines regarding scholarhsips that you should be aware of. Tom Watroba did an outstanding job keeping track of our membership roster last year. This is not an easy job but Tom has agreed to do it again in 1986. Peter Pierson will be spearheading the committee that will survey CAGCS golf course maintenance operations. Peter will also stay involved with the golf committee. Doug Cooper has agreed to keep tabs on the welfare of our membership as chairman of the Social & Welfare committee. His duties will also include setting up the social calender for 1986. Your board of directors is a good one but the make-up of the board is almost sure to change very shortly. The by-law committee has recommended that there be two Vice-Presidents ( a first VP and a second VP) and the split of the office of Secretary/Treasurer. The board is also seriously considering hiring an executive director for CAGCS in the near future. I feel that these changes are necessary for a growing professional organization such as ours A wave of the magic wand won't make a successful year for our association but hard work by the board and a supportive membership might just do the trick. I'm looking forward to serving CAGCS as President and would appreciate comments and suggestions that will help our association grow. Greg Wojick, CGCS Positions Available Assistant Superintendent: Redding Country Club, contact Dennis Petrozelli Assistant Superintendent: Sterling Farms Golf Course, contact Greg Wojick, CGCS ALLEN LAWNMOWER, INC. Ransomes Turf Products 197 Main Street Agawam, MA 01001 Al McLean, CAGCS member (413) 786-8111 ALPINE TREE CARE, INC. 745 Post Road Darien, CT 06820 Rolf Brandt, CAGCS member (203) 655-8008 INC. ANDERSON TURF IRRIGATION, Turf Irrigation 164 Nod Road Avon, CT 06001 Jesse Anderson, CAGCS member (203) 677-0225 ANDREW WILSON, INC. 48 Commerce Street P.O. Box 35 Springfield, NJ 07081 Drew Morrison (201)467-1400 Office (201) 273-8555 Home AQUA-LAWN, INC. Irrigation Contractors 328 Figlar Ave. Fairfield, CT 06430 Louis Toth, CAGCS member (203) 255-3075 (203) 255-2774 BRUEDAN CORP. OF CT Authorized Distributor for Club Car & Yamaha Golf Cars 1701 Milldale Road Cheshire, CT 06410 Scott Lowe, CAGCS member (203) 271-0036 1-800-535-1500 JOHN P. CALLAHAN Golf Course & Turf Supplies 24 Hour Service 7 Days/Wk 90 Coppermine Road Farmington, CT 06032 (203) 677-7054 JAMES CARRIERE & SONS, INC. Trap Sand & Partac Topdressing 7 Cottage St. Port Chester, NY 10573 Bill Carriere, CAGCS member (914) 937-5479 (914) 937-2136 CHAS. C. HART COMPANY 304 Main St. Wethersfield, CT 06109 Robert Kennedy, CAGCS member Roy Sibley, CAGCS member (203) 529-2537 CLORO-SPRAY Div. of Henry E. Sanson & Sons, Inc. 775 Louis Drive, P.O. Box 2809 Warminster, PA 18974-0357 E.J. Sanson, CAGCS member Frank Paladino (212) 338-2153 COUNTRY CLUB CARS OF NEW ENGLAND Warehouse Point, CT 06088 E-Z-Go Golf Car Sales & Service Richard Mather (203) 623-3871 EAST HAVEN LANDSCAPE PRODUCTS One Stop Wholesale Center 10 Mill Street East Haven, CT 06512 Bud Eskola, CAGCS member (203) 467-6260 EGYPT FARMS, INC. Sterilized Greens Topdressing White Marsh, MD 21162 (301) 355-3700 John Wistrand, CAGCS member (914) 769-7600 GLENMORE LANDSCAPE SERVICE Hackgreen Road RR#3, P.O. Box 199 Pound Ridge, New York 10576 Glenn S. Moore, CAGCS member (914) 764-4348 I & E SUPPLY, INC. 66 Erna Ave., P.O. Box 9 Milford, CT 06460 Richard Smith, CAGCS member Stephen Smith, CAGCS member (203) 878-0658 IMPERIAL NURSERIES 90 Salmon Brook St. Granby, CT 06035 John Perrotti, Jr., CAGCS member (203) 653-4541 LESCO INC. 2005 Lake Rd. Rocky River, OH 44116 (800) 321-5325 Frank Downey, CAGCS member Mike Oleykowski Les Guedel, CAGCS member LARCHMONT ENGINEERING & IRRIGATION, Larchmount Lane Lexington, MA 02173 Stephen P. Butler, CAGCS member (617) 862-2550 THE MAGOVERN CO. Windsor Locks, CT 06096 Carl Wallace, CAGCS member (203) 623-2508 Windsor Locks (203)348-8211 Stamford METRO MILORGANITE P.O. Box 267 Hawthorne, NY 10532 John Wistrand, CAGCS member (914) 769-7600 O.M. SCOTT & SONS Proturf Division Marysville, OH 43041 Al Arison, CAGCS member (203) 336-9890 PARTAC GOLF COURSE Kelsey Park Great Meadows, NJ 07838 (201) 637-4631 Bill Carriere, CAGCS member (914) 937-5479 Steve Kotowicz, CAGCS member (203) 792-3032 TOP-DRESSING INC. PRO-LAWN PRODUCTS, INC. Quality Turf Products Stephen M. Kotowicz, CAGCS member 30 Nashville Rd. Bethel, CT 06801 (203) 792-3032 PURPLE KINGS FARM Custom Greens Dressing Northwest Hill Rd. Williamstown, MA 01267 Ralph Mason, CAGCS member (413) 458-4646 THE REICHERT COMPANY Oilzum, Texas Refinery Motor Oil & Lubricants Fram & Wix Filters Automotive Supplies, & Batteries P.O. Box 273, Riverside, CT. 06878 Frank X. Reichert (203) 637-2958 SALSCO Welding & Fabrication, Inc. 196 Clark Street P.O. Box 544 Milldale, CT 06467 (203) 621-6764 SOMERS TURF SUPPLIES P.O. Box 294 Devon, CT 06460 Bill Somers, CAGCS member (203) 878-2108 THE TERRE COMPANY 206 Delawanna Avenue Clifton, NJ 07014 Byron Johnson, CAGCS member (201) 473-3393 SHEMIN NURSERIES, INC. 1081 King St. P.O. Box 64, Glenville Station Greenwich, CT 06830 Phil Gallo (203) 531-7352 TURF PRODUCTS CORPORATION 1496 John Fitch Blvd. South Windsor, CT 06074 Mark Loper, CAGCS member John Ferry, CAGCS member (203) 528-9508 Roger Morhardt, CAGCS member (203) 748-4445 SUPPLY, INC. VALLEY FARMS NURSERY & Sod & Turf Care Products 133 Hopmeadow St. (Route 10) Simsbury, CT 06070 Joe Bidwell, CAGCS member (203) 651-8555 WESTCHESTER TURF SUPPLY, INC. P.O. Box 198 Lincolndale, NY 10540 BobLippman, CAGCSmember (914) 277-3755 Office (914) 248-5790 Home WINDING BROOK TURF FARM, INC. 240 Griswold Rd. Wethersfield, CT 06109 Doug Morgan, CAGCS member (203) 529-6869 AL ZIKORUS Golf Course Architect Member ASGCA P.O. Box 187, Canaan, ME 04924 (207) 474-8868 Val-Agra,Inc. P.O. Box 8811 672 Tolland St. East Hartford, CT 06108 203-528-9249 Henry Lesinski, CAGCS member