Bi-Monthly Update |uly/August *4GERS • Vol. 27, No.3 The newsletter from the Northern Michigan Turf Managers Association , CCSAA AFFILIATE PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE The pace of the golf season is in high gear and the demands of our times are many. At this point of the season, I find it easy to overlook or take for granted my family and friends. The most important people in my life, get the least amount of time. This is when I need to remind myself to make time for them. This brings to mind an event that will allow me to spend time with my family and visit with friends in the turfgrass business. That event being the N.M.T.M.A. picnic. The picnic is new to the organization and hope that it is well attended and enjoyed by all who attend. As Turf professionals, we attend events throughout the year, however we rarely meet as families. The picnic will give all of us a chance to meet new people and renew friendships we have had in the past. Most likely you will be reading this article after the picnic has taken place. With that idea in mind, feel free to make suggestions for next years picnic. You can call me or send a note with your suggestions. Editors Note As your new editor for the N.M.T.M.A. newsletter, I look foward to this challenge, but will need your help. If you come accross any information that you feel is newsworthy please feel free to send it to me. My address is 137 Old Colony Rd., Gaylord MI, 49735 or fax me at 517-983-2908. As Pete Hohn stated in the last newsletter, “Every member of the association has something worth hearing about in the Turf Times - so get to it!” Many thanks to Dan Bissonette from Walloon Lake Country Club for his contribution of “WHY ASK WHY” in the May/ June issue of the Turf Times. Scott Pulaski bEARP COflFCTliA THE WAGE AND HOUR QUIZ 1. Must an employer provide break time? NO 2. Must an employee be paid for holidays and vacation when no work is preformed? NO 3. If an employee works on a holiday, must a premium be paid? NO 4. Do paid days off still count toward a 40-hour week for purposes of overtime? NO 5. Is the standard work week Monday through Friday? NO (must be seven consecutive 24-hour periods). Strategy: A strong compensation and benefits package is key to retaining valuable employees, include in that package vacation and holiday policies that favor employees. Cautions: Most states have adopted statutes and regulations governing employee wages and hours. While these laws cannot reduce the protections provided under the Fair Labor Standards Act, they can expand employee wage and hour productions. Recommendations: Employers should conduct annual reviews of the wage and hour requirements for their state. Source: McAnany, Van Cleave & Phillips, P.A., Attorneys at Law, Lenexa, Kansas City, Kan., Kansas City, Mo. Hey, you computer junkies; call Kay Patrick or E-mail her with your E-mail address as we are IMPORTANT accumulating them for future membership directories. 1998 FIELD DAY CHANGE OF DATE You can reach Kay at (517) 327-5474 or E-mail at mtfturf@msn.com. Look forward to seeing you on Please note that due to a scheduling the web. conflict, the Michigan Turfgrass Field Day has been changed to Wednesday, August 19th. 1998 This is one day earlier than previously scheduled Calendar July 19 Family Picnic Beaver Creek Resort, Gaylord August 4 Black Bear G.C. Vanderbilt Important September 15 NMTMA Fundraiser Charlevoix C.C., Charlevoix Remember to let Kay know of any changes to your membership information. These changes will be needed in October TBA NMTMA Annual Meeting & Tuck Tate Championship order to keep the membership directory up to date. Any The Heathlands G.C.,Onekama questions/concerns call Kay Patrick at 517- 327-5474 Michigan’s Environmental Stewardship Program: Is your course involved? By Craig Hoffman, Superintendent The Rock Championship Golf Course, Drummond Island Imagine an opportunity of working hand in hand with environmental governing agencies like the Department of Environmental Quality and the Department of Agriculture to ensure compliance of environmental regulations before violations occur. Wouldn’t every Superintendent and golf course in Michigan benefit from that? Is your course involved? The Michigan Turfgrass Environmental Stewardship Program was established this spring at Michigan State Univer­ sity in cooperation with the Michigan Turfgrass Foundation and the Golf Association of Michigan along with many environmental advocacy groups. The program has four components to its’ mission: 1) to advance the environmental stewardship of Michigan’s golf industry; 2) to protect water resources, enhance wildlife habitat and promote native vegetation on golf course properties; 3) to foster communication between Michigan’s golf industry, state agencies, environmental advocacy groups and MSU; and 4) to recognize and award environmental stewardship achievements. The program has many practical applications for your course. At The Rock, I have been able to utilize the guidance of the Progam on many issues. We have changed our fuel and fertilizer storage procedures, enhanced our environ­ mental compliance by drafting checklists for employees to use in their daily work, and developed an environmen­ tally safe mixing and loading pad for pesticides. The program can offer the same assistance to any course which joins the partnership. On July 6th, Dearborn’s Tournament Players Club was the first golf course in Michigan to be certified under the new program. The Stewardship Program received front page coverage in Monday’s Detroit Free Press and was heralded by Russell Harding, Director of Department of Environmental Quality, as the first of its’ kind in the nation. Several golf courses in Northern Michigan have joined the partnership; they include, The Elks, Garland, Hidden Valley, The Natural, and The Rock. Training seminars will be offered at various times this winter. If you would like more information on the program contact: Environmental Stewardship Program, Michigan State University, 286 Plant & Soil Science Building, East Lansing, MI 48824-1325 or contact Debra Spakoff Swartz @ (517) 353-3208 or Gregory Lyman @ (517) 353-0860. FOR SALE We as a residential /commercial Landscape Management Company are selling a two year old Jacobsen HR 5111.We have found that it is very efficient but our type of work doesn’t quite justify a machine of this size. The following details are for your review and we would welcome a phone call at Lanser Landscape 616-868-7665 • 50 HP Kubota Diesel Engine • All Hydraulically Driven (NO BELTS) • 11 1/2’Cutting Width • Four Wheel Drive • Mulching Kit • 795 Hours • Asking $25,000 (Lists for $42,000.00 new in ‘96) I WOULD HAVE BEEN TO WORK, BUT........ 1. I ate something bad last night for dinner. 2. Weather channel said it was going to lightning all day. 3. Had a power surge, clock was blinking. 4. My grandma died and I had to go to the funeral, (for the third time this year) 5. I tried calling you but the operator said your phone was disconnected. 6. If you would have told me we had a tournament I would have been there. 7. I had walking pneumonia. 8. I wasn’t really feeling up to coming to work 9. I was out really late at the bar and didn’t get home till 4:00am this morning. 10. I didn’t think you needed me at work. Scott Pulaski, Superintendent Rick Smith Signature The Six Deadly Sins of Reprimanding There are two cardinal rules of chewing out an employee: Do it in private and avoid personal attacks. But equally important to preserving employee morale and dignity when calling them on the carpet is that you avoid the following six deadly sins of reprimanding: 1. Failing to line up the facts. Relying on hearsay evidence or “general impressions will only invite emotion-laden rebuttals and, possibly, resentful counterattack 2. Reprimanding while angry. The more angry you are, the less objective you’ll be - and the less effective your reprimand. It’s wise to delay a confrontation until you’ve coolly asked yourself two questions. Could I have contributed to the problem? Were there mitigating circumstances I’m overlooking? 3. Being vague about the offense. Let the person know exactly what the charge is. Don’t try to soften the blow by hemming and hawing or refusing to cough up the details. 4. Failing to get the other person’s side of the story. Always give crew members the chance to explain what happened and their reasons for behaving as they did. There may be extenuating circumstances. (Something, you may even be part of them.) 5. Failing to keep comprehensive records. The better your documentation-how the mistake came about, when, who was involved, etc. -the more even tempered and productive the reprimanding session will be. 6. Harboring a grudge. Once you’ve handed out a reprimand and any corrective measures, don’t carry around hostilities. Let the employee know you consider the misdeed a closed book- and act accordingly. For Sale 1969 Ford Dump low sides 45,000 miles, some rust, mechanically sound, always on a golf course $3,100 517-736-3421 From: Bruce Wolfrom White Pine National Golf Course 3450 N. Hubbard Lk Rd. Spruce, MI. 48762 The NMTMA appreciates the support from the following businesses... •IRRIGATION • • FERTILIZER, CHEMICALS & SEED • • EQUIPMENT, SERVICE & SUPPLIES • Thielen Turf Irrigation, Inc. © D & C Distributors, Inc. Chipco 26 GT Golf Course Installations Bob Dugan Your One Stop Shop (517) 773-3409 (734) 782-0323 (800) 888-7779 • Fax (248) 446-1654 Century Rain Aid Turfgrass Inc. Turf Services, Inc. Legacy Golf We Serve You Better Matt Heiss (800) 347-4272 (800) 521-8873 (616) 842-4975 • SOD, SOIL & CONSTRUCTION • The Scotts Company W. F. Miller Company Ed Carmody The Professional Choice on Turf Beck Sod Farm (800) 555-8189 • (248) 349-0406 George or Lois Beck (616) 946-6594 (800) 968-2325 • Fax (517) 864-3055 Lebanon-Seaboard Fertilizer & Seed GRASS - CRAFT Industries Huggett Sod Farm, Inc. The Best Agronomics/Value Available A Full Line of Hovering Mowers Top Quality Sod/Bent, Trees & Peat Randy (248)673-7146 (800) 760-1680 • (207) 878-5353 (517) 635-7482 • Fax (517) 635-7484 Sweeney Seed Company Weingartz Golf & Turf Bunting Sand & Gravel Products Inc. It Pays to Plant The Best Don Alexander Robert Resteiner (800) 344-2482 (517) 773-5391 (888) 4-JDTURF • (616) 696-2913 (517) 345-2373 Turf Chemicals, Inc. Valley Turf Inc. • CONTRACT SERVICES • Fertilizers For Better Turf Your Reel Support in Northern Michigan 517-725-7145 Fax 517-723-7410 (616) 369-3482 *(800) 688-3605 Commercial/Environmental Turf Services Contract Soil Reliever & Terra Topper United Horticultural Supply • GOLF CART SALES & SERVICE • (800) 231-5296 • (810) 858-7700 Finest Product Available Today (800) 802-2970 • (517) 274-8188 Tire Wholesalers Company-North Dan Cress - Tires & Tubes • FERTILIZER, CHEMICALS & SEED • Green Growth Supply Co., Inc. (616) 775-6666 • Fax (616) 775-8810 Benham Chemical Corporation Providing A Balance for All Seasons (800) 315-5777 • Fax (800) 501-9902 Boylan Sales Inc. Serving Michigan Yamaha Golf Cars (800) 482-6520 • OTHER• (616) 685-6828 • (810) 742-3700 Tri-Turf Greenspike, Inc. •ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN & CONSULTING • A Warehouse on Wheels No Protrusions • No Lost Spikes C. J. Colein & Associates, Inc. (616) 943-8343 (616) 352-7000 Carole Colein (248) 656-6805 ...and we encourage you to support them. Northern Michigan Turf Managers Association P.O. Box 80086 Lansing, Michigan 48908 Dr. James Beard International Sports Turf 6900 E. Kelenski Dr. Cedar, MI 49621 NMTMA Executive Committee 8? Brian Holmes - President Doug Kendziorski - Vice President Dan Hunt - Secretary/Treasurer Tom Reed - Executive Secretary Jon Maddern - Recording Secretary beard COfU/’i V