P R E S I D E N T ’S M E S S AG E
Arkansas Turfgrass Association P.O. Box 185 • Bryant, AR 72089 Tel: 501-860-0187
IT’S STILL SPRING Richard Covert ATA President
As
the landscape around us continues to be unaware that there is a pandemic that’s changing life as we know it, I was relieved when I read on March 27th that the Arkansas Department of Health said that pest management plays an essential role in protecting the public health by controlling disease vectors, securing our food supply and maintaining our infrastructure. The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) identified the pest management area as an essential public work service: workers such as plumbers, electricians, exterminators, and others who provide services that are necessary to maintain the safety, sanitation, and essential operation of residences. I have spoken with several lawn maintenance companies that tell me how they are adapting their crews to ensure social distancing and to stop the spread of the virus, they including starting at different times, limiting the crew per truck to two, and having the employees that can drive to the jobs to do so in their own vehicles. They are also making efforts to minimize the use of shared equipment, and wearing gloves as much as possible, and, wearing a face mask when in close proximity to others. Also, definitely find ways to protect your customers, such as having them pay electronically or by mail rather than in person. No doubt this will change things in our industry and the way we approach things. Thank you for all the hard work to the crews that are out there every day and especially the ones that are extremely short handed and thank you for your continuing support of the ATA. Richard Covert ATA President
Published by: Leading Edge Communications, LLC 206 Bridge Street Franklin, TN 37064 Tel: 615-790-3718 Email: info@leadingedge communications.com ATA OFFICERS Richard Covert, President Baptist Health Systems Richard.covert@baptist-health.org Kyle Sanders, Immediate Past President Sanders Ground Essentials 501-315-9395 kylesanders@sandersground.com Jeff Haskins, Treasurer Paragould Country Club 870-780-5883 Ja1116@earthlink.net Karen Cooper Executive Director 785-331-9225 arkturfgrassassn@att.net Doug Karcher, Ph.D., Education Chair University of Arkansas • 479-575-5723 karcher@uark.edu Pat Berger, Director Emeritus University of Arkansas • 479-575-6887 pberger@uark.edu Charlie Bowen, Director Emeritus Arkansas Hydroseed • 501-315-7333 charliebowen@yahoo.com Seth Dunlap Arkansas State Plant Board seth.dunlap@agriculture.arkansas.gov 501-225-1598 Mark Brown Nabholz • 501-749-7459 rmbrown2@ualr.edu Rodney Fisher Life Member, Founding Member Agra Turf, Inc. • 501-268-7036 agrarod@yahoo.com Ron Fisher Agra Turf, Inc. • 501-268-7036 agraron@yahoo.com Steve Ibbotson Conway Parks & Rec. • 501-328-4173 Steve.ibbotson@cityofconway.org Josh Landreth Ace of Blades • 479-530-7001 aceofblades@cox.net Mark Mowrey, Director Emeritus Oaklawn • 501-538-1600 bntgrns@yahoo.com Guy Oyler Jerry Pate Turf & Irrigation goyler@jerrypate.com • 501-317-5980 Rodger Pevehouse Life Member Michael Rush Rush Lawn Care • 501-279-8980 mrush@rushlawn.com
6 • A R K A N S A S T U R F G R A S S • Summer 2020
Ricky Self Cypress Creek r.self@yahoo.com • 501-605-8000
