President’s Letter

Winter Weather

Being responsible for all of the Baptist Health Grounds in the state is a large enough task already. Ten hospitals spread across the state from Monticello to Heber Springs all the way over to Ft. Smith. They all have different needs based on a number of things. One event that is the same no matter where its located is snow or ice. The latest snow and ice event on January 9th this year tested every resource we had. Some places you can let sit until it’s over, but a hospital is a different story. We have to keep whatever falls cleared all day and all night. Plow trucks with hoppers full of ice melt move nonstop. Skid loaders push and pile snow wherever it can be. As the days go on until the snow finally stops, we work it until its gone. Unfortunately, a lot of snow gets piled on turf and flower beds with seasonal color. Most of the time our only choice is to pile it on the grass, and as we plow and move snow the piles get larger and larger. At one point at the Little Rock Hospital we had a pile of snow that stretched 300 feet and averaged 15 feet high.

Being a turf guy, I was concerned when I saw this, especially if there was any ice melt in them. So, several trips with a 13-yard bed dump truck later we cleared that area. Many remain along with pieces of asphalt and speedbumps mixed in. Some of the piles we made probably wouldn’t melt until May! When the snow finally melts and you survey the damage, you see damaged turf, damaged irrigation heads and broken concrete. It’s all part of it, but getting large piles of snow off the turf is important for several reasons. One reason is snow mold can develop and if residual ice melt is mixed in, it can affect the soil pH which can cause discoloration and other issues. The only benefit I can see with snow is when it melts it helps water the grass and shrubs.

If you were unable to attend the annual conference this past January, we had a tremendous turnout filled with educational sessions and vendors showing off their latest equipment. We awarded three scholarships and had Dr. Aaron Patton from Perdue with us. A special thank you to our Executive Director Courtney Landreth and our Board members that work most of the year preparing for such an undertaking. It takes a lot of hard-working people giving selfless time to put these events together. We encourage you if you haven’t seen us in a while to come be a part of it in 2026.

Richard Covert

ATA President