Paul Jamrog 2016 DSA Recipient By Michelle Maltais
Transcription
Paul Jamrog 2016 DSA Recipient By Michelle Maltais
March/April 2016 Print Edition Paul Jamrog 2016 DSA Recipient By Michelle Maltais T his year’s DSA recipient is Paul Jamrog. Paul grew up in Springfield, Massachusetts with his parents and three siblings; an older sister, and younger brother and sister. At the age of 12 he started caddying and playing at The Oxford Golf Club in Chicopee, MA. As a member of the Chicopee High School Golf Team, he was able to develop his natural ability into a magnificent golf game. Eventually his game would win various golf events in his age category including the state junior finals. His passion for golf didn’t end with the game. Paul found himself attracted to the beauty in golf course layouts and design. After graduating from Chicopee High School he enrolled at UMass hoping to pursue a degree in golf course architecture but realized that his focus and enthusiasm was in caring for the course rather than building and design. With a new pursuit to follow, he packed up his 1971 blue Pontiac Firebird, and enrolled in the Stockbridge Program at UMass. The rest as they say, is history. In his early years he found himself at a 1922 Donald Ross course called Longmeadow CC in Longmeadow, MA. He went on to become assistant at Bellevue Golf Club in Melrose, MA and soon was asked to become superintendent of Mount Hood Golf Club, a municipal course in Melrose, MA. Paul would go on to become the superintendent at Unicorn Golf Corse in Stoneham, MA before accepting a position with The Orchards Golf Club, another Donald Ross course crafted in 1922, located in South Hadley, MA. to the USGA and hosted a National Tournament. I cherish the relationships I developed during those years.” After The Orchards, Paul went on to become Superintendent for 19 years at Metacomet Country Club, another infamous course designed by Donald Ross in East Providence, RI. Paul has served on the RIGCSA board as Secretary, Vice President, President, Chairman of the 75th Anniversary Committee, and has endlessly donated his time to many other events throughout the years. The most memorable challenges he can recollect have been in dealing with the aftermath of the many hurricanes that have devastated New England over the years. Paul said, “Dealing with the destruction of trees after hurricanes on the course, was probably one of my biggest feats.” He told me that the other challenge he has faced is the widespread decline of participation in the game of golf. “The decline of participation and interest in the game of golf over the past several years has been difficult to watch, but I know it cycles and soon golf will be popular again.” After leaving Metacomet, Paul worked for Central Irrigation Supply and most recently, Paul has accepted a sales position covering the Boston area as a Technical Representative for Atlantic Golf and Turf. One of Paul’s favorite pastimes is studying wine. Along with sampling, he has an immense appreciation for the art and craft of making wine. He enjoys learning how the grapes are grown as well as exploring old verses new crafting techniques. He has sampled wine from all corners of the globe and has an extensive knowledge on the subject. A self-professed guru, he enjoys taking local wine appreciation classes and touring local vineyards. One of his favorite wines that top the list is a 2009 Kosta Browne Sonoma Coast, pinot noir. Paul lives in Barrington, RI with his wife Tina. He has two children, a son Gregory and daughter Justine, and shares his home with a dog, cat, and bunny. Paul admits he loved being Superintendent of The Orchards. He said, “It was a great highlight in my career. I was exposed Kevin’s Corner NERT Conference & Show Remembering Roy Member News Page 4 Page 6 Page 9 Page 11 RIGCSA Board of Directors President William Coulter, CGCS Swansea Country Club (508) 379-9741 Vice President Andrew Cummins Agawam Hunt (401) 434-0980 Treasurer Dean Chase Carnegie Abbey Club (401) 683-5148 Secretary Christopher Coen Newport Country Club 401-847-5903 Director Patrick Hogan SODCO (800) 341-6900 Director James Ritorto Lake of Isles (860) 312-2092 Past President Michael Whitehead, CGCS Pawtucket Country Club (508) 761-7657 Newsletter Editor Michelle Maltais Atlantic Golf and Turf (401) 835-0287 Chapter Executive Julie Heston phone: (401) 934-7660 fax: (401) 934-9901 [email protected] www.rigcsa.org 2 President’s Message March 22, 2016 Meeting - Hillside Country Club A s I write this, winter has refused to loosen its grip on the Northeast. Any gains we may have made in the warmer weather of February and early March were quickly negated by some snow and cold weather that continue to make course preparation a little more challenging. Like most New Englanders, I will complain about the weather for a minute then move on and tackle that spring “to do “list. The New England Regional Turfgrass Conference and Show rebounded well after last year’s major snowstorm wreaked havoc. Attendance seemed great and the excitement on the trade show floor was good to see. Congratulations to Gary and the NERTF Board for staying the course and running a great show. A special thanks to the vendors for their willingness to support a local trade show. With fewer members able to attend the GCSAA show, we are fortunate to have such a fine event in our backyard. Congratulations also to Paul Jamrog, the winner of this year’s RIGCSA Distinguished Service Award. Although he has moved on to a career in sales, Paul dedicated many years to being a respected Golf Course Superintendent in our area. He also guided the RIGCSA for many years by serving on the Board of Directors and acting as the 75th Anniversary Chairman. I also want to thank Henry Olstynski for hosting the March meeting at Hillside Country Club and for not following through on his original idea to make it a “work day”. Thank you to David Henault for hosting our first golf meeting of the season at Foster Country Club for our annual ABCD Scramble. Family Day is fast approaching and is scheduled for June 12th at Mulligans Island. Our Social Chairman, Jim Ritorto is looking for a few vendor sponsors to enhance this already successful event. Again this year, we are offering a great day of fun, food and family time for a reasonable price. Get your kids to invite their friends and let’s have some fun with our families before the summer stress arrives. April 19, 2016 Meeting - Foster Country Club We have a full lineup of meetings and events scheduled for 2016. I hope you will join us for several of these. It’s a great time to decompress and to network with your peers. I know I’ve gained a wealth of knowledge over the years by just engaging other members in casual conversations at RIGCSA meetings. I wish all of you the best in the 2016 golf season and I hope that the RIGCSA can continue to be a part of that success. ill Coulter, CGCS B RIGCSA President CT License J-3 279958 IRRIGATION Bayer Environmental Science Building on an already solid foundation of proven products to help you succeed. Serving New England and the Tri-State Area Irrigation and Pump Installation and Service 1-800-722-7348 Chris Daigle Brian Giblin (508) 439-9809 www.winterberryirrigation.com [email protected] CT License J-3 279958 | RI License M1000224 | NJ License 197246 Matt Faherty March-April 2016 3 Kevin’s GCSAA Corner Providing exceptional service in New England and the tri-state area for 25 years. By Kevin Doyle, GCSAA Northeast Field Rep. This might be getting old, these newsletter articles about government relations items. I reviewed my files and found nine, yes, nine articles specific to or relating to government affairs issues in only four years. So, is this going to be another one? Yes, it is. It will not be about motivating you to fight back on legislation affecting you, but about what there you can learn from others. There is a popular saying: If you don’t have a seat at the table, then you are probably on the menu. I would like to introduce you to the residents of South Portland, Maine (see entrée), and (a side of) the Maine GCSA, found on page two of your menu. Is this an isolated case? No. For those who have had their ear on such measures, Montgomery County in Maryland — a state without preemption — has been embroiled in a similar process. South Portland will join Ogunquit with some level of restriction, with the city of Portland, Maine soon to address a similar ban. One of only seven states to not have preemption on these matters, each city and town in Maine has the availability to develop their own chemical or fertilizer ordinances. Welcome to the battlefield of South Portland, Maine. The city of South Portland has been developing a ban on synthetic pesticides since June 2015, including both public and private property. Where do these ordinances come from? Well, just down the street in Ogunquit, Maine — where there are no golf courses — an ordinance has been passed. That’s right, in Ogunquit you can’t purchase or use synthetic pesticides on public or private land. How does this happen? Not having a seat at the table and not pushing back. you Get Cool Stuff from your Association Already The city of South Portland city council — six councilors and one mayor — heard from the group that pushed through the Ogunquit ban. The group who has taken a seat at the table from the beginning consists of Protect South Portland, Beyond Pesticides (Washington, D.C.), Friends of Casco Bay and Osborne Organics. The city staff was then tasked to develop an ordinance to ban synthetic pesticides and move the subject to further workshops. That is when outside voices finally had the ability to be heard. After the ball had started rolling. I recently attended the council meeting where the first reading of the synthetic pesticide ban took place. As written, golf is mostly exempt, for now. The mayor made it clear that he will look to amend the ordinance to include golf courses. This may not have wide support, but who knows? One councilor explained her wavering opinion of the ban stating that her octogenarian neighbor really enjoys his lawn, and she would hate to enact an ordinance that would take that enjoyment away from him. 4 We have a strong message to send out to policymakers on the value that the golf course management industry – and the turf industry at large – provides to society. The environmental stewardship of highly-educated superintendents helps. The economic impact of our industry as employers and tax payers, and our means of charitable giving, also move the needle. But fear and passion trump all of those, and those looking to advance their anti-pesticide movement have and utilize those tools every chance they get, so claim your seat at the table: Be proactive, be vigilant, be willing to offer your expertise when it is needed or you might be living in the next South Portland. GCSAA Resources and Deadlines Update your business card If your patrons or members need to know who to thank after viewing the “Thank a Golf Course Superintendent” commercial, be sure to have an updated business card available! Find out how on the GCSAA website! Top celebrities support 2016 “Thank a golf course superintendent” campaign Celebrities who enjoy playing golf, like Grammy award-winning entertainer Justin Timberlake and NBA Hall-of-Famer Charles Barkley, have joined the promotion to “thank a golf course superintendent.” The tagline will be used in television and radio commercials, as well as 2016 print and online advertising by GCSAA. The 30-second commercials will again air on the Golf Channel beginning in April. There will even be a sweepstakes to offer golfers the opportunity to win a trip to the American Century Celebrity Golf Championship in Lake Tahoe, Nev., in July, by personally thanking a golf course superintendent. Visit the following to watch the video and listen to the radio spot: http://www.gcsaa.org/community/chapter-leaders/ managing-your-chapter/materials-for-chapter-outreach Want to add this to your club media (newsletter, Facebook, Twitter) please let me know. The GCSAA marketing department will format this appropriately for you! O'CONNOR PUMPS & SERVICES Help us gather key data: Take the latest GCEP survey The Property Profile and Environmental Stewardship Survey is now open. This latest survey in the Golf Course Environmental Profile focuses on collecting information regarding land use, turfgrass species and other non-turfgrass landscapes to compile data on overall property use on golf courses around the nation. Your participation provides vital information needed to advocate for the golf industry and superintendent profession. The GCEP is sponsored by the USGA in conjunction with the EIFG. GCSAA 2016 Member Engagement Opportunities Want to volunteer at the GCSAA level? It is not too late yet! GCSAA is encouraging those interested in 2016 committee/task group service to apply. Contact Kevin Doyle to find out how. Golf / Commercial / Agricultural Pumps We service, sell, and install well pumps, submersible pumps, booster pumps, jet pumps, irrigation pumps, sump pumps, water softeners, iron filters, sediment filters, reverse osmosis, pressure tanks, water holding tanks, and water lines. www.oconnorpumps.com Upcoming FREE webcasts: 860-967-3559 [email protected] May 5: Waiting for the Other Limb to Fall - Minimizing Tree Liability May 10: I Wanna Be More Social May 11: Managing Bentgrass under Summer Stress Conditions May 26: Empowering Your Career - Equipment Management Series Again, if I can be of any assistance, please feel free to contact me. Kevin Doyle GCSAA Field Staff [email protected] Ed Downing Cell: 978-230-2300 Follow me on Twitter @GCSAA_NE Email: [email protected] Office: 978-466-1844 Fax: 978-466-1882 1 mm. & 2mm. Top Dressing Sand Rootzone Mixes HD & Buff Bunker Sand Divot Blends Tee Mixes Bridging Stone Cart Path Mix Soil Blend We will customize blends to meet your spe435 Lancaster Street, Leominster, MA 01453 March-April 2016 5 New England Regional Turfgrass Conference & Show Comeback Show of the Year? Following our Snow Fest of 2015, we had many concerns including weather as we prepared for our 19th annual show. We have to admit we have had some great luck all around for the first 17 years, and just the worst on the 18th. So, even with the odds with us, why be nervous? Well as you know, even our best plans can be spoiled by the weather which we don’t have any control over. We can be prepared to the hilt, but things like that are out of our hands. Our focus the last 12 months was to prepare what we can control. Like schedules and speakers. Then, be as ready as we can for whatever the forecast was to be. What a relief to approach our dates with as great as a forecast as we had! Were there things that were different in 2016? I hope that you did notice. The biggest change was that we compressed our schedule. We started with seminars at 1pm on Monday and carried them over thru Tuesday morning. This delayed and shortened the USGA program. Sorry to those who didn’t catch that in the program and showed up early Tuesday looking for education to begin at 9am. Creatures of habit we are! This helped to eliminate Sunday overnights and early morning departures. We also provided more 2 hour seminars that you could mix and match and cover more topics. This added up to the largest crowd we have had for seminars in our history. We think this was a good choice and we will continue to make Monday and Tuesday an even more attractive value and resource! Another slight change we made is that we shortened Thursday by starting earlier. This also felt like a good choice as education rooms were well attended and the trade show had better feel to it over other Thursdays. This benefitted the exhibitors with a head start on the road as we closed at 12 noon. Many have asked if Thursday is worth the time. As I scanned the show floor many times Thursday I saw many exhibitors engaged in conversations with attendees. We have invested in an event over the years with two good overnights (Tuesday & Wednesday). Remember the days when we were 4 shows and in 4 states and all the expense and time commitment that went with it? Whatever you’re feeling about Thursday, it is the anchor that keeps Wednesday afternoon and night the peak of the show. We thank our exhibitors and sponsors for your help and making the best of it you can. We will continue to look at ways to make it even more worthwhile to all in the future. The other focus was on our education program. Hot topics and speakers are sometimes hard to come up with, but with input from industry members and with Mary Owen’s leadership we continue to have some of the best education in the industry. This is our greatest priority and our pledge to always keep education first as we plan for the future. We thank all our speakers for their quality presentations and the pertinent information they shared. We look for input for our 2017 program too! If you have recommendations, please let us know. 6 So, looking back at this year’s show, we must thank all our exhibitors and attendees for returning after the disaster of 2015. We are back on our favorite dates in the first week in March for the foreseeable future. As we continue to look forward, we appreciate your input on what we can do to continue to make our show of even higher quality. With more than 1800 attendees and a larger exhibitor space than we have had over the last couple of years are measurements we are very happy with and it feels good to be back on our feet again making progress! We are as large as any regional show in the industry. We fund more than $130,000 in turfgrass research annually and show support to more schools and programs in the industry than others do. Our attendance has been solid in a stagnant industry, and we have not pulled back in fear of the future. We thank each association board for providing good people to represent them on the board of the foundation. They continue to guide the foundation responsibly on behalf of the industry. Results proves they must be doing a few things right, but the biggest thing is that we are all doing it together! Thank you for helping us be the Comeback Show of the Year! ary J. Sykes G Executive Director New England Regional Turfgrass Foundation, Inc. RIGSCA 2016 Newsletter Sponsors ALLENS SEED COUNTRY CLUB ENTERPRISES SHAWNMARK INDUSTRIES, INC. Celebrating over 60 years of servicing Golf Course Superintendents with products for managing quality turfgrass. When you need fertilizer, control products, premium grass seed, equipment repair and parts. Club Car Utility Vehicles and Golf Cars Sales–Service–Parts For more information, call Al LaPrise, Erik or Paul Hagenstein. DGM SYSTEMS “TOMORROWíS Chemical Needs TODAY” A complete line of specialty turf products as well as engine degreasers, equipment maintenance products, aerosols, and ice melt. Call Matt Howland at (401) 295-1673 for personalized service 24 hours a day or visit our website at www.shawnmark.com. (401) 294-2722 (800) 527-3898 Golf and Sports Turf Specialty Products and Services SODCO, INC. A-OK TURF EQUIPMENT Visit www.dgmsystems.com Wiedenmann, Lastec, Graden, Agrimetal, Baroness, Salsco, Sweep N Fill, Turf Pride, Stec, Pronovst, Lely, Maredo, Classen, and Used Equipment. Office (401) 647-0550 Manny Mihailides (401) 524-8999 David Mihailides (401) 742-1177 All of your golf course grass needs grown on our 500 acre Green Certified farm. Bentgrass, Black Beauty, Bluegrass, Fine Fescue, Short Cut Varieties, Contract Growing. www.aokturf.com (401) 826-2584 ATLANTIC GOLF & TURF Fairway Height Bentgrass hGreens Height Bentgrass hJonathan Green Black Beauty hKentucky Bluegrass Short Cut Black Beauty hShort Cut Bluegrass h90-10 Fine Fescue/Blue hMicroclover Black Beauty h With over 500 acres of Green Certified* land, Sodco offers customized contract growing opportunities. Contact us for more information. Slocum, RI | 800.341.6900 | www.sodco.net *Green Certified by the Rhode Island DEM SYNGENTA www.AtlanticGolfandTurf.com Greg Misodoulakis (508) 243-6166 BARENBRUG USA HARRELL’S Great in Grass Bruce Chapman, Territory Manager 401-578-2300 [email protected] Brian Giblin (508) 439-9809 [email protected] h Golf Course Design Contact: Pat Hogan (401) 569-1105 Slocum, RI (800) 341-6900 www.sodco.net Contact RIGCSA member Tim Gerrish, RLA at (401) 263-3784 [email protected] Michelle Maltais (401) 835-0287 [email protected] Building on an already solid foundation of proven products to help you succeed Grown by Sodco. GARDNER + GERRISH, LLC Melissa Hyner Gugliotti (860) 221-5712 Email: [email protected] www.greentrustonline.com BAYER ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE Quality. Varieties. Solutions. Keith Tortorella 508-982-4820 Offering over 15 years of golf course design experience including; feature renovation, tree analysis, cart path layout, master planning, construction observation, planting design and landscape architecture. Specializing in agronomy through the distribution of fertilizer, seed and chemicals throughout New England. Producers of RTF, Turf Blue HGT, Supercharged Bentgrasses & Regenerating Perennial Rye New England’s Finest Sod www.ccegolfcars.com (800)-662-2585 Service–Knowledge–Experience NEW ENGLAND GOLF CARS Steve Donohue or Joe Farina (800) 556-6985 Sales, Service, Rentals Scott Cookson, Paul Amorin, Jon Cookson (508) 336-4285 Fax: (508) 336-4762 TURF ENHANCEMENT ENTERPRISES www.NewEnglandGolfCars.com Tom Fox (508) 450-9254 Yamaha Golf Cars / Yamaha Utility Cars Featuring Floratine Products, Analync Soil Testing and Analysis, JRM tines and bedknives and Greenleaf TurboDrop spray nozzles. THE CARDINALS, INC. 1mm & 2mm. Top Dressing Sand Rootzone Mixes, Buff & HD Bunker Sand Divot Blends- Bulk/Bagged delivery Ed Downing (978) 230-2300 [email protected] RESIDEX THE CHAS. C. HART SEED CO. Fertilizer, Seed Chemicals Chris Bengtson [email protected] Cell: (401) 474-4110 (800)-326-4278 www.HARTSEED.com Jim Pritchard (401) 862-1098 [email protected] Independent distributor of quality turfgrass seed, fertilizer and Turf care products. Authorized distributor for Bayer, Syngenta, Aquatrols, Griggs Bros. TUCKAHOE TURF FARMS, INC. Offering a selection of putting green quality bentgrass varieties. Also, blends for tees, fairways, bunkers and roughs. Washing available. NEW ENGLAND SPECIALTY SOILS Complete distributor of golf course accessories; seed, fertilizer, chemicals, wetting agents, safety supplies and other turf related specialty products. With Tom Irwin, you’re not alone. The superintendents source for high-tech turf care products, contact Michael Kroian at (401) 397-5500. Baked by Bayer John Callahan (800) 861-6256 TOM IRWIN, INC. Mike Santos (401) 525-6782 [email protected] TURF PRODUCTS Tim Berge (800)-243-4355 Carrying the complete line of TORO equipment. Call Dana Dubois for demonstrations. For your TORO irrigation needs–sprinklers, pipes, fittings, Otterbine aerators and wire trackers. WINTERBERRY IRRIGATION Complete irrigation and pump installation and service throughout New England. Matt Faherty (860) 681-8982 [email protected] www.WinterberryIrrigation.com March-April 2016 7 LEGISLATIVE/GOVERNMENT RELATIONS REPORT It looks like the 2016 year will be a busy legislatively. As soon as we hear more of this alliance we will let you know. In January, RINLA and DEM hosted a meeting at Newport Vineyards. They invited various members of the green industry of which RIGCSA was one. This meeting was about the impaired waters of Newport. In Charlestown RI, the Town Council President wanted a zero fertilizer applied requirement implemented. He has settled at 2lbs of nitrogen per year. There are no fertilizer regulations in RI as of yet. With Charlestown passing their own fertilizer recommendations, look for DEM and RINLA to get together on coming up with some sort of regulations. DEM gave an overview of what was happening to the waters in Newport and the timeline of these happenings. RINLA was promoting a proactive approach to this and the other issues coming up. Since then, Joe Oliveira at Green Valley has received a letter from DEM stating that they would be stopping in for site visits. Ken Paine from Ag Partners has put together the “Aquidneck Island Working Lands Alliance”. RINLA would serve as the backbone organization for this alliance and coordinator of its activities. The Alliance develops a work plan for accomplishing its vision and submits the workplan to DEM as a means to accomplish “watershed based management”. Then there is the proposed neonic bill. Members of the green industry were invited to speak before Senator Sosnowski and the Environmental and Agriculture committee. This was an information gathering hearing for the Senators. I wouldn’t be surprised to see one held by the House committee fairly soon also. We are hoping that they will not ban the neonics but rather leave them in the hands of licensed applicators. RI Sod Producers. The location of these booths are between the governor’s office and the state room where the Ag Day ceremonies take place. We will be highlighting the impact of golf on the green industry economy and the green golf certification program. Commerce RI and RINLA would like to know what the Top 5 Regulatory Issues you face are. Julie sent out an email blast survey. Hopefully you have responded so we can tally these up and send to RINLA and Commerce RI. We need to be proactive and not reactive to the issues coming up. Be a grassroots ambassador and invite your local rep for a tour of your course. Fill out and complete the green golf certification program. Thanks Pat Hogan, RIGCSA Government Relations Committee RIGCSA will be participating in AG Day again this year. This year Ag Day will be celebrated on May 10th. We will have a booth next to RINLA and the Alan Vadala (774) 766-2516 Mike Coty (860) 617-3988 NORTHTURF.COM We’re here to help with all of your aeration needs. We are equipped to do the entire job or you can simply choose from several tractors and implements to help you get it done! 8 In Memory Royal “Roy” D. Sibley Jr. By Michelle Maltais T o say ‘they broke the mold’ when they made Roy is an understatement. The rest of the world called him Dana, but to most of us in the turf industry he was known as Roy. Born in Providence and raised in Pawtucket, he obtained a Bachelor’s Degree from the University of Rhode Island, and was the owner of a nursery center in South County before moving to Connecticut to raise his family. It’s true what they say, you can take the boy out of Rhode Island but you can’t take Rhode Island out of the boy. At 86 years young, Roy who lived in Jewett City, CT read the Providence Journal from cover to cover every day and visited the same barber shop in Pawtucket since grade school to get his hair cut regularly. His friends would joke that he really didn’t need to go to the barber all that often any more, but he insisted on keeping his appearance neat and tidy. A true patriot, Roy served in the US Army during the Korean War and was a member of the Jewett City VFW. He worked for many years in the turf industry and most recently as a salesman for Charles Hart Seed. Roy had an innate affinity for knowledge and even more so for teaching. A handful of his friends are surprised that he didn’t actually become a teacher, although according to his daughter in elementary school when she got up to tell the class what her dad did at work all day she said, “I’m not sure. He’s either a golfer or a fisherman because he leaves the house with his golf clubs and fishing pole almost everyday.” Roy loved sharing ‘things that he knew’ with everyone. If you’ve ever had the pleasure of driving around with Roy for the day he would tell you all about the local folklore, the different species of trees in bloom on your route, when they built the highways, the cheapest place to buy your cigarettes, the best places for lunch (Newport Creamery was one of his favorite stops) and a recap of all the previous night’s sports highlights, especially basketball. He was as big as a fan as they come when it came to basketball. He was an avid Celtics fan but also liked cheering the home teams like the URI Rhody Rams. Being from Pawtucket he loved the Paw Sox and as a matter of fact, the last day that I saw Roy in December of 2015, he was wearing a McCoy Stadium hat. I remember that day in December well. I had joined Roy, along with Roger Turcotte, and Howard ‘Gup’ Allen at Crowther’s in Little Compton, RI for lunch. The three friends would usually end up having lunch once a week after playing golf together. It was a long-standing ritual they shared. Roy was lively that day and was excited that Roger was buying him lunch – he broke into a full verse of “For he’s a jolly good fellow” when the waitress brought over the tab. I have video of this linked to our web page and it’s worth a view. He loved following the political races and was spewing some profanity with all the democratic and republican banter that was on the lunch hour news. He was looking forward to the upcoming presidential election. Last week I caught up with Roger Turcotte who said that he missed his evening phone calls with Roy. “We’d call each other about three nights a week and talk about everything. I really miss him.” Roy, whose nicknames included ‘Old Blue Eyes’ and ‘Paul Newman’ was a walking book of trivial facts and tidbits, which is quite amazing because his internet was always down, or his computer was always broken. His close friends knew he used neither but that’s what he usually told you when he would need you to look something up. Mike Whitehead CGCS from Pawtucket CC shared this with me about Roy, “He would always tell me some interesting trivial nugget he had gleaned from somewhere, or ask me to look up something that he just had to know. Important things like how many tons of concrete went into the Grand Coulee Dam? Who was the third man to walk on the moon? What state grows the most cranberries?” Mike went on to say that “Roy was somewhat draconian when it came to technology. He never wanted a computer or smart-phone. I felt privileged to have been one of his ‘go to’ guys when it came time to find answers to obscure and random questions and trivia that popped into his ever curious head. I would always get on him about getting a computer so he could have the instant gratification that came from Googling, but I felt happy knowing he would never modernize himself that way, because it meant he would keep calling me for the answers. And I’m going to truly miss that.” Tom Ohlson, CGCS from Fall River CC shared this with me about his experience with Roy, “In 1979, as a 24 year old rookie Salesman for Tom Irwin, I was sent to explore the wilds of Western MA and Upstate NY. My first Superintendent Meeting out there was in Albany, NY. I had to find Albany on the map, never mind knowing anyone at the meeting. As I walked into the room with that ‘deer in the headlights’ look in my eyes, a middle-aged gentleman came over to me after recognizing my distress. You bet, Roy Sibley! He invited me to sit with him to get to know each other and after the dinner he introduced me around. This simple act of kindness has stayed with me since and I have tried to follow his lead. Roy Sibley, a great source of good stories and turf knowledge. I will miss you.” Continued on page 10 March-April 2016 9 RIGCSA Member News Royal “Roy” D. Sibley Jr. Continued from Page 9 Many of my fellow colleagues in the industry and several golf course superintendents came forward with stories about Roy for this article. As most of you can guess, I can’t publish 95% of the stories I heard. What I can tell you about is what resonated with every single story and from every single person that came forward, is how kind and humble Roy was. He was admired and respected by his peers and it wouldn’t be a stretch to say he was loved by just about everyone who knew him. We will miss you Roy and will always remember to lead by your example of true friendship. You will remain in our hearts and your spirit will live on in the lives you’ve touched. Godspeed. Announcements: Our condolences are extended to Dianne Sibley and family on the passing of Roy Sibley on March 9, 2016. Roy was a long time member of the RIGCSA and a friend to all. He will be greatly missed. Best wishes to Tim Berge on a speedy recovery from a recent injury. Congratulations to Nick and Katie Burchard on the birth of their daughter Anna Louise born on March 30, 2016 Welcome New Members: Mike Brito, Affiliate, Watson Materials Aaron Maher, Affiliate, Agresource Jeff Morris, Class C, Newport CC Cody Woods, Class C, Shelter Harbor GC Golf Results: For more information, please visit www.alumniturfgroup.com UConn Turfgrass Field Day Tuesday, July 19, 2016 For more information or to register, please visit: www.regonline.com/turfgrassfieldday2016 Directory Updates: North Turf is proud to announce the addition of Mike Coty! Mike brings 27 years of experience as a Golf Course Superintendent to the North Turf team. He can be reached at (860) 617-3988. Congratulations to Paul Jamrog on his new position with Atlantic Golf and Turf. Paul will be covering the Boston, North Shore, & Southern NH area. He can be reached at (401) 524-3322. Congratulations to Dan McDermott on his new position as superintendent at Allendale Country Club in Dartmouth, MA. April 19, 2016–Foster Country Club ABCD Scramble 1st Place- Dan St. Laurent, Tom Fox, Ed Downing, Wayne Zoppo 2nd Place- Nick Burchard, Jason Dowgiewicz, Dennis Bancroft, Brian Kuchta 3rd Place- Greg Misodoulakis, Kevin Doyle, Mike Ferrara, Melissa Gugliotti Save the date: RIGCSA Scholarship and Research Tournament will be held on October 4, 2016 at Wanumetonomy Golf & Country Club with Ted Ellis, CGCS as our host for the day. Industry Events: Alumni Turf Group May 16, 2016 The 12th Annual Dr. Joseph Troll Turf Classic Pinehills Golf Club, Plymouth, MA Joseph F. Felicetti, CGCS Hosting Honoring Paul F. Miller, CGCS 10 “If you love golf like I do thank a golf course superintendent.” Thank a golf course superintendent for a chance to win a trip to the 2016 American Century Celebrity Golf Championship at beautiful Lake Tahoe. The superintendent you thank will win a special prize too! Two ways to enter: • Visit gcsaa.org/thankasuper • Tweet using #ThankASuper and #ContestEntry Complete rules available at gcsaa.org/thankasuper. Sweepstakes period: May 1-31, 2016 March-April 2016 11 Please save the date for RIGCSA Family Fun Day Sunday, June 12, 2016 (Rain or Shine) Golf & Entertainment Center All are welcome–friends and family from 2:00 pm–7:00 pm Price is $10 per person (children 17 & under are free) More details to come. *If anyone would like to assist or donate for this event, please contact Jim Ritorto, RIGCSA Social Chairman at [email protected] c/o Julie Heston 36 Elisha Mathewson Road N. Scituate, RI 02857 RIGCSA