Passing of Emory Patton
It is with a sad heart that I must inform you of the passing of Emory Patton on Tuesday September 17, 2019.
Emory R Patton of Silver Spring went home to be with the Lord on Sept. 17, 2019. Emory, the son of Raymond & Ruhama Patton, was a life long resident of Montgomery County. He was owner of the family business; Turf Center, Inc., a company he started with the purpose of growing and supplying quality sod to the Washington, D.C. Metropolitan area. Emory, a pioneer of the turf business, was always looking for new ways to produce, harvest and deliver a better product for his customers. Emory was the first in Maryland to purchase an automated sod harvester in the late 60's, was the largest sod distributor in the metropolitan area throughout the late 70's and 80's and brought new methods to Tufcote bermudagrass into athletic fields and golf courses in the 90's.
His love for his industry led him to be a charter member of both the Md. Turfgrass Association and the Md. Turfgrass Council. He served as president of both organizations and was active in helping establish the Md. Sod Certification Program, securing the establishment and funding for the University. of Md. Turfgrass Research Facility at Cherry Hill and the beginnings and evolution of the Md. Turfgrass Conference.
His love for his community and the LORD were displayed with his tireless work for the Colesville Lions Club, his church, Christ Fellowship and Gideons International. He served as King Lion many times. His property on Spencerville Rd. is still the home for many Lions activities including the Spring and Fall Yard Sales and the Medical Supply Closet. Many county residents still talk of the Lions Equipment Auction held at Turf Center for many years. Cloverly residents continue to enjoy the huge Christmas Tree in front of the church which was one of Emory's many creative ideas to bring the community together. Emory could be found many fall days doing a Bible Distribution at local colleges with the Gideons. He also enjoyed the fellowship of his friends in the Enterprise Farmer's Club.
Emory is survived by his wife of 66 years, Pat, daughter Diana, son, Larry (Eileen), grandchildren Brian (Meghan) and Mary and Great grandchildren Erin and Sean.
The family requests in lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Lions Club International Foundation (LCIF). This is the branch of Lions Club that gives grants to local clubs to enable their charitable work. Recently our local group received a grant for major renovations at our camp for handicap children, it also helps with the eye bank, Eye Institute and Leader Dogs.
Checks can be mailed in care of Kelley Randolph, 4702 Alcon Dr., Camp Springs, Md. 20748. Please note the donation is in memory of Emory Patton.
Arrangements Include:
Memorial Visitation
Tuesday, September 24 from 6-8PM
Roy W. Barber Funeral Home
21525 Laytonsville Rd.
Laytonsville, MD 20882
Celebration of Life
Wednesday, September 25 at 11AM
Christ Fellowship Church
15600 New Hampshire Ave.
Silver Spring, MD 20905
Emory, his wife Pat, and his children Dianna and Larry were all active in the function and activities of both the MTC & the MTA.
Emory had served as President of both organizations and was instrumental in their development.
Please keep Emory and the family in your thoughts and prayers
The Entire Turf Industry Mourns the Loss of Bob Lynch, Jr. of Eldersburg, MD. MTC Past President 1988 & 1989
Charles Robert Lynch Jr., former sales and service manager of the C.R. Lynch International Harvester Company in Reisterstown, has died, August 30, 2019, after a long illness. The Eldersburg resident was 86.
Born on January 8, 1933, Bob was the first of six children born to Charles Robert Lynch, Sr., an accountant for the International Harvester Company, and Mary Katherine Kerr Lynch, a Mercy nurse. The family's original home was located on North Hilton Street in the Walbrook section of Baltimore. Bob was a student at St. Cecilia's Catholic School where he met many friends to whom he remained devoted throughout his entire life. After completing his education at Loyola High School and City College, Bob joined his father's fledgling farm equipment dealership in Glyndon. By the mid-1950's, the family had moved to Glyndon and had become parishioners of The Sacred Heart Church. It was there that Bob met and fell in love with Nancy Lee Hughes, the daughter of a Worthington Valley farmer. They married on a snowy day in January of 1956. One of Bob's lifelong friends from elementary school, Bart Duerr of New Smyrna Beach, FL, said that in spite of good naturedly kidding Bob about “taking the plunge”, “marrying Nancy was one of the best things Bob ever did.”
Shortly after their wedding, Bob was drafted into the U.S. Army. He was soon given orders for a tour of duty in Germany. Initially despondent about leaving his new wife, his melancholy was replaced by rejoicing when Nancy was able to join him in Germany for the duration of his stay. Bob often reminisced about the exceptionally happy days they spent together in Europe, a place they could only have dreamed of visiting.
Bob's career in the equipment business continued after the family's operation was closed in 1980. He took a job with the Toro Company in 1981 and within a year or so, moved on to the G.L. Cornell Company in Gaithersburg. Cornell specialized in equipment for the maintenance of golf courses, an enterprise that took Bob to country clubs all over the state. To enhance his knowledge of the propagation of specialty grasses, Bob joined The Maryland Turfgrass Council and ultimately served as the council president.
Aside from his life's work, Bob enjoyed many other things. He was an excellent wood-worker and the birdhouses he made for family members continue to offer nesting places for homeless birds in many a backyard. He was also interested in antique cars and was a long-standing member of the Chesapeake Region Antique Automobile Club of America. But ever present in all of Bob's endeavors was a songbook of delightful music that leaned toward smooth jazz, but was dominated by the luscious harmonies of The Four Freshmen. He never ever tired of listening to them.
In the winter of his years, Bob often looked backward on his life, gilded with golden memories. He was blessed with the rare talent of being able to recall in accurate detail the people, places, events, and most astonishingly, the exact date of the occasion, including the day of the week. He enchanted many an avid listener with stories of the 1940's and 1950's. A lovely piece of writing by Mark Twain aptly describes Bob's state of mind in his later years: “The old days have trooped by in their glory again. The old faces have looked out of the mists of the past, old footsteps have sounded in my listening ears, old hands have clasped mine, old voices have greeted me, and the songs I loved ages and ages ago, have come wailing down the centuries.”
Among Bob's life-long friends was Edward Hainke of Lusby, Maryland. Several days before his death and barely able to speak, Bob reached Ed by phone to tell him good-bye and that he loved him. What a fine final gift to give to an old pal.
Bob leaves behind two very devoted sons, Matthew Joseph Lynch of Eldersburg who counts himself “so blessed to have had this great man as my father.” And Patrick Dennis Lynch of Santa Ana, California. To him, Bob was “the greatest father a son could ever have.” Also he leaves five cherished grandchildren: Benjamin, Tyler, Patrick, Francesca and Bianca; four siblings: Michael Lynch, Anne Collins, Mary Whitcraft and Elizabeth Myers, and a host of nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by a brother, Edward, and by his most beloved wife, Nancy, who died in 2009. Not a single day has passed since then that Bob did not speak lovingly of her.
The family will receive visitors on Wednesday, September 4, from 3-5 and 7-9 pm at the ECKHARDT FUNERAL CHAPEL, P.A., 11605 Reisterstown Road, Owings Mills, MD 21117. A Funeral Mass will be held on Thursday, September 5, at 12:30 pm at Sacred Heart Catholic Church, 63 Sacred Heart Lane, Glyndon, MD 21071. Interment to follow in Lake View Memorial Park, Sykesville, MD.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to a charity of your choice.
Washington Post May 3 coverage of the Court of Special Appeals decision upholding Montgomery County’s pesticide use ban
https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/md-politics/appeals-court-finds-montgomery-county-pesticide-ban-doesnt-clash-with-state-law/2019/05/02/4e88ed56-6d32-11e9-8f44-e8d8bb1df986_story.html?utm_term=.fe97b4d87c78
OUR INDUSTRY IS APPEALING THE MONTGOMERY COUNTY PESTICIDE BAN DECISION AND SEEKING A STAY TO STOP ITS IMPLEMENTATION
WE NEED YOUR HELP IMMEDIATELY BY
Background
On May 2, 2019, the Court of Special Appeals for Maryland upheld Montgomery County, Maryland’s ban on the use by licensed professionals and consumers of all EPA-registered pesticides on private lawns and landscapes. This decision:
· Gives broad authority to localities to regulate virtually any pesticide use on any property in Maryland, providing a basis for expansion of Montgomery County’s ban and for new bans across the state.
· Absent further court action, the County ban will go into effect and will be fully enforceable as soon as June 3, 2019. Companies and private citizens in Montgomery County would then face civil and criminal enforcement for any pesticide use in violation of the County ordinance.
The next step is petitioning Maryland’s highest court, the Court of Appeals, to undertake a review of the Court of Special Appeals decision. This court takes at its discretion some 20-25 percent of cases for review with those cases having met the standard of being in the public interest of the people of Maryland.
To persuade the Court of Appeals to hear the case, we need to explain the practical impacts on residents and businesses if each Maryland locality is authorized to adopt its own bans of EPA- and State-approved pesticide products. If the Court of Appeals refuses to take this case, no further appeal is available to us and the ruling will remain as binding state-wide precedent regarding the scope of local authority to regulate pesticides. Your support is essential to any effort to seek to reverse the Court of Special Appeals’ decision.
As before, we are building a coalition of Friends of the Court (Amici) to show the Appellate Judges that there are many Maryland stakeholders who support the responsible use of pesticides under State and federal law, and who oppose local laws that attempt to countermand State law. We have plans to expand our group to even more interested parties. Please also connect me with other stakeholders in Maryland, and I will reach out to them.
Contact:
Karen Reardon
Vice President, Public Affairs
RISE
1156 15th St. N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20005
kreardon@pestfacts.org
O 202-872-3893
M 202-595-4964
MoCo Appeal Call for Support 5-22-19.pdf -Click Link for more more details.
REMINDER
In response to a troubling trend of poisonings on the Eastern Shore, the Maryland Department of Agriculture is reminding all farmers, applicators, and retailers that the use and sale of carbofuran (commonly known as Furadan) is ILLEGAL under state and federal law. Violations of Maryland’s Pesticide Applicator Law are subject to a fine of up to $25,000 and/or prison. Violators may also be subject to further penalties from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
On December 31, 2009, the EPA revoked all food tolerances for the pesticide carbofuran, equating to a ban of the product. While it is not illegal to possess an unregistered or banned pesticide, it must be stored in compliance with state regulations and may not be used, sold or traded. We urge any individual in possession of carbofuran to responsibly dispose of the pesticide immediately.
For directions on proper disposal of pesticides, contact the Department’s Pesticide Regulation Section at 410-841-5710 or pest.reg@maryland.gov.
The Maryland Department of Natural Resources Police and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) are investigating recent carbofuran poisoning events in Kent and Talbot counties that have killed at least seven bald eagles and one horned owl. These are the latest in a string of similar incidents dating back to February 2016, when 13 bald eagles were poisoned under similar circumstances in Caroline County.
The department urges anyone with relevant and specific information to come forward. USFWS has offered a reward of up to $10,000 to eligible individuals for information that furthers this investigation.
Citizens who know about illegal fishing and hunting activities as well as the illegal killing of wildlife can make an anonymous report, 24/7, to Maryland Wildlife Crime Stoppers by calling or texting, 443-433-4112, email mwc.dnr@maryland.gov, or report violations using DNR’s free mobile app.
Update your subscriptions, modify your password or email address, or stop subscriptions at any time on your Subscriber Preferences Page. You will need to use your email address to log in. If you have questions or problems with the subscription service, please visit Help.
This service is provided to you at no charge by Maryland Department of Agriculture.
NEWS RELEASE www.mda.maryland.gov
Office of the Secretary 50 Harry S. Truman Parkway Annapolis, Maryland 21401
Changes to Lawn Fertilizer Law to take Effect October
Annapolis, MD—(September 14, 2018) The Maryland Department of Agriculture has announced that new regulations regarding the use of fertilizer products will take effect October 1, 2018 as a result of changes made to Maryland’s Lawn Fertilizer Law during the 2018 session of the Maryland General Assembly. The changes make the regulations regarding organic fertilizer products consistent with those for synthetic products. Additionally, they give professional fertilizer applicators more choices in the products they can use. Specifically, the new law:
· Allows lawn care professionals to apply up to 0.5 pound of soluble or insoluble nitrogen per 1,000 sq. ft. from November 15 through December 1. Currently only soluble nitrogen is allowed during this time period.
· Removes the requirement that organic fertilizer products be “low phosphate.” The change allows these products to be applied according to University of Maryland recommendations and soil test results.
The Fertilizer Use Act of 2011—also known as Maryland’s Lawn Fertilizer Law—authorizes the Maryland Department of Agriculture’s Nutrient Management Program to regulate the use of fertilizer on turf not used for agricultural purposes. It requires both homeowners and lawn care professionals to follow University of Maryland fertilizer recommendations and use best management practices when fertilizing lawns. In addition, the law requires lawn care professionals to be licensed and certified by the Maryland Department of Agriculture to apply fertilizer to the properties they manage. The department maintains a list of certified lawn care professionals along with additional information on Maryland’s Lawn Fertilizer Law on its website at www.mda.maryland.gov/fertilizer.
###
Updated for 2018
TT-77 Recommended Turf Cultivars For Certified Sod Production And Seed Mixtures in Maryland 2018.pdf
Dear Turfgrass Field Professionals,
We need you! To educate legislators on durable grass fields and funding for grass fields - to tell them that GRASS CAN TAKE IT!
Please consider writing testimony and perhaps testifying in person March 7. Either way- If you want Senator Manno’s office to make and deliver the required 30 copies for you please see instructions below and email the testimony to roger.manno@senate.state.md.us no later than NOON on March 5th. Please also cc michelskm2016@gmail.com shpfc.contact@gmail.com and sheldon.fishman@gmail.com
(and just a warning- as soon as you talk about $50,000 per year or more for maintenance they jump on it as "grass can’t take it" because the high cost of grass maintenance vs quoted $10,000 for synturf which needs more maintenance to be safe but often doesn’t get that maintenance or testing
HERE’S HOW YOU CAN HELP
WE NEED TO ADD GRASS and GRASS BUSINESS INFO to our message. Please recommend additional references and language)
Who will be resubmitting/ submitting written testimony by March 5 (see instructions below)?
WE NEED to add more athletes, coaches, GRASS INDUSTRY/ BUSINESS EXPERTS and PARENTS who will be able to testify March 7 for the Senate Bill 1 pm
PLEASE WRITE and PLEASE INVITE OTHERS TO WRITE -In just ten minutes, you can make a HUGE difference to protect both children and the environment from hazardous materials on sports fields and playgrounds. Please provide Testimony on: SB0763: "Use of Public Funds - Playground and Athletic Field Surfaces - Preferences and Prohibitions" On March 7th, at 1 PM. SB 0763 will be presented in the Maryland State Senate. http://mgaleg.maryland.gov/webmga/frmMain.aspx?pid=billpage&stab=01&id=sb0763&tab=subject3&ys=2018RS “Establishing a preference for the use of state-of-the-art natural surface materials in any projects to construct playgrounds or athletic fields using public funds; prohibiting the use of State funds to finance any portion of a project to build a new, or replace an existing, playground or athletic field with a synthetic surface; and providing for the prospective application of the Act.” Some background: If you want to do some more research or want more information please see: Www.safehealthyplayingfields.org ; Www.ehhi.org; Www.synturf.org
By the end of 2018 at least 100 million pounds of plastic and tire waste will have entered air water and landfills from disposal of synthetic turf fields. An equivalent amount of petroleum-based plastic will be used to create new fields. Children face unique risks from toxins, heat, hardness and abrasions playing on plastic fields (with any kind of infill) or playgrounds made from tires. Infection due to abrasions is one major risk). For a good overview about the health hazards see: http://www.center4research.org/nchr-letter-dc-city-council-artificial-turf/. Here are some basic background documents: https://drive.google.com/open?id=1YVdM6ddWmm117NRhnTWVOyifaz0A0NUl Instructions on how to submit your testimonial:
Testimony Letter Format Click Here
MTC Board of Directors Needed
Please send all information and / or have any further questions to: Vernon Cooper at Execdir@mdturfcouncil.com or 410-745-9643.
Court strikes down Montgomery County’s ban on lawn pesticides
By Rachel Chason August 3
Original Article by The Washington Post
A Montgomery Circuit Court judge on Thursday overturned the county’s ban on the use of cosmetic pesticides on lawns, dealing a major setback to environmental advocates who argued that chemicals in the products are unsafe.
Judge Terrence McGann said that the law — the first of its kind for a major locality in the region — would conflict with federal and Maryland state regulations that allow the use of the pesticides. The case was just one example of Maryland counties’ “insatiable appetite to tamper with existing state laws,” McGann said.
Counties have also “tried to hijack a portion of the existing field of law” in areas including tobacco, guns and minimum wage, he said.
The law, passed by a divided County Council in 2015, was to take effect in 2018. It bans pesticides that have been approved by the federal government but contain chemicals that some studies say may cause cancer. The law exempts agricultural land, gardens and golf courses, and does not prohibit the sale of lawn pesticides in the county.
A provision of the bill eliminating the use of herbicides and pesticides on certain county properties, which was not part of the lawsuit filed by a group of homeowners and pesticide companies, took effect in July.
Council member George Leventhal (D-At Large), the bill’s chief sponsor and a candidate for county executive in 2018, said he was “very disappointed” by McGann’s ruling, which he said “sets a worrisome precedent for the ability of local governments to protect their residents on vital issues of health and safety.”
The county has 30 days to appeal McGann’s ruling.
Timothy Maloney, an attorney for the plaintiffs, including Scotts Co., a major manufacturer of lawn-care products, called the ruling a “significant victory for consumer safety.”
If the ban had been upheld, he said, it would have set a legal precedent for the 187 jurisdictions in Maryland to have their own regulatory systems for pesticides.
“There would have been total chaos and confusion in the marketplace,” he said.
McGann said the desire to “avoid confusion from diverse requirements” that could endanger public health is the reason that the state legislature adopted pesticide rules that work with federal Environmental Protection Agency regulations. The Montgomery County ordinance, he said, would disrupt the uniformity established by the legislature.
But environmentalists who support the ban say federal regulations are inadequate — especially now that the EPA under President Trump is rolling back some Obama-era regulations.
“Look at the EPA right now: It is a weak institution,” said Julie Taddeo, an environmental activist and leader of Safe Grow Montgomery who was in court for the ruling. “It’s not doing enough to protect our kids.”
She accused McGann — who frequently makes jokes from the bench and on Thursday quipped that pesticide label-reading was a “cure for insomnia” — of not taking activists’ concerns seriously.
Montgomery County Council President Roger Berliner (D), who also is running for county executive, said he has asked the county attorney to advise the council on whether to appeal the decision and on other possible legal options for reducing residents’ exposure to chemicals.
“With federal safeguards in the areas of public health and environmental protection dwindling, I believe that it is more important than ever for county government to work to protect the health and safety of its residents and our environment,” Berliner said in a statement.
Maloney scoffed at an appeal as “a tremendous waste of taxpayer dollars.” Trump’s election, he said, does not change the “well-established findings and protocols on pesticides” that exist across the United States.
The Maryland Turfgrass Council P.O. Box 389, St. Michaels, MD 21663 Phone: (443) 742-6618
