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2017-08-18 / Front Page
Town Takes Steps To Cut Turf Management Costs
By Michael Kelley Staff Writer
The town is taking a slightly different approach to organic turf management this year by hiring a new organic pest management company and assigning more work to town employees in an effort to save costs. [ ?!?! ]
The town has entered into an agreement with another organic pest management company this spring, nearly six years after adopting an organic pest management ordinance after years of synthetic pesticide use.
In June, It’s Green, a Cape Elizabeth-based business run by Joe Fourre, the golf course superintendent at Dunegrass Golf Club in Old Ochard Beach, was awarded a contract to take over turf management duties from Go Green Landscaping, which had facilitated the organics approach for the past five years.
“It was financial. It was looking at the best practices and me, coming in new with a fresh set of eyes, looking at what we are doing,” Scarborough Community Services Director Todd Souza said about making the switch.
In March, with Go Green’s contract set to expire in June, Town Manager Tom Hall met with the Pest Management Advisory Committee to let them know he was going to be “seeking competitive bids for turf management.”
“Two bids were received, and after evaluation, it has been determined that the It’s Green proposal was the most advantageous to the town, particularly when considering cost,” Hall told the committee members via email.
In 2012, the first full fiscal year with the organics approach, the town spent $121,578 for turf management. In fiscal year 2013, the figure rose to $137,920 and by 2015 was $159,207. [ Stunningly exorbitant costs rise & rise & rise ! ]
Hall told the committee, starting with the It’s Green contract, the town would also be taking a greater role in turf management to control costs and get more ownership in how things are done. The Community Services department has listed staying “up to date on changing technology in the organics program” and working “to refine the organic turf program since new technologies evolve all the time” as goals for this year. [ There is NO « organics » program that works ! ]
“The town assuming more responsibilities has everything to do with the fact I have a new Community Services Director (Todd Souza) and new Grounds Maintenance Manager (Bob Loose) and they both expressed great interest in being involved and taking some ownership to ensure success in the program,” Hall wrote in an email to the advisory committee. Loose, he pointed out, holds a master pesticide applicator license and is accredited in organic land care management by the Northeast Organic Farming Association. [ Organic farming is comparable to the maintenance of urban green spaces ?!?! ]
Fourre started It’s Green in 2015 and will be working to get an organic land care certification from the Northeast Organic Farmers Association. [ Farmers ?!?! ]
Work on the athletic fields to get them ready for the fall season took place earlier this month when organic fertilizer was placed on athletic fields at Wentworth School, Scarborough Middle School, Scarborough High School, as well as town fields at Memorial Park, Willey Sports Complex, Black Point Park, Peterson Sports Complex and Springbrook Sports Complex over the course of a three-day period from Aug. 3 to Aug. 6.
Souza supports the organic approach the town is taking, but it’s a challenge sometimes [ … because it DOES NOT WORK ! ], he said, creating safe, healthy athletic field for young athletes while keeping in line with the pesticide ordinance [ i.e. anti-pesticide prohibition ] .
Souza said there has been some thought about applying “different standards (on the athletic fields) to allow for the performance we need and the safety we need for our athletes” while abiding by the ordinance.
Memorial Field, he said, is a good example of how the different standards could be applied. The town may decide, for example to seed the athletic fields in the park three times a year, but other green spaces in the park just once or mow one section of the park more frequently than others. [ These practices WILL NOT resolve issues with invasive weeds & damaging insects ! ]
According to the Scarborough Pest Management Advisory Committee, the town is one of nearly 30 communities that have ordinances or policies restricting “conventional pesticides and encouraging or requiring organic practices.” [ And all of these communities will degrade into pest-infested & dangerous garbage dumps ! ]
The policy, adopted in September 2011 and put into place the following spring, not only dictates what products can be used and how, it also mandates how the public needs to be notified of applications. Signs are to be placed on the property at least 48 hours in advance and much remain on site at least 72 hours after the application is complete. The notification period is more stringent when school is in session.
While the policy only deals with town land, the committee urges organic approach on private property as well. To that end, the policy states: “Scarborough recognizes that the use of pesticides may have profound effects upon indigenous plants, surface and ground water, as well as unintended effects upon people, birds, and other animals in the vicinity of treated areas. Scarborough recognizes that all citizens, particularly children, have a right to protection from exposure to hazardous chemicals and pesticides.” [ Children ARE protected with conventional pest control products ! ]
“Scarborough recognizes that it is in the best interest of public health [ WRONG ! ] to eliminate the use of pesticides on town-owned lands; (and) to encourage reduction and elimination of pesticide use on private property.”
The notification requirement is not used, according to the policy when there is “imminent threat of serious injury to persons, property or agriculture,” but notice should be given “as soon after application as practicable.” Emergency situations are defined by the pest management advisory committee through consultation of the town manager if practical. A list of “alternatives to pesticides and least toxic pesticides for every foreseeable emergency will be given to town employees and given first consideration.” [ Alternatives DO NOT WORK ! ]
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Background Information
For The Whole Truth About SCARBOROUGH, MAINE, Please Explore The Following Links …
SCARBOROUGH, MAINE — ANOTHER ORGANIC LAWN FAILURE — DYLOX FOR GRUBS — LUNATЖCS CHIP OSBORNE, PAUL TUKEY, & TOM KELLY — DURANGO, COLORADO ( Report )
SCARBOROUGH, MAINE — TOWN HALL MEETING — FAILED PESTICIDE FREE PROGRAM UNVEILED — LUNATЖC CHIP OSBORNE DAZZLES AUDIENCE WITH BULL CRЖP FOR $36,000 ( Report & Video Recordings )
SCARBOROUGH, MAINE — CONTRADICTIONS OF TRUTH — ORGANICALLY MANAGED PARKS — LUNATЖC CHIP OSBORNE ( Report & Video Recording )
SCARBOROUGH, MAINE — VIOLATING STATE LAW — FRAUDULENT ORGANIC BUSINESS ( Report )
SCARBOROUGH, MAINE — VICTORY — REPEAL OF ANTI-PESTICIDES POLICY ( Report )
SCARBOROUGH, MAINE — BAN COSTS — $12,000 — PESTICIDE TRANSITION CONTINUES — LUNATЖC CHIP OSBORNE ( Report )
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NORAHG Response
STUNNINGLY EXORBITANT COSTS OF THE #@!!% PESTICIDE BAN NONSENSE THAT CAN BE EXPECTED IN SCARBOROUGH, MAINE !
Pesticide-free maintenance practices ( a.k.a. organic ) are stunningly expensive and not economically viable. Anti-pesticide prohibitions have created catastrophic pest problems that have invaded city-owned & residential properties, have inflicted garbage dump green spaces, and have cost stunningly exorbitant amounts of money ! These problems have come as no surprise to observers who have repeatedly warned that it is impossible to keep pesticide-free green spaces from becoming pest-infested & dangerous garbage dumps unless conventional pest control products are allowed. The stunningly exorbitant costs of pesticide-free ( a.k.a. organic ) maintenance practices are due to factors such as green alternative pesticides, manual labour for weed-picking, and re-construction once the properties have degraded into total garbage dumps. No one living in prohibition jurisdictions wants to live in #@!!% weed-infested, insect-damaged, and expensive garbage dumps ! Consequently, prohibition has been a dismal failure for jurisdictions throughout North America ! Who can afford this #@!!% ban nonsense ?!?!
Here are the facts. Pesticide-free ( a.k.a. organic ) maintenance practices are dismal failures because safe and effective conventional pest control products cannot be used ― they are recklessly and arbitrarily prohibited by some local governments. Prohibitions inflict the catastrophic financial carnage of stunningly exorbitant costs of pesticide-free maintenance. On all jurisdictions, prohibitions have inflicted hardship and unbelievable burdens to the tax-payers, with hundreds of millions of dollars in needless costs throughout North America. No one, except pesticide-hating fanatжcal-activists, want the hardship and the cost of this #@!!% nonsense. Prohibitions have cost municipalities tens-of-thousands, and even millions-of-dollars per year, in order to maintain green spaces and hard landscapes with pesticide-free practices. For municipalities with 100,000 residents or more, the cost of maintaining pesticide-free public green spaces has been $100,000 or more per year. For municipalities with 250,000 residents or more, $250,000 or more per year. For municipalities with 400,000 residents or more, $1,000,000 or more per year. For small municipalities, with less than 50,000 residents, maintenance costs increase by $30,000 or more per year when relying on the failed practices of Integrated Pest Management ( IPM ). Maintaining a small number of pesticide-free sport fields has led to cost increases of $30,000, or more, per year when relying on Fiesta green alternative herbicide ― a product that does not work. In one case, a municipal lawn bowling club spent a stunningly exorbitant $400,000 for the installation of artificial grass, because of prohibition. Maintaining pesticide-free hard-surfaces and infra-structures, when using a two-man crew for manual weed picking, has cost at least $60,000 per year. Municipalities are not able to afford the high cost of labour needed to manually remove millions of pests. The carnage is high ― in the hundreds of millions of dollars. Municipalities cannot afford this #@!!% ban nonsense ?!?!
√ FACT — Prohibitions Create Stunningly Exorbitant Costs Of Maintenance For Municipalities — LINK
https://pesticidetruths.com/toc/carnage-leading-to-stunningly-exhorbitant-costs/
√ FACT — Prohibition Inflict Catastrophic Financial Carnage Of Stunningly Exorbitant Costs — British Columbia — LINK
√ FACT — Carnage Is Inflicted By Catastrophic Anti-Pesticide Prohibition — 2016 – 2017 Update — LINK
√ FACT — Pesticide Bans Lead To Hardship & Costs — LINK
√ FACT — Green Alternatives Are Bogus & Dismal Failures — LINK
https://pesticidetruths.com/toc/green-alternatives-bogus-dismal-failures/
√ FACT — Manual Weed Picking Is Cotton-Picking Work — LINK
https://pesticidetruths.com/toc/manual-weed-picking/
√ FACT — Because Of Prohibition, Residents Spend As Many As Four Hours A Day Digging Dandelions Out Of Their Yards — LINK
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WE SPEAK THE WHOLE TRUTH ABOUT PROHIBITION FROM AN INDEPENDENT PERSPECTIVE !
We are the National Organization Responding Against HUJE that conspire to destroy the Green space and other industries ( NORAHG ). As a non-profit and independent organization, we are environmentalists who are dedicated to reporting about truth-challenged pesticide-hating fanatжcs ( HUJE ) who conspire to destroy businesses that are dependent on the use of safe and effective conventional pest control products. We also report on the work of several highly-rated leading experts who have recognized expertise, training, and background in matters concerning pest control products, and who promote environmental realism and pesticide truths.
Not surprisingly, enviro-fanatжcs have demonstrated that they are incapable of processing overwhelming scientific evidence. Should we trust these fanatжcs, who conveniently ignore scientific evidence, and attempt to impose their politicized-doctrines and twisted life-style choices against our society ?!?!
NORAHG was the brainchild of Mr William H Gathercole and his colleagues in 1991. Mr Gathercole is now retired, although his name continues to appear as founder. We dare to defy the pesticide-hating fanatжcs by exploring the whole truth from an independent perspective on The Pesticide Truths Web-Site … https://pesticidetruths.com/ If you wish to receive free reports on issues that concern you, please contact us at … force.of.de.nature@gmail.com WILLIAM H GATHERCOLE AND NORAH G
IF YOU DO NOT VOTE CONSERVATIVE,
THEN YOU ARE A PITIFUL FOOL & AN IMBECILE
√ FACT — With A Scheer Conservative Victory In The 2019 Canadian Federal Election, There Will Be NO National Prohibition Against Pest Control Products — LINK
√ FACT — The Fanatжcal Trudeau Liberal Government Is Bat-Shжt Crazy — LINK
√ FACT — The Trump Administration Ends The US EPA’s Reigns Of Terrжr — LINK
FACTS PROVING THAT PESTICIDES ARE SCIENTIFICALLY SAFE !
NORAHG is the sworn enemy of lying, pompous, smug, uneducated, & pesticide-hating enviro-fanatжcs. Overwhelming scientific evidence clearly demonstrates that pest control products are scientifically-safe, and will not cause harm to children, adults, animals, or the environment. ( See links below. )
√ FACT — Pesticides Are Less Lethal To Humans Than Caffeine — LINK
√ FACT — Yes, You Are Definitely Ingesting Pesticides, But Here’s Why It’s Not A Problem — LINK
√ FACT — Children Are Not At Risk From Pesticides — Dangerous Playing Surfaces Are Created By #@!!% Pesticide Bans — LINK
https://pesticidetruths.com/toc/children-are-not-at-risk/
√ FACT — Pest Control Products Are Safe For Kids — Slide Show — LINK
√ FACT — Chemicals Are Evaluated For Carcinogenic Potential By Environmental Protection Agency ( EPA ) — LINKS
√ FACT — Pesticides Are Evaluated As Acceptable For Continued Registration By Health Canada — LINK
√ FACT — Our Children Are Safe When Pesticide Bans Are Stopped — There Are Real Trends AGAINST Pesticide Bans — LINK
√ FACT — Pest Control Products Have Been Tested In More Ways Than Virtually Any Other Set Of Substances — The Industry Task Force II On 2,4-D Research Data — LINKS
√ FACT — Pesticides Are Safe — LINKS
https://pesticidetruths.com/toc/children-are-not-at-risk/
√ FACT — Pesticides Are Health Canada Approved — Listen To Mr Lindsay Hanson From The Pest Management Regulatory Agency — LINK
https://pesticidetruths.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/dirtybit//LHansonPMRAottawaPesticideSafety.mp3
√ FACT — There Is No Direct Proof Pesticides Cause Cancer — Canadian Cancer Society — LINK
√ FACT — REAL Experts Speak Out Against The Conspiracy To Impose Reckless & Arbitrary Prohibition Against Conventional Pest Control Products — LINK