In 2007 LSMP will also be adding additional Associate Editors and expanding its working relationship with the PGMS (Professional Grounds Management Society) and also with the SCTC (Southern California Turfgrass Council).

Speaking of the SCTC, this year LSMP worked with the SCTC to produce the Western Turfgrass and Landscape Expo. This 46-year-old trade show was looking for a boost and LSMP stepped up to give it a hand. The event is held annually on the first Wednesday and Thursday of November. The 2006 event was one of the best shows in its history and 2007 looks to be even better.

Currently we are looking for more seminar topics and presenters, so let us know what you would like to see at next years show (November 7-8, 2007) and we will get to the task of putting it together for you. In 2007 there will be educational sessions individually designed for Landscape Superintendents in charge of Sports Fields, Cemeteries, Universities, Amusement Parks, Park Systems, and Golf Courses. There will also be sessions to assist the private contractors in Lawn Care, Pesticide Use and Landscape Construction . . .

In addition to expanding the educational aspects of the show, an outside equipment demonstration/exhibit area will be added so you can ride the mowers and man the loaders and backhoes. So . . . If you are in the Turfgrass or Landscape industries mark the first Wednesday and Thursday in November on your calendar for the next several years. What better place to be than sunny California in November . . .

Speaking of Sunny California . . . I?EUR??,,????'???d rather be here than in the state of Washington today (election day 11/7/06) as the ?EUR??,,????'??Pineapple Express?EUR??,,????'?? has been inundating the Pacific Northwest to the point of extreme flooding . . . And this is just the beginning of the season. Now, I will not go out on a limb like National Geographic magazine did when it ran the August cover headline ?EUR??,,????'??Killer Hurricanes ?EUR??,,????'??? No End in Sight?EUR??,,????'?? but 2006/07 is now predicted to be a year of El Ni?????o. So . . . Watch for the western states to get inundated throughout the winter and early spring months. Of course, we didn?EUR??,,????'???t really get any hurricanes to strike the mainland this year, so predicting January rain in November is a bit of a crap shoot. But you know what they say . . . An ounce of prevention is worth a ton of cure . . .Or something like that . . .

And speaking of predicting things . . . We won?EUR??,,????'???t have to predict the winners of the annual PGMS Green Awards as they were announced at the GIE Show this past week. We would have run the winners in this issue, but the envelopes were not opened when the bulk of the issue was ?EUR??,,????'??put to bed.?EUR??,,????'?? To give them their due credit we chose the January 2007 issues to run a full blown feature on the outstanding work of Landscape Superintendents across the country or you can go to www.LandscapeOnline.com and click on the PGMS logo to see the winners now.

Then again, next year there will 11 issues packed with outstanding examples of the work of Landscape Superintendents, so enjoy the holiday season . . . Have a Happy Thanksgiving, a great Christmas and an outstanding New Year celebration and we will see you all in 2007 . . .

?EUR??,,????'??+God Bless