Brechin Pitch Vandalism Anger

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Brechin Pitch Vandalism Anger: Vandals have targeted an all-weather football pitch in Brechin, ruining the good work of local volunteers.

The fence around the the synthetic pitch and enclosure at the town’s Inch Park was cut open and a set of goalposts were torn down.

The attack comes after the Inch Maintenance and Preservation Society (Imps) took over caring for the site in September and raised £5,000 to bring it back up to standard.

The vandalism that happened in Brechin.Members of the community and local businesses got involved in the campaign and helped get the football ground back in shape with the help of Angus Council.

It is one of a series of environmental projects across the town which the group has taken on.

Imps chairman George Garden said members were disheartened and frustrated by the weekend attack.

“There was a lot of community backing and we are disappointed that the park has been the subject of vandalism,” he said.

“It’s extremely disheartening because there was a lot of hard work undertaken and it really knocks you back – it’s incredibly frustrating.”

The pitch is rented out to local clubs most week nights and opens for community use at the weekends.

Mr Garden said the public had access from Saturday morning until Monday morning so there was no need for anyone to cut the fence to get inside.

The charity has also recently taken over ownership of the public toilets at Inch Park and has been working on bringing them up to scratch so they can be re-opened.

However, Mr Garden said the vandalism at the synthetic pitch had left him questioning whether it was worth going ahead with the plan in case the toilets are targeted too.

The Imps group was created following a successful effort to bring Brechin’s paddling pool back into use after it was set to close due to high maintenance costs.

North Angus and Mearns SNP MSP Mairi Gougeon said the damage at the astro pitch was extremely disappointing.

“Imps are a hugely active community group who have done a tremendous amount of work in the past few years to fundraise and carry out improvements to facilities in and around the Inch Park area in Brechin,” she said.

“They also took on the toilets and paddling pool and I know they have ambitions to do even more for Brechin so I desperately hope they don’t become disheartened by this appalling incident.

“Vandalism is a mindless and selfish act and it’s appalling to see an act like this happen when so much work has been done by the community to keep these facilities going.”

Police are appealing for information on the incident. Anyone with information is urged to call 101 or speak to any officer.

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Versatile Battery Irrigation Controller

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Versatile Battery Irrigation Controller: In many situations a standard mains powered irrigation controller cannot be used or is impractical. This includes applications where power is unavailable or hard landscaping make it is impossible or too costly to run mains cable. Alternatively, there may be instances where only a temporary solution is needed. Rain Bird’s new 9v WPX battery operated irrigation controller is ideal for all such situations and the company says it is a more versatile and user friendly solution than many other similar battery or mains controllers.

IP 68 compliant, 100 per cent water and dust proof, the WPX is fully submersible and ideal for installation in a valve box. With its solenoid mounting bracket, it locates easily on top of a solenoid valve. It can be used anywhere, including wet or muddy conditions. A tightly sealed dual battery chamber and waterproof case keeps water out, even in the harshest outdoor conditions. The use of Rain Bird’s DC series highly waterproof connectors will also ensure that connections do not deteriorate. A rubber cap protects the WPX’s LCD screen from dust and the effects of UV.

Versatile Battery Irrigation Controller

The highly versatile WPX can perform the same functions as a wired controller and available models can provide irrigation over 1,2,4 or 6 zones. They can offer multiple run times by zone with all common programming functions accessed on one  larger than average LCD screen with easy to read icons. The mode button is used for quick programming of start times, watering days of the week and run times for each zone. For fast initial set-up, Contractor Rapid Programming™ automatically copies the start times and watering days from the first zone to all other zones.

The automatic zone-stacking feature ensures that only one valve irrigates at a time. If zones are scheduled to water at the same time, the lower number zone will be automatically irrigated first. A dedicated manual watering button can be used by the owner to start an irrigation cycle manually and a separate button enables all or single zones to be watered on demand.

Dependent upon usage, the WPX will operate for about one year, using a single 9 volt battery, or up to two years with two. When the batteries are changed, all stored programming information is retained in the memory of the controller thanks to the Contractor Default™ save/restore feature. A detailed manual provides comprehensive programming and installation instructions for the contractor and user.

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New Pellenc Battery & Harness

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New Pellenc Battery & Harness: The new Pellenc ULiB 1200 battery and harness has entered the UK market with battery life increased by 20% in comparison to the ULiB1100 battery. Pellenc is exclusively distributed in the UK and Ireland by Etesia UK.

The ULiB 1200 battery meets all of the professional requirements in terms of performance, comfort and technology, and offers increased autonomy of up to 20% – up to five hours of work with the most energy-consuming Pellenc tools in the range.

New Pellenc Battery & Harness

The new harness associated with the ULiB 1200 battery reduces the risk of musculoskeletal disorders considerably by a better distribution of the weight and leaves the user free of their movements. The battery is also waterproof to IP54 standards.

The new battery has the highest capacity on the market and is equivalent to 5640 litres of petrol. Pellenc engineers have worked on the balance and ergonomics to ensure power, precision and comfort. This major innovation allows an extended life of 40% and is in line with Pellenc’s desire to reduce direct CO2 emissions and guarantee recycling at 80% of the product.

With more than twelve years’ experience, Pellenc is the pioneer of professional battery-powered tools and this new battery guarantees performance, ergonomics and battery life that will revolutionise the use of professional battery-powered tools.

The ergonomics and lightness of the new Pellenc harness offer an optimal level of comfort in use. Its weight is perfectly distributed on the essential axes of back support. 70% of the mass rests on the hips and only 30% on the shoulders. The intuitive adjustment of the entire carrying system, from the straps to the backbone, adapts to any working habits of the user. The battery is also reversible on its harness to facilitate work closer to the ground with the Airion blower.

An HMI display managed by an intelligent processor optimises the use of the battery. It indicates a lot of information such as working time per tool, maximum power delivered by the battery or any fault alerts. In addition, the blinking mode of the screen and reflex reflectors allow the operator to view the display at all times even in dim light.

Technical Specifications of the Pellenc ULiB 1200 battery:

Energy:                      1221 W/h

Weight:                      6.3kgs

Water Resistance:   IP54 rated

Autonomy:                 up to 5 hours

Guarantee:                three year commercial warranty

All Pellenc batteries and tools come with a three-year commercial warranty and are distributed in the UK and Ireland exclusively by Etesia UK.

For further information, please contact Etesia UK on 01295 680120 or visit www.etesia.co.uk.

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SALTEX Registration Open

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SALTEX Registration Open: Event organisers have announced that visitor registration for SALTEX 2018 is now officially open at www.iogsaltex.com.

SALTEX 2018, Europe’s largest annual event for groundscare professionals, takes place at the NEC, Birmingham, on 31 October and 1 November and visitors can now register their attendance for free via the newly-designed website.

SALTEX Registration Open

The new website has been built to provide the ultimate user-friendly experience with improved navigation and functionality throughout, allowing both visitors and exhibitors to access all the information they need in preparation for SALTEX 2018.

The site is compatible with many browsers and all mobile devices meaning that visitors and exhibitors alike will have easy access to the site and stay informed with the latest show news and exhibitor event previews. With over 230 exhibitors signed up to date, visitors to the website will see an extensive exhibitor list complete with individual profiles – each containing relevant information on products, services and show offers.

SALTEX Registration Open

Visitors will also be able to find out more about new and exciting show attractions as well as popular features such as Learning LIVE – SALTEX’s free and all-encompassing education programme; Outdoor demonstrations – which take place directly outside the SALTEX halls 6, 7 and 8; the SALTEX College Cup – a national student-led sports-turf challenge; Pathology & Soil Science LIVE – allowing visitors to look in detail at the symptoms of some common turfgrass fungal disease problems; Ask the Expert – a team of 10 IOG regional pitch advisors providing free pitch care advice; the Job Clinic –  a chance to receive specific career advice and find out all the latest job opportunities from industry expert Frank Newberry, and the Institute of Groundsmanship (IOG) 10th annual Industry Awards celebration.

SALTEX exhibitors will notice some improvements to the portal, which is an indispensable tool for maximising event presence and making connections with potential customers in advance of the show. All of the exhibitor forms, such as the Health and Safety Declaration and the Risk Assessment Form, have now all been digitalised, meaning that exhibitors can fill out the relevant forms online without having to print them off.

Visitors can register to attend SALTEX via the website – www.iogsaltex.com. Visitors will receive a confirmation email with their badge to print and take along to the show, to gain free entry.

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Vandals Damage 16 Golf Greens

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Vandals Damage 16 Golf Greens: Within the next few days, test results should reveal the chemical that vandals used to damage 16 greens at a popular golf course in Skagit County.

A swear word was also spelled out in the grass on one of the holes at Swinomish Golf Links.

Employees believe the vandal or vandals picked their targets here carefully. The greens closest to the clubhouse are covered by surveillance cameras and were not hit.

“It’s stupid. I don’t why people vandalize. It doesn’t make sense to me,” said golfer Walt Matye.

“Very disgusting. Just like graffiti and that, there’s no point. It doesn’t accomplish anything except make matters worse,” added his cousin, Marshall.

Sometime within the past week, the vandals trespassed on the 100-acre course overnight and sprayed some type of grass-killing chemical on most of the greens, investigators told KOMO News. A swear word was also left behind on hole 11.

“It had to be a very involved process. One that was thought out. And for them to have access to the course by either driving or bringing this stuff with them is something that was well planned out,” said Chairman Brian Cladoosby, Swinomish Indian Tribal Community.

Tests are now being performed on the damaged grass and soil to try to figure out what chemical the vandal or vandals used.

If the chemical damaged the soil, it’s possible the course may have to temporarily close until expensive repairs can be made, employees said.

A temporary closure would be a huge hit considering the time of year.

“These individuals knew what they were doing. They know golf. They know the peak season. They know that the majority of the income produced by golf courses in the northwest is right around Memorial Day to Labor Day,” Cladoosby said.

Right now, this course is still playable.

Employees have drastically reduced rates for players because of the damage left behind.

“It just takes a few people to ruin it for the majority of the people to have a good time,” said Marshall Matye. “I guess the only thing they think about is themselves.”

The course does have insurance, employees said. But it’s possible the damage could climb to more than $500,000, they added.

The Swinomish Indian Tribal Community is offering a reward of up to $10,000 for information that leads to an arrest in the case.

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