Project EverGreen awarded Phoenix Elementary School as the winner of the “Our Winning Green Space” contest.

When Leslie Saulsby heard about the “Our Winning Green Space” contest, he decided to enter but never thought he had a chance of winning. And he still didn’t believe it when he received a phone call sharing the news that he’d won.

Maxine O. Bush Elementary in Phoenix, Arizona, received an Exmark Lazer Z X-Series 60-inch riding mower and 30-inch walk-behind mower that will help maintain the school district’s athletic fields and grounds helping to create safer playing fields, as well as an athletic field makeover.

The mower package, donated by Exmark and delivered to the school grounds by the local Horizon distributor, are commercial grade mowers that the school will keep, even beyond the renovation.

Saulsby, principal at Maxine O Bush, said the school’s athletic and recreation fields were barely usable and presented a safety issue due to an aging and damaged irrigation system, drainage and seeding that resulted in uneven playing surfaces dotted with bald spots, rocks and weeds.

As a result, the 400-student school, kindergarten through 8th grade, was unable to use the fields for recess, physical education classes or after school sports, according to Saulsby, a former athletic director.

“The meant our students have half of the athletic opportunities that other students at nearby schools,” said Saulsby. “The fields are a hinderance to having a proper PE and health curriculum as well as having a usable space for recess and activities which are essential to the individual student health and the collective spirit of our community.”

“On any given day, I have two to three dozen students playing soccer on what amounts to sand and rocks without goals. We go through ice packs and band aids at an alarming pace. The condition of our fields is a major reason we are losing students to inferior charter schools.”

Most of students attending the school walk, and Saulsby wants the school campus to be a sense of pride for the community. If it’s not an asset, he said, it’s a detriment.

“New facilities look good and therefore impress. Plus, a poor looking school fuels the negative images our students have of themselves and their community,” Saulsby said. “Another area in which we struggle is school pride. It is difficult to be proud of our surroundings when our surroundings are subpar and are lesser than other schools.”

The “Our Winning Green Space” contest is sponsored by Project EverGreen in partnership with Exmark Manufacturing, the Sports Turf Managers Association (STMA) and The Foundation for Safer Athletic Fields for Everyone (SAFE).

The field makeover will be completed in 2022, and Saulsby said the project will show that Maxine O. Bush is an asset to the community.

Aquascape presented several annual awards honoring its Certified Aquascape Contractors and distributors after another successful Pondemonium Online event with 1,175 attendees.

Hundreds of contractors are considered for coveted awards like the Aquascape Artist of the Year and Conservationist of the Year.

The Aquascape Artist of the Year is chosen by VP of Construction Brian Helfrich and previous winners of the award. An Artist of the Year distinguishes themself with a unique style and are at the forefront of the industry today for decorative water feature installation and design. Dan Peterson and Diego Asturias of Fontana Ponds & Water Features in Mission, British Columbia, are this year’s recipients.

Ed Beaulieu, vice president of field research and contractor development, awards the Aquascape Conservationist of the Year to a contractor who continually exemplifies passion for the environment through creating sustainable water features. Patrick Handley of Waterscapes Australia in Queensland, Australia, is this year’s recipient. Patrick has executed many specialty projects with an emphasis on ecology and ecosystems for native fish.

Greg Wittstock, founder and CEO of Aquascape, presented the award for Digital Influencer of the Year to a Certified Aquascape Contractor who excels with content creation on YouTube and other social media platforms. Jaak Harju of Atlantis Water Gardens in Morris Plains, N.J., takes home the award this year for maintaining a consistent output that inspires others to add water features to their outdoor living space and enjoy Living the Aquascape Lifestyle.

Other Pondemonium 2021 award winners included: Jeff and Melanie Norman of Great Lakes Pondscapes in Paw Paw, Mich., for Distributor of the Year; Chris Thompson of Just Add Water in Ankeny, Iowa, for Businessman of the Year; and Cliff Raitz of Terrascapes in Costa Mesa, Calif., for Certified Aquascape Contractor of the Year.

Kubota Tractor Corp. has closed escrow and acquired nearly 44 acres of land in Elk Grove, Calif., in Sacramento County off Highway 99, roughly 20 miles north of its current facility in Lodi, California.

The property will allow the company to expand its network in the U.S. and western states with the development of a new Kubota Western Division Office and larger equipment distribution hub. This effort reinforces the company’s commitment to providing localized support to its dealers and customers.

The new site will continue to provide easy access to Kubota dealers along the Central Valley corridor, as well as more closely link the company to capital region amenities, including the Sacramento International Airport.

The new campus is an extension of the company’s existing divisional operation structure that provides regional support for Kubota’s 1,100-strong dealer network. Kubota’s other division offices are located in Suwanee, Ga.; Fort Worth, Texas; Columbus, Ohio; and Edgerton, Kansas.

ASV Holdings named the winner of the “Win an ASV Max-Series Lease Sweepstakes:” Andrew Stewart, co-owner of Redneks Field Services in Wembley, Alberta, Canada.

Stewart is the winner of a one-year lease of a Max-Series RT-75 Posi-Track loader. Stewart entered the contest after trying out an ASV at Barda Equipment in Grande Prairie, Alberta.

Stewart had his choice of a oone-year lease of one of three ASV Max-Series Posi-Track compact track loaders: the RT-65, VT-70 High Output and the RT-75.

Redneks Field Services has been in operation since 2010 and specializes in serving the oil and gas industries of Western Canada. The company offers equipment rentals, but also provides a number of other services, including equipment repairs, oilfield maintenance, fencing, pipeline repairs, forestry and more. Stewart plans to use the all-weather cab RT-75 for mowing, dirt work and even some applications requiring significant hydraulic power for the attachment.