On July 17, the City hosted the Northern California Sports Turf Managers Association (STMA) Summer Field Day at Burgess Park. STMA is the recognized leader in the sports turf industry, combining the science of growing turf grasses and the art of maintaining fields to produce safe and aesthetically pleasing playing surfaces. Over 130 sports turf managers and maintenance workers from all over northern California participated in this workshop, highlighted by presentations from groundskeepers for the Oakland Athletics and San Jose Giants. The City’s park maintenance staff gained hands-on experience by rebuilding the pitcher’s mound and replacing turf on the Little League Baseball field. Other educational topics included infield soil structure and maintenance, turf grass fertilization and irrigation troubleshooting. Attending and hosting events like this enables staff to provide outstanding and safe fields for user groups, residents and park visitors.