Traverse City Record-Eagle

Your Views

August 9, 2010

Letters to the Editor: 08/09/2010

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A rapid response

I recently was distressed to see a fungus had infected my Saskatoon berry bushes. This season was very successful and I had great hope for this new crop. I didn't want to set back my plants and endanger next year's crop.

I sent an e-mail with pictures of the fungus to Erin Lizotte, integrated pest management educator at the Northwest Michigan Horticultural Research Station at 5 p.m. on Saturday. Erin sent the pictures on to Annemiek Schilder at the Department of Plant Pathology at Michigan State in Lansing.

By 11 a.m. Sunday they had agreed on a solution to my problem and sent specific recommendations to me. I had their recommendations implemented by 1 p.m. Sunday, less than 24 hours after I noticed the problem.

In our tough economy we hear a lot of talk about "streamlining, privatizing and downsizing" government. During these discussions I hope we realize there are people like Erin and Annemiek working hard on weekends to help people in the private sector successfully implement new products that have the potential to stimulate our troubled economy. I can't thank them enough.

Rick Cross

Northport

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