Vsitors of Longue Vue House and Gardens can only imagine what it was like attending a formal garden party in the mid-1950s, or entertaining the likes of Eleanor Roosevelt, Adlai Stevenson, or John and Robert Kennedy.

Did you say your grandfather was in the landscaping/nursery business? And your father, too? Then what's left for you, Jonny Heinz, owner of Jonny Heinz Landscaping in Saginaw, Michigan? Quite simply this, "fine-tune my operation so it's the best it can possibly be."

When Walker Mfg. introduced its first lawn mower in the late 1970s, the company was committed to producing a compact, maneuverable machine that would be unsurpassed in performance. Over the years, Walker Mfg. never lost that commitment. Its mowers today - still compact and maneuverable - continue to outperform larger competitors.

The students gather for a moment before going to their next class. They are enrolled in Monte Vista Christian School, Watsonville, California, a co-educational and non-denominational institution for students in grades 6 through 12.

When our readers noticed the story from France in the last issue and read stories from Australia and New Zealand in this issue, they might think this is a "flair for the dramatic" by talking about international customers - send a handful of machines overseas and make a big deal out of it. Actually, these stories represent a true picture of the worldwide opportunity we've found with the Walker Mower. For over 10 years our export sales have averaged 20% to 25% of the total business. In '97, the Australasian market alone took 7.9% of our production.

Craig Hughes is a man on a mission. As grounds supervisor for Tracy Public Schols in Tracy, California, he is responsible for maintaining 17 school sites. His crews mow upwards of 230 acres of grass weekly, perform saftey inspections at playgrounds, prep athletic fields and overall maintain the school grounds.