The first year of the Tansy Games came to an official close Sept. 17, with Craig Strong of Hiouchi taking the $500 first prize for gathering 1,540 pounds of the invasive plant. Community volunteer Janet Gilbert coordinated the contest in conjunction with the Del Norte Solid Waste Management Authority. Sixteen teams entered the games and disposed of some 10,000 pounds of tansy ragwort, a noxious weed that’s a threat to livestock and agriculture. The weed was brought to the Pacific Northwest from Europe in the 19th Century, said Gilbert.The contest began June 22 and ran until Aug. 22 because of a late bloom. #placement_573654_0_i{width:100%;max-width:550px;margin:0 auto;}var rnd = window.rnd || Math.floor(Math.random()*10e6);var pid573654 = window.pid573654 || rnd;var plc573654 = window.plc573654 || 0;var abkw = window.abkw || '';var absrc = 'https://ads.empowerlocal.co/adserve/;ID=181918;size=0x0;setID=573654;type=js;sw='+screen.width+';sh='+screen.height+';spr='+window.devicePixelRatio+';kw='+abkw+';pid='+pid573654+';place='+(plc573654++)+';rnd='+rnd+';click=CLICK_MACRO_PLACEHOLDER';var _absrc = absrc.split("type=js"); absrc = _absrc[0] + 'type=js;referrer=' + encodeURIComponent(document.location.href) + _absrc[1];document.write('');The award ceremony was held during the Solid Waste Management Authority’s board meeting on the 17th, giving volunteers plenty of time to determine the winner. The bags of eradicated tansy were taken to the Del Norte County Transfer Station, which underwrote the disposal costs. Gilbert said she’s planning another Tansy Games for next year. googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('ad-1515727'); });