Three Cheers! After four searches and other delays we will have a new
Dairy Specialist. Matthew J. VanBaale has accepted the position of Dairy
Extension Specialist effective July 1, 2003.
Last Thursday a group from the Arizona Department of Agriculture (ADA)
(Sheldon Jones, Dwight Harder, Barbara Dolan, John Caravetta, and Rick
Willer) and the College (Jeff Silvertooth, Bob Glock, Jim Collins, Bob
Collier, Rob Leonard, Sandy Pierson, Deborah Young, the Dean and Associate
Deans) met to explore animal, plant, and food security. Many positive
examples were provided about the good working relationships between ADA and
county Extension faculty. New funding opportunities were discussed. Greater
collaboration was explored. Ideas were presented for response to new threats.
Three tribes' members who have been involved in Charting Community
Connections gathered July 20-24, 2002 in Polson, Montana for an intertribal
exchange. Hopi tribal members, Brenda Patterson from the Office of Youth
Affairs, Danise Gomez, Youth Council member, and Matt Livingston, Hopi
Extension Agent, met with members of the Salish and Kootenai tribes for
training, and to exchange common issues in conducting community and youth
development projects in native communities. The tribal gathering was
organized by the Innovation Center for Community and Youth Development and
funded by Ford Foundation.
Sixteen people from throughout Arizona agencies and neighborhoods learned
eight tools from Building Community, a toolkit to community and youth
development. The two-day training held in Flagstaff, Arizona, July 29-30,
was team facilitated by Noelle Francis, Student Program Assistant; Lyndsey
Merchant, Americorp Volunteer in CYD; Jan Norquest, 4-H Youth Development
educator; and Beth Tucker, FCS educator. Michelle Lytle, Parenting and Food
Stamp Program Assistant, provided operations support for training. Many
participants indicated they would be using a tool in the near future to
facilitate their community efforts. This training of facilitators has been
given in Wisconsin, Washington State, Kentucky, Boston and Arizona.
Please join me in congratulating the Urban IPM Team whose work in the IPM
in Schools Program will be recognized with a second national award at a
press conference on August 2, 2002 from the National Foundation for IPM
Education. The Urban IPM team has helped to greatly reduce pesticide use
in targeted schools, with great potential for expansion. This was
accomplished with the leadership of Dawn Gouge and Kirk Smith, major
contributions by Carl Olson and Paul Baker, and additional input from Bob
Smith, Diana Wheeler, and David Byrne. The EPA is excited about the success
of the program and wants to publicize it widely.