After just a few months short of 30 years with Arizona Cooperative Extension, Larry Sullivan, Extension Wildlife Damage Management Specialist, has retired effective June 30. Larry will return, as a volunteer, to the SRNR to teach a wildlife damage management course (WFSC 410) during the 2003-2004 winter session. He has retired as "Specialist Emeritus" and will have some shared office space in the BSE building. Larry will remain as a volunteer on the 4-H Shooting Education, State Instructor Team as an instructor in the hunting discipline.
The O'Brien Retirement Celebration was held Friday evening at the SaddleBrooke Mountain View Country Club. There were 172 attendees who celebrated the event with a cross section of campus, CALS, Fine Arts, neighbors, church and accordion friends. The evening began with a social hour, then a buffet and an hour-long show followed. Many people made the evening a success. Everyone who attended contributed to the O'Brien Endowment which was originally funded October 13, 1992. The "take" for the event was over $8,000 and the O'Briens matched each dollar bringing the endowment total to $137,793. Saunie Taylor, VP of Campus Life, announced the amount and led everyone in raising a champagne toast to the future good the endowment will bring. Jim and Shirley promise to raise the level to $150,000 by July 1, 2004 when it will begin funding $6K in alternate years for diversity and music project proposals. Nancy Belck, Chancellor, University of Nebraska System and former Extension Home Economics Program Director (who hired Shirley in 1976) talked about "her desk" which Shirley has used for these past 27 years. There were video remembrances, dancing, a pom line presentation by Janice Shelton that brought the house down and as a finale, 10 members of the Accordion Club of Tucson led the audience in patriotic songs ending with God Bless America. A good time was had by all.
All women who are involved in agriculture are invited to the Seventh Annual Women in Agriculture Conference. This conference is cosponsored by CALS and the Arizona Farm Bureau. Nationally recognized and Certified Speaking Professional, Jolene Brown, will lead the lunch and afternoon session. The conference kicks off with a get acquainted activity on July 17 at 7pm and then you will spend July 18, "Getting Ready...Head to Toe." The registration form can be found at http://azfb.org/wiac.htm. Registration is $30 and includes lunch on July 18. The conference will be held at the Hilton Phoenix East/Mesa. Room reservations can be made directly with the Hilton by calling 1-800-544-5866. Room cost is $59 single or double occupancy. For further information, contact Monica Pastor (mpastor@ag.arizona.edu).
Mark your calendars for this year's Western Region County Agents Meeting, October 27-28, at the Clark County Extension Office in Las Vegas. The tentative schedule will include a short introduction session, presentation of papers, lunch, commodity/speciality discussion groups on Monday and a Noxious Weeds and Endangered Species tour on Tuesday. Registration will be around $50 (which includes lunch) and a registration form will be sent out in July. Reservations at a local motel will be set up at about $40/night. The deadline to submit papers will be the first week in September. Email Chad Reid (chadr@ext.susu.edu) if you are interested in attending or for more information.