Tuesday Morning Notes

November 23, 2004



Congratulations to three of our staff who received Extension of the Year Awards at this year's Extension Awards Banquet held at the Marriott Hotel, November 9.  For 2002, Darlene Lyman, Maricopa County; for 2003, Linda Stagi, Yuma County; and for 2004, Fannie Begay. They each do an outstanding job. In addition, thanks to our planning committee (Steven Crofts, Sandra Saad, Patti B, Joyce Cadenhead, Judith Krippner, Sharon Marchbanks, Cynthia Pearson, Glenda Thompson) - the in-service was very successful.
Congratulations to Gerald Olson, Extension Agent, 4-H Youth Development for Mohave County, who was honored with the Meritorious Service Award presented by the National Association of Extension 4-H Agents (NEA4H). Olson was among 1,200 youth professionals from across the nation to participate in the association's 58th annual conference, October 31-November 5 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.

Current update on the Trade Adjustment Assistant Program:  The 2003 Alaska Salmon catch was TAA certified by FAS on October 15.  The sign-up period will run through January 13, 2005. Salmon fishermen who received technical training for the 2002 catch will not be required to take the training again for the 2003 catch, but may if they wish.  Letters will be mailed out to all of the 2002 applicants that received training informing them that they are not required to take it again.  FSA will accept that letter as verification they received their training.  Arrangements are in the works to conduct workshops in Alaska, Washington, Oregon and California, but training in all of the others states will be offered via the web. To protect the people doing the workshops in the four states mentioned above, the web-based training will not be available until mid May.  In December, applicants in the other states will receive a letter giving them a password which will allow them access to the web-based training. Under the leadership and coordination of Russ Tronstad and Trent Teegerstrom (ARE), AZ CES has been involved by providing coordinated sessions in the Phoenix area.

Youth Service America, the US Department of Justice and National Partners, announced the availability of over 400 mini-grants in support of National Service Day 2005 which will take place April 15-17, 2005. For more information and deadlines, see each of the following sponsors: The National Youth Court Center at the American Probation and Parole Association (www.youthcourt.net); Constitutional Rights Foundation/Constitutional Rights Foundation Chicago (www.crfc.org/); Family, Career and Community Leaders of America (FCCLA) and FCCLA STOP, Phi Alph Delta Public Service Center (www.pad.org - click Public Service Center), The Disney Corporation, Youth Venture, Youth Leaders for Literacy, and the National Educational Association.        

On November 4-5, Helen Chipman, National Coordinator for Food Stamp Nutrition Education-CSREES & USDA, conducted an Arizona Nutrition Network Cooperative Extension Site Visit. Scottie Misner hosted Dr. Chipman and provided an Extension overview and class observation at the Maricopa County office with Stan Farlin, Janice Allison, Ruth Jackson, and Barbara Ashford. Dr. Chipman was also provided with an Arizona Department of Health Services overview by Sharon Sass, the Network Coordinator. Carolyn McMahon from DES reviewed the relation of DES to Food Stamp Nutrition Education and Cassandra Wilson showed Network social marketing materials and the 3 marketing campaigns for FY05: Make Your Move-Increasing Physical Activity; Go Low, 1% or Lower Milk; and 5 A Day-Way to Grow & Glow.  Darcy Dixon, Jolie Graybill and Sharon Hoelscher Day shared Cooperative Extension FSNE program highlights. Other members of the Nutrition Network reviewed financial and activity reports as well as evaluation results of network activities and concluded with FSNE proposed framework and future directions. Overall, Dr. Chipman was very impressed with Arizona's activities and the quality of programming by the various units.

With over 2000 students and teachers visiting, MAC Farm Corn Festival Ag-Venture will end it's season December 7. A new Healthy Water/Healthy People Ag-Venture will be in place by January 1, 2005. It will focus on water science. For more information contact Victor Jimenez, vjimenez@ag.arizona.edu (520-568-2273).

UPCOMING DATES:

Distance Classes given by Linda Ffolliot will be as follows:  January 19 - Dreamweaver Basics; January 25 - Fireworks distance class to create web graphics; February 25 - Photoshop to create web graphics.  These classes are taught through the web with video materials distributed on CDs. Registration fee is $50 for each class. Register early before the classes fill up. For more details see http://cals.arizona.edu/ecat/classes/ .






James A. Christenson, Ph.D.
(jimc@cals.arizona.edu)
Associate Dean and Director
Arizona Cooperative Extension
Forbes, Room 301
Tucson, Arizona 85721
520/621-7205
520/621-1314 FAX