CALS STAFF IN-SERVICE:
- For county staff planning to attend this years one-day CALS Staff In-Service, you can register at http://ag.arizona.edu/dean/inservice/registration.htm (for the meeting, lunch and breakout sessions). The in-service is on Thursday, November 2, from 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., at the Hacienda del Sol (5601 N. Hacienda del Sol Road, Tucson). The planning committee has an outstanding group of speakers lined up including Sean Power, Linda Block and Jack Elliot. Breakout sessions will include topics that impact staff including The Name Game (how to remember 90% of the people you meet), Small Steps to Health and Wealth, and What's Your Style: Making the Pieces Fit (figuring out your style to understand why you and others approach situations in difference ways). The registration website includes a link to session descriptions. Registration deadline is October 20.
- In about 3 weeks, we will be presenting the 2006 Outstanding Staff in Cooperative Extension Award at the CALS Staff In-Service (Hacienda del Sol, Tucson, November 2). As first announced on October 3, the deadline to submit nominations is Wednesday, October 18 (just over a week away). Nominations are coming in, but there is still time to send in more. We have terrific staff in this state and we need to honor them. As a faculty member, CED, staff person or department head/school director in your unit, meet with others and nominate someone you know is deserving of this award. Please read through the nomination criteria available at http://cals.arizona.edu/awards/extstaffawd.html . Nominations can be sent to Steven Crofts, University of Arizona Cooperative Extension, PO Box 210036, Tucson, AZ, 85721. If you have any questions, contact Steve (520-621-7145, scrofts@cals.arizona.edu ).
FOCUS ON FACULTY:
Congratulations to Chris Jones and his team for receiving the 2006 Firewise Leadership Award in the State category. This award will be presented at the National Wildland/Urban Interface Fire Education Conference in Denver.
George Frisvold , Julio Betancourt, Stuart Marsh and Barron Orr have received a $119,000 grant from USDA's Program of Research on the Economics of Invasive Species Management (PREISM) to develop A Decision Model for Controlling Buffelgrass Invasion. PREISM is a nationally competitive program that funded less than one in five proposals this year.
Seven Arizona members of NEAFCS (National Extension Association of Family and Consumer Sciences) attended the national meeting in Denver last week. Ruth Jackson completed her two-year term as Vice President, Member Resources, several members presented workshops, and Bone Builders received the national Florence Hall Awards for program excellence. The team included: Sharon Hoelscher Day , Linda Block , Lynne Durrant , Evelyn Whitmer , Elizabeth Schnoll, Vickie Steinfelt , Joyce Alves , Jeff Lisse, Vanessa Stanford , Linda Houtkooper , Tim Lohman , and Scott Going . Sharon Hoelscher Day and Andrew Felicetti received 2nd place nationally for Internet Technology award. Congratulations!
PROGRAM & PROCEDURAL MANUAL REMINDERS:
- Travel Reimbursement: Section 7.01.11 - Other Fiscal Policies , states "Cooperative Extension Travel Reimbursements - Any requests for travel reimbursements on Extension funds submitted more than 60 days following completion of travel will not be honored. This policy extends to all Extension Agents, Specialists and Administrators." The 60-day policy also includes any expenses to be paid for by Extension Administration. Due to budget cuts and limited funds, these policies will be strictly enforced.
- Cooperative Extension Related Professional Associations ( Section 9.01 ) - Faculty members of Cooperative Extension have an opportunity to become members of several professional associations. These associations function independently of Cooperative Extension and are not supported organizationally or financially by Extension. University accounts (state, federal, miscellaneous, gift, etc.) may NOT be used to support dues for professional associations. Payment of dues is the responsibility of the individual faculty.
MARKETING BROCHURES:
Extension Administration is printing a series of marketing brochures. ECAT staff (Joanne Littlefield, Susan McGinley, Robert Casler and Maria del Carmen Aranguren) has provided the writing, editing and graphics and Extension faculty have provided the great programs and results. So far we have produced five brochures -- 4-H Youth Development (pdf, 16 pages, 2.12MB), Family, Consumer and Health Sciences Programs (pdf, 4pp, 4.29MB), Reaching Arizonans Statewide (pdf, 6pp, 1.48MB), Sustaining Agriculture in Arizona (pdf, 4pp, 6.15MB) and , Water - Sustainability, Conservation, Information, Education and Quality (pdf., 2pp, 1.56MB). The primary audience for these brochures is elected officials; the secondary audience is the general public. The purpose of these brochures is to tell our clientele about the great work that Arizona Cooperative Extension is doing for the people of Arizona.
UPCOMING EVENTS & DEADLINES:
- A Range Monitoring Workshop is taking place this Friday, October 13 from 8:00-3:55 in the Payson area. If you plan to attend you must register by today, October 10; contact Susan Bolt in the Gila County-Payson office (928.474.4160). The workshop is being sponsored by the Tonto Natural Resource Conservation District, Arizona Cooperative Extension, the School of Natural Resources, the Natural Resources Conservation Service and USDA-NRCS.
- On Tuesday, October 17, from 9:00-11:30am (PT), there will be a nationwide satellite/videostream conference called Stormwater Management from a Watershed Perspective: Extreme Western Climates" that will feature projects in Arizona. Host sites and contacts are: 1) Phoenix - Maricopa County Extension Office, 4341 E. Broadway Road, Charlene Saltz (602.470.8086 x335); 2) Flagstaff - Northern Arizona University, Kaibab Room, Student Union, Brian Wallace (928.220.1058); 3) Tucson - University of Arizona, NEMO Program, Harvill Building, Room 203, 1103 E. Second Street, Kristine Uhlman (520.621.5951).
- You can now register on-line for the 2006 Agricultural and Resource Economics Forum on Agriculture, Food, and the Environment. This years Forum will be held Thursday, November 16 from 8:30-3:30 at Harrah's Ak-Chin Casino Resort near Maricopa. For information about speakers, topics, schedules, directions, and registration go to: http://cals.arizona.edu/AREC/dept/agbusforum2006.html . Dr. David Orden of the International Food Policy Research Institute in Washington, D.C. will give a keynote speech on current agricultural policy and the upcoming farm bill. Other speakers will discuss agriculture and tourisms contribution to Arizona's economy, Arizona land and water issues, invasive species, organic agriculture, biotechnology, and market potential for ethanol in Arizona.
- The UAs Water Resources Research Center is accepting proposals for research grants under the Water Resources Research Act, Section 104B. Funded by the U.S. Geological Survey, Section 104B provides support for small research projects on water-related issues of importance to the state and region. The WRRC usually funds three to five small grants of about $10,000-$12,000 over a 12-month period. Funded projects start March 1, 2007 and proposals are due by 5:00pm on November 27. For additional information contact Terry Sprouse (520.792.9591, ext.13). Guidelines are available on the WRRC web site .