IN MEMORIAM:
We are saddened to report that Ellen Marie Montgomery Kightlinger , 87, passed away on Monday, October 9 in Tifton, Georgia. Funeral services were held in Tifton on Wednesday, October 11 with interment at East Lawn Palms Cemetery in Tucson. Ellen worked in Arizona Cooperative Extension for 30 years as Assistant State Leader for 4-H club work from 1948 through 1954, and as Extension Agent, 4-H in Pima County from 1961 until her retirement in 1983. She received Distinguished Service Awards from the National Association of Extension Home Economists (1971) and the National Association of Extension 4-H Agents (1974). In 2001, Ellen received a Lifetime Achievement Award from UA College of Agriculture and Life Sciences and the CALS Alumni Council. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Arizona 4-H Youth Foundation.
NEW MARKETING TOOL:
I am pleased to announce that we recently purchased a new Extension Display Unit that can be checked out and used for indoor use at such events as trade shows, garden and county fairs ( see photos ). The unit measures 5' high x 7' long x 1' deep, sets up easily, and comes in a large but lightweight case (with wheels) for easy transport. In addition, we have created large, colorful graphic elements designed to market Cooperative Extension programs and projects and can create pieces specific to an Extension program or need (with advance notice). It is available for check out on a first-come, first-served basis for two-week periods, and you must arrange for pick up and drop off from the campus office. However, if I am traveling in your direction, I will be happy to deliver or pick up. For more information, see our Tools to Use section. To check out this display unit, contact Tony Stevens (520.621.7205) at least one week prior to your event.
CALS STAFF IN-SERVICE:
- The deadline for CALS Staff In-Service registration is this Friday, October 20. You can register at http://ag.arizona.edu/dean/inservice/registration.htm . 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 registration website includes a link to session descriptions.
- Tomorrow is the deadline to submit nominations for the 2006 Outstanding Staff in Cooperative Extension Award which will be presented during the noontime lunch at the CALS Staff In-Service on November 2, Hacienda del Sol . Please read through the nomination criteria . At this time, nominations should be sent to Steven Crofts by email ( scrofts@cals.arizona.edu ), fax (520.621.1314) or dropped off in Forbes 301. If you have any questions, contact Steve (520-621-7145).
FOCUS ON FACULTY & STAFF:
- Peter Ellsworth , entomology specialist, along with Yves Carriere , John Palumbo and Al Fournier , led a team that has recently been awarded a 4-year, $2.5 million grant to develop and implement multistate, multicrop strategies for reducing damage caused by lygus bugs. The grant is titled "Developing and Implementing Field and Landscape Level Reduced Risk Management Strategies for Lygus in Western Cropping Systems." The funds from USDA-RAMP (Risk Avoidance and Mitigation Program) will support scientists at several institutions including the University of Arizona, Texas A&M University, the University of California-Davis and the UC Statewide IPM Program, New Mexico State University, and USDA. Congratulations.
- Nearly 200 green industry professionals had the opportunity to socialize, network and obtain continuing education credits (CEUs) at the Arizona Nursery Associations second annual one-day education seminar, SHADE 2006, held on August 11 at the Doubletree Paradise Valley Resort in Scottsdale. I would like to thank Terry Mikel , Gabriel Towers , Kai Umeda and Ed Minch for all their hard work.
- Congratulations to Ursula Schuch and Jack Kelly for their recent article in the Arizona Nursery Association magazine, Capillary Mats for Irrigating Plants in the Retail Nurseryand Saving Water.
- Congratulations to Paul Krausman (Experiment Station Associate Director) for receiving the Aldo Leopold Memorial Award which honors distinguished service to wildlife conservation and is the highest honor bestowed by the Society.
- Congratulations to Chris Jones and the Arizona Firewise program for receiving the first 2006 Firewise Leadership Award from the National Wildland/Urban Interface Fire Program. The award will be presented at a national conference in Denver on November 3.
WESTERN REGION 4-H FORUM:
The Western Region 4-H Forum is coming to Phoenix on Thursday, January 11 through Monday, January 15, 2007. Registration is already in progress and full registration forms are available at http://ag.arizona.edu/4-h/wr_forum/registration.html . Arizona residents are also eligible to register on a day by day basis. The Arizona Only Partial Registration is available in the Employee Resources section of the Arizona 4-H website at http://ag.arizona.edu/4-h/employee/forum.html. All Early Bird Registrations must be postmarked by Friday, October 20, so encourage your 4-H Volunteers to sign up as soon as possible. Regular registrations must be postmarked by Wednesday, November 15 and all registrations must be postmarked by Friday, December 1. If you have any questions, contact Teresa Noon (520.621.7205).
FUNDING NEWS:
- Arizona Community Vitality Initiative working group is pleased to announce the following projects as recipients of 2006-07 Mini-Grants. Ruth Carter , Building a Community/Changing Lives; Juanita Waits , Golden Gate Youth Photo Vision; Melvina Adolf , Youth in Civic Governance; and Curt Peters , Community Mapping as Part of the Arizona Sustainable Community Project. The purpose of these mini-grants is to promote university and community partnerships in community vitality/community development. The impacts of these projects will be reported in the AZCVI working group report in June.
- The Western IPM Center recently funded three grant proposals submitted by UA faculty, one of which was a new Western School IPM Working Group ( Dawn Gouge , Jennifer Snyder , Al Fournier ). The group involves collaborators from eight western states and will focus sharing of resources and ideas to promote adoption and implementation of IPM in schools throughout the West. Two other Arizona-based projects were renewed in this funding cycle: 1) the Crop Insect Losses and Impact Assessment Working Group ( Peter Ellsworth , John Palumbo , Al Fournier ) which focuses on developing information on crop losses (cotton, head lettuce, melons and alfalfa) that can be useful for assessment of IPM programs; and 2) the Arid Southwest IPM Network ( Peter Ellsworth , Al Fournier , John Palumbo , Paul Baker ) is a pest management information network involving partners in Southeast California, Nevada and New Mexico that facilitates IPM communication and develops responses to federal pesticide information requests. For more information about any of these projects, contact Al Fournier (520.381.2240).
UPCOMING EVENTS & DEADLINES:
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.