Volume 21, Number 10 – May 15, 2006
Third Outspoken for 4-H Ride Set for June 15-18
State 4-H Teams Again Win National Land Judging
Honors
U.S. Agriculture Committee Seeks Farm Bill Feedback
OSP to Enforce ‘5-Day’ Grant Proposal
Rule
Use Billboards, Banners to Promote WVU Extension
People and Places
The third annual Outspoken for 4-H fund-raising bike ride will begin Thursday, June 15. 4-H members, leaders, and friends travel on bicycle across the eastern and central regions of the state to help promote 4-H and raise funds for 4-H programs.
The 250-mile bike ride starts in Jefferson County early in the morning of June 15. Continuing the tradition of the past two years, the last lap takes the riders into WVU Jackson’s Mill to help kick off Older 4-H Members’ Conference, which begins Sunday, June 18.
Those who participate in the annual event not only experience the physical benefits and beauty of the scenic ride, but they also help West Virginia 4-H. As they travel through the state, bicyclists create awareness about 4-H and raise funds for 4-H programs.
Riders will pass through 11 counties in the following order: Jefferson, Berkeley, Morgan, Hampshire, Hardy, Grant, Pendleton, Randolph, Barbour, Upshur, and Lewis.
The volunteer ride coordinator, James Grantham, said that supporters can place signs along the route and cheer on the participants as they ride by. A detailed itinerary will be available later.
For more information about the event, including how you can make a tax-deductible financial contribution, contact James Grantham by phone (304-728-6367) or e-mail (outspokenfor4h@gmail.com).
West Virginia 4-H land judging teams received top honors once again at the National Land and Range Judging Competition held May 2-4, in Oklahoma City, Okla.
Despite having only three members competing this year, the Barbour County 4-H team took top honors in homesite evaluation and third place in land judging. Coached by Roger Nestor, the Barbour County team members were Alicia Bosely, Louise Evans, and Aaron Harris.
The Roane County 4-H team also earned top awards, receiving reserve champion in both the homesite competition and the land judging competition. Members of the Roane County team were Micah Seen, Isaac Seen, Georgia Bing, and Alisha Abbott. Michael Shamblin coached the team.
In addition to the team honors, individual awards were given for the top scorers in each competition – West Virginia was on top yet again. Alicia Bosely scored a perfect 382 points in the homesite evaluation, earning her the honor of national champion. All top five places in the homesite evaluation were awarded to West Virginia 4-H’ers. Micah Seen, Aaron Harris, Louise Evans, and Georgia Bing earned reserve champion, third, fourth, and fifth place awards, respectively.
Top honors in land judging were awarded to Alicia Bosely, Micah Seen, and Beth Bing who placed third, fourth, and eighth, respectively.
A 4-H member can participate in the national contest only one time in his or her life. Since 1959, 47 different 4-H members have helped West Virginia earn 12 national championships in land judging and homesite evaluation.
A Web-based farm bill feedback form has been launched by the U.S. House of Representatives’ Agriculture Committee to help members learn what is important to producers around the country.
Chairman Bob Goodlatte made the announcement Monday, May 8. He emphasized the importance of receiving the form’s information because “farm bill policy directly impacts the lives of America’s farmers and ranchers.” He also was quoted as saying, “By having a Web-based feedback form, producers everywhere will have the opportunity to provide the committee with their thoughts and input about future farm policy.”
Combined with field hearings now being conducted, the forms will help committee members analyze the current farm policy as they prepare to reauthorize the 2002 Farm Bill, which expires September 2007. However, the information provided by the Web-based forms will be viewed only by members of the House Committee on Agriculture and will not be part of the Congressional Record.
To access the feedback form, click on the Farm Bill Feedback icon on the committee’s Web site (www.agriculture.house.gov). Or you may go directly to the form (www.agriculture.house.gov/inside/feedbackform.html).
Promoting WVU Extension Service and its programs can be done in a variety of ways, including using the WVU Extension billboards and banners provided by Extension Communications. The upcoming 4-H camps, festivals, and fairs around the state provide great opportunities to display the banners.
Last year, each county received two traditional size (6 by 3 feet) banners to use at local events. One supports 4-H, and the other is a general WVU Extension Service banner.
Extension Communications also has a Signage for Loan program, offering free billboards and banners. The billboards support 4-H (“4-H Transforms Lives”) and general WVU Extension (“You Can Count on Us!”).
The for-loan banners come in three sizes: traditional (6 by 3 feet), medium (12 x 6 feet), and extra large (25 by 12 feet).
If you display a billboard or banner, please take a picture of how it was used and e-mail it to Ann Berry (Ann.Berry@mail.wvu.edu).
More information about WVU Extension billboards and banners is available on the intranet (http://intranet.ext.wvu.edu/orgsup/oct/marketing/billboard_banner.pdf). Call Extension Communications (304-293-4221) for more information about borrowing these items. Ask for Kate Hawkins.
The WVU Office of Sponsored Programs (OSP) has advised faculty that all proposals being submitted to external sponsors must be provided to OSP at least five working days in advance of the agency’s submission deadline. This policy is necessary to allow time for OSP to handle the increasing volume of proposals. OSP will enforce this rule beginning today (May 15).
Jessie Momen suggests
that Extension researchers provide their grant proposals to her at least six
or seven days before the required date to allow for reviewing budgets, for
preparing possible incentive paperwork, and for getting signatures from administrators.
She also notes that WVU will begin to prohibit “voluntary” cost
share and accept only “required” cost share.
Required or mandatory cost sharing is part of the proposal budget and is mandated
by the sponsoring agency. This can be a specified dollar amount or a certain
percentage of total costs.
Voluntary committed cost sharing is what the University contributes to a project by its own initiative; it is included in the proposal budget or award. Once committed, this amount becomes a legal obligation on the part of the University. (WVU is going to prohibit this.)
Voluntary uncommitted cost sharing is not budgeted for in a sponsored agreement. It need not be tracked for cost accounting purposes or reported to the sponsor. If it arises from faculty or other personnel effort, it is excluded from separate identification in effort reporting. Voluntary uncommitted cost sharing most commonly results from a cost overrun on a project or research, which is over and above the amount committed and budgeted for in a sponsored agreement.
Contact Jessie (304-293-2401, ext. 3355; jlmomen@mail.wvu.edu) for more information.… Have You Heard?
Brenda and Tom Basden are the proud parents of a daughter, Sabrina May, born May 10. She weighed 6 ½ pounds. Sabrina has a brother, Noah.
Retiree Sue Jones is home after being hospitalized recently. She will be having additional tests done soon. She would appreciate hearing from friends (304-655-8203; HC 89 Box 162, Mount Zion WV 26151).
Friends and colleagues are invited to a retirement party and dinner for Charlie Rickman at 6:30 p.m. May 25. The event will be held at the Cabell County 4-H Camp, 6040 Booten Creek Road in Barboursville. Reservations should be sent by May 20 to PO Box 219, Ona WV 25545-0219. More information is available by calling 304-743-7131 or by sending an e-mail (Pauline.Tiller@mail.wvu.edu).
The Department of the Army has recalled Bill Shockey from the retired reserve to active duty for a year. He left May 7 for Fort Jackson, S.C. for processing. After two weeks at Fort Jackson, he will report to the Pentagon in Washington, D.C., where he will serve as a logistics staff officer in the Logistics Operations Center.
Guy H. Stewart, past chief of the West Virginia 4-H All Stars, was one of four individuals inducted into the Order of Vandalia Saturday, May 13, during WVU’s Commencement Weekend. The Order of Vandalia is the highest honor the University gives for service to the institution. Guy retired in 1989 from WVU as dean of the Perley Isaac Reed School of Journalism. As chair of a committee dedicated to renovating WVU Jackson’s Mill, he spearheaded a fund-raising campaign that brought in $450,000 for the new pool at the facility near Weston. The Vandalia recognition also honored him for chairing an All Stars legislative committee that lobbied for funds to renovate the Mill’s buildings.
Ann Berry, Dave Snively, and Jennifer Williams are part of a WVU campuswide committee charged with developing the University’s plan for and response to a potential pandemic flu outbreak. The committee is divided into 11 working groups to address the consequences to specific segments of the University, such as on- and off-campus students, employees, housing, and food service. Extension is represented on the Communications and WVU Farms/Extension groups. If you would like more details about the pandemic flu or are receiving questions about it, two good sources of information are on the Internet (www.pandemicflu.gov and www.wvflu.org).
Meghan Stalebrink has been named as the new coordinator of the Community Design Team (CDT) by the Davis College’s division of resource management. Meghan received a master’s degree in arts management from American University in 2004. Most recently, she was the coordinator of community and media relations for the C-SPAN cable network in Washington, D.C. She recently assisted WVU’s P.I. Reed School of Journalism coordinate “Searching for a Miracle,” a panel discussion on the media coverage of the Sago Mine Disaster. The CDT's next visit is scheduled for June 22-25 in Union. Under the program, volunteer professionals from a variety of disciplines visit a community to help local leaders plan the locale’s course for the future. CDT members might include landscape architects, planners, geographers, architects, engineers, historians, and economic development experts.
The Extension Service Staff Association (ESSA) will have a regional meeting from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. May 24 at Camp Pioneer, near Beverly. To help organizers plan for lunch, please make a reservation by May 17 by contacting Gloria Collett (304-636-2455; Gloria.Collett@mail.wvu.edu). Any staff member at WVU Extension or West Virginia State University Extension may join ESSA. At a March meeting in Jackson County, members discussed project ideas and enjoyed a presentation about workplace etiquette. For more information about ESSA, check the intranet (http://intranet.ext.wvu.edu/intouch/esgovern/essa.htm).
The Community-Based Initiatives (CBI) Program is seeking applications for grants to fund health promotion programs. Grants are available for up to $20,000 for community initiatives focused primarily on physical activity and nutrition programs to reduce obesity. Those interested must submit a letter of intent by June 9. Elaine Bowen is willing to discuss ideas with prospective applicants.
… Associations Present Awards
Several WVU Extension professionals were honored during the spring meeting
of the West Virginia Association of Family and Consumer Sciences (WVAFCS) and
the West Virginia Extension Association of Family and Consumer Sciences (WVEAFCS).
Helen C. Graves was named the Outstanding Professional in
Extension by the WVAFCS.
State WVEAFCS awards were presented to the following:
At its spring meeting, the West Virginia Association of Extension 4-H Agents honored four members for winning national awards. They will receive plaques at the national association’s conference in October in Milwaukee, Wis. They are:
… In the News
A May 2 Register Herald article featured Extension specialist Robbie Massey, who planned to teach a resume writing and job interviewing class May 11 at Carter Hall on the Mountain State University campus in Beckley. In the news feature, Robbie emphasized the importance of having an excellent resume as well as being prepared for job interviews. He went on to say that for every 100 resumes a person might send out, only 10 of those will result in an interview offer. “If you really want a new job, you are going to have to work at it because you are literally competing against hundreds of other applicants sometimes,” Robbie was quoted as saying. Robbie told reporter Fred Pace the class would be beneficial for those in different situations, including people already working, unemployed, or underemployed. The class was free.
The May 3 Charleston Gazette featured the Clay County and Kanawha County 4-H camps in an article describing the benefits of the camper exchange program. Karen Nicholas told the Gazette about an exchange camper who discussed how comfortable she felt during her time at the Clay camp. “Strangers were only friends she hadn’t met yet,” Karen was quoted as saying. “The girl asked to be an exchange camper again this year.” The article also informed readers about the half scholarships awarded to 4-H’ers, which donations to the Gazette’s Send-A-Child-To-Camp Fund help to provide. In addition, information about the Kanawha County 4-H Camp was given, including this year’s theme, “Oh the Places You Will Go.” The article noted that WVU Extension sponsors the camps.
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Our Continuing Mission . . .
The mission of the West Virginia University Extension Service is to form learning partnerships with the people of West Virginia to enable them to improve their lives and communities. To these partnerships, we bring useful research- and experience-based knowledge that facilitates critical thinking and skill development.
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Extension Focus is a publication of the Office of the Associate Provost for Extension and Public Service. News items should be sent to the Office of Communications, 506 Knapp Hall, P.O. Box 6031, Morgantown, WV 26506-6031.
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Submitted by Joyce Bower.
