Volume 23, Number 11 – June 25, 2008

In This Issue

Two Facilities Dedicated: Different Functions, Similar Missions
Alpha I Camp Offering 2 New Tracks
Meeting Notes
People and Places

Two Facilities Dedicated: Different Functions, Similar Missions           

During the last several days at WVU Jackson’s Mill State 4-H Camp in Lewis County, two very different dedication ceremonies underscored the same theme—WVU Extension’s commitment to serve the people of West Virginia.

Mount Vernon Dining Hall was re-dedicated on Wednesday, June 18, during Older Members’ Conference. Less than a week later and about two miles down the road from the beloved dining hall, a new page entered the Mill’s history book with the dedication of the West Virginia University Extension State Fire Training Academy.

A comfortable, sunny morning welcomed more than 300 OMC campers and dedication guests to the ribbon-cutting ceremony, which was the official opening for the new dining hall and the unveiling of the suites and conference room on the second floor. Donor recognition, songs, and tours were part program. 

Dave Miller thanked “true friends who have given more than money.”

“Many have given time, sweat, hearts, and souls,” Dave said. “What we’re seeing today is a testament to what cooperation between the state legislature, WVU, and private donors can do.”

Gerald Lang echoed Miller’s appreciation for that cooperation. He also echoed Miller’s reminder that such cooperation must continue for 4-H and the Mill to fulfill their mission for the people of West Virginia.

That theme was heard again Tuesday, June 24, during the dedication of the WVU State Fire Training Academy.

Dave Miller led the ribbon-cutting, which was applauded by representatives from the State Fire Commission, State Fire Marshal’s Office, Lewis County Chamber of Commerce, West Virginia American Water, WVU officials, volunteer and professional firefighters, first-responder groups, and local and state elected officials’ offices. 

Representing West Virginia youths were the second class of the West Virginia Junior Firefighter Camp. Their sessions this week marked the opening of the academy’s educational programs. The camp prepares teens for long-term roles in emergency services.

Other classes—for all ages—will follow at the new facility.

“We now have a home,” one firefighter said.

“It is our goal that West Virginia’s paid and volunteer firefighters and first-responders receive the most up-to-date training—using the most sophisticated props, techniques and equipment,” explained Steve Bonanno, program director of WVU Extension’s Community, Economic, and Workforce Development unit.

“WVU Extension is proud to be able to continue our tradition of excellence in training,” he said,” and we thank you for your support.”

After the ceremony, more than 100 guests toured the $6.3 million facility and joined the 50 junior firefighters for lunch in the bay training wing. After lunch, the trainees demonstrated their fast-paced personal equipment drills.
 
Video of the Mount Vernon Dining Hall rededication is available via the WBOY-TVNews Clip (www.wboy.com/story.cfm?func=viewstory&storyid=40212). Video of the fire training academy dedication also is available via WBOY-TV (www.wboy.com/story.cfm?func=viewstory&storyid=40447).

Alpha I Camp Offering 2 New Tracks

The 2008 Alpha I State 4-H Camp is offering two new training tracks related to Operation Military Kids. The camp will be held July 6-11 at WVU Jackson’s Mill, Weston.

Each county is permitted to send one 4-H member or “military kid” to be a part of the Speak Out for Military Kids track. This track is designed to create a speakers bureau that will tell the story of the military child. Participants in this track will work to develop a story of how military youths are impacted by the deployment of a mother or father and how they have developed skills to help out at home and in the family.

Each county also will be allowed to send one 4-H’er or military kid to be trained as a certified babysitter. Not only is this a skill that can be used in the family, but it also provides a way for youths to earn money. 

The participants in these tracks will not have to pay a registration fee. Each track will require about eight hours of training during the week. When they are not in training, the youths will be participating in Alpha I Camp.

Contact Jeffrey Orndorff (JDOrndorff@mail.wvu.edu) for more details about the Operation Military Kids tracks.

Meeting Notes . . .

… Producers will get a chance to learn more about pasture-finished beef production at a field day Thursday, Aug. 21, at WVU’s Willow Bend Farm in Union. Participants will learn about the findings of a joint research project among WVU, Virginia Tech University, Clemson University, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (Agricultural Research Service). The project calves are produced at the Shenandoah Valley Agriculture and Research Center, winter-stockered in West Virginia, and finished on pasture at the Willow Bend Farm. Topics will include performance on pasture, carcass traits of cattle finished on pasture, beef composition, and consumer appeal. Those attending will see the pasture-finished cattle, which are grazing mixed species of cool-season grasses and legumes as well as triticale and teff, two annual crops. For more information, contact Ed Rayburn (Ed.Rayburn@mail.wvu.edu).

… Are you using 15 percent or more of your net income on credit card payments? Are creditors calling you because of late or missed payments? The WVU Classified Staff Welfare Committee is sponsoring a Classified Connections Workshop that can help you get back on track. The Budgeting and Money Workshop is scheduled for 9-11 a.m. Wednesday, July 23, in the Jerry West Room of the WVU Coliseum. The speaker will be Cheri Wilson, a consumer credit counselor from Criss Cross Inc. To reserve a seat, send an e-mail (Staff@mail.wvu.edu) by July 16.

People and Places . . .

… Faculty and Staff Changes

Sean Beatty became a senior accountant with the Office of Finance andBusiness June 19. Previously, he was the office administrator for Families and Health Programs. Sean joined WVU Extension Dec. 3, 2008.

May 30 was the last day on the job for John McCord, information systems specialist. He is now working in technology support for Consol Energy. John joined the organization in 2000.

June 16 was the first day on the job for Aaron Ondo, Extension occupational safety and health specialist in the Institute for Labor Studies and Research. He will be developing curricula for general labor education courses and teaching occupational safety and health topics in support of the state’s labor movement. Aaron has a bachelor’s degree in interdepartmental studies with a minor in communication and a master’s degree in occupational hygiene and safety. He earned both degrees at WVU. During the past eight years, he worked as an industrial hygienist and trainer with the International Union of Operating Engineers in Beckley and Morgantown. Aaron traveled throughout the country to evaluate safety and health risks posed by new technologies and to provide training at union job sites. He responded to the disaster at the World Trade Center and to hurricanes in the Gulf Coast region. As an adjunct instructor with WVU Institute of Technology, Aaron taught an industrial safety course in Fayetteville earlier this year. He has taught courses in cooperation with WVU’s Safety and Health Extension.

Jane Beerbower Riffe joined the organization June 23 as the family and human development specialist. Her main focus will be to develop educational programs in the areas of young children, family resiliency, stress management, life balance, child and adult care, and aging. Jane has a bachelor’s degree in Spanish from WVU and a master’s degree in social work from the University of Kentucky. She earned an Ed.D. in counseling from WVU in 1987. Since 1985, she has had a private psychotherapy practice in Morgantown. She has been a part-time adjunct instructor in the WVU Division of Social Work for the past 21 years. Jane spent two years as services coordinator with the University Affiliated Center for Developmental Disabilities. Between 1976 and 1981, she was an assistant professor and coordinator of undergraduate field instruction with the WVU School of Social Work. Earlier, she was an assistant professor of social work at Elizabethtown (Ky.) Community College for three years. She also has experience as an adult educator with Monongalia County Schools, as a family counselor with Valley Community Mental Health, and as a volunteer with the Peace Corps.

Deborah Shriver will retire July 31 after serving for 28 years as a WVU Extension agent in Marion County., where she was responsible for families and health programming. Deborah received her bachelor’s degree in 1970 from Fairmont State College and her vocational certification and master’s degree in 1977 from WVU. Before joining Extension in 1980, she taught home economics in Harrison County. Among the honors Deborah received during her career were the Young County Agent Award, the Outstanding Professional in Extension Award from the W.Va. Association of Family and Consumer Sciences, and the Distinguished Service Award from the National Extension Association of Family and Consumer Sciences. Deborah and her husband, Jim, have three grown children. In retirement, they plan to travel, visit their four grandchildren, explore new hobbies, and continue volunteer work in their community. “When I began my work with Extension, I realized that I had finally found my dream job,” Deborah said. “I have had the opportunity to work with the best to carry out the mission of Extension and make wonderful friends—these will be the memories that I will always cherish.”

Gina D. Taylor rejoined WVU Extension June 16 as Extension agent in Jackson County, where she is responsible family, consumer sciences, and health programs. From 2000 and 2003, she worked with 4-H youth programs as Extension agent in Wood County. For the past four years, Gina worked in the Extension program of West Virginia State University. At WVSU, she was Extension specialist and 4-H program leader and also served a year as interim program leader for family and consumer sciences. In the program leader positions, she supervised five to ten staff members. After receiving bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Mary Baldwin College, Gina taught middle-school students in Lincolnton, N.C., for three years. She then joined the Education Alliance as the program manager for the Partnerships in Education Program, based in Charleston. Gina is as a doctoral student in higher education administration at Marshall University.

…Have You Heard?

Stacey Harper and her husband, Jason, welcomed their third child into the world June 24. William Robert Harper weighed 8 pounds, 13 ounces. Will has a brother, Jackson, 7, and a sister, Evie, 4.

4-H members, parents, and others who want copies of the State 4-H Day photographs may order them from WVU Photographic Services. A link to the appropriate Web site is found on WVU Extension Service’s Internet site (www.wvu.edu/~exten/). Go to What’s New or 4-H Youth Development and select “4-H Day Photos.”
A retirement reception for Deborah Shriver is being planned by the Marion County Community Educational Outreach Service from 2 - 5 p.m. Sunday, July 20, at Fleming Memorial Presbyterian Church in Fairmont. If you plan to attend, please make a reservation by calling the Marion County WVU Extension Office at (304) 367-2772. Congratulatory cards may be sent to Deborah at the office address: Room 202, 314 Monroe Street, Fairmont WV 26554.

WVU Extension faculty and staff received three awards from the Association for Communication Excellence (ACE) at its annual meeting earlier this month in Traverse City, Mich. Florita Montgomery, former chair of ACE’s Diversity Committee, was honored with the Diversity Award of Excellence for her lifetime of work in the area of inclusivity. In the Critique & Awards Program, the WVU Extension Garden Calendar team—Meg Baughman, Ann Berry, Joyce Bower, Greg Jacobs, and Florita Montgomery—received a Silver Award in the one- to three-color popular publications category. A Silver Award also went to Meg, Ann, Joyce, Greg, Florita, Vicki Ginn, and Wes Nugent in the marketing communications campaign category for WVU Day at the Legislature.

  … Faculty Receive Promotions

The following WVU Extension faculty promotions were announced recently: Larry Campbell, Extension associate professor; Nila Cobb, Extension associate professor with tenure; Carl Marcum, Extension associate professor; Kerri McCormick-Wade, Extension assistant professor with tenure; Lisa Mitchell, Extension assistant professor with tenure; Patrick Nestor, Extension professor; and Jennifer Williams, Extension associate professor. Other Extension faculty receiving tenure were Kelly Hicks, Douglas Hovatter, Patricia Morrison, David Richmond, Norman Schwertfeger, and Shirley Wilkins. David McGill was promoted to professor of forestry with tenure in the Davis College of Agriculture, Forestry, and Consumer Sciences.

… In the News

The West Virginia State Conservation Camp has been included in the State Journal’s 2008 list of “55 Good Things About West Virginia. Mike Hall was interviewed by Paul Darst, writer of the article (“State Conservation Camp Teaches Kids About Nature”). “We think it’s the oldest camp of its kind in the nation,” said Mike is quoted as saying. The event has been held since 1941 at Camp Caesar in Webster County. This year’s camp was June 9-14. The initial camp was organized by an early 4-H leader who thought kids should know about natural resources from the folks who are charged with caring for them. Earlier, 200 to 300 youths would attend the camp. With the number of participants dropping to between 110 and 125 kids in recent years, 2008 was the first year that those who attended the camp in previous years were allowed to sign up again, Mike said. Most participants receive scholarships from local organizations to cover the camp’s $150 fee. To read the entire story, check the Web site (http://statejournal.com).

… WBOY-TV captured the end of the Outspoken for 4-H fundraising bike ride as the 15 cyclists rode into WVU Jackson’s Mill at the start of Older 4-H Members’ Conference Sunday, June 15. The money raised will help fund scholarships for participants in state 4-H camps. After starting their trip in Jefferson County on Thursday, June 12, the “outspoken ambassadors” visited 4-H camps in Jefferson, Hampshire, and Grant counties during their 250-mile trek. Check out the video on the WBOY Web site (www.wboy.com/story.cfm?func=viewstory&storyid=40062).
 
… In Memoriam
 
William McCoy, husband of retiree Harriet McCoy, died June 2 at the University of Virginia Medical Center in Charlottesville. His funeral was June 5 in Franklin. He was an attorney and publisher of the Pendleton Times. He served 14 years in the West Virginia House of Delegates. Memorial donations may be made to the Franklin Presbyterian Church, Walnut Street, Franklin WV 26807 or the Pendleton County Rescue Squad, PO Box 727, Franklin WV 26807. Condolences may be sent to Harriet and their three children at PO Box 886, Franklin WV 26807.

A memorial service for Helen Tucker Waters, longtime friend of Extension, will be held 11 a.m. Saturday, June 28, in the West Virginia Building at WVU Jackson’s Mill. A reception (light lunch), also in the West Virginia Building, will immediately follow the service. Helen died April 12 at her home in Morgantown. The Electric Energy Center will be open after the service and reception. Helen and her late husband, Bob, were instrumental in designing that structure, which was first called the Farm and Home Electrification Building. Memorial gifts may be sent to the Helen T. Waters 4-H Scholarship Endowment or Helen T. Waters Jackson’s Mill Renovations Endowment, c/o WVU Foundation Inc., PO Box 1650, Morgantown WV 26507.

… To Our Good Health

Crash in bed…not on the road. Extension faculty spend many hours driving—often after a long day of work or early in the morning to avoid another night away from home. Even if you don’t fall asleep, sleep deprivation can hamper your ability to react quickly to a hazardous road situation. When people who lack sleep are tested by using a driving simulator, they perform as badly or worse than those who are drunk. Be well-rested before hitting the road!

from Judy Matlick

Nutrition and Health Team

Nutrition and Health Team

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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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Submitted by Joyce Bower.