July 16, 2004
Topics in today’s Extension Update:
DIGITAL DIAGNOSTIC NETWORK
The Western Plant Diagnostic Network (WPDN) first detector training
for participating Washington State Counties was held on June 23rd
and 24th at the King County Extension offices in Renton. A total
of 18 WSU Extension horticulturalists, plant diagnosticians and
Master Gardeners from Spokane, Benton, Chelan, Clark, King, Pierce
and Whatcom Counties participated in the two-day training event.
Dr. Ed Brown, David Barber and Sherri McElroy
Clark from University of Georgia - Athens began the training
event by introducing the
Distance Diagnosis through Digital Imagining web-based system.
Participants learned the history and received an overview of the
system DDDI. Participants learned how to log onto the database
and submit and diagnose digital samples. Carla Thomas from University
of California - Davis and Melody Putman from Oregon State University
provided an overview of the WPDN to end the first day’s agenda.
The second day of training provided by the UGA team included the
entire process of sample submission and diagnosis. Participants
learned how to prepare specimens and operate equipment to capture
high quality digital imaging needed for diagnosis of pests. The
second day of training ended by fine tuning the database to fit
the needs of WSU. Since the training date, four samples have been
submitted by County offices and one State and Regional record was
forwarded to the WPDN successfully.
Source: Ed Adams, Program Director, Agriculture and Natural Resources
COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT EXTENSION PROFESSIONALS CALL FOR PROPOSALS
IN 2005 CONFERENCE
The new National Association for Community Development Extension
Professionals (NACDEP) is calling for presentations for its inaugural
conference, set for February 15-18, 2005 in Las Vegas, Nevada. "Building
Our Future Together" is the conference theme. Proposals
are invited for sessions in seven areas: Economic Development,
Community Decision-making, Education and Workforce Development,
Information Technology, Local Government and Community Services,
Land Use and Natural Resources, and Leadership Development. The
program will highlight Extension programs and research of Cooperative
Extension professionals and their federal, state, and local partners.
NACDEP is a new organization dedicated to improving the visibility,
coordination, and professional status and resource base of community
and economic development Extension programs and professionals.
For information about joining the association and submitting
a presentation proposal, visit the NACDEP
Web site.
Deadline for proposals is 5:00 pm central time Tuesday, August
31, 2004. Contact conference co-chairs for more information:
Jeri Marxman at (217)
244-2850; John Burton at
(775) 784-7070. For more information
about NACDEP contact Sally
Maggard, CSREES National Program Leader,
Economic and Community Systems, at
202-720-0741; or Rod
Howe, CSREES Shared Faculty in Community
and Economic Development at (607) 255-2170.
NO LONGER USING MEETING MAKER?
If you haven't deleted your Meeting
Maker account be sure to do so by submitting
a request to IT.
Accounts that are not deleted will continue to be assessed a monthly
fee of $3.25 per account.
FINANCING FOR EQUIPMENT PURCHASES AVAILABLE THROUGH STATE PROGRAM
Local
government agencies of all types can finance equipment or real
estate needs through the State Treasurer’s office subject
to existing debt limitations and financial considerations.
The major benefits of LOCAL are (1) simplicity
and (2) low cost financing. Participants will benefit from the
current program rating
of Moody’s Aa2, low fees and expenses, and access to the
public bond markets.
Equipment/real
estate lease payments may be recovered through service center
fees. If you are interested in the program contact
Mary Hoffman at (509) 335-2993.
EXTENSION EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES
The Extension
Employment Opportunities Web site has been updated to include “Temporary
County Administrative Professional and Faculty vacancies.” This
is a site where we can advertise temporary county positions that
do not require
a formal search process to be conducted (i.e. Okanogan County Horizons
Leadership Community Coach position). Please send Rebecca
Armstrong
an email of your ad copy for approval PRIOR to
placing it in a local newspaper. She will check the ad copy for
WSU guidelines. The ad copy will be removed from this Web site
on the closing date. Call Rebecca with questions, 509-335-2822.
NATIONAL HEALTHY MARRIAGE INITIATIVE UPDATE
Some of you have asked
for an update on the healthy marriage work going on in the land-grant
system. If you track legislation, you
are aware that the Congress has not provided funds for healthy
marriage yet. Many providers of marriage education have been eager
to see additional funds become available to conduct marriage education.
However,
the HHS Administration on Children and Families continues to
work to strengthen families through their Healthy Marriage Initiative
and has been able to fund a number of varied projects with other
funding streams. See all the latest
information on the healthy marriage initiative.
Cooperative Extension has received a small amount of funding to
develop curriculum. The funds were awarded to Michigan State and
Karen Shirer is the project director. Karen is a part of a larger
multistate working group of Cooperative Extension System faculty
to work on a national curriculum. We were invited by HHS to collaborate
on this important project. Two modules are under development.
A number of land-grant faculty (Extension, Research/Teaching,
Graduate Students, and our state partners) participated in the
Smart Marriages Happy Families conference last week which drew
almost 2,000 participants. Land-grant university faculty including
both Extension and research were there from Arkansas, Illinois,
New York, Idaho, Minnesota, Alabama, Ohio, Alaska, Kansas, Michigan,
North Dakota, West Virginia, South Dakota, and Tennessee. Caroline
Crocoll and Anna Mae Kobbe were there representing CSREES. They
staffed an exhibit highlighting land-grant university system work
in this area.
Source: Anna Mae Kobbe, CSREES
SCHEDULE
Mike will be in San Diego, CA attending the Extension
Middle Managers Conference next week. Linda will be on annual leave
next week.
******************************
Linda Kirk Fox, PhD
Associate Dean and Associate Director
Washington State University Extension
PO Box 646230
Pullman WA 99164-6230
(509) 335-2933 Office
(509) 335-9223 Desk/Voicemail
FAX (509) 335-2926
lkfox@wsu.edu |
