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Dr. Tony E. Windham |
The Importance of Doing Meaningful Work
The March issue of the MIT Sloan Management Review includes an article on the importance of meaningful work. The article is based on questions Dr. Christian Michaelson, professor of ethics and business law at Minneapolis’ University of St. Thomas, asks his students about careers.
The article concludes that people are looking for jobs that keep them motivated over the long term “so their creative aspirations and desires to incorporate sustainability and social responsibility are core to the work.”
Those who work for the Division of Agriculture have known this for a long time. This issue of the Extension Blue Letter includes models of how our work is more than just going through the motions for a paycheck.
In Polk County, Carla Vaught is working with the New York Says Thank You Foundation in support of a project that, if it attracts 1,500 volunteers, might become the state’s largest community service event.
In Desha County, legwork by Wes Kirkpatrick, county extension agent, and Bobby Hall, program associate for Community and Economic Development, led to the approval of a soccer field in Dumas – an amenity long-sought by the area’s burgeoning Hispanic community.
Every day, someone in the Division of Agriculture is nurturing a talented young person through 4-H, helping our neighbors live a healthier life or working to ensure the sustainability of the world around us.
At the end of the day, when we ask ourselves, “Does what I do have meaning?” I think most of us can answer that affirmatively.
- Tony E. Windham
GOOOOAAAL! Dumas to Build a Soccer Field Thanks to CED Efforts
An assist from Bobby Hall in the Community and Economic Development Department has scored a winning goal – construction of a soccer field in Dumas.
The play leading up to the goal involved a whole team, Hall said.
“Joe Waldrum contacted Maria Elena de Avila, at the time the governor’s liaison to the Hispanic community, as a routine part of expanding LeadAR’s contacts around the state,” he said. “A few days later, de Avila called him for help on a project, and Joe forwarded de Avila’s contact information to me.”
From there, de Avila put Hall in touch with Naila Santos, a 21-year resident of Dumas.
“She explained her situation and I explained how we could help them become organized with an advisory committee” and offered to get the process started, Hall said.
Hall also explained that the effort should involve the Desha County Staff Chair Wes Kirkpatrick, the mayor and the county judge.
After Hall asked Kirkpatrick to arrange a meeting, “the rest is history,” Hall said.
Mayor Marion Gill let Hall know that the Dumas City Council voted July 13 in favor of the soccer field. The contract has been awarded, and the soccer field should be completed within 120 days.
“This is very good news and an economic boon for the city of Dumas and its citizens and could not have been accomplished without the assistance and support of Desha County Extension Agent Wes Kirkpatrick,” Hall said. “Classic case of being at the right place at the right time.”
New York Gives Back; Polk County Benefits
New Yorkers grateful for the nation’s support after 9/11 will be returning the favor in Mena this year in what is being planned as the largest community service activity in Arkansas’ history.
“On September 2-5, volunteers from the New York Says Thank You Foundation will be conducting a commemorative 9/11 anniversary project in Mena,” said Polk County Extension Agent Carla Vaught.
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| The April 2009 tornado killed three and destroyed or damaged some 700 buildings in Mena, including extension facilities. |
The project will help heal the damage wrought by the April 9, 2009 tornado that killed three people, destroyed more than 100 homes and damaged another 600 in Mena. Among the damaged buildings was the county extension building.
“While insurance will replace the office building, it won’t cover any kind of meeting space or educational facility,” Vaught said.
That’s where the service project comes in.
“NYSTY volunteers will be building three homes and a county 4-H community center,” Vaught said.
Organizers hope to register at least 1,500 volunteers to get these projects completed between the scheduled Thursday and Sunday. Don’t know how to build a house? Vaught said that won’t be a problem.
“There will be jobs for everyone,” she said. “Besides building projects, there will be pickup/cleanup projects, food service projects, repair work to buildings and lawns, etc.”
Volunteers should register by visiting www.missionmena.org.
Monetary donations are also needed. Anyone wishing to donate to the 4-H building may send money to the Polk County 4-H Foundation, care of the extension office: 211 DeQueen Street, Mena, AR 71953.
NYSTY Foundation founder, Jeff Parness, calls the effort “Extreme Home Makeover on steroids.” NYSTY Foundation is online at Newyorksaysthankyou.org.
Scaling New Heights: July a Big Month for 4-H
4-H’ers and the 4-H program scaled new heights in July, thanks to the state horse show, the state shooting sports competition and State O-Rama.
The state horse show was held at Searcy on July 6-9, the state shooting sports competition was held at the C. A. Vines Arkansas 4-H Center on July 16-17, and the big month culminated in State O-Rama, held July 21-23 at the University of Arkansas’ Fayetteville campus.
The state horse show attracted 142 youth from 20 counties competing in both western and English disciplines. For the first time, highpoint winners went home with a special prize – western saddles decorated with 4-H clovers.
The state shooting sports competition saw a record 318 entries, up from last year’s 271. The youth, ages 9-19, took part in seven events during two days of competition. About 250 family and friends attended, and there were 110 adults helping maintain range safety, including 75 certified 4-H shooting sports instructors.
More than 650 youths took part in this year’s State O-Rama, which featured state officer elections, performances and top awards, including:
Photos of O-Rama are available online at: http://www.flickr.com/photos/uacescomm/collections/72157624413615501/.
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Dr. Milo Shult accepts the Friend of 4-H Award from Dr. Anne Sortor. |
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O-Rama award winners enjoy a congratulatory moment. |
Advanced Searching in Archive To Go
Don’t let the single “Find” box fool you when you click on the magnifying glass icon to search Archive To Go. Archive To Go has a number of search commands to help you define your search using “and” and “or,” as well as wild card variables using an asterisk (*).
Key Words – The keyword search works like an Internet search. Users can type in multiple words and Archive To Go will automatically search for messages in which all words occur. If you just want it to search for messages containing one of the words but not all of them together, use “OR” between the words. For a specific phrase, enclose the words in quotes: “conjunction junction what’s your function.”
Dates – Archive To Go can search with dates using the YYYYMMDD format.
Wild Cards – Adding the asterisk will expand any search. For example 201005* will search for everything in May 2010.
Document – Archive To Go can search by document type (mail, task, phone, contact), document extension (.doc, .ppt, .xls), folder, recipient or sender.
The search allows the user to string together commands to narrow the search and find what you need quickly. For example: meeting contract Banner OR Oracle AND 201005* AND “Boyster” AND “Fort Smith.”
Want to know more? Click on the “?” in Archive To Go to open the user manual. Search is covered in detail along with the associated commands on pages 20-22.
– Sam Boyster
GroupWise Is Running Out of Time
Reminder: Time is running out on GroupWise. Be sure to contact the Call Center to schedule a time if you’d like help running Archive To Go: Toll free 866-779-3375; local call 501-671-2255; e-mail callcenter@uaex.edu.
– Sam Boyster
4-H Rocketry Program Takes Off
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| Rocketry camp participant pushes the “launch” button. – Photos by Sharon Reynolds |
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| Rocketry camp participant adds decals to his craft. |
One small step for more than two-dozen 4-H members may someday become a giant leap for the future of America’s space programs.
Franklin and Logan Counties hosted a rocket science camp at the Franklin County extension office and at Booneville’s airport and armory, June 22-23.
The program was led by Dr. James Fields, a retired professor of aviation and music from Nicholls State University in Louisiana.
The program’s objectives include teaching participants about the basic science behind aviation, rocketry and space travel.
“The camps have been intense, but immensely productive,” said Fields. “The end results have been met with enthusiasm – so much so, that about six of the students this year were repeats from last year.”
Fields credited Franklin County Extension Agent David Moseley, the armory commander and staff, plus Booneville Municipal Airport Manager Bill Tucker and Airport Chairman Dr. Mike Wyrick for their support. Fields also applauded Booneville Mayor Jerry Wilkins for providing lunch and a tent to make the 90-degree days more tolerable.
To say the project has been satisfying for both teacher and student is an understatement.
“Best of all, however, are the expressions of awe and elation on the individual student’s faces after they have pushed the launch button and watched their rockets soar to heights nearing 800 feet,” he said. “Then, those expressions are often supplanted by greater excitement when watching their rockets descend on recovery parachutes.”
Fields said the “expressions alone make all the hours of preparation and the camp worthwhile.”
“For these students, we truly touch their lives in a positive way,” he said.
Life Is Greener in the Print Shop
New technology has enabled Cooperative Extension Service Printing Services to work a little more in the green.
“New presses have eliminated the need for chemicals or hazardous materials that were necessary when using older liquid ink and press plate technologies,” said Printing Services Director Jon Flaxman. “Our air quality is better and our carbon footprint is narrower.”
The inks used in the new Kodak and Ricoh printers are dry and do not give off volatile organic compounds – highly evaporative solvents that create air pollution. The dry inks also don’t require special hazardous waste handling.
Another benefit of the new printing technologies is the elimination of setup sheets. Because full-color printing is an illusion created by just four different inks, the press operator often had to run at least 100 test sheets of each color to ensure each was printing in the right location and the right density. The new dry ink press automates the process, meaning “the first print is as good as the last,” Flaxman said. “It also allows for shorter runs and less wasted paper.”
The new equipment is also comprised of recycled materials and is programmed for “sleep time,” enabling a significant energy savings. The new printers are also more accommodating of recycled and Forest Stewardship Council-approved papers, allowing Extension to use more papers from responsible and sustainable sources.
Arkansas Hay Producers Win 10th Straight Title
Benton County Staff Chair Robert Seay could be forgiven if he was a little nervous about the 2010 American Forage and Grassland Council’s national conference. After all, that’s where the AFGC awards are handed out.
Seay and forage producers under Division of Agriculture tutelage have been responsible for nine straight years of top awards.
“When we won our ninth in 2009, Tony Windham asked – with a laugh – if we could make it 10 in a row,” Seay said.
Fortunately for Seay, Arkansas producers took the top spot in 2010 – for the 10th straight time.
With an unprecedented number of wins, Arkansas and the Benton County Quality Forage program received the highest quality award for Bermuda Hay in the perennial warm-season hay category.
“No state has ever won this many consecutive hay awards at the conference. It’s especially impressive that it has consistently come from Benton County,” he said.
Since the beginning of its participation in the conference, the Arkansas Quality Forage producers have won 35 of the 38 AFGC Bermuda Hay awards.
Freeze, Plunkett Honored by Master Gardeners
More than 400 gathered in Magnolia for the 2010 Arkansas Master Gardener State Convention. The meeting included award presentations for:
Our newest award went to county agents who make the program shine:
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Janet Carson with Mississippi County Staff Chair Dave Freeze at state Master Gardener Convention. |
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Jefferson County Staff Chair Don Plunkett smiles on accepting
his Master Gardener honor.
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Congratulations to all our award winners!
– Janet Carson, Julie Treat
Public Input Invited for Harrison C.O.R.E. Charrette
Sometimes a concept comes full circle.
“In centuries past, students working on projects would do last-minute work while riding a cart, or ‘charrette,’ to university,” said Dr. Mark Peterson, professor of community development with the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture. “Today, a ‘charrette’ does much the same thing – delivering ideas.”
Residents of Harrison and Boone County were invited to bring their ideas on August 2 to a community planning charrette – a design process in which ideas and visions are turned into a road map to the future. Two public input sessions are set for the Durand Center, from noon to 1 p.m. and 4 to 5 p.m. The charrette will focus on the Harrison C.O.R.E. district and is sponsored by Harrison C.O.R.E.
“We have had tremendous involvement and input from citizens and leaders in the Harrison C.O.R.E. process and are excited about the opportunity to translate these ideas into solid images and plans,” said Layne Wheeler, facilitator for Harrison C.O.R.E.
The sessions will be facilitated by Ed Levy, an architect and principal with Cromwell Architects Engineers from Little Rock. The charrette is part of the Breakthrough Solutions Program of the University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service. The extension service is part of the U of A Division of Agriculture.
“Harrison C.O.R.E. has done a great job of seeking input and priorities from citizens and leaders in Harrison and Boone County,” Peterson said. “This charrette is a powerful process to express these priorities and ideas into concrete plans that can be implemented.”
Facilitators will continue the charrette through August 4.
Agriculture Field Day Scheduled for August 26
An agriculture field day is scheduled for Thursday, August 26, at the Pearlie S. Reed/Robert L. Cole Small Farm Outreach Wetlands and Water Management Center (SFO-WWMC) on the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff farm near Lonoke. The field day begins with registration at 7:30 a.m. and welcoming remarks at 8:30 a.m. Tractor tours and demonstrations will follow.
The field day will provide a firsthand view of agriculture and related demonstrations that focus on the effective management of water. Demonstrations include irrigation of crops, wetland restoration, reservoir levee stabilization and restoration of local ecotypes of warm-season native prairie grasses.
The projects are being implemented by UAPB in cooperation with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, the National Water Management Center, U.S. Geological Survey-Arkansas District, Arkansas Forestry Commission, Arkansas Game and Fish Commission and the University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service Lonoke Agriculture Center Weed Science Research Program.
The farm is located on O’Cain Road off Hwy. 31, 3.5 miles from I-40 Lonoke Exit 175. For more information, contact Charlie Cummings at 501-676-4470 or Everlyn Bryant at 870-575-8822 or 8826.
– Carol Sanders
Change in Semi-Monthly Pay Date
Effective July 1, Financial Services changed the Extension Service semi-monthly pay dates to the 15th and the final day of each month. The first pay date for the new fiscal year was July 15. The change moves the pay date up by one day.
The pay date change is being made to ensure that 24 pay periods and 24 pay dates occur each calendar year. You will receive your pay for the last payroll in December on or before December 31 to ensure that 24 pay periods and 24 pay dates are reflected on your Internal Revenue Service reporting Form W-2.
The following table identifies the new fiscal year pay periods and lists the pay dates for each of those periods:
| U OF A
COOPERATIVE EXTENSION SERVICE FY2011 PAYROLL SCHEDULE Semi-Monthly |
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| Pay ID & No. | PAY PERIOD | PAY DATE |
| SM 13 | 07/01 - 07/15 | 07/15/10 |
| SM 14 | 07/16 - 07/31 | 07/30/10 |
| SM 15 | 08/01 - 08/15 | 08/13/10 |
| SM 16 | 08/16 - 08/31 | 08/31/10 |
| SM 17 | 09/01 - 09/15 | 09/15/10 |
| SM 18 | 09/16 - 09/30 | 0930/10 |
| SM 19 | 10/01 - 10/15 | 10/15/10 |
| SM 20 | 10/16 - 10/31 | 10/29/10 |
| SM 21 | 11/01 - 11/15 | 11/15/10 |
| SM 22 | 11/16 - 11/30 | 11/30/10 |
| SM 23 | 12/01 - 12/15 | 12/15/10 |
| SM 24 | 12/16 - 12/31 | 12/31/10 |
| SM 1 | 01/01 - 01/15 | 01/14/11 |
| SM 2 | 01/16 - 01/31 | 01/31/11 |
| SM 3 | 02/01 - 02/15 | 02/15/11 |
| SM 4 | 02/16 - 02/28 | 02/28/11 |
| SM 5 | 03/01 - 03/15 | 03/15/11 |
| SM 6 | 03/16 - 03/31 | 03/31/11 |
| SM 7 | 04/01 - 04/15 | 04/15/11 |
| SM 8 | 04/16 - 04/30 | 04/29/11 |
| SM 9 | 05/01 - 05/15 | 05/13/11 |
| SM 10 | 05/16 - 05/31 | 05/31/11 |
| SM 11 | 06/01 - 06/15 | 06/15/11 |
| SM 12 | 06/16 - 06/30 | 06/30/11 |
Please contact, Bruce Hankins, director of Financial Services, at 501-671-2045 if you have any questions.
—Bruce Hankins
Arkansas ‘Appoints’ Three New Strong Women Ambassadors
When it comes to the Strong Women program, Arkansas is No. 1 in the nation in the number of program ambassadors.
Three new ambassadors, Susan Pickle of Johnson County, Iris Phifer of Ashley County, and Terrie Treadway of Lafayette County, were certified July 26 in Pine Bluff, bringing the state’s total to five, the highest in the country. The other two are Lisa Gilmore, Garland County, and Ouachita County Staff Chair Candace Carrié.
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From left, Rebecca Seguin of Tufts
University, Susan Pickle, Iris Phifer, Terrie Treadway, Candace
Carrié, LaVona Traywick.
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As ambassadors, they are responsible for maintaining program integrity and conducting two trainings a year.
The three went through the program’s rigorous year-long certification process. The certification was made final after the program’s co-author, Rebecca Seguin, traveled from Tufts University in Massachusetts to Pine Bluff to watch the ambassadors conduct a training session.
In 2003, Gilmore was the first to offer Strong Women in Arkansas. Since then, participation for the past three years has increased from 18,654 in 2007 to 40,840 in 2009. The goal is to hit 50,000 for 2010.
Participant surveys have shown that 65 percent report improved upper body strength, 60 percent report improved balance and 58 percent report increased aerobic endurance.
– LaVona Traywick
McCray and McCullough Win Lynn Russell Award
Two extension faculty members, Hazelene McCray, a family and consumer sciences agent in Desha County, and Stacey McCullough, instructor - community and economic development, have been honored with the 2010 Lynn R. Russell Endowed Award for Professional Excellence. The award was made during the June quarterly faculty meeting.
For more information on the recipients and this endowment, please visit the web site page designated to the Lynn R. Russell Endowed Award for Professional Excellence — http://www.uaex.edu/giving/endowments/russell.htm.
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| Hazelene McCray | Stacey McCullough |
Warehouse Transformation Progressing
The space that was once the warehouse is beginning to look more like its future self as home to IT, physical plant offices and the print shop. Framing for new offices is being put in place, as are new plumbing and climate control systems.
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BIG AIR – Giant ducts give an indication of the high volume climate control system that will be used to serve the new print shop. |
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NEW LOOK – New sheet rock and lights mark the warehouse transformation. |
Honorary and Memorial Gifts
The following honorary and memorial gifts were recently received in support of programs and funds within the Cooperative Extension Service. This list covers gifts deposited during the month of June.
In memory of D. Leroy Gray
Stanley and Barbara Chapman
To honor or remember the life of another, send donations to the Development Office, Cooperative Extension Service, 2301 South University Avenue, Little Rock, AR 72204. Please also include in whose honor or memory the gift is made and the mailing address of the person to receive the notification.
- Merritt Royal
Monthly Gift Total Summary - May and June 2010
The following chart summarizes gifts and noncash gifts deposited in May and June 2010 to advance the programs of the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture Cooperative Extension Service.
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Cumulative Giving |
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May 1 - June 30, 2010 |
Fiscal Year 2010 |
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Monthly Gift Count |
Monthly Gift Total |
Fiscal |
Fiscal |
| C E S Administration | 2 | $275.050.00 | 39 | $419,845.53 |
| C E S Finance and Administration | 0 | $0.00 | 1 | $500.00 |
| Delta District | 5 | $4,267.38 | 67 | $23,770.95 |
| Ouachita District | 10 | $4,925.48 | 32 | $19,294.30 |
| Ozark District | 0 | $0.00 | 13 | $9,461.26 |
| 4-H Youth Development | 1 | $5,044.05 | 4 | $13,140.40 |
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Agriculture and Natural Resources |
31 | $282,140.00 | 166 | $1,201,549.00 |
| Community and Economic Development | 9 | $2,411.08 | 102 | $30,473.07 |
| Family and Consumer Sciences | 0 | $0.00 | 12 | $4,910.00 |
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Arkansas 4-H Foundation |
74 |
$984,258.00 |
516 |
$1,337,132.25 |
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TOTALS |
132 |
$1,558,095.99 |
952 |
$3,100,076.76 |
Policy Change to Catastrophic Leave Bank Program
No employee will be eligible for approved catastrophic leave in excess of six continuous months, or 1,040 hours, in a 24-month period.
An eligible employee must have exhausted all sick, annual, holiday and compensatory leave time, and at the onset of the illness or injury, had to his or her credit at least eighty (80) hours of combined sick and annual leave. “Onset of Illness” means the initial beginning or start, as certified by a physician, of the medical condition which created the need for the catastrophic leave request.
Details about changes to C.E.S.P 7-8 are available online at http://intranet.uaex.edu/policy/employee_benefits/leaveholidays/catastleav.asp.
Grants and Contracts
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Project Title |
Award Amount |
Principal Investigator |
Granting Agency |
| AgrAbility Arkansas State Project |
$ 179,928.00 |
Dr. LaVona Traywick | National Institute of Food and Agriculture |
| Advanced Lighting Technologies for Poultry Houses |
$62,880.00 |
Dr. Susan Watkins | Arkansas Energy Office |
| The Southern Region Water Resource Project |
$45,422.00 |
Dr. Michael Daniels | Texas Agri. Extension Service |
| 2010 Lygus Level 1 Efficacy Trial |
$32,000.00 |
Dr. Gus Lorenz | Monsanto Company |
| Soybean Research and Promotion Coordinator |
$130,000.00 |
Dr. Milo Shult | Soybean Promotion Board |
| Beaver Lake “Lake Smart” Program |
$25,000.00 |
Katherine Teague | Beaver Water District |
| Evaluation of Sampling Procedures for Detecting Tarnished Plant Bug Populations in Cotton: AR III 1 |
$10,000.00 |
Dr. Glenn Studebaker | Cotton Incorporated |
| Evaluation of Cotton Yield Loss Caused by Two-Spotted Spider Mites: AR III |
$6,600.00 |
Dr. Glenn Studebaker | Cotton Incorporated |
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TOTAL |
$491,830.00 |
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© 2006 |
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University of Arkansas • Division of Agriculture |
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