Tuesday Letter

The Tuesday Letter
Agricultural Experiment Station & Cooperative Extension Service

Vol. 9, No. 33 July 1, 2003

IN THIS ISSUE...

...Southwest Area 4-H Youth Development Candidate Interviews
...Southeast Area Extension Director Position
...Emergency Preparedness Committee
...Preventing E. Coli Problems During Fair Season
...County Fairs and Hand Washing
...Retirement Celebration for Marvin Anderegg
...New Mileage Rates
...2003 4-H Meat Judging and Identification Contest
...Specialists' Quarterly Reports
...State Fair Packet Info on Web
...Revised Cost-Per-Wear Form Now on 4-H Web Site
...Youth Development Online Masters Degree
...Integrating Biosecurity Practices into Livestock Production Management
...K-State Research and Extension Web Content
...July Junior Master Gardener Newsletter Now Online
...Kansas PRIDE Newsletter
...LEADS Team Newsletter Available Online
...4-H Afterschool Conference Set for October 29 and 30
...Master Schedule

...Tuesday Letter Archives

SOUTHWEST AREA 4-H YOUTH DEVELOPMENT CANDIDATE INTERVIEWS
The search committee has recommended interviews for four candidates for the SW Area 4-H Youth Development Position in Garden City. Those interviews will be taking place in the SW Area Research & Extension Center on July 3, and on campus July 7 and 8. Each candidate will be presenting a seminar, “Visions for the 4-H Youth Development Program in SW Kansas” while on campus. The campus seminar schedule is as follows:

Monday, July 7 (2002 Throckmorton Hall)
2:00 p.m. Debra Bolton
4:00 p.m. Rod Buchele

Tuesday, July 8 (2002 Throckmorton Hall)
8:00 a.m. Keri Liddeke
10:00 a.m. Andrea Schmidt

A very brief bio-sketch follows for each of the candidates:

Debra Bolton is currently the director of Community Vision Now’s Family Resource Center based at Garden City Community College/Finney County Community Learning Center. She received her B.S. and M.S. degrees in English from St. Mary of the Plains College and Ft. Hays State University, respectively. Debra is currently completing her Ph.D in Family Life Education at Kansas State University.

Rod Buchele is currently Area Extension Agent, 4-H Youth Development, with Colorado State University Cooperative Extension Service located in Lamar, CO. He received his B.S. and M.S. degrees in Economics and Educational Psychology from Iowa State University and University of Wisconsin - Platteville, respectively.

Keri Liddeke is currently County Extension Agent, 4-H Youth Development, with K-State Research & Extension in Grant County, Ulysses, KS. She received her B.S. and M.S. in Agriculture Education from Oklahoma State University.

Andrea Schmidt is currently County Extension Agent, 4-H Youth Development, with K-State Research & Extension in Riley County, Manhattan, KS. She received her B.S. and M.S. in Elementary Education from Ft. Hays State University and Family Life Education from Kansas State University, respectively. --Daryl Buchholz dbuchhol@oznet.ksu.edu

SOUTHEAST AREA EXTENSION DIRECTOR POSITION
The deadline to apply for the Southeast Area Extension Director position is fast approaching!

The Search and Screen Committee would again like to encourage qualified candidates, both internal and external, to complete and submit their applications by July 9. --Paul Hartman phartman@oznet.ksu.edu

EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS COMMITTEE
Mike Bradshaw (Wellness, Safety) and Mary Knapp (State Climatologist) have agreed to co-chair an Executive Coordinating Committee for Emergency Preparedness within K-State Research and Extension. Recent disasters are the impetus for assembling this committee. As we all know, Kansas has its share of floods, tornadoes, and droughts. Homeland Security issues also have emerged as a source of disaster threats. This committee should help provide a common focus and unified approach to responding to disasters and the aftermath that accompanies them. It will focus on K-State Research and Extension's role in disaster education at the state and county level and be charged with developing a well-designed response plan that is accompanied by appropriate training.

Although avoiding disasters is a worthy goal, this effort could prove to be very helpful to agents and other faculty who have not gone through a local disaster and need assistance in determining their next steps. The committee will be charged to establish guidelines or procedures to prepare agents for how to respond to disasters, including reviewing existing materials on the subject. The membership being proposed is designed to represent populations, commodities or sectors that could be particularly vulnerable in some fashion.

We expect that the committee would meet three to four times and then be available on an "as needed" basis. If you are asked to serve on this important committee, we hope your answer will be affirmative. – Randy Higgins rhiggins@oznet.ksu.edu

PREVENTING E. COLI PROBLEMS DURING FAIR SEASON
A recently completed USDA research study found that 13.8 percent of beef cattle, 5.9 percent of dairy cattle, 5.2 percent of sheep, 3.6 percent of pigs and 2.8 percent of goats tested positive for E. coli O157:H7 at 29 small county fairs in two Midwestern states and three large state fairs in the Midwest and the South during last summer's fair season. As a result, the message "COUNTY FAIR E. COLI LAWSUIT" was sent in the June 10 edition of The Tuesday Letter to raise awareness of a critical issue that your fair board might potentially be facing in the future. There have been several inquiries asking what could be realistically done by fair boards to ensure that the public is adequately protected and potential lawsuits are avoided. Here are my comments on some of the "recommendations" listed in the June 10 communication, and potential action items to be considered:

The screening of all animals for E. coli O157:H7 would be very expensive and logistically impossible, even though this is the "legally ideal" situation. Technically, one would have to culture the hair coat and feces of every animal before allowing them to enter the facility. Many of the animals would have to be disallowed from the show if this standard were applied. However, we must act on the assumption that some of the animals will be carrying E. coli O157:H7 in their feces and/or on their hair and proceed accordingly. The goal is to show that fair or petting zoo managers used DUE DILIGENCE to protect the public.

Dust control is a critical issue. The bacteria have been found in the dust coating structures where animals have been previously housed. Start by cleaning all existing dust from the facility. Clean obviously dusty areas daily as dust accumulates. Then, make sure that all pens, railings, etc., where visitors might place their hands are wiped down daily with a disinfectant.

Petting zoo animals should be washed down each day with soapy water before allowing the public access to them, and their bedding should be changed out daily and manure picked up immediately.

Signage: One should say something to the effect "All guests should wash hands with soap and water after viewing the animals." It is the show's responsibility to make soap, water and paper towels available. Two sites are much better than one. Another sign should say something like "No food or drinks allowed in animal viewing area." This policy should be gently enforced by exhibit supervisors. Suggested signage will be coming shortly to you from K-State.

You may want to include disinfectant mats for people to step on as they enter and leave the animal viewing site. Additional information on these mats will also be coming to you shortly.

NOTE: Document everything you do and record who did it and when they did it -- like the signs on the door in some restaurant restrooms. Take pictures of your signs, hand washing areas, disinfectant mats, etc., once in place at the show and keep them as a permanent record. Videotape people performing routine cleaning and disinfecting chores.

A little proactive prevention will help keep the children healthy and the lawyers looking for other problems to solve! --Larry C. Hollis lhollis@oznet.ksu.edu

COUNTY FAIRS AND HAND WASHING
County fairs are just around the corner, and we've had some questions regarding recent information you may have seen on incidence of illness due to public contact with animals at places like county fairs. Much of the information emphasizes personal hygiene and public education as the proactive response to any potential for contamination and illness of the public due to contact with animals. Following are some links to recent stories and information:

http://intranet.oznet.ksu.edu/tuesday/030610.asp

http://www.cdc.gov/foodborneoutbreaks/pulication/recomm_farm_animal.htm

http://www.oznet.ksu.edu/foodsafety/fsnews.htm#2001

http://www.oznet.ksu.edu/library/fntr2/mf2383.pdf

We believe a great preventative tactic, in addition to making sure the barns and show areas are cleaned, would be posting reminders for hand washing on fair grounds in the animal areas. Three signs have been created as public reminders of the importance of good hygiene after being around or coming in contact with animals. The signs are designed to post where the public would be entering livestock areas, leaving livestock areas, or around hand washing stations. These downloadable files are in .pdf format on the intranet at: http://intranet.oznet.ksu.edu/in_agent/ .

Please let your fair boards know of the appropriate actions they can take to keep the public informed of good hygiene, and the obligation the board has to see that such signage is up as a reminder to the public.

My thanks to Larry Hollis, Karen Pesaresi Penner, Bob Holcombe, Mary Lou Peter, and Pat Melgares for their development of the news, information, and signage for use by agents and county fair boards. --Daryl Buchholz dbuchhol@ksu.edu

RETIREMENT CELEBRATION FOR MARVIN ANDEREGG
The Labette County Extension Office cordially invites you to a retirement reception to honor Marvin Anderegg for his years of service to Kansas 4-H. The reception will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. on Thursday, July 10, at the Wyckoff Extension Education Center, 524 Huston Street, Altamont.

No reservations are necessary to attend the reception. Whether or not you find it possible to attend, we would like your participation in the following ways:

1. A letter or note of any type - handwritten or typed, folded or not folded, any shape or size - for a book of letters to be presented to him at the reception. E-mailed notes or scanned images of letters on your personal letterhead can be sent to sfoister@oznet.ksu.edu .

2. Donations can be made to the Labette County 4-H Council.

3. Any photos you may wish to share that could be used to celebrate Marvin's retirement would be appreciated. Photos can be professional or comical, work related or not. Please write your name on the back of the photo so that it can be returned. Correspondence should be mailed to Sherry Foister, Labette County Extension Office, PO Box 38, Altamont, KS 67330-0038. --Sherry Foister sfoister@oznet.ksu.edu

NEW MILEAGE RATES
The Kansas Secretary of Administration has announced new mileage rates effective July 1, 2003. The new rates are 17 cents per mile for privately owned motorcycles (up from 16 cents) and 36 cents per mile for privately owned automobiles (up from 33 cents). Any state employee choosing to drive a privately owned vehicle when a state vehicle is available shall be reimbursed 20 cents per mile (down from 22 cents per mile).

Due to continuing budget constraints there will be no change in the meals allowance and lodging rates for fiscal year 2004.

For more information see http://www.oznet.ksu.edu/operations/travel.htm . --Stacey M. Warner swarner@oznet.ksu.edu

2003 4-H MEAT JUDGING AND IDENTIFICATION CONTESTS
Dave Schafer has sent his annual letter with details for Tuesday, July 8, 4:30 p.m. Capitol City Contest; and Saturday, August 16, 12:30 p.m. for the State 4-H Meat Contest in Wichita. If you did not get a copy of the letter from Dave, let me know and I will forward a copy. --Jim Adams adams@oznet.ksu.edu

SPECIALISTS' QUARTERLY REPORTS
The Specialists' Quarterly Report is online at http://www.oznet.ksu.edu/prev/ . Please submit your report to the database soon after the end of the reporting period in June. If you have questions or need assistance, call the Planning and Reporting office at 785-532-6775. --Marie Blythe mblythe@oznet.ksu.edu

STATE FAIR PACKET INFO ON WEB
The Kansas State Fair Packet is available on the Kansas 4-H intranet web site. You may go to the Kansas 4-H homepage at http://www.oznet.ksu.edu/4h/countyresourcepage.htm/ and click on the intranet link to bring up the packet information, or go directly to the intranet at http://intranet.oznet.ksu.edu/4_h/ . The entire packet or individual parts may be printed.

Please pre-read the Kansas State Fair Exhibitor Handbook as it has been completely reorganized and departments are listed alphabetically! Many of the details in the Exhibitor Handbook are not repeated on the web site. --Daryl Buchholz dbuchhol@oznet.ksu.edu

REVISED COST-PER-WEAR FORM NOW ON 4-H WEB SITE
Attention staff working with the 4-H clothing and textile project and Fair 4-H Fashion Revue events. The REVISED Cost-Per-Wear form may now be printed directly from the Kansas 4-H web site. This form was created and approved by the 4-H Family and Consumer Sciences Action Team. This site was updated June 27, 2003, and includes corrected typos and spelling from a previously posted edition of the revised form.

To get to the pdf file:
#1. Go to the KS 4-H Homepage.
#2. Go to the following url: (Clothing and Textiles project in the drop down "4-H Projects" box) http://www.oznet.ksu.edu/dp_4hyp/Projects/ClothingProject.htm
#3. Click on the "Cost Per Wear Form - Revised" under the RESOURCES heading.
#4. Adobe acrobat is required. Print the pdf file.
--Gary Gerhard ggerhard@oznet.ksu.edu

YOUTH DEVELOPMENT ONLINE MASTERS DEGREE
The School of Family Studies and Human Services, in cooperation with the Graduate School at Kansas State University and the Great Plains Interactive Distance Education Alliance (Great Plains IDEA) for the
Human Sciences, is pleased to announce a Youth Development online Masters Degree and Graduate Certificate program. Faculty from five cooperating institutions: Kansas State University, Michigan State University, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Montana State University and Colorado State University, have joined to create a program that meets the need for advanced education in youth issues and does so through a strengths-based curriculum. Courses will begin in the Fall Semester of 2003 and applications are now being taken. Acceptance into the Graduate School is not a requirement for taking courses and students may begin work during any semester (Fall, Winter-Spring, or Summer).

The Great Plains IDEA program supports positive development through the six C's: caring/compassion, competence, character, connection, confidence, and commitment. The approach examines all of the people, places, supports, and opportunities and services young people need to be happy, healthy, and successful.

This degree is offered totally on-line and lets you fit courses into your work and home schedules. For additional information you may contact either John Murray at jnp@ksu.edu , or me, faculty members
at K-State. Our campus Great Plains IDEA Coordinator is Deb Wood, who can also help answer questions. Find our more by checking out the Great Plains IDEA web site, www.gpidea.org or go directly to www.ksu.edu/ksugpidea to find out how you can make a difference in the lives of kids!

Look for a brochure coming to Extension offices in your weekly county mailing from Duplicating Services. --Gary Gerhard ggerhard@oznet.ksu.edu

INTEGRATING BIOSECURITY PRACTICES INTO LIVESTOCK PRODUCTION MANAGEMENT
Is your county working on its livestock biosecurity plan? Are individual producers working on their biosecurity plans for their operations? Integrating Biosecurity Practices into Livestock Production Management is a train-the-trainer program designed specifically to help extension agents and veterinarians raise awareness of biosecurity needs among livestock producers and provide materials to be utilized one-on-one with producers to build individual biosecurity plans.

Meetings will start at 10 a.m. and be completed by 3 p.m. each day. Lunch will be served. There is no cost for participation. Please contact Linda Siebold at 785-532-1281 for additional information. Dates for the meetings are:
Tuesday, August 12, 2003 - Site: College of Veterinary Medicine, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS
Wednesday, August 13, 2003 - Site: Hays Experiment Station Auditorium, Hays, KS
--Larry C. Hollis lhollis@oznet.ksu.edu

K-STATE RESEARCH AND EXTENSION WEB CONTENT
The K-State Research and Extension home page, www.oznet.ksu.edu , highlights weekly and monthly features on topics that are timely and of interest to Kansans. In addition to the three main features highlighted on the homepage, we also highlight area-specific subjects on each of the six topic pages (Business & Economics; Crops & Livestock; Environment; Health & Nutrition; Home, Family & Youth; and Lawn & Garden). The features link to valuable on-line information from K-State Research and Extension, ranging from web sites and publications, to weekly columns, news releases and county newsletters. The calendar of features, developed by the Web Editorial Board, can be viewed at http://www.oznet.ksu.edu/marketing/reports/Webcalendar.pdf . We are always seeking online content for the features and would love to get more material from county offices (especially columns and newsletters). So if you have material on the topics suggestions, or if you would like to suggest a feature topic, contact Linda Sleichter at lsleicht@oznet.ksu.edu or by calling 785-532- 5269. --Linda Sleichter lsleicht@oznet.ksu.edu

JULY JUNIOR MASTER GARDENER NEWSLETTER NOW ONLINE
The July Junior Master Gardener Newsletter is now online at www.oznet.ksu.edu/dp_4hyp/JrMasterGardener/Newsletters/JMGnewsletter_current.htm . --Evelyn Neier eneier@oznet.ksu.edu

KANSAS PRIDE NEWSLETTER
The latest Kansas PRIDE newsletter has success stories from PRIDE communities, workshop reviews, upcoming workshop information, and community information. It can be accessed at http://www.kansasprideprogram.ksu.edu/PRIDE/newsletters.htm . Each County Extension office will also receive limited paper copies of the newsletter.

For additional copies, please contact Dan Kahl at dkahl@oznet.ksu.edu . --Dan Kahl dkahl@oznet.ksu.edu

LEADS TEAM NEWSLETTER AVAILABLE ONLINE
The K-State Research and Extension LEADS team NEWSLETTER is available online at: http://www.oznet.ksu.edu/LEADS/Newsletters/2003_newsletters.htm . The LEADS newsletter is intended to provide leadership information, access links, and leadership resources for extension agents. For more information or additional resources, contact Dan Kahl at dkahl@oznet.ksu.edu , or Margaret Phillips at margaret@oznet.ksu.edu . --Dan Kahl dkahl@oznet.ksu.edu

4-H AFTERSCHOOL CONFERENCE SET FOR OCTOBER 29 AND 30
The 4-H Afterschool Conference is set for October 29 and 30, 2003 at Rock Springs 4-H Center. Specific information was sent to counties in a hard copy letter dated June 24.

This conference focuses on the need for and benefits of structured after-school programs; role 4-H can serve in the after-school market; and resources available from the national 4-H Afterschool initiative to support the work. Most importantly, this conference will prepare active partners in comprehensive after-school development, delivery and evaluation.

The state training team and I hope that you will make plans to attend. Good news - there is funding available to help you and a community collaborator attend. We have resources to fund up to 15 teams. If you would like the form to request funds in an electronic format, please e-mail me. --Diane Mack dmack@oznet.ksu.edu

VIEW THE MASTER SCHEDULE OR ADD NEW ACTIVITIES AND EVENTS .

Submit corrections to previously submitted items to jzarger@oznet.ksu.edu .

DATES TAKEN FROM THE MASTER SCHEDULE FOR JULY 9, 2003, THROUGH JULY 15, 2003:

Wednesday, July 9
.... NW District 4-H Horse Show, Oakley/LG, Byron Hale bhale@oznet.ksu.edu
.... NE District 4-H Horse Show, Lawrence, Beth Hecht bhecht@oznet.ksu.edu

Wednesday, July 9, through Saturday, July 12
.... Sedgwick County Fair, Cheney, Single-co, Metro

Wednesday, July 9, through Sunday, July 13
.... Barton County Fair, Great Bend, Single-co, NW

Thursday, July 10, through Saturday, July 12
.... Tri-county Free Fair, Herington/DK, Multi-co, NE
.... International Academy of Nutrition and Aging, Albuquerque, NM, Mary Meck Higgins mhiggins@oznet.ksu.edu

Thursday, July 10, through Sunday, July 13
.... Clark County Fair, Ashland, Single-co, SW

Friday, July 11, through Saturday, July 12
.... Swine Classic, Manhattan, Statewide, Jim Nelssen jnelssen@oznet.ksu.edu

Saturday, July 12, through Friday, July 18
.... Edwards County Fair, Kinsley, Single-co, SW

Saturday, July 12, through Sunday, July 20
.... Ellis County Fair, Hays, Single-co, NW

Sunday, July 13, through Thursday, July 17
.... National Assn. of County Agricultural Agents (NACAA), Green Bay, WI, Sandra Wick swick@oznet.ksu.edu

Monday, July 14, through Thursday, July 17
.... Hodgeman County Fair, Jetmore, Single-co, SW

Monday, July 14, through Saturday, July 19
.... Bourbon County Fair, Fort Scott, Single-co, SE
.... Logan County Fair, Oakley, Single-co, NW

Tuesday, July 15, through Friday, July 18
.... Brown County Free Fair, Horton, Single-co, NE

Tuesday, July 15, through Sunday, July 20
.... Clay County Fair, Clay Center, Single-co, NE

Top

Please Submit Items by Friday to include in the following Tuesday Letter to:
tuesday@oznet.ksu.edu. Put the word "Tuesday" in the subject line.

Educational programs and materials available without discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age or disability.