The Tuesday Letter
Agricultural Experiment Station & Cooperative Extension Service

  
Vol. 10, No. 26   May 11, 2004

IN THIS ISSUE...

...Reception for Alan Ladd
...Pay Advice Changes
...Saline County Agent Earns National Award
...KAMS Program Assistance
...Tuition Assistance
...Extensión en Español Workshop Planning
...Food Science Institute Sponsoring Workshop
...Strengthening Nutrition Education Through Experiential Learning
...Fire Management Coordinator, Kansas Forest Service, Kansas State University
...Master Schedule

...Tuesday Letter Archives

RECEPTION FOR ALAN LADD
You are cordially invited to a reception honoring Riley County Extension Director Alan Ladd on Wednesday, May 26, 4:00-6:30 p.m. The reception will be held at the Riley County Office Building, 2nd Floor Conference Room.

Please come and help us celebrate the 15 years that Alan has spent in Riley County. Alan will be leaving to become the Iowa State University Southwest Area Extension Education Director. --Jennifer R. Wilson 
jrwilson@oznet.ksu.edu 

PAY ADVICE CHANGES
On April 19, 2004, Governor Kathleen Sebelius signed into legislation, HB 2675, to limit the information printed on pay advices to reduce the potential for identify theft. This applies only to pay advices issued by the State of Kansas. The Division of Accounts and Reports is to take action so that "personal identification information and payment transaction information is obscured, redacted, or omitted."

To meet these requirements, modifications have been made to: 1) eliminate the SSN from the pay advice; and 2) replace all but the last four digits in the bank account number printed on the advice with '*'. The changes will be take place on pay advices issued for K-State employees effective with advices dated on or after May 21, 2004. --Division of Human Resources

SALINE COUNTY AGENT EARNS NATIONAL AWARD
Work with "Book Cooks," a nutrition education and literacy program serving more than 3,000 pre-school children in Saline County, has earned Sherrie Mahoney, Saline County FCS agent, the national Head Start Humanitarian of the Year award for 2004.

The award was presented in Anaheim, Calif., April 23.

"The Saline County program is funded by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Family Nutrition Program," said Mahoney, who maintains 20 of the "Book Cooks" activity boxes for use in pre-school classrooms, child care facilities and family home visits.

Mahoney was nominated for the award by Rita Gedney, program coordinator of Saline County’s Heartland Program, which combines the Head Start Program with early childhood education.

She also has been named as the state and regional award winner. 

For more information on Mahoney’s program or awards, contact her at 785-309-5850, or smahoney@oznet.ksu.edu . To read the complete K-State Research and Extension news release, check www.oznet.ksu.edu/news . --Nancy Peterson

KAMS PROGRAM ASSISTANCE
As of February 1, 2004, 17.8% of Kansas Farm Service Agency (FSA) Direct Farmer Loan Program (FLP) borrowers were delinquent on their loans with FSA. That represents 550 out of 3,084 borrowers. Most FSA Direct FLP loans come due January 1 of each year. Once a FSA direct loan borrower is 90 days past due on the loan payment, FSA is required to send a notice offering the borrower the opportunity to apply for restructuring of that loan. These notices were sent out beginning in mid-April. Borrowers have a period of 60 days, once they receive the written notification, to apply for restructure of the loan. If application is made, FSA will consider certain restructure options such as reamortization, reduction of interest, deferral, and in some cases a write-down of debt. Failure to respond timely or with complete information can result in loss of these options and other valuable rights.

The Kansas Agricultural Mediation Services (KAMS) provides financial counseling, legal assistance and mediation services to help borrowers effectively deal with these direct loan delinquencies. Immediate and confidential information is available through KAMS' toll-free hotline, 800-321-FARM (3276). KAMS would encourage all Extension personnel to direct Kansas borrowers to the KAMS program for assistance. --Becky O'Donnell bodonnel@oznet.ksu.edu 

TUITION ASSISTANCE
Applications for tuition assistance for August Intersession or the Fall 2004 semester are due June 1. This benefit is available to all K-State classified and unclassified professional employees, including extension agents, who have held a full-time regular benefits eligible position continuously for at least one year prior to the course start date.

See this website for additional details: http://www.ksu.edu/hr/benefits/tuition.htm . --Stacey M. Warner swarner@oznet.ksu.edu 

EXTENSIÓN EN ESPAÑOL WORKSHOP PLANNING
EEE is planning to offer workshops on reaching Hispanic audiences effectively, and we are in the fact finding stage of that process.

We have developed a short online survey to help us learn about issues, strengths and needs you and your staff have concerning outreach to your Spanish-speaking audience. Would you please respond personally and then forward this URL to staffers who could complete the survey and eventually participate in these on-line workshops?

Survey location: http://extensionenespanol.net/survey.cfm . --Kristina Boone kboone@oznet.ksu.edu 

FOOD SCIENCE INSTITUTE SPONSORING WORKSHOP
The Food Science Institute is sponsoring a course (FDSCI 960/2 credit) workshop entitled "United States and International Food Laws and Regulations," August 2-5, 2004. For more information, please visit http://www.foodsci.k-state.edu/events/ . --Elsa Toburen etoburen@oznet.ksu.edu 

STRENGTHENING NUTRITION EDUCATION THROUGH EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING
Strengthening Nutrition Education through Experiential Learning is finished and in a PDF file that you can download off the FNP website under news and announcements, or the 4-H website under resources. This is an expansion of the Professor Popcorn, 4^th grade lessons to help youth be a more active participant in their learning.

http://www.humec.ksu.edu/fnp/resources/curricula/FoodPyramid.pdf or http://www.oznet.ksu.edu/4h/PDFfiles/strengtheningNutritionEducation.pdf .

If you have any questions, please contact Carol Fink at cfink@oznet.ksu.edu . --Carol Fink

FIRE MANAGEMENT COORDINATOR, KANSAS FOREST SERVICE, KANSAS STATE UNIVERSITY
The Kansas Forest Service is currently recruiting to fill a Fire Management Coordinator position to be located at the State Office in Manhattan, KS.

Description: Under the supervision of the state forester, position will provide leadership and assistance to fire departments in organization, training, planning and operations; administer cooperative agreements with rural fire departments; provide oversight in Federal Excess Personal Property program; supervise Shop personnel; administer National Fire Plan programs and grants; cooperate with other agencies and organizations involved in wildland fire protection; administer state red card system and Incident Qualifications System database; and represent KFS on interagency committees and work groups.

Qualifications: Minimum - BS degree in natural resources or related field plus two years of wildland fire experience. Ability to work effectively with others under limited supervision; organize work priorities and carry  them out; and communicate effectively. Computer skills such as data base and word processing. Must be willing to travel frequently within the state and out-of-state. Valid drivers license upon employment. Preferred - BS or MS degree in forestry from a SAF accredited college or university plus five years of wildland fire experience. Supervisory experience needed.

Salary: Salary dependent upon education and experience.

Application procedures: Qualified applicants must submit (1) letter of application; (2) current resume: (3) college transcripts; and (4) name, address and phone number of three professional references to: Ray Aslin, State Forester, Kansas Forest Service, 2610 Claflin Road, Manhattan, KS 66502. Required information must be received by 5 p.m. CST on June 4, 2004 to be considered. Interested candidates may call 785-532-3300 for more information or view the Kansas Forest Service web site at www.kansasforests.org .

Kansas State University is an equal opportunity employer. KSU actively seeks diversity among its employees. --Ray Aslin

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 MAY 19, 2004, THROUGH MAY 25, 2004:

Wednesday, May 19
.... SW FCS Agents Insurance Training, Garden City (SW Area Conference Room), SW Area, 10:00 a.m. - 3:30 p.m., Esther Maddux emaddux@oznet.ksu.edu

Wednesday, May 19, through Friday, May 21
.... Environmental Leadership Training, Ft. Scott/BB, Statewide, 11:30 a.m., Morgan Powell mpowell@ksu.edu

Thursday, May 20
.... Kansas Nutrition Network Meeting, Topeka, Statewide, Karen Fitzgerald kfitzger@ksu.edu

Friday, May 21, through Saturday, May 22
.... KSU Commencement, Manhattan

Monday, May 24, through Tuesday, May 25
.... Beef ID Academy, Manhattan, Statewide, Dale Blasi dblasi@oznet.ksu.edu

Tuesday, May 25, through Friday, May 28
.... Beef Improvement Federation Annual Meeting, Sioux Falls, SD, Multi-state, Twig Marston twig@oznet.ksu.edu

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