July 30, 2004 News Releases
Released 7/27/04 & 7/28/04
UTAH STATE NEWS RELEASES FOR 7-28-04
ASK A
SPECIALIST: HOW CAN WE AVOID THE BACK-TO-SCHOOL SHOPPING "BRAND-NAME
BLUES?"
Clothing items with certain brands or labels seem to promise
a more exciting, fun life. Children can easily feel deprived
if they don't have things they see in the media or things they
think their friends will have. Consider these tips when back-to-school
shopping.
• Approach children with choices appropriate to their
age and understanding. For example, brand name awareness is
especially prevalent when buying shoes. With preschool children
you can say, "Here are two great pairs of shoes. Which
pair do you want?" With elementary school children you
can set an amount of money and say, "Let's go to the store
and choose a pair in this range." For teens you might say,
"I'm willing to spend 'x' amount for shoes. If you want
something more than that, you will need to pay the difference."
• Help children distinguish between wants and needs.
If there is something they want that you don't approve of, be
truthful. Instead of saying "I can't afford that,"
say "I'm not willing to spend my money that way."
Talk about quality versus price. To help teach this, have children
do comparison shopping for something they don't care about,
such as canned vegetables. Show them that a store brand, with
equal nutrition and value, costs less than a name brand. Compare
this to other things they care about, where the brand name increases
the price without necessarily increasing the quality.
• Give older children a clothing allowance. Talk with
them about planning and projecting their needs and then let
them make their choices. Resist your urge to rescue them from
poor choices. Talk about what happened and what might work better
next time. Require that they have the money saved or have done
the required work before they can get the desired item, and
stick with your decision. Children need to learn that hassling
you will not get them what they want. This will help them learn
patience in working for things they want.
• As parents, be aware of the messages you may be sending
about materialism through your own behavior. Children learn
values by watching what parents do more than what they say.
Point out examples of people around you and in the news who
value service and people over materialism.
________
Direct column topics to: Julene Reese, Utah State University
Extension, Logan, UT 84322-0500; 435-760-9302; julener@ext.usu.edu
July 28, 2004
Answer by: Tom Lee, Utah State University Extension Family and
Human Development Specialist
4-H VOLUNTEER
RECEIVES GOVERNOR'S POINTS OF LIGHT AWARD
LOGAN - Marilyn Dahl, who has served more than 50 years as a
4-H volunteer, was recognized by Governor Olene Walker as a
weekly Points of Light award winner.
Lt. Governor Gayle McKeachnie, presenting the awards for Governor
Walker, said "The world is run by those who show up. Families,
neighbors and communities need to step in and make a difference
without someone telling them what to do. Nothing gives that
simple feeling of satisfaction like service."
Dahl lives in Layton and has been a fixture in Davis County
4-H serving on the Leader Advisory Council and working with
the county and state fairs. While raising six children, she
continued her college studies and earned her degree in education
20 years after graduating from high school. She went on to teach
for 11 years and served as principal for another 12 years.
Though retired from teaching, she has never retired from her
work with youth. Dahl currently shares her talents with the
Youth and Families with Promise mentoring program in Davis County.
July 28, 2004
Writer: Dennis Hinkamp, 435-797-1392
UTAH STATE NEWS RELEASE FOR 7-27-04
PATIENCE IN THE
LANDSCAPE
LOGAN — Patience seems to be a quality society is losing.
There is a desire for fast food, quick updates and speedy delivery
on everything. This trend toward impatience has even crept into
the garden.
"Gardeners want trees that mature overnight, perennials
that bloom the day they are planted and green, perfect grass
the day after the snow melts," said Jerry Goodspeed, Utah
State University Extension horticulturist. "In general,
they want an instant landscape.
"One reason I enjoy gardening is because it can be an escape
from the noise and daily rush of life. I also like the fact
that plants are unaffected by the need for speed. No amount
of yelling will intimidate a tree into growing faster. Regardless
of any deadline or date set for a tree to be lush and shady
for a backyard barbecue, it will ignore the pressure to produce
and grow at its own pace."
On occasion, nature tries to teach the importance of slowing
down and relaxing, Goodspeed said. Typically, those who are
patient with Mother Nature are rewarded. This is especially
true with trees. As a general rule, the slower a tree grows,
the less prone it is to disease, insect damage and dieback.
The faster a tree grows the more problems it will eventually
have.
"I realize it is tempting to plant a tree that claims to
grow a quarter mile a year and produce instant shade,"
he said. "However, gardeners can pay a price for their
desire to have everything right now when they are impatient
in planning for the future. Keep in mind that tree removal charges
can range from $250 to $1,000."
Fast-growing trees do have their place in the landscape, Goodspeed
noted. Think of them as a temporary fix toward a long-term solution.
They can provide shade quickly, so use them for that purpose,
but do not consider them a permanent answer.
Trees like cottonwoods (Poplar spp.), willows (Salix spp.),
mulberry (Morus spp.) and tulip trees (Liriodendron tulipifera)
can be used even though they are often short-lived and problem-prone,
he said. Interplant slower, longer-lasting trees with these
weedy, fast-growing types. The types that shoot up quickly provide
shade for the short run and help satisfy the impatient, "I
want it now" desire. Then, five or six years later when
the preferred trees start to reach an acceptable height, remove
the problematic trees and allow the enduring ones to take over.
"By following this method, trees like poplars and willows
are eliminated before they get so tall they create a hazard,
or homeowners have to take out a second mortgage to hire someone
to remove them," he said. "It is understandable that
gardeners will have a hard time removing anything growing in
the yard — let alone a tree. But this method will benefit
the landscape in the long run."
Another benefit from planting different trees in the same area
is it creates a diversified landscape. This is an advantage
when a disease or insect invades a neighborhood and wipes out
one species of tree. If only one kind of tree has been planted,
all the shade will be gone and homeowners will have to start
over. Diversified planting will be of benefit in the long run,
Goodspeed concluded.
July 26, 2004
Writer: Julene Reese, 435-760-9302
Contact: Jerry Goodspeed, 801-392-8908
PIANO LESSONS
AND MORE — 2004 REGISTRATION FOR UTAH STATE UNIVERSITY'S
YOUTH CONSERVATORY
LOGAN — Utah State University's nationally accredited
Youth Conservatory (YC), celebrating 26 years serving young
pianists in Cache Valley, announces its fall registration for
new and returning students. A registration open house is Tuesday,
Aug. 10, from 6-7 p.m. in the lobby of the Kent Concert Hall
in Utah State's Chase Fine Arts Center.
An orientation for new members precedes the registration from
5:30-6 p.m. Students should accompany their parents, since placement
tests are given during the registration process. Attendance
at the open house is the best way to secure placement, as space
is limited and classes are filled on a first-come, first-served
basis, according to YC program coordinator Brooke Reynolds.
A second registration will be held Tuesday, Aug. 31, also from
6-7 p.m. in the Kent Concert Hall lobby. An orientation for
new members will likewise precede
the registration from 5:30-6 p.m.
Registration may also take place by phone (contact the YC office
at [435] 797-3018) or by mail.
"The Youth Conservatory was founded by Utah State's internationally
known professor Gary Amano to offer comprehensive piano instruction
to young people and practicum experience to Utah State piano
majors," said Reynolds.
"The strength of the program is in its comprehensive approach
in teaching young musicians," said YC Director Ralph van
der Beek. "Not only do we offer private lessons, but valuable
weekly musicianship classes that focus on music theory, ear
training and the lives and music of great composers. We also
provide several exciting and rewarding events during the year,
such as the Halloween Carnival and the Monster Concert. These
popular events are not only a fun social experience, but are
an incentive for students to achieve a high standard of performance."
The YC offers 30-minute private piano lessons as well as 55-minute
group musicianship class each week. With the exception of the
pre-school and kindergarten-age children, students are encouraged
to enroll in both lessons and classes to achieve optimum learning
results, Reynolds said.
"The YC program is one of the most affordable and convenient
ways to help children develop musicianship and gain the enduring
benefits from early music study," van der Beek said.
New to the program this year is a group class for adults that
includes instruction in beginning piano and music theory.
Tuition starts as low as $23 a month for the kindergarten and
pre-school music classes and for the piano- lessons-only option,
and $36 a month for both private lessons and classes.
"We also offer families with more than one child the advantage
of having the same lesson time for all their children,"
Reynolds said. "Many families are able
to have each child's lesson in the same weekly half-hour block."
Classes are scheduled Monday-Thursday during after-school hours
and are taught in the Chase Fine Arts building on the Utah State
campus.
The YC's faculty and teaching staff draw from experienced musicians
with doctoral, master's, and bachelor degrees in music, as well
as outstanding college students.
"Children rarely have the opportunity to work this closely
with specialists in the field of music," Reynolds said.
"With all the wonderful extracurricular programs available
for children in Cache Valley, it can be difficult to pick the
ones that will be the most enjoyable and offer the greatest
lifetime benefit. However, the lifelong rewards of music study
are incomparable, at least in my book."
July 27, 2004
Contact: Ralph van der Beek (435) 797-3033
Brook Reynolds (435) 797-3018
Source: Youth Conservatory
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