May 28, 2004 News Releases
Released 5/25/04, 5/26/04 and 5/27/04
UTAH STATE NEWS RELEASES FOR 5-27-04
AVOID MECHANICAL
DAMAGE TO TREES
LOGAN — Most homeowners do more damage and inflict more
harm to their trees than any insect, disease or poison.
"It amazes me how many people beat, bang, rip and whip
their trees, then wonder why they get sick or yellow and eventually
die," said Jerry Goodspeed, Utah State University Extension
horticulturist.
One of the myths surrounding trees is that they are big and
tough and can stand up to almost any abuse, he said. In reality,
the more they are beat and injured, the weaker they become and
the more susceptible they are to insects and diseases. However,
most mechanical damage can be prevented.
The number one culprit of tree damage is string trimmers, said
Goodspeed. Gardeners plant valuable shade trees in the lawn
and let the grass grow up around the trunk. They then decide
they don’t like the grass, but instead of simply removing
it, they opt to use a string trimmer once a week.
"Gardeners can spend hours every summer torturing the trees
and themselves while trimming a few blades of grass, or they
can spend a few extra minutes and dollars and get rid of the
grass," he said. "The latter option will save the
tree and the gardener a lot of trauma."
To get rid of the grass, simply remove it either physically
or chemically every spring, then place a weed barrier (fabric,
bark or chemical) around the base of the tree. Every couple
of months, eliminate any stray grass blades that invade the
area, said Goodspeed. This keeps the lawn mower and edger far
enough away to prevent damage to the tree.
"Many people ask how far grass should be removed from the
trees base," he said. "I recommend removing it as
far as is aesthetically possible. The area should look good
while maintaining a safe distance of space between the tree
and any possible collision with a lawn mower or trimmer. I recommend
a minimum of two feet. But even that may not be enough. I recently
saw a hurried teenager over-shoot the grass and hit a parked
car that was 10 feet away from any blade of grass. Consider
who is mowing and trimming the lawn when making that decision."
Another source of mechanical damage is wires and ropes placed
around trees when they are staked. Realistically, most trees
do not need to be staked, Goodspeed said. However, gardeners
who do stake and tie a tree should remember to remove rope,
wire or string within the first year.
Trees have been used as support for a winch, an end-stop for
piling wood, a clothes line and a peg board for hanging hoses
and other odds and ends. All of these may seem like a good idea
at the time, but in the life of the tree, they’re not.
Use the tree for shade, climbing and an occasional leaf pile,
he concluded.
May 27, 2004
Writer: Julene Reese, 435-760-9302
Contact: Jerry L. Goodspeed, 801-392-8908
ASK A SPECIALIST:
HOW CAN WE PROMOTE PEACE IN OUR HOME WHEN THERE IS NOT PEACE
AROUND US?
There are several things a family can do to make home a place
of peace, even in a violent and uncertain world. The lessons
children learn from family and other trusted adults in the community
will have a lasting impact on them. Consider the following points.
• Avoid fostering hate and prejudice. When confronted
with terrible acts of aggression in our community and world,
it is easy to develop fear, suspicion and hatred for a person
or group of people. Teach children to separate the person from
the behavior; to condemn an action without condemning or hating
a person. It is especially important for parents to overcome
prejudices and fears. Children who learn prejudice from parents
are likely to carry those feelings throughout their lives.
• Decrease the violence in your child's world. Video
games, the Internet, movies and popular music all have the potential
to influence youth. Parents can limit both the amount and the
kind of media messages that come into their home. Extended exposure
to news coverage showing violence should also be limited.
• Treat children with respect and teach them to respect
others. There are opportunities every day in homes, churches,
neighborhoods and schools for concerned adults to teach the
values of respect for the rights of others, respect for self
and personal responsibility for actions. Speak respectfully
to children. Show respect by taking time to listen to them and
by taking their ideas seriously.Talk about how your values have
guided your actions in specific personal situations.
• Teach kindness. Children aren't born knowing how to
get along with others, but research has shown that even infants
have a natural sense of empathy or concern for others. Children
learn through countless experiences in the home, school, church
and other settings to develop that inborn characteristic into
kindness or unkindness. In general, if children are treated
with kindness, they will treat others with kindness. Obviously
children will encounter unkindness from other children, adults
and even from people in their own home. But if adults treat
youth with kindness, this will help youth treat others that
way.
• Discipline without violence. All children sometimes
misbehave and all parents get frustrated and angry at times.
How we deal with these situations sends a message about dealing
with anger that is far more powerful than what we say. Hitting,
yelling or using other coercive methods will likely teach children
to deal with problems in these ways.
• Be a positive role model. As parents, grandparents,
teachers and others who care about youth, we need to remember
to live our lives as if someone is watching us. Someone is.
Our youth are constantly watching our example, including how
we deal with frustration, anger and conflict. By your example,
help children learn to disagree without being disagreeable.
Help them learn to express their ideas without being hostile.
Help them look for things they share in common with others,
not the differences. The next time you consider acting violently,
think about the lesson you are teaching and respond the way
you hope your children will respond when they become adults.
Chances are high that they will act the way they were taught
at home.
Direct column topics to: Julene Reese, Utah State University
Extension, Logan, UT 84322-0500, 435-760-9302; julener@ext.usu.edu
May 27, 2004
Answer by: Tom Lee, Utah State University Extension Family and
Human Development Specialist
UTAH STATE NEWS RELEASES FOR 5-26-04
ATHLETIC
DIRECTOR CANDIDATES TO VISIT UTAH STATE UNIVERSITY
LOGAN – Three candidates for Athletic Director at Utah
State University from schools including the U.S. Air Force Academy,
Michigan State University and the University of Kentucky have
been invited to visit the campus sometime in early June.
The candidates, out of a pool of more than 60, are Randall Spetman,
Chris Ritrievi and Greg Byrne.
Bringing candidates to campus is an important step in the search
process that permits all parties to fully understand the responsibilities
and opportunities associated with the position, said Ken White,
faculty member and faculty athletic representative, who chairs
the seven-member search committee.
Spetman, who was with the Air Force in Colorado Springs as Athletic
Director from 1995 until the fall of 2003, earned a bachelor's
degree in civil engineering from the Air Force Academy and a
master's degree in management and supervision from Central Michigan
University.
Ritrievi has been associate Athletic Director & Director
of Development from 1999 at Michigan State University. He earned
a bachelor's degree in economics from Princeton University and
an MBA from Lehigh University. He was Director of Athletics
at University of Northern Iowa from 1992-1999. Prior to that,
he was Associate AD at Stanford University.
Byrne has been Associate AD, Development & Fund Raising
since 2002 at the University of Kentucky. He worked as Associate
AD, Development at Oregon State University from 1998-2002. He
was Director of Development at the University of Oregon from
1995-1998.
Other committee members include Dan Cox, Utah State Big Blue
Club president; Jimi Jorgensen, Associated Students of Utah
State University athletic vice president; Raegan Pebley, Utah
State women’s basketball coach; Phil Olsen, Utah State
graduate, businessman and former NFL player; Jodi Bailey, Utah
State director of internal audits; and Randy Talbot, Utah State
vice president for Advancement.
The position, which is expected to be filled before July, has
been open since early April when Rance Pugmire resigned. On
Feb. 19, Pugmire was placed on an administrative leave of absence
for up to 60 days in connection with his arrest on suspicion
of driving under the influence of alcohol.
Fred Hunsaker, retired vice president of Administrative Services,
will continue to serve as acting athletic director until the
position is filled.
May 25, 2004
Contacts: Ken White, 435-797-2149
John DeVilbiss, 435-797-1358
KINKEAD WINS
BEST BOOK AWARD
LOGAN — The Council of Writing Program Administrators
(WPA) announced today that "The Center Will Hold,"
edited by Utah State University’s Joyce Kinkead has won
the WPA’s 2004 Best Book Award.
"The Center Will Hold" suggests a new agenda for research
and teaching in writing centers and signals a turn toward the
future in writing center scholarship," said Michael Spooner,
director of USU Press.
"The Center Will Hold" sets a high standard for future
awards, said WPA president Chris Anson (North Carolina State
University) in his award announcement.
Kinkead is vice provost for Undergraduate Studies and Research
at Utah State. The book, which Kinkead co-edited with Michael
Pemberton of Georgia Southern University, was published last
fall by the Utah State University Press.
Every two years, the Council of Writing Program Administrators
selects a book published in the previous two years for its Best
Book Award. The award was established to develop and promote
an understanding of writing program administration as intellectual
work of depth, sophistication and significance.
For more information on "The Center Will Hold," call
Brooke Bigelow at Utah State University Press, 1-800-239-9974.
May 26, 2004
Writer: Tracey Fox, (435) 797-5506, tracey.fox@usu.edu
Contact: Brooke Bigelow, (435) 797-1362, brooke.bigelow@usu.edu
UTAH STATE NEWS RELEASES FOR 5-25-04
SYRACUSE AND
WEST WEBER ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS PLANT SEEDS OF EDUCATION
LOGAN - Syracuse and West Weber Elementary School students
are harvesting a new crop of skills using school gardens. With
the help of a grant from Utah State University Extension and
plenty of teacher enthusiasm, these two elementary schools are
transplanting learning from indoors to outdoors.
"The benefits of these school gardens have been far reaching,"
said Sally Ogilvie, first grade teacher at Syracuse Elementary,
"The community involvement has been tremendous."
"The Syracuse Elementary School Garden is a huge success,
due largely to Ogilvie's determination to make it a reality,"
said Debra Spielmaker, director for Agriculture in the Classroom.
"The seeds of the garden idea were first nurtured with
a grant Ogilvie received as a national winner of the Presidential
Award for Excellence in Science and Math," she said. Then
the garden grew with the help of several community grants, including
one from Agriculture in the Classroom (AITC), a Utah State Extension
program.
"The school garden has now blossomed, literally and figuratively,"
Spielmaker said.
Not only does Oglivie use the garden to teach her regular first
grade curriculum, but she also helped other teachers at Syracuse
use the garden with their curriculum.
"Additionally, Oglivie has extended the learning experience
to include a first through sixth grade gardening club that meets
year round," Spielmaker said. "This commitment of
time and energy speaks volumes about these teachers' dedication
to their profession and students."
This creativity and hard work has not gone unnoticed she said.
Davis County Farm Bureau nominated Oglivie for the 2003 Utah
Farm Bureau Teacher of the Year award, which she won. Additionally,
her enthusiasm for the project caught the attention of her principal
and fellow teachers. Now, the entire faculty at Syracuse Elementary
has received in-service training by Utah AITC on how to use
the garden to meet many core curriculum requirements for grades
K-6.
"For example, Utah state curriculum requires that every
fourth grader learn about soils," Spielmaker said. The
teachers were trained in how to use the state soils curriculum,
how to make literary connections with specific books, and then
how to teach nutrition, all utilizing the garden.
"The school garden is a useful laboratory for elementary
students when you consider that first graders learn about seeds;
second graders learn relationships between plants and animals;
third graders learn about living and non-living organisms; fourth
graders, soils, water and weather; fifth graders, heredity;
and sixth graders, microorganisms," she said.
Following Oglavie's lead, second grade teachers Kathy Martini
and Kristen Smith at West Weber Elementary, with the aid of
Fremont High School agricultural education students (Future
Farmers of America (FFA) chapter members), took the challenge
to add a garden at their school. After visiting the school,
Crystal Tarpley, outreach coordinator for AITC, found that their
garden project was a true community effort.
The second grade classes were working in six redwood planting
boxes. A local Boy Scout, Chad Parslow, asked permission to
build them for the school as a part of his Eagle Scout service
project. Weber County Farm Bureau chipped in for part of the
cost of the boxes, and the soil was donated by Kupp Construction.
Fremont FFA members helped the second graders move the soil
to the boxes and then helped them plant their first seedlings.
"Gardening is going on indoors as well," Tarpley said.
"With Grow Lab lamps (mobile light tables) provided by
Utah State University Extension grant money, students grew African
violets and gave them to their mothers on Mother’s Day.
The Grow Lab lamps have been in use all year. The students have
also watched spider plants, philodendrons and mung beans. Fremont
FFA members helped the youngsters get interested in the growing
process by working with them as part of the FFA’s Partners
in Alternative Learning Support (PALS) program."
According to Jo Egelund, Fremont High School FFA advisor, the
high school students meet with the West Weber Elementary students
twice a month, presenting fun and educational lessons about
gardening.
Smith and Martini then add to these great beginnings by teaching
lessons in the classroom and in the garden on math, science
and language arts. Fremont FFA helped the second graders plant
mung bean seeds inside plastic zip bags. When they sprouted,
the students carefully transplanted them into small cups of
soil and continued studying them under the Grow Lab lamps. When
parents attended parent/teacher conferences, they took the bean
plants home. The teachers took advantage of the parents' enthusiasm
for this project and sent notes home encouraging participation
in the summer gardening program.
Clarissa Pehrson, a Fremont High School junior, will be the
garden supervisor for the summer program. She and other Fremont
FFA members and teachers will meet with the second grade gardening
club to water, weed and pick radishes, beans, squash, cucumbers
and other produce items that were planted this spring.
The classes will soon be reading "Stone Soup." The
teachers have sent home notes asking parents to send a vegetable
to school with their child. This will be an excellent link to
the potatoes and carrots that were planted in the garden boxes.
For the end-of-year field trip, Smith and Martini plan to take
their classes to the Children’s Tree House and Jerry’s
Nursery.
"Educational research has documented the benefits of project-based
learning to increase student retention and achievement in all
subjects," Spielmaker said.
"Teachers at Syracuse and West Weber Elementary Schools
have been able to do this extensively with their students,"
she said. "The outdoor garden is an excellent resource
for teachers to instruct using inquiry-based methods and allows
students to learn by doing."
For more information about school gardening, visit www.agclassroom.org/ut.
May 25 2004
Writer: Crystal Tarpley crystalt@ext.usu.edu (435) 245-0765
Contact: Debra Spielmaker (435) 797-1657
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