Nyphette Harris and Lisa Holmes of the LSU AgCenter Webster Parish office help out with Celebrate Girls!, an after-school club for fifth through seventh graders offered through the 4-H program in Webster Parish, that lasted from December 2007 through May 2008.

The Brazoria County Cattlemen’s Association of Texas visited the Red River Research Station on May 8. W.F. Gonzales and W.F. Baker presented a plaque to the Caddo-Bossier Cattlemen’s Association for its hospitality in cooking a steak lunch. Pictured with plaques are Joe Barrett, second from left, and Jon Lowe, second from right.

Dr. Eddie Millhollon manned an exhibit on the constructed wetland May 16-17 at the Boardwalk for a Water Resource Festival held in conjunction with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Aquatic and Wildlife Education Foundation. Pictured are Dr. Milhollon and his research associate Darinda Dans.

Events

Celebrate Girls! graduates first class

Thirteen seventh graders are the first graduates of Celebrate Girls!, an after-school club for fifth through seventh graders offered through the 4-H program in Webster Parish.

Nyphette M. Harris, administrative coordinator in the LSU AgCenter Webster Parish office, came up with the idea because she has a fifth grader, Tynesha, and thought “they hear it better from someone else.”

Harris said DeSoto Parish had a seventh grade day camp named Celebrate Girls! 10 years ago. She and Lisa Holmes, associate agent, adapted new lessons and welcomed outside speakers for this group.

Meetings began in December and lasted from 4:30 to 6 p.m. once a month. Topics have included breast cancer, skin and hair care, proper dress and table manners, diversity and cell phone etiquette.

At the final meeting on May 20, the girls made a circle of belonging, attaching colored strips with their name and what they learned into one big circle. “The circle of learning never ends,” said Holmes.

They also decorated cupcakes and learned about Internet safety.

“Predators get information by asking you for it,” said Holmes. “Be careful. You never know who you’re visiting with.”

The club will start up again in October. The seventh-grade graduates are welcome to come back as Junior Leaders. Graduates received a diploma, necklace and backpack.

The girls indicated they would like to go fishing, swimming and skating and make a butterfly garden. “This is your club. We want your input,” said Holmes. “That’s called youth voice.”

All activities were free except for the purchase of a pink club T-shirt for $5.

Average attendance each month was 30.

Awards/Recognition/Training

Van Osdell receives 8 LPW awards

Mary Ann Van Osdell, assistant communications specialist for the LSU AgCenter, received six first-place and two second-place awards from the Louisiana Press Women. The first-place awards were in writing for the Web, feature articles; single release, news or feature releases; multiple releases; speeches; special articles, agriculture, agribusiness, aquaculture; and feature story, publication for general or specialized circulation.

The second-place awards were for special articles, rotating subject (nature) and personal columns, specialized, for her automotive reviews in The Forum News. The first-place entries are forwarded to the National Federation of Press Women Communications Contest. Van Osdell has been a member of LPW for 27 years.

Wilkerson undergoes special training

Hubert Wilkerson, Natchitoches Parish county agent, has been busy, undergoing ongoing geospatial training at the Dean Lee Research Station and participating in the annual Calf to Carcass trip March 30-April 2 in Guymon, Okla. Natchitoches Master Gardeners, under his guidance, are currently working on the grounds at the Historic American Cemetery, located downtown.

Because it is a Historic American Cemetery, there cannot be any roses there that were not specific kinds of roses after 1840, only before that year. So, special care must be taken, and they also must keep it clean and preserve it the best they are able.

Seminars, Conferences, Exhibits

Brazoria County Cattlemen visit Red River Research Station

The Brazoria County Cattlemen’s Association of Texas toured the research project, tomato greenhouses and constructed wetland at the Red River Station in Bossier City May 8.

This is the group’s 60^th annual spring tour. They had been to the station five years ago. A busload of 41 cattlemen from the county south of Houston visited this time.

They began their trip May 6 in Nacogdoches, Texas, at the Norbord Oriented Strand Board plant, Cal Tex Lumber Co. and Stephen F. Austin University for a horse demonstration. They also visited the Suzi Q Cattle Co. in Center, Texas, and were headed to the Sutterfield Ranch in Palestine, Texas.

John Levasseur, Caddo county agent, put together the itinerary for the Northwest Louisiana leg of the trip. W.F. Gonzales and W.F. Baker presented a plaque to the Caddo-Bossier Cattlemen’s Association for its hospitality in cooking a steak lunch.

“We are always looking for new and interesting places to visit and pick up helpful information,” said Gonzales.

Jack Baldwin, professor in the entomology department of LSU, spoke about the management and utilization of insecticide-impregnated ear tags for controlling horn flies. Buddy Pitman, professor at Hill Farm Research Station, discussed forages.

William Glover, 85, was a first-time visitor at the Red River Research Station. “It is wonderful. You do good. I learned about grasses and animals,” he said.

Added Glover, “When I was in high school, girls didn’t take up agriculture. I see they do now in Louisiana.”

Two of the attendees were over 90 years old.

Kilpatrick gives two presentations

Ricky Kilpatrick was the keynote speaker recently at the Tennessee Outdoor Classroom Symposium in Nashville. The event was held for 200 educators. He discussed the success of Project Learning Tree (PLT) at Oil City Elementary. He also presented at the International PLT Conference in Jackson, Miss., May 13-15.

Aclin, Fontenot busy presenting programs

Connie Aclin had a busy month, presenting MyPyramid and Portion Control at the Salvation Army May 15; manning the Body Walk at Forest Hill on May 1 and at Lakeshore Elementary May 19; EFNEP/FNP regional training May 23 and sewing classes at the DeSoto office May 27-30.

Gwen Fontenot hosted Smart Portions in Natchitoches. By partnering with Amanda Roberts, registered dietitian for the Natchitoches Regional Medical Center and FCS advisory member, they provided individual consultations for participants. This unique spin on the class has been well received by the community and students alike. She also hosted a babysitting class April 28-30 in Sabine Parish. Participants learned responsibilities of babysitting and became CPR-certified.

Millhollon participates in Water Resource Festival

Dr. Eddie Millhollon manned an exhibit on the constructed wetland May 16-17 at the Boardwalk for a Water Resource Festival held in conjunction with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Aquatic and Wildlife Education Foundation.

The purpose of the festival was to promote boat and water safety and educate the public about topics concerning the Red River.

The Coast Guard re-enacted the Katrina Rescue operations of 2005, using the boats and helicopter similar to the ones featured in “The Guardian” movie filmed in Shreveport-Bossier and starring Kevin Costner.

Special attractions for the kids included alligator tales, water safety prizes and fish identification classes.

Among exhibitors were Red River Refuge Alliance/U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, FEMA, Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, Red Cross, Northwest Louisiana Fly Fishers, Port of Shreveport-Bossier, Shreveport Environmental Affairs, SPAR, Shreveport Sail and Power Squadron, Shreveport Fire Department, Bossier City Fire Department Rescue, Caddo-Bossier Sheriff’s Red River Joint Task Force, Bossier Parish Marine Patrol, J. Bennett Johnston Waterway and the National Weather Service on dangers of high water, appropriately two days after flooding rains.

Crowds continue at Lunch and Ag Discovery

The LSU AgCenter Lunch and Ag Discovery on May 19 at the Red River Research Station in Bossier City featured home vegetable gardening by Dr. Joe White. Seventy-seven people attended.

The next program is Friday, June 27, and features Ricky Kilpatrick with his Top Ten Tree Troubles list.