| | Dr. Hanna Hanna gave a presentation on hydroponic tomatoes as part of an afternoon of plant kingdom presentations at the Sci-Port Discovery Center on March 22, 2008. |
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| | Chef Mario Hernandez demonstrated how to make eye-catching fruit decorations at the Area Commodity Cookery Contest held at Louisiana Technical College April 16, 2008. |
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| | Rick Rowe did a spot for the KTBS Weather Road Tour at the Red River Station during Youth Wetlands Week. |
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4-H
Centennial celebrated at Mudbugs game
The 4-H centennial marketing fund received a $1,300 donation March 15 in a unique location -- on the ice, the Bossier-Shreveport Mudbugs hockey team ice. ReAzalia Allen, state 4-H secretary-treasurer, presented the check to Renee Castro, centennial coordinator, at 4-H Day at the Mudbugs. The game was played at the CenturyTel Center in Bossier City. Almost 900 tickets for 4-H’ers were sold. At the tailgate party, guests consumed 90 pizzas, two cakes and 500 cups of punch. Joe Barrett coordinated the event and Laura Brumbaugh handled ticket and T-shirt sales, red with the centennial logo in white. The game program included a salute to the 4-H Hall of Fame members from Northwest Louisiana. Nine 4-H’ers lined up on the ice to answer 4-H trivia questions correctly and inch up closer to find green pucks that indicated prizes. The 4 H’ers had to answer what the four H’s stand for, the year the organization was founded and how many countries have 4-H organizations. Dwight Landreneau, associate vice chancellor, was trying to learn the Mudbugs cheers and children were doing the chicken dance and other crowd pleasers that take place during intermissions. The Mudbugs beat the Mississippi River Kings 3-0.
Cookery includes demos; Extravaganza fun-filled; livestock show has champs
The Area Commodity Cookery Contest was held at Louisiana Technical College April 16. Besides judging, Chef Mario Hernandez demonstrated how to make eye-catching fruit decorations. First place winners were shrimp, Aaron Savell, Natchitoches; crawfish, Tyler Roberts, Natchitoches; beef one-dish meal, Ascie Candler, Bossier; beef quick and easy, Brantly Ranger, Webster; egg appetizer/salad, Ayana Scott, Caddo; egg main dish, Nicole Torres, Sabine; egg dessert, Ashton Ebarb, Sabine; chicken, John Medlin, Bossier; other poultry, Alex Mitchell, Bossier; pecan cookies, Melaina Calhoun, Bienville; pecan candy, Josie Tolar, Jackson; and other pecan, Chris Kennedy, Lincoln.
The 4-H Extravaganza for Caddo Parish elementary school students on April 18 included an obstacle course, jump roping, nutrition Jeopardy, line dancing, cup stacking, tennis, yoga and body mass index. Fifteen schools participated in the fun-filled educational day.
Natchitoches Parish had five champions in the Southern University Livestock Show.
In dairy results, Rena Yount placed first in Reserve Junior Champion Jersey, Junior Champion Jersey and Reserve Supreme Champion Dairy Cow. In showmanship, Abi Yount won first in 13- to-15 year old and Rena Yount first in 10-to-12 year old. In beef results, Baylee Ray placed first in Brangus bulls and Brangus heifers; Jake LaCaze placed first in Brangus bulls and Reserve Champion Brahman-influenced bull and first in Brangus heifers; and Chad Walker, first in Angus bulls and Reserve Champion non Brahman-influenced bull. In showmanship, Baylee Ray placed first in 7-to-9 year old and Jake LaCaze, first in 10-to-12 year old.
Employees
Calvin Walker is the new Webster Parish assistant county agent. He taught third grade for three years and has been an archery instructor at 4-H Camp. Walker, 32, is single. He is a 1994 graduate of Minden High School and 2004 graduate of Louisiana Tech University with a B.A. in Educational Services. He worked his way through college at Western Auto. He is past president of the Minden Jaycees and a member of Emmanuel Missionary Baptist Church.
Media
Red River Parish provided youth for a spot with Rick Rowe on KTBS for Youth Wetlands Week at the Red River Station and for the KSLA Weather Road Tour in Minden.
Upcoming
The Webster 4-H Awards banquet will be May 6, Celebrate Girls graduation is May 13, and Fun Day is May 16 at the Fair Grounds. The Bossier awards banquet is also May 6 at Bossier High School. Caddo’s awards day is at Riverview Hall on May 7.
Bossier Fun Day is May 13-14 at the Bossier Civic Center.
The 4-H Clover Festival in Red River Parish is slated for May 17. Plans include a Clover Queen contest, food booths, parade, cookery contests and more.
A pond management course for agents will be held at the Red River Station on May 20.
Lagniappe
Local exhibit, book feature Parker Coliseum
Somdal Associates, a Shreveport architectural firm, is celebrating a century in business with an exhibit of drawings and photographs showing the firm’s storied history of building design at the Louisiana State Exhibit Museum. The exhibit includes historical documents of many of the structures designed by the firm, including Parker Coliseum, Evangeline Dorm and the Tiger Summer Cage, all built in 1937.
There is also a beautiful photo of the interior of the LSU AgCenter’s Parker Coliseum with the basketball court set up when basketball games were held there in “Shooting the Pistol—Courtside Pictures of Pete Maravich at LSU,” the just-released book from LSU Press. There is also mention of rodeos and the annual livestock show being held there, as well as the building of the new assembly center because of the way the basketball court had to be constructed over the dirt floor. “I also mentioned that it had the nickname ‘Cow Palace’ when I was there,” said author Danny Brown, a journalism student at LSU during most of Maravich's college years who took hundreds of photographs at LSU basketball games as part of his course work. In Shooting The Pistol, Brown offers more than 80 photographs—most never before published—of Maravich in action, along with game statistics and personal recollections.
AgCenter Librarian willing to assist
Jorie Porter is the new LSU Agriculture Liaison Librarian. Her office is in Middleton Library 141-6 on the Baton Rouge campus, and she can be contacted by e-mail: eiroj2@lsu.edu or by phone (225) 578-9433.
She is available to answer reference questions, recommend resources for research and provide training on various resources, including databases and resources available via the World Wide Web. Porter is willing to meet with groups or classes or one-on-one as needed.