Spilyqy Tymoo, W3rrn Springs, Oregon Feb. 22, 2001
The Clover Speaks
Arlcne Doilcau, 4-H Agent
Minnie Tulalakua, 4-H Assistant
How to start a 4-H Club: 1. Con
tact the Warm Springs 4-H staff,
Arlcne Doilcau or Minnie Tulalakus.
2. Sit down for an initial discussion
about your club or project idea (aU
ideas are good). 3. Complete re
quired paperwork and training. This
can be done before or concurrently
with the start of your club. Require
ments include filling out the follow
ing forms: personal interview
form. . Volunteer, services applica
tion. Official 4-H registration
form. Introductory to 4-H leader
training (this will consist of view
ing two videos and attending train
ing session) 4. Set out your club
plan. Keep in mind the four- (4) ba
sic steps' of the , Club Program.
Educational Transfer. Skill De
velopment. Proficiency. Compe
tition. This is a start when you de
cide to become a 4-1 1 Leader. So step
forward and become a 4-1 1 Leaded
. Home Alone Cooking '
This is for youth at home after
school and fixing a snack
Well Little Cooks here is our
recipe, for this week. Remember
little Cooks to have someone older
in the kitchen with you, this is for
your safety, also wash your hands
before you start. Baked Potatoes in
the Microwave. You will need the
following utensils before you start:
fork, potholdcr so you don't burn
yourself when you take the potatoes
out of the microwave the potatoes
will be very hot, so be real careful.
You will also need the following in
, grcdicnts: potatoes. After you cook
the'potatocs you will need the fol
lowing ingredients to put on the
potatoes to eat. Salt, butter, sour
cream, and a glass of juice this is to
drink not put on the potato. To
microwave the potato, do the follow
ing: Wash and scrub the potato real
good, use the fork to poke several
holes in he- potato o that some of
the steam can escape as they cook.
When cooking several potatoes, it
helps to have them all the same size.
So they will finish cooking at the
same time, also place the thick end
of the potato toward the center of
the fUxr of the microwave arrange
them like the spokes of a wheel at
least an inch apart. Turn the pota
toes over and reposition halfway
through the cooking time so they
will cook evenly. Set the time for one
potato at 3-5 minutes, for several
potatoes set the time at 8-10. When
the potatoes are finished cooking
check with the fork to see if they
are done, if they are not done set the
time for 3-5 minutes more. When
they are done enjoy eating your
snack with a glass of juice. Source
of information: (Its not just for
cooking anymore what can I do with
my microwave.) by Ruth Spears.
The 4-H program here in Warm"
Springs is in need of 4-H leaders. Are
you ready to share your talents with
the youth of Warm Springs, if you
are ready please call Arlcne or
Minnie at 555-3238 or come on into
the Education Building and talk
with us,
Some dates to remember and
events to go to.
Know Your State Government,
April 18-21, Salem, Or
Interested youth in High School.
Cost of this event is I 125.00
Camp Counselor Training and
Counsclors-in-Training will be May
18&19 in Salem, Or. If you plan to
be a counselor, Please reserve this
weekend.
High Desert 4-1 1 Camp at Round
Lake is June 25-29
Call Arlene or Minnie should
you have a question.
If you are considering raising an
animal for the Jefferson County Pair
now is the time to start thinking
about buying that animal. We have
some contacts if you arc interested,
think about it. Call Arlcne or
Minnie at 553-3238
See you next time.
Natural Resource
Notables
World Amphibian
Population decline
Home Sweet Home
When we moved to Crooked
River Ranch 15 months ago, we
opted to jenf bur home until we
were sure we wanted to live there.
The landlord was interested in trav
eling fo few yers, so we had
plenty of time to make up our
minds. Or so we thought. Last
month, he gave us the bad news. His
plans changed and he would be mov
ing back in four months. Suddenly,
we were thrown into the world of
real estate agents, mortgage lenders,
interest rates and the dreaded.. .credit
reports. Trying to understand it all
and keep a perspective on what we
are able and willing to pay can be
quite difficult.
This much is clear. A good credit
score can make all the difference in
terms of what you may qualify for.
It may mean the difference between
a 7.5 rate and an 11.5 rate. It
may not SEEM like a lot., just 4..
but over the course of a 30-year
mortgage,, that is a.lpt of money.
How ar$ credit reports and scores
determined?When you apply for
any type of credit (mortgage, credit
card, etc.) your credit history is given
a "score". The automated scoring
system we use now was designed by
Fair, Isaac and Co. (FICO) in 1989.
The credit score is based on risk
models that analyze your various ,
debts and your credit history with
payment performance and compares
it to millions of other consumers.
Consumer
A M li
Reports
(www.ConsumerReports.org) iden
tifies five factors that can be used as
predictors for how well folks pay
their bills. 60 to 65 percent of the
overall score is determined by the
first two factors.
Previous payment behavior. Do
you pay your bills on time or late?
On time is better. Late is evaluated
depending on how late, how often
and how recently. Your mortgage is
the most important bill for you to
pay.
Current level of indebtedness.
What are your credit limits and
lines? What do you owe? Charging
your accounts to the maximum con
sistently is not good. Credit should
be used only when it is needed not
as a supplement to your income. If
you accept a credit line increase, the
company is responsible for report
ing that increased credit line. If it is
not reported in a timely manner,
your credit report may reflect that
you have exceeded your balance.
Length of time credit has been
in use. A new line of credit is con
sidered a risk. Can you handle the
burden of additional credit? Until
you prove that you can make respon
sible and regular payments over a
period of time, the new account adds
to your credit burden.
Pursuit of new credit. Each time
you apply for new .credit, a new
credit report is issued. Someone who
is requesting or searching for addi
tional lines of credit in a short pe
riod of time is considered "risky", mind that most lenders don't incli
If you are searching for the best deal ' cate that a credit card is secured, so
in order to finance a car, the model it appears as an unsecured credit. If
allows for that and you are not pe- you are trying to rebuild credit then
nalized. However, if you apply for secured credit cards are an excellent
the different lines of credit or loans,"' way to achieve that,
then your score will be impacted. Keeping your record - credit
Types of credit In use. Variety is ' record - clean can be a challenge es
the spice of life. This is also true for , pecially if your household or em
credit lines. Lenders like to see more ' ployment situation changes. The
than just an auto loan or a mortgage, good news - it is possible and it is
They like to see how you handle a definitely worth the financial ben
variety of payment options. Keep in efits.
Scientists worldwide, including
Oregon State University zoology
professor Andrew Blaustcin, are ex
pressing deep concern about the
trend of declining amphibian popu
lations. Many say that this is a sign
that the health of our planet is in
jeopardy.
Progs, toads, salamanders, and
others have been the subject of in
tense research in Oregon for years -and
all arc declining rapidly. In re
cent years, 14 species of amphibians
have disappeared from Australia,
along with a host of other species in
Europe, South America, Asia, and
Africa.
Amphibians are extremely sensi
tive to the environment. Mr.
blaustein comments that "the over
all result is that this group of ani
mals, which has been around since
the time of the dinosaurs, is now in
serious decline all over the world.
And some of the things that are kill
ing frogs almost certainly have im
plications for other animal species,
including humans."
Some of the things that may be
responsible include changes in glo
bal climate (global warming), insec
ticides, crop fertilizers, viruses, and
industrial pollution. It doesn't mean
that just one of these causes is re
sponsible for everything, but when
they are all added up together it pre
sents a major problem for the health
of the planet.
There are 5 Northwest species of
frog which are listed as candidates
for the endangered species list: Cas
cades frog, red-legged frog, Oregon
spotted frog, Columbia spotted frog,
and the Western toad.
Destruction of habitat (wetlands)
is considered to be the primary cause
for amphibians decline, however,
biologists list other factors. Out
breaks of a lethal skin fungus have
been found throughout western
states. A fungus which kills larvae
and adult amphibians has been
found in Oregon. Non-native preda
tors (bullfrogs, trout) have taken a
heavy toll on native amphibian
populations. Pollutants such as ex
cess herbicides and crop fertilizers
degrade the quality of the environ
ment for amphibian species.
Mr. Blaustein's research has also
shown that increased levels of UV
B radiation, caused by the thinning
of the Earth's protective ozone layer,
is negatively affecting salamander
eggs in the Cascades and causing eye
damage to the Cascades frog.
Get plugged
into good
news about
education
c
in i t i is ii 1 1 nail
Grandpar
ents
raising
grandchildren: legal
and policy issues
The ' national satellite
videoconference "Grandparents
Raising Grandchildren: Legal and
Policy Issues" will be offered on
February 27, 2001 from 10:30-1:30
PST in the 1" Floor Training Room,
Education' Building. The
videoconference will look at some
of the legal concerns of grandparents
raising grandchildren and the agen
cies and professionals they work
with. The program will explore the
implications of various forms of in
formal and formal custody arrange
ments, how laws and policies impact
custodial caregivers, ways to improve
interaction between grandparents
and professionals, including lawyers,
medical personnel, schools and so
cial service providers and how states
might design and implement
changes in state laws. It will explore
custody arrangements and implica
tions, how to work with local ser
vice providers, and how some states
have made changes in laws.
Grandparents and service provid
ers will learn about various forms
of informal and formal custody ar
rangements, how laws and public
policies impact custodial caregivers,
how to improve interaction with
medical, school, legal and social ser
vices providers, and how to design
and implement changes in legislation
in their state. Participants will have
the opportunity to ask questions of
a studio panel and share information
with a national audience.
In addition to Warm Springs
OSU Extension, local sponsors in
clude the Warm Springs Senior Pro
gram, I.H.S. Public Health and Or
egon AARP. National Sponsors are
the Cooperative Extension Services
of the University of Wisconsin-Extension
and Purdue University,
AARP, Generations United and the
National Association of State Units
on Aging. For more information or
to register for the upcoming video
satellite program, contact Bemadette
Hover, OSU Extension 541-553-3535.
OSU Extension wants you to
Get plugged into the good news
about education. '
The Satellite Town Meeting is the j
U.S. Department of Education's
monthly live broadcast about im
provements in teaching and learn
ing that are happening in schools
and communities across the nation.
On each show, the Secretary of Edu
cation invites national experts as well
as local educators and community
leaders to share their ideas about
how schools are preparing all stu
dents for the challenges of the 21st
century. ' "
In panel discussions with parents,
teachers, principals and business ex
perts, as well as videotaped reports
on innovative schools, viewer call
ins, and special segments on re
sources, the Satellite Town Meeting
focuses on what works.
The Secretary and his guests talk
about the most important issues fac
ing today's schools and communi
ties - improving reading skills, ex
panding technology, boosting stu
dent achievement, assuring safety,
serving children with disabilities,
raising mathematics performance,
and more. Communities and local
school systems around the country
are working collaboratively in new
and creative ways to help make
schools safer for students. Effective
strategies include communitywide
and schoolwide efforts that promote
healthy child development and re
duce school violence and drug abuse.
Keeping Schools and Commu
nities Safe: Collaborating for
Healthy Children
Tuesday February 20, 2001 - 5:00 PM
PST, 1" Floor Training Room, Edu
cation Building.
The February Satellite Town Meet
ing will feature people and programs
that are implementing tailored strat
egies, focused on prevention, inter
vention and accountability.
Upcoming Satellite Town Meet
ings Tuesday March 20, 2001
Tuesday April 17, 2001
Tuesday May 15, 2001
Tuesday June 19, 2001
Town Meetings will be broadcast
from 5:00 - 6:00 PM. For more in
formation or to register for the event,
contact Bernadette Hoyer, OSU
Extension 553-3535.
toekman's Roundup:
Nation marks milestone in
Brucellosis eradication
As the year 2000 drew to a close,
the nation marked an historic mo
ment in the fight to eradicate bru
cellosis. For the first time in
memory, there is no known brucel
losis infection in commercial cattle
or bison in the United States.
"We reached an apparent zero in
fection in late December when
Florida lifted a quarantine on a pre
viously infected herd that had been
cleaned up and Texas depopulated its
last known infected herd," said Dr.
Bob Hillman, president of the
United States Animal Health Asso
ciation (USAHA). USAHA, an or
ganization composed of state and
federal veterinarians, laboratory di
agnosticians, researchers, academics
and livestock producers, has been
instrumental in developing and rec
ommending implementation of
standards for the cooperative state
federal brucellosis eradication pro
gram. Brucellosis is a bacterial dis
ease that causes cattle and some
other species of animals, such as bi
son and elk, to abort, deliver weak
calves or produce less milk. In hu
mans, where it is also called undu
lant fever or Malta fever, the disease
causes severe flu-like symptoms that
can last for months or years if left
untreated.
Hillman pointed out that no
newly infected herds have been
found in the United States since last
July when infection was disclosed in
a cattle herd in Navarro County,
Texas. "However," he added, "we
can't afford to relax our surveillance
efforts. This is an insidious diseases
whose signs are not always easily
seen."
Hillman noted that currently the
only remaining foci of brucellosis in
the United States is in the Greater
Yellowstone Area, which includes
Yellowstone National Park, Grand
Teton National park, the National
Elk Refuge and portions of Idaho,
Montana and Wyoming, where free
ranging bison and elk are infected.
These animals pose a disease threat
to cattle in surrounding brucellosis-
free states and serve as the only
known source for reintroduction of
the disease into domestic cattle and
bison herds. Hillman said that state
and federal officials are working to
develop and implement plans to con
trol and eventually eliminate brucel
losis from bison and elk in the
Greater Yellowstone Area.
Currently, 46 States, Puerto Rico
and the U.S. Virgin Islands are clas
sified as brucellosis-free, meaning
that they have had no infected cattle
or domestic bison herds for at least
one year and have active surveillance
programs in place for the disease.
Four states Florida, Missouri,
Oklahoma and Texas are in the fi
nal stage of eradicating the disease
and, with no known infection at this
time, are now in the final one-year
countdown phase.
The U.S. Department of
Agriculture's Animal and Plant
Health Inspection Service carry out
the brucellosis eradication program
in cooperation with the cattle indus
try and animal health agencies in the
various states. Efforts to combat
brucellosis began as part of a cattle
reduction program in July 1934 be
cause of extreme drought conditions.
The program lapsed during World
War II, but was accelerated in 1954
as an eradication effort with addi
tional funds. At that time, an esti
mated 124,000 cattle herds were in
fected with the disease.
A major boost to program opera
tions came in 1978 when a special
commission completed a two- year
study by concluding, "control lead
ing to eradication is biologically fea
sible." By August 1990, the num
ber of quarantined herds had
dropped below the 1,000 mark and
five years later to fewer than 100. In
1997, the Brucellosis Emergency
Action Plan, which provided addi
tional funds and procedures, was
implemented.
"Our progress in eradicating this
disease can be directly credited to
producer cooperation and the efforts
of state, federal and private veterinar
ians," Hillman said. "All are to be
congratulated. But, while we 'have
reached this historic milestone, we
can't become complacent about this
insidious disease. We must continue
active surveillance until we are sure
that no more infected herds exist in
the United States". It has been esti
mated that if brucellosis were al
lowed to spread, beef and dairy pro
duction costs would increase by an
estimated $80 million within 10
years.
SOME CATTLE and horses don't have much respect for a cattle
guard. This is another idea that should slow em down some
while permitting a car to drive over. The bicycle tube will
stretch enough to allow the wheels to pass but you will have to
experiment some on the right height to prevent snagging.