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About Cottage Grove sentinel. (Cottage Grove, Or.) 1909-current | View Entire Issue (May 27, 2015)
COTTAGE GROVE SENTINEL May 27, 2015 11A ol l Zone Z o one e The inside scoop on Cottage Grove-area schools May 27, 2015 Lincoln program builds bridge to enhanced life skills BY JEREMY SMITH LMS Principal T his year, Lincoln Middle School’s “Bridge Program” has been mak- ing it a goal to implement life skills and character development; but lately, things have been taken to new heights. “Our primary focus is to teach stu- dents real life skills that they will need to be successful in school and in the workforce,” says Dawn Stetina, Bridge Program teacher. The program fi rst contacted Crux Rock Climbing Gym in Eugene with hopes of making a visit, but they were taken back when they were offered one-month memberships for their students. “This opportunity has given them the chance to advance their executive func- tioning and motor planning, and it has helped them to assess problems in a dif- ferent way by planning ahead,” Stetina explained. Stetina further explained that although they are learning these skills outside of the classroom, it has helped them overcome obstacles and gain con- fi dence in areas of their personal and academic life. “It has been phenomenal to see the improvement the students have made in such a short amount of time. They are interacting with each other differently by showing genuine interest for their classmates, and overcoming obstacles academically.” Although they have had different op- portunities throughout this year outside of the classroom, it seems that none have quite measured up to the experi- ence they have gained as of late. Ryan West, an Educational Assistant within the LMS Bridge Program, explained that “we have watched these kids grow in huge amounts. They are literally bouldering problems and overcoming personal fears of height and confi dence. They have to place their trust in us, and in their classmates.” After the students have proven re- sponsibility and maturity, they are able to start to belay for their fellow class- mates. Stetina explained that they work on life skills everyday in their classroom, and she has been blown away at the courtesy photo perseverance, proactive communica- Bailey Abbott takes on the rock wall at Crux tion and self esteem that the students in Rock Climbing Gym in Eugene. her classroom have been able to obtain by having this opportunity. courtesy photo Outgoing Dorena teachers Mrs. Willis and Mrs. Edwards were among the many enjoying the school's annual "The Beat Goes On" fundraiser, which raises funds for the school's music instructor. Beat Goes On garners funds at Dorena D orena School held its annual fundraiser, "The Beat Goes On," on Friday, May 15, and organizers called the event a great success. Students performed various styles of dance; the school celebrated the retirement of three ad- mired teachers, and guests enjoyed the great music of The Men from S.U.R.F, who volunteer their musical talents ev- ery year for this community event. The school raised around $2,000 to pay for a music teacher next year. The school says the event was a great success because of the many staff and parents who worked so hard to pull it together. Easy ways to fi ght the ‘big four’ foes of roses BY KYM POKORNY OSU Extension Service C harmingly warm weather coaxed roses into bloom early this year, which means dealing with the usual diseases and pests earlier, too. When it comes to one of the county’s most popular perennial plants, the “big four” vexations are powdery mildew, black spot, rust and aphids, according to Jay W. Pscheidt, a plant pathol- ogy specialist with Oregon State University’s Extension Service. More recently, downy mildew, which looks strikingly similar to black spot, has become an in- creasing problem. “People are confusing them,” he said. “It’s diffi cult to tell the two apart.” However, the black spots made by downy mildew spores are not as dark and can have an angular appearance. Under moist conditions, you might see a gray, downy-looking growth on the undersides of the leaves. After the relatively dry weath- er this year, black spot will be less of an issue, Pscheidt said, while the incidence of rust may be greater than normal. Rust, which begins in spring and peaks in early summer, appears as orange pustules that can blan- ket the foliage in worst-case scenarios. As the name suggests, pow- dery mildew shows up as a white powder covering the leaves, but without the black blotches typi- cal of downy mildew and black spot, he said. It usually hits roses during the transition into sum- mer’s driest time, particularly when dry days are followed by nights with high humidity. Insects are less of an issue with roses. Aphids are about all Turn an ordinary room into an extraordinary experience. 29 South 6th Street Cottage Grove (541) 942-5036 gardeners have to worry about in Oregon and are fairly easy to control, according to Gail Langellotto, Master Gardener coordinator for Oregon State University’s Extension Service. Her fi rst line of defense would be to squish some with her fi n- gers to release a chemical signal that attracts natural enemies like lacewings, ladybird beetles and parasitoid wasps. Follow that with a strong spray of water from the hose to wash the re- maining aphids to the ground. “Aphids are poor climbers,” she said, “and are less likely reestablish because they run a high risk of getting eaten by ground-roving predators, such as spiders and beetles.” Since aphid numbers can ex- plode on nitrogen-rich plants, it’s a good idea to use an organic fertilizer, or a slow-release syn- thetic fertilizer that will give them less readily available ni- trogen. As for diseases, the best strat- egy is to start with disease-resis- tant cultivars. “Buy fi sherman roses,” Ps- cheidt said. “The types that you can plant and then go fi shing. Breeders are always coming up with new plants that resist pests. Local retail nurseries will gen- erally have a good list for you.” But just because a rose is an older variety doesn’t mean they don’t fi ght off disease. OSU Extension’s Pacifi c Northwest Plant Disease Control Hand- book offers a list of classics that fi ght the good fi ght against black spot, rust and powdery mildew. Longtime favorite hybrid teas ‘Just Joey,’ ‘Chicago Peace’ and ‘Mr. Lincoln’ are on the roster. ‘Gold Medal’ and ‘Queen Eliza- beth’ grandifl oras made the cut, as did the well-known fl oribun- da roses ‘Playboy,’ ‘Sexy Rexy’ and ‘Iceberg.’ In addition to careful selec- tion, prevention is the next best strategy and Pscheidt has some recommendations: Don’t crowd plants. Space adequately so sun will penetrate and air will circulate to dry foli- age quickly after rain or water- ing. When pruning roses in late winter, clean up foliage thor- oughly with a rake or leaf blow- er and remove diseased stems. Use soaker hoses to water when possible. If using an over- head sprinkler, irrigate so that foliage has time to dry out be- fore evening. If desired, spray early with an organic or chemical fungicide or pesticide. Always follow la- bel instructions. For more information, refer to the OSU Extension publica- tion Controlling Diseases and Aphids on Your Roses or get help from a Master Gardener in your area.
