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.