4-H'ers, travel the world at your public library

We found another wonderful program offered through the Douglas County Library District. Here's your chance to learn about different places in the world.

"The World Travel Series returns to Parker Library (10851 South Crossroads Drive) this April. Every Wednesday at 7:00 p.m. from April 1-22 features a new adventure.

April 1 - Alaska Adventure
This lively and humorous presentation is suitable for all ages and features photos of the last frontier, artifacts, and a discussion. Naomi Gaede-Penner is the author of the non-fiction "Prescription for Adventure" book series, which tell stories of her parents and her family. Her books "Prescription for Finding Home in Alaska" and "Prescription for Adventure: Bush Pilot Doctor" will be available for purchase.

April 8 - Peace Corps Experience in Samoa
Valerie Hopkins will share her experiences living in Samoa as a Peace Corps volunteer. She'll also provide tips to travelers who may want to see Samoa's beautiful beaches, its distinctive artwork, or Robert Louis Stevenson's home.

April 15 - A New Look at Vietnam
If the thought of Vietnam conjures images of "Apocalypse Now"- you don't know the Vietnam of today! Rochelle Logan and Andrea Wyant will share stories about their recent adventure in Vietnam - its friendly people, untouched beaches, fresh seafood, and bustling markets.

April 22 - Amazon Rain Forest
Journey to a world of exotic beauty deep in the heart of Brazil. Jose Goncalves will share his experiences in the native villages on the banks of the Amazon River. See their homes, families, children, and artwork. You'll also see villages in the areas of the rainforest that have been deforested and see its impact on the people living there.

There is no registration necessary for these events - just drop in! For more information, stop by your library, call 303-791-READ, or visit the Programs & Events calendar at DouglasCountyLibraries.org.

Original posting located at http://denver.yourhub.com/Parker/Stories/News/About-Town/Story~593239.aspx

4-H members, here's an interesting program: The Making of Cloth and Culture

We found a program that may be of interest to our 4-H members who work with cloth. Quoting straight from a press release from the Douglas County Library District:

"A program at Highlands Ranch Library (9292 Ridgeline Boulevard) takes a serious and fascinating look at "Tools of the Trade: The Making of Cloth and Culture" on Saturday, March 28 at 1 p.m. This hands-on class will demonstrate the production of cloth, how both antique and modern tools are used, and how our culture and language has been influenced by cloth production.

Registration is required. To book your spot, stop by your library, call 303-791-READ, or visit the Programs & Events calendar at DouglasCountyLibraries.org.

Fiber artist and librarian Gage Evans will present the program. Evans teaches a variety of classes from felt-making to doll-making to fiber arts history. She's been weaving for twenty years and has studied fiber arts through her associations nationwide."

Original posting located at http://denver.yourhub.com/HighlandsRanch/Stories/News/About-Town/Story~593223.aspx

4-H knitters, enter a local contest at the Castle Rock library

We know we have some knitters out there in Douglas County 4-H. Show off your skills at the latest contest in Castle Rock at the Philip S. Miller Library (100 S. Wilcox).

"April 1 through May 30, teens can register and submit any piece of knitted work. From June 2-30, the knitted art will be displayed in the Aloha Teen Tower at the library and patrons can vote for their favorite piece. Ribbons for the top three winners will be awarded on Wednesday, July 1.

Stop by the Aloha Teen Tower at Philip S. Miller Library in Castle Rock to pick up a copy of the rules and register."

Schedule

• April 1 to May 30 - register and submit knitted work
• June 2 to 30 - patrons vote for best knitted piece on display
• July 1 - ribbons awarded for top three knitted works

Original posting located at http://denver.yourhub.com/CastleRock/Stories/News/About-Town/Story~593252.aspx

Former DC 4-H member chosen for prestigious college team

Many of you know Hannah Mills from the many years she was a member of Douglas County 4-H. She is currently attending Northeastern Junior College and was recently selected to be part of the 2009 All Colorado Phi Theta Kappa Team.

Here is a quote from a recent press release: "Mill’s winning application at the local level has been submitted to the state where she will compete among other students for an overall state scholar award. The top recipient will represent Colorado at a national Phi Theta Kappa event later this year. Phi Theta Kappa (PTK) is a national organization that encourages and recognizes outstanding academic performance by students enrolled in two-year colleges nationwide."

To read more about Hannah, go to this article http://www.njc.edu/news/article.aspx?id=479

Know any good news about former Douglas County 4-H members? Send it to the 4-H Office at 4H@douglas.co.us. We always like to hear what our young people have been up to.

FFA hosts annual Service Auction and Oyster Fry

The Douglas County 4-H Program and the Douglas County FFA Chapter often work closely together, so thought we'd let you know of an upcoming FFA event.

"Douglas County FFA Chapter has been organizing their 14th annual Service Auction and Oyster Fry. The auction is being held at Kirk Hall located at the Douglas County Fair Grounds. Taking place the evening of April 3, 2009, with music and dinner starting at 6:30 p.m. and the auction will start at 7:30 p.m. This annual event is the Douglas County FFA Chapter's largest fundraiser of the year."

For more details and the full story, go to http://denver.yourhub.com/CastleRock/Stories/Fundraising/Story~592856.aspx

We need 4-H members to attend Youth Congress 2009

Douglas County is hosting Youth Congress 2009 on April 18th. Some of you may remember this event from last year.

This is an opportunity for high school age youth delegates to interact with their elected officials, learn about policy process, and influence laws and policies that affect them and their families every day.

This year there will be a Nobel Peace Prize winner as the keynote speaker! Dawn Engel will talk about what inspired her to start PeaceJam and how that organization works every day toward improving policies, laws and practices worldwide in order to promote peace and improve the welfare of all our planetary citizens. She believes in the power of young people to change the world. Check out her website at http://www.peacejam.org/

Sign-in starts at 8:30 a.m. and the event begins at 9:00 a.m. It is being held at the Philip S. Miller Administration Building, 100 Third Street, in Castle Rock (the building next to the new parking structure).

We REALLY want some 4-H delegates to attend this important event. Please call Carla Turner to register at 303-688-4825 x5327 or by email at cturner@douglas.co.us.

If you do attend, call Melody after the event. She will do a brief interview with you on how it went and what you learned, and then post it to the blog.

Teen Game Week at your Castle Rock Library

Spring Break is coming up and the Phillip S. Miller Library in Castle Rock has scheduled some fun events for teens 12-18. Deal cards, show your dance moves, and play in a rock band tournament.

Information straight from the library:

"Teens get ready to game every day from 1 to 4 p.m.

Tuesday, March 24: It's Casino Day! Play Texas Hold 'Em and Black Jack with your friends.

Wednesday, March 25: Dance, Dance Revolution! Show off your moves and find out if you're the best dancer in the library.

Thursday, March 26: Rock Band Tournament! Put together a band and see if you have what it takes to be a star. You can create your band before you come, or find band mates when you get to the library.

No registration is required for these events - just drop by! For more information, stop by your library, call 303-791-READ, or visit the Programs & Events calendar at DouglasCountyLibraries.org."

Original story located at http://denver.yourhub.com/CastleRock/Stories/News/About-Town/Story~590968.aspx

Calling all Douglas County 4-H jazz musicians!

Hello Douglas County 4-H community,

The state 4-H office is seeking 4-H member talent from across the state to form a 4-H jazz band to play for the 2009 Colorado 4-H Gala that will be held on October 3 at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science.

A flyer with more information and an audition form were both emailed to all of you on Wednesday, March 11. Jeramy McNeely, Cheyenne County 4-H agent, has volunteered to provide leadership toward this effort. If there are other 4-H agents or volunteer leaders who would like to be involved, just let Jeff Goodwin, State 4-H Program Leader, know at 970-491-1152 or by email at jeff.goodwin@colostate.edu.

If the state has sufficient response to the talent call by the May 1 deadline, they will have a 4-H Jazz Band audition and practice session at State 4-H Conference in June. If things go well at the practice session and the group shows promise, they will schedule another practice session some time during state fair with a possibility of other practice sessions along the way.

The short term goal for this jazz band is to perform at the 2009 Gala. A possible long term goal might be for such a musical group to be the start of an ongoing and expanding Colorado 4-H performing arts troupe such as the Clovers and Company 4-H performing arts group in Georgia. The Clovers and Company 4-H performing arts group has been in existence for more than 25 years and has spawned such talent as Jennifer Nettles of the group Sugarland. Check out their website at http://www.georgia4h.org/public/edops/cloversandcompany/.

Jeff has spoken with the state 4-H leader in Georgia about the structure and implementation for such an effort. The positive youth development, as well as the public relations potential that might come from this effort, could prove to be significant for the Colorado 4-H program.

So once again, Jeff is calling on county staff and volunteers to see if this idea can take flight. Let him know if you have any questions or suggestions.

Get to know your new Douglas County 4-H Agent Michael Lackey

Michael stopped by the 4-H office today to visit us. I pinned him down and asked lots of questions so we can all get to know him a little bit better. He didn't escape Melody! His first day here will be March 23.

Michael was born in Durango, CO and raised in Cortez. His parents and younger brother still live there. The Lackey family owned a video store when he was growing up, and so Michael's first job was working amongst lots of movies.

Our new agent, and former 4-H'er, has both a Bachelor's and a Master's Degree in Animal Sciences. The first he earned at our very own CSU. He went on to earn his Master's at Angelo State University in Texas.

Other than that first video store job, all of Michael's other jobs have been animal-related including a hog farm in Iowa, the CSU School Farm, and Kiowa Creek Ranch. He's also been active judging a variety of county fairs all over Wyoming, Montana, Indiana, Oregon, Nebraska as well as Colorado counties including Elbert, Larimer, and Logan.

When he has time, Michael enjoys camping, fishing, and motorcycle riding. In fact, he owns a Harley and is seeking housing with a garage just for his motorcycle!

His favorites list:

• Color: green
• Food: everything! His favorite food to make is barbecued ribs.
• Movies: Tombstone - he can't name other favorites because he likes all movies, an addiction from his days working in the family video store.

Surprising fact: Michael did not grow up on a farm. The family spent winters snowmobiling and summers hanging out on a houseboat - until he joined 4-H. Then he spent all his time raising swine and beef, and loving every minute of it. Now that I think about it, I didn't ask if the family moved to a property big enough for his animals. That's something you all will have to find out.

We encourage all of you to come to the monthly 4-H Council meeting on Monday, April 6th, at the Extension Office and meet your new agent. Michael welcomes the opportunity to work with the Douglas County 4-H community.

4-H'ers participate in worldwide Earth Hour on March 28, 2009

The state 4-H office made an announcement regarding Earth Hour and strongly encourages 4-H members and leaders to get involved. All the details below come from Ellen Butler and were posted on the state 4-H site.

"On Saturday, March 28, 2009, at 8:30 p.m. local time, tens of millions of people will turn off all of their lights for an hour in support of the future of our planet. Earth Hour, an event led by the World Wildlife Fund, is now the largest event of its kind in the world.

Last year, more than 50 million people around the world participated in the second annual Earth Hour. Lights went out at the Empire State Building, the Golden Gate Bridge, the Sydney Opera House and the Coliseum in Rome, just to name a few. Even Google’s home page went black for the day and President Shimon Peres personally turned off lights in Tel Aviv.

This year, Earth Hour will be even bigger–already 250 cities in 74 countries have agreed to take part including Atlanta, Chicago, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Miami and Nashville with more signing up every day. National 4-H Council has partnered with the World Wildlife Fund to address climate change as one of the most serious problems facing our world today. 4-H’ers can participate in Earth Hour too - in their own homes or by organizing and encouraging others to participate.

Participating in Earth Hour is easy, fun and free. It’s also a wonderful opportunity for 4-H friends and families to gather together and think about the issues confronting our planet and the ways that we can work together to make a positive difference. To sign up, visit Earth Hour US to learn more including ways to spread the word about Earth Hour and creative things to do when the lights go out on March 28 at 8:30 p.m."

Taking shooting sports or sportfishing projects? Here's a volunteer opportunity...

Douglas County 4-H'ers, here's a volunteer opportunity for those taking sportfishing and/or shooting sports projects. The information below is straight from the state 4-H blog.

"Here’s a great oppportunity to do some fundraising and promote 4-H at the same time at the Denver Bass Pro Shops store. We need adult and youth volunteers to help represent and promote the Colorado 4-H Sportfishing and Shooting Sports Programs during the Bass Pro Spring Fishing Classic event. Specifically, we need help in running the Kid’s Fishing Pond - you may have seen it at the Sportsmen’s Exposition earlier this year. We may also need help at the informational booths and fun activity areas.

There is also an opportunity for a 4-H group to set up a concession stand in front of the store (I have been told that all permits and health forms have been arranged for through the Fish Company Restaurant which is part of the Bass Pro store complex). If you decide that your group wants to set up concessions, all profits will remain with your group! On a personal note, I’ve seen the crowds that can be at these events and your 4-H group could make good money for your efforts!

The events (where we need your help) run from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on Saturday, March 14 and Sunday, March 15. We know that there are several other events going on that weekend, including a 4-H Shooting Sports Leader workshop in Greeley and the Rocky Mountain Horse Expo, but this is an excellent opportunity to promote 4-H and to generate some funds for your organization.

If you can help out please contact Jim Hamilton at 719.846.7403 or by e-mail at jim.hamilton@colostate.edu. We need to know ASAP if you are willing to help. Concessions will be on a first come first served basis."

Pictures of our chicks in the 4-H Office

Hi folks,

We've had a successful hatch so far and have 10 chicks. We thought we'd post a few pictures for you all to see. They will all be leaving by the end of today.


We have three turkey eggs ready to hatch on Wednesday, March 11th. All are welcome to come take a look next week.

Here's little Molly holding one of the chicks. Several youngsters have come to see our chicks, and some even witnessed hatching. Public awareness of the programs we offer in 4-H has increased, and we hope to host other such events this year.



Melody

Chicks are hatching in the 4-H office today

Some of you know we're hatching chicks and turkeys in the Douglas County 4-H office this year and have invited the public.

Well, we have 6 chicks so far and several more working on it!

They will only be here until Friday, March 6th so come on down and see them.

Next week, we anticipate our three turkeys will hatch on March 11th. You're welcome to come on over and see them too.

The 4-H Program is housed in the CSU Extension Office located at 410 Fairgrounds Road in Castle Rock. We are open Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.

Douglas County 4-H Creative Cooks Contest in April

Douglas County 4-H members are invited to enter the Creative Cooks Contest coming up in April. Take a look at the details below.

April 18th, 2009 beginning at 9:00 a.m. in Kirk Hall on the Douglas County Fairgrounds.

Registrations due April 1st.

Any 4-H'er may participate. You do not have to be enrolled in a foods unit. You may enter as an individual, club, or a team (a team consists of 2). Think of a creative theme and carry it throughout your entry. If you are interested in attending, pick up a complete packet of information, rules, and entry forms at the office, or download the forms on the 4-H website under the Coming Events tab: http://www.coopext.colostate.edu/douglas/4h_files/upcomingevents.htm

Free presentation in March: Camping with Your Horse

Front Range Back Country Horsemen of America invites you to their presentation of

CAMPING WITH YOUR HORSE

Everyone invited from first-timer to advanced.

Date: Saturday, 3/28/08
Time: 12:30 to 4:00 P.M.
Where: Jefferson County Fairgrounds, ‘Pole’ Building
Cost: No charge for admission

Demonstrations, discussion and literature include:
· Trailer, tent, and pack-in campsites
· Care of your horse – tying to a trailer, use of a portable corral, high-line tying and hobbling
· Recommended equipment and the basics of packing a horse
· Information regarding the “necessities” (toilets and showers)

Hot dogs, chips and lemonade available for snacking. No RSVP necessary. Call Julie Sabados with any questions at 720-733-0399.