The Link

2/4/2010
FRANKLIN COUNTY ISU EXT OFC

FRANKLIN EXTENSION PACKET

Extension Notes

By Gary Hall, Iowa State University Regional Extension Education Director

Time for Valentine's Day

Looking to make that big impression on your partner on Valentine's Day? I finally found a great idea that will not cost you an arm and a leg. Yes, it has taken me many years of marriage to realize this gift is more important than something I can buy from a store.

A Family Specialist has indicated that for many adult relationships, spending money on the significant other is of less concern than spending time.

Older couples that have spent several Valentine's Days together realize the importance of just spending time together. I hate to admit it but I'm half of an older couple and I should have recognized this long ago. Just planning a weekend trip together that doesn't have to include five-star hotels or fancy restaurants will send the right message. Or we could stay home, prepare dinner together and watch a movie.

A younger couple that doesn't have the years of togetherness might feel compelled to try to impress one another. This doesn't mean going overboard. Buying someone flowers doesn't always have to mean buying them roses. Think about the person and try to do something special for them.

For children, Valentine's Day is great fun. Making the bags for the candy and cards at school provides excitement. Instead of buying store bought cards, see if a child and a couple of his or her friends would rather make their own Valentine's cards together. Get some construction paper, scissors, glue, and let the children go at it. This will help promote creativity while cutting back on the rising cost of manufactured cards.

I'll leave you with a short story about my oldest daughter who was about 11 years old at the time of this particular Valentine's Day. Plans were made with the school to release my daughter early. I arrived with a long stem red rose, dressed in a suit and knocked on the classroom door. All of her classmates stunned as I presented the rose to a shocked daughter. My arm was extended as I escorted her out of the school to an evening of dining and fun.

Take some time this Valentine's Day and give it to those who would enjoy it the most.

Contact: Gary Hall, 2023 S Federal Ave, Mason City, IA 50401, 641-425-3116, garyhall@iastate.edu

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Food Safety Quality Assurance Workshop for Youth Livestock Exhibitors

An FSQA workshop for Franklin County youth involved in livestock production is scheduled for Saturday, February 13, 9:00-11:00 a.m., or Monday, March 15, 7:00-9:00 p.m. at the Hampton State Bank. These sessions are open to all 4-H and FFA livestock exhibitors in Franklin County. Members will learn about feeds and feed additives, biosecurity and animal welfare. Ethics will also be covered. Members need to attend only one of the sessions. Certificates of completion will be kept on file at the Franklin County Extension Office.

At the 2010 Franklin County Fair all 4-H and FFA youth exhibiting beef, bucket calf, dairy cattle, dairy goat, meat goat, sheep, swine, poultry, and rabbit must be FSQA Certified by May 15, 2010.

Certificates are good for one year. Franklin County members age 12 and older may contact the Franklin County Extension office for a test out option. Testing is scheduled for Tuesday, April 13, 5:00-6:00 p.m. at the Extension Office in Hampton.

For more information contact the Franklin County Extension Office at 641-456-4811.

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Junior Master Gardener TM Program

Franklin County Extension is offering the Junior Master Gardener TM program, which is a fun and innovative youth gardening project. It is modeled after the highly popular Master Gardener program, and offers horticulture and environmental science education through fun and creative activities. JMG program will be open to all Franklin County students 4th grade and older. Meetings will be held once a month. The next workshop is scheduled for Tuesday, February 23, 7:00 p.m. at the Franklin County Extension Office in Hampton. Parents or adult gardening buddies are encouraged to stay during the meetings. Please pre-register at the Extension Office. For more information contact Jackie Dohlman, County Youth Coordinator, at jackied@iastate.edu or 641-456-4811.

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New federal funding to help ISU scientists build national youth prevention network

AMES, Iowa -- Grants totaling more than $7.9 million from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and the Annie E. Casey Foundation have recently been awarded to support the Partnerships in Prevention Science Institute (PPSI) at Iowa State University.

PPSI researchers promote healthy youth and family development in Iowa through their evidence-based programming, which includes substance abuse prevention. Its programs are administered across the state through public schools, ISU Extension and other community agencies.

Much of the recent funding will be used by ISU scientists to develop a national network of programs designed to strengthen families and foster healthy, positive youth development -- using PPSI's Promoting School-Community-University Partnerships to Enhance Resilience (PROSPER) as the model. PROSPER is conducted in cooperation with Pennsylvania State University.

National PROSPER model a collaborative effort

The national PROSPER Model, developed collaboratively between scientists at Iowa State and Penn State, is being designed to partner with the Cooperative Extension Systems and the public school system to reach families across the country. Federal and other agencies have now invested more than $70 million in grants over 20 years to form the scientific foundation for the network.

"Earlier funding has allowed PPSI to develop the science for the partnership model that connects Extension and the public school system to more effectively put scientifically proven programs into widespread practice," said Richard Spoth, director of PPSI. "It took the time and resources to show that our programs could work long-term, for a range of positive youth and family outcomes, on a larger scale, and we're now getting the federal dollars to implement the PROSPER partnership model in other states."

Spoth reports that Iowa youth whose communities were implementing the PROSPER Model had significantly lower rates of substance use and other problem behaviors, compared with youth who did not live in communities, years after the interventions.

"They also had significantly greater skills and improved relationships with their parents," he said. "PROSPER delivers programs that create a protective shield for youth, increasing their skills and their relationships in a way that protects them from exposure to difficult situations that can otherwise lead to problems, like substance use."

"Positive youth development and preventing substance use is paramount to ensuring that our nation's young people will become capable contributors to their communities and workplaces. Even delaying the first instance of substance abuse to a later age reduces the level of adult dependency," said Jack Payne, vice president for extension and outreach at Iowa State.

Two federally-funded projects building infrastructure

Two of the recently funded projects focus on building infrastructure across public education and Cooperative Extension Systems to support implementation of the PROSPER Model in U.S. schools and communities.

The CDC is funding a three-year project that will survey representatives from state agencies in all U.S. states to learn more about their readiness and capacity to implement PROSPER. After each state's readiness and capacity has been assessed, four states will be selected to receive additional training focused on sustained implementation of evidence-based programs. One of the states ultimately will be selected to implement PROSPER, with technical assistance provided by the project team. The project is co-funded by the Annie E. Casey Foundation.

The NIDA and NIH are funding a project to select states with which to develop infrastructure and build capacity for implementation of PROSPER -- including in-depth capacity and resource assessments at state and community levels, and capacity planning and building. An additional aim of this project is to build the capacity of the PROSPER Partnership Network team to provide training, technical assistance and other support to states, including the development of a Web-based process and outcome evaluation system.

"These agencies are wanting to support expansion of our successful model in Iowa to other states of the country," Spoth said. "They view it as a good investment."

They view it that way for good reason. Spoth reports that research has found a $10 return on every $1 invested from just one of their prevention programs. He says the work by PPSI scientists will result in substantial returns on the health and wellness of youth, families and communities across the country, in addition to economic benefits.

Contacts: Richard Spoth, Partnerships in Prevention Science Institute, (515) 294-5383, rlspoth@iastate.edu; Jack Payne, ISU Extension, (515) 294-4603, jpayne@iastate.edu; Denise (Johnson) Nebbe, Partnerships in Prevention Science Institute, (515) 294-5383, denisej@iastate.edu; Mike Ferlazzo, News Service, (515) 294-8986, ferlazzo@iastate.edu

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Outdoor Living Extravaganza & the Siouxland Garden Show

By Dr. Eldon Everhart, Horticulture Specialist, Iowa State University

If you are a gardener, you will want to attend the Outdoor Living Extravaganza this spring. Even your non-gardening friends will enjoy this relaxed and entertaining look at what's new in plants, gardening, outdoor d‚cor, and Proven Winner plants. These seminars feature nationally known "big-name" speakers. P. Allen Smith, The Today Show's gardening expert, will be at some locations.

Engaging speakers, wonderful ideas, great giveaways, fabulous food are a few of the things gardeners had to say about last year's first-ever Outdoor Living Extravaganza events in Chicago and Boston. This year Proven Winners is bringing this enjoyable and educational gardening seminar to four additional cities. Locations and dates include:

Dallas --- February 6

Salt Lake City --- February 20

Chicago --- March 6

Minneapolis --- March 13

Vancouver --- March 26 and 27

Boston --- April 24.

To learn more about these great gardening events, visit the Proven Winners website on the Internet at: www.provenwinners.com/ce_index.cfm?OLES2010.

Proven Winner plants will also be a feature article, with photos, in the spring issue of The Iowa Horticulturist magazine. The article explains what Proven Winner plants are and includes several photos of some examples of these great plants.

In addition, Proven Winner plants and free samples donated by the Proven Winner organization will be featured by many of the vendors at the Siouxland Garden Show. This entertaining and educational event will be at the Marina Center, E 5th and B Streets in South Sioux City, Nebraska on March 19 and 20. For more information contact Woodbury County Extension at 712-276-2157 or visit www.extension.iastate.edu/woodbury.

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Reverse Mortgage May Be Option for Financing Long-Term Care, But Consider All the Costs

AMES, Iowa -- As younger, potential homebuyers decide whether to take advantage of the government's extended homebuyer tax credits, many older, long-term homeowners are considering the opposite route - taking out a reverse mortgage on their existing home. It's an option older Iowans may be thinking about to supplement retirement income or to meet health care or other financial needs.

In particular, reverse mortgages are being suggested as a way to finance long-term care, said Mary Yearns, Iowa State University Extension housing specialist.

"If you expect to stay in your current home for several years, a reverse mortgage may be an appropriate way to pay for long-term care or for improvements to your home so you can continue to live there safely and comfortably as you age," Yearns said.

"However, reverse mortgages are complicated and costly compared with other types of loans. Be sure you understand the conditions that could make the loan due and payable," Yearns said.

Long-term care can be expensive. The earlier people start planning for their long-term care needs, the more options they have available, added Cynthia Needles Fletcher, an ISU Extension family resource management specialist. Long-term care includes a variety of services and supports to meet health or personal needs over time. For example, someone who gets assistance at home with everyday activities like bathing, dressing or eating is receiving long-term care. People can receive long-term care while maintaining independence and control over daily living.

A loan against your home

A reverse mortgage is a type of home equity loan that is available to homeowners who are age 62 and older, Yearns explained. "You receive cash against the equity of your home without selling it. You don't make monthly payments on the loan; instead, the amount you owe on your home increases over time. You also don't have to repay the loan while you are living in the home. You don't repay the loan until you sell the home."

How much someone can borrow is based on his or her age, the value of the home, the type of reverse mortgage and the current interest rate, she said. A variety of reverse mortgages are available with different features, costs and interest rates, and the upfront costs can be significant.

"Before committing to a reverse mortgage, shop around. Compare costs and terms with different lenders, and be sure you understand what you're getting into," the ISU Extension housing specialist advised.

"Also consider whether other less-costly alternatives to reverse mortgages would be better for your situation," she said.

How long will you live in your home?

"Another key factor to consider is how long you're likely to continue living in your home," Yearns said. "If you are still able to maintain your home, if your neighborhood is a safe place for you as you age and if there are people nearby who can help you, then it may make sense to remain in your own home long-term."

But, Yearns continued, "If you think you might need to move soon - to deal with a health problem, for example - then a reverse mortgage isn't a good fit. Sometimes a conventional home equity loan is a better option than a reverse mortgage, particularly if you are unsure how long you can continue to live at home."

Own Your Future long-term care planning kits still available

To learn more about using a reverse mortgage to finance long-term care, Iowans can order the Own Your Future long-term care planning kit from the State of Iowa and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Fletcher said.

The kit also contains contact information for reverse mortgage counselors who are approved by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Yearns said. "Reverse mortgage counselors can help you understand how these loans work."

In addition, the Own Your Future kit provides information and resources on planning for long-term care, financial and legal issues in retirement, and related topics. Medicare, Medicaid and long-term care insurance also are explained.

ISU Extension county offices throughout the state have brochures available that describe the Own Your Future initiative and include a postage-paid card to request the planning kit. Iowans also can order the kit by calling (866) 752-6582 or download it online from http://www.ownyourfutureiowa.gov.

ISU Extension is a partner in Own Your Future, along with the Iowa Insurance Division, Senior Health Insurance Information Program (SHIIP), Iowa Department of Elder Affairs, Department of Administrative Services and the Office of the Governor.

Contacts: Mary Yearns, Human Development and Family Studies, (515) 294-8520, yearns@iastate.edu; Cynthia Needles Fletcher, Human Development and Family Studies, (515) 294-8521, cynthia@iastate.edu; Laura Sternweis, Extension Communications and External Relations, (515) 294-0775, lsternwe@iastate.edu

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Extension programs are available to all without regard to race, color, national origin, religion, sex, age, or disability.

(Contact: Beverly Peters, 641-456-4811)