University of Illinois Extension
East-Central Regional Advisory Council
November 2, 2006
Attending: David Schug, Bob Zellers, Jacqueline Lueking, Bill Harrington, Richard
Kocher, Harry Clayton (for Paul Ruff), Carol Perkins, Richard Long, Larry Casey, Aaron
Steffen, Mike Brokaw, Charlotte Talkington, Debbie Winder, Charles Cook, Brian
Basting, Karen Hawthorne, Ellen Burton and Kathy Reiser.
Chairman Aaron Steffen called the meeting to order. The minutes from the previous
meeting were approved as written.
Kathy Reiser was introduced to the group. She replaced Mary Ann Fugate as the
Region’s half-time associate regional director in July. She does, “other duties as
assigned” by Ellen: inservice education, search committees, working with councils,
budget review, etc. Kathy’s other half-time appointment is in communications and
marketing with statewide responsibilities.
Livingston County
Poverty simulation was held in the unit recently. Many volunteers assisted with fictional
scenarios: how do I get the kids to school, how can I afford to feed the kids, etc. One
was done for the community, and another was done for Pontiac High School staff. One
of the teachers said it was the most applicable inservice she had ever taken part in.
Junior Chef’s School was held in the summer for children 9-12 years old. Expected
about 60 participants; had 28 over goal. The kids really enjoyed it.
Jasper-Cumberland Counties
Financial Women’s Rights Issues program was held Monday. Some women do not know
what’s going on in the farm or family business, wills, estates, long-term care, etc. Ruth
Hambleton, farm business marketing and management educator, gave the program.
Forty-three women and a few men attended. This one-time program will probably evolve
into a full-fledged Annie’s Project program.
Welcome to the Real World – offered to Jasper County’s high school sophomores. Was
also offered to the alternative education students; these are kids who don’t fit in at the
mainstream high school.
ATVs and guns are a fact of life in rural areas. After some discussion, Extension’s
prohibition against ATV and gun safety training has ended – and that program will now
be offered in the county within University of Illinois Extension policies.
Champaign County
Champaign started a pilot program, Master Naturalists, with the first class completing the
program this fall. Seventy hours of coursework over an 8-week period: soils, wetland,
geography. Upon completion, they are certified Master Naturalists and are expected to
give back 40 hours per year as volunteers. Forty-one people went through the program.
Clark County
Clark County has an aging population, so Extension is addressing these issues with
programs such as a Senior Expo with speakers and booths. Senior wellness initiative is
aimed at physical, mental, spiritual health. Annie’s project, intergenerational activities
and Master Gardeners are other popular programs.
Edgar County
“Move Illinois” builds on Walk Around Illinois, but it emphasizes a variety of physical
activities: bicycling, jogging, and walking, and so on. It was a good way for Extension
to get face-to-face contact, and recurring contacts, with new audiences.
Active Master Gardener group is doing many gardens within the community. Successful
tri-County ag meetings have been held with Vermilion County Illinois and Vermillion
County Indiana. Meat goat production is booming in Edgar County, and 4-H and ag
programs reflect that new interest.
Clay-Fayette Counties
County director is working with governmental officials in Flora. Appleknockers, fall
festivals and other events provide the opportunity to promote programs. Youth educator
is welcomed in schools throughout both counties. Going into our 10th year with Horse
Camp; a very successful program. Master Gardeners raise a lot of food for local pantries
and do other community service projects. At Halloween, Extension goes into all the
schools and gives a Halloween sack with promotional info, a food item, etc. Cooking
classes are popular with 4-H’ers.
Piatt County
Safety Day, done in cooperation with Farm Bureau, drew 270+ fourth-graders. They are
still looking for a youth person to work in the county; currently staff is dividing up the
duties until someone can be recruited.
McLean County
Added 27 teachers to Chick It Out program this year; program reaches more than 1,300
children. Local residents sent about 3,000 cookbooks to Hurricane Katrina victims; they
piggybacked the shipping with food bank shipments. 50 sessions planned for 4-H Fun
Day in January. There’s a new format for the county Extension newsletter, which
Charlotte shared with the group. September brought a back-to-school party for more than
1,000 students. Three 4-H after-school programs are being offered, with 2 more being
planned. Chamber of Commerce has begun a mentoring program with Compact. Teens
Prevention Network conference had more than 130 students. This fall’s barn tour was
very well received.
The Unit sponsored poverty simulation workshops – four this fall – with 15 volunteers
for each. Host site pays $300, and that money goes into staffing. Average attendance
was 85. Did a poverty simulation recently for student teachers at ISU; students reported
having much more empathy for students from poor families after the simulation.
Extension is facilitating talks between SCORE and the local SBDC. MGs have a new
historic garden at the David Davis Mansion; they are restoring the garden to its original
state. New million-dollar AgMazing exhibit is coming to the Children’s Discovery
Museum; Extension is a key part of that permanent exhibit fostering ag awareness.
Crawford County
Leadership Crawford County – for two years, Extension has worked on this program in
partnership with the county development association. Program fee is $600; some
employers pay for their participants. Program helps build leaders for tomorrow. First
meeting was a 2-day retreat at Allerton Park with team-building, personality assessments,
etc. They continue to meet one day a month to delve into a particular topic: ag, law
enforcement, emergency preparedness, government, etc. Field trips and guest speakers
are a part of the program. Employers are very enthusiastic about the program. Mass
transit, a reverse 911 system, progress on converting an old school gym into a community
center are a few of the successes of this group. A new class is on its way!
Macon County
Macon, Champaign and Piatt did a pilot project with a tri-county livestock show, in
response to significant declines in exhibitor numbers. In 2006, horse shows were in
Champaign and Macon County; rabbit and poultry in Piatt; large animals in Champaign.
Participation exceeded staff expectations. Parent reactions were all over the map – very
positive to very negative. Combined rabbit and poultry show will be in Piatt for next two
years. Horse show will be Macon County for Macon and Piatt; Champaign will continue
with its own. Macon County decided to go back to having its own large animal show in
Macon County.
FBMM educator Paul Mariman has resigned to take a position at Richland Community
College. Paul Mariman received the first-ever Director’s Award at Annual Conference
for his work with Hurricane Katrina assistance.
The county’s Engineer in the Classroom project earned national recognition, and an
engineering professional association will take the program nationwide.
Ford-Iroquois Unit
Gibson City and Watseka were paired with towns in southern Illinois for Community
Swaps. As an outgrowth of that, a Grow Gibson City committee has been formed with a
beautification committee, video promotional materials, new electronic signage, etc. A
Buy Local committee also has been formed, and is offering customer service training to
local businesses’ employees. Gibson City also has formed a disaster preparedness
committee, and the County Director is working closely with them.
Effingham County
Land Use Evaluation Assessment Model (LEAM) – developing a computer model of
potential future land uses in the county. Simulates land use change to provide a basis for
decision-making about transportation, infrastructure, etc.
Community Health Mini-Grant – a Spanish-speaking nurse offers sessions at the library.
Aim is to help Hispanics improve their health: how to care for teeth, knowing when to
take a child to the doctor, etc.
Summer lunch program – FNP and Catholic Charities and the school district. Program
was 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. in June, July and early August, in a school with many low-income
students. Lunches alone were not the goal; hands-on activities were a key part. Cooking
classes were a very well received part of the program.
Coles County
Poverty Simulation – 47 teachers from a 7-county area attended. Teachers were assigned
various roles with varying levels of resources and support available to them – and left
with a much better understanding of why they see some behaviors in the classroom, and
an appreciation of how exhausting it is for poor people to eke out a living.
Vermilion County
Master Gardeners and Internet Masters are very active. New building gave us an
opportunity to build a computer lab. All classes filled in about 4 hours, so more were
added. The Hispanic population is growing rapidly throughout Vermilion County – not
just in Hoopeston where numbers have traditionally been high with the cannery located
there. Our Hispanic FNP community worker has been key to the Hispanic Health
Advocacy effort, with many local partners. Research showed that dental problems were
of particular concern with this population, so that’s where the first year’s efforts were
concentrated. Another health fair is planned for December.
ESAC Report (Brian Basting)
The spring 2005 ESAC meeting featured a website update from Chris Tidrick and Jane
Scherer, and the group was very impressed with the web work that continues to be done.
The new statewide and local sites really reflect well on Extension.
Brian was part of a group that went to Washington, DC last spring to discuss Extension
funding with federal legislators and their staff members. They took part in PILD as well
as the Capitol Hill visits. The visits pointed up the need for grass-roots citizens to stay in
touch with their legislators about the value they put on Extension, as there are many other
groups also trying to get their “fair share” of funding and attention from legislators.
ESAC’s next meeting is in mid-November in Champaign. Various staff members will
speak to the group, giving them a big-picture view of Extension’s activities in the state.
Karen Hawthorne was welcomed as the Region’s newest member of ESAC. She looks
forward to her first meeting in a couple of weeks.
Extension Partners
Extension had a very good year in Springfield, considering the budget situation! CBM
was funded at 100 percent this year. We didn’t lose any more youth educators. The
restoration of funding for some subject-matter specialists was a pleasant surprise. Cook
County initiative also was a positive thing. Got state funding for AgrAbility for another
year, in spite of the loss of USDA funding (which came as a surprise). The group will
continue this year to fight for a 100% match, restore youth positions, expand Cook
County initiative, etc.
Administrative Update
Ellen handed out the charge for the regional advisory council, the new website promotion
bookmark, and a general Extension brochure.
With Paul Mariman’s leadership, the East-Central region staff filled a truck with supplies
for Hurricane Katrina relief in Hancock County, MS last September. Soon the effort
spread statewide, and they got some corporate support from ADM and others. We are
sorry to lose Paul, but wish him the best at Richland CC.
New searches for horticulture and youth development educators for the Effingham Center
are under way; the searches closed late last month. Interviews will begin soon for a new
Jasper-Cumberland CED educator. Richland-Lawrence unit CED position is being
advertised. Moultrie-Douglas unit council is considering what they want to do with their
vacant position, since their former family life educator is now the county director.
McLean County just lost its youth development educator, and will make decisions about
that position in the near future. Macon County will be discussing their newly vacated
farm business position in the near future; they may or may not look for a slightly different
subject-matter mix. Debbie McClellan will be retiring from Effingham Center as family
life educator, and that position will be refilled next year in the Effingham Center.
The General Assembly’s $5 million for Cook County was renewed for a second year.
This added 32 new positions in Cook County; they are very unique positions to serve the
needs of a highly diverse population.
BIS – Business and Industry Services – is now under Extension’s umbrella. Had been at
NIU, but recently severed ties with Northern and subsequently affiliated with U of I
Extension. BIS is self-sustaining, and works with established medium-size
manufacturing firms in Illinois. They are housed in Naperville – with 75 employees and
numerous affiliated consultants.
Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant Program is also part of U of I Extension now.
Illinois Electric Council also has affiliated with U of I Extension, and moved its offices to
Springfield. Big corporations and smaller co-ops are part of IEC, and their focus is on
safe electricity use. SafeElectricity.org is a website that grew out of this project. States
throughout the country have decided to link to ours rather than build their own.
This year’s Illinois Extension Annual Conference was unique, in that all educational staff
were invited: program coordinators, community workers, educators and county directors.
Election of officers
The following officers were unanimously elected to serve terms in the 2006-2007
program year:
Chair: Aaron Steffen.
Vice-Chair: Larry Casey.
Secretary: Debbie Winder.
Next meeting will be Tuesday evening, April 3, 7 p.m., via Latitude Bridge
(TeleNet).
Respectfully submitted,
Kathy Reiser, Acting Secretary