A Youth Community Blog

EarthDay 2007: Bill Wise Local 20/20

2007-04-30T10:53:00.000-07:00

Bill Wise, Local 20/20 in Jefferson County (WA), talks about making the Port Townsend EarthDay, EveryDay event (April 22) carbon netural.

Local 20/20 is a citizen-based organization dedicated to exploring opportunities in our local community to promote economic self-reliance, environmental stewardship, and community well-being. The name refers to 20/20 vision... such as planning for the quality of life in our community in 2020.... as well as a variety of other individual meanings.

EarthDay 2007: Steve Mayeda MC Electric Vehicles

2007-04-30T09:46:00.000-07:00

Steve Mayeda, VP Sales and Marketing MC Electric. MC Electric Vehicles (MCEV) operates in Washington and Oregon with retail locations in Seattle, Spokane and Portland and wholesale vehicle distribution throughout North America. They provide sales, service and repair of electric vehicles.

EarthDay 2007: Fuel Efficient Vehicles

2007-04-29T08:56:00.000-07:00

Rich Ruddles, Fuel Efficient Vehicles - Now, explains his vision for building a more more fuel efficient vehicle that run on renewable sources of energy, not fossil fuel.

EarthDay 2007: 4-H Network News Crew Discuss EarthDay Event

2007-04-29T08:55:00.000-07:00

Claire, Zoe and Morgan chit chat about their experiences at the 2007 EarthDay Festival in Port Townsend, WA.

EarthDay 2007: Port Townsend, WA Opening Ceremonies

2007-04-29T08:53:00.000-07:00

Jeff Eichen kicks off EarthDay, EveryDay 2007 in Port Townsend, WA. A circle is formed, hands held, dancers dance, ommmmmmm.

EarthDay 2007: Food Co-Op Compostable Eatery

2007-04-29T07:53:00.000-07:00

Brendon O'Shea, Produce Buyer Port Townsend Food Coop, talks about compostable, biodegradable plates, bowls and utensils.

The biodegradable utensils are made from 80% non-GMO corn starch and 20% other biodegradable fillers and can handle hot foods and liquids up to about 190-200 degrees F.

EarthDay 2007: Eco Village Has A New ZAP! Electric Vehicle

2007-04-29T07:52:00.001-07:00

Rosala Sherry, 4-H Network News, chats with Ruth Ballard, Port Townsend EcoVillage, about her ZAP! Electric Vehicle at the 2007 Port Townsend, WA Earth Day event.

EarthDay 2007: Interview with Val Johnstone

2007-04-29T07:50:00.000-07:00

Claire, Zoe and Morgan, 4-H Network News, sits down with Val Johnstone, EarthDay-EveryDay Field Manager.

EarthDay 2007: Drum Dancing

2007-04-29T07:49:00.000-07:00

EarthDay 2007: Rap-Up

2007-04-29T07:48:00.000-07:00

Claire, Zoe and Morgan chit chat about their experiences at the 2007 EarthDay Festival in Port Townsend, WA.

EarthDay 2007: An Interview with the GateKeeper

2007-04-29T07:47:00.000-07:00

EarthDay EveryDay! fest a rousing success

The fourth annual EarthDay EveryDay! festival exceeded the expectations of even the most enthusiastic organizers, capped by an estimated 2,000 people who attended the Sunday Green Living Expo.

The Green Living Expo left organizers and participants saying "Wow!" The attendance of almost 2,000 people was double that of last year. The warm, sunny day drew people by walking (498), bike riding (179), carpooling (807) and bus riding (57) (Watch EarthDay Gatekeeper Video above for more attendee stats). Each of the 80 festival presenters felt that his booth was the highlight, said organizers. Read More

EarthDay 2007: Let's Get This Party Started!

2007-04-29T07:44:00.000-07:00

Claire, Zoe and Morgan show off their JunkYard Dolls and dance to the beat of EarthDay 2007 in Port Townsend, WA.

Revamped horse arena to be dedicated Sunday on Jefferson County Fairgrounds

2007-03-29T12:29:00.001-07:00

Sue McIntire, Jefferson County Fairgrounds board treasurer, shows off the fairgrounds’ renovated horse arena, which will be dedicated this weekend. -- Photo by Jeff Chew/Peninsula Daily News

By Jeff Chew, Peninsula Daily News

PORT TOWNSEND - Sue McIntire and other volunteers at Jefferson County Fairgrounds can hardly rein in their enthusiasm about the fairgrounds' new horse arena.

The arena is scheduled for a 10 a.m. Sunday ribbon cutting to mark its official opening, and some serious horsing around is likely.

The opening ceremony will include a horse show by the Silver Spurs 4-H Club.

"It's a big deal for us," said McIntire, looking out over the nearly finished project that expands the arena by 20 feet on the south and west sides to 117 feet by 217 feet.

New drainage, new fence poles and rails wrap around the arena that in the past was often plagued by poor drainage and deep mud.

"It flooded all the time. It was a hazard for kids and barrel racers that came for the fair," said McIntire, who with her husband, Bill, has long sat on the county Fair Board.

He is board president.

The new arena comes 600 volunteer hours and $26,000 in grants later.

That includes an $8,000 special assistance grant from state Department of Agriculture through the state Legislature, and an $18,000 grant from the Warren Weadell bequest.

Weadell, the late owner of award-ribbon-maker Western Publishing, intended in his bequest to give back to those who bought his awards ribbons, such as county fairs.

Discount excavation
Port Hadlock-based Shold Excavating also did the arena groundwork at a major discount, said McIntire.

McIntire said she will be sending photos to state officials to show them where their special assistance grant dollars are going.

Project construction, often interrupted by a long, wet winter, began after the fair in August, which drew nearly 17,000 visitors.

Work is wrapping up this week, said McIntire.

About 24 volunteers worked on the project, she said.

"We've had a lot of community support from the horse people," McIntire said, adding that there is still come work around the arena to be completed before the 70th annual fair Aug. 10-12, including landscaping.

With work never quite ending at the fairgrounds off Landes Street, McIntire said upcoming projects include upgrading the facility's campgrounds with better drainage, new horse arena grandstands and American With Disabilities Act-accessible rest rooms near the 4-H Building.

"My goal is to make this look like a golf course," said McIntire, looking out over the fairgrounds Tuesday.

Promotion under way
Until fair time in August, McIntire said the Fair Board is doing what it can to promote the fair.

This year's main fair performers will be The Coasters, the remnants of the legendary rhythm and blues group of the late 1950s and early 1960s whose hits included "Yakety Yak," "Searchin'" and "Poison Ivy."

Trying to increase attendance is the board's goal, she said,

"We figure we could go up 2,000 if we could get the locals to come," she said.

Revamped horse arena to be dedicated Sunday on Jefferson County Fairgrounds

2007-03-29T12:29:00.000-07:00

Bill Gates Unveils School Technology Initiatives

2007-02-11T06:36:00.000-08:00

Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates outlined today a vision of education in which students worldwide use high-speed Internet connections and curriculums that draw on online resources such as Wikipedia to become more globally competitive.

"We are now on the verge of something where technology will make a difference," Gates said in an address before the Scottish Parliament in Edinburgh, Scotland. ( Watch Speech)

Advances in hardware, software and connectivity and are enabling a "user-centric" focus for technology, letting people access information over vast distances inexpensively, Gates said.

More Jobs Require Skills
The address by Gates concluded the two-day Government Leaders Forum, an annual Microsoft-sponsored conference attended by government leaders throughout Europe. The delegates addressed education issues and how Europe can become more competitive through the use of IT.

Gates announced that Microsoft will expand the company's Innovative Schools initiative, which looks at ways to better integrate technology and learning, to an additional 12 countries: Ireland, the U.K., France, Germany, Finland, Sweden, Qatar, Canada, Mexico, Brazil, Chile and Hong Kong.

Microsoft has undertaken a variety of projects as part of the program. In Philadelphia, the company joined the city's school district and built a 750-student high school--called a School of the Future--that focuses on how technology can improve student performance. It opened in September 2006. (Read More)

The Innovative Schools programme is part of a larger initiative, Partners in Learning. Under Partners in Learning, Microsoft is working with governments, ministries of education, and other key stakeholders in 101 countries around the world to offer a spectrum of education resources including tools, programmes and practices. The fundamental premise of this vision is that technology in education can be a powerful catalyst to promote learning and that education changes lives, families, communities, and ultimately nations. Read More)

Happy Holidays! From 4-H Network News

2006-12-20T12:08:00.000-08:00

Ho...

Ho...

Ho! Ho! Ho!

2006-12-18T10:12:00.000-08:00

Gabcast! 4-H Network News #2

Heart (and eye) of a champion

2006-12-13T15:38:00.000-08:00

By Mary Rothschild, Leader Contributing Writer

Jane Champion wanted to be the first woman astronaut.

But during college the math major was introduced to foreign cinema by a professor in the English Department, and she became just as starry-eyed as if she'd rocketed off into outer space.

Today the CEO of Champion Video Productions in Port Townsend remains an explorer, pushing the limits of video storytelling with creative approaches that combine music, dance, art and literature.

She began this journey making 16 mm movies, the first a tribute to Hiroshi Teshigara's classic "Woman in the Dunes" and another based on the poet Sylvia Plath. A request to shoot and edit news footage for a local TV station led to a three-year job working for an ABC affiliate in Iowa. (Read More)

Big Quil Enterprises

2006-12-13T15:14:00.000-08:00

By Evan Cael
Peninsula Daily News

QUILCENE – It's a Tuesday afternoon in a Quilcene High School classroom, and students sit circled around their entrepreneurial mentors, Joe and Joy Baisch.

The students, most of them freshmen and sophomores, are hearing a lesson plan that most 15 and 16 year olds won't hear for several years, if ever.

"We didn't do too bad money-wise," says Joy Baisch of a recent shellfish dinner hosted by the Quilcene School student-run shellfish company, Big Quil Enterprises.

"We were down $300 from last year. But $300 is $300."

The atmosphere in the room appears similar to a board meeting led by a chief executive officer except that business suits are replaced by frayed jeans and T-shirts.

For the past three years, with help from a $220,000 Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation grant, the Baisch's, acting as business managers, have been shepherding Quilcene School District students through the dollars and sense of operating a shellfish company, coined Big Quil Enterprises.

Joy was an original stockholder and gereral manager of Red Robbin Restaurant in 1967, which now has locations up and down the West Coast.

Joe and Joy started the first document shredding company in Seattle in 1981 called American Data Guard and sold it in 1992 when they moved to Brinnon.

They now own and run a bed and breakfast in Brinnon.

Big Quil Enterprises, comprised of about 50 students, operates in partnership with the Quilcene School District and the 4-H Club, which is an extension of the Washington State University Learning Center.

The business leases a beach on Quilcene Bay, and the students involved harvest oysters and clams.
The harvested shellfish, of which Quilcene is nationally and internationally famous for producing, are then processed by Shelton-based Taylor Shellfish Co.

The students then prepare and sell the shellfish at various festivals throughout the region, such as the Brinnon Shrimp Fest and the Quilcene Fair, and other dining events.

Pamela Roberts, 4-H coordinator and former Principal of Quilcene School District, works closely with the business and sees it as broadening the scope of the students' perspectives and making available to them enhanced opportunities.
"We're hoping that through this initiative that these kids who live in a remote location realize they can be players on an international scale," said Roberts.

Because of the partnership with Taylor Shellfish Co., many of the shellfish, in great demand throughout the world, make it to the far reaches of the globe.

"It's been pretty cool, because our oysters that we harvest get shipped around the world, and to Europe and stuff," said Big Quil Enterprises Shelbi Thompson, 15.

Like any business, the time the students put into harvesting and working on the operation, they are paid for.
"It gives the community a different look at how students are, that we're not all trouble makers," said Big Quil Enterprises Co-President Marissa Suarez, 15.

"It's an opportunity to get out and get involved in the community, and it looks good on a college resume."
The Baisches agree and see the company as a way to teach and inspire the students to realize they can go to college and become successful in business or any field they are interested in.

"The hardest part is getting the kids to realize their opinions really do matter," said Joy.

Quilcene School District Assistant Principal Jim Betteley says Big Quil Enterprises is an extremely positive opportunity for the kids, many of whom come from an economically depressed background.

He said the business and the school district have formed a symbiotic relationship.

"We're integrating it into the fabric of the learning opportunity," Betteley said of the business education of Big Quil Enterprises.

"It's exposing them to a career path that pays a pretty good wage."
Joe and Joy Baisch do not see Big Quil Enterprises as being limited to shellfish.
That's only the beginning, they explain.

Quilcene, with I-5 running through it, is on the way to many North Olympic Peninsula tourist stops.
An estimated 2.1 million vehicles speed by Quilcene on I-5 every year, said Joe Baisch.

"As we continue our work with Big Quil Enterprises, we're going to expand into this tourist thing," said Joe.
"We'll make an organized effort of stopping tourists and getting dollars out of them."

In the Quilcene High School classroom, Joe picks the brains of the students sitting around him, running through ideas of how to accomplish this.

"One of the things that we all have to internalize is our community is a year-round playground," Joe tells the students.
"You can't just think of the spring and summer. We've got to seize the opportunity on this, guys, and we've got to put our heads together."

They discussed renting mountain bikes and kayaks and other outdoor-related rentals.
Joe asked the students if they thought it was about time to join the Brinnon-Quilcene Chamber of Commerce.
"What do they discuss there?" asked Suarez.

"Some of the same stuff that we've been discussing," replied Joe.

The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation grant expires this year, which would run the risk of crippling the operation of Big Quil Enterprises.

But with the business just getting off the ground, the Baisches aren't letting that happen.
On Friday, representatives of Northwest Area Foundation, based in St. Paul, Minn., were in Quilcene interviewing those involved with Big Quil Enterprises.

The business is being looked at to receive a $100,000 grant that will allow Big Quil Enterprise to expand and eventually become self-sufficient.

The Baisches are hoping the Northwest Area Foundation, an organization focused on reducing community poverty, sees something valuable in the work Big Quil Enterprises is doing.

Regardless, the students realize they are part of something unique.
"There aren't very many schools that have anything like this," said Suarez.

Article for State Education Newsletter

2006-12-13T10:01:00.000-08:00

Dr. Terry Bergeson, State Superintendent of Public Instruction (left), Micah Joe (Ornament Drawing Winner), and his parents, Chief Petty Officer Alvin Joe and mom Jennifer Joe, "First Mike Gregoire", in WA DC in front of the Capitol Christmas Tree.

4-H Network News, a youth-run multimedia afterschool club based at the Washington State University (WSU) Extension office in Jefferson County, Washington has video blogged the 2006 Capitol Christmas Tree. The youth news crew has covered the
cutting of the 65-foot Pacific Silver Fir in the Olympic National Forest, several dedication ceremonies, an interview
with Washington’s Governor at the state capitol and discussions with key individuals associated with the project.

One key video featured in the coverage is the speech given by Superintendent of Public Instruction,Terry Bergeson, at the state capitol during the presentation ceremonies (See Video Below).

4-H Network News activities help youth learn skills as reporters, camera operators, photographers, script writers, video editors, and community representatives. The 4-H website for the Capitol Christmas Tree
coverage is http://capitolchristmastree2006.blogspot.com.

For questions about the project call Pamela Roberts, 4-H coordinator, or Jack Olmsted, 4-H leader, at 360-379-5610.

Video: Capitol Christmas Tree 2006 - Dr. Terry Bergeson

4-H Network News Creates Charlotte’s Web PSAs For Radio, Newspapers And Blogs

2006-12-12T09:36:00.000-08:00

Press Release:

4-H Network News Creates Charlotte’s Web PSAs For Radio, Newspapers And Blogs

A Half Dozen Public Service Announcements Promote $1 Donation To 4-H Through Online Movie Ticket Sales

PORT HADLOCK, WA - 4-H Network News, a youth-run multimedia club based at the Washington State University (WSU) Extension office in Jefferson County, has produced six public service announcements to promote Hollywood Movie Money donation of a $1 from online ticket sales through the 4-H Council website (www.fourhcouncil.edu) to help support 4-H youth development programs.

Script Sample: PSA #3
“In the new LIVE-ACTION film Charlotte’s Web featuring 12-your old screen veteran Dakota Fanning, Fern uses her head, heart, hands and health to encourage family and friends to save Wilbur from the smokehouse. With help from Wilbur’s barn friends, especially Charlotte, Fern’s dream comes true when she is able to take Wilbur to her town’s 4-H Fair…”
http://odeo.com/audio/3674023/view

Listen to all PSAs here: http://4hcharlottesweb.blogspot.com/

All the public service announcements were recorded in the Washington State University Learning Center – North Olympic Peninsula multimedia lab by eight-year old 4-H Network News correspondent, Claire Turner.

Pamela Roberts, 4-H coordinator, stated, “These PSAs are a great example of how 4-H Network News helps rural youth like Claire make a positive contribution on a national and international stage. Claire’s mature communication skills and devotion to her news craft really come through on these recordings. It is obvious that she has a real love for the Wilbur story.”

In Charlotte's Web, the best-selling children's book of all time, Wilbur the pig, the runt of the litter, has a youthful manner that makes him seem naive to the other animals in his new barn, but to Charlotte -- the spider who lives in the rafters -- he is a welcome friend. Their friendship is shown to be a lasting one when the other animals reveal that the pig's days are numbered. It seems that only a miracle will save Wilbur's life. A determined Charlotte spins words into her web in an effort to convince the farmer that Wilbur is "some pig" and worth saving. Charlotte's Web's Wilbur finds that the most powerful force in the world is the bond of friendship.

A Paramount Pictures and Walden Media presentation of a Kerner Entertainment Company/Nickelodeon Movies production, Charlotte's Web is directed by Gary Winick, stars Dakota Fanning and features the voices of Julia Roberts, Steve Buscemi, John Cleese, Oprah Winfrey, Cedric the Entertainer, Andre Benjamin, Thomas Haden Church, Robert Redford, Reba McEntire, and Kathy Bates. The film has been rated G by the MPAA and will be in theaters nationwide Friday. http://www.charlotteswebmovie.com

Paramount Pictures Corporation (PPC), a unit of Viacom, is a global entertainment company that produces and distributes filmed entertainment through the Paramount Motion Picture Group which includes Paramount Pictures, DreamWorks SKG, Paramount Vantage, Paramount Classics, MTV Films and Nick Movies. PPC operations also include Paramount Pictures International, Paramount Home Entertainment, Paramount Digital Entertainment, Paramount Studios and Worldwide Television Distribution

Walden Media LLC specializes in entertainment that sparks imagination and engages young people in the learning process. Producing both original works and adaptations of acclaimed children's literature, Walden Media projects are enhanced by comprehensive outreach and supplemental programs for teachers, librarians, and parents. Walden Media is a division of Anschutz Film Group (AFG).

For more information contact:

Pamela Roberts & Jack Olmsted
4-H Network News
360/379-5610 X 208
4hnews@gmail.com
http://4-hnews.blogspot.com

Wire Services

PR Log
Press-World

Charlotte's Web - 4-H Public Service Announcements

2006-12-03T17:43:00.000-08:00

powered by ODEO

CW/PSA #1 (60 Seconds -without Music)

powered by ODEO

CW/PSA #1 (63 Seconds -with Music)

Help Support 4-H at the Movies!

You, your family and friends and their family and friends can help support 4-H by buying tickets to see the new live action version of Charlotte’s Web that features an all star cast:

12-year old Dakota Fanning
Julia Roberts
Oprah Winfrey
Robert Redford
Reba McEntire
and Outcasts “Shake It Like A Polaroid Picture”- Andre 3000.

For every movie ticket purchased through the four h council website, Hollywood Movie Money will donate a dollar to help support 4-H Youth Development Programs.

In 4-H, youth have fun, make friends, and learn leadership and life skills. Learn more at four h council dot edu

I’m Claire Turner with 4-H Network News. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

powered by ODEO

PSA #2 (30 Seconds) Download MP3 File

Charlotte’s Web is a classic tale of dedication, friendship and loyalty. Those values are intrinsic to the 4-H Youth Development Program. (Cut out)

For every ticket sold through four h council dot edu Hollywood Movie Money will make a $1 donation to 4-H. (sentence changed)

I'm Claire Turner with 4-H Network News.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.

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powered by ODEO

PSA #3 (45 Seconds) Download MP3 File

In the new LIVE-ACTION film Charlotte’s Web featuring 12-your old screen vetran Dakota Fanning, Fern uses her head, heart, hands and health to encourage family and friends to save Wilbur from the smokehouse. With help from Wilbur’s barn friends, especially Charlotte, Fern’s dream comes true when she is able to take Wilbur to her town’s 4-H Fair.

To learn how a dollar of your admission ticket to the new live action version of Charlotte's Web can be a donation to 4-H programs, go to four h council dot edu.

I'm Claire Turner with 4-H Network News.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.

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powered by ODEO

PSA #4 (45 Seconds) Download MP3 File

In Charlotte's Web, Fern’s hard work and dedication to Wilbur shows exactly the level of commitment young people make in 4-H – whether they are raising a pig, producing a national video blog or
participating in local community service activities, they give their best in whatever they do.

For every ticket sold through four h council dot edu Hollywood Movie Money will make a $1 donation to 4-H.

I'm Claire Turner with 4-H Network News.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year

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powered by ODEO

PSA #5 (49 Seconds) Download MP3 File

Visit four h council dot edu to HELP support 4-H by purchasing your movie tickets online to see Charlotte’s Web, a new LIVE ACTION film adaptation of the E.B. White classic novel.

You will be helping more than 6.5 million young people in 4-H who are learning to give to others just like Fern does in this heartwarming tale.

For every ticket sold through four h council dot edu Hollywood Movie Money will make a $1 donation to 4-H.

I’m Claire Turner with 4-H Network News.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

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powered by ODEO

PSA #6 (64 seconds) Download MP3 File

Charlotte’s Web features an all-star cast:
Julia Roberts, provides the voice of Charlotte the spider,
Oprah Winfrey,
Kathy Bates,
Robert Redford
John Cleese
Outcast Andre 3000
provide the voices for the beloved animal characters in the fashion of the movie Babe.

12-year old screen vetran Dakota Fanning plays Fern, the daughter who adaptes Wilber, the runt of the litter that developes a barn-yard of supportive friends.

To learn how a dollar of your admission ticket to the new live action version of Charlotte's Web can be a donation to 4-H programs, go to four h council dot edu.

Claire Turner with 4-H Network News.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.

Charlotte's Web Plush Collection by FAO Schwarz

2006-12-03T07:21:00.000-08:00

FAO Schwarz created stuffed animals for Charlotte's Web.

Character line: Wilbur, Charlotte, Templeton, Bitsy the Cow, Ike the Horse, Samuel the Sheep, and Gussy Goose.

WSU Helps Choose, Care For And Cover Capitol Christmas Tree

2006-12-01T17:41:00.000-08:00

PULLMAN, Wash. -- For 35 years, the Capitol Christmas tree has been harvested from one of the 50 states and transported to Washington D.C. This year, Washington State is providing a majestic, picture-perfect, 45-year-old tree that will stand in front of the U.S. Capitol Building in Washington D.C. during the holidays.

Washington State University scientist Gary Chastagner (Photo) played a role in its selection and care. WSU Extension's 4-H Network News crew is chronicling the 65.5-foot-tall tree's cross-country journey.

Contacted last spring, Chastagner advised the U.S. Forest Service and the Washington Department of Natural Resources on the post-harvest moisture and needle retention characteristics of the types of trees on the Olympic National Forest. He also is providing advice about the tree's care while it is on the road.

He and technician Kathy Riley attached a device on the flatbed truck that is transporting the tree to monitor the environmental conditions the tree is exposed to during its trip. They also collected foliage samples to measure the initial moisture of the tree, which will be compared to foliage samples collected once the tree arrives in the Nation's capitol.

So far, the tree is doing well, Chastagner said. The first samples to monitor moisture content, taken when the tree was harvested on Nov. 1, averaged just above 112 percent, which means that over half the weight of the tree was water. The samples that were taken two weeks later showed moisture content at 110 percent. (Read More)

Charlette's Web 4-H Poster: WSU Jefferson County Bulletin Board

2006-12-01T11:06:00.000-08:00

For every ticket purchased for Paramount Pictures and Walden Media's production of Charlotte's Web through www.fourhcouncil.edu, Hollywood Movie Money will make a $1 donation to 4-H to help support your state's 4-H program.

Tell your family, tell your friends.