4-H Happenings

Changes in Our Newsletter! As you know, many organizations are looking at ways to cut back on their budget; Extension is no exception. Beginning in June, we will post our newsletter on our website. Each month you will receive an email with a link to the newsletter. If your email address had changed or you find that for some reason you are not receiving this monthly email, please notify the office. For those that do not have internet access, you will receive a copy in the mail. It may seem like a small change, but it will save the office over $1600/year.

A Royal Enchanted Evening theme for the Hancock County Style Revue provided a delightful evening spent in fantasy land with even a King and Queen in attendance (played by Carl Lusby and Margie Nichols - both of Ellsworth). Countess Sue Baez and Duchess Norma Hardison served as the announcers. Court Jester, Joyce Kleffner kept a lively auction going while judges tallied the scores and then she turned into Princess Joyce to make all the royal announcements. These projects represent so much work but they also provide learning a lot of skills. Only garments are judged for top prizes but there is an opportunity to show off other projects of sewing, knitting, embellishment, embroidery or crochet.

May 9	7:00 pm - Leaders’ Meeting - Extension Office
May 18	Registration Deadline for Jamboree
May 18, 19 & 20	Northeast Livestock Expo 2007
May 19-20	EDGE Weekend at the University of Maine
May 20	Horse Camp Paperwork due in Extension Office
May 28	Memorial Day Observed - Extension Office Closed
June 1-3	Jamboree at the Blue Hill Fairground
June 5	6:30-8:00 pm - Horse Camp Orientation - Extension Office
June 21-23	Statewide Teen Leadership Conference in Bangor, ME
June 26-30	4-H Horse Camp at the Blue Hill Fairgrounds
June 30-July 7	CWF
June 29	Animal Approval Forms Due (June 30th is a Saturday)
July 6-9	Maine 4-H Days at the Windsor Fairgrounds
August 1	Deadline to submit photos for 4-H Photo Contest

NORMA’S NOTES
Sometimes I get very excited when I open up my email. Take a look at this one! “Good morning! The Hesketh Family wanted to share some pictures of our goat, Daisy Duke with her 3 new baby boys! They were born yesterday, April 4th at 1:30 pm. We were very surprised to get three babies a doe's first freshening. Mom and babies are doing great! Destiny did a wonderful job helping to deliver, wow they just kept coming....1...2...Oh my gosh! ...3!!!! Enjoy the pictures! Take care, Destiny, Wendy and Steve. P.S. Their names are Hunter, Patriot and Bear. Patriot is the little independent one, Bear is the biggest one, and was named after the Maine Black Bears Hockey Team. (The babies were born on the night before the Hockey Team played in the Frozen Four finals game, and we're HUGE fans!) Hunter was just a name that Destiny liked. “

CLUB CHAT: Do you remember having a special blanket or toy when you were a child? “Project Linus” is about providing children who are facing trauma or critical illness with a special homemade blanket of their own. They have provided more than 400,000 homemade security blankets to children around the country. This winter, the Snapdragons and Hollyhocks 4-H club took on the task of making blankets for Maine’s Hancock County Chapter of “Project Linus.” We made nine quilts. Not only did the club complete their Community Service project, but they got to practice their sewing skills.

“Project Linus” is always in need of blankets. Phyllis Shea, the Hancock County coordinator recently had Washington County added to her area. If your club is interested in making blankets for this cause, You can e-mail Phyllis at: pmshea1970@yahoo.com Submitted by: Sue Baez, Leader

Our New Logo - Thanks to the 4-H PLT group we have a new combination 4-H/Cooperative Extension logo that does a wonderful job of connecting 4-H to Extension.

VOLT Training Canceled - Due to a low response the VOLT training scheduled for April 28th was canceled. The next VOLT Training will be held on Saturday, September 15th.

No Leaders’ Meeting Minutes - There were not enough leaders at the April 11th Leaders’ Meeting to make a quorum therefore there are no minutes this month.

4-H Photo Contest - Don’t miss out on those Kodak moments. Continue taking those pictures! Deadline to submit photos to the office is August 1st.

Looking for Interested Youth - Hancock County will be receiving a digital camera as part of a statewide 4H Digital Video Project. 4H youth from around the state will be capturing other 4H youth in action to help showcase what Maine 4H has to offer! Extension educator, Jen Lobley is looking for a couple of youth over the age of 10 who are interested in doing some video taping at the June Jamboree. Please call the office if you are interested in learning more about this opportunity and willing to help!

International 4-H Youth Exchange - Y.H. is a 12 year old boy from Kanagawa, Japan, who likes to play outside and is an avid soccer fan. This year he hopes to come to the United States and live with a Maine family. He can’t wait to catch bugs and dreams of seeing the stars at night. Y.H. is one of 19 Japanese youngsters who will be staying with local families as part of a two-way exchange program sponsored by 4-H. The exchangees will stay with their American host families from mid July to mid August.

This program is open to families in Maine with children close in age to the Japanese participants. Families without children in this age range will be considered as hosts for the adult chaperone from Japan. You don’t have to be involved with 4-H to host; you just need a willingness to share your home and your world. There is no need to know Japanese, the students have all studied English and are anxious to use it.

“The program gives host families a chance to share their culture, friendship, and family life with an exchange student and at the same time learn about Japanese life,” said Jill Coffren of Jay, state coordinator for the program. “The homestays only last a month during summer vacation, but the effects a lifetime.” Host family applications and brochures about the program are available on-line at http://www.maine4h.umaine.edu/exchange/default.htm Or by contacting your local County Extension Office or Jill Coffren at 207-645-3248.

The 4-H International Exchange Program is one of the largest exchange programs involving North American and Japanese youth in the world. Since it began in 1972, some 39,000 students have stayed with families in 39 states, including Maine, and more than 6,300 American students have made reciprocal visits to Japan.

Bangor State Fair Deadlines - The Market Lamb deadline has been changed to June 1. All other open shows have a deadline of June 30--same as rest of the state. The BSF Horse Show is open to all 4-Hers ages 9 and up in the State. Please refer to their website http://www.bangorstatefair.com/

Tagging Sites:
May 19 NE Livestock Expo, Windsor Fairgrounds, tagging will start after the sale.
June 2 Cumberland County 4-H June Jamboree, Cumberland Fairgrounds, 10-12 am
June 9 Franklin County 4-H June Jamboree, Farmington Fairgrounds, 10-12 am
June 16 Oxford County June Jamboree, Oxford Fairgrounds 10-12 am

2. Maine 4-H Days Mark your calendars now for Maine 4-H Days this summer at Windsor Fairgrounds, July 6, 7 & 8. It will be a weekend full of personal enrichment workshops as well as livestock events. Camping is encouraged and entire families are welcome.

3. Five Star Camping and Conference Experience The Youth in Governance (leadership and entrepreneurship) Team is holding a Teen Camping and Conference Experience at the Grand Jordan Resort at Sunday River from July 13 – 16, 2007. The event will include fun hands-on sessions created by the 4-H Program Leadership Teams. The sessions will include web based design and digital video and photography imaging, healthy lifestyle activities, entrepreneurship exploration; “building a business”, community change through leadership, environmental programming and more. The sessions will be offered based on popular interest. In addition, our five star camping experience will include the resort hotel, big screen walk-in movies, fun group times including the pool and hot tub, microwave s’mores, 4-H Fear Factors, a dance, 4-H Deal or No Deal, campfire games, group time, hikes and much more…. Hold the Date…more information to follow in May! Sign up will be limited!

4. Dog Camp at Maine 4-H Days and the Bangor State Fair Dog Show Dog Camp will begin on Friday July 6 and continue through the 7^th and 8^th at the Windsor Fairgrounds. This camp is mandatory if you plan on participating in ESE for Dog this year or next. Dog Camp is open to 4-H participants of all ages even if you don’t wish to attend ESE. This year our focus will be on the Terrier Group. There will be presentations about the Canine Good Citizenship Program, Earth Dog Trials and much, much more. There will also be a chance to take the CGC Test on Saturday. As usual, we will have Showmanship, Obedience and Quiz Bowl. New this year are Agility workshops and a pizza party/movie night. On Sunday at 2:00 there will be a fun practice show using 4-H judging rules. The dog show is a great opportunity to show off what you learned during camp. Dog camp is always a fun experience for everyone. The Bangor State Fair Dog Show will be held at the Bangor Fairgrounds on July 28^th at 1 pm. This is also a requirement if you plan to attend ESE for Dog. This is the only state 4-H show in Maine. Showmanship and Obedience will be the primary award winning classes and there will be a fun agility class. All classes are judged using the Danish System. All award winning classes come with a ribbon and premium. As the date of the show approaches more information will follow.

5. A New Way to Receive 4-H Training for Volunteers and Youth Here's your chance to experience the latest technology. Join Extension educators Lisa Phelps and Jen Lobley for a one hour Breeze Technology workshop simply by logging on to your computer! This web-based training with voice and sound capability (similar to a conference call but you will be able to see visual aids via the computer) will be offered in a number of county Extension offices or you can join us from the comfort of your own home. Topics with dates and times are listed below. To register for the workshop, please contact Lisa Phelps at lphelps@umext.maine.edu or 1-800-287-1471. Media Literacy Training Dates May 15^th from 4-5 pm June 4^th from 5:30-6:30 pm Internet Safety Training Dates May 29^th from 4-5 pm June 20^th from 5:30-6:30 pm

6. Pine Tree State 4-H Foundation Annual Meeting Pine Tree State 4-H Foundation’s Annual Meeting to be held on May 24^th at the Buchanan Alumni House on the Orono Campus. If you would like to attend, please call Angela Martin at 581-3739 no later than May 4^th.

7. New England Sheep & Wool Growers Association Annual Youth Grant Three $150.00 cash awards will be awarded to recognize the accomplishments of outstanding young men and women involved in the Northeast Sheep Industry for at least two years. * Applicants must be at least 12 years old and not older than 18 as of 1/1/07 * Applicants must reside in one of the New England States * All eligible youth may apply See complete Grant information as well as application at: www.nesheep.org. You may contact Donna Flint if you cannot download this information. 1-800-287-1535 or e-mail: dflint@umext.maine.edu to request that the information be mailed to you.

8. Scholarship Opportunity Do you have an older sister, brother or cousin who may be half way through their college program or into a graduate program? They may be eligible for a $750.00 Harry Hardwick Memorial Scholarship. There are two awards. The first award will be given to a student majoring in an agricultural field (no sheep, 4H or FFA affiliation necessary). The second award will be given to a student who should have a 4H, FFA or Youth Sheep Project. Deadline for submission is: May 18, 2007. Applications are available at: www.nesheep.org or they can contact Donna Flint in York County Cooperative Extension. 1-800-287-1535 or e-mail: dflint@umext.maine.edu.

9. Bangor State Fairgrounds Clean-up and Fix-up Do you participate in Bangor State Fair? If so, we invite you to help us clean-up and fix-up the fairgrounds on three dates:
Saturday, May 5 from 9 to 3,
Saturday, June 16 from 9 to 3 Saturday, July 14 from 9 to 3.

Please bring tools, something to eat/drink, and be prepared to scrape and paint the livestock buildings; make minor repairs; or move wheelbarrows full of sand/gravel – all in good fun! The Leaders’ Association will receive a large donation for your help and we will all enjoy a nicer fair environment. Make it a club meeting date and spend some time meeting on your lunch break. Come learn from a mini-workshop about how to attract a buyer for your market animal. Meet new friends! It’ll be like a good old fashioned 4-H barn-raising, but easier! Call for more information (like what kinds of tools to bring) 942-7396 or 1-800-287-1485 (in Maine).

10. Maine 4-H Teen Leadership Conference, Not Your EveryDAY Conference!
            Who: Maine 4-Hers and Teens from 12-18 years old
        Why: To give teens a fun overview of skills important to leadership.
        What: An awesome 4-H Leadership learning opportunity. Fun and games will be used to teach,
             emphasize and  reinforce leadership skills you never outgrow.
        When: June 21 4:00pm to June 23 1:00pm
        Where: Columbia Street Baptist Church, Bangor, Maine
        How Much: $30 (Scholarships may be available.)
        Learn: Communicating, Getting Along with Others, Learning to Learn, Making Decisions, Managing,
             Understanding Self, Working With Groups
            Why we are different: Special Surprises! The Bravo Brothers! Teens Teaching Teens! Learn the
            “Leadership Skills You Never Outgrow!” 4-H Program, Lots of time to make new friends! Stay Up Late!  get Up Late! Teen Night Owl Schedule!  Community Service
        Registration Deadline: May 18 Confirmation and more information will be mailed out soon after
             registration deadline.
        To Register: send your name, age (as of 1/1/07), address, phone number, county and a check for $30 made out to the Pine Tree State 4-H Foundation.
        Mail to: Penobscot County Cooperative Extension Office, 307 Maine Ave, Bangor, Maine 04401
        Sponsored by: Pine Tree State 4-H Foundation, Youth In Governance PLT, Penobscot County 4-H Junior Leaders. Contact Kelly Hamilton at 234-7274 or swroguekelly@hotmail.com for more information

Calling All Hancock County 4-H Clubs
For a wonderful community service project.

Hancock County is going to be a test county for this project this year and if WE do well, the “BE A GOOD APPLE” project may be going statewide next year. It’s easy to do and will use so many life skills and help OUR community. We will be making people aware of local farms in Hancock County that produce many fresh foods for our county. Maine is an agricultural state and the farmers need our help in getting the word out that fresh foods are right here in our own backyards.

So call the office and join us for this very worthwhile community service project. Pick up your packet of postcards and flyers and talk to people at church, scouts, and schools or anywhere about being a GOOD APPLE.

           3/4 cup pizza sauce
           1 large Italian pizza shell
           1 cup chopped broccoli
           1 cup shredded carrots
            1/2 cup sliced red or green bell pepper
            5-6 ounces, shredded, low fat mozzarella or Cheddar Cheese

1. Preheat oven to 450°
2. Spoon pizza sauce on pizza shell
3. Put pizza shell on a cookie sheet. Arrange vegetables over sauce. Sprinkle on the cheese.
4. Bake for 10 minutes
5. When baked, cool pizza for 3 minutes before slicing. Cut into 8 wedges.

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Last Modified: 06/01/07
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Hancock County Office, University of Maine Cooperative Extension.
Send comments, suggestions or inquiries to jfortier@umext.maine.edu