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Potential Industry for Eastern Red Cedar to Be Discussed

By Sean Hubbard STILLWATER, Okla. The Aromatic Cedar Association (ACA) has a vision. During a meeting in 2008, the group stated by 2013 "Manufacturing cedar products has become one of the top 10 industries in Oklahoma." "As we look around today we can see a number of existing industries or operations potentially coming to the state that would utilize the redcedar," said Craig McKinley, ACA board president and retired Oklahoma State University Cooperative Extension forestry specialist. "We currently have very successful mulch operations and there are several entities looking at pellet production, methanol/ethanol production, charcoal facilities, etc. However, redcedar is far from being a top 10 industry." In attempt to boost the industry and educate landowners on the opportunities and options available, the ACA is hosting its annual Cedar Summit at the Enid Convention Hall, 301 S. Independence Rd, Oct. 12.

Greeting from the Garden

Continue to replant or establish cool season lawns like fescue. Mowing height for fescue should be lowered to around 2 1/2" for fall and winter cutting. Broadleaf weeds and dandelions can still be easily controlled during October. Mow and neatly edge warm season lawns before killing frost. Cool season bedding plants like pansies, ornamental cabbage and kale can still be planted during the early part of the month. Begin planting spring flowering bulbs like tulips, hyacinths, crocus, daffodils. Good companion plants for bulbs are evergreen ground covers such as ajuga, vinca, English ivy, alyssum, potentilla, moneywort, thrift, phlox, oxalis and leadwort. Peonies, daylilies, and other spring flowering perennials should be divided or planted now. Large, aging perennial clumps produce spindly foliage and meager blooms. Dig tender perennials like cannas, dahlias, caladiums, and store in cool, dry location. Selection of hardy perennials is overwhelming and many can

OSU Extension Center

be planted at this time. Take tropical water garden plants indoors. Twig girdler insects should be controlled if large numbers of small branches of elms, pecans, persimmons are uniformly girdled and fall to the ground. Select trees from the nursery and garden center to add color to the fall landscape. Check and treat houseplants for insect pests before bringing indoors, and repot rootbound plants. Plant container grown trees, shrubs, and pines this month. It is still not too late to plant radishes and mustard in the fall garden. If using a cold frame, plant spinach, lettuce, and various other cool season crops for production most of the winter. Plant cool season cover crops like Austrian winter peas, wheat, clover, rye, in otherwise fallow garden plots. All debris should be removed from the garden to prevent overwintering of various garden pests. Dig sweet potatoes and harvest pumpkins and winter squash. Remove green fruit from tomatoes when frost threatens. Fall is best time to test the

CAPITOL HILL BEACON OKLAHOMA CITY, OKLAHOMA () To BER 10, 2013, V-* ,g11313,

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by Ray RKIlen

Garden Tips for October

soil. It should be tested every 23 years. Harvest oriental persimmons and pawpaws as they begin to change color. Plant fall mums and asters and keep watered during dry conditions. Start new planting bed preparations now with plenty of organic matter. Prepare water garden for winter by placing hardy plants in deeper areas of pool. Stop feeding fish. Cover water gardens with bird netting to catch leaf drop during winter months. The following workshop will be held at the OSU Extension Center, 930 North Portland, OKC unless otherwise specified. It is free and open to the public. Questions call 713-1125. Third Thursday Gardening Pruning Thursday, October 17 5:30 6:30 p.m. 2nd Annual Harvest Festival Saturday, Oct. 26 Noon 6 p.m. 3:00- 4:30 p.m. Speaker, Felder Rushing

Children make their imaginations come to life at the Capitol Hill Library's Lego club. Encourage your budding engineer or architect at the library's monthly LEGO Club. Kids can build relationships with their peers while building with blocks, in a safe, friendly, community environment, as well as learn about space, relationships, proportions and math ! Take the experience home by checking out the library's collection of books on Lego building. For more information, call 606-6308 Photo Provided

DAR Looking for New Members, Come Join Us!

The Malcolm Hunter Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) seeks prospective new members to join us for an instructional genealogical workshop on Wednesday, 16 October 2013, at 1:00 PM. It will be at the Southwest Oklahoma City Public Library, located at 2201 SW 134th St. in Oklahoma City. Please RSVP by Monday, 14 October 2013 by calling 691-8077 or 324-2929 for reservation.

Addressing Teacher Shortages

By Janet Barresi, State Superintendent of Public Instruction We're at a crisis point in this state when it comes to our teacher shortage. For years we've seen shortages in subjects such as science and math, but now we are starting to see this spread to areas such as elementary and early childhood. That's a new phenomenon and one that must be reversed. Late this summer, I convened an Educator Workforce Shortage Task Force made up of teachers, school administrators, higher education officials, state legislators and other civic leaders. I asked them to examine all aspects of the issue and devise action steps to help us move past this crisis. The task force met for the second time last week, discussing effective recruiting, interviewing and hiring practices. We don't just want to put anyone in our classrooms; we want to put the most effective teachers with our students. Outside of a parent, an effective teacher is the single most important factor in a child's education. An effective teacher can overcome poverty, learning disabilities and almost every other obstacle that might stand in the way of student academic achievement. An effective teacher needs an effective administrator. In survey after survey, teachers say the No. 1 most important

"Given our stated goals and the resource at hand, we all know the potential for economic growth and benefit is right here, right now," McKinley said. "We thing for them is that they feel also know that if the redcedar supported by their administra- resource is going to be utilized tion and that they have a culture to its fullest extent, a great deal where their talents and skills of effort and dedication to that are valued. They also want the goal is required." opportunity to advance in their The cost to attend the sumfield, and they want to be paid mit is $25 for ACA members adequately for their work. and $30 for nonmembers, with In our first meeting in August, lunch included. Registration task force members examined will begin at 8 a.m., with the teacher compensation. We all opening session beginning at 9 realize that teacher pay is not a.m. Following lunch a closing where we want or need it to be, session will commence at 1 p.m. and we need to take a hard look and last about an hour. at how to fix this. Topics for the summit will include innovations in harvestIn Oklahoma, we pay teachers ing, woody biomass storage and with zero years of experience conversion alternatives. Those and a bachelor's degree a base salary of $31,600. That's not a interested in attending can regbad salary for a fresh college ister by calling Debbie Hand at graduate, but on the other end of 580-233-4232 or emailing her the scale, we pay teachers with a at hand@growenid.com. Ph.D and 25 years of experience "We have met some of the only $46,000. That's tragic. We goals but we haven't met all of must find a way to increase pay them," said McKinley. "Briefly for our teachers and give them stated, we're going to have to room to advance in their field. work harder and smarter if we're Effective teachers should be going to meet the objectives set rewarded for their exceptional out several years ago." work. That is why I have proposed a $2,000 stipend be given Oklahoma Farm to teachers. This is absolutely doable. We are at a time when state school districts have record amounts of carryover funds. I'm an advocate of a healthy carryover. My proposal entails asking districts to take simply 10 percent of their carryover and combine it with 2 percent of discretionary spending to give teachers this much-deserved $2,000 stipend. Then we can look for the way to sustain this for the future.

Downtown Okc, Inc. Enters Into Management Agreement With Bricktown Association, Hires New District Manager
The Bricktown Association's board of directors recently approved and entered into a new agreement with Downtown Oklahoma City, Inc. (DOKC) to provide additional management services to the district. The agreement includes accounting, fundraising, event planning, marketing and communications, district management, and additional street-level services not already included in the Business Improvement District contract that DOKC manages on behalf of the City of Oklahoma City. The agreement will also do away with the current association membership fees, making all Bricktown property owners and tenants members of the Association by virtue of their ownership or tenancies. The association's former Executive Director and Marketing Administrator positions were eliminated under the new agreement, and they will be replaced with a Bricktown District Manager who will be an employee of DOKC, but who will still office in Bricktown. The new Bricktown District Manager is Mallory O'Neill, who previously worked as an event manager at SMG, overseeing events at the Cox Convention Center and Chesapeake Energy Arena. Her first day at the Bricktown Association will be Monday, October 7. "The Bricktown board's executive committee played a key role in hiring O'Neill, and everyone is very pleased will her skills and experience. She'll do a great job establishing relationships and communicating with Bricktown property owners, tenants, employees and visitors," said Carrie Palmer, a Bricktown board member who served on the hiring committee. Another key point the board agreed with under DOKC's management proposal was the importance of saving the Bricktown Association money by capitalizing on DOKC's current staff and providing long-term financial security for the association. "This new partnership will save the association a significant amount of money per year, allowing us to provide better services to the district," said A.J. Kirkpatrick, Downtown OKC's Director of Operations and Planning. "We'll be able to improve the physical environment, produce more events, and implement some special projects that have been on hold for several years due to lack of funding. We will also be able to pay off existing debt and put money into savings." Dot Rhyne, the newlyelected Bricktown Association president, said, "It's a good day for Bricktown. Our relationship with Downtown OKC will achieve economies of scale and capitalize on currently underutilized resources so the board can focus less on raising money and more on having a strong, unified voice and being true champions for the district." DOKC President and CEO, Jane Jenkins, said the board of directors for the Bricktown Association is adding new members, and all of them are excited for the change. "The Bricktown board will be developing a new strategic marketing plan and stepping up its community partnerships," Jenkins said. Jenkins and Kirkpatrick resigned their positions on the Bricktown board after the agreement was approved, but Jenkins will still serve in an ex-officio role and act as the liaison between the district manager and the board. Downtown Oklahoma City, Inc. recently produced the firstever Rock the Boat festival along the Bricktown Canal, put up a small temporary park on Sheridan Avenue in Bricktown and installed the third Bricktown gateway marker on the Main Street underpass. The organization also recently hired a full-time Operations Coordinator, Joe Hudson, to examine and address downtown improvement and maintenance issues. Downtown OKC, Inc. is a non-profit organization that promotes and markets downtown Oklahoma City in conjunction with numerous downtown stakeholders. DOKC also manages the Business Improvement District, of which the Bricktown area is included, and DOKC holds annual events such as Downtown in December, the Rock the Boat Festival, Starlight Supper, and Downtown Dash. For more information, visit downtownokc. corn.

Bureau partners with governor's food drive

The first gas pump was made - by Sylvanus F. Bowser of Fort Cfg) Wayne, Indiana, and delivered to local storekeeper Jake Gumper on September 5, 1885.

County Farm Bureau offices across Oklahoma are once again serving as food donation drop off locations for Gov. Fallin's fourth annual Feeding Oklahoma Food Drive, Oct. 1-31. The farm group is also encouraging its members and the public to help pick sweet potatoes Oct. 25, at a farm near Albert, Okla., in Caddo County. OKFB hopes to harvest as much as 10,000 pounds of sweet potatoes to donate to the food drive. During an Oct. 1 press conference announcing the food drive, Gov. Fallin said the campaign's goal is to provide enough food for 1.4 million meals. The food drive is conducted in partnership with the Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma and the Community Food Bank of Eastern Oklahoma, which serve community soup kitchens, food banks and shelters in all 77 counties. OKFB will continue its ongoing efforts to help feed Oklahomans through the Farmers Fighting Hunger campaign. Each year, members bring non-perishable food items to the annual Farm Bureau convention in November. Farm Bureau is also a partner in the Beef for Backpacks program where nutritional beef sticks are added to hungry children's backpacks for use on weekends and holidays. For more information about

AT&T Digital Life Comes to Oklahoma

Ever thought about unlocking your home's doors or adjusting your thermostat from your smartphone? Want to know when your kids arrive home from school and be able to turn your lights off and on while you are away? The future is here. AT&T has launched Digital Life in Oklahoma City and Tulsa. The service allows customers to create and manage home security and automation from a smartphone or tablet. Customers can use their existing home broadband provider and any wireless phone service. Digital Life is now available in 45 markets, with plans to launch the service in up to 50 markets by the end of 2013. "Digital Life is committed to offering our customers an easy and convenient way to secure their homes, protect their families and simplify their lives from virtually anywhere" said Steve Gray, Vice President and General Manager for AT&T Oklahoma and Arkansas. "With the launch of these six new markets, we're looking forward to making Digital Life available to more customers throughout the country."

SOKC

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We will send or receive a FAX in State for $1.50 sheet Out of state a sheet

participating in the sweet potato pick on Oct. 25, please call OKFB 's Jennie Bruning at (405) 530-2696.

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