WestNileVirus-L: Merrillâs Monday Morning Memo

From: Deena Haines <deh8_at_cornell.edu>
Date: June 11 2001

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Merrill’s Monday Morning Memo 
June 11, 2001 
 
Dear Colleagues, 
 
     Good morning!  We have just gone
through a full schedule of activities as we celebrated alumni weekend at
Cornell. I met a number of you at different events around the
campus.  There were delicious breakfasts, tasty luncheons,
interesting symposia, and wonderful celebrations of all sorts.  As
always, it was particularly interesting to talk with graduates from
decades ago.  I especially enjoyed meeting a number of people from
the class of ’41.  (Some, it seemed to me, must have started college
when they were five or six years old!)   As someone who studied
elsewhere, I continue to be astounded at the passion with which Cornell
alumni remember this university.  It was a terrific weekend -- good
fellowship, great weather, and wonderful food! 
 
     Speaking of alumni, a number of us “graduated”
from the ACOP/ESCOP (NASULGC experiment station directors and directors
of academic programs) leadership-training program, at a seminar in
Washington.  Leslie Westin (Associate Professor, Horticulture),
Barbara Knuth (Associate Professor, Natural Resources), Thomas
Henick-Kling (Associate Professor, Food Science at Geneva), and Mike
Hoffman (Associate Professor and Director of IPM).   Susan Riha
(Professor, Soil, Earth, and Atmospheric Science) and I were hold-overs
from last year.  As part of the capstone seminar, we spent some time
on the Hill, promoting Cornell’s interests in research and
extension.  As always, it was fun telling the Cornell/CCE
story.  Enough about where we've been; let’s look at where we’re
going: 
 
1.  West Nile update  -- The New York State Department
of Health is sponsoring a "West Nile Virus Media Day" on
Thursday, June 14, 2001 (from 10:00  3:00) in Albany. 
Journalists who cover West Nile virus are invited and asked to register
in advance (call 518-474-5422).  CCE educators may be in a good
position to help NYS DOH get the word out to local media in your
areas.  CCE educators might also want a "head's up" that
WNV is likely to be featured in the media in the days following this
event.  If this attention prompts additional phone calls and
expressions of public concern, you can explain that it's due to this
informational session rather than to any new or increased risk. 
 
 
     Lois Levitan indicates that as of late last week
(Thursday), WNV has been detected in only 1 bird in NYS--in Westchester
County. It has also been detected in birds in Connecticut (1), New Jersey
(12) and Maryland (3), but is not perceived as a risk to human health at
this time. (Frequent regional updates are posted at:
www.cfe.cornell.edu/risk/<a href="http://www.cfe.cornell.edu/risk/WNV" eudora="autourl">WNV</a>.) 
Details about the WNV Media Day are posted on the NYS DOH website:
http://www.health.state.ny.us/nysdoh/commish/2001/mediaday.<a href="http://www.health.state.ny.us/nysdoh/commish/2001/mediaday.htm" eudora="autourl">htm</a>.
 
 
2.  Polish exchange opportunity -- Family and consumer
science Cooperative Extension educators from New York and Pennsylvania
have another opportunity for a rewarding international, exchange
experience with Polish colleagues.  A group from NY and PA will be
traveling to Poland, August 23-September 14, 2001, for a program
exchange.  We have engaged in several exchanges since 1996; it is
not too late to participate.  There are still a limited number of
openings available but they will be filled soon.  Participants will
spend three full weeks, observing, interacting, and participating in
Extension program activities.  Study seminars expand participants'
cultural awareness and support professional development; they will learn
about and reflect upon social, political and economic influences on
families and societies and cross-cultural differences and similarities in
conducting nonformal education.  
 
     The host country provides all meals, lodging,
and transportation during the 3-week visit.  4-H youth development
and agricultural extension educators are particularly welcome to join the
exchange group because 4-H programs are growing in Poland and the
agriculture and food system is a priority policy area.  Contact Faye
Rosselle (Extension Educator, Oneida County) by Friday June 15
to indicate your interest.  Her phone number is:
315-736-3394.  Alternatively, you can e-mail her at:
for1@cornell.edu.
 
 
3.  Executive leadership conference --  Executive
directors, if you have not yet registered for the Executive Leadership
Conference next week, please do it right away!  This meeting for
executive directors and other administrative staff will focus
particularly on organization change.  Executive directors will lead
discussions on Classification and Compensation, the Program Work Teams
and Program Councils, and Business and financial systems. There will be
an update on the T-1 lines and other discussions designed to assess
progress on the implementation of our Committed to Excellence
plan.  The conversations will identify unmet challenges, share ideas
about what is working, and discuss what isn't.  If you register
soon, you will receive a parking permit for the Cornell garage along with
your confirmation!  For details, check with Lillian Hardesty at:
lh73@cornell.edu. 
 
 
4.  Remembering Mike  --  Michael Villani
(Professor of Entomology, Geneva), was remembered at a memorial service
at the Geneva Experiment Station on Sunday, June
3rd following his
recent death from pancreatic cancer.  He was the consummate teacher,
advisor, mentor, and extension educator. Mike came to the Geneva
Experiment Station in 1985 as an assistant professor of entomology. He
was promoted to associate professor in 1991 and to full professor in
1999.  A specialist in soil and turf insect ecology, Mike's
principle scientific interests involved the study of the
interrelationships between turfgrass insects and the soil
environment.   His projects on soil insects placed Geneva in
the worldwide limelight as the center of excellence for this type
research. 
 
     Highly regarded as a practicing entomologist,
Mike won many awards for the quality of his science as well as the impact
of his extension activities.   Wendell Roelofs, chair of the
station’s Entomology department said it best: "We have lost not only
a remarkable scientist but one of the finest human beings I've ever had
the pleasure of knowing…he was the epitome of what a person thinks of
when they say 'a wonderful human being.’”  Mike will be deeply
missed by his colleagues and students.  We remember Connie and their
daughters (Sara and Kate) in our thoughts and prayers during these
difficult days. 
 
5.  CSREES Budget  -- Last Wednesday, the House
Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee marked up the FY 2002 bill for
Agriculture, Rural Development, FDA and Related Agencies.  The
Subcommittee was working with an estimated 302(b) allocation.  The
full Appropriations Committee is expected to meet on Wednesday (June 13)
to finalize the 302(b) allocation before bringing it the House floor the
week after that.  We happened to be in Congressman Hinchey’s office
(he represents the district that includes the Cornell campus) as he
returned from the mark-up session so thanked him for his support. 
 
    The estimated allocation to the Ag. Appropriations
Subcommittee was larger than the amount proposed in the President's
Budget, which allowed for the restoration of special grants without
reducing any of our ongoing national programs.  It appears that over
$90 million in special grants were added to the budget for
USDA/CSREES.  Almost all national programs were sustained at level
funding.  There appear to be increases for sustainable agriculture
and Farm Safety Extension Programs, as well as the Rural Development
Centers and RUPRI.  It goes without saying that everything is up for
negotiation during the up-coming mark-ups and floor action.  We'll
know more soon…. 
 
6.  The week ahead  --  We will be welcoming a
number of new CCE employees to New Staff Orientation this
week.  It’s such fun to see the excitement and enthusiasm that
people bring to a new challenge such as this.  Our diversity
catalyst team will be meeting on Wednesday, the board of the New York
State Association of County Agricultural Agents on Thursday, and the
FarmNet board on Friday.  In between, we'll have most of the usual
meetings about this and that but we can see people moving on to their
summer schedules.   We've got lots going on throughout the
system. Have a good week. 
 
Cheers! 
 
Merrill</html>

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Received on Mon Jun 11 09:43:22 2001