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Show • ' " . • > The Beaver Press - November 11, 2010 - Page 2 THE BEAVER PRESS USPS074-400 Published every Thursday in Beaver, Utah by The Beaver Press Second Class Postage Paid Beaver, Utah 84713 Mariow L. Drapor Sue Draper Publisher/Editor Business Manager SUBSCRIPTION RATES In Beaver County Beaver County Senior Citizen Outside Beaver County. $17.00 $15.00 $20.00 Postmaster please send change of address to: The Beaver Press, Box 351, Beaver Utah 84713 bpress@xmlssion.com Phone; 435-438-2891 Beaver County FSAAsks Producers to Vote in County Committee Election Kathy Hendricks, County Executive Director of USDA's Farm Service Agency (FSA) in Beaver County today announced that the county committee elections for LAA #3 (Milford area) are in progress. Ballots were mailed to eligible voters and completed ballots must be returned by mail or to local FSA offices by Dec. 6, 2010. "I strongly recommend that producers vote because the county committee members play a huge role in the Agency, especially at the county level," said Hendricks. "County committee members make decisions on how federal farm programs will be administered locally," she said. County committee members are elected to office by their peers and serve as the representative voice for agriculture producers in the county, and they are responsible for communicating with USDA to ensure that national programs are adapted to fit local needs. County committees are responsible for making decisions on issues including commodity loans and payments, conservation programs, disaster assistance programs and emergency programs, Hendricks encourages minority and female producers to seo/e as county committee members in the future. It is Important that the county committee is comprised of members who reflect the demographics of "the local agriculture community. Farmers and ranchers who participate in FSA programs are eligible to vote. If eligible voters do not receive a ballot by mail, . one will be provided by trie local • USDA Service Center. Ballots « returned by mail must be postmarked no later than Dec. 6, 2010. New county committee members will assume their role and related responsibilities on Jan. 1,2011. For more information on county committees, view the FSA website at www.fsa.usda.gov/elections or visit a local USDA Service * Center. Five Tips To Simplify Your Holiday Shopping Oh Any Budget (ARA) - The holiday season Is . upon us. That means>the stress that comes with shopping for that perfect gift is not far behind. So, what's the best way to go about making a list, checking ft twice and sticking to a budget? Audrey McClelland is the founder of Mom Generations, an online destination for moms. She is an expert at holiday shopping for her tech-sawy • husband, four boys all younger than 6, and e large extended .'> family. •. ;;--'A; McClelland offers her top .'.•••• ^ five holiday shopping tips and ' •£ . . . Ideas that witt help you con— 7* • Fax: 435-438-8804 quer your holiday shopping - on budget - for everyone on your list. 1. Keep a master list. It can get overwhelming around the holidays when you are trying to decide whom to shop for. Outline everyone you need a gift for, and remember to incorporate any unexpected last-minute gifts. Then write down a realistic number on what you want to spend on each person'and stick to it. Seeing it on paper will make it easier to knock items off your list while keeping your budget in check. 2. Be sure to have gifts on hand that can be given to anyone ... regardless of their tastes. For example, Staples carries colorful Omnitech mini speaker pods in jewel tones for only $1.0 that can plug into any iPod, Sony PSP, or MP3 player, and are perfect for kids and grown-ups on the go. Digital photo ornaments in the shape of decorative balls or snowflakes make another universally likeable gift for less than $15. These are also time-savers to have on hand for office Yankee swaps, hostess gifts or any unanticipated presents you may need. 3. Don't waste time rushing from store to store. Try condensing your shopping visits to the fewest number of stores possible. Pick a shopping destination or two, and commit to buying as many gifts as you can for your list there. If you're looking for the newest tech items, Staples stores offer interactive displays that allow you to get a fee! of the newest tech products before you buy, whether you're considering a Kindle for your motherin-law or a Flip video camera for that next family vacation. 4. It's a digital world - follow your favorite shopping places on Facebook and Twitter. Many stores reward their followers with up-to-the-minute deals via these social media outlets. Stores occasionally post exclusive print-out coupons and deals specifically for their Facebook friends, and let you know about upcoming events ahead of time. 5. Check out the websites of the stores that you plan to visit before heading into the actual store. You may be surprised by the variety of products some stores offer. It also helps you to become acquainted with the product selection and can help you to nail down specific items for each person on your, list, making your trip more efficient. You may even decide to purchase some items directly on the website and have them shipped to the recipient to avoid a trip to the store or post office. For example, Staples.com offers free shipment on items over $50. "Every year, inevitably, i get caught up in the frenzy of the season,* says McClelland. "However, by sticking to these tips, I can focus on the joy of gift giving and trie satisfaction of knowing I did it all under budget." ' Ten Tips To Keep Teens Safe Behind The Wheel (ARA) - Waiting for a teen driver to return home safely probably causes the most anxiety and lost steep for parents. And with good reason - car accidents are the leading cause of death among teenagers, Sleep Foundation, most teens need at least nine hours of sleep. Sleep deprived teens can drive like someone who is impaired by. a blood alcohol content of .08 percent. Dont let your teen drive if they are feeling drowsy. Offer to drive them or let them sleep more before driving. Drowsy driving causes more than 100,000 car crashes each year. 9. Train teens for poor weather conditions. Your teen will never know what challenges he will face on the road. Make sure he is able to handle snow, wind, and rain. Ride along with her during a storm before she has to face this challenge alone. 10. Make an accident kit. You never know what tools you will need after an accident, and it's better to always be prepared. Some ideas for your accident kit: a disposable camera, flashlight, glGwstick, pen and personal info sheet to list all of your Besides keeping teens safer when they're behind the insurance information and perwheel, the new, tougher regula- sonal details. You may also include info, cards and witness tions also aim to get parents cards to collect license plate more engaged in helping their numbers, insurance details, and teens leam the rules of the road. Flndlaw.com offers 10 tips . other information from all cars, drivers and witnesses involved to help protect your teen driver in an accident. from an accident. accounting for 35 percent of all fatalities among young people 15 to 20 years old, according to the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration. While statistically teen deaths related to motor vehicle crashes have declined over the last several years, a dark cloud remains over the alarming rate of deaths among teen drivers, who are four times more likely to die in a car accident than drivers 25 years or older. That, combined with a surge in the number of young drivers - the children of baby boomers - who are taking to the roads, is leading more states to institute tougher teen, driving regulations. Measures range from graduated licenses to a ban on the use of ceil phones while driving for teen drivers, according to l%idlaw.com, a leading online source of legal information. 1. Practice, practice, practice. During the first 500 miles of dri-. ving, teen drivers are 10 times more likely to be in auto crashes than any other age group. Driving requires mental and physical skills that can only be honed with time on the road. That's why it's essential for teen drivers to get professional training and why more states are issuing graduated licenses that require teens to drive with their parents for an extended length of time before being eligible to drive on their own. 2. Create a safe driving contract. Parents should consider creating a safe-driving contract with new drivers to build safe driving habits. Have clear, consistent consequences when your teens do something inappropriate while driving so they understand their boundaries as drivers. The focus of such a contract should be on removing distractions, such as ceil phones or eeting in the car, which may divert a teen driver's attention from the road, and keeping teen drivers off the roads at particularly risky times of the day (after 10 p.m. and before 6 a.m.). • 3. No cell phones. Texting while driving is banned in 26 states and D.C., and an additional eight states prohibit text messaging by minor drivers, according to the Governors Highway Safety Association. Six states prohibit all drivers from using handheld phones while driving. Make sure you and your teen driver are familiar with your state's laws on mobile devices and driving. 4. Seatbelts. Fifty-five percent of teens killed in automobile accidents In 2008 were not wearing seatbelts, * according to t h e National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Wearing a seatbelt is not only a good idea, in a growing number of states, it's the law - 31 states have primary seat belt laws and 18 have secondary laws, according to Findlaw.com. To leam about the law and for more information about a parent's liability with their teen drivers, visit www.findlaw.com. impassable Roadways Due To Snowstorms Cost Society (ARA) - As the nation gears up for yet another winter snow season, it's important to remember that large snowstorms aren't just an inconvenience - they cost money, if the roads are not properly cleared of snow and ice in a timely manner, people can't get to work. If people can't get to work, they can't produce the goods and services" that everyone has come to rely on every day. The American Highway Users Alliance (www.hlgh-' ways.org), in conjunction with Global Insight, has released a study estimating the economic impact of snowstorms in 16 U.S. states and two Canadian provinces. The study found that, In addition to the cost to clean up sidewalks, roads and buildings, hundreds of millions of dollars in economic opportunity are lost each day a state is shuttered by impassable roads because workers can't get to work. A one-day shutdown due to a snow storm can cost a state as much as $700 million dollars. The study also found that hourly workers are the most harshly impacted by such shutdowns, representing America's most economically vulnerable people. "Lost wages of hourly workers account for about two-thirds of the direct economic impact of a major snowstorm," says James Gillula, managing director of Global Insight and the principal researcher of the study. "Among all workers, hourly wage workers can suffer the most painful economic losses and the indirect economic effects of their iost wages can ripple through the economy." The study, the Highway Users Alliance noted, gives needed perspective on the true costs of what Is often thought of as harmless and fun. "Although snow days often conjure happy childhood memories, this study makes it crystal clear that they have a tangible and serious negative impact on real working people and a wide range of businesses," says Greg Cohen, American Highway Users Alliance president and CEO. T h e shocking losses estimated by this study should light a fire under state and local authorities nationwide to get serious about investing in quicker and more effective snow and ice removal. When roads are left unsafe or impassible, it is like money being thrown down the drain." The study further examined the indirect economic impacts caused by snow closures, including tost sales tax revenue and significant losses in the restaurant, general merchandise and gasoline industries. These indirect impacts more than doubled the initial direct impact of each storm. For restaurants in the metropolitan Washington D.C. area, economic losses from February's historic blizzard were particularly stark. T h e losses suffered by some restaurants can, and will, define their viability in the very near future," says Lynne Breaux, president of the Restaurant Association Metropolitan Washington. In a city that was left all butjnaccessible for an entire week, recovering from the shutdown was a mammoth task for many Washington businesses. Additional information on the study can be found at www.highways.org/pdfs/economic-costs-of-snowstorms.pdf. For a brochure on the safety and economic benefits of clear winter roads, visit www.roadwaysafety.org/wpcontent/uploads/snowremovalbrochure-final.pdf. Ask a Specialist: Do You Have Tips for Preparing my Yard for Winter? Answer by: JayDee Gunnell, Utah State University Extension horticulturist By the time the gardening season winds down, many gardeners, like their lackluster plants, are spent. It is all too easy to Ignore the work that waits outside. But by accomplishing a few simple chores before winter takes over, you can ensure healthier, and happier plants next spring. • Flowers - Many perennials become crowded and may benefit from being divided every four to five years. As a general rule, perennials that bloom in the spring should be dug and divided in the fall. Perennials that bloom in the fall should be dug and divided in the spring. Dig perennials three to four weeks before the ground freezes. • Trees - Tree trunks can be damaged by winter sun from both the south and west. Protect young tree trunks by wrapping them with white tree wrap available at any local nursery or garden center. The white wrap helps reflect the sun from the tender trunks. • Lawns - Late October to early November is the best time of year to feed your lawn. Apply a quick-release nitrogen fertilizer after the last mowing. Even though the grass doesnt appear to be growing, energy is being shipped down to the root system for storage. This stored energy will present itself in early greening next spring. • Weed control - Annual weeds begin from seed, grow, then produce seed all in one year's time. These weeds, such as crabgrass and spurge, are best controlled in the early spring (before mid-April) with pre-emergent herbicides. Perennial weeds come back every year from the same root system. Perennial weeds, such as dandelion and field bindweed (also known as momina glqryjj, area.best controlled in the fall. After .the "first light frost, energy within the weed moves downward to the root system. Spraying perennial weeds at this time is effective because those chemicals have a better chance of destroying the roots. • Planting - Fall is one of the best times to plant nursery stock. For more information on preparing your yard for winter, see the feet sheet: http://extension.usu.edu/files/publications/p ublicaUon/HGJHort!culture_200 7-01pr.pdf. Superfoods, Squash And Figs, Star In Delectable Side Dish (NAPS)—Two of the hottest food trends this year, figs and squash, join forces in SherryBraised Squash with Figs and Rosemary. Excellent for dinner with family and friends or an intimate holiday meal, this versatile side dish goes especially well with roast pork and turkey. California figs bring an earthy sweetnesB to 5. Passenger restriction. the dish that delightfully compleParents should try to limit the ments nutty-flavored butternut number of passengers in their squai-h. teen's car, especially those. Here are some cooking tips and fun fig facts;, younger than -18. Some states • Figs are superstars when it even have laws that do not comes to fiber. One-half cup of allow minor passengers to be in dried California figs provides 10 the vehicle for the first six grams of fiber, along with genermonths after a new teen driver ous amounts of potassium, calreceives his or her license. cium, iron and magnesium. • Fiber is linked to weight IOBS 6. Curfew. Teens can be more and to reducing the risk of diverticulitis, diabetes and heart distracted at night. A study done disease when part of a diet low in Cool-weather favorites, California dried-figs and butternut squash, by NHTSA finds that nighttime, saturated fat and cholesterol. , make great partners. ' especially after 10 p.m., is one • Golden Calimyrnas are sweet of the riskiest times of the day to Feel squash and cut into KSherry-Braised Squash and chewy with'a slight nutty flato 1-inch chunks to measure 4 drive for teens. Check state and With Figs & Rosemary vor. Dark purple Missions are cups. Heat butter in large Preparation time: IS minutes sweet with thin skins and tiny local city laws regarding curfews skillet or saucepan over meCooking time: 20 minutes edible seeds. They are interas some states impose curfews dium heat. Add onion. Cook, changeable in most recipeB. on teen driving. stirring frequently, until 1 butternut or other winter • Butternut squash measures golden. Add squash, figs, 7. No drinking and driving. On squash (2% to 3 pounds) up admirably to figs. One cup 'of sherry, broth, rosemary and 1 tablespoon butter cooked squash contains 17/percent average, a drunk driver kills 1 cup chopped yellow onion salt. Bring to boil; reduce potassium that helps control blood someone every 45 minutes, heat and simmer gently, cov1 cup Blue Ribbon Orchard pressure. It provides' 24 percent of according Jo Mothers Against ered, 10 minutes "A until Choice or Sun-Maid dried the daily fiber recommendation, a Drunk Driving (MADD). Help squash is tender. If liquid California figs, stemmed whopping 460 percent of the recyour teen find other solutions to remains, remove figs and vegand halved or quartered ommended vitamin A and 60 peretables with slotted spoon to drinking and driving, especially % cup dry sherry or orange cent of the recommended vitamin, serving bowl; simmer unjuice C, all of which help with cholesresponding to peer pressure to l covered until liquid is reA cup prepared chicken broth terol management. drink. Lead by example and duced to 3 to 4 tablespoons. 4 teaspoons chopped fresh • 1b prepare squash, cut one inch show your kids it's never okay to rosemary (or VA teaspoons Pour liquid over squash mixfrom the bottom (larger end) and drink and drive. ture. Serve warm, garnished crumbled dry rosemary) top. Peel outer akin. Stand it on end l with .parsley. Makes about 4 A teaspoon salt and cut down the center of the 8. Make sure your teen gets cups (8 servings). Chopnedfreshparsley squash. Scoop out seeds and cube, sleep. According to the National |