2008 Year in Review

4-H, Extension Education Programs Will Be Lost

Dear Friends and Supporters of University of Illinois Extension, Whiteside County,

4-H, Extension Education Programs Will Be Lost Unless Funding Is Restored!

This letter is being sent because you have been involved in one or more of our 4-H/Youth, Agricultural, Horticultural, Family Life programs, or other programming in recent months. We want to make you aware of a serious funding issue for our local Extension organization.

Your voice, phone calls, e-mails, visits and most important, your support is needed now by contacting your State Senator and Representatives!

If funding for Extension is not released by the Governor as budgeted for this current year, nearly all Extension programs in this county will no longer exist. This means that programs such as Science Siesta, 4-H After- School, Agricultural/Horticultural programs and research, and much more will be eliminated.

If the Governor does not release the money this year, it is expected that 450 Extension positions (which includes Whiteside County Extension Staff) across the state will be eliminated. How does this impact our Whiteside County? This will be a devastating blow to our programs within Whiteside County and across the state of Illinois. Below are a few examples of the missed opportunities that Whiteside County could face if our funding is not released.

At this time, the Governor has not released any of the budgeted County Board Match funds for FY08. Therefore, money cannot be used by Extension at any level…including 4-H, Agricultural, and Family Life activities. In Whiteside County, this means we will not receive more than $200,000 committed from the FY08 budget (which began July 1st, 2007).

If you have any questions about the current funding situation or about ways that you can help, please contact volunteer, Janet Goodell, Extension Council President , (815) 537-2224 at your convenience. For more information about Extension programs go to our website at: Whiteside Extension. Thank you again for supporting Extension.

Direct Teaching to Whiteside County Citizens (2007): 30,853
Newsletters to Whiteside County Citizens (2007): 19,125
2007 Direct non-face-to-face (i.e. phone calls; e-mail; on pesticide, gardening questions, etc.): 3,724

Volunteers	Number of Volunteers	Volunteer Hours Spent	Volunteer Services provided to WC free of charge
U of I Master Gardeners	33	2,234 (office calls, office visits, community projects, etc.)	$40,200
4-Her's	249	N/A	N/A
4-H Community Club Volunteers	63	3,024	$33,260
Agricultural Research Plots	20	1,020	$11,200

The Honorable Rod Blagojevich, Governor, State of Illinois Office of the Governor 207 State House Springfield, IL 62706 Phone: 217-782-0244 or 312-814-2121 Email: governor@state.il.us	The Honorable Frank Watson 309-Capitol Building Springfield, IL 62706 217-782-5755 Email: watson51@mcleodusa.net or frank_watson51@sbcglobal.net citizensforwatson@sbcglobal.net
The Honorable Tom Cross 316-Capitol Building Springfield, IL 62706 217-782-1331 Tom@TomCross.com	The Honorable Michael Madigan 300-Capitol Building Springfield, IL 62706 217-782-5350 Email: mmadigan@ilga.gov
The Honorable Emil Jones Jr. 327-Capitol Building Springfield, IL 62706 217-782-2728 Email: jones@senatedem.state.il.us	The Honorable Mike Jacobs, Democrat 36th, State Senator 606 19th Street Moline, IL 61265 E-mail: jacobs@senatedem Phone: 309-797-0001 Fax: 309-797-0003
The Honorable Bill Foster United States House of Representatives 14th Congressional District W. First Street, Dixon, IL 22407 Phone: 540-548-1086 Or 27 North River Street Batavia, IL 60510 Phone: 630- 406-1114 Fax: 630-406-1808	The Honorable Tim Bivins, Republican 45th, State Senator 137 South State Street Geneseo, IL 61254 E-mail: sentws@geneseo Phone: 815-284-0045 Or 19 S Chicago Ave Freeport, IL 61032 Phone: 815-233-0037 Phone: 815-232-0777
The Honorable Mike Boland, Democrat 71st, State Representative 4416 River Drive Moline, IL 61265 E-mail: ilrepmikeboland@aol.com Phone: 309-736-3360 Fax: 309-736-3478	The Honorable Jerry L. Mitchell, Republican 90th, State Representative 100 East Fifth Street Rock Falls, IL 61071 E-mail: repjmitchell@cin.net Phone: 815-625-0820 Fax: 815-625-0839

by  Editor, theCity1.com
April 22, 2008