Plant breeder visits Guatemala
Local resident Dennis A. Lawn, Ph.D. plant pathology, recently
returned from a 12-day tour of new vegetable production areas in
Guatemala. Dennis volunteered for this assignment through the John
Ogonowski Farmer-to-Farmer program, funded by the U.S. Agency for
International Development.
Plant breeder visits Guatemala
Local resident Dennis A. Lawn, Ph.D. plant pathology, recently returned from a 12-day tour of new vegetable production areas in Guatemala. Dennis volunteered for this assignment through the John Ogonowski Farmer-to-Farmer program, funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development.
This project, which is part of the program recently visited by President George Bush during his visit to Guatemala, is a direct result of the new Central American Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA), which allows for the export of pink/red tomato fruit from Central America into the USA. Dennis is currently employed with the United Genetics Seed Company on Fairview Road, Hollister.
Lawn’s initial assignment was to provide classes in greenhouse vegetable production training techniques but this was expanded to include a survey of new tomato production areas along the borders of El Salvador and Honduras. By working directly with personnel from the Federación de Associones de AgrÃcolas de Guatemala (FASAGUA), Lawn evaluated the principal production limiting factors, including Begomovirus infection and various soilborne pathogens throughout the region.
His presentations emphasized “pesticide-free” vegetable production and sustainable agricultural methodology.
Office manager? You’re multi-tasking
By JACKIE FARWELL
AP Business Writer
Ever given your boss a haircut or paid her rent? How about shooing trapped bats from your office? And surely you’ve stored cremation ashes in your desk at one time or another?
If you answered yes to any of those questions, you’re probably an office manager. A new study shows that more than half of office managers report performing at least 10 different jobs in a given week, including customer relations, computer support, human resources and accounting.
Nearly 75 percent of office managers consider themselves workplace housekeeping supervisors, while 71 percent lend an ear as office psychologist.
“They tend to be the glue that holds the office together,” said John Giusti of Staples, which conducted the “My Real Job” study.
No rest for the weary
Vacation time. You worked long and hard and now you have a couple of weeks to kick back and get away from it all. Too bad you went and made yourself too important to enjoy it.
More than half of workers fail to use all of their allotted vacation days, including 30 percent who say they take less than half, according to a recent survey. Many of the overworked are managers, under pressure to do more in less time with fewer employees, said Robert Morgan of professional staffing provider Hudson, which conducted the survey.
Of those who do escape for a few days of skiing, scuba diving or channel-surfing, nearly one quarter said their boss still expects them to be accessible by cell phone, e-mail or other methods.
“You can have 24-hour access if you want it,” Morgan said.
But don’t go blaming it all on the boss man, because the majority of workers rate their employers favorably in providing flexibility for time off, the report found. So suck it up, slather on some sunscreen and hit the beach.
The survey was based on a national poll of more than 2,000 workers conducted from March 30 to April 2.
Call your mother
Keeping in touch with friends is fairly easy – fire off an e-mail or text message and you’ve made weekend plans in Atlantic City. But your Blackberry might not cut it when it comes to older family members, who know you’ve been MIA but haven’t the faintest clue what LOL means.
Most mothers and grandmothers prefer snail mail or telephone calls for communicating with loved ones, according to a recent survey conducted by Harris Interactive on behalf of Presto Services, Inc.
With Mother’s Day just around the corner, here’s a few tips from family lifestyle expert Donna Erickson for staying in touch with technology-shy family members.
Send a postcard every month. The picture can let mother dearest know where you are.
Set up a weekly phone call, even if you don’t have any news to share.
Schedule a regular visit, even once a year if you live far away.
Introduce nanny to user-friendly technology, like basic cell phones without the confusing bells and whistles.
Now you can stay in touch, so cough up some TLC for MOM.
