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Memorial Day services held in Allison - Butler County Tribune-Journal

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2 Editorial<br />

• Thursday, June 2, 2011 <strong>Butler</strong> <strong>County</strong> <strong>Tribune</strong>-<strong>Journal</strong> • Clarksville Star<br />

The Clover Connection<br />

Nancy Jensen<br />

<strong>Butler</strong> <strong>County</strong> CYC<br />

nejensen@iastate.edu<br />

Let’s do it for our kids!<br />

If there was only one th<strong>in</strong>g I learned<br />

from my years <strong>in</strong> the classroom (and<br />

believe there were A LOT!) it would<br />

be to NEVER, EVER underestimate<br />

the power of a parent, particularly<br />

the power of a mother.<br />

While I’m just sure my sons-<strong>in</strong>law<br />

and daughter-<strong>in</strong>-law would say<br />

I am pretty easy to get along with (at<br />

least I hope they would say that!) I<br />

know when someone did someth<strong>in</strong>g<br />

to one of my offspr<strong>in</strong>g that I didn’t<br />

particularly care for, I usually let<br />

them know it! I never approached<br />

one of their coaches ask<strong>in</strong>g why<br />

my kids weren’t start<strong>in</strong>g or at least<br />

play<strong>in</strong>g (I’m afraid they might take<br />

after their mother who is not very<br />

talented <strong>in</strong> any sport! I am however,<br />

hold<strong>in</strong>g out for that archery th<strong>in</strong>g!).<br />

I was told by one coach, through my<br />

daughter, to stop giv<strong>in</strong>g her the “evil<br />

glare”. If she was busy coach<strong>in</strong>g,<br />

how would she know I was giv<strong>in</strong>g<br />

her any k<strong>in</strong>d of glare? My kids all<br />

grew up to be great adults and I like<br />

to th<strong>in</strong>k my husband and I had a little<br />

to do with that!<br />

I’m sure their years <strong>in</strong> 4-H had<br />

equal <strong>in</strong>fluence <strong>in</strong> their lives. From<br />

my viewpo<strong>in</strong>t, 4-H is the ONLY<br />

educational organization that allows<br />

kids to not only learn a skill, whether<br />

it’s speak<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> front of a group,<br />

keep<strong>in</strong>g records on a livestock<br />

project or lead<strong>in</strong>g on council, but<br />

to also allow them to actually put<br />

that skill <strong>in</strong>to practice and change<br />

behavior. This is a HUGE part<br />

of 4-H – a high degree of handson<br />

learn<strong>in</strong>g and then carry<strong>in</strong>g that<br />

learn<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong>to the community to<br />

make a difference. In a recent study<br />

done by Iowa State University (the<br />

2008 Iowa 4-H Youth Citizenship,<br />

Leadership and Communication<br />

Self-Assessment Research Study)<br />

scores <strong>in</strong> citizenship, leadership and<br />

communication all reported over a<br />

65% improvement, many over 70%,<br />

follow<strong>in</strong>g their years <strong>in</strong> 4-H.<br />

Now this may just be frustration<br />

on my part, but I’d like to know how<br />

we can get more kids to actively take<br />

part <strong>in</strong> our organization s<strong>in</strong>ce we<br />

know they will; practice citizenship,<br />

leadership and communication<br />

skills, be a positive <strong>in</strong>fluence on<br />

others, make a difference <strong>in</strong> their<br />

communities, learn necessary<br />

teamwork skills and have their basic<br />

A Correction (that’s good news!)<br />

I’ve repeatedly said that the state<br />

of Iowa will have $600 million <strong>in</strong><br />

our reserve funds and $300 million<br />

<strong>in</strong> our end<strong>in</strong>g balance when the fiscal<br />

year comes to a close on June 30.<br />

I argued that with so much money<br />

on hand—far more than most other<br />

states—there is no need to deeply<br />

cut our local schools, community<br />

colleges and universities.<br />

That statement was partially <strong>in</strong><br />

error, and I want to issue a correction.<br />

It turns out Iowa’s economy<br />

is recover<strong>in</strong>g even better than<br />

expected. Michael Fitzgerald, Iowa’s<br />

State Treasurer, reported this week<br />

that we’ll have an additional $100<br />

million <strong>in</strong> our end<strong>in</strong>g balance when<br />

this fiscal year comes to a close on<br />

June 30.<br />

These additional dollars can help<br />

protect Iowa’s local schools and<br />

create new jobs. There are now<br />

100 million more reasons why the<br />

compromises needed to end the<br />

session should be easier to f<strong>in</strong>d.<br />

Senate votes to improve mental<br />

health <strong>services</strong> for Iowans<br />

We voted this week to make mental<br />

health and disability <strong>services</strong> more<br />

accessible and affordable to Iowans<br />

<strong>in</strong> all parts of the state.<br />

Senate File 525 creates a legislative<br />

<strong>in</strong>terim committee to propose<br />

statutory legislation to redesign our<br />

state’s mental health and disability<br />

<strong>services</strong>, which are used by Iowans<br />

with mental illness, <strong>in</strong>tellectual<br />

disabilities and developmental<br />

disabilities. The committee will<br />

develop legislation to establish a set<br />

of basic <strong>services</strong> that all counties<br />

must provide and to streaml<strong>in</strong>e<br />

fund<strong>in</strong>g.<br />

developmental needs met?<br />

One th<strong>in</strong>g I have noticed over<br />

and over with <strong>Butler</strong> <strong>County</strong> 4-H<br />

youth, the really <strong>in</strong>volved 4-Hers<br />

(the ones who go out and make those<br />

differences <strong>in</strong> their communities)<br />

have <strong>in</strong>volved parents right beh<strong>in</strong>d<br />

them. These actively <strong>in</strong>volved<br />

parents may be serv<strong>in</strong>g as club<br />

leaders or just support<strong>in</strong>g their<br />

children but they are help<strong>in</strong>g these<br />

youth build a strong foundation from<br />

which they can grow and develop.<br />

Our active families are offer<strong>in</strong>g their<br />

young people the opportunity to<br />

have hand-on learn<strong>in</strong>g experiences<br />

take place, <strong>in</strong> which it is okay to<br />

try, make mistakes, learn from those<br />

mistakes and try aga<strong>in</strong>.<br />

I found this “Parent’s 4-H<br />

Pledge” on the Iowa 4-H website. It<br />

orig<strong>in</strong>ated <strong>in</strong> the Extension program<br />

at Ill<strong>in</strong>ois University.<br />

“I pledge my HEAD to give my<br />

child the <strong>in</strong>formation I can, to<br />

help him/her see th<strong>in</strong>gs clearly,<br />

and to make wise decisions.<br />

I pledge my HEART to encourage<br />

and support my child no<br />

matter whether he/she has<br />

successes or disappo<strong>in</strong>tments.<br />

I pledge my HANDS to help my<br />

child’s club; if I cannot be a<br />

club leader, I can help <strong>in</strong> many<br />

equally important ways.<br />

I pledge my HEALTH to keep my<br />

child strong and well for a<br />

better world through 4-H for my<br />

child’s club, our community,<br />

our country, and our world.”<br />

I’ve heard it said that beh<strong>in</strong>d<br />

every good president is a strong<br />

first lady. I’d like to go on record<br />

as say<strong>in</strong>g, “Beh<strong>in</strong>d every actively<br />

<strong>in</strong>volved 4-H’er is some active<br />

parent <strong>in</strong>volvement.” When we sign<br />

up 4-Hers <strong>in</strong> the fall, we should be<br />

sign<strong>in</strong>g up parents to help <strong>in</strong> any<br />

way they can. We should NEVER<br />

hesitate to ask them to help; if they<br />

are actively <strong>in</strong>volved, their kids are<br />

more likely to be <strong>in</strong>volved and stay<br />

active.<br />

I’ll close with this awesome quote<br />

credited to Chief Sitt<strong>in</strong>g Bull but still<br />

so very important today. “Let us put<br />

our m<strong>in</strong>ds together and see what life<br />

we can make for our children.”<br />

So let’s do that – all work together<br />

to improve the lives of our children!<br />

The goal is to develop a<br />

statewide system that is regionally<br />

adm<strong>in</strong>istered and locally delivered<br />

to provide greater access to mental<br />

health care and <strong>services</strong> for Iowans<br />

who need them. The new system<br />

must be <strong>in</strong> place by July 1, 2013.<br />

Currently, mental health <strong>services</strong><br />

for adults are provided at the county<br />

level, mean<strong>in</strong>g Iowa has up to 99<br />

different mental health systems.<br />

Services generally <strong>in</strong>clude treatment,<br />

vocational opportunities, support<br />

<strong>services</strong> that help Iowans rema<strong>in</strong> a<br />

part of their community, and group<br />

homes.<br />

Reform is also necessary because<br />

fund<strong>in</strong>g for our mental health system<br />

is complex, comes from a variety of<br />

sources, and is not sufficient to cover<br />

costs.<br />

Additional <strong>in</strong>formation<br />

This is a legislative column by<br />

Senator Amanda Ragan, represent<strong>in</strong>g<br />

Mitchell and Floyd counties and<br />

parts of Cerro Gordo and Howard<br />

counties. For newsletters, photos<br />

and further <strong>in</strong>formation, go to www.<br />

senate.iowa.gov/Ragan.<br />

To contact Senator Ragan<br />

dur<strong>in</strong>g the week, call the Senate<br />

Switchboard at 515-281-3371.<br />

Otherwise she can be reached at<br />

home at 641-424-0874. E-mail her<br />

at amanda.ragan@legis.iowa.gov.<br />

Senator Ragan is an Assistant<br />

Senate Majority Leader, chair of the<br />

Human Resources Committee and<br />

vice-chair of the Health & Human<br />

Services Budget Subcommittee. She<br />

also serves on the Appropriations,<br />

Rules & Adm<strong>in</strong>istration, Natural<br />

Resources & Environment, and<br />

Veterans Affairs committees.<br />

<strong>Butler</strong> <strong>County</strong> Extension News<br />

Around<br />

By Bill Arndorfer <strong>Butler</strong><br />

<strong>Butler</strong>-Grundy Extension Educator<br />

<strong>County</strong><br />

Try Compost<strong>in</strong>g<br />

Don’t know what to do with<br />

your lawn clipp<strong>in</strong>gs, weeds or<br />

other plant materials? Why not<br />

compost. Compost<strong>in</strong>g is one way<br />

to reduce yard waste. Compost is<br />

simply decomposed plant material<br />

that, when mixed with soil, can be<br />

used to improve soil properties. As<br />

the weather warms and the lawns,<br />

gardens, trees, shrubs and flowers<br />

grow more quickly, it is time to<br />

th<strong>in</strong>k about what to do with the<br />

yard waste that will be produced<br />

by all this plant growth. Yard waste<br />

can be composted and turned <strong>in</strong>to a<br />

useful product that can be used <strong>in</strong> the<br />

garden, lawn or flower beds. This<br />

column will review compost<strong>in</strong>g dos<br />

and don’ts and will hopefully help<br />

you decide if this is someth<strong>in</strong>g you<br />

might want to try.<br />

What can you put <strong>in</strong>to a compost<br />

pile? Leaves, fresh grass clipp<strong>in</strong>gs,<br />

weeds that have not gone to<br />

seed, shredded paper, hedge<br />

clipp<strong>in</strong>gs, cornstalks, crushed<br />

corncobs and sawdust are common<br />

materials used. Apple cores and<br />

banana peels placed <strong>in</strong> the compost<br />

pile should be covered by one or<br />

more of these materials to limit the<br />

attraction of flies.<br />

Fresh lawn clipp<strong>in</strong>gs, weeds and<br />

alfalfa have a low carbon to nitrogen<br />

ratio. Leaves, shredded paper,<br />

hedge clipp<strong>in</strong>gs, cornstalks, crushed<br />

corncobs and sawdust have a high<br />

carbon to nitrogen ratio. Therefore<br />

the compost pile will work best<br />

when there is a mix of these different<br />

materials. A ten to one carbon<br />

to nitrogen ratio is needed for a<br />

compost pile to function well.<br />

Fair Entry<br />

Deadl<strong>in</strong>e is<br />

June 7<br />

All 4-H and FFA entries for the<br />

2011 <strong>Butler</strong> <strong>County</strong> Fair are due to<br />

the <strong>Butler</strong> <strong>County</strong> Extension Office<br />

on or before 4:30 p.m., June 7, 2011.<br />

This <strong>in</strong>cludes all livestock and small<br />

animal entries. NO ENTRIES<br />

WILL BE ACCEPTED AFTER<br />

JUNE 7th!!<br />

Nancy Jensen, <strong>Butler</strong> <strong>County</strong> 4-H<br />

CYC, rem<strong>in</strong>ds 4-H’ers and FFA<br />

members to get their entries <strong>in</strong> on<br />

time! Entries can be made to the<br />

<strong>Butler</strong> <strong>County</strong> Extension Office<br />

<strong>in</strong> <strong>Allison</strong> from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30<br />

p.m., Monday through Friday or by<br />

mail. If done by mail, remember to<br />

enclose payment for livestock stall<br />

fees if required. Wristbands will be<br />

purchased at the fairboard office this<br />

year. Remember, entries are due by<br />

4:30 p.m. on June 7th!<br />

Dates for the 2011 <strong>Butler</strong> <strong>County</strong><br />

Fair are June 22-26th. The public<br />

is encouraged to attend any or all<br />

events! See you there!!<br />

Turn off the<br />

television,<br />

Turn on<br />

their m<strong>in</strong>ds.<br />

In school or at home,<br />

the newspaper is a<br />

textbook for life.<br />

Encourage your children<br />

to make read<strong>in</strong>g the<br />

newspaper a part of their<br />

everyday rout<strong>in</strong>e for<br />

lifelong learn<strong>in</strong>g.<br />

Do not put meat scraps or bones<br />

<strong>in</strong>to the pile as they do not compost<br />

easily and are likely to attract dogs,<br />

rodents or other animals. Also, don’t<br />

put <strong>in</strong> diseased plant materials, pet<br />

excrement or weeds that have gone<br />

to seed as the seed and pathogens<br />

will most likely not be destroyed by<br />

the compost<strong>in</strong>g process.<br />

To speed up the decomposition<br />

rate, you may want to try the<br />

follow<strong>in</strong>g: chop or shred the<br />

materials to be composted; add a<br />

high-nitrogen, complete analysis<br />

fertilizer to the pile; <strong>in</strong>corporate<br />

barnyard manure <strong>in</strong>to the pile; and<br />

turn the compost about once a week<br />

dur<strong>in</strong>g the season, add<strong>in</strong>g water<br />

each time (the compost<strong>in</strong>g material<br />

should feel like a damp sponge-a<br />

drop or two of water should drip<br />

out when tightly squeezed). Us<strong>in</strong>g<br />

all these techniques will hasten the<br />

decomposition rate. Decomposition<br />

rate is affected by the type of material<br />

used, size of particles and amount of<br />

moisture and oxygen present.<br />

The benefit to us<strong>in</strong>g compost is<br />

that it will <strong>in</strong>crease the amount of<br />

organic matter <strong>in</strong> the soil,<br />

therefore enhanc<strong>in</strong>g the soil tilth<br />

of flower and vegetable gardens.<br />

Build<strong>in</strong>g up organic matter<br />

<strong>in</strong>creases both its water hold<strong>in</strong>g<br />

capacity and its productive ability<br />

enabl<strong>in</strong>g plants to better tolerate<br />

droughts.<br />

To learn more about compost<strong>in</strong>g<br />

or how to build a compost unit,<br />

contact the <strong>Butler</strong> office of ISU<br />

Extension at 319-267-2707 and ask<br />

for publication PM 683.<br />

Tie the knot and cut the cake<br />

Congratulations! You have tied the<br />

knot and cut the cake… Now what?<br />

Although next year’s tax day seems<br />

far away, it will be here before you<br />

know it.<br />

Marriage can mean a change <strong>in</strong><br />

name. Ensure the names you will<br />

enter on your first tax return match<br />

the names and Social Security<br />

numbers on file with the Social<br />

Security Adm<strong>in</strong>istration. Make the<br />

change with SSA as soon as possible<br />

if there is a spousal name change.<br />

Even if you get married on Dec.<br />

31, 2011, you are considered to have<br />

been married for the entire year.<br />

Check your withhold<strong>in</strong>g to be sure<br />

you are hav<strong>in</strong>g enough taxes taken<br />

out of your paychecks. If you both<br />

work, your comb<strong>in</strong>ed <strong>in</strong>come may<br />

place you <strong>in</strong> a higher tax bracket<br />

Mak<strong>in</strong>g a change to your<br />

withhold<strong>in</strong>g now can elim<strong>in</strong>ate<br />

or reduce a tax bill next year. Use<br />

Form W-4, Employee’s Withhold<strong>in</strong>g<br />

Allowance Certificate, to make the<br />

needed adjustments and give the<br />

form to your employer.<br />

Make sure the IRS knows of your<br />

correct mail<strong>in</strong>g address. Either you<br />

can notify the US Postal Service or<br />

you can complete and mail an IRS<br />

Form 8822, Change of Address<br />

form, to the address listed on page 2<br />

of the form.<br />

Let your employer know about any<br />

name and address changes as soon as<br />

possible. This will ensure that you<br />

receive your Form W-2, Wage and<br />

Tax Statement, at the right time to<br />

file. Also, ensure other payers, such<br />

as banks and <strong>in</strong>vestment companies,<br />

have your updated name and address<br />

as well.<br />

You may be wonder<strong>in</strong>g how be<strong>in</strong>g<br />

married will affect your taxes. When<br />

you file your return, you will be<br />

able to choose between fil<strong>in</strong>g jo<strong>in</strong>tly<br />

with your spouse (which may lower<br />

your comb<strong>in</strong>ed tax) or us<strong>in</strong>g the<br />

fil<strong>in</strong>g status called married and fil<strong>in</strong>g<br />

separately. Most couples prefer the<br />

jo<strong>in</strong>t option, but depend<strong>in</strong>g upon<br />

your particular f<strong>in</strong>ancial and tax<br />

circumstances, separate fil<strong>in</strong>gs could<br />

be warranted.<br />

Jo<strong>in</strong>t fil<strong>in</strong>g typically is a good idea<br />

if you both work and one makes<br />

considerably more than the other.<br />

Comb<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong>comes could br<strong>in</strong>g<br />

the higher earn<strong>in</strong>gs <strong>in</strong>to a lower<br />

tax bracket. Some tax credits are<br />

only available to a married couple<br />

when they file a jo<strong>in</strong>t return. And<br />

logistically, it’s easier to deal with<br />

just one return.<br />

Separate returns might be<br />

preferable if one spouse has large<br />

medical bills and can meet the<br />

deduction threshold by consider<strong>in</strong>g<br />

only his or her <strong>in</strong>come. Other<br />

itemized deduction thresholds<br />

(miscellaneous deductions or<br />

casualty losses) also could be easier<br />

for just one partner to meet.<br />

Keep <strong>in</strong> m<strong>in</strong>d, though, that if<br />

one spouse itemizes on his or her<br />

separate return, the other spouse<br />

also must itemize. That could pose<br />

a costly problem for a spouse who<br />

has no or few itemized expenses<br />

and would be better off claim<strong>in</strong>g the<br />

standard deduction.<br />

Separate fil<strong>in</strong>g also is recommended<br />

when a spouse has concerns about<br />

tax claims the other wants to make.<br />

In most situations, when couples file<br />

jo<strong>in</strong>tly, each partner accepts equal<br />

responsibility for any tax due or<br />

penalties that might be assessed if<br />

problems arise with the return.<br />

When it comes to wedd<strong>in</strong>g<br />

plann<strong>in</strong>g, details are important. So<br />

take these steps now to ensure your<br />

first tax season as husband and wife<br />

goes as smoothly.<br />

For more <strong>in</strong>formation about<br />

person <strong>in</strong>come taxes, contact your<br />

local ISUE Extension office and<br />

ask for a copy of PM 1455, Money<br />

Mechanics: Taxes.<br />

COOPER MOTORS, INC.<br />

<strong>Allison</strong>, Iowa<br />

Ph. 319-267-2392 • FAX: 319-267-2622<br />

Your Hometown Dealer For 47 Years<br />

www.coopermotorsales.com<br />

Email: coopermotors@net<strong>in</strong>s.net<br />

The All-New 2011 Grand Cherokee<br />

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• Improved fuel efficiency with all-new 3.6-liter Pentastar V-6 deliver<strong>in</strong>g 16<br />

mpg city/ 23 mpg highway and delivers over 500 miles per tank of gas!<br />

• More than 45 safety and security features <strong>in</strong>clud<strong>in</strong>g electronic stability<br />

control (standard), side-curta<strong>in</strong> and seat-mounted side air bags (standard),<br />

active head restra<strong>in</strong>ts (standard), Bl<strong>in</strong>d-spot Monitor<strong>in</strong>g (BSM)/Rear Cross Path<br />

(RCP) detection system, adaptive cruise control (ACC) and Forward Collision<br />

Warn<strong>in</strong>g (FCW)<br />

• New all-weather package for harsh environmental conditions<br />

• A variety of advanced technology/connectivity/<strong>in</strong>fota<strong>in</strong>ment features <strong>in</strong>clud<strong>in</strong>g<br />

Bluetooth® handsfree call<strong>in</strong>g and stream<strong>in</strong>g audio, Uconnect® Web and SIRIUS<br />

Backseat TV<br />

• Best-<strong>in</strong>-Class 1<br />

• Off-Road Capability<br />

• Ground Clearance with Quadra-Lift<br />

• Driv<strong>in</strong>g Range (Hwy V6/V8) (560 Mile Range 2 )<br />

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• Most Luxurious Vehicle - Grand Cherokee Overland Summit

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