Service Members, Families, Get Free Pass to National Parks

By Lisa Daniel
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, May 15, 2012 - Service members and their families will be able to enter all of America's national parks free of charge for a year under an initiative announced today.
The pass – the America the Beautiful National Parks and Federal Recreation Lands Annual Pass, which normally costs $80 – will become available to service members and their dependents on Armed Forces Day, May 19.

Interior Secretary Ken Salazar made the announcement this morning, along with National Park Service Director Jon Jarvis, at a ceremony at Colonial National Historical Park in Yorktown, Va., the site of the last major battle of the Revolutionary War. The area surrounding the park hosts installations from all the military services, including the world's largest naval base.

"I think when one goes into Virginia and you see all the sites, the Yorktown battlefield and the whole history of the country, it's important that those who have fought in the tradition of making sure the nation's democracy and freedom are protected also have access to these wonderful sites there," Salazar said yesterday in a conference call with reporters.

The passes allow the holder and passengers in a single private vehicle access to some 2,000 sites that charge per vehicle. At sites where entrance fees are charged per person, it covers the pass owner and three adults age 16 and older.

The National Park Service estimates that giving away the passes to service members and their families will result in a revenue loss between $2 million and $6 million, but Jarvis said that won't cause a significant impact on the agency, which collects about $150 million in fees each year.
Military personnel can get the passes at any national park or wildlife refuge that charges an entrance fee by showing their military ID. Family members also will be able to obtain their own pass, even if the service member is deployed or if they are traveling separately.

The pass will be accepted at National Park Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Bureau of Reclamation, Bureau of Land Management, U.S. Forest Service and U.S. Army Corps sites that charge entrance or standard amenity fees.

The free pass will be made available for activated members of the National Guard and reserves, but not for military veterans or retirees, whom Jarvis said have other opportunities for free or reduced admission, such as the National Patrk Service's "Access Pass" or a seniors pass for those 62 and older.
Jarvis, a 40-year Park Service employee, said that while the free passes are a first, they are representative of the parks' history with the military, which dates back to the Buffalo Soldiers' battles with Native Americans in the mid-1800s and the recruitment of former military members to serve as park rangers under the first NPS director, Stephen T. Mather. The Park Service maintains many military historical sites from Gettysburg to Pearl Harbor, and in World War II even closed some parks, such as Mount Rainier in Washington state, to all but active military members, he said.

Right after World War II, the Park Service invested heavily in infrastructure to prepare the parks for returning service members, Jarvis said. Today's generation of warriors also deserves a deep connection to the parks, he said.
"From my perspective, it is incredibly important to return this group of returning military members to their national parks," Jarvis said. "Nothing is more core to the American experience than the national parks. These are places for quiet and contemplation and to reconnect to the American experience. And we don't want there to be any barriers to that."

The free pass initiative is part of the "Joining Forces" campaign First Lady Michelle Obama and Dr. Jill Biden, wife of Vice President Joe Biden, launched last year to rally Americans around supporting service members and their families.

"Our nation owes a debt of gratitude to our servicemen and women who make great sacrifices to protect our country and preserve our freedom," Dr. Biden said in a White House statement. "In recognition of their service, we are so pleased to be putting out a welcome mat for our military families at America's most beautiful and storied sites."


National Park Service


Joining Forces

Is it really more expensive to eat healthy?

Healthy eating can cost less, study finds

By SAM HANANEL, Associated Press 

WASHINGTON (AP) — Is it really more expensive to eat healthy?

An Agriculture Department study released Wednesday found that most fruits, vegetables and other healthy foods cost less than foods high in fat, sugar and salt.

That counters a common perception among some consumers that it's cheaper to eat junk food than a nutritionally balanced meal.

The government says it all depends on how you measure the price. If you compare the price per calorie — as some previous researchers have done — then higher-calorie pastries and processed snacks might seem like a bargain compared with fruits and vegetables.

But comparing the cost of foods by weight or portion size shows that grains, vegetables, fruit and dairy foods are less expensive than most meats or foods high in saturated fat, added sugars or salt.

That means bananas, carrots, lettuce and pinto beans are all less expensive per portion than French fries, soft drinks, ice cream or ground beef.

"Using price per calorie doesn't tell you how much food you're going to get or how full you are going to feel," said Andrea Carlson, scientist at the USDA's Economic Research Service and an author of the study.

For example, eating a chocolate glazed donut with 240 calories might not satiate you but a banana with 105 calories just might.

In the comparisons, the USDA researchers used national average prices from Nielsen Homescan data, which surveyed a panel of households that recorded all food purchases over a year from retail outlets.

The cost of eating healthy foods has been the subject of growing debate as experts warn Americans about the dangers of obesity. More than a third of U.S. adults are obese, according to the government, and researchers expect that number to grow to 42 percent by 2030.

"Cheap food that provides few nutrients may actually be 'expensive' for the consumer from a nutritional economy perspective, whereas food with a higher retail price that provides large amounts of nutrients may actually be quite cheap," the study said.

The USDA study criticizes a 2010 report from researchers at the University of Washington, which found that calorie-for-calorie junk food is more cost-effective for low-income people than eating healthy.

Adam Drewnowski, director of the Nutritional Sciences Program at the University of Washington and lead author of the prior study, said he stands by his findings that a healthier diet generally costs more. He said there is no government recommendation for how many pounds of food an American should eat each day, but there are federal guidelines that suggest a 2,000 calorie diet.

"Some of these calories are in fact empty calories, so from the standpoint of nutrition they are not terrific," Drewnowski said. "But the empty calories keep you from being hungry, and this is why people buy them, especially lower-income people."

Margo Wootan, a nutrition advocate with the Center for Science in the Public Interest, said some people don't think they get as much value from fruits and vegetables as they get from other foods.

"If they buy a bag of chips for $2, they think it's a good deal, but if they buy a bag of apples for $2, they think it's a lot," Wootan said.

"We need to do more to help people understand that fruits and vegetables are not as expensive as they think they are."

Wootan said shopping smart can make healthy eating more affordable.

Consumers should be more flexible about choosing less expensive fruits and vegetables that are in season and supplementing those with frozen or canned fruits and vegetables so they don't have to throw away as much.

Copyright © 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.

Beef It Up

Want to learn about beef, the cattle industry, how to select cuts of beef and some easy ways to prepare it?  Join us for “Beef It Up”.  This informational session includes taste testing as well as tips on food prep, recipes and nutritional information.

Lunch will be provided.  Join us on Wednesday, May 23, 2012 from 10:00 am until 2:00 pm at the Sparta United Methodist Church.   

A fee of $10.00 covers the class along with all food and materials.

Pre-registration is required by May 16, 2012.  Contact the Alleghany Extension Office at 336-372-5597 for more information.

Sponsored by Alleghany ECA. 

Poker Run for Readers

The Northwestern Regional Library System, of which Alleghany is a part, has an upcoming fundraiser that we really need your help with.  We have a 'Poker Run for Readers' coming up on Saturday, June 9. (note attachment)  The rain date is June 16.  Freeborne's Eatery & Lodge is the major sponsor for this event, along with Mountain Dreams Realty, Document Imaging Solutions, Cross Roads Harley-Davidson, and South Data who is our IT provider.  The ride will begin at Freeborne's.  Both motorcycles and automobiles can participate and will have different routes.

Plan to ride on June 9 if you can.  Registration is $25 for riders, $15 for passengers.  This includes registration, live music    and a cook out the evening of the event.

Please help us get the word out about this.  Feel free to share this email with your friends.  Pre-registration can be done from now until May 7.  Registration forms are available at all NWRL Libraries in Alleghany, Stokes, Surry, and Yadkin Counties.  Those who pre-register also get a free t-shirt.

Compound from Wild Tomatoes is Natural, Effective Herbicide

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
A naturally occurring compound derived from wild tomato plants is also a fast-acting, nontoxic herbicide, according to researchers at North Carolina State University.


NC State entomologist Dr. Mike Roe had previously worked with the compound – known as 2-undecanone – as a natural replacement for the chemical DEET in insect repellents. Both he and his NC State colleague, entomologist Dr. George Kennedy, were exploring whether 2-undecanone could be used as an insecticide on plants, when they noticed an unexpected side effect: it killed the plants.


“The discovery was a bit unexpected – we were taking this chemical from a plant, so we didn’t expect it to have herbicidal qualities,” Kennedy says. “But in the wild tomato where 2-undecanone naturally occurs, it is held in tiny hairs all over the vine and fruit, so it never actually comes into contact with the plant itself.” This serendipitous discovery led the researchers to do some further testing, and they found that 2-undecanone provides both  effective and fast-acting weed control. It seems to interfere with a plant’s ability to retain moisture, which kills it quickly.


“On a warm sunny day, you can apply this to a weed and it will be withered and dead within as little as 30 minutes,” Roe says. “It retains its effectiveness even in winter, when other herbicides tend to lose potency. Additionally, the chemical is volatile, meaning that it dissipates after 30 minutes.”


Roe and Kennedy believe that the compound has multiple potential uses: in the organic farming industry, by homeowners for outdoor weed control, by home gardeners and in larger agricultural operations.  “You’ve got something here that is already approved by the Environmental Protection Agency as an insect repellent safe enough for application to human skin,” Roe says. “The herbicidal effects occur with an even lower concentration of the active compound. Plus, it kills plants in minutes and then dissipates, so you don’t have to worry about soil or groundwater contamination.


“What more do you need? You’re fighting plants with plants – it’s perfect.”  

Tarheel Homemaker E-News April 2012

The April 2012 issue of the Tarheel Homemakers E-news Letter is now available.  To find out more out Extension Community Association (ECA) contact the Extension Office at 336-372-5597.   

Plant Sale Information Sheets Available

All,

I am providing the links to some helpful information sheets for the types of plants we sold this year.  Hope this helps.   Please contact the office if you have any questions.

 Blueberries = http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/hort/hil/pdf/hil-8207.pdf

 Raspberries = http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/hort/hil/pdf/hil-8204.pdf

                              http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/hort/hil/ag569.html

Blackberries = http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/hort/hil/ag401.html

                              http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/hort/hil/pdf/blackberries.pdf

Grapes = http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/hort/hil/pdf/hil-8202.pdf

Strawberries = http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/hort/hil/hil-8205.html

Herbs = http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/hort/hil/hil-8110.html

               http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/hort/hil/hil-8111.html

  

Michele Hamm

Extension Secretary II

North Carolina Cooperative Extension

Alleghany County Center