This annual event was originally organized in 1952 as "National Secretaries Week" by the National Secretaries Association (now known as the International Association of Administrative Professionals) in conjunction with public relations executive Harry Klemfuss and a consortium of office product manufacturers. It was established as an effort to recognize secretaries for their contributions in the workplace, and to attract people to secretarial/administrative careers.

In the year 2000, IAAP announced a name change for Professional Secretaries Week and Professional Secretaries Day. The names were changed to Administrative Professionals Week and Administrative Professionals Day to keep pace with changing job titles and expanding responsibilities of today's administrative workforce.

Taken from http://www.iaap-hq.org/apw/apwindex.htm

According to the IAAP, the most common things done in observance of this week include some form of special recognition, lunch, or candy, flowers, or some gift. Indeed, this week should be a time when appreciation is given to the office professionals for the skills, abilities, support, and leadership they bring to K-State Research and Extension.

Without question, you, as an office professional, are the front door and often the first impression people will have for K-State Research and Extension. Thank you for all you do to continuously improve your skills, abilities, and knowledge in serving the people of Kansas through K-State Research and Extension. And, thank you for your care and attention to all those we serve in our mission towards "Knowledge for Life." --Daryl Buchholz dbuchhol@ksu.edu

4-H FAIR JUDGES TRAINING
Registration Deadline This Week
Harvey, Butler, Cowley and Sedgwick Counties have joined together to offer a judges training workshop on Thursday, May 3, from 4 - 9 p.m. at the Sedgwick County Extension Education Center.  It is open to anyone who has judged, is interested in judging, or just wants to learn more about the judging process and what judges are looking for.  This would be a great learning experience for project leaders too as they work with kids to prepare them for county fair.

Participants may select up to three break-out sessions.  Each participant is asked to bring a “sample exhibit” to their break-out session for a mock judging experience.   These will be led by experienced judges and/or extension staff.  Please note that we are including livestock at this event; however, actual animals will not be present. 

Everyone will participate in the general session to learn about role of the judge, purpose of judging, how to conference judge, handling difficult situations, ribbon placings, etc.  Registration is due April 25, with late registration fees after that date.  The flyer containing the details and registration information may be accessed under the “What’s Hot” section of the state 4-H website at www.kansas4-h.org or at www.sedgwickcountyextension.com .

We’re looking forward to providing a great learning opportunity to strengthen the skills of judges and others and to increase the pool of trained judges for the county fair season. --Jodi Besthorn Besthorn@oznet.ksu.edu

KANSAS WHEAT COMMISSION 50TH ANNIVERSARY KICK-OFF CELEBRATION
The Kansas Wheat Commission cordially invites you to their 50^th Anniversary Kick-Off Celebration on Wednesday, May 30, at the KSU Ag Research Center, 1232 240^th Avenue, Hays, Kansas. The celebration begins at 5 p.m., followed by dinner and wheat plot tours. Your response is kindly requested by May 21.

Call 866-759-4328 or e-mail jowens@kswheat.com. --Julie Owens

UPDATED FISCAL CONDITIONS & TRENDS REPORTS NOW AVAILABLE

The Office of Local Government is pleased to announce the release of the eighth annual county Fiscal Conditions and Trends reports.  Reports are available for each Kansas county and contain detailed revenue and expenditure information drawn from county budget documents.  The reports are designed to aid county commissioners as they complete the budget planning process but may be of interest to anyone concerned with county government finance.

Copies of the report are now being distributed to each county’s extension office and clerk or administrator. Additional print copies are available in limited quantities.  Reports are also available in electronic format upon request.

For additional information, contact the Office of Local Government at 785-532-2643. – Rebecca Bishop  rbishop@oznet.ksu.edu

BE PROPERLY INSURED TO MANAGE RISK
Extension councils can manage risk by being properly insured. The Risk Management document provides guidance for determining if extension boards, staff and volunteers are adequately insured when acting within the scope of their responsibilities. How much should the treasurer's bond be for? Can workman's compensation cover volunteers? Should the Council purchase Director and Officers Liability Insurance or Public Officials Liability Insurance? Find the answers at http://www.oznet.ksu.edu/library/misc2/riskmgmt.pdf . --Cindy Evans cevans@oznet.ksu.edu

THANK YOU FROM MARY SULLIVAN
Thank you Extension Family for your notes, thoughts, prayers and memorials at the loss of my brother Steve. Memorials have been designated to the Epsilon Sigma Phi - Alpha Rho chapter - travel scholarship fund. My brother was proud that I had the opportunity to go to Mexico and I am sure he would have liked to see this program grow. Family is what gets you through the tough times and this Extension family is the best. Thanks again. --Mary J. Sullivan msulliva@oznet.ksu.edu

THANK YOU FROM KEITH BEHNKE
I want to thank each of you who sent cards, messages and/or memorials after the recent loss of my mother. Your kind words and deeds were very comforting and helpful for my sister and me in getting through a difficult time. Thanks for thinking of us. --Keith Behnke kbfeed@ksu.edu

MARIE'S PICK OF THE WEEK
While continuing to review Project Accomplishments and Impact database for items especially effective at helping us understand how our work can be highlighted to share outcomes, impacts, and success stories, this week’s selection is an Impact Report from Kenneth Kofoid at the Ag Research Center in Hays.

The development of improved germplasm has many consequences. Improved efficiency in production is a benefit to all farmers regardless of the size of the farm. Increased grain yield and/or enhanced utilization add to the value of the crop. Our research has shown that adding a few extra days of grain fill increases grain yield. Increasing the rate of grain fill can also have a significant effect on grain yield. Both of these traits are under genetic control. However, the two traits have a negative correlation with each other so improving both will require more effort. The yield increase that may come from either or both of these traits can be accomplished at no additional cost to the producer and each additional bushel of grain is extra net profit. Also, the larger grains produced by increasing grain fill duration are associated with improved feed quality. Adding just 1 bushel per acre could mean an additional $4.5 million to the farm economy each year. --Marie Blythe mblythe@ksu.edu

INFORMAL REPORT TO THE KANSAS LEGISLATURE
Most of you have seen the Informal Report to the Kansas Legislature January 2007. If you don't have a copy, it is available online at http://www.oznet.ksu.edu/main/KSRE2007.pdf .

We are collecting story ideas for both the feature stories and the shorter side stories for next year's report. We want to show the impact of K-State Research and Extension programs in all parts of the state. We are especially interested in ideas that provide data on how the program benefits Kansans, such as increased yield from planting K-State varieties or health benefits to eating more nutritious foods and getting more exercise.

Please contact Gloria Holcombe, gloria@ksu.edu ; or Pat Melgares, melgares@ksu.edu ; with story ideas. All ideas will be considered; however, with this format we are limited to 12 features with two to three short stories per feature. --Gloria Holcombe gloria@oznet.ksu.edu

HOLD OCTOBER 1-2 FOR THE ANNUAL KANSAS COORDINATED SCHOOL HEALTH CONFERENCE
Kansas Coordinated School Health will host its 2nd Annual Conference on October 1st and 2nd at the Wichita Airport Hilton, Wichita, Kansas.   Dr. Cindy Symons, Kent State University professor and former school teacher, will keynote the conference and will present on "Linking Academics and Health: Healthy Students Make Better Learners." Breakout sessions will address school health and include a variety of topics, such as physical activity in the classroom, oral health, tobacco, and body mass index.   For more information, including a tentative agenda and hotel information, please go to www.kshealthykids.org , and click on "Upcoming Events," or contact Shannon Bergmann at sbergmann@ksde.org  or 785-296-2726.
For more information, contact Elaine Johannes, ejohanne@ksu.edu . --Elaine Johannes

"THE ARTS IN MEXICO"
- As a post-script to my submission last week (dealing with the Autonomous University at Chapingo), I failed to mention that we were told that many of the school’s presidents were educated in the United States, but I could never get an exact number and where they studied…

This is the final installment in my journal of a trip to Mexico. Thank you for your e-mails and phone calls regarding my previous articles. I have enjoyed writing about the education and exchange of ideas that I experienced in a country so full of hard working and honest people who have a great capacity for joy and devotion to family.

One is hard-pressed to find mentions of Mexico’s art without hearing the names of Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera. In fact, there is a movie called, Frida, that tells about the stormy marriage of the two gifted artists. Frida, known for her descriptive self-portraits, and Rivera, considered one of the greatest muralists of the 20^th Century, were both national artists of Mexico.

Rivera, born in Guanajuato (Wohn-ah-wahto), Mexico in 1886, learned the art of fresco painting when he studied in Italy. My study group and I had the privilege of seeing Diego’s great murals in the Palacio de Belles Artes (Bay-ehs Art-tess) in Mexico City, the Autonomous University at Chapingo near Texcoco, and Palacio de Cortes, commissioned by U.S. Ambassador, Dwight W. Morrow, in Cuernavaca. The greatest of the murals is at the National Palace in Mexico City, but it was a bank holiday the day we were there, so we didn’t get to see that mural. What we did see was astounding!

At Chapingo, one mural is in a stairwell, and the greatest of the murals is in the Chapel. It takes up every inch of the walls and ceilings. Each of Rivera’s murals tells a great story of events that surround Mexico’s history. You could look them up on the Internet, but there is no substitute for standing in front of one of Rivera’s murals. There is usually one focal point that your eye is drawn toward, but your eye begins to travel to the many stories that lead up to that focal point. Diego made sketches of the proposed murals. Then he translated those sketches onto a wall or ceiling larger-than-life. Frescoes are an Italian style of painting murals. The walls are covered in several layers of plaster, and the last layer has the paint incorporated into it before it is applied to the wall as the work of art. He is quoted as saying, "Art should not be hidden in homes, museum, and galleries. It should be free to people in public places." That is why he was so very passionate about murals. Please look up Diego Rivera for his art work.

Another one of the artistic icons of Mexico is Frida Kahlo. She was born to a Mexican mother and a Hungarian-Jewish father. Known for her self-portraits, you will likely recognize the "uni-brow" and the downy mustache on Frida’s lovely face. She always dressed in the full, floor-length skirts with the flower-embroidered, "flouncy" blouses, and the traditional ribbons braided into her long, dark brown hair. Her paintings were less political and more focused on her often painful life from the bus accident that left her in physical pain and a permanently disfigured leg, her miscarriage, and her relationship with Rivera. Many of Frida’s paintings are in a modern museum in Cuernavaca as well as private collections. Both Frida and Diego were commissioned to paint a president of the Autonomous University at Chapingo. Frida also painted a horse in one of Diego’s murals in Cuernavaca. I have pictures of some of both artists’ painting in my PowerPoint presentation.

Remember, if you would like a presentation on my trip, please don’t hesitate to ask.

Finally, thanks to Daryl Buchholz, Epsilon Sigma Phi, and S.A.R.E. for making this trip possible. --Debra Bolton dbolton@ksu.edu