Nearly 50 women gathered at Piney Grove Baptist Church Thursday to celebrate more than 70 years of serving Surry County as volunteers, leaders and educators.

Both members of the Surry County Extension and Community Association and staff of the North Carolina Cooperative Extension attended the 71st Annual Achievement Program titled "You've come a long way ladies."

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Given the recent spring rainfall, some might think the worst of this past year’s drought is history. That’s understandable, since ponds on farms or in local parks are looking full again, and some days there’s even standing water in the roadside ditches.

Droughts, however, like everything in nature, are cyclical.

Meanwhile, the demand on North Carolina’s natural resources, including our finite water supplies, is increasing as rapidly as the commercial and residential development that triggers that demand.

Here are some examples:

• UNC-TV’s Almanac Gardener features drought-related segments during its 2008 25th anniversary season: www.unctv.org/gardener

• Rain barrel information, including how to make one: www.unctv.org/gardener/rainbarrel.html

• The College’s “Making a Difference” drought information page with CALS-generated stories and links, written and produced by the Communication Services Department: www.cals.ncsu.edu/agcomm/difference/drought

Bill Rogister, retired Northampton County Extension director and a member of Rotary Club of Northampton County, has earned Rotary International's highest honor, the Service Above Self Award. The award was presented recently by Barry Rassin, director of Rotary International, at the annual conference of Rotary District 7720 in Kitty Hawk. The award recognizes exemplary humanitarian service, with an emphasis on personal volunteer efforts and active involvement in helping others on a continuing basis.

In April, a delegation from North Carolina, including seven North Carolina Cooperative Extension State Advisory Council members and two Strategic Planning Council members from N.C. A&T State University, attended the Public Issues Leadership Development conference in Washington, D.C.

Dr. Jon Ort, associate dean and director of the North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service, accompanied the group, along with Dr. Marshall Stewart, associate director, department head and state program leader for 4-H and family and consumer sciences, and Dr. Ed Jones, associate director and state program leader, agriculture and natural resources and community and rural development, both from N.C. State University; Joy Staton, N.C. Cooperative Extension state advisory leader; Sheilda Sutton and Anita Wright, both of N.C. A&T State University.

One of the favorite projects of the Gaston County 4-H Explorers Kids Care Club has been helping people with Special Needs through the Special Olympics Spring Games, through the Special Olympics basketball team and Camp Seratoma, a five-week camp for teens and adults. The club loves to work with the special needs population. They have learned that people with special needs may be different in some ways, but they are also like them in many ways. One can see the big impact it has had on one member in the above quote. The impact the club has made on the community can be clearly seen in all of their projects.

Janet Haynes, facilitator, started the club because she wanted to work with youth and help them see that they can make a difference in their lives and the lives of others. The 20 youth members, ages 5 to 18 years, have been very busy making a difference and developing relationships with people in need for the past four years.

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A large crowd of residents, elected officials, county staff and invited guests enjoyed a behind-the-scenes look at Currituck County's new Cooperative Extension Center during the facility's "Grand Opening Celebration" on Monday, April 7.

Extension Director Rodney Sawyer Jr. presided over a dual ribbon cutting ceremony to dedicate the main Extension building and the Elizabeth P. Sanderlin Auditorium. The $6.6 million facility was completed in March.

During the initial ribbon cutting, County Commissioners Barry Nelms, Owen Etheridge, Gene Gregory and Janet Taylor joined Cooperative Extension officials to officially open the center. Immediately afterwards, Sawyer introduced a special guest to dedicate the Sanderlin Auditorium.

Read more from the Currituck County Web site

Mallner, a senior in nuclear engineering at N.C. State University, is a former 4-H'er from Wilmington who serves as a volunteer 4-H sewing teacher. She presented a 100 percent black wool knit formal gown embellished with embroidery and Swarovski crystals. She received the Embroidery Award of $500 from Creative Machine Embroidery Magazine and received Honorable Mention recognition.

Linton, a 4-H’er from Mt. Olive, is a high school sophomore. She competed in a 100 percent wool rust and black boucle fitted jacket and rust wool flannel slacks. She received a $250 award for Exemplary Construction by Claire Shaeffer for use of a Claire Shaeffer Pattern. She also received Honorable Mention recognition.

For one day at the Southern Spring Home and Garden Show in Charlotte, professionals from N.C. State University took center stage. On Feb. 29, three professors from the university and one faculty member from the N.C. Cooperative Extension Service, shared their knowledge of plants with participants of the show.

Will Hooker, N.C. State professor of horticultural science; Mark Weathington, assistant director of the JC Raulston Arboretum; Liz Driscoll, Extension associate in horticultural science; and David Goforth, Cabarrus County agricultural agent, each took their place on center stage at the Merchandise Mart in the Queen City. All speakers were participating in Extension's Successful Gardener & Master Gardener Day, dedicated to the volunteer efforts of the state's Master Gardener volunteers.

The presentations were open to the nearly 12,000 daily attendees at the show. In addition, Extension agents and Master Gardener volunteers from Alexander, Cabarrus, Caldwell, Gaston, Iredell, Lincoln, Mecklenburg, Polk and Union counties, helped answer questions from those visitors to the home and garden show. The MGs volunteered at the show's Successful Gardener Learning Center.

AGHE confers Fellowship status in recognition of outstanding leadership in gerontology and geriatrics education by established scholars and educators. Fellowship status is open to individuals with well-established careers of achievement in gerontology/geriatrics education who are employed by an AGHE member institution.

Qualifications include outstanding achievement in teaching, scholarship and research on educational issues, influential research publications or theoretical contributions used in gerontology/geriatric education and training, or leadership in administration and funding of gerontology/geriatrics educational programs, including development of new programs.