ISSN 2161-7139
July 1 , 2011
b Volume 4 a
next edition • july 15, 2011
b Issue 13 a
b FREE publication a
ragged old women for agriculture supports local schools flag
Kelli Griffith-Garcia of the Colusa County California Women for Agriculture presents a check to students Alexz Miller, Maxwell Chapter FFA; Devon Carr, Williams Chapter FFA; and Justin Gwerder, Arbuckle Chapter FFA. (Submitted Photo)
Submitted to the WPR I walked through a county courthouse square, On a park bench an old man was sitting there. I said, "Your old courthouse is kinda run down." He said, "Naw, it'll do for our little town." I said, "Your flagpole has leaned a little bit, And that's a Ragged Old Flag you got hanging on it. He said, "Have a seat", and I sat down. "Is this the first time you've been to our little town?" I said, "I think it is." He said, "I don't like to brag, But we're kinda proud of that Ragged Old Flag." "You see, we got a little hole in that flag there When Washington took it across the Delaware. And it got powder-burned the night Francis Scott Key Sat watching it writing Oh Say Can You See. And it got a bad rip in New Orleans With Packingham and Jackson tuggin' at its seams." "A nd it almost fell at the Alamo Beside the Texas flag, but she waved on through. She got cut with a sword at Chancellorsville And she got cut again at Shiloh Hill. There was Robert E. Lee, Beauregard, and Bragg, And the south wind blew hard on that Ragged Old Flag." "On Flanders Field in World War I She got a big hole from a Bertha gun. She turned blood red in World War II She hung limp and low by the time it was through. She was in Korea and Vietnam. She went where she was sent by her Uncle Sam." "She waved from our ships upon the briny foam, And now they've about quit waving her back here at home. In her own good land she's been abused -She's been burned, dishonored, denied and refused." "A nd the government for which she stands Is scandalized throughout the land. And she's getting threadbare and wearing thin, But she's in good shape for the shape she's in. 'Cause she's been through the fire before And I believe she can take a whole lot more." "So we raise her up every morning, Take her down every night. We don't let her touch the ground And we fold her up right. On second thought I DO like to brag, 'Cause I'm mighty proud of that Ragged Old Flag." Written by Johnny Cash
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The Colusa County Chapter of California Women of Agriculture
recently raised and awarded funds to benefit high school agriculture students in the county. A dessert auction was held at the Country Music Showdown at Colusa Western
Days this April and raised $780. The funds were divided evenly and checks were presented during the Junior Livestock Auction, held the Saturday of the Colusa County Fair, to each of the five high school FFA agriculture programs in Arbuckle, Colusa, Maxwell, Princeton and Williams. The California Women for Agriculture is a non-profit, entirely volunteer-based, group of women dedicated to promoting the agriculture industry of our state through education and outreach. If you are interested in joining the Colusa County Chapter, which was reactivated last summer, come to one of the monthly meetings, held the fourth Wednesday each month at the Farm Bureau office in Colusa at 6pm, or visit the website www. cawomen4agcolusacountychapter. weebly.com. They can also be found on Facebook. “If you eat food or wear clothes you ARE involved in agriculture!” ◄
premier mushrooms LP. providing summer jobs to students
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olusa High Students were part of a summer jobs hiring program hosted by Premier Mushrooms L.P. in Colusa this spring. As a result, six young people have been hired for summer employment at the mushroom farm. They began work on June 14. Working with Colusa School District Superintendent Larry Yeghoian, Premier Mushroom L.P. CEO John Ashbaugh developed a plan to hire students for parttime and or fulltime summer work at the mushroom farm. In some cases, it is possible the jobs will be extended year around. “We chose to try it first at the Colusa High School to see how the program would be accepted,” said Ashbaugh. “We were really surprised at the response,” he added. A poster announcing a tour of the facility and a job fair was distributed at the school. Nearly 50 students responded to the invitation. The students were divided into five groups for tours of the facility to learn about the daily operations and what it takes to grow mushrooms. Each student was required to fill out a job application, including preferred areas of work if they were hired on the farm. From the 50 applicants 17 were selected for a second interview, which took place at the high school. Premier Mushroom L. P. Human Resources Director Laura Deniz explained that of the six students hired, five male and 1 female, the new employees are working 28 to 32 hours a week. “They are mainly in the warehouse where they sort mushrooms by size, and they are also building orders for our customers,” she said. Jessica Garcia, the only girl hired, is also training in the office halftime.
Deniz said the interviews went very well. “We were impressed by the way the students presented themselves,” she said. “They were very professional.” “We were very pleased with the response we received from the initial offering of job opportunity to the students,” said Ashbaugh. “We were impressed with how the students interviewed and at how many activities they are involved in,” said Ashbaugh. “We were also impressed with their responses to our questions,” he said. “We are excited that we are able to offer an opportunity for the students to be a part of a company that will expose them to a different type of agricultural industry, “he added. “It is possible that his will allow us to welcome a whole new generation of mushroom growers.” Deniz commented that she was also impressed with the way the students interviewed. “It is great that we can offer this job opportunity,” she added saying many of the students interviewed indicated that they wanted to work to help their parents. “These are tough times, and the students want to help their families,” she added. Deniz said that she feels good about this program because she knows how hard it is to be a young person looking for work. “It is tough when you are 16 or 17 and looking for job,” she said. “Asking someone to hire you when you don’t have experience just doesn’t work,” she said. “This program is going to allow the students to show positive work experience on their resumes.” Yeghoian said he and the Colusa Unified School District are very appreciative of the opportunity and experience Premier Mushrooms L.P. has offered to the students. “I was so pleased to know that six of the students were hired. I was also very pleased with the way the students prepared for and presented themselves at the interviews and job fair tour,” he said. The students hired, say they are very pleased to be working for the mushroom farm. With the onset of summer heat, they all commented that it was great to be working in an air-conditioned facility. Asked why they were the chosen six, one student; Max McGrath commented that he felt like the company saw that he must have something to offer. In addition to McGrath and Garcia, Jose Velasquez, Sebastian Medina, Christian Avila and Moises Valdez were hired. ◄