Mariposa County Pruning Workshops to be Held During January 2013

Last Updated on Sunday, 30 December 2012 07:35

January is the prime time to prune your fruit trees. It helps them stay healthy and encourages the best fruit possible.

Mariposa Master Gardeners is sponsoring two workshops this month. The first is Jan.5 from 10 a.m. to noon, hosted by Master Gardener Helen Bauman at 10701 Highway 49 North, Coulterville, in a mature home orchard. The second is Jan. 25 from 2 to 4 p.m., hosted by Master Gardener Helen Willoughby-Peck at 3204 River Haven Drive, Mariposa, in a younger home orchard. Maxwell Norton, a fruit-tree specialist and interim county farm advisor, will be there to demonstrate and answer questions.

To register and get directions, go to cemariposa.ucdavis.edu/Master_Gardener, or call (209) 966-2417. Wear warm clothing and be prepared in case of rain.

There are several reasons for pruning the trees while they're dormant:

*Control size for easier care and easier picking

*Increase strength of limbs

*Control amount of fruit

*Bring more sunlight into the whole tree

*Renew the fruiting wood

*Remove dead, broken or crossing branches.

At the workshops, you'll learn about types of cuts, the best kind of pruners to use, and eliminating whole limbs to open the tree up.

Here are some reasons for good pruning from the University of California web site homeorchard.ucdavis.edu: (select "Pruning and Training"):

*Prune young trees fairly heavily to encourage good growth without fruit for the first three years.

*The horizontal branches bear more fruit, so keeping them cut back means better fruit on stronger branches.

*New growth occurs when you make a cut; the more buds you cut off, the more vigorous the fruit will be.

*Make clean cuts within a quarter-inch of a bud; don't leave stubs.

*For peaches and nectarines, remove 50 percent of last year's growth; for figs, apples, pears, plums and apricots, 20 percent; for cherries, do summer pruning in the first five years.

Master Gardener volunteers are trained by the University of California and dedicated to educating and advising local home gardeners. For other information, advice or home garden questions, call or drop by the Mariposa Master Gardener help desk on Tuesdays 9 a.m. to noon or Thursdays 2-5 p.m. (until spring, Thursdays only), 5009 Fairgrounds Road; (209) 966-7078. Or call 852-9711 for the North County answer line.

California Highway Patrol Reminds Everyone the Best New Year’s Resolution is to Designate a Sober Driver

Last Updated on Sunday, 30 December 2012 06:49

Impaired driving can quickly turn a holiday celebration into a tragedy

SACRAMENTO, Calif. – The safest resolution a person can make this year is to always plan ahead and designate a non-drinking driver before the celebration begins. To help ensure the state’s motorists keep this lifesaving commitment, the California Highway Patrol (CHP) is preparing to ring in the New Year with an increased enforcement presence throughout the state.

Over last New Year’s holiday, 25 people were killed in collisions throughout California; the majority of those who died within CHP jurisdiction were not wearing a seat belt at the time of the crash. Additionally, CHP officers made more than 1,200 arrests for driving under the influence (DUI).

“Safety is the California Highway Patrol’s priority year round,” said CHP Commissioner Joe Farrow. “Hopefully with the presence of additional officers on the roadway during the holiday season, everyone will arrive safely at their destination.”

The New Year’s Maximum Enforcement Period (MEP) begins Friday, December 28 at 6 p.m. and continues through Tuesday, January 1 at 11:59 p.m. The increased enforcement effort follows a similar one that occurred during the recent Christmas holiday. Throughout that 102-hour reporting period in California, 39 people were killed in collisions and CHP officers arrested 1,170 drivers for DUI.

“This New Year, resolve to make a difference and save lives,” added Commissioner Farrow. “By removing impaired drivers from our roadways, this tragic loss of life can be greatly reduced.”

Serving as an additional set of eyes for law enforcement, the public is also encouraged to report drivers who they suspect may be under the influence. When calling 911, be prepared to provide a description of the vehicle, including a license plate number, the location, and its direction of travel.

“Our ultimate goal is to help prevent avoidable tragedy by encouraging the public to make responsible choices such as designating a sober driver, buckling up, and traveling at a speed safe for conditions,” added Commissioner Farrow.

Chocolate Soup in Mariposa Year End Sale

Last Updated on Saturday, 29 December 2012 12:19

Chocolate Soup in Mariposa Year End Sale

Your opportunity to save!

Can you believe 2012 is almost just a memory…..But, on to the new year of 2013

But before that, how about some Yearend Specials…..It is easier for us if we don’t have to pack away Christmas…..So

Buy one Christmas item and get a 2^nd item (of equal or lesser value) for 60% off

Print out this e-mail for additional extra savings (Denise wants to see if our advertising works)

Spend $25.00 or more and save $5.00

Spend $50.00 or more and save $12.00

Spend $100.00 or more and save $25.00

So bring your copy of this ad (it will make Denise happy) and SAVE>>>>>SALE ENDS till we pack it away

Hope to see you soon before it’s all gone.

Elaine

President Obama's Weekly Address: Congress Must Protect the Middle Class from Income Tax Hike (Video)

Last Updated on Saturday, 29 December 2012 06:13

December 29, 2012 - President Obama urges Congress to meet its deadlines and responsibilities, protect the middle class from an income tax hike, and lay the groundwork for future progress on more economic growth and deficit reduction.

End of Federal Extensions of Unemployment Benefits as Congress Continues to Discuss Fiscal Cliff Issues

Last Updated on Saturday, 29 December 2012 06:08

December 28, 2012 - SACRAMENTO – The federal extensions of unemployment benefits are set to expire after Saturday, December 29th as Congress works to determine if the program should be reauthorized and whether benefits should continue for an estimated 400,000 impacted Californians.

The California Employment Development Department (EDD) which administers the federal extension program in California along with the regular state-provided unemployment benefits is keeping customers alerted to the latest developments so they’ll know what to expect. The necessary technical programming to restart extension benefits has already been prepared in the event Congress and the President do agree to extend payments in their federal extension program without making changes in the existing weeks or tiers of benefits.

“Because the situation regarding the federal extensions is so fluid at this time and the cut-off of these benefits can have devastating effects on many long-term unemployed in California, the EDD is closely monitoring the discussions in Washington D.C.,” said Pam Harris, the EDD Director. “We strongly encourage our customers to keep an eye on our EDD website, Facebook, and Twitter pages for any updates on developments so they can be as prepared as possible.”

If the extension benefits are reauthorized within a few days of their expiration this weekend, then any interruption in extension payments should be avoided. The EDD will automatically re-open extension claims and send customers the necessary paperwork. Customers do NOT need to contact the department as EDD will work to seamlessly restart the extension program.

But the longer any decision to reauthorize the program goes beyond the expiration date on Saturday, the longer potential delays could occur in eventually restarting extension payments. If Congress makes major changes in the existing program, EDD will require some additional time to make those changes and will work diligently to ensure that potential delays are minimized. And, if the U.S. Congress decides NOT to reauthorize the extension of unemployment benefits, then customers need to be aware that no further extension payments can be made by the EDD after this week- even if someone remains unemployed and still has a balance remaining on their current extension claim.

For the last 4 ½ years, the federal government has provided anywhere between 47 and 73 weeks of additional benefits to the unemployed who had run out of their original up to 26 weeks of regular state-provided benefits. With the unprecedented demand of the recession, a total of more than $40 billion has been paid in federal extension benefits in California.