VOLUME 2 - ISSUE 17
COMING EVENTS
SEPTEMBER 4, 2009 - SEPTEMBER 18, 2009
CSU STUDENT INTERNS AT GEMMA POWER SYSTEMS Administrator. “That was really the foundation of the program.” Santucci conducted a resume workshop for the participants at the conclusion of the project.
SEPTEMBER 7 LABOR DAY WEEKEND SEPTEMBER 9 & 12 ARBUCKLE PARKS & RECREATION SOCCER CAMP SIGN-UPS SEPTEMBER 12 STONYFORD BUYER’S GROUP ANNUAL PIG FEED SEPTEMBER 12 COLUSA CRAWDAD FESTIVAL SEPTEMBER 13 COLUSA COUNTY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE MEETING SEPTEMBER 19 RED RAIN CONCERT OCTOBER 10 COLUSA COUNTY BREAST CANCER WALK OCTOBER 17 FIRE FIGHTER’S DEMOLITION DERBY SEE MORE IMPORTANT DATES IN OUR COMMUNITY BRIEF SECTION ON PAGE 12
Photo By Kristi Santucci
Three Chico State University students and one CSU graduate have completed a summer internship program with Gemma Power Systems California, Inc., the prime contractor for the PG&E Colusa Generating Station now under construction near Maxwell. Students Janet Torrez, Javier Diaz, Jaime Pena and graduate Steve Moore entered the program through a collaboration of Gemma, CSU and Colusa County One-Stop Partnership. Colusa County One-Stop, a federally
4-H EXCHANGE By ELIZABETH KALFSBEEK Writer/Contributor
What’s Inside This Issue SECTION
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Weather ............................... 2 Opinion ............................... 4 News Back Then ............... 6 Home & Garden ............... 7 Community Calendar .. 12 Classifieds .........................13 Espanol................................14
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Last summer, Evan Cutter, 16, was the first Colusa County 4-H member to utilize the 4-H Japanese exchange program, spending four weeks with a host family in Okayama. This summer Evan’s family welcomed the chance to host Yokohama native Shuta Takahashai, 14, for a month at their Arbuckle home. “It’s been a really positive experience to adjust (to Shuta) and the cultural differences,” says Evan’s father, Stan Cutter. “It’s been a really fun month and we’ve all learned a lot from Shuta, including some Japanese words.” The Cutter family includes parents Stan and Nancy; sons Evan, 16; Adam, 12; and daughter Hannah, 10, who all attend Arbuckle schools. In even-numbered years, 4-H members travel to Japan, and on odd-numbered years Japanese students are hosted by American families. The Japanese students are members of the Labo organization, a group devoted to the study of foreign cultures and languages and the benefits of international exchange. Youth delegates are placed in homes with a host sibling of the same gender and within two years
funded program for job training and placement, business outreach and youth services, provided the paid-work-experience internships through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. Weekly meetings were conducted for the interns and entry level Gemma employees by Gemma personnel from varied levels of management and trade. “The meetings and workshops provided the interns with such an incredible opportunity to gain information and ask questions of these incredibly busy managers,” said Kristy Santucci, Gemma Subcontract and Permit
CSU instructor David Shirah says the construction industry’s investment in providing internship opportunities is a win-win situation for the industry, individual companies, recruiting and developing future leadership, higher education and for the student interns. “As an educator, I am excited at the opportunity for students to apply what they are learning in academia to the industry and for them to bring their experiences back to the classroom to enhance the learning experience. This is an excellent opportunity for companies to evaluate a possible future candidate for hire without the expense and burden of the hiring process. It also provides companies the opportunity to indoctrinate and train a candidate in a way that when they do sign a contract they can literally hit the ground running as a viable contributing member of the project team,” he says. Shirah says the students returned to school with enthusiasm for learning and a passion for the construction industry. “All indications are the Continued Page 3
of age. Students are welcomed into the family as another sibling and to experience the day-to-day living of American families. “It’s been refreshing to be around someone so polite, respectful and fun at the same time,” Nancy says. “The language barrier is huge at times, Courtesy Photo Left to Right: Adam, Hannah and Nancy Cutter, Shuta Takahashai, Stan and but Shuta is really Evan Cutter. outgoing, and he “4-H is built around learning through acts things out.” It a community,” Nancy says. “So, by also helps that Evan translates words kids going to Japan, they get to see and phrases on his iPhone. The Cutter’s took Takahashai to visit Santa Cruz, Lake how a Japanese family lives. It’s not a sightseeing tour; it’s a learning Berryessa, auto races in Roseville and to experience. Similarly, this is a way visit grandparents in Pollock Pines. But it for Shuta to experience living with an was the everyday things –back to school American family. He seems to prefer that, shopping, ping pong, swimming, fishing, too. He likes hanging out here.” playing guitar, grocery shopping at big stores like Wal-Mart and Costco, even Takahashai explained that lifestyles and eating – that perhaps taught Takahashai the most about American life. Continued Page 3