The need for child care has been documented nationally through state and national efforts, publications, and demographic studies by public, private, and federal agencies and organizations that serve the interests of children and families.

A dry swale (DS) is a shallow, gently sloping channel with broad, vegetated, side slopes. Water flow is slowed by a series of check dams (see figure 1). A DS provides temporary storage, filtration, and infiltration of stormwater runoff. Dry swales function similarly to bioretention, and are comparable to wet swales; however, unlike a wet swale, a DS should remain dry during periods of no rainfall. A DS is an engineered best management practice (BMP) that is designed to reduce pollution through runoff reduction and pollutant removal and is part of a site’s stormwater treatment practice.

A wet swale (WS) is an engineered, best management practice (BMP) arranged in a straight line that is designed to reduce stormwater pollution. A WS consists of a shallow, gently sloping channel with broad, vegetated, side slopes and slow flows

A stormwater filtering practice (FP) treats stormwater runoff by passing it through an engineered filter media consisting of either sand, gravel, organic matter, and/or a proprietary manufactured product, collecting it in an underdrain, and then discharging the effluent to a stormwater conveyance system.

An Extension Leadership Council (ELC) is a key ingredient for success in developing, implementing, and evaluating Extension programs that serve the local community. This publication offers practical guidelines and resources for successfully engaging a local ELC. Contents include council responsibilities, criteria for membership, a sample position description, focus topics for regular meetings, and a template for meeting agendas.

Facilitators use a variety of tools to guide
groups in the decision-making process.
Depending on the maturity of the group and
the defined goals, facilitators may begin by
discussing the values the group holds and
building the common ground on which
decisions will be based. Many times,
groups are “fuzzy” on what they want to
accomplish and need to spend time
discussing what the end result should be.
To begin this conversation on the vision, a
facilitator might ask “if this were perfect,
what would it look like?” With a clear vision,
the group begins the process of generating
ideas, narrowing down the ideas into a list
of priorities, and finally developing a plan for
implementation that includes accountability
measures.

Facilitators use a variety of tools to guide
groups in the decision-making process.
Depending on the maturity of the group and
the defined goals, facilitators may begin by
discussing the values the group holds and
building the common ground on which
decisions will be based. Many times,
groups are “fuzzy” on what they want to
accomplish and need to spend time
discussing what the end result should be.
To begin this conversation on the vision, a
facilitator might ask “if this were perfect,
what would it look like?” With a clear vision,
the group begins the process of generating
ideas, narrowing down the ideas into a list
of priorities, and finally developing a plan for
implementation that includes accountability
measures.

There are times when a facilitator pauses a group in its discussion to allow the group to reflect
on what has happened, start a discussion, clarify an issue, evaluate its progress, or encourage
participation from all members. During these moments, the right statement or question will help
transition the group to a new thought process. A facilitator’s goal is to guide the group through
the process for accomplishing the defined task while maintaining a good rapport with the group.

Starting a farmers market is a challenging task with numerous issues to be tackled and activities to sequence. While generating a customer and vendor base is clearly fundamental to the successful establishment of a farmers market, there are also key administrative foundations that should be established if the market is to get off on the right foot and have long-term viability.

You have decided to say yes and accept the invitation to serve on the board of directors for a nonprofit
organization. You have the knowledge and experience to be a great board member. But, you also have
served on numerous nonprofit boards and realized that your past commitments have ranged from being
heavily involved in the organization’s work to avoiding the meetings. As you prepare for this new role,
you wonder what organizational differences made you drift in your commitment or created the stronger
connection resulting in either fulfilling or neglecting board member duties.

With the decline of coal-mining jobs in Virginia’s coalfields, availability of local employment in high-wage industries is a major concern. One factor that hinders high-wage manufacturing industries from locating in the coalfield region is a shortage of suitable industrial sites. In some cases, coal surface mines can create sites suitable for industry as a post-mining land use while meeting all Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act (SMCRA) requirements.

Land-use constraints hinder economic activity in the Virginia coalfield region; the lack of flat land hinders infrastructure construction, industrial recruitment, and business development. Reclaimed coal mines are widely discussed as potential development sites, but modern reclamation rarely prepares mined areas for building-support purposes. This publication describes mine-stabilization procedures that can be employed for developing reclaimed mine areas for building construction.

This publication outlines general concepts and guidelines. Parties seeking to construct buildings on any mined area should engage the services of a professional engineer.

Preparing for emergencies is not new.  Your grandparents probably have extra supplies, such as: soap and shampoo in the bathroom closets, onions and potatoes stored in the basement, and canned goods on pantry shelves in their home.  They understood the value of having a little extra on hand in case of emergencies.

The Virginia GIS (geographic information system) County Data Series is part of an effort by the Virginia Geospatial Extension Program to facilitate increased awareness of and access to geospatial products and services by educators, local governments, state agencies, and other entities. This extensive collection of GIS data provides some of the most up-to-date and accurate framework data available.