Local Extension office makes move

The local University of Missouri Extension office is starting out the new year in a bright new home.

University Extension staff and volunteers moved the offices during late December and early January from its familiar home in the Courthouse Annex, 153 S. Odell Ave., to new quarters at 353 S. Lafayette in Marshall, the former home of the Saline County Health Department. Extension has been operating at the new site since Jan. 3 and will host a dedication and open house at the new facility on Wednesday, Feb. 15.

The relocation was made possible by the Health Department's move last fall to the former Fitzgibbon Hospital building at 868 S. Brunswick Ave.

The Extension staff is very pleased with their new quarters. Rachel Miles, 4-H youth specialist, said the new offices were more comfortable for everyone. And Office Manager Linda Rimmer said she welcomed the additional space.

The total area is comparable to the Extension's Courthouse Annex offices, according to County Program Director Cynthia Crawford, but the quality of the space is much more appropriate for the Extension's needs.

"This building was designed for a business," Crawford said. "It's a better fit. The Health Department outgrew this space, but it's just right for us."

The new offices will not mean the addition of new programs immediately, but Crawford said the building's layout will allow the staff to work more efficiently, which will enable programs to grow in time.

Two big advantage of the new space are its accessibility -- everything is on one floor -- and improvements in meeting space capacity. There is now one classroom that could hold between 30 and 50 people and a smaller conference room with a table that seats 15.

Previously, meetings and presentations were held at various locations in the area. But in the new quarters Crawford expects to be able to host most meetings in the Extension's offices, making programs easier to find.

"A more efficient space means we'll be able to work more efficiently," she said. "We'll have more time and energy to do more."

The costs of the move were not immediately available, according to Saline County Southern District Commissioner Dick Hassler, and there are no plans currently for the Courthouse Annex space vacated by University Extension. Hassler said the annex might be used for storage.

"Everybody's happy with the move," he said. "This will be more convenient for people. Everything is on one floor, and they have a beautiful teaching facility."

Bill Sleeper, county building and grounds supervisor, and his staff are completing the finishing touches on renovations to the new home, which should be completed by the end of January. Crawford praised the effort and said there was great cooperation between the County Commission and the University Extension Council in making arrangements for the relocation. She said the county offered the space to Extension officials when it came available, and the Extension Council was quick to accept it.

Crawford also expressed gratitude for the help her staff received from council members and volunteers in helping with the move, noting that Rex and Denise Cantlin of Slater showed up with their truck and pitched right in.

Contact Eric Crump at

marshallfaith@socket.net