BlB—Lancaster Fanning, Saturday, January 23,1982
Carroll County dedicates new Extension office
BY SALLY BAIR
Staff Correspondent
WESTMINSTER, Md. - Last
Saturday was a day of celebration
for Carroll County’s agricultural
community as they dedicated their
new county Extension office
located on the grounds of the Ag
Center in Westminster.
Carroll County has boasted an ag
center since 1954,' built through
private ' donations - and ~ ad
ministered by a Board of Direc
tors. The county extension offices
remained housed in county
provided space in the city.
Now the spacious offices offer
meeting facilities and plenty of
free parking to make it easy for
those wishing to avail themselves
of the services of the Extension
office.
Through a unique arrangement
with the agricultural center and
the county commissioners, the new
office building is built on private
lands with public funds.
County Extension Chairman
Robert Jones explained that the
county holds a 99 year lease on that
portion of the property, with the
annual payment to be $l.
President of the County Com
County Extension Chairman Robert L. Jones extends a
thank you to the people of Carroll County for the construction
of a new office facility for the extension staff. The new building
is built on lands owned by the Ag Center, but was constructed
with county funds.
Debbie Water, Extension agent for 4-H and youth, shows
off the new oven in the demonstration kitchen of the Ex
tension office building located at the Ag Center in West
minster, Maryland.
missioners Louis Scharon called
the new building “a good example
of what can happen when the
public and the private sector get
together. It is also an example of
local government being dedicated
to agriculture.” He added that it is
a “most unusual project.”
United States Congresswoman
Beverly Brown called the office
building “testimony that Carroll
County has grown but hasn’t
changed all that much. Its values
.are still very strong in
agriculture.”
Other speakers, from both the
public and private sector, pointed
out that county government is very
responsive to agriculture.
Homemakers’ Representative
Julia Gouge said, “We’ve got a
good working relationship with our
county government. The whole
county will benefit greatly from
these new buildings.”
County Commissioner Norman
Graham noted that Carroll County
has had an agricultural zoning law
since 1978 and that its land
preservation act is leading the
state in keeping farmland in
farming.
Edwin Rash, a grain farmer
A host of local and state officials participate opening the new Carroll County Extension
in the ribbon cutting ceremony officially office in Westminster, Maryland.
speaking for the Ag Center, added
that “The commissioners have
farming at heart and we’ve got the
finest Extension staff in
Maryland.”
The University of Maryland was
represented by Dr. A.O. Kuhn,
executive vice-president who said,
“This building is a tribute to the
good solid people who have worked
to make county government one
that works for the people and with
the people. V
Indeed, in this case the people
seem delighted with the building
which will satisfy so many needs in
one location.
?
In addition to (he spacious of
fices for the 17-member Extension
staff, it offers several unique
features. There is a complete
demonstration kitchen housed in a
meeting room which can be
divided for smaller groups.
There is a spacious workroom
for the educational material
prepared and mailed by the ex
tension service, and an inviting
library open to those using the
HARRISBURG An agreement
clearing the way for new federal
regulations that tighten eligibility
for food stamps has been reached
in federal court.
A suit brought by welfare ad
vocacy groups had sought to delay
reduction or elimination of food
stamp assistance to recipients
whose benefits were affected by
the stricter federal eligibility
guidelines.
The agreement will lead to re
evaluation of food stamp
eligibility, starting with those
recipients receiving food stamps in
January 1982.
The Department of Public
Welfare had already sent notice to
all households receiving food
stamps, explaining changes in
federal regulations and how to
appeal a reduction in benefits. This
mailing specified both the existing
level of benefits and the amount of
food stamps allocated under the
new guidelines.
Under the agreement in the suit,
the Welfare Department will send
out an additional notice within 30
days that further clarifies appeal
rights and shows each household
the figures used in computing the
new level of benefits. The Welfare
Department has agreed to develop
by June 15,1982, a new notice form
for any future change in food
stamp benefits. The new form will
facilities. Two conference rooms
will offer space for small
meetings.
There is also an apartment for
the custodian who will live on the
premises to care for both the Ag
Center and the new office building.
The office portion is an extension
of Burns Hall, an auditorium built
for use as part of the Ag Center.
The Center also has facilities for
housing animals during shows and
fairs.
According to Jones, the building
is designed to take advantage of
passive solar heat in the office
area, and has a hot water solar
collector on the roof.
Carroll is the fourth largest
county in the state of Maryland
and ranks second in the state for
milk production. Jones said there
are over-300 dairy herds in the
county, which makes dairying the
county’s largest agriculture in
dustry.
The new office building is
situated on land which had once
housed a Dairy Herd Improvement
Federal regs tighten
food stamp eligibility
explain the reason for any change,
specify how to appeal any
reduction in benefits, and state the
figures used in recomputing food
stamp eligibility. (
In a related federal court case
earlier this month, a three-judge
panel of the United States Court of
Appeals stayed a lower-court order
• preventing the Commonwealth
' from putting federally-mandated
Aid To Families With Dependent
Children (AFDC) cuts into effect.
Following the stay, the
Department of Public Welfare
began a review of the state’s AFDC
caseload to determine new benefit
levels. The Circuit Court has not
yet issued a final ruling on the
Chester Extension to hold annual meeting
LANCASTER - The Chester
County Extension Service of Penn
State, will hold the annual meeting
on Monday, January 25, at 8 p.m.,
at the Extension Meeting Room,
235 W. Market St., West Chester.
The meeting is open to the public
and ail are invited to attend.
The meeting program will in
clude an opportunity to meet
members of the Extension board
and statt. tier d oeuvres, dessert,
testing laboratory. When the
decision was made to construct the
building, it was decided to move
the DHIA facilities to the new
building. Now the DHIA work is
done in the basement of the office
building.
In his part of the dedication
service, Jones said, “We pledge to
work harder than ever and better
than ever to warrant the trust and
the confidence you have placed in
us in this fine facility. This is not
our new building; it is your
building.”
Farmers, homemakers and
community leaders were clearly^’ 1
delighted with the new space. Over “
300 showed up to tour the facilities
following the dedication and the
nbbon cutting ceremony.
With the opening of the
tension office, the Ag Center
becomes truly a “center” for the
agricultural community and will
be an asset to the.whole county as
it assumes its leading position m
Maryland agriculture.
legality of the lower court order, <
but it has denied a request to have
the case reheard by the entire nine
judge court.
Welfare Secretary Helen B.
O’Bannon said the implementation,
of the neiy federal regulations can
proceed now that legal obstacles
are resolved.
“There was never any question
that the new regulations and
changes would go into effect,”
Secretary O’Bannon said. “These
two law suits related only to the
kind of procedures and notice
necessary to give receipients
adequate information about the
changes and notice of their
rights.”
and beverage will be served. A
short business meeting
election of officers will follow.
Entertainment will be provided by
Grace Miller, a Pennsylvania
Dutch humorist.
There js a small fee to cover cost
of refreshments. Reservations are
due by January 21. For further
information, contact the Extension
office at 696-3500.