Excitement is Building for the Summer!
Marlin Bates
County Extension Director
Welcome to the Summer edition of our newsletter. I hope that you’ll take a few minutes to peruse its contents and dive in where you find interest. While there is always ample opportunity to connect with us, this time of year seems particularly abundant with options. We’re deep enough into the growing season that plant problems begin to appear, close enough to the Douglas County Fair to see 4-H projects in full swing, and days are long enough to cause us to yearn for closer connections to community.
Throughout this newsletter, you’ll find classes and events that we hope you’ll consider attending and you’ll find guidance on some of the
most common issues we’ve been hearing about lately. Alongside our own efforts, you’ll note that we’re working with our partners to craft our community’s next health plan and our first open space plan. You, too, can contribute to those planning efforts and we encourage you to take a few minutes to take those surveys.
As we move toward the middle of the calendar year, our Extension Council and Executive Board are keeping an eye on our progress toward the outcomes in the strategic plan that we adopted late last year. Our Program Development Committees continue to guide our work and their assistance is greatly appreciated. The Executive Board’s nominating committee will soon begin recruiting for next year’s Extension Council, so let us know if you’d like to learn more about those important roles.
We’re excited to be hosting five Summer Engagement Interns. Their presence plus the arrival of new employees Ginny Barnard (LiveWell Douglas County Executive Director) and Sophia Diaz (SNAP-Ed Nutrition Educator) will have this Extension Office full of activity and excitement. Stop by to say hi and see what we’re up to – we can’t wait to tell you about it!