Since April 2012, the Ceres Courier has been headquartered at 138 S. Center Street in Turlock. But this weekend the staff will be moving once again, this time across the street.
The Courier and sister paper of the Turlock Journal (both of MNC publishing) will move offices to the second story of the F&M Bank building at 121 S. Center St. The half-a-block move is expected to be completed by Aug. 26.
“We are excited to be moving across the street to our new location,” said MNC publisher Hank Vander Veen. “F&M Bank has been and will continue to be a great community partner as we move into their building. Our current site has served us well for many years but the move will allow us to set up an enclosed video and digital studio that we are really excited about. We will continue to maintain our focus as the most trusted local information source in Ceres, Turlock and all of the markets we serve.”
A decision was made seven years ago to move the Courier from its home of decades at 2940 Fourth Street into the spacious Turlock Journal building. The Turlock paper has occupied the building in 1941. The Journal has been located in the downtown Turlock area since its founding 115 years ago.
The first edition of the Turlock Journal hit the streets on Nov. 11, 1904. The Ceres Courier came into existence in either 1910 or 1911 – records have been fragmented over the century – when C.H. Bronaugh gathered a few fonts of lead type, a press and started to work. For the next decade the paper had its “ups and downs” according to a 1941 commemorative 30th anniversary edition of the Courier, and was overseen by several editors, including former Ceres High School teacher John Williams, J.A. Alexander, R. Robinson and W.C. Crome. In 1921 the Courier was purchased from Crome by Salinas newspaper couple Donald R. and Helen Calkins. They moved to Ceres with sons Bob and Donald Calkins. Jeff Benziger has served as editor since September 1987.
F&M Bank and the Journal/Courier collaborated on the build-out design for the new office space on the second floor of the Center Street location.
“F&M Bank is pleased to have the Ceres Courier and Turlock Journal in our building,” said Gary Ericksen, F&M senior vice president and Turlock/Merced market manager.
Following the move, the Courier’s phone number will remain the same: 537-5032. The new mailing address will be: 121 S. Center St. 2nd Floor, Turlock CA 95380.
The move is not expected to interrupt printing of any of the Courier’s regular publications.
