For many families, as well as communities, this is the best time of year. Yes, because of the holidays, but also because the holidays mean many of our young people are returning to their hometowns for a few days or even a few weeks. They are coming from college to celebrate Christmas with their families, but while they are home, they also get to do the things they loved when they were kids. ...

I cannot be the only one who is amazed that the year is nearly over. It’s a cliché to say that the days pass slowly while the years fly by, but it’s a cliché because it’s true. When my children were little, I was gifted a copy of the Family Circus cartoon, which showed the frazzled mom with four children, one hanging from each limb. ...

Because of how the holidays fall, we have the shortest number of days between Thanksgiving and Christmas this year. Yes, we have one less week of shopping. But more importantly, we have less time to enjoy the holiday songs, less time to take in the holiday lights, and less time to bask in the joy of the season. On the other hand, maybe fewer days will make us appreciate it more. I know the short turn-around time between the two holidays has affected how I’m approaching the season...

If you don’t think your mind, actions or lifestyle have changed over the years, stop for a moment and think of how you do things differently. Some of the changes have been positive, others maybe not so much, and some differences we haven’t noticed but have profoundly altered the way we do things...

Since 1996, I have written columns for the McCook Gazette on and off in one capacity or another, whether as a reporter for the newspaper, for the McCook YMCA or now on behalf of the McCook Community Foundation Fund. Coming up with ideas on a weekly basis usually comes easy for me but some weeks are harder than others. This is one of those hard weeks...

With the election just around the corner, there are so many issues and candidates to consider that it can be overwhelming. It is easy to just read the endless texts and emails that fill up our phones and computers. It is simple to scan the dozens of postcards that arrive in the mailbox every day. It is effortless to just agree with all the social media post that fill your newsfeed and pass along the idea...

The days are starting to grow shorter with darkness arriving earlier every day. The leaves are quickly falling to the ground, leaving behind barren trees. And the summer’s colorful flowers have either withered away or been moved inside. We will soon be in the dark, dreary days of winter. While I personally enjoy winter, it reminds us of why it is so important to have joy and even more specifically, something whimsical in our day to day lives...

As I write this column, fresh produce is overflowing on my kitchen counter. A watermelon threatens to roll off the table every time someone walks by. A bag of tomatoes awaits it fate after being missed as part of the last batch of homemade salsa. Every variety of pepper can be found among the multiple plastic bags scattered around the kitchen...

On the Saturday of McCook’s Heritage Days, I woke up at 7 a.m., quickly threw on some running clothes and dashed out the door, arriving at the starting line just a few minutes before Coach Sughroue gave the official start to the 5K race. It was a beautiful morning for a run - with a lot of walking - and was made even more perfect because I wasn’t in charge...

All of my kids ride bicycles, some more than others, which means different skill levels. Most of my kids have ridden every mile across Iowa, among thousands of other bikers, so are very agile and experienced on a bike.

My primary mode of transportation when the weather is nice small a motor-scooter. A cute, little, maroon 125cc scooter that can reach 60 mph if the wind is behind my back, if I’ve got the drag of a semi-tractor trailer in front of me and I crouch into an aerodynamic position like I’m a speedster. In other words, the scooter is cute but is not the most imposing or formidable vehicle on the road...

Every May, the McCook Community Foundation Fund is allowed to be part of the McCook High School graduation practice, which includes several components to prepare for the actual graduation a few days later. One role of MCFF at the practice is distributing a graduation gift to all of that year’s soon-to-be graduates. ...

On an outdoor bicycle ride, I am constantly surveying my surroundings, in particular the road or more likely, the shoulder alongside the highway in front of me. Cyclists are regularly looking for obstacles or anything that might prove dangerous or cause an accident...

If you wonder if McCook is on the move, just look at all the things happening or that are in the works. There is the new city pool, which remains open for another two weeks on the weekends. There are new events, including Third Thursdays through October, bringing shopping, music, food and fun to Norris Avenue and Cars Under the Stars drive-in theater, which is showing Pixar’s “Up” Saturday night at the Red Willow County Fairgrounds. ...

One of my hobbies is doing triathlons. For those who don’t know what this sport entails, a traditional triathlon is swimming, bicycling and running — or in my case, walking. The order of events is intentional with the swim going first. If you are tired on the run, just walk. If you are tired on the swim, you have bigger issues. That being said, my son has done a triathlon in Iowa that starts with the run, then bikes and finishes with the swim...

While my family and I participate in a lot of sporting events, we don’t dedicate a lot of time to watching them in person or on TV. We’ll turn on the Super Bowl every February for the commercials and half-time show and to hang out with our friends. My husband and boys will watch a motocross race occasionally, thinking they are just as fast on their bikes. ...

County fairs shape our communities Most of us don’t need an excuse to eat more pie, to talk longer with our friends or to fawn over bunnies, but for the next couple weeks, we have all the more reason to do. It is county fair time. Why do people plan their summers around them? Why do they look forward to them all year round? Why do parents spend countless hours helping their children with 4-H projects?...

Numbers tell the story at McCook’s new Aquatic Center 1937, 10, 8 to 9, zero There are a lot of numbers that come to my mind when I think about McCook’s new aquatic center, which is scheduled to open Wednesday, July 17. 1937 - That was when McCook’s first public pool was built as a WPA project, meant to get people to work during the Depression. ...

When my family moved into our current house, it was known for many things: serving as housing for the needy when it was first built in the early 1900s, sitting on the road to the motocross track that was in operation at the time, or being the house for numerous renters and families over the past century...

It seems like everything is a big production these days. While marriage proposals have usually included some level of advance planning, invitations to high school dances have taken it to another level. Asking someone to prom requires hours of preparation and likely recording the invitation to share online. There are usually posters, candy and various props involved, followed by flowers, garters and a distinctive automobile on the day of prom...

My husband and I were driving through the lower section of Kelley Park in McCook, looking for a place to park. Not until we reached the far edge of the park did we find room for our vehicle. Why, on a Monday night, was the road lined with cars and trucks?...

Polling station offers much more than just voting Sitting at a polling station for 12 straight hours provides a lot of insight into our community. The experience proved that we are social animals who need to be around others. The experience demonstrated that regardless of everyone’s difference of opinions, we are all still neighbors, friends and family who want what is best for our hometowns. ...

On Thursday, May 16, the McCook Creative District will host its first event since receiving the official designation in October 2023 from the state of Nebraska. “Third Thursdays” will take place in downtown McCook - the geographical location of McCook’s Creative District - from May through October, 5-8 p.m. on the third Thursday of each month, hence the name...

Our young people sometimes bemoan that they have ideas, but no one listens to them. And that can be true, especially when it comes to ideas which simply aren’t realistic such as a mall in McCook or a restaurant on every corner. But our younger residents are not wrong when they lament there isn’t as much for young people or families to do as they would like. So a group of young, local students came up with a plan to address that issue - to build a semi-permanent outdoor movie theater...

There is a day, week and month devoted to just about anything these days. For a while, “Speak like a pirate” day was unique. But then along came “donut” day, “take your dog to work” day, “stay in bed until noon” day, which all in theory could be every day...

During the McCook Chamber of Commerce’s recent annual meeting, I had the pleasure of sharing several projects that the McCook Community Foundation Fund and the McCook Chamber are working together on. There are the Third Thursday events in downtown McCook throughout the summer and Beautify McCook projects to bring lights and flowers and - beauty - to our community...

Last week, more than three dozen financial advisors and community members gathered together in McCook to learn more about how you can leave a legacy in your community. Leaving a legacy can mean many things and can be done in a variety of ways. For some, leaving a legacy means serving in public office, instituting laws and passing ordinances, which will shape the community for generations to come. ...

My closet at home is overflowing with T-shirts, filling totes, lining shelves and hanging from racks. There are shirts from 5K road races and sprint triathlons we have done the past few decades. Shirts from the bands we have seen at concerts in our own town and those we have traveled hours to watch. And shirts from just a few of the cities and states we have visited over the years...

Talk to any small child and they probably have a lot of favorites: their favorite color, their favorite number, their favorite dinosaur, their favorite chicken nugget shape. As we grow up, those favorites just seem to slip away. I’d be hard pressed to name a dinosaur much less my favorite kind...

cCook High School held its 5th annual Bison Days, which immerses students into the community for two entire days. They learn how businesses operate, experience new hobbies, and can even obtain certification in different skills. The event is purposely held in mid-February to break up the winter doldrums. Even myself, someone who enjoys winter, finds these drab, dreary months drag on between the winter holidays and spring’s arrival so these few days with the students are a moment of brightness...

As the mid-winter doldrums set in, I figured this was a perfect opportunity for a SOS column - or Short Of attention Span - to cover a couple of topics this week to try and keep things lively. (Give me some grace on the acronym - the lack of sunshine recently is taking its toll.)...

I have a lot of books sitting around my house with the hope of reading them someday but know there is no possible way to read them all in my lifetime. I would have to give up every activity, hobby and project to fill them. But one book sitting on my desk shelf emerges every few months, where I write down a thought or a note, insert another document or just check to make sure it is up to date. What book demands that much attention and requires constant commitment from its user?...

Over the past week, there has been a lot of negativity in McCook, specifically around the water situation. Ideally, we want to have clean, readily available water all the time. Additionally, no one wants to pay more than their fair share to have access to water in their homes and businesses...

Earlier this week, I helped with a tour of downtown McCook for visiting University of Nebraska at Kearney students focusing on medical careers. It is a privilege to host visitors and share with them what makes McCook unique and worthy of a visit. The stops included many historical and “only in McCook” locations such as Nebraska’s only James Beard Award-winning restaurant, Sehnert’s Bakery; Nebraska’s only Frank Lloyd Wright-designed home, the Sutton House; and the boyhood home of Ben Nelson, McCook’s most recent politician to serve in a national office.. ...

Our senses can lead to so many memories from our past. A smell can remind you of your mom making brownies in the kitchen. The site of a lawnmower in your garage recalls the image of your dad spending hours cutting the grass. Or maybe it is remembering the touch of the soft fur from your first kitten as a child...

As the end of the year approaches, it is customary to reflect back on what happened over the past 12 months. And just like the easy answer to “What is there to do here? Not much”...the easy answer to “What happened here last year? Not much.” In reality, the opposite is true. There is so much going on in McCook and Southwest Nebraska and Northwest Kansas that it can be overwhelming but in a good way...

In October, Norris Avenue was shut down for several hours as the Heritage Days parade streamed down McCook’s main street. People lined the streets for blocks with kids darting after candy while adults visited with friends and neighbors as part of the McCook Chamber’s annual event...

Because of tradition and with my mother-in-law Dolores’ urging, I have a formal china set. For those who remember DeGroff’s Department Store, my china set is made up of all the sample settings that were displayed on the wall - and had a hint of blue in the design...

Over the past few weeks, I have been researching stories and pictures for an annual report for the McCook Community Foundation Fund. As I sifted through news stories and searched through countless photos, I quickly lost count of all that had happened over the past year: both for MCFF and for the community...

Earlier this week, Will Andreson spoke at the McCook Rotary Club’s weekly meeting and also met with a variety of people in McCook to learn more about the community. But the visit wasn’t a relaxing vacation for the retired University of Wisconsin professor. ...

Every member of my family is a swimmer, some by choice, some by default. Our bathrooms at home can attest to that fact, with drawers devoted to goggles and swim caps and shelves crowded with beach towels and swim shampoo. All of my kids plus my husband and I are or have been lifeguards. The McCook YMCA pool has served many purposes over the years from swim lessons to swim teams to hours of recreational swim. The swimming pool is our second home...

Can you imagine the following scenario? You are cleaning your house, slowly making your way from room to room, when you stumble upon a stack of photographs, an album of pictures or your old high school yearbooks. Yes, that is a nod to everyone back the next two weekends for McCook High School reunions over Heritage Days and McCook Community College homecoming the following weekend. Welcome back!...

Next week, Norris Avenue will be closed to traffic for the annual Heritage Days parade in McCook. People will be lining the sidewalks, while kids will be dashing around trying to grab the most pieces of candy. Floats will slowly make their way down the streets, as neighbors and friends greet each other throughout the morning of Saturday, Oct. 14...

It is official. McCook and Southwest Nebraska is the recipient of one of the largest financial gifts in recent memory. Jim Lee, a 1954 McCook High School graduate, left $5 million in donations to several non-profit organizations including the McCook Community Foundation Fund, the Community Hospital Health Foundation, the McCook YMCA, the McCook Educational Foundation and the Overland Trails Council, which oversees the Boy Scouts in Southwest Nebraska...

Drive by the site of the old McCook swimming pool across from the college on M Street and you will see is a giant hole in the ground and some piles of dirt. That is a good thing. After nearly a decade of meetings, dozens of plans, a successful election (and with a pandemic in the middle), the new City of McCook outdoor swimming pool is finally moving forward. That is a good thing...

Greater appreciation through the eyes of outsiders Ten years ago, my husband and I stood at a departure gate at the Denver International Airport, watching the plane pull away from the terminal. Our oldest daughter Anna was on board, headed to Germany as a Rotary foreign exchange student for the entirety of her junior year of high school. ...

Darts, playing cards, volleyball, corn hole, golf, frolf (frisbee golf for us lay folk). What do all of these have in common? On any given night, you can find someone playing one of these games around the community, whether in an organized league or just a pickup game...

Last week, I and 50,000 of my closest friends bicycled across the state of Iowa. It starts with dipping the back tire of the bike in the Missouri River and ends by dipping the front tire in the Mississippi River. My family, along with many friends from McCook and North Platte, has done it for several years and this year was one to remember. We biked more than 500 miles in seven days, sometimes out on our bikes for 12 hours a day. But that is just the start of the adventure...

Next Thursday, July 13, the first of two Hot Summer Nights concerts takes place, with the first in Norris Alley. The second concert is on Aug. 3 in Norris Park. Sponsored by MNB Bank, the event next Thursday will also feature a free-will dinner served by Beautify McCook with proceeds to benefit their projects...

I must be honest. I write these columns just a few hours before the deadline because writing comes fairly easy to me. It is a skill I have had most of my life but it is still a skill I have worked to improve over time. On the other hand, the skills I don’t possess far outnumber the skills I do have...

BENKELMAN, Neb. — Last Saturday, three charter buses full of bicyclists made their way from Omaha to Benkelman for the start of the 41st Annual Bicycle Ride Across Nebraska. Nearing the end of the westward trip, they stopped in McCook for lunch. The following day, these same cyclists, plus many more who drove themselves to the start, began the 80-mile ride from Dundy County to Cambridge, stopping in McCook for lunch. ...

Go alone, go fast. Go together, go far. It is said over and over but cannot be said enough. The quick and easy way to get something done is to just do it yourself. Do it alone and you know it will be done the way you want it and done right. Ask any wife who asks her husband to load the dishwasher...

Celebrating being Nebraska’s hot spot Last week during a visit with a former McCook resident who now lives in the southwestern United States, the weather came up during the conversation. “Do you miss having four seasons?” I asked. “Don’t you want to move back so you can experience winter and snow?”...

A little over a year ago, a group of enthusiastic pickleball players came to the McCook Community Foundation Fund, asking both about possible funding to improve McCook’s outdoor pickleball courts and how to make the project happen. The location of the two pickleball courts at the time had a direct tie to MCFF, which played a role in the development of Russell Park a decade earlier thanks to the generous donation by the Russell family...

Once a year, McCook’s junior high students get to experience McCook’s history, up close and personal, as part of a Heritage Walking Tour. For five hours earlier this week, sixth-grade students from McCook Junior High and St. Patrick Elementary visited the sites that make McCook….well, McCook...

As I write this, I am in the middle of chaperoning an 8th-grade field trip for my youngest child, likely my last field trip. For 12 years, we have visited the same religious sisters, slept at the same retreat house and wandered around the Unicameral, still getting lost after all the trips to visit our state senator. But it is coming to an end, at least with my own child in tow...

What do genies, pirates and musicians have in common? All will be featured on separate stages in three different locations this weekend in McCook. The McCook Concert Association is hosting Copper Street Brass on Saturday at 7 p.m. at the Fox Theater in downtown McCook. Additionally, every music student and their parents are able to attend this final concert of the season at no charge. This is a great way to pack the historic theater and hear great live music...

Last Saturday, YMCA soccer teams filled the fields behind McCook High School and Junior High. The early morning games of 7th and 8th graders were in full swing with those playing at an advantage over those of us on the sidelines, just trying to stay warm...

McCook and Southwest Nebraska lost another colorful character this past week with the passing of Ray Walter. Ray taught art for decades, instilling a love for all mediums of art in generations of school children. And then even after retiring, he couldn’t stay out of the classroom. He returned as a substitute teacher, frequently at St. Patrick Elementary and Hitchcock County or wherever he was needed...

Growing up, my grandfather lived with my family before moving to my aunt’s house for his final few years. There wasn’t much to occupy his day other than seeing us off to school and work in the morning and welcoming us home that evening. As far as I know, the lone activity every day took place at 10 a.m. ...

When Walt Sehnert dedicated his book, Faces of McCook, he wrote: “…dedicated to the men and women of McCook, who collectively, over the years have shaped our town into a community where we can live and work and raise our families in a safe, interesting, and rewarding environment.” His 2011 book tells the stories of more than 50 men and women who shaped our early community. You are shaping this community in 2023. What will be written about the differences you have made?...

As Midwesterners, it is ingrained in us to be humble. You are not supposed to brag. You are not supposed to boast. You are not supposed to gloat. Instead, you are supposed to remain modest, not looking for recognition or commendations but instead quietly going about your work...

I am sure there are people out there who get things done immediately, who don’t put things off until the next day, and who don’t delay or postpone anything in their life. In other words, they are not procrastinators. I am not one of those people, nor do I know many people who are not in the same camp. I am a card-carrying procrastinator if we took the time to make cards for ourselves but we never seem to get it done...

Traveling along B Street in McCook, I cannot help but glance south as I pass Norris Avenue. Regardless of the time of day, I am always curious to see if the Amtrak train is at the McCook train depot. True, the westbound train is supposed to arrive at 3:43 a.m. and the eastbound train is scheduled in McCook at 11:49 a.m. - both times I am not usually cruising the streets...

Beyond the syllabus, books, tests and homework assignments, you will find hobbies, interests and skills that do not always have a place, or a time, in the classroom. But for two days each February, students at McCook High School venture past curriculum and into a world of newfound talents and interests, learning skills like cooking and crafts and discovering a new array of pastimes and hobbies. A potential career or job opportunity may even arise out of the sessions...

Planning for the future starts with communication “No one avoids the pine box.” A harsh but simple reality each and every one of us will face. “What happens to your stuff when you are gone?” Another reality many try to avoid until we are forced to deal with the situation because of a traumatic event or leaving our family members to deal with it after we pass...

I was sitting in the Dundy County High School gym, watching the St. Patrick boys Junior High basketball game last week. With the seconds ticking away on the time clock, I thought about how many games I have been to in this gym and countless other auditoriums as my seven children have moved through the school system. As my last two kids will be high school swimmers rather than basketball players, I will be spending most of my time at swimming pools rather than gymnasiums...

It hangs high on the wall in my den - or man cave. A single-shot, bolt-action, 22-caliber rifle last made in the mid-1930s. It hasn’t been fired since my college days back in the 1960s, yet still maintains a place of honor in my home. My mother’s dad, my grandpa, gave it to me when I turned 13. It was my first gun. He spent hours with me, teaching me gun safety and how to shoot...

Like many young adults as they venture off to college and beyond, I had no intentions of moving back to southwest Nebraska. However, now that I reflect on my time at University and living in another community, I realize I had more of a connection to southwest Nebraska than I lead myself to believe...

Here we are a few days into the new year and let’s be honest about how many of our new year’s resolutions we have already broken. After all, one in four resolutions has gone by the wayside in the first week. Two-thirds of resolutions are over by the end of the month. And only nine percent of resolutions make it to the end of the year...

As any adult can attest, the days may go slow but the years go fast. We blink and the kids are grown and we have wrinkles that weren’t there yesterday. We may not notice the day-to-day changes, but things change over the long term. But the same can be said about years versus decades. Not much may seem to happen in a year but look back on the past decade and you can see all the change - in yourself and in your community...

As I reflect on the actions the McCook Community Foundation Fund has taken this past year, I feel a little giddy. We think this will be McCook’s decade and McCook residents are making it happen. We are effective as a catalyst for change because of the generous and committed donors to MCFF and the relationships MCFF has fostered over the past two decades. Together, we can support, engage, and spark change to build a welcoming community...

Last weekend, McCook was steeped in goodwill and nostalgia to unofficially kick off the holiday season. Families lined the downtown streets for arguably the biggest and best Christmas Lights Parade, put on my KICX. Groups took turns in a horse-drawn carriage ride around the neighborhoods, thanks to the McCook Chamber. ...

This past Thanksgiving morning, I awoke and got going a couple of hours before the rest of the house stirred. Yes, a few of those baker traits still linger even though I haven’t worked at the bakery for nearly a year. With the benefit of the quiet, my thoughts turned to Thanksgiving, focusing on the “thankful” parts...

Last year at this time, McCook and the McCook Community Foundation Fund was still basking in the glow of Night on the Bricks. In 2021 as part of the Nebraska Community Foundation’s annual training and celebration, McCook hosted Night on the Bricks as a replacement for the traditional sit-down banquet...

It started with a simple phone call a few months ago. “I want to see Christmas lights in downtown McCook,” Taryn Arterburn asked. We shared what had been done in the past to light up downtown McCook, including successes and obstacles. We talked about the lights which were already installed along the buildings up and down Norris. We dreamed about zig-zagging lights across Norris and every tree lit up from truck to the top of the branches...

On Tuesday, McCook voters made the decision to get McCook on the Move by approving the 1/2 cent sales tax to pay for a recreational bond. This means McCook should have a new outdoor city swimming pool in 2024, which is long overdue and gets us out of the “deep end.”...

Most athletes don’t like to be on the sidelines. That means they aren’t in the action. They aren’t getting to play. Yes, they are part of the team, but they aren’t making as big of an impact or making a difference if they aren’t involved. This same analogy can be applied to our everyday lives. ...

Many people, both young and old, often lament that there is nothing to do here. Or other frequently quoted statements are nothing ever happens here, nothing gets done, nothing ever changes. All of which are untrue. Regardless of where you live, things are always happening; you just may not know about it. Things are always getting done; they just may be what you want to see getting done. And things are always changing; we may just not notice it or slow down enough to appreciate the changes...

Change can be hard. There are the unknowns, the what-ifs, and the uncertainties. We are hard-wired against change because change is seen as a threat — a threat to what we know, to how we've always done it and to our patterns and behaviors. But even with all these hurdles, there is one simple truth: If we don't change or don't accept change, we will be left behind. ...

Last week due to a tragic accident, the Amtrak passenger train was in McCook for nearly eight hours, stopped at the McCook depot throughout the morning hours, finally departing at noon. For those who don’t know the Amtrak schedule, the train passes through McCook at 3:43 a.m. if it is on time (not usually) and stays for just two or three minutes (most of the time) to quickly load any passengers boarding (many times)...

A person makes many different investments during their lifetime. The first investment that likely comes to mind is a retirement account, in the hope of creating a healthy, sizable nest egg when the working years come to an end. Another type of investment is starting a business, using life savings now to see a dream become a reality. Both of these investments offer trackable, tangible results...

McCook has many great attributes from the brick-lined streets and surrounding lakes, to hard-working people and unique, innovative businesses. And now McCook has the opportunity to take another of its assets to the next level: arts and culture. In 2020, the Nebraska Unicameral adopted LB943 for Creative Arts Districts across the state. The program recognizes that the arts serve many purposes, including as an economic driver of a region and telling the story of a community...

There are phrases that can say a lot about a community: “That’s how we’ve always done it.” “We’re getting by.” And the saying which can perhaps keep a community from growing and thriving: It’s “good enough.” This phrase can come in various forms but usually refers to when the speaker was younger or when their parents were around. It was “good enough” for me when I was a kid. Why isn’t it good enough for today’s kids?...

Earlier this summer, I lost a mentor and I lost a friend - my father, Walt Sehnert. In fact, I have lost a few mentors and friends over the past two years, which has led me to reflect on the impact these people have had on both me and the community...

Communities regularly face many issues, from providing adequate housing to finding enough skilled labor to supporting quality of life projects. Another issue that regularly tops the list is quality child care. For many communities, it is a never-ending problem that also affects everyone - whether they think so or not...

Did instant gratification begin with the microwave when cooking a meal went from an hour to mere minutes? Can our desire to see and do everything now be blamed on automobiles, giving us personal access to go wherever we want? Are our shortened attention spans blamed on these giant advances in technology, making it possible to have almost endless entertainment and information at our fingertips?...

“I’ll go next year.” “We are out of town this time, but it’ll be even bigger and better next year when you do it.” “It happens every year. I’ll catch it next time.” These are just a few of the statements made about the upcoming Chautauqua this weekend in McCook...

I always knew that when I was ready to start a family I wanted to raise my children in McCook. I wanted them to have the childhood I always dreamed of. A childhood where they could grow up with a tight-knit group of friends, ride bikes to the park, play sports and spend time with family. A childhood that would be enriched with the best values of small town Nebraska...

In February, the McCook Rotary Club celebrated its 100th anniversary. Over the past century, the club has evolved out of necessity and to remain relevant and perhaps most importantly, to be welcoming. The dress code changed from suits and ties to whatever its members were wearing that day with an occasional Rotary shirt thrown into the mix. Fines for missing a meeting or having your name appear on the front page of the paper went away...

Mondays, New Year’s Day, the first day of the month. These are the most popular days to start a diet or to quit smoking or to begin a new habit such as getting more sleep or eating healthier. And those are all commendable goals to strive toward. But usually after a few days, a few weeks, or perhaps even a few months, the motivation wanes. ...

McCook and Nebraska lost another of its great spokesmen with the passing of Walt Sehnert last week. And up until the end, his mind and his spirit were just as strong as ever He also continued to possess a strong love of his community, a tremendous love of entertaining, and profound love for his family and friends...

It is innocent at first. Just a quick stop at the Humane Society to see what dogs and cats are there. Later that night, the discussion over the dinner table is a listing of all the dogs the Humane Society has available that would be suitable but one dog at home is enough...

Norris Avenue is probably the most well-known street in McCook. Originally named Main Street when McCook was formed in 1882, Norris Avenue is arguably the “heart” of the community. Parades travel down its southern portion and trees tower over the northern section. While not equally dividing the town in half, it does distinguish the east and west sides of town...

Last week, the Smithsonian traveling exhibit of Crossroads: Change in Rural America left town. After volunteers spent eight hours packing hundreds, if not thousands, of pieces into 16 crates, a semi-trailer hauled the exhibit to Chadron, its last stop before returning to Washington D.C...

The camping season kicks off this weekend with area campgrounds booked to capacity, many of them filled days before the holiday weekend even arrived. The recreation areas will be teeming with locals and out-of-towners, everyone enjoying the warmer weather and celebrating the arrival of summer...

Over the past several years, the McCook Economic Development Corporation has focused on childcare, with innovative programs to boost early childhood care and access. Once a month, Community Connection will share the view of someone intimately involved or affected by our community’s childcare situation. This month, Jerry Calvin shares how child care affects his business, Taco John’s...

Retirement is finally here. I recently entered this new phase of life where I moved from the highly-scheduled routine of a professional working day to the less-scheduled day of home projects, traveling and a variety of community efforts. This will require a transition period. And I am finding that I need to add some routine to my days or I can simply while my time away. Without adding some intentionality to my schedule, weeks and months could slip away with little to show for my time...

While we don’t know what the rest of 2022 will hold, we can only hope that McCook is as successful as it was in 1922. Or even the 1920s in general. What was so great about the 1920s and 1922 specifically? In 1922, the Keystone Hotel was completed. Now known as the Keystone Business Center, the six-story building came to be because of the can-do spirit of the time. ...

In the book “Influence in Your Superpower” by Zoe Chance, the Yale professor says it takes one simple yet still complex question to get things done: “What will it take?” What will it take to make something happen? What will it take to make change in your community? What will it take to make your community the best it can be?...

Bison Days returns next week, which offers all McCook High School students two days to experience new hobbies, professions, and skills. From the freshmen to the seniors, the students will be venturing out to local businesses to learn everything from baking donuts and cooking pasta to earning a boating license and mastering pickle ball - if pickle ball can ever really be mastered...

Over the past four years, I have become increasingly involved within our community thanks to Youth Change Reaction. Members of the McCook Community Foundation Fund have welcomed me with open arms as a youth trying to become more involved in the community...

While tastes may differ, everyone likes to go do things. For some people, it is casually strolling through the livestock stalls at the county fair. For others, it is listening to live music, appreciating the skill it takes to play a musical instrument. And yet for others, it is as simple as resting on a park bench, just watching people walk by...

Every January, people make their own personal New Year’s resolutions. And then a month later, perhaps weeks or even just days later, people break those same New Year’s resolutions. Diets are abandoned when the call of the cookie jar is just too strong. Exercise routines are let go as appointments and activities fill the calendar. Vows to go to bed early are cast aside in favor of binge-watching on Netflix...

Earlier this week, a friend sent a text wishing me a Happy New Year. He added that our floating trip down the Niobrara River this summer made his top five memories of the year. Like many people, I have floated down the Niobrara numerous times, yet none are etched in my memory like this particular trip...

I recently attended a dinner banquet with Warren Buffet as one of the keynote speakers. In the Q & A session, someone asked him if he was optimistic about our country given all of the problems we seem to be dealing with on a daily basis. Warren’s response is one that will stick with me for a long time. He said the luckiest person in this world is the person who was born this morning in America because we have and will always have, the greatest country on the face of this earth...

As the year comes to an end, everyone begins to reflect on how the past year went, what they could do in these final few days of 2021 and how to make next year even better. One idea to consider is by simply being generous. Why is being generous so important? Because generosity sets the tone for a family, for a friendship, for a community...

In my high school, we had half a dozen foreign languages to select from as part of our school schedule. Being ever so practical, I chose Latin. And not just one year of Latin, I took three years of the dying/dead language. Other than conjugating verbs into six forms, the only other thing I remember from class is the large, round industrial clock on the wall by the door to the classroom. ...

As November comes to a close, I can’t help but reflect on everything that has transpired in our community in just a few short weeks. Looking back, we have so much to be thankful for. Looking forward, we have so much to be grateful for. For starters, we kicked the month off with the 6th annual Big Give McCook, reaching record numbers yet again. ...

Last week, Big Give McCook reached record highs again, both in the number of donations as well as the overall totals. While the numbers are still being finalized for each nonprofit organization, it is still easy to call the event a success. That is due to all the people who gave of their time staffing the in-person giving stations, who helped spread the word about this important event and who made a donation during the 24 hours of giving. ...

Earlier this year, my husband and I had the privilege of buying a building on Norris Avenue. If I had a dollar for every time someone asked, “What are you going to do with the building?” I would have enough money to renovate the site or at least put on a new coat of paint...

Over the last four years, I have heard McCook Community Foundation Fund member Andy Long ask many times, “What can we do to bring our youth back to McCook?” Every time, he caught me off guard and I was never prepared to answer this question. But four years of involvement in MCFF’s youth organization, Youth Change Reaction (YCR), has helped me consider how I can have an impact, the role of youth in our community and what the word “community” really means...

Next month is the Big Give McCook, the one-day community drive-in McCook to raise funds for 31 nonprofit organizations. The McCook Community Foundation Fund is among those organizations for which you can donate. But this column isn’t about MCFF. It’s about service...

These days, it seems like it is easier to dislike someone or something or some idea than it is to like them. After all, it takes time, patience and empathy to truly understand someone who has different ideas or beliefs than you. Some think that showing tolerance is enough. That a live-and-let-live society is as good as it gets. But if we only tolerate those who are different from ourselves but don’t do the work to listen and learn, are we really any better?...

We are all guilty of doing it. Sitting around and bemoaning the state of the world. Complaining about what did or didn’t get done in our community. Wishing that things would be better, would change or would simply be different, But if that is where the process stops, then nothing will get better. Nothing will change. Nothing will be different. Because we must be the change we want to see in the world. Yes, it is an overused cliche but it became overused and became a cliche because it is true...

Earlier this month, I paddle boarded down the Middle Loop River for 5 hours and 41 minutes. That is not a typo. And I was one of the first ones to cross the finish line; others were out there longer. Aside from seeing a few fellow paddlers at the beginning and a scattering of spectators waving from bridges, I was by myself for nearly six hours. ...

So far in 2021, at least two or three of these columns have been tributes to those who have passed, including Cloyd Clark and Tor Olson. Hopefully, their families and friends found those words comforting, uplifting or at least brought back a few fond memories...

Leadership is a simple word. A 10-letter word containing three syllables. A word we commonly use for those who go above and beyond to bring goodness to people. Our world has had many great leaders, but even great leaders didn’t get to the pinnacle by themselves. Take Michel Jordan, Tom Osborne, or Warren Buffet. They all had mentors in their life to help them grow into a person who brought extraordinary outcomes in their professional lives...

It seems like everything we talk about these days is big and audacious, whether it is building a new aquatic facility for our community or the lack of affordable housing. And while these larger issues do need to be addressed, we sometimes forget that the little things matter. ...

Rather than ‘have to,’ consider ‘get to’ With nine people in my household at one point, laundry was one of my biggest jobs on a regular basis. Just to keep on top of things, at least two days a week were devoted to sorting, washing, folding and when I could put off no longer, ironing. As you can imagine, laundry was a never-ending chore...

While the Nebraska Arts Council’s annual conference remained virtual this year, I was invited to speak on partnerships and collaborations...a topic which is not only important but vital to a thriving community. As I prepared for the speaking engagement last week, I reflected on the collaborations and connections I have been part of over the three decades since I returned to my hometown of McCook...

By now, the majority of area high schools have resumed and college students are making their way back to campus. For the most part, everyone is starting with a clean slate. No one is behind on homework. Everyone is passing their classes. Some have the highest grades they will have all year...

If there was ever a time for collaboration as well as coming together, McCook’s pool project has to be toward the top of the list. The city of McCook held another community planning meeting Wednesday night regarding the pool project, but there might finally be hope on the horizon after years of inaction...

There is no doubt that McCook has a sense of pride. Just look at all the people, young and old, wearing McCook Bison shirts and jackets every day of the week; or the Bison Alumni Newsletter, which keeps those near and far connected to their hometown: or the giant M on the hill south of town. (At some point, can we talk about lighting up the M somehow? During a recent vacation, I saw several similar “giant” letters, shining from the hillside during the late-night drives, and was inspired.)...

One of my favorite comic strips is Calvin and Hobbes, featuring a little boy and his stuffed cat. Calvin always had a vivid imagination, which led to some interesting and very insightful comments about everyday life. In just a single, simple frame, the comic strip makes a lasting comment about our expectation for instant gratification these days...

To give or not to give “The value of a man resides in what he gives and not in what he is capable of receiving.” -- Albert Einstein I’m a retired dentist who moved to McCook with my family in June 1969 to become the junior associate of the famous Blank brothers -- Lavern and Don. I went on to practice dentistry for 45 years...

As a community, we make decisions every day, which affect our future. Some of those decisions are big, such as building a new pool, having a new employer start up a business or renovating a downtown building. Others are smaller, such as whether to have Christmas lights lining the rooftops of downtown businesses or welcoming signs at the edge of town, just so people know where they are...

Last year, the McCook Community Foundation Fund Advisory Committee reviewed and revised its vision statement. It’s pretty simple and straightforward: Making McCook an even better place to call home. In other words, McCook has a lot of great things going for it, a lot of tremendous assets already in place, a lot of great people working to make our community thrive and grow...

Whether we like it or not, we live by the calendar. Our schedules are dictated by the day of the week. We plan around what is already on our schedule. We look to see when we have days open to plan a trip or schedule a meeting. When asked if we can attend something, the automatic response is “Let me check my calendar.”...

I’m not a huge fan of comedian Steven Wright, but I do appreciate his humor. Several years ago my wife, Linda, and I had the pleasure of attending a Steven Wright show, who is most famous for his one-liners. The line which most resonated with me was: “I want to live forever – so far, so good.”...

This Saturday, the McCook swim team will host teams from four area towns during a swim meet at the YMCA, which means hundreds of visitors to our community for the day. Over the weekend, several hundred additional visitors will descend upon McCook for the 24 ½ annual Buffalo Commons Storytelling and Music Festival...

Earlier this week, I was quickly flipping through my family’s mail. I came to a halt upon a letter from our health insurance company. The first line of the letter said, “We understand that you have a child turning 18 in the next month - a major milestone for both of you.”...

Our children are our future. Yes, it is an old cliche but it is also true. If we want to make our communities better in the future, we need to make investments. More specifically, we need to make investments in our children. There are a variety of ways to make investments in our children. ...

A life lived with passion, an example to follow This past week, McCook lost yet another member of the community who was passionate about his hometown, who was a tremendous supporter of the arts and music, who was constantly coming up with ideas that stemmed from his interests and hobbies...

My husband, Kent, and I are for all practical purposes homebodies. Yes, I venture out for work, and we belong to various community and church groups that add fun and enriching activities to our lives. But for the most part, we are pretty happy and comfortable at our small rural home. ...

As a runner and a biker, there are days when you simply don’t want to lace up those shoes or pump up your tires. But even on those days that are a struggle, rarely - if ever - have I finished and regretted not doing the ride or going for that run. No one finishes and says, “I wish I hadn’t done that.”...

More questions than answers to improve our communities When I first moved to McCook, one of the first things that caught my eye was the Fox Theater. I was fascinated every time I saw the sign out front lit up on Norris Avenue. We aren’t the only community with a Fox Theater...actually, can someone please explain why Fox is such a common name for a theater?...

The McCook City Pool is again on the front page as there is progress on the project. Earlier this week, the McCook City Council unanimously approved the hiring of an outside engineer to oversee the development of the city pool project. It is great to see forward movement on this project which has been in the works for years...literally. ...

In my house, we have a bookshelf in every bedroom and on those bookshelves is every genre of book. But I repeatedly return to one book on our shelves, which I stumbled upon years ago at the McCook Library and then had to purchase because little hands like to color in inappropriate places but am glad I own...

“Wait for your turn,” my mom would say when one of the family of five would be knocking on the door of the only bathroom we had. “Your turn is next,” my sixth-grade teacher said as we stood in line at the water fountain. The Army recruiter said, “your turn” at the draft board as the Vietnam war raged on...

It goes both ways. On one side of the coin, citizens need to take the responsibility to get involved. They need to attend public meetings, even if it is three hours of budgets and spreadsheets. They need to belong to service organizations, which bring together a diverse group of people to better their community. They need to appreciate what is already in place, while working together to make it even better...

What a difference 20 years makes. For years, Floyd Hershberger had watched other communities grow and thrive because of a local charitable foundation and knew McCook would benefit from having something similar in place. So in 2001, the McCook Community Foundation was created - with a zero balance...

When my family and I travel, we tend to notice the things we like in other communities as well as all the things we don’t appreciate as much -- mostly the traffic. But we take special note of those things we think would be possible in McCook, which would help McCook thrive and grow, which would make McCook an even better place to call home. It can be as minimal as a dog park, which is a great asset for both residents and visitors alike...

This May will mark four years since my return to McCook after graduating from college and I am glad every day that I did. Since returning, I have been able to immerse myself in community initiatives by joining local groups, such as the McCook Communities of Excellence 2026 initiative and the McCook Community Foundation Fund Advisory Committee. ...

With the passing of Judge Cloyd Clark this past weekend, McCook and Southwest Nebraska has lost one its most vocal, most passionate, most boisterous supporters. While Cloyd had been ill for a short time, his death still comes as a shock and now the tributes and accolades have begun to pour in. And not just because he was so active in the community, but because Cloyd was larger than life. His booming voice, his bushy mustache, his deep-throated laugh...

For the next three days, I will be hanging out in Lincoln for the Nebraska State Swim and Dive Championships. Three days of a middle-aged woman among teenagers in skin-tight speedos, jammers and speed suits. My ego will be in check. But I digress. First, I would like to wish all of the McCook swimmers and divers good luck as they compete against swimmers and divers from across the state. ...

“Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one’s lifetime.” ― Mark Twain (Samuel Clements), The Innocents Abroad (1869)/ Roughing It (1914)...

When I mention that my husband and I are chaperoning a high school dance, people usually have one of three reactions: pity, sympathy or bewilderment. I, on the other hand, really enjoy sponsoring dances. It gives us a chance to hear music of which we have no idea what they are saying...and probably don’t want to know. ...

With school canceled and the snow piling up last week, my kids threw a half-dozen sleds into the back of our pickup truck. The sleds clattered as they landed on top of the ice skates, cross-country skis and snow-shoes already resting in the truck bed...

For many, we are welcoming 2021 with open arms. As the calendar turns, the new year is an opportunity to complete old projects and layout new goals. How we define our goals for the new year often comes in three different approaches, all of which must be utilized to reach those dreams...

At the south end of Norris Avenue in McCook sits what I consider one of our most under-utilized, not-fully appreciated and oft-maligned assets: the Amtrak train service. Last week, I, along with my two youngest children, hopped the train for our yearly ski trip. We boarded with another half dozen people, a few from McCook whereas others had driven to McCook, specifically to catch the train. (And yes, it was late by an hour, but it can’t be early because we would get left behind.)...

Earlier this week, I shared a post on social media that I think is even more relevant today after the events of Jan. 6 in both Washington D.C. and across the country.. “Do not wait for leaders; do it alone, person to person. Today.” - Mother Teresa Now, normally, we don’t advocate to do things alone. After all, the saying is “if you want to go fast, go alone; if you want to go far, go together.”...

There are a lot of words to describe 2020: exhausted and frustrated, chaotic to challenging. While every year, there are many lists dedicated to describing the past 365 days, 2020’s list ranges from a long list of profanities to simply being tired. But the word I am selecting to describe 2020 and which I hope to hold up for 2021 is grateful...

If there are still a few people on your list who need a gift, it is time to resort to my personal favorite gift: create a handwritten note for an event or product to be redeemed next year. It is kind of like a gift certificate without the hassle of buying one...

With Christmas right around the corner, my friend Scrooge has been asked to share his thoughts about how the community has been transformed over the years, similar to Scrooge’s transformation in “A Christmas Carol.” For starters, I can’t say “Bah Humbug” about our community, who have truly stepped up to support one another...

For years, my husband and I have toyed with the idea of opening a retail store in McCook with the business divided into two distinct sides. One half would feature all our favorite junk foods, using machines we have accumulated over the years. Reminiscent of the county fair or childhood summers, the store would feature cotton candy in every flavor and color imaginable, funnel cakes piled high with fruit toppings, and popcorn covered in so many different seasonings, your head would spin. ...

Every year, it happens like clockwork at my house. At some point in the late fall or early winter, someone in my house gets up in the morning and stumbles to the bathroom, reaches into the shower to turn the handle ... and nothing. There’s no water...

In the early 2000s, my parents moved from McCook to a lakeside retirement community in Arkansas. Even at the time, it didn’t make sense because they had moved from Omaha to McCook just a few years earlier. Not because I lived in McCook but because of something much more persuasive: the grandkids...

Supporting and empowering our youth is a topic that should never far from the surface for our community. From grants for youth programs to scholarships to youth organizations, young people are a priority for the McCook Community Foundation Fund. But for many years, there was something missing ... making young people feel like they should return to our community and make an impact...

Andy and Geri Andersen had a passion for young people. So they turned that passion into a reality by creating an endowment with a focus on young people, with payouts to be distributed annually by a group of young people. Their financial gift to the McCook Community Foundation Fund is intended to support causes and dreams that will benefit youth, which gives youth the opportunity to disperse annual grant funds and which encourages young people to come home to raise their own families. ...

Every day, you wake up and have the opportunity to decide what kind of person you want to be. Am I going to get up early to exercise rather than roll over and hit snooze again? Am I going to volunteer for that organization in town which has been looking for help? Am I simply going to be more kind to others?...

Make an impact by voting and donating To say next week is important is an understatement. The 2020 elections are finally here, thank goodness. And as if that wasn’t enough, Big Give McCook is next Thursday, Nov. 5. Add on top of that the fact we’ll have just wrapped up Halloween, still adjusting to the time change and wondering about the never-ending threat of quarantine from Covid...

On the bookshelf in my bedroom sits a frame containing a yellowed Family Circus cartoon. The drawing shows the disheveled mom trying to corral her four small children. Meanwhile, a well-meaning - but not terribly helpful - elderly lady gives the stereotypical advice: Enjoy them every minute. Before you can turn around, they’ll be grown.”...

When I became a member of the McCook Community Foundation Fund, an unexpected shift happened in my thinking. Through the affiliation with the Nebraska Community Foundation, I began to see the potential of “what can be” instead of the common mindset about our lack of resources, lack of creative leadership, or just plain apathy that can become troublesome to our local community organizations...

Is it just me or does it seem like no topic is safe to discuss anymore? Autumn officially began a few weeks ago and it’s my favorite time of year. I love the cool mornings, the changing leaves, and digging out sweaters and sweatshirts to hide the early arrival of my “winter layers.”...

With McCook in the midst of celebrating Heritage Days, this is a great opportunity to reflect on the influential heritage McCook has on a regular basis ... something that many of us take for granted. Last week, I was hanging out in front of the Senator George Norris State Historical Site, or as it is more commonly known, the Norris Home. No, I don’t normally just hang out at historical sites, but was scoping out the yard for a future project...

This is McCook’s decade! I believe we’ll be sitting downtown after a Live at the Bieroc show in 2030 and look back and be amazed at what the community has accomplished. We’ll talk about how we built a new aquatics facility and new athletic fields. We’ll be excited about the improvements in programming and facilities at the Y. ...

This past weekend, I stood atop a 14,000 foot mountain in Colorado and was thankful for the opportunity to be there. While my family are regular skiers, we had never purposely climbed to the top of these mountains. Yet, there we stood, gasping for air and gazing for miles in every direction...

There is a crowbar sitting in the corner of my bathroom at home. In fact, it has been there a few days, slightly hidden among the robes hanging from the hooks. Now, most people would be asking themselves, “Why is there a crowbar in my bathroom?” I quit asking “why” a long time ago after locating my missing dish soap on the trampoline or discovering three bags of marshmallows had disappeared overnight...

Last weekend, I took the latest Graff child to college in northwest Iowa. It is a small school with a swimming program. Additionally, it was located in a small community, where he won’t get lost in the shuffle or just be a number. (The same can be said for McCook Community College and yet another reason for kids to stay here, if only they had a swim team.)...

Anyone who has ever read this column knows that I try to stay positive, focusing on the good things happening in our community and how to get involved. At the same time, my personal views and feelings make into the mix, as well as tidbits about my family much to their chagrin...

If there has ever been a need to be adaptable, it is now. When schools began closing down in mid-March, everyone - including myself - hoped that this pandemic would quickly pass and we’d be back to normal soon. As the weeks turned into months, there was hope that everything would correct itself over the summer. But as we head into fall, “normal” seems far off on the horizon and we are forced once again to learn how to adapt...

Learning, growing right here at home If you would’ve asked me back in March what I was going to be doing for the summer of 2020, coming home to McCook was not at the top of my list. It was not that I didn’t love McCook or enjoy being here but rather I was making plans and looking at opportunities elsewhere. Just like the rest of the college students in this country, COVID-19 had other plans in mind...

Anyone with more than one child knows that none of them are the same. They each have their own characteristics and their own quirks, their own way of learning and their own way of responding to a situation. Just as every child is different, every high school class is different. Ask any teacher who has been teaching a few years about the ebb and flow of classes through a school...

With my mother-in-law, Dolores Graff, celebrating her 88th birthday on Friday, my family will wrap up a month chock full of birthdays, including mine a few weeks ago. If birthdays do nothing else, they give you a chance to reflect on the past year and evaluate what you have accomplished and what has happened in your life. Sometimes it is a good reflection; other times you may be left wanting to just forget...

Alongside my driveway stands my favorite tree, a giant, gnarly cottonwood. As you approach our house, the lone cottonwood towers over all the other trees and serves a s guidepost to our location. We’ve planted many trees since we moved into our house nearly 20 years ago, but this tree continues to dominate the landscape...

If there is one thing which has changed for my family over the past few months, it is the reduced number of miles on our vehicles. For the past decade, if we weren’t hosting a road race for the Republican River Fitness Series, we would be driving to a nearby state for an athletic event. ...

“There’s nothing to do here.” “I can’t have a career here.” “There’s no entertainment.” On the flip side….”Good schools.” “Low crime rate” “Great outdoor recreation.” These are just a few of the views from McCook youth as part of a recent survey. This past spring, the McCook Community Foundation Fund conducted a youth survey through the McCook High School. All 400-plus high school students were given the opportunity to voice their opinion on a variety of topics related to their community...

If you want to get noticed, take out a billboard, wear a Big Bird costume for the day, write a column about your mundane life. Or even easier - go for a bicycle ride. Earlier this week, a friend along with a few family members went on an early morning bike ride to Culbertson to get breakfast. i spent the rest of the day responding to everyone who had seen us out riding...

A few fun facts about Kitten Season I am constantly reading, have radio news shows playing for hours on end and have downloaded so many podcasts I could drive across the country without repeating a show. Yet, I learned something this week that I had never even considered. And it had nothing to do with a disease or injustice or even the never-ending, incessant, mind-numbing wind...

There are many variations to the telephone game but everyone has probably played it at some point in their life. It’s the game where the first person whispers a sentence to the person next to them, so that no one else can hear it. That person then turns to the person next to them and whispers what they heard. And so on and so on...

Last weekend, my family and I camped at Red Willow State Recreation Area north of McCook. Every camping spot was taken with fire pits surrounded each evening by people enjoying the outdoors. Boats sped across the water with kids laughing as the tubes bounced off the boat’s wake. And kayakers paddled in and out of the bays regardless of their age and athletic ability...

This column contains my comments (with some modifications) made during Monday’s McCook City Council meeting as part of citizen’s comments, which cannot have any further discussion or actions taken. In October 2015, the McCook City Council appointed 12 community members to the pool committee. ...

If you are like me, there are events and activities on your calendar which you wrote down or typed in months or even years ago. While the birthday reminders are still applicable, nearly everything else has been cancelled or moved online. Just yesterday, I removed the reminder on my phone about the high school band trip to New York City, scheduled for later this month. ...

Let’s be up-front about this: I am not going to win the best homeschool parent award. (Let’s be honest about that too: We aren’t really homeschooling either because we don’t develop the curriculum and we don’t do the grading; we are just doing what we are told to do during this crisis, so really we are crisis-schooling parents.)...

I have had the privilege of being on various Zoom calls with people from across the country as we make our way through these trying times. And one theme continues to emerge on a regular basis: People are turning to the outdoors to deal with this crisis...

If there is one thing this pandemic has taught me, it is that our world is changing quickly and we are all learning to adapt on the fly. Maybe you are a small business trying to figure out if you should let your employees go on unemployment or keep them on the payroll while trying to find things to fill their hours...

Every day, we make choices. We make the choice about what we will wear, what food we put into our bodies, what time we will get out of bed. For a couple of my kids, that is closer to lunch than to breakfast these days. Many of these decisions are made without much thought, but right now we have the chance to be very intentional about those choices...

In 2001, I had been writing a weekly column in the Gazette for several years, highlighting activities in our community, recounting the highjinks of my family and commenting on things that peaked my interest. But that column stopped the week Graff kid No. ...