Stories from Monday, December 9, 2002

LAS VEGAS -- Lori Bortner of McCook was selected Miss Rodeo America on Saturday, topping a field of 25 contestants. Bortner, 20, is the daughter of Robert and Barbara Bortner. She attends College of Saint Mary in Omaha and is a 2000 graduate of McCook High School. She plans to attend medical school at the University of Nebraska to study orthopedic surgery...

Going home for Christmas this year? Are members of your family coming home? If so, you may one of the lucky ones, especially if you live far from your loved ones. With the unhappy arrangement of the 2002 calendar, many of us could be spending the holiday alone in our homes. With both Christmas and New Years on a Wednesday, it will be difficult to arrange extended days off -- at least more difficult than when the holidays fall nearer the weekend...

Dear Editor, The considerable budgetary problems in state government have expanded significantly. A $616 million deficit is forecast. Is there a solution other than war? As a taxpayer, I am entitled to speak with authority. Certain clear thinkers have suggested raising more dogs for food to be exported to foreign countries...

Dear Editor, I am writing to you because of my concern over the closure of the three satellite Vocational Rehabilitation offices. The offices are located in Chadron, O'Neill and McCook. The plan is to close them June 30, 2003. The offices provide services for rural Nebraska residents who have physical, mental and learning limitations. ...

It's neat when a community the size of McCook contributes someone to the national scene. Sen. George W. Norris. Sen. Ben Nelson, Govs. Frank Morrison and Ralph Brooks, Gene Budig and how many others? Add one more name to that list. Friends and relatives were thrilled to hear Saturday night that McCook's own Lori Bortner was named the new Miss Rodeo America at the landmark Flamingo Hotel in Las Vegas...

Rich and Tonya Placzek of McCook announce the engagement of their daughter, Tyra Aynette, to Scott Andrew Barger, son of James and Cathy Barger of Culbertson. Grandparents of the couple are Jan and Gene Mahon of McCook, Clarence and Delta Placzek of Loup City, the late Gary Shepherd, Don and Dorothy Barger of Culbertson and Lowell and Elizabeth Colling of Trenton. ...

OMAHA -- LeeAnn Marie Overmann and Steve Martin Kollmorgen were united in marriage on Aug. 9, 2002, at the Rockbrock United Methodist Church in Omaha with the Rev. Dan Lehman of Lincoln officiating. Parents of the couple are Gordon and Becky Overmann of Omaha and Rich and Beth Kollmorgen of Trenton...

PLAYA DEL CARMEN, Mexico -- Erica Weskamp and David Potvin, both of Denver, Colo., were united in marriage on Nov. 9, 2002, in Playa del Carmen, Mexico. Parents of the couple are Lonnie and Barbara Weskamp of McCook, Bob Potvin of Tampa Bay, Fla., and Marcie Lavoie of Tolland, Conn...

A large group of people gathered outside of the former Stage Store Friday evening awaiting the opening of the Catholic Social Services "CSS is Us" Rolling Thrift Store. CSS has brought at least four semi-trailers full of merchandise to McCook for this thrift store. Located at the west junction of U.S. Highways 6-34 and 83, the store will be open Saturday from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m...

The McCook Public Schools board of education will discuss a donation of hoses from Parker Hannifin (Dayco) at its meeting Tuesday, at 5:30 p.m., in the junior high conference room. The hoses, valued at more than $500, are twin welding hoses, garden hoses and air hoses...

The Centralaires joined McCook and Imperial community choruses and the Master Bell Ringers handbell choir for a heart-warming Christmas concert -- "Unto Us A Child Is Born" -- Sunday afternoon at Memorial United Methodist Church in McCook. Directors were Evie Caldwell and Jon Wacker. ...

NORTH PLATTE -- A free farm and ranch clinic is set for North Platte on Tuesday. The clinic is a chance for farm and ranch families to meet one-on-one and confidentially with an experienced ag law attorney and ag financial counselor. Call Michelle at (800) 464-0258 for more information...

Lincoln -- Buoyed by returning strength in several sectors, especially in the construction industry, the Nebraska economy is expected to grow in the next two years, according to a report of the Nebraska Business Forecast Council in the November/December issue of Business in Nebraska...

LINCOLN -- An appeal of the Nebraska Public Service Commission's rejection of claims by 17 claimants in the disposition of proceeds from the shutdown of Atlanta Elevator will delay payouts for approved claims. The commission was informed at its Dec. ...

Sleepless nights are dreadful ... frustrating ... never-ending ... Thoughts run rampant, tumbling over each other in the dark. Mary Ellen Goodenberger of rural Trenton admits she has never been a good sleeper. "Four hours of sleep a night and a good weekend nap," is how she explains her sleeping patterns during college...

Almost 10,000 tax statements were mailed Friday to Red Willow County property owners. The statements represent $10,062,259.60 in taxes. County Treasurer Marleen Garcia said the 2002 tax process in her office started this fall when County Assessor Sandra Kotschwar and her staff prepared and delivered the county's tax list and tax statements. Garcia then certified the same total of tax dollars -- just over $10 million...

James "Jim" R. Short, 78, died Friday (Dec. 6, 2002) at Hillcrest Nursing Home in McCook. He was born April 20, 1924, at Titus, Ala., to Jessie B. and Ethel E. (Gantt) Short. In 1943, he graduated from Wetumpka High School, Wetumpka, Ala. On Feb. 5, 1943, he entered the U.S. Army Air Force and was stationed at the McCook Air Base. He was later transferred to the U.S. Army and served during World War II. He was honorably discharged on April 21, 1946...

STRATTON -- Leota Lucille "Lucy" Harris Hanson, 87, died Friday (Dec. 6, 2002) at her daughter's home in Lincoln. She was born April 4, 1915, at Lamar, Colo., to Jesse Forrest and Caroline (Neu) Baker. She attended school in Lamar and was a member of the graduating class of Lamar High School in 1933. She later attended Western State College in Gunnison, Colo., and graduated from Marinello Beauty School in 1935...

Louie E. Dixson, 85, died Saturday (Dec. 7, 2002) at the Cambridge Manor. He was born Dec. 19, 1916, to Thomas H. and Elizabeth Marie (Schroeder) Dixson 14 miles northeast of Cambridge in Frontier County. On Oct. 21, 1936, he married Thelma I. Campbell in Cambridge. ...

CULBERTSON -- Merle F. Dack, 87, died Thursday (Dec. 5, 2002) at the El Dorado Manor in Trenton. He was born Oct. 31, 1915, to George and Ruth (Swanson) Dack in McCook. He grew up in McCook where he received his education. On Feb. 26, 1941, he entered the U.S. Army where he served during World War II. He served two years in Panama and other tours in Germany, the United States and during the Korean Conflict. He retired from the military as a Chief Warrant Officer after 22 years...

ATWOOD -- Clark R. Macfee, 90, died Friday (Dec. 6, 2002) at the Good Samaritan Center in Atwood. He was born April 3, 1912, to Milburn Arnold and Viola Martha (Thomas) Macfee in Decatur County near Oberlin. He was a graduate of Atwood Community High School in 1932. He had been a resident of Atwood since 1916...

Lorena M. Harris, 89, died Friday (Dec. 6, 2002) at Hilltop Estates Nursing Home in Gothenburg. She was born March 22, 1913, to Asa and Maple (Turley) O'Donnell, in Cheyenne County near Bird City. She was the oldest of three children and was raised on a farm, eight miles Northeast of Bird City...

The kiss of death to any relationship is the concept of ownership. In fact, the whole idea of a relationship should be based on a partnership, not an ownership or a dictatorship. You do for me, I do for you and we'll both be happy. Unfortunately, this perspective is lost on some of the more intellectually and emotionally challenged souls out there who believe they can DEMAND love, loyalty and dedication from another person based on threats, fear, and terrorism. ...

December 7, 1941 ... Franklin D. Roosevelt urged Americans to observe the Dec. 7th first anniversary as a day of silence ... "in the remembrance of a great infamy." He did not deliver an address on that date nor take official notice of the anniversary. On this sixty-first anniversary, we still remember, but not so quietly. Such an observance now is usually a media event, which isn't all bad. The young see the attack on Pearl Harbor over and over so they will remember too ... it can happen...

I met Madge (nee Lewis) Whiteman soon after we moved to McCook in 1957. At that time she was at St. Alban's Church, acting as secretary, organist, and activities director. At the bakery we made things for the church dinners and coffees. Madge always had a lot of ideas about special things she wanted made, but was invariably so friendly, and undemanding, that it was fun to make an extra effort to see that we produced just what she had in mind...

GREEN VALLEY, Ariz. -- Tom J. Budig, 85, died Sunday (Sept. 29, 2002) at his home in Green Valley, Ariz. He was born Jan. 23, 1917, in Leed, S.D. and grew up in McCook. He was a graduate of the University of Nebraska in Lincoln. He served in the U.S. Air Force as a 1st Lieutenant, piloting P-38s and P-51s during World War II...