Stories from Monday, January 13, 2003

An Australian woman says she and her husband will probably sell their bakery in McCook rather than continue their battle with American bureaucrats. Joy Curtis, who operates Oz Tex Bakery in McCook with her husband, Clive, said her mild heart attack last August was a warning that their year-long struggle with the Immigration and Naturalization Service "isn't worth it."...

LITTLETON, Colo. -- Katie Fletcher and Chad Graham, both of Arvada, Colo., were united in marriage Aug. 24, 2002, at St. Phillips Lutheran Church in Littleton, Colo., with the Rev. Ian Newton officiating. Parents of the couple are Mark and Glenda Fletcher of McCook and Annette Agren and Chet Graham of Littleton...

LINCOLN -- Jill Ramsey and Jay Erickson, both of Lincoln, were united in marriage July 27, 2002, at First Plymouth Congregational Church in Lincoln with the Rev. Dr. Otis Young officiating. Parents of the couple are Bill and Linda Ramsey of Grand Island and Allen and Rita Erickson of Hayes Center...

Mr. and Mrs. Richard Rayer of Indianola and Mr. and Mrs. George Cornwell of Omaha announce the engagement and upcoming wedding of their children, Janet Rayer and Tim Cornwell. The bride-to-be is a 1995 graduate of Bartley High School and a 1999 graduate of the University of Nebraska at Kearney. ...

The family of Duane and Joanne Dueland of McCook is hosting a card shower in honor of their 50th wedding anniversary. They were married Jan. 18, 1953. Their family includes sons, Dale and wife, Mary, Dan and wife, Peg, and Darwin and wife, Kathy all of McCook and Doug and wife, Mary of Cheyenne, Wyo.; 14 grandchildren; and one great-grandson. Cards of congratulations will reach them at RR 6 Box 4452, Lot 343, Donna, TX 78537...

Harry and Tillie (Maslonka) Knecht of Loup City celebrated their 70th anniversary on Jan. 1, 2003. The couple was married in 1933 at Ord. Their children are the late Mike Knecht, Mershonne and husband, Carl Brown and Roxanne and husband, Dan Hurt of McCook. They have six grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren...

So how will McCook follow up a year which had more than $11 million in construction activity? By building at an equally busy pace in 2003. That's the way it looks to Doyle Wineland, the city's building inspector and zoning administrator. On the job only since August, Wineland has been astounded by the number of construction projects in the community...

Dear Editor, Nebraska Ag Statistics in February 2002 indicated there were 53,000 farms and ranches in Nebraska. On the floor of the House of Representatives on Wednesday, Third District Congressman Tom Osborne stated as many as 20,000 farms and ranches in Nebraska could be foreclosed if the drought continues through another growing season...

Dear Editor, Please allow me to put the pieces of the puzzle on Babylon-Iraq together for you. In Isaiah 21:9b we read, "Babylon is fallen, is fallen;" When the great city of Babylon was conquered by the Medes and the Persians and later on by Alexander the Great from Greece, it was not destroyed. ...

Dear Editor, What I have to say is not news to anyone in Nebraska. We're in bad shape here in the heartland, but because we are a low-population, low-profile part of the country, it's easy to ignore us. Too many urban dwellers would agree with the East Coast Poppers that these wide-open spaces should be returned to the buffalo, a la Ted Turner. ...

Living in rural America can have its disadvantages. Just ask farmers, who are facing one of the worst droughts in years. Or those who own or work for businesses that depend on farming. Or those who don't work in a farm-related business, who may have limited opportunities in smaller towns...

OMAHA -- Rhonda Lundberg and Dean Josten were united in marriage Dec. 31, 2002, at Rejoice! Lutheran Church in Omaha with the Rev. Brad Meyer officiating. Parents of the couple are Flora Lundberg of McCook, the late L. John Lundberg and Ray and Darlene Josten of Sidney. The bride was escorted to the altar by her mother and her brother, Robert Lundberg of Lincoln...

The family of Katherine Hastings is hosting a card shower in honor of her 90th birthday Jan. 15. An open house is planned for Jan. 18, 3:30-5 p.m., at Hillcrest Nursing Home. Cards of congratulations will reach her at 309 West 7th, Room 421, McCook, NE 69001...

McCook Public Schools board of education will discuss the fate of the West Ward school building during a regular meeting Tuesday, at 5:30 p.m., in the junior high conference room. The board plans to declare the West Ward building as salvage, effective Oct. 1...

Tyler Randolph and Jeff Holthus (center) are crowned McCook Senior High Color Day queen and king in a ceremony following a Bison victory Friday night. Tyler is the daughter of Rhonda and Lynn Randolph; Jeff is the son of Pati and Greg Holthus. First attendants are (left) Katie Guthrie, the daughter of Jane and Marty Guthrie; and Jeremiah Herron, the son of Pam and John Herron. ...

OBERLIN -- The "business side" of Robyn and Robert Rouse liked the incentives offered by Oberlin's Economic Development Council. The couple's "family side" simply liked the community. "Oberlin's a good place to raise kids," said Robyn Rouse, who, with her husband, Robert, have opened a tarp fabrication and repair shop, called Gorman Tarps, in downtown Oberlin...

A group of McCook residents joined Mayor Jerda Garey at Sehnert's Bieroc Cafe for lunch, Friday to discuss some of the concerns they have about the community. Much of the talk centered around water conservation and how the city can help the community deal with the drought conditions facing the area and rising water costs for McCook residents...

Lincoln -- A study by the University of Nebraska-Lincoln's Bureau of Business Research recently examined both successful and struggling economic peers of nine rural county groups in Nebraska. William Scheideler, a research analyst for the bureau who analyzed the study in the January issue of Business in Nebraska, said the study was performed to explore how comparable rural counties (those with fewer than 20,000 urban residents) in selected Midwestern states achieved economic success in the 1990s. ...

Members of the McCook City Council will have a special study session Monday, 7:30 p.m. to receive orientation of the city's 2003-04 budget and to develop a City Council Top Ten Priority List. The council will also be asked to introduce and approve an ordinance authorizing the sale of the former McCook Army Air Force Base property...

INDIANOLA -- It may not be the most glamourous business, but it's a service that greatly appreciated when the need arises. Winston and Bonnie Brown of rural Indianola have purchased and are operating a portable rest-room business. Winston Brown said he will deliver, set up, service and retrieve the portable units, for a daily or weekly fee, plus mileage. A handicap-accessible unit is available...

EUSTIS -- Three Arapahoe residents have purchased the Eustis Pool Hall, a Eustis restaurant that started life 85 years ago as, indeed, a pool hall. Connie Koch, who owned the Pool Hall for 26 years, sold it recently to Todd Welch, Lynn Welch and Cedonnia Hyke, all from Arapahoe and employees of the restaurant...

Sue Chipman, director of the Heritage Senior Center, reminds patrons of the Handi-Bus that the final day for Saturday service is Jan. 18. The Saturday bus service was discontinued as part of the City Council budget process.

The family of Mary Molloy, a former resident of Cambridge, is requesting a card shower in honor of her 80th birthday Jan. 18, 2003. Her family includes two daughters, Ann and husband, Evan Beatty of Hershey and Betty Jo and husband, James Peterman of Big Springs; three grandchildren and one great-granddaughter. Cards of congratulations will reach her at 209 West Grove Street, Hershey, NE 69143...

HASTINGS -- Cora Mae Steen, 82, died Thursday (Jan. 9, 2003) at Mary Lanning Memorial Hospital in Hastings. She was born Nov. 9, 1920, in Haywarden, Sask., Canada, to William and Isa M. (Smith) Haight. On Feb. 14, 1939, she married Wilbur M. "Bill" Bonar. They moved to Hastings in 1946. In 1950, they moved to McCook, where she worked as an optician assistant. In 1962, they returned to Hastings and she worked for City National Bank...

Glenn L. Meyer, 80, died Saturday (Jan. 11, 2003) at Good Samaritan Hospital in Kearney. He was born Dec. 12, 1922, in Lincoln, to Martin and Mabel (Loetterle) Meyer Sr. He grew up in Lincoln where he received his education. He began working for the Lincoln Gas Company...

Idell M. Crall, 87, died Saturday (Jan. 11, 2003) at the El Dorado Manor in Trenton. She was born Nov. 30, 1915, to Elvis and Lulu Daisy (Turner) Duke in Shamrock, Texas. She grew up at Shamrock where she graduated from Shamrock High School. She received her teachers degree from South Western University at Weatherford, Okla. She began teaching school at Lokeba, Okla...

Recently the disease smallpox has been much in the news. The fear is that terrorists might try to thrust havoc on the western world by unleashing the live smallpox virus into areas of dense population. Authorities are contemplating vaccinating health officials, or even the entire U.S. population, against the disease...

Within three hours of each of each other on Feb. 2, 1943, Southwest Nebraska saw the loss of two area leaders from two extraordinary families. Sixty-four year old District Court Clerk Elmer Kay, a 30-year veteran of that position died after a series of operations. Eighty-eight year old Culbertson banker, George G. Eisenhart also died...

We live in a world of clichés and I heard another one the other day as I was conversing with a friend of mine. We were talking about victims of abuse and my friend said that "Everyone is where they want to be." Meaning, I suppose, that if someone is being abused and they continue to stay in that relationship, they must like it. ...

BLOOMFIELD, N.M. -- Sandra "Sandy" Hegarty, 61, died Thursday (Jan. 9, 2003) at her home in Bloomfield, N.M. She was born Sept. 25, 1941, in McCook to Thomas and Elaine Moore. She graduated with the Class of 1959. She was preceded in death by her parents...