Stories from Monday, July 21, 2003

Maynard W. Smalberger, 74, died Friday (July 18, 2003) at Community Hospital in McCook. He was born May 23, 1929, to Glenn and Arvilla (Sines) Smalberger in Decatur County, Kan. Hee was raised northeast in Oberlin and attended Sherman Center District 104 and graduate from Decatur Community High School in 1948...

First, thank all of you for your wonderful support of our move to Lincoln. The calls and visits have been great ... it's kinda like going to your own funeral! I won't really be going for quite a while though so you'll still have these columns. I may still be loading books into boxes a year from now by the looks of it...

Every generation is nostalgic for the days of their youth. Regardless of who you are or how old you are, most of us look back on those days gone by with fond and loving memories. Every generation brings new ideas and concepts to the world we live in and only history will be able to determine whether or not those things were ultimately good or bad. ...

When Matt and Shelly Sehnert opened the Bieroc Cafe in McCook they installed a new coffee system for the coffee shop. It is really quite wonderful. The beans for the "Pure Columbian" coffee are ground just at the time of brewing the pot of coffee. ...

ESPN figured out how to suck up four hours on a Thursday night television schedule otherwise dominated by re-runs of re-runs. They put super-lawyers Alan Dershowitz and Johnnie Cochran together in a mock court room at hallowed Harvard and had them argue about whether Major League Baseball's all-time hit king and notorious gambler Pete Rose belongs in the Hall of Fame...

The family of Arline Richardson is hosting an open house in honor of her 83rd birthday, July 26, 2-5 p.m., at 309 North Main Street in Palisade. She was born on July 24. Cards of congratulations will reach her at 309 North Main, Palisade, NE 69040.

The family of Earl Bruening is hosting an open house in honor of his 90th birthday, July 26, 2-4 p.m., in the basement of the Grace Brethren Church in Beaver City. Cards of congratulations will reach him at 805 East Fourth, McCook, NE 69001.

The family of Florence Phillips is hosting an open house in honor of her 90th birthday, July 27, 2-4 p.m., at First Congregational Church, 212 East E in McCook. Her birthday is July 21. Her family includes her husband, Web; son, Ronald and wife, Karen Phillips of Lincoln; daughter, Karen Evans of Grand Island; four grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren. Cards of congratulations will reach her at 1008 West Sixth, McCook, NE 69001...

The family of Don Gardner is requesting a card shower in honor of his 80th birthday, July 28th. His children are Janet and Ron McClain of Beaver City and Dawna and Clark Bates of McCook. He has 6 grandchildren and 4 great-grandchildren. Cards of congratulations will reach him at 71349 Road 425, Beaver City, NE 68926...

Think back, for a moment, to the year 1999. That was when supporters of the Heritage Senior Center started getting serious about expansion. It seemed like such a big dream at the time, because -- even then -- the estimated cost of expanding was more than a half million dollars...

Dear Editor, Sunday, July 27 is to be remembered as the 50th anniversary of the day the cease-fire to end the Korean War. All flags are to fly at half staff. 54,245 died, 103,284 K.I.A. and 8177 M.I.A. I hope you will put something in your paper to let the people know because I'm sure that this will be last time we will hear about the forgotten war. Yes I'm a veteran of the Forgotten War...

Helen Gertrude Grill, 91, died Saturday (July 19, 2003) at Community Hospital in McCook. She was born March 3, 1912, to George and Goldie (Fisher) Sandrock in Enterprise, Kan. She graduated from Falls City High School and from the University of Nebraska...

TRENTON -- Joanne Carol Lund, 47, died Saturday (July 19, 2003) at Bryan LGH East Hospital in Lincoln. She was born April 22, 1956, to Carl and Audrey (Johnson) Jacobson in Farmington, Minn. She grew up in Denver, Colo., where she attended Lincoln High School and later received her GED...

HOLBROOK -- Clarence "Smitty" Schmid, 80, died Thursday (July 17, 2003) at Good Samaritan Hospital in Kearney. He was born Sept. 22, 1922, to Fred and Anna (Obermiller) Schmid. He grew up north of Arapahoe and graduated in 1941 from Arapahoe High School...

When the wheat history is written for the Golden Plains of America, the thing that will set 2003 apart is the dramatic emergence of white wheat as a cropping choice. In a year in which the bushels per acre ranged all over the place -- from lows in the teens to highs in the hundreds -- the standout performer was the Platte White wheat in contracted acres throughout the area...

Dear Editor, I was just trying to decide what to search for when I decided to search for my old home town newspaper. After all, I haven't lived in McCook since 1943 when I boarded the train to go to Denver. I had just graduated from high school and Uncle Sam said he needed some good men. Ha...

They've been talking about a new jail for the last 20 years, why don't they use West Ward building? It looks solid from the outside.

Dear Editor, The main justification for the recently ended war against Iraq was this: The madman Saddam Hussein possesses weapons of mass destruction. No such weapons have been found. Yet, president Bush says they are there. Then why do we not see them?...

Dear Editor, Unless I missed it, I didn't read much about our Fourth of July fireworks here in McCook in the Gazette. It was very good and a lot of people were there. The fireworks were continuous and lasted a long time. Many thanks to all the people involved in a great display...

The children of Gregg and Shannon Pevoteaux are hosting a card shower in honor of the couple's 25th anniversary. The couple married in McCook July 22, 1978. Their children are Angie and husband, Matt Nielsen and Kyla Pevoteaux, all of Lincoln. Cards of congratulations will reach them at RR 3 Box 39, McCook, NE 69001...

The family of Jeff and Annette Potthoff, formerly of McCook, is hosting a card shower in honor of the couple's 25th anniversary, July 29, 2003. Their children are Jason, Justin, and Amy Potthoff, all of Adkins, Texas. Cards of congratulations will reach the couple at 515 Springwood Lane, Adkins, TX 78101...

Margaret Dickson and Dennis Messersmith, both of Cambridge, were united in marriage June 11, 2003, at the Red Willow County Courthouse. The couple plans a reception July 26, 2003, 7 p.m., at Country Blues in Farnam.

Breanna Kruger and her hot dog lead the "Spicy Hot Celebration" parade in downtown Holbrook Saturday. Alexa Whipple of Arapahoe participated in the kids' chalk drawing in the park after the parade. "Holbrook Days" activities included a hamburger feed, livestock shows, a quilt class, road rally, watermelon-eating contest and river rat volleyball...

Colby Ellis peels caulk from her fingertips at the end of the work day Saturday on the Habitat for Humanity House she and her four children will occupy in September. Members of Our Savior's Lutheran Church and the Lions Club in McCook worked on interior trim throughout the day. ...

Dr. John West of McCook Clinic (at podium, from left) chats with Dr. Anne Mardis, an epidemiologist with the Nebraska Health and Human Services System, and Dr. Marvin J. Bittner of the Veterans Administration Medical Center and Creighton University School of Medicine prior to a continuing education session Saturday at Community Hospital of McCook. ...

Activities are shifting into full gear as the week of the Red Willow County Fair arrives. Today was the last day for sale of discount carnival tickets, available at the fair board office at the fairgrounds, or at McCook National Bank, Lord's Hardware in Indianola, Sehnert's Bakery, U-Save Pharmacy, in the Red Willow County Clerk's office, at the McCook Radio Group offices, Parker, Coyote Country or Ampride...

Tyler Bieck: When did you begin to play baseball? Matt Serbousek: I started as soon as I could hold my real fat bat. TB: What positions do you play? MS: Pitcher and shortstop because that is just where I began playing. TB: What do you enjoy most about playing for the MNB Seniors?...

CULBERTSON -- Racing returned to the high-banked 3/8 mile Culbertson Speedway July 18, and the races went fast and clean. David Murray of Oberlin, Billy Smith of Norton, Kan., Karl Wickizer of Palisade, and Keith Miner and Leelan Bieker of McCook cleaned house by taking the A Feature wins...

LINCOLN (AP) -- Make it 14-0 for McCook High School graduates Krae Dutoit, Stuart Frazier and Ben Klug as well as head football coach Jeff Gross. The McCook representatives, who helped lead the Bison to a Class B state championship and a 13-0 record during the 2002 season, helped the South team pull off a 24-0 victory Saturday in the 45th annual Nebraska Shrine Bowl Football Classic...

The McCook American Legion Juniors bumped the Holdrege Juniors from the Area 6 District Tournament with a 12-2 victory on Sunday at the Jaycees Sports Complex in McCook. For the first round district game coach Jade Muehlenkamp sent Evan Koetter to the mound to pitch for McCook...

"King Neptune" Maverick Green and "Miss Mermaid" Cecilia Skolout wave at crowds gathered Saturday for the Rawlins County Fair parade in downtown Atwood. Kierstyn Domsch of Atwood enjoys an ice cream bar after the parade. 4-H'ers entered their baked goods and crafts today; the schedule Tuesday includes livestock weigh-ins and horse showmanship, followed by the rodeo at 7:30 p.m. ...

No, that's not a misguided transplant nor a genetic experiment gone wrong, just a bulldog and the arm of his unidentified owner waiting for refreshments in the drive-through at a McCook restaurant. Icy treats will be much in demand this weekend as temperatures continue in the 90s...

Mr. and Mrs. David Parsons of McCook, Mary Weich of Pierce and Mr. and Mrs. Rod Snyder of North Platte announce the engagement and upcoming wedding of their children, Tara Parsons and Brian Snyder. The bride-to-be is a 1998 graduate of McCook High School and is finishing her degree in sociology at Cal State San Bernadino in California. ...

KEY WEST, Fla. -- Kelli Wallen and Brandon Saul, both of Orlando, Fla., were united in marriage April 26, 2003, at West Martello Tower and Key West Garden Club in Key West, Fla., with Rev. Kathy Salamone officiating. Parents of the couple are Dan and Kathy Wallen of McCook, Janise Saul of San Antonio, Texas and Bill and Toni Saul of Fairfield Glade, Tenn...

SMITH CENTER, Kan. -- Lori Kinne and Steve Stein, both of McCook, were united in marriage May 26, 2003, at First Presbyterian Church in Smith Center, Kan., with Rev. Maggie McIntosh officiating. Parents of the couple are Bryan and Lois Kinne of McCook and the late Eldon and Evelyn Stein...

CURTIS -- Marv Andrijeski of rural McCook had rebuilt a 1950 Oliver RowCrop 88 tractor, and he and his daughter, Regina, traveled around competing in antique tractor pulling contests. The two were working on a second tractor, and planned their own old tractor pull this year at the Frontier County fair in Stockville...

BEAVER CITY -- Furnas County residents may take used tires to a collection/disposal at the Beaver City landfill, Monday and Tuesday, from 8 a.m. until 4 p.m. Tires mounted on rims or those from tire wholesalers and retailers will not be accepted. For more information, contact Lynn Marshall, Furnas County emergency management coordinator; (308) 268-5088 or (308) 268-2145...

BEAVER CITY -- Eleven years ago, Lawrence Kentfield got angry, and he and a friend wrote a check for $500 for cars on a track in Elwood. And they bought a roller coaster in Potter. Then they dug a small-scale train out of a collapsed building in Oxford and chopped down overgrown trees and bushes to extract a kid-sized Ferris wheel...

It's not a mater of yielding the right-of-way at the intersection, or "driving defensively." There won't be any being courteous, and politely letting the other driver go first. The point of the whole thing is racing -- getting somewhere fast, and getting there before everyone else. If the race track's in the shape of a figure eight, with an intersection in the middle, well, beating everyone else to the finish line just became a bigger challenge...

If the needed agreement is in place, the McCook City Council will be asked Monday night to approve a contract with an unnamed company for the lease-purchase of a new hangar to be built at the municipal airport. If the agreement is not in place, the council, meeting at 7:30 p.m. in the council chambers at Memorial Auditorium, will take care of only other business instead...

The McCook National Bank Seniors worked themselves out of a hole Sunday night to defeat the Gothenburg Melons 7-6 to advance to the championship game of the Area 6 District Tournament. Matt Beckenhauer started the game on the hill for MNB. Beckenhauer threw for 4 1/3 while giving up six runs on nine hits and striking out two...