Stories from Friday, December 5, 2003

Roger Schmidt, production manager at the McCook Daily Gazette and employee for 47 years, died at Community Hospital on Thursday after a brief illness. Starting as a carrier captain at the age of 13, Schmidt was involved in all aspects of the newspaper, from planning production schedules to ordering newsprint, preparing press runs, operating the presses, repairing equipment -- to recycling waste newsprint and clearing the sidewalks of snow...

Mid-Plains Community College Area crisis teams are at work with the death of one college official in a head-on accident north of McCook on Thursday, and the serious injury of another later that afternoon. Kirt Ruble, 49, was killed when his north bound mini-van drifted into the south bound lane and was in a head on collision with a semi tractor-trailer driven by Harold Dugan Wisdom, 48, of Almena, Kan...

RDG Geoscience and Engineering has completed an additional 18 recovery wells near McCook's 4-million gallon water storage tank. The wells were placed in order to more aggressively work toward removing the diesel polluting the ground water surrounding the storage tank, said Bob Kalinski, engineer for RDG...

Bison supporters celebrating "a great year in Bison sports" plan an all-sport celebration Sunday, starting at 1 p.m., in Norris Park. The public is invited to celebrate with coaches, athletes and supporters with a parade from Norris Park to Weiland Field...

"Our Roger is gone." With those words, Dawn Cribbs let her co-workers at the McCook Daily Gazette know Thursday afternoon that Roger Schmidt, the Gazette's long-time production manager, had passed away. The sad news sent shock waves through the newspaper. Roger had been a fixture at the Gazette for 47 years, starting at 13 as the carrier captain and rising to the position of production manager...

By DAWN CRIBBS Associate Editor Go ahead. Ask anyone if they want to go to heaven when they die. Nine times out of ten, you'll get an affirmative response. OK, now go ahead and ask the next question: "What do you think heaven will be like?" and see what kind of responses you get...

Growing up, the possible careers a young child dreams about range from pilot to race car driver, doctor to teacher. My personal choices remain toy-tester, ski-lift operator and chocolate maker -- all sadly yet to be realized. Not surprisingly, politicians rarely rank high on that "what I want to be when I grow up" list. Looking at the current political scene, who could blame a young person from shying away from seeking a political office...

William J. "Baldy" Hay, 64 of Trenton, died Thursday (Dec. 4, 2003) at Community Hospital of McCook. He was born March 11, 1939, to Clark and Rose (Hrouda) Hay in McCook. He grew up in Trenton and attended his senior year at Trenton High School. He began trucking and servicing wells in the oil fields where he spent his working life...

Wayne "Kirt" Ruble, 49, died Thursday (Dec. 4, 2003) in Frontier County. He was born Aug. 23, 1954, to Dean and Natalie (Noll) Ruble in Great Bend, Kan. He grew up in Great Bend and graduated from Great Bend High School in 1972. He graduated from Kansas State University in Manhattan, Kan...

CAMBRIDGE -- Mary I. Siegfried, 79, died Thursday (Dec. 4, 2003) at Cambridge Memorial Hospital in Cambridge. She was born Dec. 26, 1923, to Robert and Bessie (Goodenberger) Kennedy in Cedar Bluffs, Kan. She grew up in Cedar Bluffs and graduated from Oberlin High School in Oberlin in 1942...

ARAPAHOE -- Helena Mary Allice Stansbie, 99, formerly of Cambridge, died Thursday (Dec. 4, 2003) at Mues Good Samaritan Center in Arapahoe. She was born March 28, 1904, to Otto and Leonie (Kammerer) Warner on the family farm south of Holbrook. She graduated from Holbrook High School in 1923. She attended the University of Nebraska for one year. She was employed at Security State Bank of Holbrook and later at Cambridge State Bank...

Francis M. Baumfalk, 95, of Sun City, Ariz., departed this life on Nov. 29, 2003, to his heavenly home. Funeral services are at Columbine United Church, 6375 South Platte Canyon Road, Littleton, CO, 80123, Dec. 9, 11 a.m. Interment will follow services at Chapel Hills Cemetery in Littleton...

IMPERIAL -- The McCook High School boys and girls varsity and junior varsity basketball teams all posted wins Thursday night against Chase County. The McCook varsity boys won 69-40, the JV boys won 62-40, the varsity girls won 54-29 and the JV girls won 52-28...

CULBERTSON -- The Cambridge boys basketball team opened the season Thursday with a 63-27 victory at Culbertson. Waid Vontz led the Trojans with 15 points, followed by Matt Sexton with 14 and Marcus Vontz 13. Anthony Lytle contributed 5, Travis Maatsch 4 and Derik Light 2...

**Dear Editor, To the writer who needed a quick easy way to get into a black walnuts -- (get) a couple of 2 x 4s about 12 feet long. measure and lay then down just far enough apart so a tire can run between them. Nail both ends together then lay down some yard sale bug screen and fill with nuts. ...

CAMBRIDGE -- Tart, Christmas-red cranberries ... pepperminty candy ... dark, rich, decadent chocolate. These ingredients made up the best-of-the-best holiday goodies offered by Cambridge businesses during the Chamber of Commerce's annual Christmas tasting tea Friday...

With any luck, at least one thief in McCook will change his ways after collecting his loot. James and Robbie Arp, owners of Taste of Texas Barbecue, woke Thursday morning to find a window had been broken out of the driver's side of their vehicle. On further investigation, the two discovered only one item missing -- a Bible...

Earn a sheepskin right here close to home.

I've often written about the differences between optimists and pessimists. Pessimists think it will never work, optimists refuse to accept failure as an option. Optimists see a glass as being half-full, pessimists see it as being half-empty. I've always been an optimist. ...

**Dear Editor, Owen J. McPhillips criticized the ACLU for failing to act on two issues: the First Amendment guarantee of free exercise of religion, and the Second Amendment. Last year, ACLU Nebraska participated in a case before the Nebraska Supreme Court regarding how the state defined a church. ...

Poor free throw shooting, turnovers doom McCook.

ARAPAHOE -- Arapahoe defeated Wauneta-Palisade 61-38 Friday night in a game which opened both teams' seasons. Arapahoe's Justin Spaulding topped the Arapahoe's scorebook with 16 points. Teammates Mike Cacy and Tony Braithwait each added 14 points. Blake Maaske also scored in double figures for the Warriors with 10 points and led the team with 10 rebounds...