Stories from Friday, December 26, 2003

It must be a conspiracy. None of my well-laid mental plans have come to fruition this holiday season. They weren't necessarily all that ambitious, simply: - The pillars on our porch, wrapped in colorful garland and illuminated by twinkling lights. - A Christmas letter, sent on time...

ALMA -- Eleanor I. Korte, 84, of Orleans, died Tuesday (Dec. 23, 2003) at Colonial Villa Samaritan Center in Alma. She was born Sept. 26, 1919, on the family farm northwest of Orleans in Harlan County to John E. and Sara Elizabeth (Colgan) Kresser. She attended District 27 rural school in Harlan County. ...

Rosemary Huffman Schultz, 90, passed away Dec. 22, 2003, following complications from Alzheimer's and pneumonia in Oakland, Calif., where she had been living with her son and daughter-in-law for the past four years. She was born on July 11, 1913 in Toledo, Ore...

OBERLIN -- Bertha Martina Matchett, 69, died Tuesday (Dec. 23, 2003) at Decatur County Hospital in Oberlin. She was born Aug. 30, 1934, to Emmett and Cleo (Montgomery) Booker in Decatur County. She was raised in the Atwood and Oberlin areas. She attended Oberlin schools and graduated from Decatur County High School in 1953...

Beatrice Mary Miles died Tuesday, Dec. 23, 2003, at Good Samaritan Hospital in Kearney. She was 74 years old. Beatrice was born Nov. 9, 1929, in McCook to Francis and Mary Ann (Briggs) Bump. She graduated from McCook High School in 1948. Shortly after graduation, she was employed by Southwestern Bell as a telephone operator until they closed. Beatrice then worked for Sehnert's Bakery for many years and was still employed there at the time of her death...

LINCOLN -- Ken and Sarah Booth of York announce the birth of their daughter, Gracelyn Elizabeth, June 16, 2003, at Bryan LGH East in Lincoln. She was 7 pounds and 9 ounces and was 20 inches long. Grandparents are Rick and Sherilyn Eldred of York, formerly of McCook, and Michael and Cheryl Booth of Lincoln, Calif. Great-grandparents are Helen Hogins of Kearney, John and Nita Booth of Orangevale, Calif., and Vera Mae Wasser of Cupertino, Calif...

LINCOLN -- Nathanael and Lora Ann Eldred of York announce the birth of their daughter, Sophia Ruth Ann Eldred, Nov. 22, 2003, at Bryan LGH East in Lincoln. She was 6 pounds and 4 ounces and was 19 1/4 inches long. She has one brother, Lincoln, 2. Grandparents are Bob and Joann Nemechek of McCook and Rick and Sherilyn Eldred of York, formerly of McCook. Great-grandparents are Mildred Niermeier of McCook and Helen Hogins of Kearney...

Building permits through the month of November show a serious decline over the same time period last year. According to McCook's monthly building report, total construction and plumbing costs in the city of McCook from Jan. 1 - Nov. 30 totaled $5,771,832. The 2002 total through November was $10,721,132...

Dear Constituents, Please accept my humble apology. Last council meeting, the evening the referendum petition was presented, I listened to members of the audience question the Council's current approach to solving the city's "water problem." I resolved that we, the council, need to do a better job of presenting the facts to the public. Sitting on the council it is easy to get caught up in the business of the city and neglect to keep the public informed when, after all, it is their business...

Mr. Butz, when all of us taxpayers are in the slammer, who are you going to trust to change the oil and rotate the tires on your BMW?