Stories from Friday, July 2, 2004

The newest inductees onto the "Bison Wall of Fame" at McCook Senior High are Patricia W. Burgher Gillespie, Class of 1959, and W. Thomas Cook, Class of 1950. The "Wall of Fame" recognizes MHS graduates of at least 10 years who have contributed significantly to their profession and community...

Architects tweaked their first draft of McCook's new single-site preschool-K-3 elementary school, and facilities committee members gave them the go-ahead Thursday to create their more-detailed plans. "Close enough for now? Keep going?," Jim Berg of Bahr Vermeer Haecker Architects asked committee members Greg Larson, Michael Gonzales and Jim Coady. Three heads nodded...

The Museum of the High Plains in downtown McCook will host an "ExhibitsUSA" display of handheld fans from July 5 through Aug. 6. The exhibit is called, "Cool Breezes: Handheld Fans in 20th-Century American Folk Art, Fashion and Advertising." It introduces visitors to the world of handheld fans and to the roles that fans played in the everyday lives of Americans in the days before air conditioning...

For the first time in many years, the Fourth of July weekend will pass in McCook without a fireworks display. The Elks, who previously headed up the aerial show, had to pass on sponsorship this year due to lack of money and manpower. As a community, we can't let this happen again. Starting now, we need to begin raising money for a spectacular fireworks show in 2005. As a starting point, the McCook Daily Gazette announced today it would launch the drive with a $500 donation...

Note -- The following column MAY contain references to illegal activities in the past involving fireworks. If you are a member of law enforcement, please feel free to stop reading now. Thank you for your consideration. Like hair color and eye color, the love of fireworks must be hereditary. In my family, it comes from their father. (As opposed to the mother's side of the family, which determines something even more important: baldness)...

**Dear Editor, I read the letter in the July 1st Open Forum titled "Do us a favor." Mr. Ryan expresses his disgust with "young, overweight females wearing short shirts to show their mid-sections." I noted throughout the letter that the apparent focus of the problem was not upon their youth, nor upon their gender, nor upon the modern fashions which these clothes reflect, but mainly upon their being overweight. ...

**Dear Editor, I've got a name in honor of all the three ward schools and to the thousands who attended all the grade schools over the past 100 years or so.  NorthEastWest Elementary, that name will serve well to remind all of the heritage of elementary education in McCook, and make for interesting conversation over the next 100 years, as they ask how did the NEW Elementary School get its name...

Feb. 24, 1937-July 1, 2004 CAMBRIDGE -- Connie Andrews, 67, died Thursday (July 1, 2004) at her home in Cambridge. She was born Feb. 24, 1937, to Leonard and Marie (Brown) Sayer. She graduated in 1954 from Cambridge High School. On April 7, 1956, she married Bob Andrews. The couple farmed southeast of Cambridge until 1999, when they moved into Cambridge...

Nov. 14, 1957-June 30, 2004 HENDLEY -- Jeri Grace Hyke, 46, died Wednesday (June 30, 2004) at her home in Hendley. She was born Nov. 14, 1957, to Edgar Nehemia and Florine Annette (Jewett) Osborn in Bristol, Conn. She moved to Garden Grove, Calif., with her parents. The family later moved to Fontana, Calif., and then to Orlando, Fla. They then moved to Beaver City, where she attended high School...

June 30, 1986-June 29, 2004 WRIGHT, Kan. - Charlie Michelle Bogner, 17, died Tuesday (June 29, 2004) in rural Marion County, Kan., from injuries sustained in an automobile accident. She was born June 30, 1986, at Emporia, Kan., to Mike and Linda Meyers Fry...

Oct. 9, 1982-June 29, 2004 WRIGHT, KAN. - Gerald Christopher Bogner, 21, died Tuesday (June 29, 2004) in rural Marion Count, Kan., from injuries sustained in an automobile accident. He was born Oct. 9, 1982, in McCook to Bryan and Victoria Nichols Bogner. He was a sanitation worker for the City of Dodge City...

Feb. 14, 1961-June 29, 2004 WRIGHT, Kan. - Victoria "Vicky" Ann Bogner, 43, died Tuesday (June 29, 2004) in rural Marion County, Kan., from injuries sustained in an automobile accident. She was born Feb. 14, 1961, in Oberlin to Harold and Kathleen Canaga Nichols. She was a payroll clerk for USD 443, Dodge City, Kan...

McCook Daily Gazette City Council members have three more potential sites to consider in their search for a site for new wells for city water. Already considering a well site on Hancock land southwest of McCook, city staff has determined that nearby landowners Ron Friehe, Larry Swanson and Steve Fritz might also be willing to let the city locate new wells on their property...

July 28, 1930-July 1, 2004 Wayne Richard Ball, 73, died Thursday (July 1, 2004) at his home west of McCook. He was born July 28, 1930, to Archie and Neva (Fassler) Ball in Indianola. The family moved to Canada, where he received his education. They returned to McCook in 1943, where he spent the rest of his life...

HAYES CENTER -- Hayes Center's emergency responders accepted a gift of pediatric equipment Monday evening from the "Young Children, Priority One Children's Project." The kit was provided by the "Young Children" project, a Kiwanis initiative with the Nebraska-Iowa District Kiwanis Foundation, local Kiwanis clubs and the Nebraska Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Program...

Years and years away from 1776 ... and miles and miles away from Philadelphia ... you might think that McCook, Nebraska, is far removed from America's Day of Independence: July 4, 1776. But, on closer inspection, you will discover the connection is more direct than you originally believed. Leafing through the pages of the McCook telephone book, you will find that more than 100 listings have the same names as the signers of the Declaration of Independence...

Last Saturday's column obviously ignited the cackles of some, evidenced by letters to the editor written and published practically every day this past week. Interestingly, I personally have received thanks from many others, through e-mails, telephone calls, and chance encounters on the street and while grocery shopping...

I used to be heavy and wouldn't even think of wearing shorts or short tops at that time. Now I have lost over 200 pounds and would be glad to show off my new body but with my age being 59, I still won't do it. I think it should be up to the individual as to what they want to wear. ...

Regarding Bill Ryan's letter titled "Do us a favor..." dated July 1, why should Mr. Ryan care if a young girl wants to advertise that she's open for business, even if she has some junk in her trunk? It's OK for little petite girls to wear revealing clothing then, right? Let's just agree that if you don't like the label, you don't have to buy what's in the package and leave it at that...

My question is this, why do certain stores in McCook think that people want to check themselves out? Also why do they need to have them so close to the front door? Elderly people or handicapped people don't need or want the exercise of walking half way through the store just so they can FIND someone to check them out. ...

In response to Mr. Andersons "Setting the record straight, I thought this might shed some light on the subject. the origin of the Peace Symbol A history of the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND) logo One of the most widely known symbols in the world, in Britain it is recognised as standing for nuclear disarmament -- and in particular as the logo of the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND). ...