Stories from Friday, September 17, 2004

Ogallala boys, Holdrege girls claim cross country team titles at Heritage Hills McCook girls 4th, boys 5th at home meet McCOOK -- Several area cross country teams competed on Thursday at the McCook Invite at Heritage Hills. Ogallala edged out Cambridge for top spot in the boys division while Holdredge ran away with the girls division...

Arapahoe volleyball falls to Bertrand BERTRAND -- The Arapahoe Warriors volleyball team lost to Bertrand 20-25, 25-19, 16-25, 22-25 on Thursday. Cheryl Braithwait had 14 points serving and one ace for Arapahoe. She also led the team with six assists. Abbey Breinig had nine kills for the Warriors...

McCook Bison volleyball team to host invite on Saturday McCOOK -- The McCook Bison volleyball team will host several area teams on Saturday at the McCook Invite. Southwest and Cambridge, yearly powerhouse teams, will compete. Hayes Center and Oberlin will be in action there also. They are both playing well this season...

Concert-goers in Omaha can't believe it when you tell them the cost of a season's ticket for concerts in McCook. The price -- which gets you into four musical performances -- is $30. "The people in Omaha (and other large cities) pay that much to attend one concert," said Mary Eklund, a long-time member of the McCook Concert Association board...

What's in: Ponchos which skim the body and hide numerous flaws. Skirts longer than four inches and actually -- aghast -- reach your knee. Shirts which button up and button down, covering a person's arms, chest and, most importantly, stomach. What's out: Low-rise jeans which left nothing to the imagination including what style of underwear the wearer had on. Itty-bitty, teeny-weeny, barely-there, expose-everything T-shirts, which were smaller than most doll clothes...

**Dear Editor, If you ask me, there are a few secrets that need to be revealed concerning Sen. John Kerry before the election. I am stymied by the fact that Sen. Kerry will not simply sign standard form 180, that would release all his military and medical records for public scrutiny...

A McCook pediatrician told McCook Public Schools board of education members Monday a Yale public health expert fears that today's kids may be the first generation in history that will not outlive their parents -- "because," Dr. Kathy Farrell said, "of obesity."...

The family of Adela Kisker is hosting a card shower in honor of her 90th birthday Sept. 18. Her children are Dennis Kisker of McCook and Joyce Axelson of Wheatridge, Colo. Cards will reach her at 1106 Westridge, McCook, NE 69001.

Sept. 10, 1939-Sept. 16, 2004 ATWOOD -- Dennis "John" Pianalto, 65 died Thursday (Sept. 16, 2004) in rural Atwood. He was born Sept. 10, 1939, to George and Clara (Barenberg) Pianalto on the family farm. He attended grade school at the Hillside School District in rural Atwood and attended high school at Maur Hill in Atchinson, Kan, graduating in 1957...

Dave Anthony and Katie Vrbas, both of McCook, announce the birth of their son, Alexander Lawrence Anthony, Aug. 19, at Community Hospital of McCook. He weighed 8 pounds, 5.2 ounces and was 19 3/4 inches long. He has one brother, Logan, 6. Grandparents are Susan Vrbas of McCook, the late Lawrence Vrbas and Lorin and Geri Anthony of Sidney. Great-grandparents are Charles and Mary Vrbas of Palisade and Alex and Dorothy Fritzler of Alliance...

Blake and Jodie Bethell of McCook announce the birth of their daughter, Reigan Marie Bethell on July 17, 2004, at Community Hospital of McCook. She weighed 6 pounds, 8.2 ounces and was 19.25 inches long. Grandparents are JoAnn Brand of McCook, the late Al Brand, and Ted and Dixie Bethell, all of McCook...

HARTFORD, Conn. -- Amy Heskett and David Beaulieu, both of San Antonio, Texas, were united in marriage Sept. 12, 2003, at St. Patrick-St. Anthony Church in Hartford, Conn., with the Rev. John Golus officiating. Parents of the couple are Mark and Cathy Heskett of McCook and James and Diane Beaulieu of Manchester, Conn. ...

OGALLALA -- Mandy Perlinger and Coleton Shifflet were united in marriage July 17, 2004, at Figure Four Traditions near Ogallala with the Rev. Phillip Ewert officiating. Parents of the couple are Mike and Pam Perlinger of Paxton, Burnee and Michelle Shifflet and Wayne and Mary Jo Vontz, all of Cambridge...

The family of Fred Wacker, Jr., a former resident of McCook, is hosting a card shower in honor of his 80th birthday Sept. 26. Cards will reach him at 13024 Kinyon Road, Centerton, AR 72719.

The family of Betty Jo Olney is hosting an open house in honor of her 80th birthday Sept. 22, 2-4 p.m., at Willow Ridge Retirement Community in McCook. Cards will reach her at 1500 East 11th Street, Apt. 41, McCook, NE 69001.

The family of Jody and Allen Otter is hosting a card shower in honor of the couple's 25th anniversary Sept. 22. They were married in 1979 at St. Patrick's Catholic Church in McCook. Their children are Megan and Brandon Otter of McCook. Cards will reach the couple at 38031 Drive 724, McCook, NE 69001...

Denise Foran of Cozad and Robert Kelley of North Platte announce their engagement and upcoming wedding. Parents of the couple are Charles and Wilda Foran of Arnold and John and Carol Kelley of McCook. The bride-to-be is a loan officer at Cozad State Bank. The prospective bridegroom is a 1984 graduate of McCook High School. He is a locomotive electrician with Union Pacific Railroad. The couple is planning an Oct. 9, 2004, ceremony at St. Patrick's Catholic Church in North Platte...

Sara Nichelle Brown of McCook and Rhett Aaron Rogers of Indianola announce their engagement and upcoming wedding. Parents of the couple are Linda Dethlefsen of McCook, Cory Brown of Omaha and Bill and Deborah Rogers of Bartley. The couple is planning an Oct. 16, 2004, ceremony on Carnival Cruises in Miama, Fla...

Chelsey Scrivner and Matthew Tines announce their engagement and upcoming wedding. Parents of the couple are Sue Jones of Grant, Lynn Scrivner of Lebanon and William "Dude" and Alice Tines of Venango. Grandmothers are Mary Walz of Indianola and Dorothy Tines of Cambridge. The couple is planning a Sept. 25, 2004, at Mother of Sorrows Catholic Church in Grant...

The design team selected to develop McCook's water treatment plant will be serving up a selection of alphabet soup at the regular City Council meeting Monday night, 7:30 p.m., in the council chambers at Memorial Auditorium. Several water treatment options will be presented to the council Monday night including IBS (iron based absorptive media), IX (anion exchange), RO (reverse osmosis), EDR (electro-dialysis reversal), CMF (coagulation aided membrane filtration) and ELS (enhanced lime softenings).. ...

Natalie Brooks, the daughter of Peggy and Bryant Brooks, and Rico Quezada, the son of Ester Quezada, wear McCook Senior High's 2004 McCook homecoming royalty tiara and crown following the Bison's 49-0 trouncing of the Ogallala Indians Friday night. The second attendants (left) are: Shawn McMurtrey, son of Brenda and Brent McMurtrey, and Abbee Haney, the daughter of Cassa and Rick Haney. ...