Choosing to look for the positive in a community

Pam Wolford | McCook Community Foundation Fund

When Walt Sehnert dedicated his book, Faces of McCook, he wrote: “…dedicated to the men and women of McCook, who collectively, over the years have shaped our town into a community where we can live and work and raise our families in a safe, interesting, and rewarding environment.” His 2011 book tells the stories of more than 50 men and women who shaped our early community. You are shaping this community in 2023. What will be written about the differences you have made?

One of Walt’s stories is of Albert Barnett. He was born in Illinois and sent to McCook in 1882 to manage a lumber yard in the new community.

When he arrived, he “slept atop a corn bin with an old blanket or two.” In 1886, he was sent to Stuart, Nebraska, but chose to return to McCook where he lived out the remainder of his life.

Due to hard work and good investments, he eventually owned 28 lumber yards in Nebraska and Colorado. His investments in McCook included early homes, the original YMCA on Main Street, the Masonic Temple, the Fox Theater, the Keystone Hotel, the Methodist Church and the old City Auditorium to name a few.

What attracted him to McCook then and made him choose to invest in its future? What attracts people today to McCook and makes them choose to invest in its future?

Staci Blomstedt, a Utah native, followed her young husband to McCook when Dr. Jason Blomstedt spent a six-week rural rotation here. At the time, they were looking for a welcoming community where they could raise a family, so he interviewed in several rural communities. She is a physical therapist, but she said she was willing to go wherever her husband could be happy. I asked her what made them want to stay here.

“Good people” was her first response. “Plus, you can find whatever you’re looking for. If you want it to be a negative experience, it will be.

If you want it to be a positive experience, it will be.” She added, “We started with Story Time at the library; my kids are involved with church, FFA, 4-H, music lessons, plays, and sports of all kinds--everything you can get in a large city but on a smaller scale.”

She shared that she and her kids take advantage of the MCC classes for people of all ages. She recalled a photography class she took from the late Tor Olson. “It opened my eyes to my love of photography; I have even turned it into a fun small business.”

Similarly, our son, Adam, returned to McCook because Community Hospital offered an excellent opportunity, benefits, and career advancement in a community in which it felt safe and affordable to raise his family.

“Everything I need, I have right here: quality dining, a variety of stores in which to find goods, access to my hobbies, and forward-thinking neighbors who bring art and beauty to the area,” he said, adding, “I do not think these things happen on their own—it takes dedicated and involved individuals to bring about progress and change.”

He cited the Kiplinger arena and fair facilities, which allow our community to host horse events, concerts, wedding receptions, and craft shows. “We have to be willing to sit on committees, planning boards, and be involved in service organizations if we want to see the progress that we talk about on social media. We have to be people of action, looking to build a future for our grandchildren,” he said.

Involvement in the community is the key to change and a future. It’s our turn to be the change we wish to see in the world, and we can start right here at home. Just a few ways you can be involved: Library Board, PEO, Masonic Bodies, YMCA Board, Hospital Board, church boards, 4-H Council, Fair Board, Parks Committee, Pickleball, frisbee golf or shooting sports. The list is endless.

What is it that holds people in a community? Family, like-minded friends, jobs, and their children’s involvement in activities. Access to free or low-cost activities. A variety of events. Places for kids to go in the summer and things to do. Opportunities for adults to intermingle in a healthy environment. Places to dine. Places to shop. Music and arts. Outdoor activities…all the while being able to afford to live here.

If you look for negativity…you will find it. If you look for positivity…you will find it.

We have a duty to help our community, whether it is newcomers or those who have lived here for a lifetime, by sharing all the good things we have to offer, by sharing the positive.

— As a member of the McCook Community Foundation Fund, Pam Wolford continues to use her experience from decades of teaching to make a difference in the lives of young people.