Stories from Monday, February 18, 2002

Tiffany and James Brunswick of McCook announce the birth of their son, Drake Arden Brunswick on Sunday (Feb. 17, 2002). He weighed 7 pounds, 13.2 ounces and has a three-year-old brother, Dawson. Grandparents are Arden and Cathy Myers and Wayne and Linda Brunswick of McCook. Great-grandparents are Harry and Barbara Hixson of McCook and Sam Farr of Oberlin...

RATON, N.M. -- Timothy Griswold, 43, died Wednesday (Feb. 13, 2002) at Raton, N.M. He was born Dec. 20, 1958, to Robert and Sharon (Pleis) Griswold at Beatrice. He was a former employee of Southwest Implement of McCook and later worked as an industrial painter...

Every Nebraska town and village can point to some of their citizens, famous or infamous, who helped to shape the history of our state or nation. Many people know of Al Capone, also known as Scareface, Public Enemy No. 1, and other similar nom de plumes. For many years during the Prohibition years of the 1920s and 1930s Al Capone dominated the headlines in the nation's newspapers...

I was speaking to some people about the race track. After some conversation, we determined that in the whole season of racing, averaging about three hours per Friday night, times 12 races, there is only a total of 36 hours of noise in a whole year! Now compare that to the fair that runs seven hours per night, times five nights, and that equals 35 hours in one week, for the year ... so what's the problem?...

I enjoyed reading the article on Feb. 15 in the Speak Out column regarding the "New McCook." I agree wholeheartedly. Some very good points were made about the water, the schools and the races track; the most important being the water and the schools. As for the race track, I think the consideration should be given to the homeowners...

Last summer while I was watching my son play a Legion baseball game, a racecar flipped over the southwest corner of McCook Speedway and rolled and landed only a few feet away from the left field chain link fence. The left and center fielders, as you can imagine, started running away from the racecar, waving their arms to try to get the attention of the umpires, but because of the extremely loud track noise, the coaches had to run out onto the Legion field and get the umpire's attention to hold up play until the car and driver were safely removed from the left field fence area and all players regain their composure. ...

Dear Editor, As coordinator of the McCook Home & Builder's Show, I would like to thank all the vendors who participated in this year's show. I would also like to thank the McCook businesses that donated food for the vendor hospitality night, and to the many people who donated their time to greet at the door, serve coffee and tea to vendors, volunteered to help in the kitchen, and to those who helped with tear down. ...

Dear Editor, This is a letter that I have sent to my fellow council members concerning action to be taken (tonight). Unfortunately, I will be unable to attend the council meeting due to annual flight simulator training in Arizona. Fellow Council Members:...

Dear Editor, This is a good humorous letter on a delicate subject. I mentioned in a previous opinion about the council and/or county commissioners taking a long-term approach to the Air Base land, perhaps with the consideration of moving the race track and expanding the fairgrounds north of McCook. I guess it's to late to consider...

Dear Editor, Let's see if we can get someone's attention. In regard to all the moving that the schools are talking about, who's fooling who on this one? We certainly hope all the people aren't naive enough to believe all they are telling you about the schools...

Thrilled by the success of this year's Home and Builders Show, a number of local business people are wondering if this area may have discovered the best possible place for the Southwest Nebraska conference center. Richard Stull, the owner 0f the McCook McDonald's franchise across the highway, was the first to mention the idea to the newspaper, telling of a conversation he had a few hours earlier with Marie Owen, executive director of the McCook Chamber of Commerce...

BENKELMAN -- Lester E. Spears, 81, died Thursday (Feb. 14, 2002) at the Chase County Hospital in Imperial. He was born Nov. 10, 1920, in Rawlins County, Kan. to Sherman and Flossie (Hoover) Spears and was raised on a farm south of Stratton.  On Jan. ...