Stories from Friday, May 10, 2002

Throughout the Golden Plains, families and friends are gathering this weekend to pay tribute to more than 900 graduates of the area's high schools and colleges. It is a special occasion. The young men and women -- along with a growing number of non-traditional students -- have followed a long pathway. For this year's high school graduates, the educational journey began in August of 1989 when they entered kindergarten...

ATWOOD -- Clarence Lang, 71, died Thursday (May 9, 2002) at the Rawlins County Health Center in Atwood. He was born Dec. 19, 1930, in rural Graham County at St. Peter, Kan., to Peter and Katharine (Rome) Lang. He married Lillian Marie Sauer in St. Peter in 1950...

The upcoming weeks are going to be quite busy -- what with the primary election, weddings and trying to guess if the temperature is going to stay above freezing or hit triple-digits. While I can't make any predictions about the weather and won't make any predictions about the election, graduations are within my experience...

Newspapers sometimes have the reputation of being "stuffy" and boring. Most news writers like to address the "who, what, when, where, why, and how" of the story, and leave out any personal testimonies. That's probably the correct way to write most news stories, but sometimes that can leave the story dry and hum-drum. Sometimes a little humor can tell the story in a more engaging way...

Dear Editor, McCook Junior College is the name I grew up with, this is the name I remember. I can update my thinking to McCook Community College. But that is it. The pride I feel at the sound of the word McCook, the pride we should all feel is diminished or lost all together with the name as it is now. Who ever let this happen?...

Dear Editor, I want to take this opportunity to thank the Red Willow County community for participating in the American Heart Association Celebrity Waiter Celebration that was held on April 7, 2002. This event was held at the Eagles Club where we have had it the past two years. ...

Lighten up! As someone who has always attended the Heart Association fund-raisers, but unable to do so this year, I thoroughly enjoyed the article by Sharyn Skiles. It made me feel that I had not missed out on all the fun and crazy antics that go on each year...

Dear Editor, My name is Eric Mason and I grew up in McCook. In fact, (regional editor) Connie Jo Discoe was a classmate of mine. I've never responded to anything like this before, but I have a suggestion for you if you don't mind me intruding on this topic...

Dear Editor, Friday, May 10, is being observed nationally (and locally) as Child Care Providers Appreciation Day. The Southwest Nebraska Early Childhood Coalition invites everyone to join us in saluting those who take care of our children, whether in a family child care home or in a child care center. ...

HERNDON -- Eleanora Marie (Barenberg) Marintzer, 91, died Wednesday (May 8, 2002) at the Good Samaritan Center in Atwood. She was born on Feb. 8, 1911, to Frank and Mary (Neuberger) Barenberg, four miles west of Herndon. She attended school at Brown Country School, St. Mary's Parochial School and Herndon High School...