Stories from Monday, June 10, 2002

Trevor Ridlen of Palisade maneuvers his great-grandfather's Farmall tractor through the streets of Palisade during Saturday's Pioneer Days celebration. Theme for this year's event was "Palisade -- Patriotic and Proud." "Palisade -- Patriotic & Proud" was the theme for Pioneer Days 2002 in Palisade. ...

Dennis and Fran Allacher of McCook, would like to announce the engagement of their daughter, Danica, to Greg Hauxwell of Omaha, the son of Richard and Jeanie Hauxwell of McCook. Grandmother of the bride-to-be is Frances Kompus of Atwood and grandmother of the prospective bridegroom is Maurine Hofferber of McCook. ...

Karrie Wright and Travis Jones, both of McCook, announce their engagement and upcoming wedding. Parents of the couple are Richard and Rose Ann Wright of Captain, N.M., and John and Judy Jones of Red Feather Lake, Colo. A June 15, 2002, ceremony is planned at United Methodist Church in Trenton...

The family of Dennis and Charlene (Leibrandt) Chancellor are hosting a card shower in honor of the couple's 30th wedding anniversary. They were married June 10, 1972, in McCook.Their children include Michelle and husband, Scott Henrickson of McCook; Mike Chancellor of Denver, Colo., and Jeremy Chancellor of McCook. They have three grandchildren. Cards of congratulations will reach the couple at 611 East 4th Street, McCook, NE 69001...

The family of Phil and Rita Phares are hosting a card shower in honor of the couple's 60th wedding anniversary on June 18. Their children are Carol Abbuhl of Grant, Richard and Melanie Phares of Longmont, Colo., and Alan Phares and Barbara and Larry Malicky, all of Columbus.They have eight grandchildren and six great-grandchildren. Cards of congratulations will reach the couple at RR1 Box 102, Palisade, NE 69040...

SUTHERLAND -- Jay and Jackie Johnson of Sutherland announce the birth of a son, Hadley Christian, born Sunday (June 9, 2002) at Great Plains Regional Medical Center in North Platte. He weighed 7 pounds, 5 ounces. Grandparents are Larry and Lynda Ruppert of McCook and Kent and Geraldine Johnson of Sidney. Great-grandparents are Harvey and Erma Hinz and Alice Ruppert of McCook, Wendell and Shirley Mathewson of Potter and Warren and Margaret Johnson of Sidney...

LINCOLN -- Chris and Jodi (Sayer) Wood of Lincoln announce the birth of a son, Joshua Eli, born Friday (May 31, 2002) in Lincoln. He weighed 7 pounds, 5 ounces. He was born on his sister, Mercadees' second birthday. Grandparents are Howard and Linda Sayer of Cambridge, Ron Wood of Arapahoe and Barb Wood of Holdrege. Great-grandparents are Wayne and Athol Callan of McCook...

Farmers, ranchers and townspeople in Southwest Nebraska and Northwest Kansas are doing what they need to do about drought conditions. They're facing the truth. That was evident this week when photographs and articles in the McCook Daily Gazette and Omaha World-Herald put the bone-dry conditions in glaring perspective...

Two hundred and twenty five years after the birth of the Stars and Stripes, patriotic passion burns brightly in the United States of America. We honor our flag. It is a symbol of freedom. As we stand to salute it, shivers of pride course up and down our spines...

TRENTON -- Ashley Lauren Lawson and Kevin Ray Lewis were united in marriage on May 18, 2002, at the Church of God in Trenton with the Rev. Ken Hazel officiating. Parents of the couple are Tim and Lisa Lawson of Hayes Center and Carl and Veda Lewis of Trenton...

Jamie Van Dyke and Matthew Smith, both of Lincoln, announce their engagement and upcoming wedding. Parents of the couple are Nancy and Merle Van Dyke of Springfield and Jenene and Gerald Smith of Palisade. The bride-to-be is a student at Bryan LGH School of Nursing with plans to graduate in December. ...

The children of Al and Erma Harder of McCook are hosting an open house in honor of the couple's 60th anniversary, June 16, 2-4 p.m., at the Heritage Senior Center, 1312 West Fifth in McCook. Children of the couple are Will Harder of Aberdeen, S.D., and Gale Harder of Marshall, Wis. They have four grandchildren and two great-grandchildren...

Becky Vogt of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln Center for Applied Rural Innovation will visit the area on Thursday, June 20 to assist in developing a regional survey on how to better use our natural, economic, and human resources to improve quality of life for all residents in southwest Nebraska...

The Republican River Riders Fun Run, hosted by Gold Wing Tour Association Chapter V, will be held on Saturday at Barnett Park in McCook. Registration is at 10 a.m. The last bike out is at 11 a.m., and the last bike in will be at 2 p.m, with lunch following. Bike games will take place after the 2 p.m. lunch. There will also be a Poker Run, door prizes and 50/50 raffle...

Candidates in Kansas had until noon today to file for office, and voters have until July 22 to register to vote in the primary Aug. 6. Voters have until Aug. 2 to request early ballots by mail. In addition to local races, Kansans will also be voting for a U.S. ...

Merrill Ream (left) and Dan Stramel fold the flag during the Flag Day ceremony conducted Sunday by the McCook Elks Lodge No. 1434 and Does Drove No. 3. Also on display were eight flags illustrating Old Glory's history, starting with the pine tree flag of 1775; the 1776-77 snake flag; 1775 united 13 colonies flag; the 1775 United States flag with six pointed stars; the 1777 flag, designed by Betsy Ross, with five pointed stars; the 1795 flag with seventeen stars, each representing the states of the union; the 1818 48 star flag, and the current United States of America flag with 13 alternating, red and white stripes and 50 stars. ...

HASTINGS -- Dr. Phillip Dudley Jr., President of Hastings College, will be be the guest speaker at the June, South Platte United Chamber of Commerce meeting. The meeting is Tuesday at the Lochland County Club in Hastings. At 3:30 p.m., all committees, board members and SPUCC memberships are invited to attended a strategic planning meeting, followed by social hour at 5:30 p.m. and a dinner at 6:30 p.m...

By Connie Jo Discoe Regional editor STRATTON -- Timber Creek Homes of Stratton will hire 25 more employees through June and July, and double production to 21/2 finished homes a week. Co-owner Charles Pelkey said the new hirings will fill positions in the factory-- carpentry, electricity, plumbing, heating and air conditioning, trim carpentry, roofing, siding and painting/dry wall...

Mike Watson (left) and Jay Spitz of Palmer Brothers Granite Co., Holdrege, guide one of three granite panels in the new Palisade Veterans Memorial. The boom truck, operated by Dennis Blomstedt of Palisade, was provided by Southwest Public Power of Palisade. ...

A McCook woman has been awarded $300,000 after a Hastings judge ruled that her attacker's probation officer was negligent. District Judge Stephen R. Illingworth decided Wednesday that probation officer Fred Snowardt failed to protect DaNell Bartunek from George Allen Piper, and made the award for the post- traumatic stress disorder Bartunek has suffered since Piper's attack...

As soon as there was commerce there was a need for salesmen. Whether you love 'em or hate 'em, they are a necessary part of the business circle. In the early days, the usual method of transportation for salesmen was the train. These "drummers," as they were called, arrived by train with their samples and made their way to the hotel, where they might stay for a day or two to as much as a week. ...

EDITOR'S NOTE -- Due to technical problems, the Mike at Night column was unavailable in the Saturday edition of the the McCook Gazette. It is printed here in its entirety. One of the great things about living in Southwest Nebraska is that we're as close to Denver as we are to Lincoln and Omaha and that means a great array of musical talent to choose practically every day this summer. ...

World War II changed dancing in the Heartland too. Dance teachers said that the jitterbug jive with the throw-the-girl-over-your-shoulder was out now ... because dance floors were too crowded. The new dance was named after the Walt Disney film to just make its debut in the summer of 1942. ...

OBERLIN -- Don W. Leffler, 83, died Friday (June 7, 2002) at the Decatur County Hospital. He was born July 12, 1918, to Selar and Claira (Nielson) Leffler at Geneva. He grew up in Hayes Center and attended Hayes Center schools. He served in the U. S. Army, 335th Infantry Division in the European Theater in Germany during World War II from 1940 to 1945...

CAMBRIDGE -- Mildred Viola Rupp, 93, died Sunday (June 9, 2002) at the Cambridge Memorial Hospital in Cambridge. She was born Oct. 12, 1908, to John and Francelia (Crapser) Johnson in Cambridge. She graduated from Cambridge High School in 1930. On Nov. ...