Stories from Tuesday, July 30, 2002

Mona and Lisa ... Frank and Jesse ... Butch and Bruno. They're all draft horses or mules who competed in the annual pulling contest at the Red Willow County fair. Jack and Jim, owned by Lynn Meyers of Maxwell, won first place, pulling 100 percent of their combined weight -- 3,820 pounds...

The McCook City Council agreed Monday night to delete proposed revenue of $14,000 in city ball park user fees from its proposed 2002-03 budget. Councilman Steve Batty was absent for the city's final budget workshop. After discussion on the issue at the last two budget meetings, when Councilman Phil Lyons told city staff he didn't think the city would be allowed to charge for the use of the fields without increasing its liability insurance, the council discussed other options...

Open auditions for local actors to fill nine roles in the Southwest Nebraska Community Theater Association's dinner theater production of "Mornings at Seven" are set for Sunday and Monday. Auditions will be Sunday from 2 to 4 p.m. at 505 N. Cherokee and Monday from 7-9 p.m...

TRENTON -- Rep. Tom Osborne made no guarantees, no promises of drought payments -- or rain -- when he met constituents in Trenton Monday afternoon. Osborne said the odds are only 30 to 40 percent that Midwest farmers and ranchers will get some sort of federal disaster relief, but added, "I think something will happen. The disaster is wide spread enough."...

The state of Nebraska needs to begin being run like a business, Nebraska State Treasurer Lorelee Byrd and Sen. Tom Baker said during this morning's call to the McCook Chamber of Commerce's Legislative Affairs committee. Today's was the first call of the special Legislative Session to discuss the state budget and state spending...

McCook Police Officer James McConville was laid to rest at Memorial Park Cemetery Monday morning. McConville, who spent more than 22 years of his life serving the city of McCook, died at Community Hospital of McCook on Wednesday at the age of 45. "Death is always difficult," Pastor Clark Bates of the McCook Christian Church told McConville's family and friends. "But it is always more difficult when someone is taken suddenly in the prime of their life."...

The children and grandchildren of Bob and Betty Carey are hosting a card shower in honor of the couple's 60th wedding anniversary on Aug. 2, 2002. Cards of congratulations will reach them at PO Box 156, Palisade, NE 69040.

While hammers banged away in the background, Nebraska State Treasurer Lorelee Byrd and State Sen. Tom Baker of Trenton turned up the volume on their speaker phones this morning to speak to members of the Legislative Committee of the McCook Chamber of Commerce...

Keep children safe Dear Editor, As a young child, I lived in McCook from 1933 to 1937. The kidnapping of the Lindbergh baby happened on March 1, 1932. The terrible event had influenced my mother to warn her small children about kidnappers. Perhaps she overdid it, as my sister and I would cross the street if we saw a man coming our way...

The piglet puckers up with Tom Tirrill of rural McCook, the winner of the "Kiss a Pig" contest during the Red Willow County fair in McCook. The contest raised $121.57 for 4-H'ers trip to Washington D.C. in 2005.

Dennis Matson (left) and Rich Judd (right) of Goltl Plaster Dry Wall replace the ceiling in the first racquetball court at the Ed Thomas YMCA. The suspended ceiling, which was damaged by balls, will be replaced by a solid ceiling similar to what covers the front of the court. The $4,000 project is funded through the YMCA's endowment program; therefore, the new ceiling comes at no extra cost to patrons. The project is expected to be finished by September...

Take heart outdoor enthusiasts -- the lakes around Southwest Nebraska are sure to return to their former glory. Just as lake waters are diminishing this year, lakes around the area also suffered from drought in the late 70s. All of them were replenished within three years...

The deadline for filing for election to four seats on boards in Red Willow County is Friday, Pauletta Gerver, Red Willow County Clerk, said today. Election for three seats on the Bartley Village Board, the Danbury Village Board and Twin Walley School District No. 0170, as well as two seats on the Lebanon Village Board will be decided in the November election...

Sue Chipman (left), director of Heritage Senior Center accepts a check in the amount of $1,000 from Pam Hanson, vice president and director of sales and marketing at McCook National Bank. Norma Whisler, a long-time employee of MNB , now retired, looks on. The funds represent the final payment of a pledge made by the bank on behalf of the senior center building fund...

Good Earth Gardeners of McCook and the Culbertson Garden Club plan the seventh annual Good Earth Gardeners garden tour Sunday, from 5 p.m. until 9 p.m., through one McCook and six Culbertson gardens. Tickets will be available in Norris Park in McCook and in Hillside Park in Culbertson; each ticket costs $3. Proceeds will be used to purchase flowers for Norris Park in McCook and to support the community walking trail in Culbertson. For more information, call (308) 345-6440...

Three Livestock exhibitors at the Red Willow County Fair received recognition for their animals performance in the Rate of Gain competition. In Market Beef Nick O'Dea's market steer had the top rate of gain by gaining 3.903 pounds per day. Kenton Kircher's Market lamb had the top rate of gain by gaining .934 pounds per day. Matt Wolfe's had the top two swine to win both divisions of the carcass contest...

HAYES CENTER -- Former Hayes Center residents Van and Jan Korell of McCook and AmFirst Financial Services, Inc. have pledged a total of $10,000.00 to the Hayes County Community Foundation in memory of Don and Shirley Leffler. The gift is being directed to the Ambulance Fund and the Community Recreation and Beautification Fund. ...

Bob Malleck dismounts McCook High School's "new" 1989 MCI bus on Wednesday. "It runs great," Malleck reported, requiring 106 gallons to cover the 616 miles from the dealer in Minnesota.

McCook Clinic, P.C. recently donated $2,640 raised from sports physicals to the McCook Bison Boosters program. McCook physicians and Community Hospital's physical therapy department conducted 264 physicals in May for McCook High School students. Dave Carfield, physical therapist with Southwest Nebraska Physical Therapy, presented the check to Jeff Crick, Bison Booster treasurer while Brian Rokusek, practice manager at McCook Clinic, looked on...

I love the sport of golf. I hate the sport of golf. For casual, citizen-players like me, I suppose that's par for the course. (I'd say, "No pun intended," but I'd be lying.) Those of us who hit the links just a handful of times each summer regard golf as the sport we love to hate. It's far too technical and demanding an activity to be mastered in a few outings each year, but that doesn't phase Pollyanna-types like me...

CURTIS -- Valena Wilson, 84, died Sunday (July 28, 2002) at Good Samaritan Hospital in Kearney. She was born July 6, 1918, to John and Sarah Slightom Weiss east of Stockville. She graduated from Stockville High School in 1935. On Oct. 16, 1935, she married Lee Wilson at Oberlin. They farmed south of Moorefield for most of their lives. She moved to Sunset Haven in 2001, and was presently a resident of Hillside Estates Assisted Living in Curtis...