Stories from Wednesday, April 9, 2003

Flags are flying proudly around the Golden Plains, and were in place long before news from Iraq was as positive as it has been for the past few days. Old Glory (from the top) decorates a fence at the Kansas state line on U.S. Highway 83, an antique wheel near Jennings and a barn at Cedar Bluffs...

Dear Editor, The week of April 6-12 is being observed nationally as the Week of the Young Child. It is an annual celebration sponsored by the National Association for the Education of Young Children. It was first observed in 1971, recognizing that the early childhood years (birth through age 8) lay the foundation for children's success in school and later life...

For many years to come, the people of Southwest Nebraska will be talking about the life and times of G.B. "Jiggs" Crapson. Jiggs, who passed away Tuesday morning at age 64, was a unique individual who made an immediate impression on everyone he met...

The week of April 12-19 has been designated as the 13th Annual "Great Nebraska Trash-Off." Sponsored by the Nebraska Department of Roads, this event gives volunteers an ideal opportunity to do some "spring cleaning" of their adopted highway areas...

McCook Senior High jazz band trumpet players Lesley Nelson (left) and Tyler Wilson rehearse for the MHS spring concert Thursday at 7 p.m., in the MHS auditorium. Performing will be the MHS concert and jazz bands, the McCook Community College Quartet and several solos and ensembles. The bands will perform the music they will present during district music contests April 24 and 25...

DENVER -- Southwest Nebraska newspaperman G.B. "Jiggs" Crapson, 64, Wauneta, died of a heart attack Tuesday morning while hospitalized for bleeding ulcers in a Denver hospital. Crapson, owner and publisher of the Hitchcock County News in Trenton and the Hayes Center Times-Republican, was taken by air ambulance to Denver on Thursday after losing a substantial amount of blood. ...

Only two members of McCook Public Schools' board of education raised their hands during a board meeting Tuesday when President Greg Larson asked who could support a realignment of elementary grades at McCook schools this fall. Only Jim Coady and Jack Clark indicated they would be in favor of moving pre-K, kindergarten and first grade to North Ward and second grade and third grade to East Ward...

McCook's writers group, the Inland Sea Writers, are staging their "Books We've Read, Books We've Written Garage Sale" this Friday and Saturday. Several area authors will be on hand to sign copies of their recent books in addition to working the garage sale which also features used books, baked goods, jiffy burgers, and the gently used items from a dozen of the groups members, as well as donated items from others...

Seth Vapenik, a graduate of Wauneta-Palisade High School, has one of the major parts in the musical "Grease," which will be presented April 10-13 at Chadron State College. He is cast as Sonny LaTierri in the production, which is set in the rock 'n' roll era of the 1950s. The play will be presented at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Friday and Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday in Memorial Hall. Vapenik is a freshman majoring in elementary education and is the son of Jerry and Kristy Vapenik of Elsie...

The Smithsonian Yesterday's Tomorrows exhibit has entered Nebraska stating its theme "Past Visions of the American Future." Co-sponsored by the Nebraska Humanities Council and hosted by the High Plains Museum, it will be in McCook Sept. 10-Oct. 6, 2003. This one time event features robots, imagining the future, homes of tomorrow, transportation of tomorrow and people displayed in the museum on five free-standing kiosks...

It seems when the name Christine Kane is brought up in the folk music world, there is a huge, positive response. She has been labeled as "seasoned," "earthy," "real" and "sassy," and is honored as one of the best performers in the coffeehouse circuit...

State Treasurer Lorelee Byrd will be in McCook Thursday, to honor participants in the "Why I Want to Go to College" essay contest. The College Savings Plan of Nebraska in conjunction with the Omaha Royals is sponsoring the contest. The Treasurer will be at St. Patrick's Catholic School at 2:30 p.m., to personally honor students that participated in the essay contest...

I wonder how blase we would be about matters of obedient faith if the judgment that came upon Ananias and Sapphira was commonplace, rather than the exception to the rule. You may remember the story as recorded early in the book of Acts. When faced with the enviable generosity of Barnabas, Ananias and Sapphira, seeking to at least match, if not outdo, him, sold a piece of property and purported to contribute the entire proceed to the work of the church, when in fact they had withheld a certain amount for themselves.. ...

Mary B. Bustamante, 78, died Saturday (April 4, 2003) at Sunset Haven Nursing Home in Curtis. She was born Feb. 1, 1925, in Los Angeles, Calif. Her early years were spent in Los Angeles and she grew up at Sioux City, Iowa. On Oct. 11,1986, she married Eulalio Bustamante at Colorado Springs, Colo. ...

SANTA FE, N.M. -- Matthew J. McCann, 32, died Friday (April 4, 2003) at his home. He was born April 4, 1971, at St. Paul, to Bob Lee and Ruth Yvonne (Birginal) McCann. He grew up in St. Paul and attended St. Paul Public Schools. He graduated in 1989 from St. ...