Stories from Monday, May 5, 2003

HOLDREGE -- The distance corps keyed a first-place performance by the McCook High School boys track team at the Holdrege Invitational Friday. The Bison boys finished first in the meet with 170 points, easily outdistancing second-place York, which amassed 107...

Danae Ling and Jeremy Hoyt announce their engagement and upcoming wedding. Parents of the couple are Dennis and Jan Hoyt of Culbertson, Kathy Spector of Cañon City, Colo., and Daryl and Joann Ling of Harrisburg, S.D. The bride-to-be attends Southeast Tech in Sioux Falls, S.D., majoring in graphic communications. ...

Tomye Ridenour and John McKenna, both of Kearney, announce their engagement and upcoming wedding. Parents of the couple are Bob and Becky Ridenour of McCook, Jack and Kim McKenna of Jeffery Lake and Jeff and Linda Marsh of Lincoln. The bride-to-be is a 1997 graduate of McCook High School and a 2002 graduate of the University of Nebraska at Kearney. ...

The family of Harold and Ramona Hornkohl is hosting a card shower in honor of the couple's 50th anniversary, May 9. Cards of congratulations will reach them at Rt. 1 Box 12, Danbury, NE 69026.

AURORA -- Jessica Lynn Bland and Dennis DeRay Ferguson were united in marriage Sept. 28, 2002, at Pleasant View Bible Church in Aurora with the Rev. Rick Prettyman officiating. Parents of the couple are Boyd and Karen Bland of Gove and Dennis and Shirley Ferguson of Palisade...

The children of Winfield (Pat) and Maxine Ele are hosting a card shower to honor their parents' 60th wedding anniversary on May 13. Their children include Patty Mitchem and Mary Vontz of McCook, Robert Ele of Lincoln and Ned Ele of Scottsbluff. Cards of congratulations will reach them at 702 West Second, McCook, NE 69001...

Otto and Josie Haussler will celebrate their 73rd anniversary on May 4. Cards of congratulations will reach the couple at 907 Elm Street, Arapahoe, NE 68933.

Lesa K. Miller and Michael W. Tines, both of Culbertson, announce their engagement and upcoming wedding. Parents of the couple are Lee and Barb Miller of Culbertson and William "Dude" and Alice Tines of Venango. The bride-to-be is a graduate of Culbertson High School and Southeast Community College in Lincoln. ...

Elda Shields of McCook made some very good points in her letter in the Open Forum Friday, reminding us of the great contributions made by the agriculture and home economics' classes at McCook High School. For more than half a century -- going back to George Rainbolt's teaching days and the 34-year career of Dallas Talkington -- McCook High School has a distinguished history of ag education. ...

Dear Editor, I have taken the time to read all of the comments ... concerning the sales tax issue. I am sure that Dennis Berry is a homeowner in the city of McCook and thinks that only property owners should be allowed to vote. The people who rent homes in the city also pay property tax at the same rate as the homeowners; it is part of the rent. The renter pays water bills and sales tax just like the rest of the home owners...

What makes small towns in rural America such great places to live? To find out, all you need to do is attend a barbershop show presented by the Prairie Statesmen Chorus of Southwest Nebraska and Northwest Kansas. You'll come away with a warm, neighborly feeling of good will and harmony...

Dear fellow Southwest Nebraskans: In order to help clarify some of the various rumors that seem to abound. the Trenton Ethanol project is definitely going to happen. However. due to the scheduling conflicts of all the dignitaries and principals, the groundbreaking ceremony previously set for May 9th has been changed. ...

Delay this, delay that, the anti-sales tax (people) write and yell, but East B Street need repairs, the city pool needed fixed or closed, the Senior Citizens Center needs expansion because of the many out of town people using it. Ballparks need lights. Ballgames without using lights? Get the picture?...

Dear Editor, Being a voter seems to call for one that is godlike, respectful of humanity and appreciative for fairness to all. Those are big shoes for each eligible voter. This position also goes for all of us who express our opinions by presenting facts in a short, concise and accurate manner to the McCook voter who lives in a community where everyone "knows" who is doing what, etc...

Thanks to contributions of time and service by dedicated volunteers, the needs of abused and neglected children in the court system are being addressed in Southwest Nebraska. The effort, which began in this area seven years ago, is called CASA, which is short for Court Appointed Special Advocates. Currently, there are 11 volunteers serving the needs of 18 children in Red Willow, Furnas and Hitchcock counties...

As a business owner, it's your name you want on a potential customer's mind when they are in need of your services. But will it be there? The McCook Daily Gazette is offering a free seminar that will answer that question. The Top-Of-Mind-Awareness breakfast seminar will be 8-10:30 a.m., Tuesday at the McCook Public Library...

The McCook High School varsity girls tennis dropped a 4-2 decision to Alliance and fell 4-0 to Scottsbluff Friday in a rain-shortened double dual at the Bison Courts. Bison sophomore Tausha Escher, who plays No. 1 singles, defeated Alliance's Ashley Thiems 8-6...

Wauneta-Palisade claimed both the girls and boys titles at the Golden Plains Athletic Conference track meet Friday at the McCook High School track. The Lady Broncos finished with 147 points to claim the team title, followed by Maywood with 110 points. Lakeside Central finished third with 108 points, Culbertson with 89.5, Wallace with 22, Twin Valley with 18, Wheatland with 16.5 and Hayes Center with 10...

OXFORD -- The Cambridge boys track team claimed the team title at the Republican Valley League track meet Friday at Southern Valley, while Alma won the girls' title. Cambridge finished with 148 points for first place, while Bertrand was runner-up with 137 points. Dundy County earned 107 points for third, followed by Alma with 91 points, Arapahoe with 35, Southern Valley with 6 and Republican Valley with 3 points...

Culbertson High School captured the team title at the 2003 Lakeside Central Invitational Golf Meet Friday at McCook's Heritage Hills course. The Bears posted a team score of 375 to edge out second-place Wauneta-Palisade by eight strokes. Lakeside Central's Luke Alig won first-place individual medalist honors with an 81. Medicine Valley's John Krull placed second with an 86...

SUTHERLAND -- Chase County swept the girls and boys team titles at the South Platte Valley Association conference track meet Friday. The Lady Longhorns won with 148 points, while the boys won with 182 points. Michelle Dill and Cassy Hamilton led Chase County with two gold medals each. ...

A landowner in the Twin Valley school district is asking the Red Willow County District Court to stop Twin Valley and Republican Valley school districts from implementing plans to dissolve the two districts and build a new junior/senior high school building...

BENKELMAN -- When Nickole Sis of Benkelman sent in her audition tape of the National Anthem in early March, she knew she would be very lucky to be chosen to sing for the College World Series. Two weeks later, she received a letter notifying her that she had made the finals. ...

Bush says he is sure he is going to find weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. Do you suppose that means he will find some even if there aren't any?

Dr. Kenneth Ellis, board certified orthopedic surgeon, has returned to a full-time practice with the Community Hospital Orthopedic Clinic, joining orthopedic surgeon, Richard Slovek, M.D. Dr. Ellis specializes in general orthopedics with an emphasis in joint replacement...

The Rev. Barnhill of St. John's Catholic Church in Cambridge, offered a message on virtue overcoming vice as part of his remarks Thursday during the National Day of Prayer observance at Memorial United Methodist Church. Barnhill, who is also a major with the Nebraska Air National Guard, was joined by Doug Skiles of McCook who led intercessory prayer for leaders of the nation, state, county and city. ...

Bob Funk of Culbertson will display his 1967 Ford Mustang Fastback (shown above in a computer-stylized "watercolor" photograph) during the Ray Moffitt Memorial Car Show Saturday, May 10, from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m., in Barnett Park south of McCook along the Republican River. ...

A newly formed group is working on plans to help the community reach a goal of building 84 new housing units over the next four years. The New Construction Housing Committee, part of the McCook Housing Partnership, met last week to discuss action plans approved by the parent organization to achieve that goal by 2007...

The McCook City Council will get down to business Monday to begin making decisions that ultimately will result in the construction of a new well field for the city of McCook. One of the first steps to be taken will be the selection of a firm to perform the design work and construction supervision for the project...

The recent war in Iraq brought to light a number of differences that have come about, which were not in place during previous wars. Among the glaring differences were the women involved in combat positions, from privates to generals -- and then came the reports of women being captured by the enemy. ...

A second person was killed during the construction of the McCook Army Air Base. Elmer "Shorty" McClung, 36, an employee of Crawford Electric Co. of North Platte suffered a severe electric shock while at work on a transformer pole on a power line at the air base and fell about 25 feet to the ground...

Well, it's time for the annual round-up of summer concerts coming to a venue near you. As is traditional for this column, I'll start with the big events occurring in Las Vegas and then follow-up next week with Denver, Lincoln, Comstock and State Fairs in our area. Hopefully, you'll find something that you just can't stay away from. Remember, music is good for the soul...

Joseph P. Bruckler, 90, died Saturday (May 3, 2003) at Bryan LGH Hospital in Lincoln. He was born April 16, 1913, in Philadelphia, Pa., to Michael and Catherine (Tishler) Bruckler. He grew up in Philadelphia where he received his education. On Oct. 25, 1942, he married Katherine Walsh. She preceded him in death...