Stories from Wednesday, June 18, 2003

NORTH PLATTE -- The McCook Mini-Bison 12 and under girls fastpitch softball team posted a 5-1-1 record at the North Platte Buffalo Bill Tournament Saturday and Sunday. The Bison posted a 1-1-1 record in pool play Saturday, and then came back on Sunday to post a 4-0 record...

Red Willow County commissioners Ok'd a contribution to CEDARS Youth Services and changed their minds about creating a budget for the Kiplinger horse arena during their regular meeting Monday morning. Commissioners rescinded last week's motion that requested a quarterly report of activities at the new horse arena on the fairgrounds. ...

The first thing that strikes you about "Challenge and Joy" is the fearless honesty found on each page. This forthright account of surviving breast cancer one day at a time is at once inspiring and daunting. Inspiring because of the faith and confidence the writer has in God's ability to heal and to sustain. Daunting because evidence of so great a faith is not easily found...

Our thanks to all the readers who took the time to call in, write or e-mail about the new "Preview" television and entertainment edition. Try as we might, not everyone got the word that the weekly television schedule would now be included in Thursday's edition instead of the former Friday press date...

Sometimes, I just get fed up. Case in point: on a news broadcast earlier this week it was revealed that, on the testimony of one man -- without benefit of any substantiating evidence -- scores of people of color were incarcerated on drug charges in a Texas town. ...

Remember "Barn Again!," the popular Smithsonian exhibit which brought streams of visitors to the High Plains Museum in McCook a year ago in January? The success of the show in McCook attracted national recognition, with stories about the event featured in state and national publications...

Dear Editor, The picture on the front page of the Friday, June 13 Gazette of "Some hot summer steps," certainly represented a past era to many readers. The musical numbers of the Glenn Miller Band era they are indulging in was an era before rock (so-called) "music" came on the scene and the television and jet age made our world a mess of ... you name it...

Dear Editor, I wonder how many remember we were dancing to the same tune in 1943. Upstairs at the YMCA (downtown) it cost $2.50 to rent the hall and the juke box. We found 25 people, at least, who would chip in a dime and we danced and really had fun...

Airline boardings dropped sharply following the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, but -- ever so slowly -- passengers are starting to filter back to small rural airports, including the one in McCook. "Boardings here were up slightly in the first quarter of 2003 over the same period in 2002," said Shirley Wheelbarger, station manager for Great Lakes Airlines in McCook. "It wasn't by much -- just 10 passengers or so -- but at least we're going in the right direction."...

Gazette readers overwhelmingly agreed with the decision to go to war with Iraq, and nearly seven of 10 felt the war was justified, whether or not Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass destruction. The following are this week's online Feedback responses to the question:...

I would like to express my appreciation for the music in the park Thursday night. But I would also like to know how you would get to be a member of this (group); it looks like a lot of fun. But I just wanted them to know they are appreciated.

Why don't the city and the school system turn off the sprinkler system when it's raining?

Should the city follow the same rules? I went by the center island, and the water was going clear across the street.

Kenneth "Lee" Davidson, 80, died Tuesday (June 17, 2003) at Community Hospital of McCook. He was born July 20, 1922, at Indianola, to Archibald Lorne and Floy Almina (Carpenter) Davidson. He graduated from Indianola High School in 1940. He enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Force on Sept. 9, 1942, serving during World War II, on the Island of Saipan, Pendleton, Ore., Moses Lake, Wash., Salina, Kan., and Tinker Field, Okla. He was honorably discharged Dec. 27, 1945...

YMCA members, who are at least the Fish level of swim lessons, can cool off Friday as they float down the Republican River for the River Run & Fun. Members should be dropped off at 8 a.m., at the bridge south on Federal Avenue near District 8 school...

The Lapp family's longhorn cows and spring calves rest easy in the very green hills and valleys north of Hayes Center. The Lapp family, which leases longhorn steers to roping clubs and rodeos, will provide the stock for a roping at the Kiplinger arena on the fairgrounds in McCook Friday. Barrel racing will begin at 6:30 p.m., followed by the roping at 7:30 p.m. The public is invited to attend...

Members of the McCook YMCA summer swim team competed at a meet two weeks ago at Cambridge and hosted a meet Saturday. Results of the meets were not available. (Front row from left) Sydnie Stamm, Miranda Holliday, Kalan Stamm, Conner Stamm. (Middle) Cody Martin, Katie Latta, Kayla Fahrenbruch, Taylor Miller, Ashley Noltensmeier, Monique Monzon. ...

The McCook American Legion baseball teams combined for a 2-6 record Saturday and Sunday at tournaments in Hastings and Holdrege. The McCook National Bank Seniors, 17-10, posted a 2-3 record at the Hastings Tournament. The McCook Juniors, 7-8, went 0-3 at the Holdrege Tournament...

NORTH PLATTE -- The McCook Rebels 18 and under girls fastpitch softball team posted a 1-2-1 record at the Buffalo Bill Tournament in North Platte Saturday and Sunday. Lost to Omaha Gladiators 1-0 in 8 innings Erica Reitz hit two singles. Lindsay Dame, Whitney Korte and Natalie Brooks each hit one single...

NORTH PLATTE -- The McCook Rebels 14 and under girls fastpitch softball team posted a 2-3 record at the Buffalo Bill Tournament Saturday and Sunday at North Platte. Game 1 Omaha Sizzle Blue 2, Rebels 0 The Sizzle scored their two runs in the top of the sixth inning...

TRENTON -- The closest neighbor to Trenton's new ethanol plant isn't afraid to have the project in her backyard. Before the ground breaking ceremony Tuesday for Trenton Agri Products' 30-million-gallon ethanol plant, Jan Williams said, "We're not worried about noise or smell. Not a bit."...

Technicians from Tower Maintenance Co. of Lincoln work to remove a radio tower at the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation office in McCook as storm clouds move in from the south. The tower has not been used since the bureau's communications system was switched to hard-line telephone service. Removing the tower will also open space for new offices at 1706 W. Third...

GOODLAND, Kan. -- A new sensor array scheduled to be installed today at the National Weather Service office in Goodland, Kan., is designed to aid in the detection of tornadoes. The infrasonic sound detection system is affectionately called "the octopus" by NWS employees since it resembles the sea creature. It consists of a central data gathering point with tentacles that extend about 15 feet in all directions...

Although times are difficult for some families, there are still some things we can do to help ourselves. Economic hardship, drought conditions, and the war situation are stressors that affect many of us. reports Dr. Kathy Bosch, Extension Family Life Specialist. Life is not easy anyway, and when additional stressors are added to the demands of daily life, it can almost seem too much to handle...

A green thumb and respect for the earth grow in the same garden. Grade school students at East Ward learned the basics of both skills in the new outdoor classroom they planted this spring south of the school building on East Fifth. The outdoor classroom is the inspiration of East Ward teacher Kim Johnson. She admired such projects at schools in the eastern part of the state, and, while researching grants for playground equipment, discovered funding for outdoor classrooms...

State Sen. Tom Baker and Gov. Mike Johanns light-heartedly agreed to disagree today as they addressed about 50 members of the McCook Chamber of Commerce and the McCook Chamber Legislative Committee. Later in the morning, Johanns, Baker and other dignitaries took part in groundbreaking ceremonies near Trenton for a new ethanol plant...

Dignitaries turn over wheat stubble this morning, preparing for the construction of an ehtanol plant two miles east of Trenton. The production of ethanol at the Trenton Agri Products LLC plant is expected to begin June 1, 2004, at an initial rate of 30 million gallons a year, using approximately 12 million bushels of corn and/or milo each year. ...

Sixty-one years after moving from the McCook area, Dale Fattig of Brady is still looking out for his hometown. Fattig, his son Roger and grandson Cody were in town Monday to deliver a special gift to the city of McCook. Fattig, who raises gambushia affinis, also known as "mosquito fish," donated about 600 pregnant female fish to the city to be placed in the ponds at Barnett Park. Fattig said the fish would deliver about 50 young each within the next 10 days...

While the construction project on the Heritage Senior Center is moving forward, moving the facility during the construction has been temporarily put on hold. The McCook City Council agreed 4-1, Monday night to award the bid for the remodeling project to Paulsen Inc. in the amount of $744,270...

ATWOOD -- Victor "Vic" F. Cahoj, 78, died Friday (June 13, 2003) at the Lutheran Home in Wakeeney, Kan. He was a resident of Bogue, Kan. He was born Jan. 8, 1925, in Atwood to Mike and Olga (Stupka) Cahoj. He attended Atwood Schools. On Oct. 1, 1946, he married Margaret Heble in Atwood...