Stories from Wednesday, July 16, 2003

McCook dentist Chris Nix had played in the final group at the Heritage Hills Men's Club Golf Championship six times. And he was 0-for-6. Nix put an end to the "oh-fer" by finally claiming the elusive club championship. He edged out Anthony Davis by one stroke to win the 2003 Heritage Hills Men's Club Golf Championship...

CAMBRIDGE -- Paintings by a Brazilian resident who calls Cambridge a second home highlight the new Cambridge Chamber of Commerce parade float premiered during Medicine Creek Days June 7. Julie Walters, chamber president, said the chamber wanted its new permanent parade float, "to represent the beauty of the community. ...

Dulce Damme, a Panama native, is the new owner of Super Nails in McCook. Damme, who took over the operation July 1, offers all the manicure and pedicure luxuries of a nail salon with the additional knowledge of hand and foot reflexology, many different nail diseases and disorders and the Nebraska state laws on bacteriology, sanitation and sterilization. ...

A flock of unsightly flamingos landed on Highland Park's front lawn this week to help raise funds for the Southwest Nebraska American Cancer Society's Relay For Life. Highland Park residents, along with Brenda McGuire, Highland Park director (center back) are shown here with Relay committee members. ...

Hailey Carmichael and Quinton Kirbach, both of Columbia, S.C., announce their engagement and upcoming wedding. Parents of the couple are Jocelyn Carmichael of McCook, Steve Carmichael of Houston, Texas and Isa and David Kirbach of Bradenton, Fla. The couple is planning a July 19, 2003, ceremony at Faith Westwood United Methodist Church in Omaha...

Culture wields a heavy hand of influence on the hearts of men. Society exposes us to a concept of social mores, largely through the phenomenon of desensitization. Exposed to the rough underbelly of society, officers of the law report a numbing of their hearts and minds to the horror and cruelty man fashions against man...

When we read about national testing results for grade school students, the tendency is to check how our state, or our school, is doing in comparison with other areas of the nation. There's nothing wrong with that. This is a competitive country, and we like to know how we stack up in all areas of endeavor, whether it be sports, business or schooling. ...

On paying off the airbase debt, I think a majority of the citizens in this city feel that this responsibility belongs to the City Council members who made that decision, and not the taxpayers. It should rest squarely on the shoulders of those who were too bull-headed and stubborn to listen to those who had the common sense to tell them that they should not do it, and they did it anyway...

I just read in Monday's editorial, where they are having free swimming in the West M pool. They better test the depth of the water before they dive in. EDITOR'S NOTE -- The city pool, of course, is on East M.

Rod Crawford of Adams Construction, Arapahoe, prepares the road into what will be Trenton's new "Trenton Agri Products" ethanol plant. The plant will produce 30 million gallons of ethanol a year from 12 million bushels of corn and/or milo and employ 27-30 people. It is expected to be in production in June 2004. Scrapers were also on the location 11/2 miles east of Trenton Friday morning, removing topsoil and completing subgrade site preparation for the main structures...

Members of Nebraska Development Network Southwest Region will visit Con Fielding's bird farm southwest of McCook during a tour Thursday. The group's second stop will be at Welding Plus, the Indianola company which designs and manufactures cemetery directories. The NDR works to connect business and community leaders thorughout the state with people within organizations, agencies and the private sector who have stepped forward as partners in community and economic growth...

Show cars from North Platte, Gothenburg, Ogallala and Colby, Kan., as well as McCook turned out for the third annual McCook Chamber of Commerce Crazy Days Classic Car show this weekend. "It was really great to have so many come from out of town," said Marie Owen, manager of the McCook Area Chamber of Commerce. "However, I was a little disapointed with not having more cars from McCook...

Tyler Bieck: When did you begin to play baseball? Spencer Walter: The first time I played baseball was T-ball over at Felling Field. TB: What positions do you play? SW: I play centerfield, I can track the ball down. I pitch because they need someone to close the games...

GOTHENBURG -- The McCook High School golfing trio of Brandon Crick, Tyler Lawson and Katherine Morell will compete in the inaugural North/South Junior Cup Friday. The Nebraska Junior Golf Association-sponsored tournament will be played at Gothenburg's Wild Horse Golf Club. The top 12 junior girls and boys were invited to participate based on the NJGA points standings. There will be two 12-player teams consisting of six boys and six girls...

Richard Miner and Rick Shafer of McCook fell just one win short of advancing to the 2004 American Poolplayers Association 8-Ball Doubles National Championships. Miner and Shafer were defeated by a Cozad team in the finals of the APA 8-Ball Doubles Tournament at Charley's last weekend...

Nate Baumann (right) takes a plunge into the cool waters of the McCook Municipal Pool, Tuesday. Nearly 100 swimmers had hit the water within five minutes of the grand opening. The pool has gone through major renovations which began in March. (Above) Mary Forgue (front, second from left) was honored as the first life guard at the pool when it opened 75 years ago. ...

Good Earth Gardeners give praise for the earth, water and sun -- and for beautiful weather the morning of the club's annual summer garden tour July 5. The tour included nine gardens, with highlights that ranged from Phil and Mary Pate's miniature farmstead complete with a tiny cactus garden, to Pam and Lonnie Schilz's mountain lake retreat sheltered by cedar trees...

America Recycles Day Inc. and the Nebraska State Recycling Association plan a grand opening and tours at "The House that Recycling Built," in McCook, July 24, 25 and 26. National and state officials plan a ribbon cutting Thursday, July 24, at 10:30 a.m., followed by refreshments, house tours and displays of building products...

Saturday's high temperature of 87 degrees was a welcome relief to the Push America bicycle team as they traveled 95 miles from Wray, Colo., to McCook, only a fraction of the 3,910 miles they will traverse between San Francisco and Washington, DC. According to public relations coordinator Kevin Tu, the team has encountered several 100 degree plus days as they have made their way east...

Employees of First Central Bank in McCook join other Habitat for Humanity volunteers Saturday to continue construction of the Habitat House at 805 West K Street. The siding is almost completed, windows are in and the sheetrock has been installed inside. First Central Bank team members also provided pizza for the entire crew. Work will continue each Saturday through Aug. 16, the scheduled completion date...

EATON, Colo. -- Janie Margaret Dinnel, 73, of McCook, died Monday (July 14, 2003) in Eaton, Colo. She was born March 31, 1930, to Samuel and Elizabeth (Hoover) Rowley in Wauneta. She grew up in Hitchcock County and graduated from Stratton High School in Stratton in 1946. She began working for Mountain Bell Telephone as an operator in Colorado Springs, Colo., before coming to McCook where she worked with North Western Bell. She later became a service representative for the telephone company...