Stories from Tuesday, January 20, 2004

One McCook City Council member expressed his disappointment and another his anger after a three of their companions voted to abandon the city's northern well field plan. Speakers were set up in the hallway for the overflow crowd of nearly 100 McCook and Frontier County residents who gathered to listen and participate in the debate...

COLUMBUS -- A slow start doomed the McCook Community College men's basketball team as they lost a close 80-75 decision to Central Community College on Saturday. CCC started the game firing in 14 of their first 20 shots and held a lead as large as 16 points in the first half...

Nellie Lucett (Wear) Halley, 83, of McCook, formerly of Curtis, died Sunday, Jan. 18, 2004, at Hillcrest Nursing Home in McCook. She was born April 30, 1920, to Ira and Christy Ellen Adkisson Wear at Ingham. She was married to Gerald J. Halley, on June 26, 1935 at Elwood. ...

CAMBRIDGE -- Edith E. Haussler, 90, died Saturday (Jan. 17, 2004) at the age of 90. She was born Aug. 9, 1913, to William H. and Edith H. (Tibbetts) Farr in Frontier County near Eustis. She attended rural school in Frontier County. The family moved near Holbrook so she could attend Holbrook High School. She graduated in 1931...

NORTH PLATTE -- Dave and Angela Allen of McCook announce the birth of their daughter, Lillian Cassie, Wednesday (Jan. 7, 2004) at Great Plains Regional Medical Center in North Platte. She weighed 10 pounds and 7.75 ounces and 21 1/2 inches long. Grandparents are Dan and Laura Petersen of Mission, S.D., Joan and Dick Dike of McCook, the late Donald Allen and the late Marian Allen...

LINCOLN -- Jessica Hall qualified for the State Diving Meet at the Lincoln High Invite Saturday. Hall scored a total of 319.70 points to earn her bid to state. The Nebraska state Swimming and Diving Championships are scheduled for Feb. 26-28. Hall placed second in that event and eighth in the 100 backstroke...

The McCook Public Schools board of education Monday evening agreed to seek a bond company and construction manager for the $5.3 million elementary school project tax payers will vote on in May. Educators also heard from the real estate agent who will sell the now-surplus West Ward elementary building, hired a new Spanish teacher and elected officers for the new year...

Just a few short weeks ago, the McCook United Way drive chairman and board of directors were worried, wondering how they were going to reach the 2003 drive goal of $85,000. "Deep into the drive, the gifts were still trickling in. We were beginning to wonder if we had bitten off more than we could chew," said the chairman of the 2003 United Way drive, Dennis Berry. After all, the United Way board had thrown down a huge challenge for the community, setting the highest goal in McCook's history...

**Dear Editor, I would like to comment on a letter by Bill donze on 1-13 A.D. 2004. Just because you don't believe that speeding kills and maims, doesn't change the facts. Ask an expert on speeding and its consequences, a patrolman or a race car driver. Fines are a form of discipline. Hit someone in the wallet to cause disobedience to become unpleasant. Rebellion is sin. Sin is progressive, which means that each time you sin and get away with it, you sin worse the next time...

**Dear Editor, The Memorial United Methodist Youth would like to challenge area churches to participate in Souper Bowl Sunday on Feb. 1, 2004. The Methodist youth will be serving soup and sandwiches after the 10:30 worship service. The free will donation can be caned goods or a monetary offering. All proceeds go directly to the McCook Pantry in an effort to restock the shelves after the holidays...

Remember when you couldn't drink coffee? Man did it look and smell good. All the grown-ups did it, so it must be cool. "No, you can't have any," you were told. "It will stunt your growth." Checking the scale, I wish I would have started drinking it sooner...

In a World-Herald column Jan. 10 by titled "amnesty for illegals would hurt the U.S.," Bill says Bush wants to allow about 10 million illegal aliens to live and work in the U.S., a calculated political move. He is betting that his supporters, many of whom will not like the amnesty, will vote for him anyway, especially if Howard Dean is his opponent. By showing compassion to millions of hispanic illegals, Bush hopes to win some hearts and minds, and most importantly, votes...

The big manipulator, Bush, keeps trying to convince us that one of the reasons he invaded Iraq is because Saddam was such a despicable, murderous person, which he was. But another such person, Charles Taylor, dictator of Liberia, was just as bad if not worse. He is credited with killing thousands of his people, too. Bush put some of our troops in Liberia, put ships in the harbor and let Charles walk into exile in Nigeria without lifing a finger...

On Ted Koppel's Nightline Wednesday, Jan. 14, they showed the contrast inside Baghdad of the American headquarters called th Green Zone, and the devastation that Iraqis have to live in. The Green Zone is one of Saddam's castles. It has lots of offices, luxurious swimming pools, green manicured lawns and concrete walls and barbed wire around it to keep the insurgents out...

Car vs. pickup Bill Donze, If someone driving a '74 Mercury Marquis going 90 miles an hour drives into the back of your rusty old pickup as you are slowing down to turn a corner, if you live through it, your attitude will be adjusted concerning speeding tickets. I rest my case, your honor...

Kudos to Michael Gonzales for such a well written, thoughtful reply to the man who criticized the elevator being put in at the Y. Some people just don't get it. Thank goodness Mike does.

If you're moving your child from one school to another this fall, please be aware of the option enrollment dates. These papers must be completed and turned in by a certain date. Check with your present school to find out its deadlines. March 1 is a good date to shoot for. Happy opting!...