Stories from Wednesday, April 21, 2004

Brandon Crick edges out Tyler Lawson in playoff for medalist honors A constant 30-mph wind turned Heritage Hills Golf Course into a "House of Haunted Horrors" during the McCook Invitational on Tuesday. McCook navigated their way through the maze of blowing tumbleweeds, suffocating native grasses and sandy, aerated greens in dominating fashion as they used their experience and knowledge of their home course to cruise away with the top team score of 310 and the top two individual positions...

NORTH PLATTE -- The McCook High School girls tennis team won 5-of-9 varsity matches Tuesday at North Platte. Kim Serbousek and Regina Rawlings won at Nos. 1 and 2 singles. Natlaie Brooks won at No. 4 singles and Jennifer Chmiel won at No. 6 singles...

IMPERIAL -- The Chase County-Imperial Longhorns had a good day at their own track meet on Tuesday with the girls taking the team title and the boys finishing in the runner-up position. The Longhorns finished with 158 points with Ogallala in second at 148...

LITTLETON, Colo. -- The McCook Community College softball team split a doubleheader at Littleton, Colo., Tuesday against Arapahoe Junior College. The Arapahoe Coyotes won the opener 6-3. Jenn Giles pitched six innings, allowed six runs (four earned) on six hits, walked four and struck out one...

McCook Titans baseball team 2nd at Kearney KEARNEY -- The McCook Titans sixth grade baseball team competed in their first tournament of the year at Kearney last weekend. The Titans placed second in the two-day tournament. Saturday, the Titans played Grand Island and won with a score of 7-2. Shane Wallen hit a home run, and both Connor Larson and Cody Broomfield hit singles. Cody Broomfield was the winning pitcher...

June 24, 1939-April 19, 2004 THORNTON, Colo. -- Darrel John Fortin, 64, died Monday (April 19, 2004) at St. Anthony North in Thornton, Colo. He was born June 24, 1939, to Eugene and Mabel (Pavlicek) Fortin in Leoville. He was raised in the Leoville area and attended St. Rita School for the Deaf in Cincinnati, Ohio...

Oct. 19, 1914-April 18, 2004 COLBY, Kan. -- Elizabeth Ellen Thayer, 89, died Sunday (April 18, 2004) at Prairie Senior Living Complex in Colby, Kan. She was born Oct. 19, 1914, to Grover and Jennie (Walkey) Hoppas in Dresden. She was raised in Rexford and attend schools in there. She graduated from Rexford High School...

July 14, 1984-April 9, 2004 PFC Chance R. Phelps, 19, of Riverton, Wyo., died on Good Friday, April 9, 2004, while serving his country as a Marine in Iraq. He was born July 14, 1984, to John Phelps and Gretchen (Pollnow) Mack in Dubois, Wyo. Chance graduated high school in 2003 in Palisade, Colo. ...

June 17, 1934-April 19, 2004 AMES, Iowa -- Charles "Chuck" LeRoy Murray, 69, of Boone, Iowa, died on Monday (April 19, 2004) at the Israel Family Hospice House in Ames, Iowa from complications of cancer. He was born June 17, 1934, in Madrid, Iowa, to Carl & Mary Magdelina (Walker) Murray. He attended school in Madrid, Iowa...

Oct. 14, 1921-April 19, 2004 BEATRICE -- Evelyn E. Marsh, 82, died Monday (April 19, 2004) at the Beatrice Good Samaritan Care Center in Beatrice. She was born Oct. 14, 1921, in Wilsonville. She graduated from Wilsonville High School in 1939. She was married to Fenton Butricks and they later divorced. She moved to Beatrice in 1945...

While the 60 day session of the Nebraska Legislature may be finished, the work is far from over for Nebraska Sen. Tom Baker of Trenton. With issues continuing on ethanol, water, telecommunications, and the Nebraska Work Ethic Camp, just to name a few, Sen. Baker said the business of the state didn't end when the Legislature went home last week...

The Prairie Statesmen will present another evening of harmonious singing Saturday, 7:30 p.m., at the McCook City Auditorium. The statesmen host "Sentimental Harmonies" a barbershop-singing show featuring barbershop style chorus singing and quartet performances...

Children suffer when crime tears a family apart. Young and vulnerable, they are stripped of their safety and support by violent and unlawful acts. Can anything be done? Thankfully -- at long last -- the answer is yes. Through a nationwide movement called CASA, court-appointed special advocates are now devoting one-on-one attention to children in the court system...

**Dear Editor, Whether you are a Republican or a Democrat, it will be your loss if you don't watch "The Conversation" with Frank Morrison and Bob Kerrey on NETV Channel 13 Sunday night at 8 p.m. CDT. I do not have the words to describe how wonderful, how full of history it was and how much it meant to me. ...

**Dear Editor, I am so disgusted by some people. I really am frustrated. I have been looking forward to the senior art show for years. I don't know why they have to have it at the HAL thing and I think that's stupid. I think the senior art show should be a completely separate event...

**Dear Editor, Here are some official ACLU policy positions that you and Gazette readers may be interested in: The ACLU supports legalized child pornography, partial birth abortion, legalized drugs, legalized prostitution, mandatory sex education, busing, ideological tests for court appointees, legalized polygamy, tax-exempt status for satanists, unrestricted abortion, publicly funded profane art, adoption by homosexuals, extended constitutional protection for enemy soldiers while bearing arms against the United States.. ...

**Dear Editor, This is a letter received by Garnet McConville from her son-in-law stationed in the Middle East. Have I tried any local food? I have only tried a dried fruit given to me by one of the water truck drivers. It was almost like candy. Do they eat camels and do they taste like chicken? They do eat camels, but I have never seen or tasted the meat...

The pastor at our home church in Brighton issued a specific challenge one spring in the mid-'90s as part of a "50-Day Adventure" Bible study series. Participants were to diligently watch for and record "God sightings" throughout the week and report them to their small group at weekly meetings. It was an excellent exercise, fine-tuning our eyes to see the hand of God at work in our most ordinary of days...