Stories from Wednesday, January 2, 2008

Oct. 24, 1920 - Jan. 1, 2008 TRENTON -- Doris Elaine Lippold, 87, died Tuesday (Jan. 1, 2008) at Community Hospital in McCook. She was born Oct. 24, 1920, in Ludell Township, in Rawlins County to Joseph and Ruth (Henningson) Goltl. She grew up on a farm in Rawlins County and attended Lonesome View District 17 and Herndon High School, graduating in 1938...

Aug. 24, 1921 - Dec. 28, 2007 KEARNEY -- Dale V. Groshong, 86, formerly of Kearney and Denver, Colo., died Friday (Dec. 28, 2007) at the Nebraska Veterans Home in Grand Island. He was born Aug. 24, 1921, in Woodruff, Kan., to Albert C. and Bessie H. ...

The family of Rick and Tracy Ruggles is requesting a card shower in honor of the couple's 30th wedding anniversary, Jan. 3. Their children are Jeff and wife, Kelcy, Jim and wife, Lori and Jennifer Ruggles, all of McCook. They have three grandchildren. Cards of congratulations will reach the couple at P O Box 29, McCook, NE 69001.

Organizers of the Buffalo Commons Storytelling Festival announced the lineup for the 2008 festival. The two-day festival, slated for the weekend of May 30 and 31, will feature appearances by storytellers Barbara McBride-Smith and Andy Offutt Irwin, as well as the musical ensemble, Boulder Acoustic Society...

Old Scrooge had to pay up as the people of the McCook area rose to the Harpst Challenge, contributing more than $75,000 to the McCook Community Foundation fund. As a result, Scrooge, known locally as Don Harpst, and his wife, Alice, gave an additional $25,000 to the community foundation. ...

The Gazette's New Year's Baby of 2008 appears to be Blake Alan Hagan, born Tuesday, Jan. 1, at 2:08 p.m., to Dawn and Bruce Hagan Jr. of Culbertson. If no earlier baby is reported to the Gazette by 9 a.m., Thursday, Jan. 3, little Blake Hagan officially will be declared the first baby born in Southwest Nebraska and Northwest Kansas in 2008...

It wouldn't be wise to put too much stock into a survey conducted by a high school class, but we don't see reason to doubt the one conducted by a Grand Island Senior High School modern problems class. Four students created and distributed about 1,900 surveys, got about 1,200 back and found 1,120 of those usable -- that's already a success rate that should impress anyone who's ever tried to conduct a survey...

In reference to "Group opposes in-town site," the article made the hair on my neck itch. I pray I am reading the article wrong, but fear I see ignorance and bigotry, of a sort, involved here. I loved that bit saying our National Guard and Army Reserve "are potential targets for terrorist attacks." I didn't know we had any military bases located in the Twin Towers. Hmmm!...

Some days, for a writer, a blank page is a wonderful thing. A clean slate, ready to be filled with winsome words, a sweet tale to tell, or an idea that's just too good not to share. Other days, that blank page is a mockery, a world where there is nothing but linen twisting nights of restless sleep, for want of something meaningful to share...