Time to move forward on water issue

With just two months to go before a decision must be made, no clear direction has been determined for solving McCook's water problems.

A mass of information has been gathered and many opinions have been exchanged.

Now it's time to move to the next phase: consensus building. Tonight's Water Advisory meeting could be the turning point ... the time to start moving from talk to action. After months of meetings, it's time for the citizen advisors to wrap up their work and send their recommendations to the council.

According to Jack Daniel, the city must select a solution by Nov. 4, 2002, and submit the solution in writing to the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services by Dec. 2, 2002.

It's time to settle this.

All sides have been heard. Now, it's time to give-and-take and go forward.

Boost for firefighters

The McCook Fire Department deserves congratulations for taking the steps necessary to get a $48,420 grant from the Firefighters Grant Program.

They had competition, as more than 19,000 fire departments applied for grant awards this year. But the local firemen persevered, going through a national peer review to obtain the award.

The grant will allow the McCook Fire Department to purchase bunker gear and PASS devices. At a combined cost of $2,300 to $2,800 per fireman, the equipment will do much to ensure the safety of our fire-fighting force.

Chief Marc Harpham praised his department and Sen. Ben Nelson for their help and support in obtaining the grant. In the end, it is the people of this area who will benefit through upgraded fire equipment and service.

Change in the weather

What a beautiful morning it was! After the long hot summer, temperatures dipped into the 50s, reminding us that fall is not far away.

School, football, and -- soon -- falling leaves. Ah, the joys of autumn. It starts in September, and the cool late summer mornings offer us a reminder of the approaching change in seasons.