Wednesday, January 18, 2017

NEWS ROUNDUP: 40 Years Ago, DHS Industrial Arts Building Got The Go-Ahead

Dorchester School Board in 1977.

* DHS Industrial Arts Building Turns 40 Years Old: Records show the DHS industrial arts building is about to hit the big 4-0. It was in 1977 the DPS Board -- comprised of Bob Kasl, Wayne Hansen, Phil Weber, Chuck Bolton, Kathy Palky, and Alan Slepicka --- voted to give the OK for construction of a new building dedicated to industrial arts.  Forty years later, many areas of the nation, including our own, suffer from a serious shortage of skilled workers who specialize in trades such as welding, plumbing, automotive repair and electrical.  That's due, in part, to school officials and parents who have de-emphasized and even ridiculed the importance of vocational education.  Yet have you noticed how many unskilled, four-year-school graduates today are working retail or unemployed, saddled with thousands in student loan debt and living at home? Something's broken.

* DHS Girls Are Contenders In Class D-2 Ranking: The Lincoln Journal Star has the DHS girls basketball team listed as contenders in the statewide Class D-2 rankings for this week. The Lady Longhorns have won the last seven of eight games, handily defeating High Plains, East Butler and Sterling in recent days.  Under the tutelage of head coach and Dorchester alum Brandon Bruha, DHS' record now stands at 8-5 overall.  Up next is Shelby-Rising City in an away contest Thursday. The Crossroads Conference tournament begins in York on Saturday and continues into the following week.

* DHS Students Will Have School Feb. 15: DPS will be hosting the Crossroads Conference Junior High and High School Quiz Bowls on Wednesday, Feb. 15.  The original DPS calendar had listed no school for K-9 on Feb. 15.  However, this was changed at the January school board meeting to no school for K-8.  Grades 9-12 will be in school from 8:10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. on Feb. 15, so high school students can work on annual assessments.


* Senator Ebke Joins Legislature's White Guilt P.C. Club: Years ago, it was fairly easy to distinguish the malcontents among us.  One way was to watch certain white people, who thought they were well educated, get their panties in a bunch over Columbus Day. That's the day that most of us recognize the trials of the Italian explorer who wrote the first chapter of the New World by advancing western civilization. (No, not all civilizations evolved equally.)  But in an era of collective white guilt, often fueled by public education and media, it has become more difficult to pinpoint the malcontents, especially if you're not on social media. Thanks to legislative bill 485 offered by liberal state lawmaker Patty Pansing Brooks of Lincoln (a well-to-do, white attorney), it just got easier. Pansing Brooks hopes to kill Columbus Day in Nebraska and instead create a state holiday to honor Ponca chief Standing Bear and other Native American leaders.  Six affluent, white senators have cosponsored the bill, including state Senator Laura Ebke of Crete.  Despite his faults as judged by 2017 standards, Columbus took on the jabbering naysayers of his time with courageous action and in doing so, changed the world. He lived in the reality of his era, not one of theory, philosophy or bill writing.  In this time of much talk, we could use more like him now. Yep, Columbus Day -- and you thought they had important work to do at the Capitol.  

12 comments:

  1. I find the manner in which this article is written to be a bit shallow myself. It seems as though it is more of a chance to act as though you are above others with differing beliefs (there seems to be a lot of that going on these days).
    On the other hand, oh the atrocities; to think that public education influences the people of today's world to do their research on what truly happened in historic events. Christoper Columbus has faults when judged by not only today's standards, but he also had faults when being judged by his peers at the time of his rule. There were many many reports and complaints against him of tyrannic rule.

    His era was also during the renaissance, which just so happens to be a time that was alive with theory and philosophy. As for bill writing, they did not have democracies to vote on bills per se, but rather had decisions forced upon people by the Kings and Queens of the time.

    If only there were more leaders like Columbus in the world. More tyrants, that is, such as Kim Jung or Fidel Castro or Adolf Hitler for example. Not attempting to add to the list of those who chastise Donald Trump, but it sounds as though you are hopeful that upon his inaguration he will begin to torture people for exercising their first amendment rights or petty crimes and then proceeding to parade them through the streets.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I see vil deleted my comment about calling the person above an intellectual kiddie pool. Nice. I'll keep writing comment.s

      Delete
    2. What do you believe warrants the comment of an "intellectual kiddie pool"?

      Delete
    3. I should be more clear, why do you feel that way. I.E. why do you believe the comment shows a small brain?

      Delete
    4. To Anonymous at 9:18 AM:

      From the bottom of my heart, I want to sincerely thank you for weighing in on the Columbus Day issue.

      Because of your words, your courage, your thoughts, we all know how FREAKING CRAZY the MOON BAT LEFT is in this country.

      Your big fan,

      Michael

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    5. Michael,

      What is it you believe in the comment warrants an accusation of crazyness? At the same time, what do you believe shows that I am on the "MOON BAT LEFT"? In reality, I consider myself a conservative; I fail to find any evidence in the comment to contradict that myself.

      Delete
  2. No more votes for Ebke from this conservative! This is not meant to disparage Chief Standing Bear who was a fine example of a true Nebraskan, but leave Columbus alone and do something constructive for Pete's sake!

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  3. I see laura ebke is not running again!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Count 1: ebke campaigned as a conservative republican, then switched parties after being elected
      Count 2: ebke voted to repeal the death penalty despite overwhelming support for it in her district
      Count 3: ebke thinks trashing columbus day is now a priority
      Verdict: ebke is an embarassment

      Delete
  4. Go Lady Longhorns!!!!

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  5. I'm so glad someone is running against Ebke. He has my vote!

    ReplyDelete

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