Dorchester Times: Work Progressing On New Park Shelter

Saturday, September 8, 2007

Work Progressing On New Park Shelter

Those who have recently passed by the city park have noticed that much progress has been made on the new park shelter.

The roof is competed; there are sidewalks extending to the bathrooms, as well as to the existing sidewalks; there is a spot for the grills; and the storage area -- where electrical switches and serving tables will be kept -- is in place.

Picnic tables were assembled last weekend and placed in the shelter.

The new park shelter is a key improvement, and is one of the first projects initiated by the Dorchester Area Community Foundation (DACF) -- not to be confused with the Dorchester Area Community Association (DACA). Many area residents, former residents and DHS alumni have contributed to this project. The Foundation also received a $16,200 matching grant from the Nebraska Game and Parks.

The initial bid for the 30’x 40’ shelter was $39,000. The shelter features a concrete floor and gable roof, with lighting and electrical sockets. Donations are still needed for extras such as landscaping.

For those wishing to help with this important project or other improvements,

send donations to DACF, P.O. Box 115, Dorchester, NE 68343. All donations to the Foundation are tax deductible and can be specified for a specific fund or to the general fund.

To learn about donation options and benefits, contact DACF secretary Peg Bergmeyer at pegbergmeyer@yahoo.com or 946-2471.

Bergmeyer also reminds area resident to donate their aluminum cans by dropping them in the Cans-For-The-Park wagon, located near the park basketball court.

12 comments:

AnonymousSeptember 9, 2007 at 10:03 PM
The shelter is looking great. Thanks to the leaders who made this happen and thanks to everyone who donated. I hope all the people who use the park appreciate this big improvement and ask themselves how they can help make our town a better place to live. Every day when I drive past the shelter its a reminder that I can do a little more.
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AnonymousSeptember 10, 2007 at 6:57 AM
I sure hope the teenagers that hang at the park will respect this new project that has gone up.
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AnonymousSeptember 10, 2007 at 8:57 AM
I agree, the park is looking great. Good job to the DACF. I just hope that the new facilities do not get vandalized like every old piece of equipment at the park was. Would be sad to such hard work be disrespected like that. Keep up the good work!!
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AnonymousSeptember 10, 2007 at 10:40 AM
To stop vandalism by kids you got to give them ownership in the project ........... it would be great to see the school have a volunteer day in which the kids can do landscaping around the shelter or other projects to help in the city park..............
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AnonymousSeptember 10, 2007 at 2:56 PM
I live across from the park and I can tell everyone that my pellet gun will be put to use if I see vandalization anywhere at the park. No need to call the cops.
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AnonymousSeptember 10, 2007 at 3:15 PM
OMG, that's just what we need, a vigilante protecting the park.

Shoot away, but I hope you have an attorney on retainer.
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AnonymousSeptember 10, 2007 at 4:44 PM
i cant believe that the blog people would let a comment like that be placed here.....

not good
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Village DwellerSeptember 10, 2007 at 4:54 PM
Which comment are you refering to, Anonymous?

The Marine's comment was removed within 15 minutes of its posting, if that is what you are refering to.

You're right; it was not appropriate -- even if the reader was talking about his pellet gun.

Thanks for checking our editing work.
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AnonymousSeptember 10, 2007 at 6:40 PM
I think that it was a great commit because you never know about young kids getting on here and see what people have to say. I think they should put video cameras up but not actually be working to give the kids a scare and have a sign saying cameras in use.
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AnonymousSeptember 15, 2007 at 10:15 AM
Yes i think it looks great but i have one question. what was the final cost of this project.
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AnonymousSeptember 15, 2007 at 11:34 AM
I think the survalance cameras should be in working order and the parents of the kids caught vandalizing anything should have to pay to repair or replace items vandalized.Then maybe the parents would try better to keep the kids off the streets. Also love the idea about the kids and ownership.
Maybe helping with the landscaping would work great. Needs to be a school project that all students have to take part in. If it's volunteer basis only. The only kids that will volunteer are the ones that won't be vandalizing anyway.
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AnonymousSeptember 17, 2007 at 9:21 PM
To Anonymous regarding the cost of the park shelter. As soon as the shelter is complete & all the bills are turned in, we'll update the Times readers on its final cost.
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Dorchester: A Good Little Family Town

Dorchester, Nebraska (est. population 630) is located in northern Saline county. Close in proximity to Interstate 80, Dorchester is only 25 minutes from the state capital of Lincoln (est. population 250,000) and about 55 minutes from Omaha (metro population 725,000).

Dorchester's median resident age is 37 years. In 2005, Dorchester had a median family income of approximately $35,600. The median house value was about $63,000. About 95 percent of Dorchester residents commute to work via Interstate and highways.

The village has a quality public school, which received a $4.1 million expansion and modernization in 2008; it offers a small classrooms and individualized attention. Total enrollment of grades K-12 is around 230-250 students.

Ancestries of the Dorchester area are primarily German (42.4%), Czech (24.9%), Irish (12.5%), English (5.4%), and Dutch (4.9%).

Dorchester Historical Facts

* On July 4, 1871, the railroad reached Dorchester.
* Incorporated in 1881, Dorchester's population grew from 200 to 500 by 1882.
* In 1882, Dorchester had 90 buildings, 35 of which were businesses or public facilities. Brick buildings lined both sides of Washington Avenue for two blocks.
* Dorchester's longest-running newspaper was The Dorchester Star, which was published until the late 1940s.
* By 1889, Dorchester's population is said to have reached 800, while the town housed an opera house, a two-story brick schoolhouse with a bell tower, and four churches.
* By the 1910s, Dorchester had electricity, a water tower and a fire department.
* Dorchester's main arteries, Highways 6 and 33, were graveled in the 1940s.
* Dorchester's first irrigation well was drilled on Chris Weber's farm and rural electrification was finished following WWII.

A Village with History

Dorchester is one of the "alphabet towns" on the Burlington & Missouri River Railroad line built west from Lincoln. The town site was selected for its pleasant location in the northern part of Saline County, about eight miles west of Crete. This situation is an attractive one, being on the level prairie land, midway between the West Blue River and Turkey Creek. The first named stream is three miles north, and the latter about the same distance south from the town. Dorchester was platted in 1870 and incorporated in 1881. The name "Dorchester" came from either for a suburb of Boston by that name or a town in England. No one is sure. Two of the very first settlers were James Seely and Edward McIntyre, who both made Dorchester their permanent home.

Dorchester: In The Beginning

Here is a look at Dorchester around 1890, less than a decade after its official incorporation, as documented by Andreas' History of the State of Nebraska:
* POPULATION: "About 300, and is made up of a substantial and progressive class of citizens, who are moral and industrious. ... The town grew but very little until the year 1879, for the reason that Pleasant Hill, on Turkey Creek, a short distance south, was the county seat and naturally drew a trade for quite a large scope of country."
* BUSINESS: "The business and professional interests of the town are represented by three general merchandise stores, two drug, one grocery, one furniture, two hardware, and two millinery stores, one bank, two restaurants, two hotels, three livery stables, a post office, one newspaper office, two elevators, two lumber yards, two coal yards, two blacksmith shops, two lawyers and four physicians."
* SCHOOL: "The schoolhouse is a good one. The schoolhouse was built in 1872, since which time the public schools have been continually kept up. The present schoolhouse is 24' x 40' in size, two stories high. The school is graded and consists of three departments. The house is found too small, and arrangements will soon be made to increase its size."
* CHURCHES: "There are three substantial churches."
* HOMES: "The residence portion of the village is made up of neat houses of different styles of architecture, but none of them very large."
* NEWSPAPER: "The Dorchester Star, which was established August 21, 1881, by H. C. Bittenbender, who edited it until January 19, 1882, when he sold it to Ryerson & Bullock, the present proprietors. The Star is a bright weekly paper, five-column quarto, in size, and is Republican in politics."