It's beginning to look a lot like a construction boom in the village. Even businesses on Main Street are seeing additions and upgrades. (*Editors' note: Business owners may send photos and updates on their improvements to Dorchester.Times@gmail.com)Most notably, work on the Dorchester School renovation project has begun. Approved by a margin of 61 percent to 39 percent last month by district patrons, the new high school and elementary facilities are slated to be open by the beginning of the 2008-09 school year, according to Superintendent Don Peiper.
Construction on the western portion of the project will be ongoing through the rest of this year and into the spring, as the gymnasium side of the school campus will be totally enclosed. Demolition of the 1927 building will go ahead in mid-to-late May of next year. The new construction -- including new high school classrooms, multi-purpose rooms and administration offices -- will total 33,500 square feet.
In addition to new elementary, junior high and high school additions, other improvements will include a new multipurpose/liberal arts room that can serve as a gym, as well as a new wrestling room and administrative offices.
Another new construction site includes the new Dorchester City Park shelter -- the first new construction project initiated by the Dorchester Area Community Foundation (DACF). The project appears to be nearing its completion. Many area residents, former residents and DHS alumni have contributed to this project, which totals around $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. Those wishing to help should send donations to DACF, P.O. Box 115, Dorchester, NE 68343. Donations are tax deductible. For more information, contact Peg Bergmeyer at pegbergmeyer@yahoo.com or 946-2471. 
I think more housing construction will be coming soon. Lots are available in the NW part of town near the Hwy 6 spur. I think Ron Zoubek is the homebuilder and developer. This would be great housing for a young couple.
ReplyDeleteI think people will start to build, but it won't be until a couple of years until the school is done. I think people will see how it goes, and then we will see housing starting to go. The house market is very slow right now. The school will be the starting block for the housing. I will be glad to see the town grow, bringing new people, and maybe even bringing some others back. I think within five years, you will see many things change, with gods will.
ReplyDeleteThings are changing in Dorchester. I noticed a few houses/yards that once were eye sores have been cleaned up (across the church for example). It is good to see.
ReplyDeleteCan we please think about paving the streets. Nobody is going to move here if they have to drive on mud streets or have dust blowing all over their house from the streets. The school is nice but we need the TOWN to look nice. That takes cooperation from all but mostly the CITY COUNCIL AND EMPLOYEES need to do SOMETHING INSTEAD OF NOTHING.
ReplyDeleteI second that motion. PAVE THE STREETS VILLAGE BOARD.
ReplyDeleteAmen, brother Bob! Tom Osborne should have never retired from football. New Orleans should have never been built below sea level. And Dorchester should have paved its streets in 1979. Let's go back and correct that mistake. It's never too late to do the right thing.
ReplyDeleteplease dont start something that is never going to happen.
ReplyDeleteLet's keep the momentum going and push for pavement. There was a time for dirt streets and that was when they had to adsorb horse urine.
ReplyDeleteFor gosh sakes, let's pave the most traveled streets in Dorchester. Like it or not, we are 30 miles from Lincoln. We can grow if we want to.
ReplyDeleteLike it or not, we aren't going to live forever. Dorchester will be around long after we are gone. How will we leave it for the next generation? Do we even care??
Like it or not, we are building a new school, which is great, but paving right now will almost be impossible for some. People move to Dorchester because of it being such a small town, back in the day we had more business, and right now I can only count6 business, that are open full time. Little by little the town is getting better, but lets wait till the school is up and running and maybe in five years, lets talk then and see how much things it will bring, rememeber rome wasn't built in a day.
ReplyDeleteI think the park shelter is nice but Why are the lights left on all night long? You can drive by at all hours of the night and they are always on. How about the Village save some money by shutting off the lights at the shelter when no one is there! Invest in a timer if they want the lights on at certain times in the evening.
ReplyDeleteThe lights on are sensors, so they come on at night, I believe. This is to keep kids from vandalizing the building. When the lights are on people can see what is going on there, but if the basketball court lights are on they need to be shut off if nobody is using the court.
ReplyDeleteThe Lights on the court have always been on the pole. It is up to the people using it to shut them off. Maybe the parents of Dorchester should keep track of their kids, and then maybe they will be at home terrorizing them. What's the point of putting money into something that not a month later gets destroyed? I haven't heard much about the new school. I have heard that they were expanding and adding onto the existing school. I would like a plan posted or a projected view of the new school and the additions on this website as opposed to the A&A website. They just show what the actual should look like and not the timeline as to when it will be done. As for the paving of the streets; I wrote before, with much following, we need to pave. Maybe we need to get some price projections out there so people know what they are actually talking about. Home owners are liable for 50% in front of their property. The other 50% is accountable for the person or persons living across the street from the owner. We are also liable for the corner pavings on either side of the house. My advice to everyone who wants paving is to talk to your neighbors. We can have a petition to pave the streets. A lot of the property in Dorchester is owned by and individual or individuals in a co-op for rental property. This brings the cost for these individuals up. RAISE YOUR RENT! We need this! We are already making this community better by renovating the school, why not just keep going and add some paved roads??? The Village of Dorchester monthly meetings are open the public. We need to make a point to be there and verbally let them know what is going on and how we feel. They will listen! We just need a few individuals to come forward and voice an opinion to make this community a better place for us and our children!
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