The Lincoln Journal Star reports that Gov. Dave Heineman has announced $5.1 million in Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funding for projects in 35 communities across the state.
These grants are distributed as part of the state’s annual allocation of CDBG funding from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. As the Times has mentioned on several occasions, these grants provide smaller communities like Dorchester an excellent resource to address infrastructure challenges, including the paving of streets.
Point and case: One of the towns receiving CDBG funds is right down the road on Highway 6. Fairmont will receive $20,000 to undertake a streets improvement study. Regardless of where you stand on the issue of paving Dorchester's streets, it is difficult to argue against such a study.
Unfortunately, to our knowledge, the Village of Dorchester has never applied for a CDBG grant. Never. Not once. Nunca. (A little Spanish lingo for some our friends at the Crete News.) At least not in recent memory.
That our local government has never sought to tap this source of federal funding, which is up for grabs, is a shame. There's no other way to put it.
For a community to show progress and improvement, or at least maintain what it has, persistent leadership is required. But so is interaction from the citizenry. When is the last time you have spoken to a Village board member about the needs of our community? The staff of the Times pleads guilty as anyone to inaction on this issue.
So consider this our plea to the Village Board: We ask board members to please seriously explore grant opportunities and other assistance available at the state and federal levels -- for help with streets, water or sewer, or a number of other challenges. One simple call to the Nebraska Department of Economic Development might do wonders. And it won't cost a dime. Also, a town hall held by board members would provide much needed communication between residents and village leadership. We think such an event in warranted.
In the meantime, we hope that we aren't the only ones sounding this message. We realize our elected local leaders aren't mind readers. Residents of Dorchester need to do a better job communicating.
Saline Center, a representative from the nation’s largest wind energy development company pitched the creation of a wind farm in central Saline County to a group of about 50 landowners, according to the Lincoln Journal Star. A development manager for Denver-based Renewable Energy Systems Americas Inc., explained to his audience that his company has been looking at the development of wind energy resources in six Saline County townships for the past year. The Journal Star article reports that it would be feasible, company representatives said, to build an 80-turbine wind farm in central Saline County, altering the appearance and economy of the county and generating up to $12,000 per year per a wind turbine for landowners. Thursday night's pitch from RES, which also developed Nebraska's largest wind farm, near Ainsworth, was the second such proposal the county has heard in the past month, said Randy Pryor, a University Of Nebraska extension educator in Saline County, and also a local land owner. District 32 Sen. Russ Karpisek of Wilber said landowners need to make sure they know what they're getting into before they sign any contracts. A bill (LB629) passed in 2007 by the Nebraska Legislature, makes it easier for private companies to work with the Nebraska Public Power District to develop wind energy. Pryor doesn't deny the prospect of the wind farm is exciting."It would totally change the way the middle of Saline County would look," he said. "That would be the largest project in the state."
only $3. 
