Election Day is less than 30 days away. Residents of Dorchester and its school district face some tough choices on Nov. 4, including deciding who will represent them on the village and school boards.
According to Nebraska Secretary of State John Gale, registered voters can vote early at county election offices or by mail. Also, people should update their voter registration if they have moved. The last day to register in-person at county offices is Oct. 24. Registered voters can make requests until 4 p.m. Oct. 29 for early-voting ballots to be mailed. For more information on registration and early voting, contact the Secretary of State's office at (402) 471-2555 or your local county election office.
Here in Dorchester, local races are dominating much of the current political talk -- primarily the races for school board and village board.
THE RACE FOR SCHOOL BOARD
Three seats are open on the Dorchester Board of Education. The primary election last spring eliminated one school board candidate, while allowing three others to emerge as popular choices among the voters.
The results of the May vote were as follows:
- Kahle (incumbent) -- 170 votes;
- Zoubek -- 131 votes;
- Boller (incumbent) -- 120 votes;
- Wells -- 92 votes;
- Burkey -- 79 votes;
- Jacobson -- 66 votes; and
- Hoffman -- 32 votes.
All the school board candidates listed above, except Mikki Hoffman, will appear on the Nov. 4 ballot. The top three vote recipients will go on to serve four-year terms.When asked last spring which single issue was most important when voting for school board members, a Times' poll found that nearly half (48 percent) of respondents said student performance. Other key issues cited by readers were teacher/staff evaluation (16 percent); cooperation with the village government (15 percent); and new spending (14 percent).
THE RACE FOR VILLAGE BOARD
Another key local contest is the race for Dorchester Village Board, in which five residents are running for two open seats.
The condition of Dorchester's streets seems to be the issue atop the minds of most voters. A June poll conducted by the Times showed that 62 percent of readers said town streets should get immediate attention by the village board. Other top concerns were unkempt yards/homes (12 percent) and the water/sewer system (11 percent).
The condition of Dorchester's streets seems to be the issue atop the minds of most voters. A June poll conducted by the Times showed that 62 percent of readers said town streets should get immediate attention by the village board. Other top concerns were unkempt yards/homes (12 percent) and the water/sewer system (11 percent).
Unlike the school board candidates, village board candidates did not appear on the primary election ballot. The five village board candidates appearing on the Nov. 4 ballot are:
- Todd Jensen;
- Jeff Jacobson;
- Brandon Koll;
- Dean Pracheil (incumbent); and
- Lyle Weber.
WHAT'S ON YOUR MIND?
Which candidates will get your vote and why? What issues will drive your voting decisions? And how can candidates win your vote in the weeks and days leading up to the election.
We look forward to your comments.
Once again the Dorchester Blog slams the village board.
ReplyDeleteTake a picture of the new school and then take a picture of the streets. When are you people going to admit that your number one goal here is to slam our village government.
Sure the school board is getting all the glory, but anyone can do that when you spend money like it is going out the window. Heck, we build a new school and then now we are going to add a new concession stand to it. How much more is that going to cost the taxpayers and where is this money coming from??
Maybe its time to cut back a little and survive with what we have until the economy straightens out. If not, we wont need a school because people wont be able to afford living in this town.
Iam voting for Brandon Koll,and Lyle Weber.
ReplyDeleteTaxed too much:
ReplyDeleteNo one is slamming anyone, have you been at the bathrooms, and concession stands, do you know how old they are. The new stand money is not coming out of you pocket. Ask our village board, and the school superintendent, were the money or the donations are coming from. Many people are giving donations to help with the cost. We're not putting up a new building because we have a new school. IT'S BECAUSE WE NEED ONE. Maybe you can donate your time to helping in the building of it, and see just how many people are willing to help, all of the labor is mostly donated. Dig in you pockets, and help if you would like, our just come up and help. If you need any more information, contact Biil Velder or Lyle Weber, Iam sure they would answer any question you have.
We would like to remind readers of our ongoing challenge to support the building of the new Nerud Field facility.
ReplyDeleteBefore Wednesday, Oct. 15, we hope you will send a donation $10 or more to:
NERUD FIELD PROJECT
P.O. Box 67
Dorchester NE 68343
How dare you, Dorchester Times! How dare you show us reality and actual images of the conditions we live with. How dare you compare and contrast progress versus the declining status quo. Maybe some of us enjoy dodging potholes. Maybe some of us believe we'll get that city swimming pool if one of those road ruts gets big enough. Maybe some of us enjoy believing that when times get tough, we should assume the fetal position and cower in the corner, hoping someone will take care of our problems for us. Maybe some of believe we should spend another million dollars on gravel and labor over the next 20 years to maintain the crappy streets we have. Quit being so mean!
ReplyDeleteTo clarify my position, I say pave the streets ... and cut a city maintenance job or two. I'll vote for the board candidate who agrees.
ReplyDeleteTaxed Too Much: You feel that the village board has been slammed by the Times.
ReplyDeleteDon't you think that they deserve it?
Don't you think that it's time for new, progressive leadership?
Don't you think that they've had their chance and that's why you are "taxed too much".
I for one believe that it's time for investment in the community, so that we become more inviting to potential residents. This will expand our economic base, which will lead to shared infrastructure costs. Just grow, baby!
Politicians, like diapers, have to be changed frequently - and for the very same reason.
ReplyDeleteFirst of all.. Do you see any gravel on these streets. 2nd do you see the village workers doing anything about it... NO... They don't even keep main street that great.. So what makes you think that paving these roads are going to be any better. It's give those kids more of a chance to leave black marks...
ReplyDelete"bob said...
ReplyDeletePoliticians, like diapers, have to be changed frequently - and for the very same reason."
bob, remember that when you're in the booth voting for the school board members too, ok?
I will vote for those who I feel will guide Dorchester towards positive changes. I wasn't around when some of the current board members started, I'm sure they had new ideas & did good things back then, but it seems board activity has become stagnant in the last 10 years. I would like to see some new energy/ideas brought to the table. Positive changes won't come in a day but standing still makes no progress at all.
ReplyDeleteI hope the last anonymous comment was in reference to the village board and not the school board.
ReplyDeleteOur school board has done an awesome job, not only with the building project but with guiding our district in a positive direction. They care....not only about the building but the students and patrons. I have watched them tackle problems that will shape our academic and financial future. The board members have been excellent examples of good stewards. They have been part of a team that has selected our staff -- not only have they selected them, they support them in every way possible. To the Dorchester School Board.....THANK YOU!
To taxed too much.....
ReplyDeleteSorry, pictures don't lie! I have to drive the very roads that were pictured on the blog. My intent is not to slam them but to ask them to DO something about the road conditions, as I have done before and will continue to do.
I'd like to see ANY ideas from ANY of the candidates. Just show us you care and the wheels are turning. Village board is a job that requires more than just showing up.
ReplyDeletejust wondering why joyce can reply to my comments, but my reply to her got cut??
ReplyDeleteHave a good day
'Taxed Too Much':
ReplyDeleteYour remarks were rejected because they were personal attacks on someone who signed their name to their comments.
Our standard remains the same: Personal attacks will go unpublished. If you wish to respond critically to someone who has used their actual name, we ask readers to sign their names, also, and we will print their comments.
No personal attacks:
ReplyDeletejust stating facts.
Facts dont lie, and i think i got my point across. Someone seen it.
Your system is flawed. If I typed in my name as Bill or Fred, I could have got my message printed??????
Have a good day
"Someone seen it"?
ReplyDeleteIf your point was as good as your grammar, it must have been brilliant!
What did they say, Dweller?
To BOB,
ReplyDeletegot you curious??
Thats what i like about you bob, you always like to get involved so you can have an opinion.
why dont you run for town board or school board??
Have a good day
Actually I was thinking about having Bill Ayers come visit your house now that he's been disinvited to speak at the university!!
ReplyDeleteThe DOrchester blog needs to have some story on the presidents election so readers can comment. John McCain called Obama a socialist today, it's about time. That guy would grow the government 10 times bigger than it already is. Why else would a Dorchester city employee have an Obama sign in their yard? I'd rather be broke and lose my home than take a check from the government yet some people make a career out of it. Pretty soon there will be more government workers than private sector workers. Like the Beatles used to sing, I'm back in the USSR, baby.
ReplyDeleteHeh .............. my pasture roads are in better shape than them streets .............. my truck would bust a axle on those potholes and my poor pooch would go flying out .................
ReplyDeleteTo Anonymous on Oct. 19th:
ReplyDeleteYou mean to tell me you didn't cash that stimulous check the government sent you this summer?
Of course I cashed the check and I cash my tax refunds too. ITS MY MONEY! HOw can you compare the feds giving me my own money back to a welfare or subsidy check??? Or do you think the tax revenue pool is just for everyone's taking. our founders would be sickened by the large number of people in this country going around with their hands out and telling others they make too much.
ReplyDeleteDear Anonymous:
ReplyDeleteLast I knew, this was a free country. What business is it of yours who has what political sign in their yard? They might be city EMPLOYEES, but you don't own them. They have every right to put a political sign in their yard.....just as YOU do.
To Anonymous 10-20-08 3:12 P.M.
ReplyDeleteOf course you cashed your check, but where did that money come from???
Uh ... I think it came from me. Unlike you I am one of the 60% of Americans who actually pay federal income tax. What makes me want to barf is politicians promising to give 'tax breaks' to the other 40% who do not. are you kidding me? puke, puke, puke, and puke some more ... including on your obama sign!!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteExcuse me anonymous, but who said I don't pay taxes and what makes you think that I want Barrack Hussein Obama to win? You're dead wrong on both!
ReplyDeleteNo federal money in Nebraska? What would happen if the feds halted the 1 billion dollars in farm subsidies? Nebraska's economy would collapse!
ReplyDeleteLook at all the comments on this post. I think it's wrong to compare farm subsidies to welfare or even government jobs. We can easily cut both of the latter. We can't live without food production and a viable saftey net. Nonetheless I'm still voting for McCain because i want to be able to recognize my country in four years.
ReplyDelete"A lot of farm groups are out there advocating policies they wouldn't have dreamed of some years ago," said U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Ed Schafer.
ReplyDeleteWhen Schafer was governor of North Dakota in the early 1990s, the common refrain from farmers was "get the government out of our face," he said. Farmers chafed under Depression-era programs that limited their planting acreage. Their resistance led to the 1996 Farm Bill, known as the Freedom to Farm Act, which aimed to return the farm sector to the free market.
Ultimately, the 1996 bill eliminated production management, but didn't sweep away subsidies. Schafer said he was surprised this year at the lobbying from farm groups who want "permanent disaster" payments and other supports.
Farmers "kind of want to take the risk out of agriculture," Schafer said.
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/M/MELTDOWN_AGRICULTURE_HISTORY?SITE=TXHOU&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT