Dorchester Times: EDITORIAL: Talk Is Cheap; It's Time To Grow Dorchester

Monday, December 5, 2016

EDITORIAL: Talk Is Cheap; It's Time To Grow Dorchester

(Editor's Note: This editorial was published by the Times in December 2008. To our knowledge, nothing has changed since. We think this idea is worth revisiting.)

A few years ago, the Norfolk Daily News reported that four eastern Nebraska school districts -- Clarkson, Howells, Dodge and Leigh -- were contemplating a merger despite their proud histories and longtime rivalries. "At one time, it would have been difficult to consider such a proposal," according to the Daily News story. "Now in rural Nebraska, it happens all the time."

Dr. Jerry Ehlers is a retired school superintendent who conducts studies for school districts looking at merging. He has completed about 25 such studies. "Small-town, rural Nebraska is losing kids," Ehlers told the Daily News. "If there aren't jobs for parents of childbearing age, there won't be kids. Each school in small-town Nebraska faces this."

Many in Dorchester, including the staff of this Web site, have contemplated how to improve the business sector of our community. Perhaps we should devote equal time to consideration of how to grow our population.

In our first year of publishing the Dorchester Times, we suggested it was time for a "Move Back To Dorchester" campaign, to reach out to the sons and daughters who have moved away to another city or state and now have thoughts of returning to our community and the surrounding area. It's still a good idea, but such a project would not sufficiently boost Dorchester's numbers.

While our town has escaped school consolidation for the immediate future, it is time to assemble a comprehensive plan to attract new residents and retain current ones -- including those attending classes at Dorchester Public School. To our knowledge, such a project has never been undertaken by Dorchester leaders.

Perhaps now is the time for a "Vision 2020" plan that sets a goal of doubling Dorchester's population in the next three years. It is something the new village board and other community leaders should consider.

What needs to be included in such a "Vision 2020" plan? For starters:

How do we keep our youth in Dorchester after high school graduation?
How do we convince folks to build here, or improve existing homes?
How do we fill vacant houses, or convince homeowners of vacant houses to sell or rent?
How do we encourage young families to move to Dorchester?
How do we keep our retirees here?
How do we get the entire community involved in solving these issues?

Dorchester is geographically blessed. It's a relatively short drive to Lincoln, Crete, Seward and other employment hubs. Our area is fortunate to have ample access to major roadways that serve as conduits for both labor and commerce. We also have reasonably good sized employers in town, with both the Farmers Cooperative and the K-12 school.

We offer plentiful land; almost non-existent crime rates; quiet, peaceful surroundings; abundant, clean water; an engaged community; reasonable electric rates; low-cost living; and high-quality and safe schools. We have health care services and treatment within a 10-minute drive.

We should capitalize on these traits by advertising ourselves to those facing out-of-control taxes, outrageous costs of living, and radical, unpredictable social upheaval in places like California, Colorado, and both coasts.

Dorchester would be wise to start planning for the future, starting today. We have too much potential to waste it away.

10 comments:

AnonymousDecember 16, 2008 at 5:56 PM
I don't always agree with your editorials but you are right on about this.
ReplyDelete
Replies
AnonymousDecember 17, 2008 at 10:24 AM
Perhaps it is time to start an investment club, with the goal of using the funds to help new businesses start. Several communities are doing this. Broken Bow has had one since the early 80's when that recession hit. Central City's is very successful for both potential business owners and the investors. Might be something the village board could look into.
ReplyDelete
Replies
AnonymousDecember 17, 2008 at 1:17 PM
I’m glad to see that you are making use of USDA’s Economic Research Service. (ERS) Many people are unaware of its existence. Another good source of information is the National Agricultural Library. Here’s the link: http://www.nal.usda.gov
ReplyDelete
Replies
AnonymousDecember 17, 2008 at 8:56 PM
Another thing to remember if you are relocating to Dorchester: It's important to look at the overall job market. If you move across the country and get laid off six months later, consider chances you'll find a similar job -- or any job -- quickly.
ReplyDelete
Replies
AnonymousDecember 18, 2008 at 9:16 AM
Vested, I don't know where you are from but unemployment in Nebraska is still around 3%.

Inflation is soaring and has been for 20+ years despite what the Feds say. It's not in goods or commodities, it's in labor wages, especially the service sector and white collar workers (esp. government). That's being driven by those on the coasts.

Don't think this recession is going to hit the service sector workers on the coast hardest? Just you wait.
ReplyDelete
Replies
AnonymousDecember 18, 2008 at 9:55 AM
Vested is located west of Dorchester. (Not too far west.)Your post is somewhat difficult to follow, but I hope you are enjoying AZ.
ReplyDelete
Replies
Diane VelderDecember 11, 2012 at 5:44 PM
This is a very good editorial.
ReplyDelete
Replies
AnonymousDecember 11, 2012 at 10:37 PM
Right on.
ReplyDelete
Replies
AnonymousJanuary 1, 2017 at 10:14 AM
It would be nice to see more than two boys per class out for athletics.
ReplyDelete
Replies
AnonymousJanuary 1, 2017 at 8:38 PM
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDelete
Replies

Add comment

Village Dweller checks all reader comments to determine if they are appropriate for print.

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."