New month, new open forum for Times readers. Here is your chance to say something, report breaking news or ask a question -- on any issue. Any topic is fair game, although the Times' comment policy still applies. (Please see the bottom of the left-hand column.)The Times' Web site averages nearly 400 hits a day, according to an independent tracking service. That means the Times is the perfect forum to air your thoughts, news tips, announcements, complaints and concerns.
Some experts say western culture is losing the spirit of community that once thrived in institutions including churches and community clubs. Sociologist Ray Oldenburg states that people need three places: 1) the home, 2) the office, and, 3) the community hangout or gathering place. With this philosophy in mind, consider this Dorchester's community online hangout. Go ahead and sound off. We are listening.
Coming to Dorchester, what is there that I DO NOT want to miss?? I'm VERY interested in this old Ford garage and pivots of the magnitude they are out there; simply exciting!!
ReplyDeleteI'am sure CR, will have his two sense in. There has'nt been a time that he has said anything nice. His mother must of not raise him right.
ReplyDeleteWham Bam Jam! It's tip-off time of the year. What a wonderful time. Family time for the Holidays, Basketball tips off,College Football Bowl time, and Jimmy V week is upon us on ESPN! The Alumni are starting to have open gym I hear at the DHS new gym...every Sunday at 430pm. There are some real P.T.P.'ers that play - Prime Time Players. March will be here before we know it and then its tourney time at DHS! Talk to you all soon! Have a dipsie-do-dunk-a-rew day!
ReplyDeleteDickie V.
That comment above is true. I have received an e-mail from jamie karl stating that starting this sunday there will be basketball at the gym at 4:30.
ReplyDeleteI would like to know what can be done about getting the outdoor mail box back to a drive up one? I know it was knocked over, but it was put back up where the old phone booth was, and you can no longer mail from your car. If you have a lot of mail, you cannot hold the mail in one hand and mail with the other, the only way into the mail box is to hold down a door, that shuts when you let go. I ended up dropping several letters. Is anyone else upset about this??? If so, what can be done????
ReplyDeleteMay you all relieve yourselves on an electric fence this holiday season ........................... merry christmas......................
ReplyDeleteIs there a charge for using the gym during open gym time??
ReplyDeleteIs everyone welcome?
I HATE the location of the new mail box as well.
ReplyDeletePut it BACK!!
This out to start something...
ReplyDeleteHappy Hannukah, and MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!
From JR
PS By the way CR, been there, done that! Thank God I'm a country boy!
My sympathy to the Vyhnalek family on the passing of LeRoy.
ReplyDeleteSuch a sad time after the loss of an all-around good guy.
yes, i am upset about the mailbox too. think it's terrible. i wish someone one would run it over so it can get put back =)
ReplyDeleteI see there are a few 'i don't care' votes on your survey that you're taking. Looks like some people at the crete news do read this blog. hahaha!
ReplyDeleteAll:
ReplyDeleteAny good ideas for other online poll topics?
Online poll: Would you attend a "town hall" type meeting to openly discuss community development opportunities.
ReplyDeleteit blows my mind to hear about LeRoy Vyhnalek! He has always been so kind to me. I saw him just the other day, He opened the door for me when I my hands were full at Joes. Then the next day I saw him outside having a smoke. He looked like he was doing great.
ReplyDeleteWith this happening, it just makes me remember that we are here temporarily. And if I was to go today, right now, would I have been happy the way I lived my life? It's not about "did I do all the things i wanted", or anything like that. It is about living a fullfilled life with family, my kids, husband, God. Did i give enough? I know I have taken a lot! Do I take things for granted? you bet I do, I (we) am/are selfish like that.
So the Vyhnalek Family will be in my heart and mind this weekend. Not because it is the "holiday season", but because they lost a dear genuine family member. I don't know what I would do if I lost a close relative right now. It's hard, and I have been thankful and blessed to have my family, whome I don't see much, and that is my fault.
Kudos to Dorchester Elementary School for the Christmas program Thursday night. Excited children and proud parents "Gathered Together" to salute the ethnic "Roots" of the "Christmas Story" - including the "Little Bitty Baby, Born in Bethlehem" Thanks to Kathy Jezl and Nathan Zwick for bringing the "Good Tidings."
ReplyDeleteKudos to the Dorchester Elementary school for the Christmas program Thursday night. Excited children and proud parents "Gathered Together" to salute the ethnic "Roots" of the "Christmas Story", including the "Little Bitty Baby, Born in Bethlehem". Thanks to Kathy Jezl and Nathan Zwick for bringing the "Good Tidings"
ReplyDeleteI would urge everyone to check out this link from the Nebraska Department of Revenue. I see the names of Dorchester residents past and current who have refund checks waiting for them. There is even one longtime resident who died early this year.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.revenue.state.ne.us
/refund/ret_warrants.htm
This is a great article from the New York Times entitled "For Elderly in Rural Areas, Hard Times Get Harder." It features small towns in NE and WY which remind me of Dorchester. The slide show is terrific!
ReplyDeletehttp://www.nytimes.com/
2009/12/10/us/10rural.html?hp
Despite the severe recession, a USA TODAY analysis shows federal salaries have actually increased through this recession while 7.3 million private sector jobs have gone POOOF! Now the average federal worker's salary is $71,20, compared with $40,331 in the private sector. According to the post, the percentage of federal workers making more than $100,000 jumped from 14% to 20% since the start of the recession.
ReplyDeleteHas the world gone mad? Who's paying for this?
You, sucker.
http://dallasmorningviewsblog.dallasnews.com/archives/2009/12/american-salari.html
I think its half funny and half sad that there are alway detractors and nay-sayers on your online polls. These are the same sad sacks who think the whole world is out to get them and that everyone else has it easy but them.
ReplyDeleteThey just need a good slap and cold water down their pants to wake them up. If that doesn't work, just ignore them. You know who the are.
For once, some good news about the immigration issue.
ReplyDeleteReport: Hispanics, Asians boost Nebraska’s economy
http://www.journalstar.com/
news/state-and-regional/nebraska/
article_
51c55c22-e8dd-11de-94e4-
001cc4c03286.html
Still waiting for that study on how much caucasians add to the economy.
ReplyDeleteI have a question for those people who like to criticize everyone and oppose efforts to improve our town.
ReplyDeleteWhy do you visit this website, huh? Are you bored? Trying to raise your single digit IQ? Just a born rabble rouser?
Please let me know.
Here's another side to the federal salary story:
ReplyDeleteAccording to federal workforce advocates, the numbers are misleading. "The data presented by USA Today is incomplete in many ways," Jessica Klement, legislative director for the Federal Managers Association, wrote in an e-mail. She said the data did not indicate how or why federal employees earned those salaries, and taken in context, the figures aren't as alarming as they seem at first glance.
"Overall, according to the data, more than 75 percent of federal employees make less than $100,000," said Klement. "This is hardly cause for concern."
John Palguta, vice president of policy of the Partnership for Public Service, said the figures could be attributed to increased hires at the Defense, Homeland Security, and Veterans Affairs departments. Because of the tasks some of those employees perform -- including medical and sophisticated technology work -- they earn higher salaries than the general population.
Dennis Cauchon, the USA Today reporter who wrote the piece, said his data showed that hiring increases and higher-paid federal employees were spread across the government and couldn't be attributed to surges in particular departments.
"It's several personnel policies and trends that inherently favor highly paid employees," he said.
Here is a link to counter the government bashing I see on this board.
ReplyDelete"Dumbest Moments in Business 2009"
Some of these stories are quite funny. Example: Paying an executive six-figures for several years even though he never showed up for work!
http://finance.yahoo.com
/career-work/article/108397/dumbest-moments-in-business
-2009?mod=career-leadership
Senator Nelson sold us out. HIS compromise violates the equal protection clause, and the general welfare clause of the Constitution of the United States. My God, are my grandchildren and future great grandchildren destined to be slaves to a government. My Bohemian ancestors came here to get away from a system like we are now establishing here.
ReplyDeleteIt is time to recall Nelson!
Let's get rid of Ben Nelson! Join the official campaign to oust the tap dancing Nelson at GiveBenTheBoot.com
ReplyDeleteBut Obama says this health bill will save the government money. Right ... you believe that and I have a bridge over the Big Blue that I want to sell you.
ReplyDeleteWith all this political rancor, I will have a few hours of serenity Wednesday evening. Public television has just announced it will be airing "La Boheme." What a marvelous gift!
ReplyDeleteSo under the new health care bill we ALL have to buy health insurance. Guess what? I am not going to buy it now, just because of the mandate. I will drop my high dectuctible coverage, not pay my fine and let the Feds come arrest me. I could use the jail time and get free food and shelter. More taxpayer provided goodies. Or maybe I'm just going to move from the USA.
ReplyDeleteMy comment is also to the location of the outside post office mail box. Talk about inconvenient. It serves basically no purpose. If you have to park your vehicle and get out of your car and walk to the box with your hands full of mail, why not walk inside. Its like putting an ATM machine inside the bank. I realize it did get knocked down, but how about putting guards around it like they do around a gas pump.
ReplyDeleteThe Postal Service is owned by the federal government. Do you really expect them to listen? Hahahahahaha!
ReplyDeleteI am looking for a 1991 and 1992 Dorchester Yearbook. Anyone know where I can find one in good shape?
ReplyDeleteBen Nelson is supposed to represent the sovereign state of Nebraska. Did he do that? NO! He voted for the most expansive government intrusion on the market place since the New Deal, and sold his State down the Yazoo River.
ReplyDeleteWhat is it about the modern Democrat Party, that they have such total disregard for the restraints on the Federal Government mandated in the US Constitution?
The Federal government is not supposed to be the “TOP” of the government structure here, it is supposed to be the BOTTOM! Our Founders rightly divined that people are sovereign under God. The people created the States, (look up the definition of a state, and it is not a political sub-division of something bigger), and the States created the Federal Union.
Ben Nelson’s vote usurped the Constitution, and stabbed Nebraska in the back. And his little, excuse me, BIG SELLOUT, violates the equal protection clause of the Constitution, and the General Welfare clause. So what clause of the Constitution does this unconstitutional bill fall under? None, not even the commerce clause, because it violates other clauses.
I feel a recall coming on, we cannot wait until 2012. We need to send a message to those Marxists in Washington DC! We are starting to look a lot like the Hapsburg Empire my ancestors ran from in the 19th century!
Sic Semper Tyrannis
Oh and to my Czech brethren………Vesele’ Vanoce and Statsny Novy Rok!
In other words…………Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
JR
Where's your gratitude? As part of the deal brokered by Ben Nelson, the state of Nebraska will receive 100 million dollars in Medicaid funding. The other states are furious!
ReplyDeleteMy comment is about the postal service.I worked for them for 40 years.We used to be the post office and rates and salary was left up to congress.In 1971 we became the postal service and receive not one penny from the federal government.
ReplyDeleteVery sad to hear that Fred Vossler,Sr passed on this past Saturday. He was a good man. He always had cool stories to tell about the kids he knew when was janitor @Dorchester Public School.
ReplyDeleteHe will be missed. My condolences to the family.
Phil -- I have a 1992 edition of the DHS yearbook ... it was a great book that started a long string of award-winning yearbooks for Dorchester. A classic! I can't part with mine ... sorry.
ReplyDeleteUNCLE BEN Nelson says taking criticism for the health care bill is "like going home and getting bit by the family dog."
ReplyDeleteBen, I'd argue that what's about to happen to you will be more reminiscent of what happened to the guy in Omaha who died and was eaten by his two small dogs that survived for nearly two weeks by devouring his body.
Reading this blog hurts my head.
ReplyDeleteI like sites with pictures of polar bears, angry women, slaves from the 1700s, and movie stars. Those make me hate my country and all America stands for, just like when I'm at the Democrat National Convention.
Peace out!
Dear Skeptic,
ReplyDeleteYou make my point. By Nebraska getting 100 million that the other states did not get......oh excuse me, I nearly left out Louisiana, thanks to the other sell out Mary Landrieu....that violates the equal protection clause of the Constitution. The equal protection clause does not just extend to individuals, but also to the states.
I guess there are those who just love the idea of being slaves to a government. What happened to the Democrat Party of 1896? Back when they believed in balanced budgets, low taxes, no subsidies for improvements from the Federal Government, and States Rights. Progressivism has destroyed our freedom, and my grandkids will be cursed with being slaves to a government, the worst kind of slavery.
JR
JR - Don't call it 'progressivism'. Call it what it is ... pure, unadulterated, class-envy-filled, government-worshiping, freedom-hating, capitalism-detesting LIBERALISM.
ReplyDeleteIt must die a quick death.
Regarding the post office, did you know 80% of postal employees are organized under the labor unions, including 92% of city letter carriers?
ReplyDeleteBig labor = lazy workers and crappy service. In other words your mailbox ain't moving no matter how much you complain.
Congratulations to Don Eret for receiving the Nebraska Farmers Union highest award. Don received the President's Award for his service to family farm agriculture, and his petition drive efforts to gather signatures that were presented to USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack asking for stimulus monies to help re-establish the manufacture of smaller combines for average size farmers.
ReplyDeleteIs that the same farmers union who supports cap and tax to stop global warming? Congratulations to Don but i gotta say, Hardeeharharharharharhar.
ReplyDeleteI LOVE this paragraph:
ReplyDeleteData compiled from federal records by Environmental Working Group, a nonprofit watchdog that tracks the recipients of agricultural subsidies in the United States, shows that Michelle Bachmann (R-MN) has an inner Marxist that is perfectly at ease with profiting from taxpayer largesse. According to the organization’s records, Bachmann’s family farm received $251,973 in federal subsidies between 1995 and 2006. The farm had been managed by Bachmann’s recently deceased father-in-law and took in roughly $20,000 in 2006 and $28,000 in 2005, with the bulk of the subsidies going to dairy and corn. Both dairy and corn are heavily subsidized—or “socialized”—businesses in America (in 2005 alone, Washington spent $4.8 billion propping up corn prices) and are subject to strict government price controls. These subsidies are at the heart of America’s bizarre planned agricultural economy and as far away from Michele Bachmann’s free-market dream world as Cuba’s free medical system. If American farms such as hers were forced to compete in the global free market, they would collapse.
Run the Dems out of DC before they ruin the place. Can you believe that the Obama administration can't even weed out confessed muslim terrorists? Elections do have consequences it seems.
ReplyDelete