CLASSIFIEDS: February 2010

Whether you're searching the Web for a new home, promoting your business, looking for help on the farm, or selling your kitchen table -- the Times is the right place to advertise locally. This site is currently averaging more than 600 hits a day, so your ad is sure to get noticed. And you can take comfort that if you find a product or service you want, you will likely be doing business with someone who has a local tie.Best of all, posting ads is absolutely free as a service to our readers.

To post your classified ad, simply click on the "comments" link at the end of this post. Then, in the "Leave Your Comments" box, just enter the details and information you want people to see. If you are uncomfortable leaving your phone number or permanent e-mail, we recommend using Gmail.com or other service to establish a new e-mail for responses to your ad. Browsing the classifieds is easy, too. Just click on the "comments" link below and scroll down to view the ads in the left-hand column.

Online classifieds can make life easier for both buyers and sellers in our local area. The Times does not require an account and, again, there is no charge to post a classified on this site. If you sell your item or no longer want your ad to be seen, simply e-mail us at Dorchester.Times@gmail.com and we will remove your ad.

The Dorchester Times assumes no responsibility for claims or representations made by any classified ad. Please check and authenticate every classified that interests you. By posting an ad or responding to an ad, you acknowledge the Times is under no circumstances liable for the product or service offered, nor is the Times responsible for payment or delivery by either party.

Candidates For Village Board, School Board Must File By Monday

As a reminder, this is an election year. In Dorchester, there are both village board seats and school board seats open. We are told by several sources that some incumbents have not filed for re-election and candidates are needed to fill the vacancies.

Individuals who currently do not hold any elected office have until Monday, March 1 to file. Nebraska's primary election is May 11. Candidate filing forms may be found here. Or for more information, contact the Saline County Clerk's office by calling (402) 821-2374.

For those who would like to make a difference in their town or school district, this is a great opportunity. We urge all interested individuals to consider serving the public and their community by running for a local office.

DHS Boys Set Sights On Osceola at Subdistricts

Longhorn fans are preparing for another road trip to Stromsburg, as the DHS boys' basketball team will fight to extend their season at the D1-3 Subdistrict Tournament held at Cross County High School. The Longhorns (8-9) will do battle with the 3-14 Osceola Bulldogs in a 7 p.m. contest Monday.

DHS will need big performances from their seniors this week, both defensively and offensively. With a win tonight, Dorchester would advance to play Exeter-Milligan (14-6) tomorrow night (Feb. 23) at 6 p.m.

*UPDATE, 2/24: After beating Osceola Monday evening by a count of 47-34, the Longhorns concluded their season on Tuesday night, losing narrowly to Exeter-Milligan, 37-43. The Longhorns finish their campaign at 9-11. We tip our hats to the DHS boys for their hard work and strong effort this season. For the story and photos from Tuesday night's game, click here for the York News-Times' coverage.

Dorchester Times Gets 710 Hits In 24 Hours

Today, February 21, the Dorchester Times' Web site garnered more than 710 hits (page views) in a 24 hour period, according to an independent monitoring service. This is an all-time high number of page views for our online publication. As we enter our fourth year of publishing, the Times' staff thanks our readers for their loyalty and continued contributions to the community's blog.

Kahle Finishes No. 2 in Class D, Inderlied No. 6

On Saturday, Dorchester wrestling claimed its state first runner-up since the late 1980s when senior Adam Kahle brought home the silver medal in Class D's 145 lb. class. Meanwhile, junior Jeremy Inderlied scored a sixth place finish in the 119 lb. division.

Overall, the Longhorns finished 14th in the Class D team scoring. All but one of this year's state qualifiers will return for the 2010-11 season.

In the 145 lb. championship, Paul Cheyney of Stanton defeated DHS' Kahle by a 9-5 tally. Earlier in the day, Isaac Elge of Nebraska Christian defeated DHS' Inderlied by an even narrower margin, 9-7, in the 119 lb. fifth place match.

DHS' Russell Barak bowed out of the tourney after losing a heartbreaker, 5-4, against Dylan Heithoff, Elgin Public/Pope John, in the consolation quarterfinals. In second round consolation action, Longhorn junior Sid Stern lost an overtime match, 8-6, to Friend grappler Josh Eklund, while Scott Kester, Neligh-Oakdale, pinned DHS sophomore Brandon Schwisow. DHS youngsters Jordan Jensen and Alex Lisec both lost in the first round consolation bracket.

Pictured at the right is a Lincoln Journal Star photo of Dorchester's Adam Kahle pinning a Greeley-Wolbach/Cedar Rapids opponent in the Class D 145 pound semi-final match at the State Championship at the Qwest Center on Friday.

We tip our DHS hats this year's Longhorn wrestling team for a job well done and look forward to next year's success.

OPEN FORUM: February 2010

It's time for a new "Open Forum" for Times readers. Once again, this is your chance to say something, report breaking news or ask a question. Any topic is fair game, although the Times' comment policy still applies. Keep it clean; keep it civil. (Please see the bottom of the left-hand column.)

The Times' Web site averages around 650 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. Our "Open Forum" is also a great place to find out what old friends are up to, get advice, share and find information, and let the Times' staff know what you'd like to see on this community Web site.

Now go ahead and sound off. We are listening.

Feb. 24 Farm Show At Saline Center

The 7th annual Southeast Nebraska Farm Show will be held this Wednesday, Feb. 24, from 9 a.m.- 3 p.m. at Saline Center Hall (located southwest of Dorchester on Highway 15.) The show is free to all agricultural producers and other interested individuals. More than 80 exhibitors are expected.

The event will feature a speech at 10:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. titled "New Diesel Engine Injectors Issues and Winter Fuel Additives" by Tom Garner, Farmers Cooperative.

A pork luncheon served from 11 a.m.- 1:30 p.m. Entertainment provided by Wilber-Clatonia public school students. A silent auction will be held during the show to support the Wilber-Clatonia FFA Chapter and to provide scholarships for FFA members. For show information, go to www.wcffaalumni.org.

Longhorns Now No. 6 At State Wrestling Tournament

"Amazing," said one DHS wrestling fan in an e-mail to the Times. "Dorchester is now among some of the great teams in Class D wrestling."

That e-mail was received this afternoon, when the Times learned that DHS is currently No. 6 in team scoring at the Nebraska High School Wrestling Tournament being held at the Qwest Center in Omaha. With more than 100 teams in Class D across the state, the current team scoring for Class D is:

Amherst 71, Palmer 47, Plainview 45, Howells 43, Oakland-Craig 38.5, Dorchester 32, Sutton 31, Ansley/Arcadia 30, Cambridge 29, Stanton 28.

Winners today were:

• Russell Barak, Dorchester, pinned Kalen Pfeiffer, Amherst, 2:33. (Consolation, 2nd Round)
• Brandon Schwisow, Dorchester, def. Derek Stabenow, Elm Creek, 10-2. (Consolation, 1st Round)
• Russell Barak, Dorchester, pinned Preston Smith, Neligh-Oakdale, 2:30. (Consolation, 1st Round)

Action at the Qwest will conclude on Saturday. Consolation semi-finals begin at 8:30 a.m. Consolation finals and fifth place matches begin at 10:15 a.m. Finals will begin at 1:30 p.m.

Journal Star Features Story On DHS' Inderlied

Today's Lincoln Jounal Star features a story on DHS junior wrestler Jeremy Inderlied, who scored a pair of pins on Thursday in Class D's 119-lb. state semifinals at the Qwest Center in Omaha. The article quotes DHS Coach Adam Kastl, who credits Inderlied for becoming "a smarter wrestler." Inderlied on Thursday pinned an Elgin/Pope John wrestler in 1:38 in the first round, then pinned an Anselmo-Merna wrestler in 4:56.

"He has matured and overcome some issues," Coach Kastl said. Jeremy is quoted as saying: "I've been wrestling since I was 4 years old. My dad was a wrestler, but he never won a match at state. ... It's hard to wait all day for the semifinals, but I'll just practice and that will get me pumped up and ready."

Read the story by clicking here.

DHS Wrestlers No. 8 In Class D After Day 1 At State

With seven of its wrestlers -- only one of whom is a senior -- appearing at the Nebraska High School Wrestling Tournament in Omaha, DHS is No. 8 in Class D scoring after one full day of competition at the Qwest Center. This is out of more than 60 Class D schools with wrestling programs, and more than 45 schools represented at the state tourney. Round two action at continues today at the Qwest Center.

As a reminder, this year's DHS state qualifiers are:

• 112 lb.: Jordan Jensen, Fr. (placed 4th at District);
• 119 lb.: Jeremy Inderlied, Jr. (1st at District);
• 125 lb.: Brandon Schwisow, So. (2nd at District);
• 135 lb.: Alec Lisec, So. (4th at District);
• 140 lb.: Sid Stern, Jr. (2nd at District);
• 145 lb.: Adam Kahle, Sr. (3rd at District);
• 189 lb.: Russell Barak, Jr. (3rd at District).
  

Senior Adam Kahle and Junior Jeremy Inderlied are off to the strongest starts.

See the Lincoln Journal Star's report on the first day of the state wrestling tourney by clicking here. And let us just say: "Go Longhorns!"

DHS Girls Crush Exeter-Milligan, Headed To Subdistrict Championship

The Lady Longhorns are 1-0 in post-season play. On Tuesday evening at Cross County High School in Stromsburg, the DHS girls' basketball team -- which has improved steadily throughout the 2009-10 campaign -- beat conference rival Exeter-Milligan by a tally of 34-23, ending the Timberwolves season. With the win, the Lady Longhorns (11-11) are headed to the Class D1-3 subdistrict finals set for tomorrow evening at 7 p.m. at Cross County High School, where DHS will take on Top-10 ranked Osceola (14-5). Senior Karmen Lawver led all scorers Tuesday with 11 points, while the following Lady Longhorns also scored: Havlat, Carroll, Springer, and Behrens. (UPDATE, 2/18: The Lady Longhorns' season came to a close this evening as DHS lost a heartbreaker to Class D1's No. 8 Osceola by a score of 32-30. We tip our Longhorn hats to the team for a tremendous effort tonight and this season.)

Alumni Basketball, Volleyball Set For March 19-21

About a month from now, the annual DHS Alumni Basketball and Volleyball Tournaments will take center stage. As in past years, the basketball games will be held in the main gym beginning Friday, March 19, and wrap up on during the afternoon of Sunday, March 21. The volleyball matches will take place on Saturday, March 20, in the new gymnasium -- also called the Multi-Purpose Room.

The D-Club sponsors this yearly event and proceeds raised from entry fees and concessions help to supplement the school's athletic budget. Moreover, the event draws several out-of-town dollars for local businesses, while serving as a homecoming celebration for many DHS alumni. (NOTE: Currently, the Times is unaware of any events or promotions being planned by area businesses or organizations to coincide with Alumni Tourney Weekend. If you know of any such events, please e-mail the Times or leave the information in the comments section of this story.)

DHS Activities Director Scott Pohl requests that team captains contact him by March 5 if they plan to enter a team for either the basketball or volleyball tourney. Pohl also requests input from all participants on how the tournament can be improved. Captains should provide the names of team members, their year of graduation, t-shirts sizes and the number players want on their shirt. There is a $25/player entry fee. Pohl can be contacted at (402) 946-2781 or on his cell phone at (402) 418-1992 or by e-mail at spohl@esu6.org. Entry forms may be mailed to:

Dorchester High School Alumni Tournament

c/o Scott Pohl

P.O. Box 7

Dorchester, NE 68343

DHS Sending Seven Wrestlers To State; Finish No. 2 At District

After the dust settled at the Class D-1 District wrestling tournament held in Sutton on Saturday, it became clear that DHS means business in 2010 -- and those who compile the state wrestling rankings severely underestimated the Longhorns.

Seven Dorchester wrestlers will travel to the Omaha Qwest Center to take part in the 2010 State Wrestling Tournament. One Times' staff member says the number at least ties the largest number of wrestlers that DHS has ever sent to state. DHS was District D-1 runner-up out of 16 teams and was topped only by the state's No. 2-ranked Class D squad, Palmer, which is sent nine wrestlers to state.

Also, Saturday's accomplishment comes after DHS had fallen out of the latest Class D wrestling rankings, which gave more respect to nearby rivals Friend (No. 7) and Sutton (No. 9). Compared to Dorchester's seven state qualifiers, Friend is sending three to Omaha; Sutton is sending four.

This year's DHS state qualifiers are:

• 112 lb.: Jordan Jensen, Fr. (placed 4th at District);
• 119 lb.: Jeremy Inderlied, Jr. (1st at District);
• 125 lb.: Brandon Schwisow, So. (2nd at District);
• 135 lb.: Alec Lisec, So. (4th at District);
• 140 lb.: Sid Stern, Jr. (2nd at District);
• 145 lb.: Adam Kahle, Sr. (3rd at District);
• 189 lb.: Russell Barak, Jr. (3rd at District).
  

Dorchester has produced three state wrestling champions over the years: 1981-Mike Williams (185 lb., Class C); 1986-Don Bruha (185 lb., Class D); and 1988-Brad Andelt (112 lb., Class D). This year, the State High School Wrestling Championships will be held Feb. 17-20 at the Qwest Center. To see the first-round pairings, click here. For hotel and other information, click here. We wish all seven DHS wrestlers best of luck at state.

Hallam Man Dies In Wreck Outside Of Dorchester

The news wires report that a 28-year-old Hallam man died in a two-vehicle accident early this morning about a half-mile east of Dorchester. Timothy J. Kersten was pronounced dead at the scene, according to a report by the Saline County Sheriff's Office. He was not wearing a seat belt.

Investigators for the Sheriff's Office said Kersten was driving a 1998 Dodge Neon east on Nebraska Highway 33 shortly after midnight when the vehicle crossed the center line and struck a westbound Pontiac Grand Prix. A passenger in the Neon and the driver of the Grand Prix were taken to the Crete Area Medical Center. Their names were not released. The accident is under investigation.

Lady Longhorns Headed To Subdistricts In Stromsburg

Dorchester fans are preparing to travel en masse to Stromsburg this week to cheer on their DHS Lady Longhorns, who will be fighting to extend their basketball season at the Class D1-3 Subdistrict Tournament held at Cross County High School.

The DHS ladies (10-11) will take on Crossroads Conference rival Exeter-Milligan (10-6) on Tuesday night at 7:45 p.m. If DHS wins, they will advance to take on Shelby (5-11), Nebraska Lutheran (7-9) or Osceola (13-5) in the Subdistrict final on Thursday at 7 p.m.

Best of luck to the Lady Longhorns.

March 7 Chili Feed Will Support Next Generation Of Longhorns

Want to support the next generation of Longhorn athletes? Here is your opportunity.

A chili feed will be held on March 7, from 11 a.m. until 2 p.m. at the Crete Eagles Club to help support the Little Longhorns Basketball League. According to organizers who contacted the Times, the league is aimed at helping Dorchester's elementary students -- grades 3 through 6 -- with the fundamentals of the game of basketball and prepares them ready to play at the junior high and high school levels.

Funds raised by this special event will help pay for upcoming tourneys, camps and uniforms.

Support Dorchester's future athletes. Plan to attend the chili feed on March 7!

Calling Dorchester Leaders: Here's Your Chance To Chart The Town's Future

How equipped is Dorchester to develop an effective community plan for the future? What is our community doing to recruit or retain volunteers? A regional training workshop on these and more topics will be offered by the Nebraska Dept. of Economic Development on Feb. 26 in Nebraska City, beginning at 6:30 p.m. The workshop will be held at the Arbor Bank, 911 Central Ave. in Nebraska City.

The workshops on planning and volunteer recruitment and retention will offer concrete steps for preparing communities for future economic growth and development. The training is free, but registration is required. To access the registration form, go to http://www.neded.org/ncip or call 1-800-426-6505 for more information. Take a friend from Dorchester or a nearby community and learn about ways to help make our way of life even better, now and in the future.

Strange Photo Stirs Up Report Of 1967 UFO Sighting

The e-mail inbox at the Dorchester Times is always full, and sometimes it contains some rather interesting reports. Such was the case last night when we received a photo from a reader calling herself "Cathy." For the purposes of this post, Cathy wishes to remain anonymous.

Cathy, who says she lives "a couple of miles" outside of Dorchester, tells us that last week she took the photo located to the right. In her e-mail to the Times, she wrote that just before capturing the photo with her cell phone, she "saw a very bright reflective object in the afternoon sky" and that the object "was just floating in the same spot for about 60 seconds and then suddenly vanished or faded away. No quick movements or zipping across the sky." We have encouraged Cathy to share her photo with the Federal Aviation Administration. Cathy tells the Times she is "positive" she saw a UFO.

Some will say it is surely proof of an alien encounter. Others will laugh at such speculation. While we are not believers in UFOs, we have discovered that Nebraska has had its share of UFO reports, as documented by a simple Internet search. Perhaps the most interesting story is one that took place up the road on Highway 6 near Ashland. According to a Web site called UFOevidence.com, it is one of the "best-documented close encounters" ever noted.

According to the story, on December 3, 1967, Ashland police officer Herbert Schirmer was on routine late-night patrol. "At about 2:30 a.m., he noticed a group of lights near the ground and thought he could make out a semi-trailer off the road. He approached to investigate, only to see the thing -- whatever it was -- take off and disappear in the night sky. When he returned to the police station at 3 a.m., he wrote in the station log, 'Saw a flying saucer at the junction of Highways 6 and 63. Believe it or not!'"

According to the account, Sgt. Schirmer "went home that morning with a splitting headache and an inexplicable red welt on the side of his neck. Though only 22 years old at the time, Schirmer was so respected in Ashland that he was named chief of police a short time later. Two months later, he resigned from the force. He said he couldn't get the UFO encounter out of his mind. Investigators heard about Schirmer and found that 20 minutes seemed to be unaccounted for in his log of December 3, 1967."

After Schirmer agreed to undergo hypnotic regression to see if he could remember more details of the incident, Schirmer told investigators that several "humanoid beings" got out and approached him and he was taken aboard the craft. "Schirmer described the beings as 4.5' to 5' tall, with heads somewhat narrower and longer than an average human. ... He was told that these beings had been watching the human race for a very long time and were engaged in what he called a 'breeding analysis program.'" Schirmer said he was ridiculed by some of the townspeople, his car was dynamited, and his wife left him. You can hear audio accounts of his so-called "abduction" in Schirmer's own words by going to this YouTube site.

As the old X-Files television program professed, the truth is out there. But we are not so sure what the truth is. At the very least, our reader Cathy can take heart that she is not the only one who believes UFOs have paid a visit to the Cornhusker State. And no one can say nothing ever happens in Nebraska.

Crete News Runs Feature Story On Dorchester Restaurant & Pub

For those who may have missed it, the Feb. 3 edition of The Crete News features a front-page story on Dorchester's Ben's Iron Grill. The story can be read in full at the newspaper's Web site, www.cretenews.net.

According to the article, the restaurant's owner, Ben Haufle and his business partner, Sue Morris, have incorporated their "small town values" into Ben's Iron Grill. The restaurant features a bar built from locally cut wood, antique decorations, and historic photographs to give Dorchester's newest business a "rustic appeal."

Haufle and Morris say their goal is "customer satisfaction" and strive to make the restaurant family oriented. According to The Crete News story, ribs and the salad bar are the most popular menu items at Ben's. Haufle told the paper: "Sue and I put our entire life savings into this bar. It is a long-term investment and the compliments (from community members) make it worth it."

The bar is open from 11 a.m. until 10 p.m. on weekdays and from 11 a.m. until 1 a.m. on weekends. The kitchen is open from 11 a.m. until 10 p.m. or later if people still want to eat. (Haufle notes that patrons can call the restaurant at 402-946-6471 if they want the grill kept on for them.) This weekend, Ben's is featuring their $29.99 "Valentine's Dinner for Two," which includes either prime rib, ribs, honey-glazed salmon, fettucine alfredo with chicken or shrimp, plus salad bar and dessert. No reservations necessary.

Area Students: $6,000 Award Available For Your Business Ideas

Are you a Dorchester area student in high school or college with a great mind for business and free enterprise? Then get ready to pitch your latest business idea to a panel of experts in the skyboxes of Memorial Stadium on Thursday, February 25. If your business idea has merit, you could be one of six students to win a prize of $6,000 each -- in cold, hard cash.

The "quick-pitch competition" is being sponsored by the Nebraska Center for Entrepreneurship and the Southeast Community College Entrepreneurship Center. The competition is open to all students at Nebraska high schools and colleges. Event details and competition applications are available at http://www.entrepreneurship.unl.edu. Applications should be sent no later than this Friday, Feb. 12.

DHS Wrestlers Continue Success At Turkey Creek Tourney

The Dorchester wrestling team concluded its regular season Thursday with another impressive performance at the Turkey Creek Invitational, hosted this year by DHS. After the dust settled, the Longhorns made a convincing statement that they deserve to be in the state's top 5 Class D wrestling rankings.

DHS captured another first place trophy with a team score of 125.5. Other team totals were: Freeman 108.5, Hastings St. Cecilia 102, Friend 86.5, Meridian 81, and McCool Junction 24.

The Times' staff expects that the Class D state wrestling rankings -- which currently have Friend listed as No. 7 and DHS No. 10 -- will be adjusted accordingly following the lopsided results posted this week.

The tournament saw four DHS wrestlers make it to the championship matches. In the 125 lb. category, Inderlied of DHS pinned Small of St. Cecilia. DHS's Stern, Kahle and Hochstetler earned silver medals. In the 189 lb. division, DHS's Barak pinned St. Cecilia's Suminski.

District competition for DHS will be Feb. 12 and 13 at Sutton High School. We encourage all Longhorn fans to root DHS' grapplers onto state.

DHS Boys Stay Even On The Season After Splitting Contests

The Dorchester boys' basketball team captured a 47-41 victory over Nebraska Lutheran on Thursday night in Waco, then let one get away Friday evening in Clay Center, where the Longhorns fell 60-51. With the split this week, DHS goes to 8-8 on the season.

Dorchester handled the Nebraska Lutheran Knights thanaks to Senior Alex Walton's led 13 points and Brandon Zoubek's 11. Other Longhorn scorers included Lee (3), Palky (2), Kotas (14), and Kalkwarf (4). To see the York News-Times' story on the game, click on this link.

According to the Nebraska School Activities Assocition, the Longhorns are currently ranked No. 37 out of 61 teams in Class D1, based on season point totals. DHS has two regular season games remaining, both home contests. On Friday, the Longhorns do battle with Hampton at DHS. On Feb. 19, Dorchester takes on Giltner.

DHS Girls Go To .500 With Two Big Wins

The DHS Lady Longhorns' basketball team is again playing .500 basketball and appears to be peaking at the right time of the year following big wins over Nebraska Lutheran and Clay Center this week. The Dorchester girls are now 10-10 on the season, putting them near the middle of the pack in Class D1, which claims more than 60 teams from across the state.

On Thursday night, the Lady Longhorns posted a 52-48 win over Nebraska Lutheran. At one point in the second quarter, the Lady Longhorns held a 23-7 lead. At the half, Dorchester led the Lady Knights by a score of 25-15. Dorchester began the fourth quarter with a 39-26 lead and held NLHS to just two points over the final eight minutes of the game. Charity Springer scored a game-high 20 to pace the Longhorns. Karmen Lawver was also in double-figures as she finished with 10. To read the York News-Times' coverage of the game, go to this link.

On Friday evening, the Lady Longhorns squeaked by the squad from Clay Center, 37-34. The Lady Longhorns will conclude their regular season this Friday at the DHS gymnasium as they take on the Lady Hawks of Hampton.

Ten Ways To Help The Local Economy: Step No. 2

In a hard economy, the best place to begin the rebound is at home. By helping your local economic system, you can support your neighbors, friends, family members and yourself. While some think it takes major dollars to support the community economy, just a few minor adjustments will allow you to make a big impact.

To examine ways we can all support the Dorchester area, the Times is featuring this series called, "Ten Steps To Help Our Local Economy." Today, we look at Step No. 2:

2.) Hire a Local Contractor

Making improvements to your home or property is a great way to spend your disposable income or extra savings. After all, home improvement is an investment -- and it makes you feel better about the place you spend the majority of your life. By hiring a local contractor or landscaper to do the work, you can certainly help your local economy. Plus, many contractors are struggling to get work due to the housing crisis, so you might be able to get a great deal on supplies and/or labor.

In Dorchester, call B.Z. Construction at (402) 946-2178; Klein Construction at (402) 946-3071; Stutzman Digging at (402) 641-4704; Slepicka Bros., Inc. at (402) 946-3311‎; or Holly Well Drilling at (402) 946-3871.

(We apologize if we failed to list any Dorchester contracting business. The above businesses were those listed on our Google search.)