Dorchester Times: April 2013

Tuesday, April 30, 2013

OUR OPINION: An Idea That's Catching Fire

It is being reported on the news wires that volunteer firefighters in Blue Springs, Neb. last Saturday burned down two homes in the small town just southeast of Beatrice. The burns help clean up the community and give volunteer firefighters much-needed training.

Talk about hitting two birds with one stone.

Blue Springs Councilman Gene Reedy Jr. told the Beatrice Daily Sun the fires Saturday helped the small southeast Nebraska community remove two longtime eye sores. Reedy owns the property where one home was burned. He says it was up to 100 years old and had been unoccupied for decades. The two houses bring the total number of such controlled fires to three this year.

At least one home in Dorchester's southern section was recently burned for practice by the DVFD, clearing the lot for commercial use. We think this may be the only way to address some of Dorchester's long-time abandoned and dilapidated properties.

As one Times staff member said the day of the practice burn as he watched from the grounds of the county museum: "Let's give our firefighters even more training if they need it."

Monday, April 22, 2013

DHS Students Selling Handmade Bracelets For Good Cause

Yes, there are ways you can help a good cause and look good while doing it.

The Dorchester Student Council will be selling YUDA bands for a service project beginning today, April 22, and continuing through May 3.

These are handmade bracelets of leather and coconut shell that were shipped from Guatemala. The bracelets cost $7 each and there are many different designs to choose from.

All proceeds support students in Guatemala -- as selected by the DHS Student Council -- to help give them an education. If you are interested in purchasing one, please contact Mrs. Lutjemeyer at the school or by emailing slutjemeyer@gmail.com.

Thursday, April 11, 2013

Dorchester School Notices

Dorchester Play This Weekend: Dorchester 7-12 Drama will be performing “Long Live Rock N Roll” by Cynthia Mercati tomorrow (Friday) April 12 and Sunday, April 14. The Friday night show will start after drama awards ceremony at 6:30 p.m. -- meaning the play will begin around 7 p.m. The Sunday afternoon show will start at 2 p.m. Come and watch what happens to the girls' academy when a rock star and his hillbilly family show up.

Longhorn Keychains, Necklaces Help Fight Against Cancer: The Dorchester FBLA is hosting a fundraiser for Relay for Life. You can purchase hand stamped keychains and/or necklaces that say "GO HORNS" or "DPS" for $16. Additional orange or silver beads can be added for $2 each. These quality products are made by Kylie's Creations. Please turn in orders to Alyssa Cochnar by Friday, April 12, with checks payable to Suzy Cochnar. For questions, contact Suzy at suzy.cochnar@doane.edu.

Dorchester's Jacob Cerny Wins Statewide Poster Contest, Meets Governor

The Dorchester Public School's second grade class was recently chosen as one of 10 grade-

school classes in the state named as winners in the "Call Before You Dig" poster contest.

DPS' own Jacob Cerny and his fantastic poster were chosen as winners. His art teacher, Stacy Lutjemeyer, entered posters from Grades 2 through 4 because she thought her students would enjoy the contest, especially since the subject matter was pirates.

The students were presented information about the dangers of digging before they created their posters.

The 2nd graders will get a cookie party, a tree, a bench and a plaque for the school, which will be presented May 1 at 2:30 p.m. by the Safe Diggers' Hotline.

Pictured above is Jacob with his winning poster at the State Capitol, taken Wed., April 10. His mother took him to the proclamation signing to declare April 2013 as Safe Digging Month. He was very excited to meet the governor, the Times has learned.

Tuesday, April 9, 2013

Hail Hits Dorchester

Dorchester was one of many areas hit Tuesday evening with early spring hail. Pea to marble-sized ice pelted our area, but no damage was reported.

These photos were taken by Toni Keller Ladely and sent to us by a reader who subscribes to Toni's Facebook page. (Thanks, Toni!)

This was just the latest in a strange mix of weather our region has experienced. Today's blast of cold air was a drastic change from Monday's humid temps in the upper 60s. (Remember, it could always be worse -- like in western Nebraska, which received more than a foot of snow, as road crews reported 8- to 9-foot drifts.)

For tomorrow (Thursday), we will see a chance of light freezing rain. Rain and light sleet in the morning, then a chance of rain and light freezing rain in the afternoon. Highs in the upper 30s. North winds 15 to 20 mph with gusts to around 30 mph. Chance of precipitation 50%.

Cloudy conditions will continue Thursday, with a 20% chance of rain and snow in the morning. Highs in the upper 30s. Northwest winds 15 to 20 mph with gusts to around 30 mph.

The sun should finally appear Friday and Saturday, but highs will still only be in the 40s to mid-50s. Sunday will be partly sunny with a 20% chance of rain. Highs in the mid 60s.

Monday, April 8, 2013

The Cold Beginning Of A Drought Buster?

It was no drought buster, but last night's rain is a start.

According to our official rain gauge, the Dorchester area received around 0.40" last night and early this morning. Further south in Saline County, in the Tobias area, 0.60" was reported.

More rain and other forms of precipitation are forecast for Saline County. Tonight, there's a 90% of thunderstorms.

Tomorrow will be much cooler, with an 80% chance of thunderstorms in the morning, then more rain in the afternoon. Highs in the mid-50s. Temperatures falling into the upper-30s in the afternoon. Northeast winds 10 to 15 mph with gusts to around 25 mph.

By tomorrow night, it will be much colder -- with lows in the upper 20s and a 70% chance of rain or light freezing rain in the evening. Then a chance of light freezing rain after midnight. Ice accumulation of less than one quarter of an inch.

On Wednesday, winter will visit us one last time, with a 50% chance of rain or light freezing rain in the morning, then a chance of rain in the afternoon. Highs around 40. Northwest winds 15 to 20 mph with gusts to around 30 mph.

A 30% chance of precipitation continues into Thursday.

Monday, April 1, 2013

Wednesday Services For Steven Corning

Steven Corning, age 18, formerly of Dorchester, passed away on March 28, 2013.

He was born May 28, 1994.

He graduated from Dorchester High School in May 2012.

Services will be at 12:30 p.m. Wednesday, April 3, at Lincoln Memorial Funeral Home, 6800 South 14th Street.

Visitation will be from 4-7 p.m. Monday, April 1. Interment will be immediately following service at the Dorchester Cemetery.

Memorials in care of the family.

Condolences may be left online at www.lincolnfh.com.

TV Coverage Of Saline Co. Severe Weather Seminar

Over the Easter weekend -- on Friday night -- Nebraska had its first severe weather warnings of the year, including a tornado that touched down west of North Platte.

In case you missed it, the Regional Severe Weather Seminar was held this past Saturday at Saline Center. Two members of the Times staff attended and we were impressed with the event, as we have been in years past. The event included displays and presentations by storm chasers and meteorologists, as well as spotter training for severe weather for the public.

Several news organizations were present, including KHAS TV out of Hastings. See KHAS' video story by clicking here.

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."