Village Officials Are Pushing Spring Clean-Up Of Neglected Properties

It's nearly April -- and that means spring cleaning in Dorchester.

The Village of Dorchester is participating in a community-wide improvement project, according to sources and social media postings.

The focus will be placed on property owners to clean up, paint and repair properties such as unsightly sheds, garages and homes -- and/or to clear any buildings that are in a state of disrepair or structurally compromised buildings.

In other words, take pride in your property.  (If you can't afford removal or renovation of structure, ask for assistance.)

According to Penny Keller, the village's compliance officer, the first round of letters went out this week.  

"We are approaching this project in phases, specifically one quadrant of town at a time," Keller wrote.

If you didn't get a letter, but you know you have a project or building that needs to be cleaned up, painted, repaired, or removed, it's never too early to take the initiative to get started.

For more information, call Penny Keller at i.comply@outlook.com.

DHS Student Council Collecting Donations This Friday For Flood Victims

When Nebraskans see other Nebraskans hurting, we pitch in and make sure our fellow residents get back on their feet.

That is exactly what the Dorchester High School Student Council is doing this week.

Dorchester Public School is  asking district patrons to wear red or Husker clothing this Friday, March 29, to show our state's resiliency and strong support for those affected by this month's devastating floods.

And students are collecting dollars to help those communities, farmers and rural residents who've lost so much -- or everything.

For those of you in the Dorchester area, if you are able to bring monetary donations, the DHS Student Council will be collecting the donations to support flood victims.

If you would like to help by donating to this worthy cause, drop your donation off at the school Friday, or call 402-946-2781 for more information.

If you cannot donate directly to the DHS Student Council but would still like to help, click here for plenty of ways to pitch in.

Creamer Honored At State Capitol For Graphic Design Work

Earlier this month, Dorchester High School junior Kyra Creamer was recognized at the State Capitol.

According to the Friend newspaper, Creamer, along with other selected Nebraska students, was awarded with a certificate and first place medal on Statehood Day in Lincoln for her promotional work with the 2018 Nebraska State Fair.

The Sentinel says Creamer sent in her project in the “computer graphics” category of the competition, which had a promotional theme for the state fair.

The story points out that her involvement in Dorchester’s Future Business Leaders of American club helped Creamer develop her idea and led her to first place. 

“I think FBLA really helped because it allowed me to work on changes and make (the project) grow,” Creamer said.

See the full story here.

Home For Sale: 908 Washington Ave. For $36,700

Dorchester's real estate market is red hot! As we've reported before, with demand for small-town life growing, reasonably priced homes are typically sold in just hours in our village.  

It's no surprise quality Dorchester housing is in hot demand.  After all, our community has a lot going for it -- that is, if you prefer living in a safe, friendly and affordable community that has much potential for the future. 

Consider what Dorchester has to offer:

• TOP-NOTCH SCHOOL: A 10-year-old K-12 school with some of the state's best educators. The lowest school tax levy in the county -- and one of the lower property rates in southeast Nebraska.  (And not constant property tax hikes like some of our next-door neighbors.)

• SAFE COMMUNITY: With a new water system and sewer system.

• LOWER COSTS: Affordable cost of living with lower property taxes compared to surrounding school districts.

• KEY BUSINESS: Headquarters for one of the state's largest agribusinesses (Farmers' Cooperative) and is situated on the thriving Burlington Northern Santa Fe rail line and along two major highways.

• GEOGRAPHIC ADVANTAGE: A quick drive to many employers in Crete, Milford, Friend and Seward, and just 30 minutes to Lincoln and 10 minutes to Interstate 80.  Yet all the advantages of a rural small town.

However, one challenge facing Dorchester is available housing. So today, we are showcasing the latest Dorchester home available.  If you're ready to call Dorchester home, we encourage you to not wait, but instead make a timely offer.  (Again, things are moving fast in this market.)  Make Dorchester your home and enjoy a great small-town way of life.

908 Washington Ave.: We're not going to candy coat it -- this is a home in need of serious TLC.  But for the person who is willing to taking on a big project, the payoff will be huge.  This downright cheap, two-bedroom, one-bathroom home sits on Dorchester's main street, Washington Ave.  This once-proud, distinct home was built in 1924; it's just waiting to get back to its former self.  At $36,000 and some change, the asking price is well below the assessed value.  Spacious kitchen and dining area. Sit on the enclosed front porch with open windows and enjoy the freedom and serenity of small-town living. Partially fenced back yard leads to detached two-stall garage with alley access.  For more information, click here.

Dorchester's Elaine Sandburn Passes At 91; Service Is Wednesday

One of Dorchester's favorite residents has left us.  Elaine Sanburn passed away in Crete on Thursday, March 14, 2019, at the age of 91. 

Elaine was born on April 11, 1927, in Lincoln to Edwin M. and Iva L. (Walker) Crick. At the age of 5 she attended first grade at the country school, which was located on the southwest corner of the family farm where they were living. She attended country school until the end of eighth grade and then attended and graduated from Dorchester High School in proud Class of 1944. It was during her freshman year in high school that she met her future husband, Edwin Sanburn. 

After graduating high school, she attended Yakima Business College in Yakima, Washington. After returning to Dorchester, she began working for the Guggenmos Investment Company located in the old telephone building on Dorchester's Main Street. She remembered Ed arriving back home on a train after his service in the Navy during World War II. 

Elaine and Ed were married on July 19, 1949. They lived on the family farm for 2 ½ years and then bought the small Thompson house in the northeastern part of Dorchester. After living in that house for a few years after their son Robert Edwin was born, they moved one block to the south into a larger house. She and Ed lived in that home until 2015. 

After Ed’s death in 2015 she moved to The Gardens Assisted Living in Crete. In December of 2018, she moved from The Gardens to the skilled nursing facility, Tabitha in Crete until the time of her death. 

Elaine had memories of the dust storms and the depression in the 1930s. She would talk about how Ed would give her rides on the handlebars of his bicycle. Ed and Elaine enjoyed travelling with trips to Colorado, Missouri, Arkansas, and a cruise to Alaska celebrating their 50th anniversary. She greatly enjoyed her times with the family. 

Elaine joined the American Legion Auxiliary in 1949 and was proud of her longstanding membership with them. She was a member of the Dorchester Methodist Church and had served on the school board for the Dorchester Public Schools. She was a long-time member of the Jolly Doers extension club and always looked forward to the club meetings where she had many close friends. 

Survivors include: son, Bob (Lori) Sanburn of Denton; grandsons, Shawn (Anthea) Sanburn, Brian (Kate) Sanburn, Troy (Megan) Sanburn all of Lincoln; great-grandchildren, Zach, Carter, Nolan, Abby, Travis, Paisley, Linnea, Riyah. Elaine is preceded in death by her parents, Edwin and Iva Crick. 

A celebration of life will be held at 11:30 a.m. tomorrow (Wednesday), March 20, 2019 at the Dorchester United Methodist Church with Rev. Dr. Paixao Baptista officiating. Cremation/no viewing. Private family inurnment at Lincoln Memorial Park, Lincoln. 

Memorials are suggested to the family for future designation. Kuncl Funeral Home in Crete is handling arrangements.  To leave condolences online, click here.

NEW FEATURE: Disturbing The Peace Complaints

Over the weekend, we received two e-mails from two different residents asking us if we'd be willing to post a "noise complaint" section on the Times.

Specifically, these residents had reached their boiling point with barking dogs at 809 Sumner Ave.

One e-mailer told us: "We called the sheriff's department in Wilber, but they told us they won't do anything unless the dog poses a danger to the public."  

So we drove to that particular block on Sunday afternoon and investigated.  Sure enough, there were dogs were barking -- and loudly -- from a fenced-in area in the backyard.

We came back an hour later.  Dogs were still barking.  (It sounded similar to the Bumpus' dogs from A Christmas Story movie.)

Two hours later, we drove by again.  Still heard the dogs barking.  One Times staffer said: "I'm not quite sure how the next-door neighbors can keep their sanity."

That's when we decided that a "Distubing the Peace" feature at the Times was probably a good idea.  

You can leave your complaints in the "comments" section of this post.

While this humble little blog can't enforce a town ordanance or write a ticket, we can certainly spotlight those households that are in disregard of their neighbors.

All we ask is that readers only post addresses when there are legitimate noise complaints.  (No names will be published.)  Also, if the problem is not a longstanding issue -- and just a one-time offense -- try asking your neighbor to resolve the problem first.

All posts will be monitored before they are published.

OUR VIEW: Let's Be More Like James Wilke

In a small town like Dorchester, we often get asked to do a lot for others.

Maybe it's coaching the kids or helping at the school.  Perhaps it's being part of a volunteer group, or assisting at the church.

Then there are the smaller asks, like scooping snow for an elderly acquaintance.  Giving a ride to someone whose car is out of service.  Or just lending a cup of sugar to the next-door neighbor.

Sometimes, all this helping-out-others stuff gets to be overwhelming.  Sometimes, it would be a lot easier just to focus on ourselves.

In times like these, we should remember to be more like James Wilke.

Wilke is the 50-year-old Platte County farmer who died Thursday in floodwaters near his Columbus-area home.  He died attempting to rescue others in need.  

Wilke was on his way to assist emergency responders working to rescue a motorist trapped by floodwaters.  On his way to the scene, he drove his tractor over a bridge.  The bridge collapsed.  Wilke was trapped in the raging floodwaters.

On Friday, his body was found in a nearby creek bed.  He left behind his wife, children and a grandchild.

His friends and family called Wilke very generous, giving, very involved with everything.  The one who got things done.

One of Wilke's friends said: “He supported the community any time he could.”

In short, those who really knew the man realize that Wilke put serving others first. That's the way we'd all like to be remembered.

We could list the reasons why we all should be more involved with giving back to our town and our fellow residents. 

We could remind you that studies have proved helping others through volunteer work increases levels of happiness for the giver -- or that helping your fellow residents builds stronger social connections to friends and community.

But it's probably just easier to point to leadership by example.  

If we were all more like James Wilke, think of how much better this world would be.

NEWS ROUND-UP: Historic Flooding Continues

Crete's Tuxedo Park bridge as of Friday, March 15.

Here are the latest developments from the Dorchester metro area:

Record Flooding Continues: Historic flooding continues to ravage our surrounding rivers and creeks.  Both the West Fork of the Big Blue north of Dorchester, and Turkey Creek just south of town are swollen well outside thier banks to levels not seen in 50 years or more. The City of Crete, which borders the Big Blue River, has seen plenty of flooding.  Click here for Channel 8's story on Crete's flooding woes. That city's Tuxedo Park is underwater, as evidenced by the accompanying photo. As of 6:45 a.m. today (March 16), the river level was 29.67 feet, showing a decrease from a charted high of 30.68 feet late Friday night. Several Crete streets/intersections were flooded, but the waters are receding.  Crete's Highway 33 bridge over the Blue remains open.

Dorchester Students Have Their Artwork in State Capitol: Dorcheter's Javier Cornejo (2nd grade) and Harmony Shepherd (12th grade) will represent Dorchester Public School with their artwork, which is on display in the lower rotunda of the State Capitol building through March 30.  Both of these talented Longhorns have been invited to attend a ceremony on March 30. 

DPS Elementary School Team Wins Reading Competition: Dorchester Public School's top elementary student team (Hadley Brandt, Makenzi Beck, Ella Vyhnalek and Max Novak) recently won first place at the Saline County Reading Classic Competition. The team will participate in Nebraska's state competition on Saturday, March 30 at Tri-County High School. 

Jacee Zoubek, Nate Cochnar Receive Basketball Honors: Congrats to Jacee Zoubek on being named to the Crossroads Conference 2nd team and Nathan Cochnar for being named CRC Conference Honorable Mention teams for basketball. 

Hoffman Headed to State for Speech: Congratulations goes to Dorchester senior Daisha Hoffman for qualifying for state speech in poetry. She will compete on March 22, representing the Orange and Black in Kearney at UNK. Also, congrats to Holly Nigh for making finals at district speech.

Saline Center To Host 35th Annual Consignment Auction This Sunday

The Saline Center consignment auction will celebrate its 35th anniversary this Sunday, March 17.  For those unfamiliar, Saline Center is at 1102 County Road M. 

The Wilber newspaper reports that "the annual sale will take place from 9:30 a.m. until dark, with anywhere from 4,000 to 6,000 people expected to attend." 

Those who attend this event are in for a treat.  (The Lincoln Journal Star even did a story on the consignment sale not too long ago.)

Items for sale include farm equipment, livestock, vehicles, and coins and currency. Since the items for sale span over 15 acres, visitors are welcome to bring their ATVs to cover ground faster, although insurance verification must be present throughout the day. 

The event is free and open to the public, although those that plan to bid will need to get a bidding number before the start. 

Auctioneers helping the day of include Kettlehut Auction Company of Fairbury, Novak Auction Company of Dorchester and Zalesky Auction of Crete (owned by Dorchester graduate BJ Zalesky). 

There will be six rings going  at the same time that will last until everything is sold.

The Republican says: "A lunch will be served during the event and a craft show and tractor pedal pull will take place as well. Kolaches made by the Saline Center Ladies group will be sold at the bake sale, with all proceeds going toward maintenance and upkeep of the center."  

Donations of extra profits "will be made to the Wilber, Western, Friend and Dorchester fire and rescue squads."

Revealed: Details Of Dorchester's New Housing Area

For years, this blog has said Dorchester needs a housing plan.  

More recently, we've reported that plans were being discussed to make way for a new residential area in north Dorchester.

Now it seems the pieces are falling into place and Dorchester will be able to offer affordable lots to those wanting to build new homes in our community.

According to a social media posting, the board members of Renew Dorchester "were briefed on the new residential area planned for Dorchester."  We sent an e-mail the Renew folks and found out that they heard from landowner and developer W.J. Plouzek, as well as Dorchester Village Board member Andrea Pracheil. 

Here are the details as reported by the non-profit group:

• The new housing space will be located in the northwest corner of Dorchester, just north of 12th Street.

• The new development will offer 52 lots on which to build.  We know from village board proceedings that Dorchester water, sewer and electricity will be provided to the lots in this area, which was recently annexed by the village.  

• Each lot will be approximately 100' x 100' and cost roughly $15,000.  (This compares to an average of $70,000 to $90,000 for lots throughout much of Lincoln.)

• Plouzek is currently working with the Village of Dorchester to finalize details, and "lots could be available as early as mid-summer this year."

According to Renew Dorchester, those wanting more information about lots on which to build in the new housing division should call W.J. Plouzek at 402-587-1803. 

The future appears to be arriving quickly when it comes to Dorchester's aspirations for growth.  Our hats off to those who've made this happen.

Home For Sale: 207 W. 7th St.

Dorchester's real estate market is red hot! As we've reported before, with demand for small-town life growing, reasonably priced homes are typically sold in just hours in our village.  (Don't believe us? Another house sold within days of being posted late last month.)

It's no surprise quality Dorchester housing is in hot demand.  After all, our community has a lot going for it -- that is, if you prefer living in a safe, friendly and affordable community that has much potential for the future. 

Consider what Dorchester has to offer:

• TOP-NOTCH SCHOOL: A 10-year-old K-12 school with some of the state's best educators. The lowest school tax levy in the county -- and one of the lower property rates in southeast Nebraska.  (And not constant property tax hikes like some of our next-door neighbors.)

• SAFE COMMUNITY: With a new water system and sewer system.

• LOWER COSTS: Affordable cost of living with lower property taxes compared to surrounding school districts.

• KEY BUSINESS: Headquarters for one of the state's largest agri-businesses (Farmers' Cooperative) and is situated on the thriving Burlington Northern Santa Fe rail line and along two major highways.

• GEOGRAPHIC ADVANTAGE: A quick drive to many employers in Crete, Milford, Friend and Seward, and just 30 minutes to Lincoln and 10 minutes to Interstate 80.  Yet all the advantages of a rural small town.

However, one challenge facing Dorchester is available housing. So today, we are showcasing the latest Dorchester home available.  If you're ready to call Dorchester home, we encourage you to not wait, but instead make a timely offer.  (Again, things are moving fast in this market.)  Make Dorchester your home and enjoy a great small-town way of life.

207 W. 7th St.: This affordable bricked ranch is ready for you.  It has three bedrooms, 1 and 3/4 baths, wood floors and a full basement. It's located on a large corner lot with fenced back yard. Central air.  Annual tax amount is $1,016.  Built in 1957. Total Area is 1,174 square feet.  For more information, click here.

Dorchester Area Has Received Over 50 Inches Of Snow Since October

Mountain-like piles of snow continue to grow near the Dorchester Fire Hall.

Thursday morning, Dorchester woke up to a new layer of white as 5 to 6 inches of snow was dumped on our area.  

This was on top of roughly 6" to 8" that was already on the ground, preserved by weeks of sustained freezing temperatures.

Going back to the first snowfall Oct. 14, Dorchester has had around 40 days with at least a trace of snow, with total snowfall well over 50 inches, which is about 25 inches above what we typically see in an entire winter.  

10/11 News reports that in Lincoln, this winter has unofficially moved into second place among the snowiest winters on record with 55.5" of snow. Still standing as No. 1 on the all-time charts is the snowy winter of 1914-15, which brought 59.4 inches of snow.

The next chance for winter weather moves in Friday night, with freezing drizzle, sleet and rain possible.  

Snowfall this winter has led to many days off for Dorchester students.

But if the current forecast holds true, "warmer" temps on Saturday could mean that the sleet will turn to pure rain, which would wash away some of the white that has covered southeast Nebraska for weeks.

AccuWeather is calling for a high of 40 degrees in Dorchester on Saturday afternoon, as well as a 24% chance of thunderstorms. 

The danger with rain at this time of year -- still two weeks from spring -- is nighttime freezing.  

Temperatures are expected to drop into the lower 20s Saturday night, which could make for hazardous conditions.

Stay tuned to the forecast by clicking here.

In the meantime, if you are counting down the days until a warm-up, look for March 18-20, according to the Old Farmers' Almanac.

The Almanac also says that April and May will be warmer and rainier than normal. Summer will be cooler than normal, with the hottest periods in late June and the first half of July.

Sharon, Harold Axline Take Part In Sandhills' Polar Bear Tank Race

Winter in Nebraska is no time to be playing outside in the water.  But don't tell that to Dorchester's Sharon and Harold Axline.

The Dorchester couple were two of the hardy souls who braved the cold to take part in the 12th annual Polar Bear Tank Race in the Mullen, Neb. area.

The race consists of riding stock tanks down the Middle Loup River through the Sandhills.

The festivities begin on the first Friday of March with a soup cook-off followed by the actual race on Saturday.

According to an article published by News Channel Nebraska and SandhillsExpress.com, this was only the third or fourth time over the past dozen years that the racers had to don full winter gear. 

Too illustrate just how cold this year's tank race was, the story quotes Dorchester's Sharon Axline (who got called "Shirley" in the article).

"If I fall over, I will need help getting up with all the layers I have on," explained Shirley (sic) Axline, who gone to the race with her husband Harold, every year from Dorchester, Nebraska. The couple has been married for over 50 years and usually brings others from their community, but they were the only two to brave the cold (this year)."

According to inside information, the Axlines made it back safely to Dorchester.

Looking Back: Dorchester's Elmwood Pony Farm (And Rodeo)

Today we look back at one of the most intriguing pieces of Dorchester's past: the Thompson Elmwood Pony Farm. (Click on the accompanying pictures for a closer look.)

Owned and operated by Colonel W.J. Thompson, the Elmwood Pony Farm was located in the northeast corner of Dorchester. The farm sat on present day 10th Street, between Lincoln and Fulton Avenues -- home of the present-day "The Well" spa and health business.

Dating back to the 1890s, the Elmwood Pony Farm was one of the largest pony farms west of the Mississippi River. By the 1920s, the pony farm had become home to more than 300 ponies.  

Thompson's pony farm was a popular destination for children from miles around, according to accounts of longtime residents. Children who lived in the country were even permitted to take home a pony and ride it all summer, if they agreed to keep it fed well.

Each September, Colonel Thompson took as many as 35 Shetland ponies to the Nebraska State Fair for rides. He entered many more of the animals in the fair's show contests. All of the ponies were herded overland from Dorchester to Lincoln by Thompson farm employees.

In 1930, Colonel Thompson's son, Wallace, started the Thompson Rodeo. It was usually a three-day event held each fall, complete with fighting broncos, cowboys, clowns, trick riders, cowgirls, bull dodgers, concessions, rides, dancing and "whoopee." 

Dorchester's Thomspon rodeo attracted many top riders from around the country, as well as local talent.  An Oklahoma rider even came within 0.7 seconds of the world's record in calf roping at the Dorchester Rodeo.

At one time, more than 7,000 spectators were reported in attendance at the Dorchester Rodeo. 

Many people had high hopes that Dorchester would become a permanent rodeo on the famous circuit that included Cheyenne Frontier Days, as well as the Burwell and Sidney rodeos. But by 1940, the rodeo hit a spell of heavy rain and events were cancelled.

Then came World War II, and in 1942 the Thompson Rodeo closed its doors permanently, becoming another chapter in the history book of our community.

NEWS ROUND-UP: Flooding, Severe Spring Storms Predicted For Southeast Nebraska

Spring Flooding, Severe Weather Predicted For Our Area: The Lincoln newspaper reports that despite the sub-zero temps we're experiencing in early March, this time of year marks the start of what weather forecasters call "meteorological" spring, with thunderstorms, hail and tornadoes could be right around the corner.  According to forecasters, spring is likely to continue the pattern of extreme weather that Lincoln and parts of Nebraska have experienced going back to last fall.  Forecasting models show that Nebraska is one of four states likely to see higher-than-normal chances of severe weather, including tornadoes. The other states are Kansas, Oklahoma and Texas.  The National Weather Service is predicting an above-normal risk for flooding in eastern Nebraska.  In Southeast Nebraska, above-normal flood risk is expected for the west fork of the Big Blue River -- north of Dorchester -- as well as Turkey Creek, just south of town.

Matthew Scholz Appointed To Village Board: Matthew Scholz is Dorchester's newest village board member.  He will be sworn in at the Village Board of Trustees meeting on Monday (tomorrow), March 4.  Scholz, formerly of Crete, was appointed to the board following the resignation of Matt Hoffman.  Scholz will appear on the 2020 ballot, should he decide to run.  Also serving on the current board are: Thomas Cerny (chairman), Andrea Pracheil, Roger Miller, and Sarah Wenz. Gloria Riley is Village Clerk / Treasurer, while Sarah Ehlers is Deputy Clerk.  The village office phone is 402.946.3201.

Dorchester Gets High Marks From BestPlaces.net: Dorchester scores strong marks from the website BestPlaces.net.  The site notes that the unemployment rate in Dorchester is 3.0% compared to the U.S. avg. of 3.9%. Recent job growth is positive, as Dorchester jobs have increased. The site also says that compared to the rest of the country, Dorchester's cost of living is 14.00% lower than the U.S. average.  And Dorchester's population is 630 people. Since 2000, it has had a population growth of 2.44%. Meanwhile, Dorchester public schools spend $17,881 per student. There are about 9 students per teacher in Dorchester.

DHS Alum Drew Denker Announces at State Basketball Championships: We read today via social media that 2003 DHS Alum Drew Denker announced at this weekend's Nebraska high school girls basketball championship held at the Pinnacle Bank Arena in Lincoln.  Drew's better half wrote: "Could not be more proud of this guy for constantly chasing his dreams with announcing! Pretty special seeing him on TV announcing some state championship basketball games."