Now You Can Pay Your Dorchester Utilities Bill Online

Ever wish you could pay your Dorchester utilities bill online? 

That option is now here.

The Village of Dorchester has partnered with the State of Nebraska so that Dorchester residents can make online payments using credit/debit cards, as well as electronic checks.

You will need to provide your Dorchester utilities account number, as well as your address.

Click here for the online payment option.

Questions? Visit Village Hall, or email dorchester@diode.net, or call 402-946-3201. 

Dorchester Students Shine In Recent Extracurricular Competitions, Activities

We have always known Dorchester Public School provides a well-rounded, individualized educational experience for its students. But it's great to see this fact confirmed as Dorchester students continue to shine in their extracurricular activities and competitions.

Today, we spotlight some of the recent notable accomplishments of Dorchester's hard-working students. 

Some of these achievements from the past couple of weeks include:

• DHS' one-act theater team captured first place for its performance at the Crossroads Conference competition.

• Dorchester's Addision Lehr and Jaki Acosta had their art work displayed at the Nebraska Association of School Boards Conference in Omaha. 

• DHS art students helped make turkeys to go on shut-in cookie plates delivered by the American Legion Auxiliary.

• Dorcheter Junior High wrestlers finished at Dorchester's recent wrestling meet, with Marcos Borrego and William Paiz capturing first place metals, Jacob Hatfield and Ashton Jirsa getting second place, and Victor Lopez coming in fourth place.

Congrats to all the Dorchester students for their strong efforts.

Blizzard Watch For Tuesday

Just in time for Thanksgiving week -- a blizzard on the plains.

AccuWeather, the preferred weather forecaster of the Times, says there's an 80% chance of snow beginning Tuesday morning, Nov. 26 -- with blizzard conditions developing thanks to strong winds.

Travel will be dangerous, according to AccuWeather's experts.

A bit of evening snow will follow, with the storm expected to bring a total maximum of 6 inches. untreated roads will be snow packed and slippery.

West and north of Dorchester, the National Weather Service has issued a Winter Storm Watch starting Tuesday 9 a.m., expiring Wednesday 6 a.m. The main weather threats for the storm include snow accumulations of 4-8" and wind gusts up to 45 mph.

Thanksgiving Day won't be a beauty either. Cold; periods of snow in the morning followed by a bit of snow and rain at times in the afternoon.

See the full forecast for the Dorchester area here.

FLASHBACK: Korean Student Experiences Holiday In Dorchester

With Thanksgiving nearly here, we thought we'd share this flashback from five years ago. Enjoy!

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A Korean college student was able to experience Thanksgiving in Dorchester last month. And now she's sharing her experience with the student body at the University of Nebraska-Kearney.

Jihyun Kim, an English major at UNK, hails from South Korea. In the UNK student paper, The Antelope, Kim writes: "It was my first Thanksgiving Day in America, and it was my first Thanksgiving break in Dorchester, a small Nebraska town of about 600 people."

According to Kim's report, her roommate Jordan Sherman, a psychology major from Dorchester, invited her to visit Dorchester and experience a traditional American Thanksgiving day.

Kim writes: "There is a similar holiday like Thanksgiving Day in South Korea; it is called Chuseok. All the family members gather together at their grandparents’ house or the oldest uncle’s house on the day. Also, they prepare lots of Korean foods and share them."

Kim writes that, "This year I learned people in America eat pie, especially pumpkin pie, steamed turkey, ham, various cheeses, mashed potatoes and corn on Thanksgiving Day. ... Thanks to Jordan, I could have my friend feel like family in Dorchester. I could relieve my homesickness thanks to Jordan and her family. If I did not meet my really great roommate, I could not experience such a good day."

This Sunday: Dorchester FBLA's Christmas Shopping Extravaganza

Want to get your Christmas shopping done early? Or maybe you want to sell to local customers?

Here's your chance.

Dorchester's Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) chapter will host its fourth annual Holiday Vendor Extravaganza at the Dorchester High School gymnasium (506 W. 9th St.) this Sunday, Nov. 24, from noon to 4 p.m.  

That's four hours of buy-local, bargain shopping!

The event is intended to raise money for Longhorn students who attend the National FBLA Conference.

Many vendors are expected at this huge event, making it the perfect venue to find high quality and unique Christmas gifts.

More information is available for sellers and buyers by emailing kyra.creamer@dorchesterschool.org.

For those who are unfamiliar, FBLA is a nationwide career and technical student organization, giving teens exposure to business basics. Established in 1940, FBLA is the largest student-run organization in the U.S.  

Dorchester's FBLA charter has been active for 28 years.  Dorchester's FBLA membership today claims dozens of students, which is impressive for a Class D school. (Dorchester FBLA was just featured last year on page 12 of this regional publication.)

Over the years, Dorchester has become a force to be reckoned within the FBLA universe and in statewide competitions, as some Dorchester students have even served as state FBLA officers. This gives Dorchester alumni a real head start as they enter the business world.

The Dorchester community can be proud of its FBLA chapter and should support its FBLA members by attending this year's Holiday Vendor Extravaganza at the Dorchester School.

Dorchester's Northview Estates: Lots For Sale And Ready For Your New Home

Earlier this year, the Times reported on the effort to establish a new residential area in a north addition of Dorchester.

Now the lots have been listed on the market -- ready to be purchased and built on.

The official name of the development is Northview Estates. It will contain a new 13th St. and 14th St., as well as a continuation of Colfax Ave. Also, a short span called Code Ave. will connect 13th and 14th streets.

You can see the list of lots that are currently for sale here. 

Prices range from $15,000 to $17,000 per lot. (This compares to an average of $70,000 to $100,000 for lots throughout much of Lincoln.)

As we noted last March, landowner and resident W.J. Plouzek worked with the Dorchester Village Board and Dorchester Planning Commission to establish new residential lots for our village. 

As annexed by the village, the new development is in the northwest corner of Dorchester, just north of 12th Street.

The new development will eventually offer 52 lots on which to build, if all goes to plan. 

Of course, some home builders may decide to purchase two or three lots to give residents plenty of room and yard.

Dorchester water, sewer and electricity will be provided to the lots in this area.

Those wanting more information about lots on which to build in the new housing division should call W.J. Plouzek at 402-587-1803, or simply contact the listing realtor.

Jerry Betts Passes At 79

Jerry Lee Betts, 79, of rural Dorchester, passed away Nov. 16 in Lincoln. He was born on Sept. 13, 1940 in Nebraska City to Merlin, Sr. and Dora Betts. He attended Nebraska City Public School, where he especially enjoyed shop class. 

Jerry served his country and was a member of the Army National Guard. He began working at the Morton House in Nebraska City and later worked for Alpo Pet Foods in Crete, from which he retired. Jerry married Mary Janssen and they had two children: Terry and Tammy. He was very mechanically talented and he enjoyed working on cars, going to car shows, his pets, especially his dogs. 

The one thing that would always light up his face with a smile was seeing his grandkids; he loved them so much. 

He was preceded in death by his parents and sister in law: Joyce Betts. Jerry is survived by his brother and sister in law: Merlin, Jr. and Maureen Betts, son and daughter in law: Terry and Cheryl Betts, daughter: Tammy (Betts) Scusa, grandchildren: Brandon, Michaella, and Dakota, great grandson: Lane, life-long companion: Deb Goff and her children: Melissa and John and her grandchildren: Kaylee, Connor and Courtney, all of which he considered as his own. 

In honor of Jerry’s wishes, no services will be held. Please sign the online guest book or feel free to share online condolences with the family.  Kuncl Funeral Home in Crete is in charge of arrangements.

SPORTS ROUND-UP: Basketball Season Less Than Three Weeks From Tip-Off

Here Comes Basketball Season: Don't look now but the start of high school basketball season is just around the corner. The Dorchester Longhorns' high school teams tip off for the first time on Friday, Dec. 6, at Meridian. See the DHS boys' schedule (and those of all Class D2 teams) here. See the Dorchester girls' schedule here.

Abby Plouzek to Play for UNO Volleyball: At 6'3", Dorchester's Abby Plouzek will be playing Division I volleyball next fall. She has signed her letter of intent, committing to play at the University of Nebraska-Omaha. Plouzek played her freshman through junior seasons at DHS before option-enrolling at Class B Waverly this past fall for her senior year. UNO head volleyball coach Matt Buttermore said: "Abby really started to develop in the last year, and we’re excited about her future in the middle." According to our research, Plouzek is the first DHS volleyball player to make it to Division I since Janet Uher, a 1991 graduate who played her final season at Wilber-Clatonia.

DHS' Jaycee Zoubek Gets All-Conference Honors: DHS' Jacee Zoubek was recognized by the Crossroads Conference with an all-conference honorable mention for her 2019 volleyball efforts. Congrats to Jacee.

Nebraska Six-Man Championship Game is This Friday: This Friday, Nov. 22, will bring the state's six-man football championship contest featuring No. 1 Harvard against No. 2 McCool Junction. Kick-off is at 7 p.m. at Memorial Stadium in Lincoln. See how the state playoffs evolved this month by clicking here. (We think Dorchester could have beaten some of these first-round teams had the Longhorns avoided key injuries and kept all the young men on the field.)

Don't Forget Volleyball: The high school volleyball state tournament has long since concluded, but we'd be remiss if we didn't share the results with our readers. Here they are for all classes.

Random Thoughts: July 4 Memorial Fund, Jobs, and Husker Victories (or Lack Thereof)

This feature is called "Random Thoughts." They belong solely to the staff of the Dorchester Times.

Some of the musings will be provoking or enlightening; others will have less depth than the kiddie pool.

In any case, if you read something you agree with, let us know in the comments box. Disagree? Do the same. 

Have a random thought you want published? Send it to dorchester.times@gmail.com.

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The Passing of Steve Ottmann: Steve Ottmann's passing should spur our community to establish a Fourth of July Memorial Fund in honor of this longtime Dorchester volunteer. Let's make July 4, 2020 extra special in honor of Steve.

Bartender/Server Jobs in Dorchester: We hear Eastside Bar and Grill is looking for a bartender and servers. Must be 19 and willing to work nights and weekends. Call 402.946.2007 and ask for Lisa or stop by and fill out an application. We see lots of "help wanted" ads, so there's no reason to complain about money if you can work.

Wishing for Six Husker Football Wins: Remember when most the state snickered at University of Nebraska AD Bill Moos' comment this summer that six NU football wins would make for a successful season? Now, half a year later, we concur. Lowering expectations is a tough aspect in life.

'Equality' or Patting Yourself on the Back at Kids' Expense?: The Nebraska State Board of Education recently approved new social studies standards requiring educatators to "look at history from multiple perspectives, including those of religious, racial and ethnic groups, women, LGBTQ people and Native American nations." OK, fine. But meanwhile, the Chinese are running laps around our socially conscious kids in math, science and technology.

Dorchester's Steve Ottmann Passes; Funeral Is Friday

Steven Brown Ottmann was born on March 7, 1946, in Hamburg, Iowa to Floyd John and L. Ruth (Brown) Ottmann. He passed away Nov. 11, 2019, in Crete, Nebraska at the age of 73 years, 8 months and 4 days. 

See the News Channel Nebraska story on Steve's passing here.

Steve grew up in Rockport, Mo. and graduated from Omaha North High School with the Class of 1964. On Aug. 28, 1966, Steve was united in marriage to Judith Ann Hall in Coleridge, Neb. and to this union three children were born. Steve taught mathematics at Southeast Community College in Lincoln for 39 1/2 years. 

In 2013, he retired from teaching and was elected to the SCC Board of Governors as the member at large. He continued to serve on the board until his passing. Steve was a longtime donor at the Nebraska Community Blood Bank. Family and friends could often find Steve bidding on a good deal at a Ficke & Ficke auction, assisting with the Sons of the American Legion in Dorchester, and raising money for the Dorchester community Fourth of July activities. He also loved spending time with his family.

Survivors cherishing his memory include his wife of 53 years, Judith Ann Hall Ottmann; three children, Mariah and husband Bruce DeFord, Stefanie Ottmann, and Steven and wife Amy Ottmann; five grandchildren, Olivia, John, Christina, Gwendolyn and Stefanie; and a host of friends. Steven will be truly missed in the Dorchester community and in all of our lives.

Visitation is Thursday, Nov. 14, from 5 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at the Dorchester United Methodist Church. The funeral service will be  Friday, Nov. 15, at 10:30 a.m. at the church.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that friends donate blood at the nearest blood bank or make a financial donation to a future SCC scholarship for a local student. Please help us to remember Steve with a gift of future joy.

DPS Superintendent Schrunk Recognized By Nebraska American Legion

Photo: Sharon Axline

Dorchester Public School Superintendent Daryl Schrunk on Monday was awarded the 2019 District 2 American Citizenship Award by the Nebraska American Legion.

The award was presented during today's Veterans Day ceremony held at the DHS gymnasium, which featured students greeting area veterans, as well as a solemn performance by both the Longhorn choir and band.

Schrunk was nominated by Dorchester American Legion personnel. As a veteran himself, he is an active in Legion activities. 

Among the reasons Schrunk was nominated are:

* Active member in the Dorchester Legion, serving in the color guard, firing squad, and as finance officer.

* Active in several community volunteer groups, including Renew Dorchester.

* Coordinates activities of school with town board and other community leaders.

* Keeps older veterans involved with school activities.

* Has made several public speeches on the importance of service to country.

Our congratulations to Superintendent Schrunk for this impressive honor and recognition by fellow Nebraskans.

NEWS ROUND-UP: DHS Basketball Apparel Available Now; Honoring Our Area Vets

Order Your Dorchester Basketball Apparel Now: Lots of Longhorns fans are excited for the upcoming girls' and boys' basketball season at Dorchester High. There are big expectations from both teams this year. Why not show your enthusiasm by sporting DHS basketball gear. You can order all your Longhorn fan apparel here -- the official site of DHS basketball gear. Orders must be placed by Nov. 14.

Vets' Day 10-Mile Run Cancelled: Renew Dorchester reports on its social media that the group had to cancel its planned Nov. 9 Hero Hustle race due to the construction work at the railroad crossing on west 13th street in Crete. 

Dorchester Natives Pass Recently: Two Dorchester-area natives passed recently. Anna Javorsky passed away Oct. 31 in Casper, Wyoming. She was 93 years old. Anna was born on a farm near Dorchester to Antonia and Joseph Svoboda. She loved the country life growing up with her siblings Marie, Antonie, Joe and Helen. Being a teacher in a one-room country school was one of her dearest memories. Also, Carmen Moser, age 63, passed on Oct. 10 in Lakewood, Colorado. Moser was born to William Earl and Melva Jean (Harling) Moser, and spent most of her childhood years in Dorchester.

The Times Salutes Dorchester Area Vets: On Veterans' Day 2019, we want to pay tribute to Dorchester's August-Vanek American Legion Post #264, the Sons of the American Legion, the Legion Auxiliary and Junior Auxiliary. Many in our community may not realize that Dorchester's American Legion Post is nearing its 100th anniversary in 2020. Read our 2015 tribute to the Dorchester Legion right here.

Dorchester Jr. High Will Debut New Play On Thursday

Lights, camera, action!

On Thursday, Nov. 14, the Dorchester Junior High Play Department will be presenting "Beauty IS a Beast" on the stage in the multipurpose room at the school.  

The performance will begin at 7 p.m.  

This play, written by D.M. Larson, is a story about Princess Beauty, who is beautiful on the outside but quite ugly on the inside.  Her fairy godmother decides to teach her a lesson.  

All will enjoy this play that teaches the important message -- true beauty comes from the heart.  

The cost for admission will be $3 for kindergarten students through adults.  There will be cookies available on the free will donation table as a treat to enjoy after the play.  

Please join the junior high drama team for a fun evening!

City of Friend Under Investigation After Suspicious Purchases

The City of Friend is under investigation by the Nebraska State Patrol after a state audit of the city government uncovered wasted funds and suspicious expenditures.

10/11 News reports that the audit of the City of Friend began Aug. 5 when an attorney representing the city contacted the Auditor of Public Accounts regarding concerns about "frequent, high-dollar municipal purchases from two chemical distributors."

The purchases sound like something from the Pentagon's procurement records. They include:

• One pallet of sewer lift station degreaser for $5,572.32 from Central States Lab. However, Central States Lab sold the exact same item to the city of Madison, Neb. for $2,939.76.

• 10 cases of paper towels from Metro Chemical and 10 cases from Central States Lab for a total of $4,589. According to the report, the APA found the city could have saved $3,358.20 by buying from an office supply company.

Multiple other examples are also listed in the report.

The purchases were approved by Patrick Gates, the city utility superintendent, and Debbie Gilmer, the city clerk, 10/11 says. Both were suspended indefinitely as the investigation is underway.

According to the report, it is unclear if “the city was simply duped into paying these astronomical prices or if any city staff were receiving kickbacks from the vendors.”

Lawsuits, Conflicts of Interest: Proposed Wind Farm Faces Setback

In September, we told you about a citizen request to the Saline County Board asking for a six-month moratorium for a proposed wind farm project in west-central Saline County. (For the record, it's not just Saline County residents who are putting up a stink.)

Now it appears the wind farm's opponents, which includes Gary Veprovsky of rural Dorchester, are taking court action against both the county and the wind farm developers.

The Friend Sentinel reports that the lawsuit -- which is actual the second against the proposed wind farm -- has been filed against EDF Renewables, Milligan One Wind LLC, Aksamit Energy Development, Aksamit Resources Management, Golden Rock Wind LLC, US Development LLC, York Nebraska Wind Partners LLC and Saline County.

Along with Veprosky, Alan and Debbie Brunkow, Dennis and Deborah Pallas, and Chuck and Rebecca McKay filed the complaint in Saline County Court Oct. 29.

The Sentinel story says the "plaintiffs allege public record documents were not provided as requested, conditional use permits were not filed in a timely manner, and zoning regulations for the county are being violated by the companies."

But wait -- the story has yet another twist.

"A hearing set Oct. 3 was not heard in court because the district judge, Vicky Johnson, has a conflict of interest as her staff’s family owns real estate which is involved in the wind farm project. The case has been reassigned to the Hon. Rick Schreiner, who has yet to schedule a hearing."

Interesting times down on the farm. (In the meantime, can anyone tell us if a falling windtower makes any noise if nobody is around to hear it?)

NEWS ROUND-UP: Veterans' Day Soup Supper Postponed

Two-Story Home in Dorchester Qualifies for 101% Loan: The Times has been alerted that this fully renovated Dorchester house, which has been on the market since summer, has seen its asking price reduced to $139,900. It qualifies for an RD loan at 101% financing and the buyer could qualify for down payment assistance. For more, contact Stacy Hartgerink with HOME Real Estate. Currently, there are no other homes in Dorchester on Realtor.com, although we know of at least one property for sale by owner. (The Times does not publicize homes being sold directly due to lack of information available.)

Legion Auxiliary Veterans' Day Soup Supper is Postponed: The Dorchester American Legion Auxiliary Veterans' Day and birthday soup supper -- scheduled for this Sunday, Nov. 10, 4:30 to 7:00 p.m. -- has been cancelled due to conflicts.  The event will be rescheduled at a later date. That is the word for Auxiliary leader Marva Kasl.

Veterans' Day Program at School: Dorchester Public School will honor those who have served in the nation's uniform during its Veterans' Day ceremony on Monday, Nov. 11. The 10 a.m. event will be held in the main gym, with the public invited to attend. For more, call 402-946-2781.

Help Needed for Jr. High Wrestling Tourney: Help is needed to help run the annual Dorchester Jr. High Wrestling Tourney on Tuesday, Nov. 19. Experienced individuals are needed to assist with scoring and getting wrestlers to where they need to be. Call Brent Zoubek at 402-946-2781 if you can help.

DHS Drama to Perform Nov. 23: The DHS Drama Club will host a Dessert and Drama performance on Saturday, Nov. 23, at 6:30 p.m.  A variety of delicious desserts will be served, along with tea and coffee, and the performance will begin at 7:30 p.m. Admission is $5.

FLASHBACK: 5 Years Ago, 10/11 News Covered Story Of Gratitude In Dorchester

Five years ago this month, 10/11 News covered this story of thanksgiving directly from Dorchester. 

It's a nice November reminder that "community" means more than a town's geographical boundaries.

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On this Thanksgiving weekend, we wanted to share this story of gratitude from Dorchester.

Last weekend, 10/11 News was in Dorchester to cover the benefit for the family of six-year-old Kody Krapp, son of Chad and DHS graduate Kelly (Krivohlavek) Krapp of Gretna.  

Kody passed away earlier this month following a life-long heart condition and complications from open-heart surgery. Many of our readers know the extended Krivohlavek family and how stressful this has been.

The TV station reported: "Parents Kelly and Chad Krapp don’t know what to say at times, after watching friends and even people they don’t know continue to fill the community building. 'Overwhelming,' Chad said."

"The family needs help, as medical bills and funeral costs add up. At a silent auction and pancake benefit, help is what they’re hoping for."

"'In a small town, this is what you do,' said family friend Lisa Lautzenhiser. 'You come together and you help friends and you stick together.'"

Dorchester Leaders Ask For Community Input On Planning Priorities

If you've ever wanted to let Dorchester's elected leaders know your thoughts about the village's long-term priorities, here's your opportunity.

The village board is conducting an internet-based needs assessment. In short, they want resident input on what should be Dorchester's priorities in its community planning.

Is your main concern the streets? Other infrastructure? Housing? A new community hall? New fire department? Main street improvements.

Now is your time to sound off.

The board currently is looking at costly repairs to the community center, capacity and building condition concerns at the fire station, as well as aged water, sewer, and street infrastructure. The village leaders need your input as to what should be prioritized.

Remember -- you don't have to limit your community engagement to online actions. Sit in on the next Dorchester Village Board meeting, set for this Monday at 7 p.m. at the Dorchester Fire Hall.