DHS Alumni Golf Tourney Set For June 5

Proud Dorchester High School alumni will soon gather for the eighth annual DHS Alumni Golf Tournament. 

Some will be great golfers; others will be OK duffers.

And others will be just try to survive on the course.

The tourney is set for Saturday, June 5, 2021 at the Friend Country Club. (Many alumni have commented that they wish school officials would coordinate the alumni banquet and golf tourney on the same weekend. We're just putting those comments in print.)

Four-person teams are asked to register as soon as possible.

Captains of each four-man team should contact Dorchester Schools Athletic Director Brent Zoubek at: bzoubek@dorchesterschool.org or (402) 946-2781.  

Cost is $60 per player (includes cart and pin prizes) for 18 holes; $240 per foursome.  Checks should be made payable to Dorchester Public School. Price includes 18 holes of golf.

DHS alumni golf tournament t-shirts are an extra $15 for all players.

Check-in starts at 8 a.m. and 1 p.m.  

Shotgun starts at 8:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. There will be pin prizes.

More details are here.

Players must be DHS alumni. (Sorry, Phil.)  

Home For Sale: 1009 Fulton Ave.

Dorchester's real estate market is red hot as more people -- especially young families -- are seeking the safety, sanity, affordability, and quality of life in a village of fewer than 1,000 people. Most homes here are sold within a week to 10 days. It's true.

Consider what Dorchester has to offer:

• TOP-NOTCH SCHOOL: A new K-12 school with some of the state's better educators and the lowest school tax levy in the county. 

• SAFE AND FISCALLY RESPONSIBLE COMMUNITY: With a new water system and sewer system, and a surplus at Village Hall.

• 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 situated on the Burlington Northern Santa Fe rail line and along two major highways.

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

Today we showcase the latest Dorchester home available.

1009 Fulton Ave.: Well-cared for house! This lovely home is located on a huge lot, in Dorchester, for an easy commute to Lincoln. Has three bedrooms, two baths, two-stall garage, underground sprinklers and a full basement with partial finish. Roof gutters and siding was done in 2014 and appliances are included. Learn more or call 826-0376.

NEWS ROUND-UP: Dorchester Memorial Day Services, Polka Dance, New Church Facebook Page

Here are the latest updates from the village and surrounding area:

Dorchester's Memorial Day Services Set: Dorchester American Legion Post 264 will pay tribute to America's fallen warriors this Memorial Day (Monday, May 31) with a 10 a.m. ceremony at Dorchester Cemetery and an 11 a.m. ceremony at Pleasant Hill Cemetery. Lunch will follow at noon at the Dorchester Legion Hall. Nick Wiles will be the guest speaker. That's according to the organization's Facebook page.

Big Polka Dance Set for June 20: Dorchester will the the site of June's biggest polka dance. Eastside Bar and Grill will host Brad Husak, Sunday, June 20, 4:00 to 8:00 p.m. 

New Social Media for Dorchester UMC: The Dorchester United Methodist Church has a new Facebook page. The UMC Dorchester page replaces the old account.

Splash Pad Now Open: For those who weren't aware, Dorchester's water park (located in the City Park) is now operational for the season. Have fun and stay cool.

Report: Dorchester Housing 64% More Affordable Than U.S. Average

U.S. housing costs are soaring! (Thanks to Joe Biden and the inflation enablers in Congress.) 

Fortunately, if you live in Dorchester, you're in a much more affordable area than many others in America.

We want to remind Dorchester residents of our community's best-kept secret: it's cost-of-living advantage.  

Most readers know already that we have it pretty good in Dorchester. Now it has been confirmed by Sperling's Best Places, a national website that provides data on thousands of metro areas, cities and neighborhoods.  

We used Sperling's cost-of-living index to see how Dorchester stacks up. Keep in mind that Sperling's indices are based on a U.S. average of 100.  An amount below 100 means Dorchester is cheaper than the U.S. average. A cost-of-living score above 100 means Dorchester is more expensive.  

Below are the results:

Here's what the analysis tells us:

• Housing (almost always a family's biggest expense) is a whopping 64% cheaper in Dorchester than the U.S. average.  This include mortgage, rent and property tax.  

• Utilities are about 8% less than the U.S. average in Dorchester.

Other key findings from our research elsewhere on the Web:

• Dorchester holds a cost-of-living advantage over Crete, Friend, Wilber, Milford, and other nearby communities.

• A site called AreaVibes.com gives Dorchester an A+ for its public school.

• AreaVibes also says Dorchester's median home price is $92,200, compared to the statewide median price of $137,300 and the U.S. median price of $184,700.
  

DHS Alumni Banquet Set For May 29

It's that special time of year when Dorchester alumni -- young and old and in-between -- gather to catch up with classmates and recall the good ol' days.

The 2021 Dorchester Alumni Banquet is set for Saturday, May 29. 

Doors will open at 5 p.m. and the banquet will start at 6 p.m.

Classes ending in "0" and "1" will be honored (since last year's banquet was cancelled due to the Wuhan Virus and COVID-19 outbreak). 

On the menu for this year's banquet is pulled pork. Entertainment will be trivia.

A special tribute will be paid to the classes of 2000 and 2001.

Tickets are $20 per person. 

For questions on the banquet, contact Linda (Kahle) Woolsey at linda.woolsey@dorchesterschool.org or call 402-946-2781.

House For Sale: 509 W 11th St.

 

Dorchester's real estate market is red hot as more people -- especially young families -- are seeking the safety, sanity, affordability, and quality of life in a village of fewer than 1,000 people. Most homes here are sold within a week to 10 days. It's true.

Consider what Dorchester has to offer:

• TOP-NOTCH SCHOOL: A new K-12 school with some of the state's better educators and the lowest school tax levy in the county. 

• SAFE AND FISCALLY RESPONSIBLE COMMUNITY: With a new water system and sewer system, and a surplus at Village Hall.

• 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 situated on the Burlington Northern Santa Fe rail line and along two major highways.

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

Today we showcase the latest Dorchester home available.

509 W 11th St.: A great opportunity to live a quiet town life. Cute bungalow with three full-size bedrooms on the main floor. House is sitting in a huge corner lot with tons of space. Partially finished basement with an opportunity to make it your own. Walking distance to the school; come and see it... this house is just for you! Learn more or call 402-826-0101.

Git 'R Done: It's Clean-Up Week In Dorchester

It's Community Clean-Up Week in Dorchester. 

That's right. All this week, roll-offs will be available free of charge at the city dump site (for Dorchester residents only) accepting old furniture, TVs, carpet, mattresses, metal, appliances, batteries, and wood without nails (no pallets).

The dump will be open Monday, May 17 through Friday, May May 21 from 1 p.m. to 7 p.m., as well as on Saturday, May 22 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Under no circumstances will the dump accept the following: wet paint, tires, or garbage. Don't even try to bring them -- you will be turned away immediately. The attendant on duty has the authority to reject any item.

NEWS ROUND-UP: Kohl Tyser, Jacee Zoubek Are State Bound

Zoubek, Tyser Are State Bound: Two Longhorns are headed to the Nebraska High School Track Meet in Omaha, set for Wednesday, May 19, and Thursday, May 20. Kohl Tyser will represent DHS in the 400 meter, after running the sprint in 53.37 last week at the district competition in Falls City. Jacee Zoubek will represent DHS in the 100 meter. Good luck to these outstanding DHS student athletes!

News Channel Nebraska Spotlights Deputy Warning: News Channel Nebraska has broadcast its feature story on Saline County Sheriff’s deputy Jen Warning, Dorchester's school resource officer who is battling breast cancer at 33 years old. The story notes that Warning is nearly finished with her eight-treatment regimen. Along the way, she has received strong support from the Crete and Dorchester communities -- including a fundraiser held earlier this spring at City Slickers in Dorchester. Watch the story.

Paul Bachman Earns Law Degree From UNL: Among the more than 3,500 UNL graduates receiving their degrees earlier this month was Dorchester's Paul Kurtis Bachman, who earned his JD with distinction from the University of Nebraska's College of Law.

Class Of 2021 Graduates From DHS

Add another class of fine Longhorns to the rolls of DHS alumni.

Earlier today, May 8, Dorchester High School held its graduation ceremonies for 15 Longhorn seniors.

Here are the members of DHS' Class of 2021 and their post-graduation plans:

Luisa Bonilla: Esthetics at the College of Hair Design, Lincoln.

Collyn Brummett: Computer Information Tech at SCC, Lincoln. 

Carolyn Ellis: Nursing at SCC, Beatrice.

Makenzie Goddard: Dentistry at Central Community College, Hastings.

Mackenzie Jirsa: Education at Wayne State College.

Megan Kotas: Diversified agriculture at Northeast Community College, Norfolk.

Danni McKnight: Mass communications at Midland University, Fremont.

Holli Nigh: Education at UNL.

Alli Novak: Pre-chiropractic medicine at Chadron State College.

Jose Real Cruz: Education, Peru State College.

Alexandria Show: English, Peru State College.

Elizabeth Shephard: SCC, Milford.

Kohl Tyser: SCC.

Abigail Zoubek: Midland University, Fremont.

Jacee Zoubek: Pre-pharmacy/education, Doane.

Our heartiest of congratulations to these Longhorns in the Class of 2021! Your community is proud of you. Work hard, get skills, don't accumulate debt, and contribute much to society!

Survey Shows Opportunity For Dorchester To Retain Its Young People

Forty, thirty, twenty, even ten years ago, small-town kids dreamed of escaping to the big city, where they dreamed of making it big.

But 2020 seems to have changed all that. 

Frequent images of crumbling societal systems, social unrest, violence, burning buildings -- even in nearby Lincoln -- have many of us, including young people, doubting the quality of life in our cities. (That's before factoring in the taxes and exorbitant cost of living.)

Recently, high school students in Nebraska's smaller communities were surveyed by the Nebraska Community Foundation. More than three-quarters (77%) of the students said they’d prefer to live in small or medium-sized town. (And the majority said a small town was best.)

That is an staggering high percentage of students who have no desire to try the big city. A nearly 180-degree turn from two decades ago.

Why the change of heart? Safety, family, good schools, and community involvement were all factors for these students. 

It's important to keep in mind that many of these young Nebraskans -- those who possess real vocational skills (think "shop class"), as well as high-tech skills -- will be able work from anywhere, especially after the changes brought by the pandemic.

The Nebraska Community Foundation says many high school students just need to be introduced to the opportunities around them.

This survey is yet another sign of the opportunity for communities like Dorchester to retain and attract young people.

We hope Dorchester residents -- including school and town leaders -- do their part to encourage our young people to plan to make Dorchester their home as adults. 

YOU TELL US: Where Do You Do Business In Dorchester?

Dorchester is lucky to have its share of great businesses. Some have been here for decades, while others are still somewhat new on the scene. Some have storefronts on main street, while several others operate elsewhere in town.

The Dorchester Times doesn't offer advertising space like traditional newspapers, but here's your chance to tout your favorite Dorchester-area business.

In the comments section of this post, business owners and customers are encouraged to let readers know about specials or new offerings -- or just tell us of why we should do business with Dorchester firms.

Readers will enjoy reading comments from the past. What has changed? What has not?

Those of you who patronize Dorchester area businesses, tell us which are your favorites and why others should give them a try.

It comes as a surprise to some, but many services and products are available right here in Dorchester or the surrounding countryside. It is important to keep our dollars close to home to ensure our community businesses not only survive, but grow.

The best way to do that is by spreading the word about our community's top-notch businesses.  

So go ahead, tell us where we should be spending our dollars?

Looking Back: Dorchester's Great Paving Debate Of 1979

Nothing generates as much hardened controversy in Dorchester as the question of whether to pave the streets. Years ago, the staff of the Dorchester Times discovered that firsthand. 

In 2007, one reader told us that he lived through the last "paving push" and saw it nearly tear apart the town. He added: "I hope before you drag this issue through the mud that you have done your homework. You seem to be a big pusher of improvement, but not once have I heard how to pay for it. ... It might pay for you to personally do some homework on costs before you push things. ... Learn from history."

With a challenge like that, the Times uncovered news articles from the summer of 1979, when the Lincoln Star covered Dorchester's great paving debate. Today, we are republishing one of those articles below. (The other is available here.)

The passage of time has a strange way of shedding light on matters, making it easier for new generations to see things more clearly and allowing them to chose the best way forward. What was decided more than four decades ago may not be right for today or the future. Therefore, it's worth sharing these articles, especially with those too young to remember. 

Now, let's revisit 1979 and the discussion that embroiled our community...

Lincoln Journal - July 3, 1979

Paving is Hot Topic in Dorchester

DORCHESTER – What, in a town of 630 on a warm summer’s evening, does it take to get 120 people to a village board meeting? Paving.

That was about the only thing decided here Monday night as folks got together to discuss the only topic in town hotter than the temperature inside the community center.

With the group apparently split about 2-to-1 against paving, emotions soared during the two-hour session. Yet, almost like a family spat, nobody was called anything worse than his first name – which happened repeatedly.

Technically the session was called for the routine creation of three districts involving only four blocks of paving. But most of the argument centered on the “gap paving” that Mayor Bill Moser says they board probably will order in later.

The mayor says even the gap total probably will not exceed four or five blocks, but opponents fear it will eventually checkerboard most of the town. They contend numerous older people as well as young home owners will lose their properties if the paved segments are put in.

“I lived on a farm and walked in both dirt and manure and it didn’t hurt me,” said Belva Johnson, cafe owner and outspoken opponent of the $21-per-front-foot paving. “If it wasn’t for dirt, how many farmers could have come to town and retired?”

That was one of several comments drawing applause. But so did a remark by proponent and retired farmer Hans Weber that “dirt streets don’t bring people into town.” Paving is “good for the town,” he continued. "Name me one little town around here that doesn’t have paving.”

Several others echoed Weber’s sentiments, saying it should be within their rights to have paving if desired. Approximately 30 to 40 persons stood up when asked how many persons present favor surfacing.

Two young wives, Cindy Meyers and Sally Danekas, said their families would not have moved to Dorchester had they known paving – which would be the town’s first since the 1930s – would be contemplated.

This brought a retort from businessman Dick Sehnert who asked, “Where exactly would you have moved? There’s paving in Friend and Wilber and Crete, too...”

Attorney Merritt James of Lincoln, representing the Walton Construction Co., which has the paving contract, said the firm had been “unfairly chastised” by published remarks critical of the firm’s work. Both Mrs. Johnson and Sidy Bruha said they had received requests by letter but refused to change their opinion.

“The company feels that never in 40 years of doing business has it been so unfairly attacked,” continued James. He insisted that the complaints actually derived from job specifications to which the contractor is complying.

The board unanimously approved two of the three small districts, both created by at least the 60 percent of affected property owners required by law. Because of a legal description error, the third district will have to be re-advertised.