Shelley And Rose Bruha Celebrate 60th Wedding Anniversary

A lot was happening in 1961. 

The cold war continued to worsen as the USSR tested some very large bombs and built a wall separating East from West Berlin. 

Many Americans were building backyard fallout shelters in case of nuclear war. 

The U.S. federal government, headed by Democrats, financed anti-Castro Cubans for a failed invasion at the Bay of Pigs. 

Chubby Checker was dominating the rock-and-roll charts with songs like "Pony Time," while top movies included "West Side Story" and "The Parent Trap."

And Shelley and Rose (Slama) Bruha were getting married.

The Bruhas will soon celebrate their 60th anniversary. They were married Sept. 2, 1961, in Dorchester.

Their family members include children, Pam and Larry Fuller, Rochelle and John Bruha, Lisa and Mark Lautzenhiser and Sheldon and Ingird Bruha, nine grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.

To celebrate, the family is requesting a card shower. Cards may be sent to them at P.O. Box 206, Dorchester, NE 68343.

NEWS ROUND-UP: Dorchester Power To Be Cut Sept. 2

DHS Volleyball, Football Teams Fall in Season Openers: Both Dorchester autumn sports teams lost their season opening contests late last week. The volleyball team, loaded with young talent, fell to East Butler. DHS will try to bounce back this week when the Longhorns host Palmyra and Weeping Water (Thursday, Sept. 2). The football team lost 28-46 against a tough Meridian team. Now the Longhorns must prepare for Pawnee City, which hasn't yet played a game this season.

Dorchester Gets Much-Needed Rain: In the past 24 hours, Dorchester has received much needed rain, which will help late-summer crops, gardens and lawns. Our village reports around 1.3 inches. That compares to just over 1.5 inches north of Crete and southwest of Wilber. See the NeRain map.

Power Will Be Turned Off Sept. 2: Village Hall has notified Dorchester residents that there will be a scheduled power outage beginning at 12:01 a.m. Thursday, Sept. 2 and lasting until 6 a.m. (this may be done sooner). Please plan accordingly. This is required as substation upgrades are made. Please refrain from excessive watering at this time.

Dorchester Looks to Improve Track-and-Field Facilities: At the Aug. 9 school board meeting, board members voted 6-0 to fund an improvement of the school's practice field. The improvements will include a runway for long/triple jump with a sand pit, high jump area, and lanes for relay exchange & hurdle practice. Superintendent Daryl Schrunk showed the board his propose changes to the practice field, according to meeting minutes. 

2021 Football Season Kicks Off This Friday In Dorchester

Dorchester High School's 2021 football season kicks off this Friday night. The Longhorns are set to do battle at home with the Meridian Mustangs. Kickoff is at 7:30 p.m. 

This is the modern era's fourth act of six-man football at Dorchester's revamped Nerud Field, which was upgraded a few seasons ago with a new lighting system.  

Here are the 2021 schedules for both DHS varsity and JV football teams:

Dorchester's football program has continued to show continuous improvement on the field after splitting from Milford four years ago and going to six-man. Last season, DHS finished the year at 6-3, making it to the state playoffs. (DHS was 4-4 in its 2019 campaign and 3-5 in 2018.)

The 2021 campaign will be a tough test without senior quarterback Blake Hansen, who is sidelined due to non-sport related foot injury. 

The Longhorns will also be contending with a younger and smaller roster than in the previous three season. Therefore, they'll be counting on young talent to mature quickly to fill in the missing pieces.

Stand by for season four of DHS six-man ball -- and the second straight season of football in a global pandemic.

DHS Volleyball 2021: Young Guns Set The Stage

The Dorchester High School volleyball team's 2021 campaign is about to begin. And the team is high on the future due to its strong numbers. 

But that also means DHS is counting on strong play from its young players.

This season, the Dorchester roster is comprised almost completely of freshmen and sophomores. Jayana Duchek, a junior, is the only upper classman donning the orange and black.  

The mighty DHS will field a very competitive volleyball team if the young players can quickly elevate their play. The team will again be guided by head coach Claire White and assistant coach Bethany Theis.

The new season gets underway Thursday, Aug. 26 at East Butler, followed by a JV tournament at Giltner on Saturday, Aug. 28 and a DHS triangular on Thursday, Sept. 2.

Here's a look at this year's DHS volleyball schedule:

2021 DHS Volleyball Schedule

Former DHS Educator, Football Coach Bill Story Passes At Age 88

Former Dorchester educator William "Bill" Story, 88, passed away Aug. 3. 

Bill was born in Tecumseh to Henry and Mary Story. He attended Nebraska Wesleyan and received his master's degree from UNL. He taught at Dorchester in the late 1940s and early 1950s. 

Bill was coach of the 1949 DHS football team that restarted the school's football program after a long hiatus following the 1930's death of a DHS ball player. In the fall of '49, only eleven players went out for the six-man version of the game. 

In August 2018, Story attended the special halftime ceremony honoring Dorchester's six-man alumni who played in the '50s. Coaching the Dorchester team was Bill's first job out of college. In 2018, he told the Friend Sentinel: “Football at Dorchester was just kind of like the [University of Nebraska]. It just never stopped, and everybody was behind it.”  

He also taught and coached at Tecamah, Lincoln High, and Lincoln Northeast. Summers were spent managing Uni Pool for 28 years. He loved gardening, sports, traveling and church where he was an usher. 

Bill married Phyllis Schmidt, his wife of 68 years. They have four children; Bill, Jr., Cindy, Jim and Chuck (Kathy); six grandchildren: Brian Story, Staci (Brandon) Rice, Jaime (Nate) Sanks, Jeff Story, Elizabeth Story and Alex Story; great-grandchildren: Kaden and Calissa Sanks and Aren Rice. The funeral service was held Aug. 6 in Lincoln. 

NEWS ROUND-UP: Back-To-School Edition

School Starts Wednesday: Tomorrow, Wednesday, Aug. 18, marks the first day of school for Dorchester Public School. Classes begin at 8:10 a.m. and release early at 1:20 p.m. Preschool begins Monday, Aug. 23. Good luck to all DPS Longhorns this school year! Email Superintendent Daryl Schrunk (daryl.schrunk@dorchesterschool.org) if you have questions about operations at DPS.

Fall Sports Preview is Thursday: On Thursday at 6:30 p.m., Dorchester High School will showcase its fall sports talent during the Fall Sports Preview. This event will be held at the school's north parking lot. The members of both the DHS volleyball and football teams will be introduced, followed by a free-will donation hot dog meal sponsored by the DHS Booster Club. On Friday, Aug. 20, the volleyball team will conduct its scrimmage at 5:30 p.m., while the football team will do the same at 7:30 p.m. Catch the Orange and Black Attack this year!

DHS Booster Club Seeks Members: Dorchester supporters from across the nation are asked to join the DHS Longhorn Booster Club. The club aims to make participation in all high school activities an enjoyable experience for students. Examples of this include purchase of new athletic equipment; sponsorship of the homecoming pep rally; paying DHS coaches' fees to belong to the Nebraska Coaches Association. If you have any questions regarding the DHS Booster Club -- or how you can contribute -- call DHS Athletic Director Brent Zoubek at (402) 946-2781. Otherwise, send your donation to: Dorchester Booster Club, 506 W 9th St., Box 7, Dorchester, NE 68343.

Home For Sale: 407 W. 9th St.

Dorchester's real estate market is booming. This as more people -- especially young families -- want the safety, sanity, affordability, and quality of life offered in our close-knit village. On the rare occasion a Dorchester home is listed, most are sold within a week to 10 days. 

Consider what Dorchester has to offer:

• TOP-NOTCH SCHOOL: A newer K-12 school with small class sizes and some of the state's top educators. 

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

• LOWER COSTS: Affordable living costs with lower property taxes compared to surrounding school districts that can overspend taxpayer resources.

• KEY BUSINESS AND PRIME LOCATION: Headquarters for one of the nation'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.

407 W 9th St.: You must see this house to appreciate it. This 2+1 bedroom, 2 bath home is move in ready. Remodeled kitchen with new refrigerator, newer dishwasher, microwave, stove, disposal, countertops and backsplash. Engineered wood flooring runs through the eat-in kitchen and down the hall. Bathrooms remodeled with new vanity, sink, toilet, mirror, lighting and electrical. Fully finished basement includes 1 non-conforming bedroom, 3/4 bath and laundry room with newer washer/dryer. Garage is fully finished and heated with 2.5 stalls. Epoxy floor and insulated garage door with 2 remotes. Located across the street from the school. See the listing.

This Sunday: BBQ Pork Feed In Dorchester

Good eats are coming to Dorchester. And it's all for a good cause.

On Sunday, Aug. 15, at the city park, the Dorchester Community Foundation Fund will host its BBQ pork feed -- featuring amazing ribs and pulled pork sandwiches. 

The gathering will start at 4 p.m. and conclude at 8 p.m.

This is a free-will offering gathering, so be sure to be generous. 

The Dorchester Community Foundation has been instrumental, spearheading various projects since 2007. These include:

• The city park's playground equipment and picnic shelter; 
• Annual scholarships; 
• The Charlie Havlat Memorial sign at the Saline County Museum; 
• Welcome signs along Highway 33;
• The "welcome banners" on the light poles in town;
• The directory at the Dorchester Cemetery; and
• The water park at the Dorchester City Park.

Whether you are a Dorchester area resident, a Dorchester alum, or just a friend of the community, join your Dorchester friends for this special event.