Happy 2023 From The Times!

The Dorchester Times wishes all our readers a Happy New Year! 

Let's use the new year to focus on the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead.  

We challenge everyone to work with their neighbors and neighboring communities to ensure a brighter tomorrow for Dorchester, Saline County, and this corner of the world.  

Thank you for another year online and for allowing us to be a part of your community life.

As you get ready for 2023 and all it will bring, we leave you with this quote:

"Here's to the new year ... (M)ay she be a damn sight better than the old one." 

-Colonel Sherman T. Potter, M*A*S*H*

Saline County Historical Society Board Members Are Our Citizens Of 2022

* Correction - 1/4/2023: Connie Strouf emailed the Times to let us know she is not president of the Saline County Historical Society, but that the organization's president is Larry Kaspar. Strouf added: "Between Larry and Judy Rada, past president, they are the backbone of the museum and I personally can't thank them enough for their leadership in making the Saline County Historical Museum 'the place to come to, to learn, and have fun!'"

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The Dorchester Times proudly names the board members of the Saline County Historical Society as the "Dorchester Citizens of 2022." All of them.

While many board members do not have a Dorchester address, their energy and passion for our county and its history have reinvigorated the south side of Dorchester and boosted the museum to a new level of energy not seen since its founding in the 1960s. See the list of board members here.

The Saline County Historical Museum is operated by volunteers. The board consists of 10 individuals that meet quarterly. 

It takes a dedicated volunteers working together to achieve a great quality of life. Our county museum -- led by Historical Society President Connie Strouf and former President Judy Rada -- not only make life in Dorchester and the surrounding area more enjoyable, they have renewed Saline County's sense of pride in its history. 

This year has been a great one at the museum -- from special events like a fall festival and a collection of roughly 80 nativity scenes, to numerous improvements inside every building located on the museum grounds.

Previous winners of the Dorchester Times' Citizen of the Year Award have been the small business owners of Dorchester, splash pad donors, Brent Zoubek, Greg Tyser, Peg Bergmeyer, Penny Keller, Carol Olson, Dale Hayek, Bill Velder.

Honorable mentions submitted to the Times by staff members either this year or in previous years include (in no particular order): The members of the Dorchester Volunteer Fire Dept. and Rescue, Dorchester Public School staff, Bret Cerny, Roger Miller, Judy Schweitzer, Bob and Marva Kasl, Daryl Schrunk, Andrea Pracheil, Julie and Joe Holly, Deanna Bird, Craig Bergmeyer, Amanda Cerny, Sarah Wenz, Tom Cerny, Larry Kaspar, Phil and Bernice Weber, Lyle Weber, Donna Parks, Shelly and Rose Bruha, Todd Axline, Jason and Kathy Duhrkop, Mike Pracheil, George Kasl, Ben Haufle, Marv Kohout, Matt Smith, Novak Auction Service, Don Eret, Steve Ottmann, Scott Pohl, Eric Stehlik, Joyce Karl, Adam Briggs, Rob Parks, John Bruha, Mark Bors, Joel Weber, LJ Barley, Mark Bartek, Allan Papik, Dan Nerud, Mike Nohavec, Brandon Bruha, Lisa and Kevin Veprovsky, Kelly Vyhnalek, and Sandy Rains.

Congratulations to our Times' Citizens of 2022.

Home For Sale: 208 E Depot St.

Dorchester's real estate market is has cooled off but remains strong. This as the days of easy, cheap money -- following nearly three years of money printing and massive government spending and handouts -- are coming to a close due to necessary Federal Reserve rate hikes to tamp down inflation and save the currency. This makes many homes in large cities, as well as acreages, unaffordable for the average buyer. Now Dorchester looks even more appealing to most folks looking for housing.

Consider what Dorchester has to offer:

• TOP-NOTCH SCHOOL: A newer K-12 school with smaller class sizes and some of the state's best educators. This means individualized attention for your child.

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

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

• KEY BUSINESSES 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 12 minutes to I-80. Yet all the advantages of a small, close-knit community.

Here's a great Dorchester home that just hit the market:

208 E Depot St.: Open House on Dec. 30. Large corner lot with additional lot attached. This 2-bedroom, 2-bathroom ranch home has over 1,400 sq ft of finished living space on the main level. Primary bedroom with bath, first floor laundry, and large spacious rooms. Lots of possibilities with this one! Newer storage shed with garage door. Plenty of room to build a garage. Sits on more than half an acre. See the listing.

Looking Back: How Did Dorchester Get Its Name?

Just how did Dorchester get its name? That's been a topic of debate in our community for decades.

According to Dorchester's centennial book, published in 1981, the railroads formed land companies soon after the government gave away “every other section of land for ten miles on each side of any track laid.”  

In December 1870, the South Platte Land Co. received ownership of the section containing present-day Dorchester after the company erected one house in the center of the section -- a step taken to “improve” the land in order to comply with the federal Homestead Act.

The section was originally platted under the name "DeWitt," but that was changed soon after by an entry in the margin of the land company’s deed book, which noted that the name of the section was indeed Dorchester.

There are varied accounts of where the name "Dorchester" came from. A staff member of the Times reports that her great grandmother once recounted a story that our village was named after a town in southwest England.  

But a March 1967 account in The Crete News stated Thomas Doane, the chief engineer with Burlington Railroad, named it after Boston's largest neighborhood in his native Massachusetts. The name continued the alphabetical naming of towns along the new railroad line: Berks, Crete, Dorchester, Exeter, Fairmont, Grafton, Harvard, Inland, etc.

Another account mentioned in the Dorchester centennial book came from William Ferguson of Chicago, who said that C.E. Perkins, president of Burlington Railroad, and his wife named Dorchester and other railroad communities from their parlor in Burlington, Iowa. Mrs. Perkins was a native of the Boston area and she chose the name Dorchester for our town, according to Ferguson's explanation.

The mystery remains since the stories above are mired in controversy. It seems neither Doane nor the Perkins family had much to do with establishing the other towns along the current Burlington tracks that came to Dorchester in 1871 and runs through our community today.

If you have historical information on the naming of Dorchester, share it with fellow readers by leaving a comment or e-mailing us at Dorchester.Times@gmail.com.

Merry Christmas, Dorchester!

Is there anything better than Christmas in a small town?

Here's our Christmas music for you and your family on this special day.

Merry Christmas to all. Be safe -- we want you reading the Times in 2023.

NEWS ROUND-UP: 6-Month Ban on New Water Wells, Irrigation Expansion

Local NRD Imposes 6-Month Ban on New Water Wells: Tests conducted by the Lower Big Blue Natural Resources District -- the NRD that contains 95% of Saline County -- recently found that groundwater levels in several wells at record lows. As a result, at its Dec. 8 meeting, the NRD board imposed an immediate 180-day moratorium (or pause) on the construction of new wells. This includes halting any increase in irrigated acres in the district. A total of 45 wells recorded their lowest levels since the district has been measuring them. See the NRD's report here.  

Dorchester Legion Open Friday Morning, Dec. 23: The Legion Bar and Grill will be open tomorrow (Dec. 23) from 8 a.m. until 11 a.m. for coffee and donuts. Be safe if you venture out in the sub-zero temperature. But if you're going out anyway, you may as well come over and enjoy the warmth, TV, and good company.

Crete to Get Pump and Pantry Travel Center: Approximately three decades after Crete lost its Highway 33 truck stop on the west edge of the city, a new one will soon appear. Pump and Pantry will build a new travel center near the intersection of Highways 103 and 33. Construction will begin this spring. (We still think Dorchester would be a great spot for a long-haulers' stop since our community is nestled between Highways 33 and 6.)

Longtime County Treasurer Lila Witt Passes: Lila Witt, who served as Saline County treasurer for two decades and worked in the treasurer's office for nearly four decades, passed away Dec. 12. Her obituary is available here.

Dorchester's Imogene Hostetler Passes At 94

Longtime Dorchester resident Imogene Hostetler passed away Dec. 13 at the age of 94. Funeral services will be held Thursday, Dec. 29, at 10:30 a.m. at the Beth-El Community Church in Milford. Visitation will be Wednesday, Dec. 28, from 1 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Beth-El Community Church with family greeting relatives and friends from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Imogene had been residing at an assisted care facility in Adams for the past few years. 

She was born on September 13, 1928, to Phillip and Verna (Stutzman) Stauffer at home in Milford, NE.

Imogene attended Stauffer School District #73 and graduated from Milford High School in 1946. In her youth she accepted Christ as her Savior and was baptized at East Fairview Mennonite Church near Milford. Later she became a member of Beth-El Mennonite Church where she served faithfully teaching Sunday school and bible school.

Imogene married Dale J. Hostetler on August 20, 1946.  They were married for 49 years and 9 months before Dale passed away in 1996.  To this union four children were born, Patsy, Sally, Robert and Jerry.  They lived on a farm in Milford and later moved to Dorchester.  Imogene enjoyed gardening, her flowers, pets, playing cards, Nebraska volleyball/football, car races and helping out on the farm.  She will always be remembered for her delicious homemade pies!

After raising her children, she went to work at Norden Laboratories in Lincoln as the supervisor for the small animal department for nearly 20 years.

She is survived by her three children Pat Hergenrader of Tempe, AZ, Sally (Ray) Kastanek of Roca, NE and Jerry (Cindy) Hostetler of Miramar Beach, FL, sister Elaine Burkey of Seward, NE sister-in-law Norma Jean Troyer of Albany, OR, 10 grandchildren Karen (Tracy) Hatton of Chandler, AZ, Dale J. (Darlene) Moser of Mesa, AZ, Brock (Jenny) Kastanek of Cortland, NE, Bubba (Brooke) Kastanek of Hickman, NE, Shawn Hostetler of Adams, NE, Patrice Jackson (Rod) of Lincoln, NE, Emily McGuire of Lincoln, NE, Amber (Scott) Sietz of Lincoln, NE and Ashley (Ron) Matulka of Ceresco, NE, Kevin (Ampone) Hergenrader of Scottsdale, AZ and 24 great grandchildren and three great, great grandchildren and numerous nieces and nephews.

Imogene was preceded in death by her husband Dale J. Hostetler, son Robert, son-in-law Leroy Hergenrader, parents Phillip and Verna Stauffer, father-in-law and mother-in-law Grant and Sadie Hostetler, brother and sister-in-law Cleve and Sally Stauffer and brother-in-law Willis Burkey.

Memorials may be given to the family or any of the following:  Women’s Auxiliary in Dorchester, Dorchester Fire Department; Goldcrest, Adams, NE; or Adams Fire Department. You may leave your sympathies online.

The Big Christmas Chill Of 2022

For more than a decade, we've shared stories about the blizzard of Christmas 2009. 

Now it appears we could have more stories to tell soon as another Christmas blizzard is set to impact us over the next few days.

As of Wednesday (Dec. 21) mid-morning, the Dorchester area was predicted to receive 3 to 6 inches. 

Flakes will start to fall beginning Wednesday afternoon and lasting through Thursday morning.

But the snow is only part of this developing story.

The kicker will be wind gusts up to 45 miles per hour -- making for blowing snow and wind chills as low as -45 degrees, according to the National Weather Service's winter storm warning for our area.

These are deadly conditions! Frostbite would effect exposed skin in a matter of a few minutes. 

Travel is strongly discouraged from Wednesday afternoon through Saturday morning.

Keep up to date on the latest conditions via AccuWeather, the Dorchester Times' official weather service provider.

Developing...

The Reason Behind Superintendent Schrunk's Resignation

It seems like just yesterday we were breaking the news that Daryl Schrunk had been selected as the new superintendent of Dorchester Public School. 

Now, nearly seven years later, we're announcing his upcoming departure, set for the end of June. (See our Dec. 17 News Round-up.)

Throughout his tenure here, Superintendent Schrunk made it his mission to grow the student body and boost community engagement. He was well received in our town, and his leadership will be missed in the school district and at the school itself.

Schrunk recently reached out to the Times to let our readers know the reason behind his resignation. He told this blog that he accepted the superintendent position in Randolph, Neb. to be closer to his family -- and that's the only reason he's leaving DPS. 

Schrunk shared with us a communication he sent the DPS board and staff after he had applied for the Randolph position. It read as follows:

"After much prayer and consideration, Lynelle and I have decided to apply for a position closer to family. We wanted to be upfront with everyone so that you heard it directly from us. I am applying for the Randolph Public School Superintendent position.  

"Randolph is less than 25 minutes away from Matt, Amber, and Charlotte, our granddaughter (currently 2 hours away). The location is less than 1 1/2 hours away (currently 3 hours 15 minutes) from my aging parents, who reside in LeMars, Iowa. It puts us 3 hours away from Kayla and Andy (currently 4 1/2 hours).  

"We are very, very happy at Dorchester and will only seek opportunities that would bring us closer to our family. We decided it best to especially let the DPS board and staff know throughout this process, as we know how rumors spread. Our decision is solely based on getting closer to family."

The Times staff has always appreciated the communication we've received from Superintendent Schrunk during his time at Dorchester. We thank him for his leadership and we wish him and his family the best in their next chapter.

NEWS ROUND-UP: Curtis Cogswell Set To Become New DPS Superintendent

Daryl Schrunk Resigns; Curtis Cogswell Will Be New DPS Superintendent: After seven years, the Dorchester School District will soon be getting a new superintendent. Current Superintendent Daryl Schrunk submitted his resignation to the DPS board at a special meeting earlier this month. Schrunk -- who has accepted the superintendent position in Randolph, Neb. to be closer to his family -- will continue to serve as Dorchester's superintendent through June. (Here are the board minutes from the special meeting held Dec. 1.) Less than two weeks after Schrunk's resignation, the DPS board announced that the district had hired former McCool Junction Superintendent Dr. Curtis Cogswell as the next DPS superintendent, with a starting date of July 1, 2023.

More on Curtis Cogswell: What's the story behind Dorchester's next superintendent? First of all, Curtis Cogswell has Saline County ties, having grown up on a farm in Friend. As an educational professional, he has the reputation as a rebuilder of schools and communities. For nearly two decades, he was superintendent at McCool Junction. According to reports, when he arrived at McCool in the early 2000s, there were concerns the school would have to close as its K-12 population had dropped to 148. Under Cogswell's leadership, McCool has nearly doubled in size. He holds his bachelor's from Peru State, his master’s from UNK, and his doctorate from Seton Hall.

DPS Christmas Break Begins Dec. 22: Dorchester Public School will be dismissing student Thursday, Dec. 22, at 2 p.m. for the Christmas break. Classes will resume the morning of Thursday, Jan. 5.

DHS Boys Basketball Team Faces Early Struggles: The Dorchester High School boys basketball team has had a slow start out of the gate this season. The boys are 0-4 and have lost all their games thus far by double digits. But the boys' next two opponents are also winless -- Cedar Bluffs on Dec. 20 and Heartland Lutheran on Dec. 22 -- so we like DHS' odds of picking up their first two victories in the week ahead. 

DHS Girls Now Above .500: The DHS Lady Longhorns basketball team is now 3-2 on the young season. The girls have shown improvement over their last two contests, beating Harvard 49-13 as well as a solid Osceola team by 38-24. DHS travels to Cedar Bluffs (0-3) Dec. 20 and will host Heartland Lutheran (0-4) on Dec. 22.

Former Dorchester Resident Richard Rathbun Passes: Former Dorchester resident Richard Joe Rathbun Sr of Milford passed away Dec. 6 at the Linden Village at the age of 74. His obituary is available here.

NEWS ROUND-UP: White Christmas? -40 Degrees In Mid-January?

White Christmas? Then -40 Degrees in January?: The start of winter is still two weeks away, but sources at AccuWeather say there's a chance of a white Christmas in our area. Precipitation is expected Friday, Dec. 23 and it may be enough to give us the white stuff that ol' Bing used to dream of. Then look out! Heavy snow is predicted the first week of January by the Farmers' Almanac. By mid-January, the Almanac predicts one of the coldest outbreaks of arctic air in several years. How cold? Try 40 degrees below zero! (Snow may be coming as early as this Thursday.)

Kohout Donates Christmas Tree to DPS: Marvin Kohout recently donated another Christmas tree to Dorchester Public School, according to DPS social media. Kohout is owner of Kohout's Christmas Trees, which has been in business since 1984.

Divises Celebrate 50th Anniversary: Wayne and Cindy Divis of Pleasant Hill recently celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary. They were married Nov. 18, 1972 in David City. Their family members include children, daughter, Nikki Divis; son, Wayne Divis, and his wife, Amy; and daughter, Angie Trummer and her husband, Matt, and eight grandchildren. Greetings may be sent to them at 1612 County Road HH, Dorchester.

Christmas at the Museum Is This Saturday: This Saturday, Dec. 10, the Saline County Museum Historical Society will host an "Old Fashion Christmas at the Museum" from 11 a.m. until 2 p.m. Come early for a freewill chili and cinnamon roll lunch and stay until the end for a Christmas carol sing along. Organizers say the 68 nativity sets on display are worth a trip to see! 

Dorchester Remains a Low Cost-of-Living Leader: Compared to the rest of the country, Dorchester's cost of living is 23.2% lower than the U.S. average. That's according to the latest update from BestPlaces.net. Meanwhile, the median home cost in Dorchester is real estate is $116,600. Home appreciation the last 10 years has been 3.8%.

Looking Back: Threats of Violence Met Those Who Moved Methodist Church

Most of us from Saline County know about the messy conflict that occurred when Wilber residents traveled to Pleasant Hill in the mid-1870s to physically retrieve the courthouse following a countywide vote that made Wilber the new county seat. 

According to the story -- which has been told often over the generations -- it took roughly 160 wagon teams and 300 Wilber residents using force, including the threat of firearms, before the task could be completed.

But many are unaware of the conflict and threats of violence that occurred when the Methodist Church was moved to Dorchester from Pleasant Hill in 1880. 

According to "Andreas' History of the State of Nebraska," after Pleasant Hill was no longer the county seat, the Methodist Church Society dropped in numbers so rapidly that only a few dozen remained a short time after Wilber became the county seat. The pastor of the church organization, who resided in Dorchester, conceived the idea of securing the church building for his own community. Pleasant Hill, however, would not give it up.

An attorney was consulted. He told the Dorchester Methodists to go to Pleasant Hill, tear down the church, and bring it back to Dorchester. So a party was organized and traveled to Pleasant Hill with wagons to haul the lumber away. The Dorchester residents were met with threats of violence, but they kept on until the roof was torn off and nearly all of one side, as well. The floors were also torn up and some of the lumber loaded on the wagons. 

That's when an officer arrived and served an injunction on the Dorchester residents, who were ordered to leave Pleasant Hill at once. As the Dorchester wagons traveled north,the citizens of Pleasant Hill started to rebuild the church. 

Meanwhile, the district court was in session, but it sat hours away in Falls City. The attorney for the Dorchester parishioners hurried there -- by horse, of course. After securing a hearing, the injunction was dissolved and the court ruled in favor of the Dorchester Methodists. 

The attorney telegraphed the decision to Dorchester -- and the group immediately returned to Pleasant Hill, again tore down the church, moved it to Dorchester, and rebuilt it with an addition. 

The rest, as they say, is history.

Dorchester Basketball Season Tips Off Friday, Dec. 2

On Friday evening, Dec. 2, Dorchester High School's girls and boys basketball 2022-23 campaigns get underway. 

The Class D-1 Lady Longhorns have big expectations for the new season. Last year, the DHS girls finished 14-8, following a 13-9 performance the year before. With much more seasoned talent this year, and a deeper bench, the Lady Longhorns have are expected to surpass 15 wins under the guidance of veteran Coach Brandon Bruha.

The varsity Lady Longhorns will host Meridian at home at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Dec. 2. This full schedule for the DHS girls follows:

Meanwhile, the Class D-2 DHS boys team are confident they can improve on last season's disappointing 3-18 finish. With more veteran leaders on the team, the Longhorns are expected to be competitive in the Crossroads Conference. 

The DHS boys will play their opening contest tomorrow, Dec. 2, at home against Meridian with a 6 p.m. tip-off. Here's the boys' full schedule: