NEWS ROUND-UP: Alumni Banquet, 300 Cyclists, Severe Drought

Dorchester High School's 60-year class (Class of 1963). Members shown are Duane Bullock, Mary Ellen Mariska Crist,Lowell Kalkwarf , Dale Swanson, Shirley Jirsa Crist, Dale Weber, Larry Jonas, Jack Guggenmos, and Harold Axline. (Photo: Sharon Axline)

Large Turnout for DHS Alumni Banquet: More than 100 were in attendance at the 2023 Dorchester Alumni Banquet, held May 27 at the DHS gymnasium. Dorchester's Class of 2003 hosted the event, which featured 1989 DHS alumnus Matt Bolton, who will be returning to Dorchester along with his family in July following 11 year of military service and a 22-year career in law enforcement. All classes ending in "3" were honored. Bob Kasl, Class of 1947, was the oldest alumnus in attendance.

More Than 300 Cyclists Coming Through Dorchester on June 9: The 41st Bicycle Ride Across Nebraska is expected to bring more than 300 riders through Dorchester on Friday, June 9 as they make the 372-mile trek across the southern portion of the Cornhusker State. See the route here.

Driest May on Record Since 1934: The Dorchester area has experienced its second-driest May on record, second only to the Dust Bowl record of 1934. Only a little more than four inches of moisture have fallen for the year to date as farmers are relying on center-pivot irrigation and underground water resources to start their crops. Here is the latest UNL Drought Monitor, which shows the Dorchester area in the "exceptional drought" category.

Tabor Hall Burger Bash, June 24: Save the date! On Saturday, June 24, Tabor Hall is hosting its very own Burger Bash. Food and drinks will be served starting at 5:30 p.m. Music will be by Route 66 from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m. And there's no cover charge.

Memorial Day Special: Honoring Charley Havlat's Ultimate Sacrifice

On Thursday, May 7, 2015 -- exactly 70 years to the day that a German bullet ended the life of Dorchester's Charley Havlat -- Nebraska Gov. Pete Ricketts stopped by our village and the Saline County Museum to honor Havlat, his sacrifice, his values, and his hometown.

On that day eight years ago, more than 125 attended the ceremony, including the Dorchester American Legion Honor Guard and Charley Havlat's surviving siblings.

Ricketts gave a moving speech, recognizing the ultimate sacrifice made by more than 400,000 Americans in World War II on VE Day. The governor also had strong praise for Dorchester and its sense of community, calling the village "such a special place" that never forgot Havlat because its people care for one another.  

Here's how the World-Herald story captured the event:

In a sun-splashed ceremony after a night of thunder, lightning and torrential rainfall, Havlat’s hometown commemorated the 70th anniversary of the day he became the last American soldier killed in action in Europe during World War II.

Havlat’s reconnaissance platoon was ambushed by German soldiers on a dirt road in his parents’ native Czechoslovakia. The firefight erupted nine minutes after a cease-fire order and an armistice had gone into effect on the day — May 7, 1945 — of Nazi Germany’s unconditional surrender.
Havlat suffered a mortal head wound. Neither the American nor German soldiers were aware of the cease-fire until minutes later, according to accounts of the encounter.

Standing in front of the Pfc. Charley Havlat state historical marker at the Saline County Museum, Governor Pete Ricketts said Havlat’s sacrifice is a reminder that freedom is not free. “We’re here today to honor Charley Havlat,’’ Ricketts said, “but he wasn’t alone.’’

Ricketts said Havlat was one of 33 sons of Saline County — and nearly 3,000 Nebraskans — killed during the war.  Havlat’s sacrifice and the continued sacrifices of men and women who serve in the military have secured the freedoms Americans enjoy today, Ricketts said.

The 34-year-old Havlat represented the best of Nebraska, said the governor, who made a point to aim his remarks at approximately 30 Dorchester fourth- and fifth-graders and several high school students in the crowd.

“He was more than just a soldier,’’ he said. “He was a son. He was a brother.’’ 

The eldest of six children born to a Czech couple who immigrated to the United States in the early 1900s, Charley was one of three brothers to serve in the European Theater during the war.

Ricketts said Havlat was committed to his family and community. He said Havlat would roll a wagon wheel through snow outside the family’s house in the 1930s to try to convince his younger brothers and sisters that Santa Claus had actually been there.

Havlat’s surviving sister and brother — 95-year-old Lillian Mares of Seward, Nebraska, and 89-year-old Adolph Havlat of Lincoln — attended the ceremony.  Mares later prodded Ricketts about designating the eight-mile stretch of Nebraska Highway 33 from Dorchester to Crete as the Charles Havlat Memorial Highway. The State Highway Commission rejected a similar request in 2006. Ricketts said he was aware of the issue, and his administration is working on it.

Adolph Havlat was a soldier working in Supreme Allied Headquarters in Frankfurt when he received a letter from his parents in June telling him of his brother’s death. “That wasn’t good,’’ he said. “It was worse on my mom. Her first born. It was tough for her.’’

Adolph was granted leave to hitchhike from Frankfurt to join his brother, Rudy, a soldier with a tank unit, near Wallern (now Volary), Czechoslovakia, and visit Charley’s temporary grave. Adolph said the family didn’t know until about 20 years ago that Charley was the last GI to die in combat in Europe, which was reported in a Veterans of Foreign Wars magazine.

Never married, Charley worked as a farm hand and started a trucking company with his cousin, Lumir Havlat. They were hauling grain, rocks and salt up and down Highway 33 and throughout the region when Charley was drafted in 1942.

Charley is buried at Lorraine American Cemetery near St. Avold, France. A Czech military club has placed a memorial plaque at the spot he was killed. Ricketts proclaimed Thursday as “Charles Havlat Day’’ in Nebraska.

Adolph said he and Rudy paid for a bouquet to be placed on Charley’s grave every Memorial Day for years.“It seemed like it happened yesterday,’’ Adolph said. “But it’s been 70 years. That’s a long time. Where did that 70 years go?”

Some Gave All: Remembering Dorchester's F.C. Green

As Memorial Day nears, we remember the ultimate sacrifice made by DHS alum F.C. Green.

Like most Dorchester residents, our staff members recalled the general details -- that Green died in a military training accident in the early 1970s as a Navy pilot. 

When we scanned the Dorchester School yearbooks, we found no recorded history of the incident -- just a memorial in Green's honor (pictured).

So we asked our hundreds of Facebook followers what they remembered. Several readers were helpful, particularly reader JR Wolfe. 

We're passing along the information they provided so that Dorchester's hero -- Lt. F.C. Green -- and his ultimate sacrifice can be recalled by future generations.

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U.S. Navy Lt. (j.g.) Francis Clair Green II was born Nov. 8, 1945. He passed away March 9, 1970 in the South Atlantic Ocean when a wing fell off his aircraft during training. 

He served aboard the USS Sangra La, which was stationed out of San Diego. He was the son of Francis Clair Green and Anna Sehnert of Dorchester, the former being Dorchester's long-time postmaster.

Green was a very popular student at Dorchester -- a star athlete, a top scholar, and editor of the school yearbook. He was a member of DHS' Class of 1963.

According to a Lincoln Star story from March 12, 1970, he went on to study and graduate from UNL, where he continued to forge his successful path. 

He was a honor student, yell king, president of his fraternity, a representative of the UNL campus at national events, and a member of Navy ROTC. 

Green was named outstanding senior midshipman while in the ROTC program. He was even named "most eligible bachelor" by the NU yearbook, and was an a national finalist for the Outstanding Collegiate Man Award.

A memorial service was held a few days later without Lt. Green's body, which was lost at sea.

This past March marked the 53rd anniversary of Lt. Green's death. Be sure to take time to remember this Dorchester hero. Think about the life that was; the life that could have been; and the sacrifice Lt. Green made to serve his country.

NEWS ROUND-UP: Baylor Behrens Takes 4th Place At State

Behrens Captures Fourth Place at State: In recent years, Dorchester High School has managed to find good success with its track and field program. This year, five Longhorns made it to the state meet in Omaha (click here for the results) -- and sophomore Baylor Behrens came home with a fourth place finish in the 300 meters hurdles. Over the last 15 years, DHS has had top-four track-and-field finishers in 2009, 2010, 2014, 2016, and 2017.

Schedule for Memorial Day Services: Dorchester's Memorial Day service schedule has been set. On Monday, May 29, the Dorchester Cemetery service will be held at 10 a.m. The Pleasent Hill Cemetery service will begin at 11 a.m. The Legion will open at 8 a.m. for coffee and rolls. And an Dorchester Legion Auxiliary potluck will follow ceremonies at noon. Everyone is welcome!

Help Put American Flags on Dorchester's Main Street: The Sons of the American Legion will meet at the Dorchester Legion Hall this Friday, May 26 at 6 p.m. to put flags on veteran graves, then on main street. Anyone needing volunteer hours or who wants to help is welcome.

Help Wanted at City Slickers: City Slickers Bar and Grill in downtown Dorchester is in need of an evening dishwasher for Thursday, Friday, and Saturday evenings. This is a good position for a high school or college student wanting to make some cash this summer. Call (402) 946-2171.

Farmers Cooperative Recognizes Employee's Half Century of Service: Loyalty is rare nowadays. Finding an employee who has worked for the same employer for 50 years is almost unheard of. Farmers Cooperative, headquartered in Dorchester, has recognized Don "Potsy" Matejka for celebrating 50 years with the Co-op. Congrats on this remarkable achievement.

Looking Back: Dorchester Baseball A Century Ago

Now that baseball and softball season are underway, so are the sounds of children's laughter and the cracks of the bat coming from Dorchester's Nerud Field.

Dorchester is home to rich baseball history. Our community was known as a baseball town as early as the start of the 1900s, as the rough-and-tumble young men of Dorchester gained a reputation for beating teams from towns much larger in population than the village. 

Town-team baseball -- played by teens and men in their 20s, 30s and 40s -- was a main attraction for many eastern and central Nebraska towns in the first half of the 20th century, until the 1950s, when youth baseball gained in popularity. Dorchester was a hot spot for town-team ball.

In those early days, most games were played during free time on Sundays, according to old timers. By 1905, the teams from Dorchester became more organized and well-practiced.

Readers will recall a while back, we stumbled upon a photo taken by Russell Freidell (DHS Class of 1907) who captured a perfect image of the 1909 Dorchester baseball team -- one of the best baseball teams in southeast Nebraska at the time, according to records.

Thanks to an e-mail tip from a reader, we've discovered one of the uniforms worn by a member of the 1918 Dorchester club.  

The nearly century-old jersey (pictured above) is in perfect condition. It was worn by the Dorchester team from 1918 through the early 1920s.  

This particular jersey, housed in the Saline County Museum, was donated by the late Thomas Jarrett, whose parents owned Jarrett Hardware and sponsored the jersey. (Each uniform was sponsored by a different Dorchester business of that era.) It sports the big, black letter "D" -- similar to those on the uniforms worn by the 1909 club in Freidell's photograph.

Also stored in the museum is the succeeding jersey of Dorchester's baseball club, worn from the mid-1920s through the start of the Great Depression. It is fancier in its design, with the town's name spelled out and donning flashier colors on the thick wool material.

Check out these jerseys at the museum. And be sure to catch every Dorchester baseball and softball game at Nerurd Field -- and root, root, root for the home team!

Five Longhorns Headed To State Track And Field Meet

When the dust settled at the 2023 District D-1 track meet on May 10 in Pawnee City High School, there were five Longhorns left standing.

The following Dorchester athletes are headed to Omaha's Burke Stadium and next week's Nebraska Track and Field Championship:

- Baylor Behrens: 300 meters - hurdles 

- Kayli Carey: 100 meters

- Amber Kotas: Shot put

- Chase Tachovsky: 400 meters

- Bailey Theis: Shot put

See the full schedule of the state track and field events, which begin Wednesday, May 17.

Congrats to the five state-bound Longhorns!

NEWS ROUND-UP: DHS Journalists Capture Awards At State

DHS Journalists Capture Awards at State: The Nebraska School Activities Association's journalism competition was held in Norfolk April 24. The DHS Longhorns who placed in top the four spots of individual competitions were: Victoria Leavitt (junior), third in yearbook feature writing; Jacob Cerny (senior) and Ariana Tellez (sophomore), second in broadcast public service announcement; Mackenzie Luzum (sophomore), fourth in newspaper layout; Hailey Schweitzer (junior), second in newspaper layout; Gabrielle Theis (sophomore), third in newspaper layout, 4th in sports action photography. Overall, DHS came seventh in Class C. Congrats to Dorchester's budding journalists.

Suspicious U-Haul Truck Cruising Dorchester?: The Times has learned that an older U-Haul truch has been cruising in and around Dorchester throughout much of today (Monday). The driver is described as an older white male. Residents are advised to be on the lookout just in case his intentions aren't good.

Saturday is Graduation Day at DHS: This Saturday, May 13, at 3:35 p.m., Dorchester High School's Class of 2023 will don their caps and gowns to receive their diplomas. Congrats to DHS' newest alumni; do your best to add real value to our society and nation by producing a needed good or service. See page 4 of the school newsletter to see their post-graduation plans.

Americanism Essay Winners: Several Dorchester Public School students recently competed in the Americanism Essay Contest sponsored by the American Legion Auxiliary. According to a DPS social media post, Grade 4 winners were Boone Smith, Embry Brandt, Kasen Fuller, and Bethany Vazquez, while Grade 6 winners were Landon Shaw, Troy Dawes, Paxton Behrens, and Trevin Steuk. Meanwhile, taking the honors among high schoolers was Hailey Schweitzer.

Deadline Approaching for DHS Alumni Golf Tourney: A reminder the Dorchester Alumni Golf Tournament is Saturday, June 3 at the Friend Country Club. The registration deadline is Friday, May 19. Email bzoubek@dorchesterschool.org, or see pages 10-11 in the latest DPS newsletter.

Looking Back: Dorchester Lawmaker, Crete Woman Gave Us State Flag

Florence Hazen Miller of Crete, right. 

Nebraska's official flag should always fly a little bit higher in Dorchester and Crete.

That's because the individual most responsible for convincing the Nebraska Legislature to approve of our state flag (or banner, as it was called in 1925) was State Sen. Charles Meacham Jr. of Dorchester.

Sen. Meacham was steadfast in his legislative efforts primarily because of the consistent urging of constituent Mrs. Florence Hazen Miller of Crete, a staunch advocate to establish an official Nebraska flag. 

In fact, the first place Nebraska's state flag flew -- at least following its official designation in the mid-1920s -- was in Crete. 

According to the State Historical Society, "At one second after midnight on July 1, 1925 -- the day the banner law took effect -- a small Nebraska flag with a fifteen-inch-diameter state seal embroidered in gold and silver was hoisted on a pole in Crete, probably by Mrs. Miller, and it remained flying until 8 a.m."

Interestingly, this adoption of a state flag was a fairly big deal back in the day, mostly because Nebraska was the last state at that time to get its own banner. 

As of 1920, each of the other 47 states had already adopted a flag. 

Read about it at the Nebraska History Museum's website.

Then go fly your Nebraska flag high!