A Look At Saline County's Cizek Log Cabin

Those who regularly read this blog know our staff members are fans of the Saline County Museum as well as the historical society volunteers who make it such a great place to visit.

One of the top attractions at the museum is the Cizek log cabin, built in 1869 -- two years after Nebraska became a state -- about five miles south and three miles west of Crete.

The cabin belonged to Wenzel Jiri Cizek and his wife Katherina Havlicek Cizek, who emigrated to the U.S. in 1864. 

The couple had a son (Joseph) and daughter (Maria). The Cizeks lived in a dugout until the one-room log cabin was built. 

Native Americans often would visit the family to beg for food and corn, according to museum documents.

The Cizeks did their own butchering, fried the meat and stored it in rendered lard and stoneware jars. They stored this meat, along with fruits and vegetables, in deep caves. 

They also made soap, churned their own butter, and dried fruit for the winter.

For entertainment, the Cizeks held occasional parties -- called "posviceni" -- with nearby neighbors. The children often played ball games. 

Wrestling, boxing, hunting, and fishing were also popular with the boys.

The log cabin was donated to the Saline County Historical Society in 1971, when the structure was moved to the museum campus. 

You can visit the cabin at the museum, which is open Wednesdays and Saturdays from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.

Happy 90th, Betty Kliment!

A lot was happening in 1934.

 

Bonnie and Clyde, along with John Dillinger, were robbing banks and terrorizing towns. All three also met their maker that year.

Baseball legend Babe Ruth hit his 700th home run.

And Dorchester's Betty Kliment was born.

Betty turns 90 years young this month.

Happy birthday to this wonderful resident of our community.

Please help her celebrate by sending a card to:

Betty Kliment
P.O. Box 111
Dorchester, NE 68343

DHS Girls Basketball Team Takes Third At CRC

 

The DHS girls basketball team earlier today captured third place at the Crossroads Conference Tournament in York, defeating the High Plains Storm for the second time this season. 

The Lady Longhorns won the consolation game 35-20. 

Dorchester junior Baylor Behrens led all players with 16 points. Gabrielle Theis added eight and Bailey Theis six. 

This marks the best finish for a Dorchester basketball team in the CRC Tournament in many seasons.

As reported by the York News-Times, Dorchester led by only 20-13 as the teams went to the final quarter, but a three-pointer and two conventional baskets by Gabrielle Theis, along with a pair of free throws by Baylor Behrens, put the game out of reach.

The Lady Longhorns, now 12-5 on the season, have just five regular season games remaining, including a contest at East Butler on Monday, Jan. 29. 

DHS is in a position to exceed 15 wins this season, which would put this team in very select company as part of Dorchester's basketball history, regardless of gender.

NEWS ROUND-UP: The Winter Storm From Hell

Video Shows Whiteout Conditions in Dorchester: Sub-zero air temps and extreme wind chills. Snow. Blowing snow. The winter storms of January 2024 will be long remembered. This week, the ongoing winter from hell presented us with sudden whiteout conditions, which caused vehicular chaos across much of central and eastern Nebraska, thanks to a snow squall that brought intense snow and winds. This video shot near Dorchester is making the rounds on the internet. And this video shows what downtown Dorchester looked like during the squall.

Village Dump Closed: Dorchester's dump site is closed for the winter, in case you needed the update. It will be open again this spring.

City Slickers Looking for Part-Time Help: Dorchester's City Slickers Bar and Grill is looking for help on its Burger Fridays. Hours will be 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Call (402) 946-2171.

DHS Girls Improve to 9-4: Dorchester's varsity girls basketball team has improved to 9-4 as the team heads to the Crossroads Conference Tournament, which begins today in York. Only five games remain in the 2023/24 regular season following the CRC tournament. Check out these action photos of the girls' most recent game from Sharon Axline. (Update: On Saturday, Jan. 20, the Dorchester girls basketball team won their CRC tournament game against Hampton, 67-28.)

Gov. Pillen Gets Real: It's good to see Gov. Jim Pillen appears to have abandoned his proposed two-cent increase in state sales taxes, which would give Nebraska the highest state sales tax rate in the nation at 7.5 cents. Such a move would kill Nebraska's retail sector, as well as car and farm implement dealers. Pillen is right, however, to spotlight the insane property tax increases imposed by school boards, county boards, and city councils, all of which are unnecessarily taking advantage of soaring valuations. It's time to put hard caps on total tax increases allowed by these entities. State senators can do so by threatening their state aid.

Dorchester Was Pioneer in Nebraska Eight-Man Football: Eight-man football made it’s Nebraska debut in 1954, making room for schools outgrowing the six-man man game. As noted in this column, there were 16 teams competing in this initial campaign, a southern division known as the Trailways Conference and a northern group deemed the Corntassel Conference. The Trailways Conference included Milford, Exeter, Beaver Crossing, Dorchester, Utica, Fairmont, and Western. We think it would be great to see DHS playing eight-man football again.

Comparing Dorchester's Costs-Of-Living

We've said it before but it bears repeating: Dorchester has a lot going for it if you are looking for the following:

• Living in a safe, friendly and affordable small-town community.

• Sending your kids to a newer K-12 school with quality staff members who aren't driven by political agendas. 

• Living in a village with friendly, engaged citizens that are always looking for ways to improve.

• Being close to many area employers and just 25 minutes to Lincoln.  

But perhaps Dorchester's biggest benefits are its affordable housing and costs-of-living, with the lowest school tax levy rates in the county and one of the lower property rates in southeast Nebraska.

The Dorchester Times has run the numbers -- and they show that those living in Lincoln or Omaha, especially if they desire a close-knit, smaller community and saving money for the future, may want to consider relocating to Dorchester. Here's why:

Dorchester Vs. Lincoln

Dorchester's median home listing price is around $95,000 compared to Lincoln's $341,100. So a couple or individual could live in a home in Dorchester for roughly $246,000 less, right up front.  

Then, over a decade, that couple would save tens of thousands of dollars on property taxes, according to tax data.

We estimate that over 10 years, a couple or individual would save roughly $100,000 just on housing costs and property taxes by moving from Lincoln to Dorchester. (What could you do with an extra $100,000? Remember, this is just the average.)

Of course, this doesn't include the intangibles such as safety, quality of a child's upbringing, knowing your neighbors, peace and quiet, etc.

Dorchester Vs. Omaha

Omaha's median home cost is $335,000 compared to Dorchester's $95,000.  A couple or individual could live in the same grade of home in Dorchester for roughly $240,000 less. Again, over 10 years, that couple would save roughly tens of thousands of dollars on property taxes.

Inflation -- caused mostly by the government's money printing, hiring, and mandates, like minimum wage hikes -- is going to force many Americans to take a crash course in personal economics. 

When they do, they would be wise to recognize the financial advantages of small-town living.

Up to 7.5" Snow, Severe Cold Set To Slam Our Area

Old Man Winter has us firmly in his grip, with no intentions of letting go any time soon.

In addition to 4 to 5 inches of snow that fell earlier this week, up to another 7.5 inches of the white stuff is set to hit the Saline County area starting tomorrow mid-afternoon and continuing though Friday evening, based on different forecasting systems.

Moreover, due to extremely dangerous cold temperatures, the snow won't be melting for a while.

According to AccuWeather, we won't see high temperatures above 14 degrees until next Wednesday. Highs on Saturday, Sunday, and Monday will be between -7 degrees and 1 degree. Yes, those are the daily high temps.

Wind chill watches and winter weather advisories have been issued.

More snow is forecast for Jan. 26 and Feb. 1.

Stay safe out there! Follow our official weather forecasting service for the latest.

Developing...

Dorchester Studying Plan To Pave Streets, Boost Housing

Over the past month, Dorchester's elected leaders and village staff have been working to gather comments from residents regarding plans to improve Dorchester's streets.

The graphic above illustrates Dorchester's street improvement options. Village officials are working with Olsson, a Lincoln-based engineering and design firm, on this plan.

As the photo shows, proposed gap-pavement projects (see the pink-colored streets) would ensure Dorchster has another fully paved street (11th Street) connecting main street to the spur on the west side of town. 

At its Dec. 1 board meeting, the village board approved a six-year street improvement plan. Also, board member Roger Miller was voted by his peers to be the village's streets officer.

We know what you're thinking: Most Dorchester residents have heard promises of street plans before -- and little if any improvement has occurred since the early 1980s, the last time a street was paved in our town. But now there appears to be a more focused effort to enhance the village's streets. 

We hope this is the case because paved streets are the key to attract new housing and refurbished housing. Paved streets will bring more families to Dorchester; boost student enrollment; enhance the business community; and grow our quality of life.

At the same Dec. 1 meeting, the village board also approved a workforce housing incentive plan tied to Nebraska's Community Development Law. Read the Dec. 1 meeting minutes for more details.

Stay tuned. And get engaged if you want to see these improvements happen sooner.

DHS Alum Randy Slepicka Passes At 64

On Dec. 19, former DHS alumnus Randy M. Slepicka (Class of 1978), age 64, of Glencoe, Minn. passed away at Abbott Northwestern Hospital in Minneapolis. Funeral services were held Dec. 27.

Randy Marvin Slepicka was born Nov. 1, 1959 in Hebron, the son of Marvin and Donna (Kelch) Slepicka.

Randy, a sports enthusiast who grew up in Dorchester, where he attended Dorchester High School and played multiple sports for the Longhorns. His passion for sports continued into his adult life, as he joined the Mayer Mudcats and made lifelong friends when he moved to Minnesota in 1998. Not only was Randy skilled in football, baseball, basketball, and track and field, but he also excelled in volleyball. His natural ability made all sports look effortless, earning him admiration from his peers. Randy also had a great love of nature and spent many hours hunting and fishing

Beyond his athletic achievements, Randy took immense pride in his family. He cherished his children and grandchildren, always finding joy in playfully teasing them. Even the adults couldn't escape his playful banter. Randy had a youthful spirit and a humble attitude, always willing to lend a helping hand and even give the shirt off his back to those in need. His parents instilled in him strong values and a deep sense of prioritizing family above all else.

The full obituary may be read here.

Dorchester Hoops: Jr. High Boys, DHS Girls Shine

 

 

(Photo: Julie Behrens)

The high school basketball season is officially at its halfway point. And the DHS Lady Longhorns are on a serious winning streak.

Over the past few weeks, the Dorchester girls, now 8-3 on the season, have won five consecutive games, handily beating Cedar Bluffs, Heartland Lutheran, Lewiston, Sterling, and Lincoln's College View Academy.

In the process, individual Longhorns have shined, including Gabrielle Theis, who on Dec. 19 set a new school record for three-point shots made in a single game. Theis nailed eight buckets from behind the arch to bury the Class C2 team from Cedar Bluffs.

The Lady Longhorns now prepare for critical home contests against East Butler (4-6) on Jan. 11 and Giltner (2-6) on Jan. 12. DHS will travel to Class C2 Cross County (11-1) on Jan. 16, and will return to Dorchester Jan. 18 to host Shelby-Rising City  (5-4) before the Crossroads Conference in York Jan. 20-26.

Meanwhile, Dorchester's junior high boys basketball squad captured third place at the Bee Basketball Tournament. With a dozen Longhorn boys on the junior high team, Dorchester took part in three contests this week at the famous "Bee hive" just north of Seward.

With DHS suffering from a shortage of boys playing basketball for several years, Longhorn fans are eyeing a surge of talent coming through the school pipeline over the next several seasons.

Whatever Happened To Dorchester's Missing Streets?

In recent years, Dorchester recently added a new street to its arsenal of arterial thoroughfares -- Wagner Avenue in the northeast quadrant of our village, located between the spur off Highway 33 and Colfax Ave.

But whatever happened to Dorchester's missing streets?  

Did they ever really exist? 

Those are the questions we're asking after examining an 1885 plot of Dorchester (shown above).

According to the 138-year-old map, the village had several streets plotted as part of its south section -- streets that do not exist today.

The 1885 map, published by mapmaker Everts and Kirk, shows that Sumner, Franklin, Stephens, Jefferson, Lincoln, and Fulton avenues once extended south beyond the railroad and Depot Street, as well as what's now known as Highway 33. 

Today, in 2023, only Washington Avenue extends from the heart of the village into its southern reaches.

The Everts and Kirk map also shows the town's southern section had a Third Street and Fourth Street, both running east and west. 

Fourth Street would have been located approximately where the Saline County Museum's east entrance is today. Third Street would be present-day Whitmar Street. If there were ever a First Street, it would be today's County Road E.

In modern-day Dorchester, the only other street besides Washington Avenue in the southern portion of town is Whitmar Street.

The Times can confirm that Third Street did exist. According to a 1914-1920 map published in Dorchester's centennial history book, Third Street ran east of Washington Avenue, beginning approximately where Whitmar begins today and continuing east until it met Depot Street near the railroad tracks. Situated at the eastern end of Third Street was Malek Slaughter Yards. 

According to the 1914-1920 map, it appears a very small portion of Lincoln Avenue also extended into the south side. 

We welcome any information that our readers can pass along regarding Dorchester's missing streets.

Coming Soon: Your Chance To Buy Properties Behind In Property Taxes

It's that time of year when state and county governments will soon publish the names of those who haven't paid their property taxes.

According to last year's report from the Saline County Treasurer's office, there were nearly $9,500 in delinquent property tax bills in the Dorchester precinct alone. 

Across Saline County's 16 precincts, there were more than $123,000 in late property tax payments.

Failure to pay property taxes subjects owners to a penalty of 14% interest per year. Moreover, delinquent taxpayers risk losing their properties when the county conducts a public sale for tax liens. Eventually the county attorney will be ordered to foreclose on all properties with delinquent taxes. Then the property will be sold at auction.

In early February, the Saline County treasurer will publish a list of lands and lots in Saline County that are far behind on their taxes, delinquent for tax year 2023 and prior years. On the Monday, March 4, these properties will be offered at public sale on the first floor of the Saline County Courthouse starting at 9:30 a.m. and continuing daily until all taxes on these lands and lots have been offered for sale. 

Watch this county web page for more details.

To locate delinquent properties based on lot numbers, use this tool.

Keep in mind that delinquent taxpayers will still have the chance to reclaim their property. Under Nebraska law, property owners can "redeem" their property even after the county tax sale. If the current owner doesn’t redeem the property, however, the winning bidder at a tax sale can eventually get ownership.