NEWS ROUND-UP: Farmers Co-Op Has Dorchester Jobs

Farmers Co-Op Has Dorchester Jobs: Dorchester's Farmers Cooperative -- one of the largest cooperatives in the nation -- has published several job openings. Seven of them are right here in Dorchester, with positions available for a commercial truck driver; maintenance and millright specialist; custom applicator; and drivers. See the openings here.

Spring Means Baseball and Softball Time: Is your child excited to hit the ball diamond? Baseball and softball forms are available at Dorchester's Village Office.

Community Service Opportunity for Dorchester Youth: If your eighth grade and high school students need community service hours, come and get them at the Dorchester Community Foundation's steak and hamburger feed, set for Sat., March 16, as previously reported at the Times. Help is needed from 5 p.m. until 8:30 p.m. Let Mrs. Choyeski know if you would like to volunteer for this community activity.

Annual UWF Soup Luncheon This Sunday: As previously reported by the Times, the annual UWF soup luncheon will be Sunday, March 3 at the Dorchester United Methodist Church with serving starting at 11 a.m. Whether you fancy chili, clam chowder, chicken noodle -- or the Dorchester UMW's famous liver dumpling soup -- you'll be sure to savor every spoonful.  The soup is served with meat, cheese, and relishes, as well as some of Nebraska's very best deserts, including homemade cinnamon rolls. Free-will offering.

City Slickers Turns 11 Years Old: Come celebrate the 11th anniversary of the regionally famous City Slickers Bar and Grill in downtown Dorchester on March 16, beginning at 8:30 p.m. Live music will be provided by Cole Younger and the Renegades. Drink specials and giveaways, all coinciding with the equally famous Dorchester Alumni Basketball Tournament.

Looking Back: Freshman Initiation At DHS

Dorchester High School freshman class, 1946-47 school year.

To any high school freshman who may be reading this, you might think you have it rough right now. After all, you've endured months of new routines, new classes, a faster pace of life, and those mean upperclassmen.  

A freshman's life can be tough.

But here's a reminder that you don't have it so bad, at least compared to the Dorchester High School freshmen who came decades before.

We searched through the old yearbooks in our history vault and found this excerpt written by the DHS Class of 1947.  

Read it with a smile on your face.

DHS Freshman Initiation

When we, the seniors of 1947, were mere freshmen, we were subjected to the trickery and pranks of the seniors of 1943 in the form of Freshman Initiation.  

After preparing us for weeks in advance by telling us weird tales of the fate that awaited us on our initiation, the seniors finally announced the day.  We were instructed to wear all our clothes backwards, our hair uncombed or unbraided. The girls could wear no makeup and the boys were forced to wear makeup, with ribbons in their hair and donning aprons.  

At school, we were expected to salute the seniors and carry their books from class to class. The seniors lined us up in front of the student body and painted green "F's" on our foreheads.

In the evening, the seniors made us do humorous tasks. Some of us had to measure the stage with wieners, while others were forced to drink milk from baby bottles or throw tomatoes at one another.  

At the end of the night, ice cream was served to everyone.

The Class of 1947 got the chance to show their senior power on September 27, 1946. When we initiated the freshmen class, they were ordered to come to school dressed in the fashion of Mother Goose characters. Every hour, they were to bow down and say a prayer suitable to the occasion.  

At noon, the seniors marched the freshmen through main street. In the evening, a final ceremony was held with various stunts played on the freshmen. A watermelon feed followed the activities.

March 16: Dorchester's Steak And Hamburger Feed

Ring in spring with a tasty steak or burger at the Dorchester Community Hall and Legion Hall on Saturday, March 16.  

In the process, you'll be helping Dorchester improve the friendly confines at Nerud Field.

The Dorchester Community Foundation Fund's Annual Steak and Hamburger Feed will be held in conjunction with the Dorchester High School Alumni Basketball Tourney, according to social media.

The feed will take place from 5 p.m. until roughly 9 p.m.

For those who don't want to dine in, to-go orders will be available by calling 402-946-2099 or 402-525-5705.

Diners who have been to this event in the past know it's some of the best beef available anywhere -- and in a small-town, friendly environment. 

As noted above, funds raised will help support Nerud Field's new shade structures. 

This event has been one of the most popular in Dorchester for the past decade. And the food always gets top-notch reviews.

 

In previous years, the event has raised as much as $2,500 after expenses -- helping support many worthwhile initiatives, including the "Welcome to Dorchester" signs, the directory at the Dorchester Cemetery, and the water park.

Come out and support Dorchester March 16.

OUR OPINION: Communities Quit Working When Their People Do

A community is like any other organization; it stops working when its people do.

Nowadays, so many people want to change the world, but most never stop and think how they can improve life for those people in their own neighborhood.

Psychologists tell us that there are really just a handful of characteristics needed to build better relationships. Most important are:

• Loyalty;
• A common purpose;
• A serving heart; 
• Open communication; and
• Patience.

Oddly enough, these are the same ingredients to build and maintain a strong community. 

When is the last time you've asked yourself, "What have I done to help Dorchester? What more can I do tomorrow to improve Dorchester?" 

The best part of a small town is that one person really can make a difference.

On three different occasions this week, Times staff members heard from out-of-town visitors how much they liked our small town.  One visitor from Hastings said, "You really have something special here." 

It's easy to take for granted the involved, peaceful, and safe community we have. After all, life moves a little more slowly in a small town. We assume all the good aspects to Dorchester will always be there. 

But that brand of apathy hurts communities. The smaller they are, the more apathy negatively impacts the town.

The fact is, our area businesses, organizations and schools (and school activities) suffer when people quit participating, quit supporting one another, and quit caring. 

We wanted to use this space and recognize the following folks who really stand out right for their hard work and efforts to help Dorchester grow and thrive:

• Dorchester's businesses: Dorchester's business owners have been investing in our community, making it better day by day. Everyone in town, especially elected leaders, should be asking how they can help ensure the success of those businesses.
  
  
• Dorchester's school administrators and faculty: It's great to see Dorchester school administrators and educators working together to teach our next generation, while serving as strong role models in the community. Dorchester is blessed to have a strong K-12 district that continues to improve and to address deficiencies when they arise.
  
  
• The coaches of Dorchester sports: It's easy to coach when throngs of kids go out; it's more challenging when you have to work hard with the players you're given. From DHS wresting, to both basketball teams, to football and volleyball, to younger kids' basketball, to little league baseball, you're doing great work and it's noticed.
  
  
• The Dorchester United Methodist Church: In many ways, the church remains the fabric of the community. We appreciate the community events they hold and their consistent out reach to members and non-members alike.
  
  
• Dorchester Volunteer Fire Dept. and Rescue: This group is the most under-appreciated group in town. If we could give them tax breaks as a way to say thank you, we would.
  
  
• All those involved in Dorchester's volunteer groups: From the Community Foundation to the Legion to the elementary parents group, you all don't get the credit you deserve for keeping Dorchester moving forward.
  
  
• All property owners who've made improvements to their homes and yards, large or small: Your efforts are improving Dorchester's quality of life.
  
  
• Those young Dorchester residents who've stayed in Dorchester or returned to make Dorchester an even stronger community: Our future depends on you.

As we said above, communities quit working when their members do. Please use the comments section below and nominate anyone you think deserves to be recognized for their hard work to improve our community.

Ban on New Water Wells, Expanded Irrigation Goes Permanent

Recent tests conducted by the Lower Big Blue Natural Resource District -- the NRD that contains nearly all of Saline County -- found that groundwater levels remain at record lows. 

Last fall, the NRD measured the static water level of 172 irrigation and dedicated monitoring wells all across the district. The results were eye-opening.

From spring 2023 through late autumn 2023, groundwater levels in Saline County wells had declined an average 4.32 feet. This followed the results of 2022, when Saline County wells recorded their lowest levels since the NRD started measuring groundwater.

Results were even more dire in surrounding counties. 

From spring 2023 to fall 2023, levels in Gage Country plummeted nearly 6 feet. In Jefferson County, levels fell nearly 6.5 feet. 

The staggering drop in groundwater levels is due to irrigation and drought. As a result, the NRD has imposed a permanent moratorium (or stay) on the construction of new wells and increase in irrigated acres in the district.

See the NRD's groundwater monitoring page. 

For Dorchester-specific information, the NRD, in cooperation with UNL School of Natural Resources Conservation and Survey Division, has outfitted a dedicated monitoring well in with a real-time data logger. 

Dorchester's water level information is available online. 

At last check, Dorchester's water level is significantly below its traditional levels, as this graphic illustrates.

Home For Sale: 1109 N Washington

 

Dorchester's real estate market remains strong despite the days of easy, cheap money -- following nearly years of money printing necessitated by massive government spending -- are coming to a close. 

Many homes in large cities, as well as most acreages, have become unaffordable for the average buyer. Dorchester looks even more appealing now to most folks in the market for a home.

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 Dorchester home that just hit the market:

1109 N Washington Ave.: At $217,000, this is an affordable four-bedroom home. Take a look at the sq. ft. in this lovely home. Has over 1,500 on each level, so it gives you over 3,000 sq. ft. of finished living space. This could be used as a fifth bedroom and the main level has two of those bedrooms, along with a huge open living room, dining room and kitchen areas and main floor laundry. All of this is located on over a half acre on the north end of Dorchester, just minutes from Lincoln. See the listing.

Looking Back: The Oil Wells Of Dorchester

Can you imagine oil prospectors drilling in Saline County?

It has happened before.

As petroleum power became a reality early last century, there was active exploration for oil in the Dorchester area. 

Pictured at the right is an oil well drilled just outside Dorchester in August of 1925. The well proved unsuccessful and was discontinued in 1927. But the search for an oil field continued for several years, including a 3,500-foot prospect well on the William Mumma farm in 1933.

You may be asking: Nebraska an oil state? According to the Nebraska State Historical Society, the first publicized report of oil in Nebraska was an 1883 newspaper account of a "vein of petroleum" discovered in Richardson County. Over the next 57 years, the search for oil consumed thousands of dollars, and hundreds of wells were drilled throughout Nebraska. Traces of oil were reported at various locations across the state, but Nebraska did not have a producing well until 1940.

In 1940, the Pawnee Royalty Company reported that one of their wells began producing and averaged 169 barrels daily for the first 60 days. The well easily qualified for a $15,000 bonus offered by the Nebraska Legislature for the first oil well in the state to produce at least 50 barrels daily for 60 consecutive days. Interestingly, the well was located about five miles east of the "vein of petroleum" reported in 1883.

Nebraska's crude oil production peaked in 1963. So it's clear that with high oil prices, our state offers oil resources if the Biden administration stays out of producers' way. 

 

Here are the Nebraska counties where most production occurs today. Nebraska's oil production is now largely centered in the southwestern panhandle, although a sustained resurgence in oil prices would certainly rekindle interest in continuing oil production in other areas of the state, if it exists.

We are interested in what our readers know regarding Nebraska's oil production history and capacity.

NEWS ROUND-UP: Dorchester Girls Hit 16 Wins; Preparing For Sub-District

(Photo: Sharon Axline)

DHS Girls Capture 16 Wins in Regular Season: After falling to Class D-1's No. 9 McCool Junction Friday, Feb. 9, the Dorchester High School girls basketball team concluded its regular season 16-6. The Lady Longhorns won an impressive 13 games over their last 16 contests. Now the team must win to see another game as DHS takes on Diller-Odell (11-8) at the D1-1 Subdistrict Tournament at Johnson-Brock High School this Tuesday, Feb. 13, at 7:45 p.m. The winner will face No. 4 Johnson-Brock (19-2) on Thursday, Feb. 15, at 6:30 p.m. A demanding task lies ahead for the DHS girls, but this is why they play the game.

Dorchester Village Board Meeting Monday Night: The Village of Dorchester Board of Trustees will hold its regular monthly meeting Monday, Feb. 12, at Farmers Cooperative, Entrance Door #2 at 6:30 p.m. The meeting is open to the public. 

Village of Dorchester Conducting Survey: Dorchester's Village government is sending out surveys to residents this month. Watch your mail. Residents are asked to please complete the surveys and return them at your earliest convenience.

Defending the Corn Checkoff:  Dorchester farmer Dan Nerud, who is also District 1 director for the Nebraska Corn Board, has penned this editorial to tout the realized benefits of the corn checkoff. According to Nerud, the past five years of the checkoff have increased the value of corn and value-added products by over $4.2 billion.

Cornhole Shootout is Feb. 17 at Tabor: Speaking of corn, get ready for the fourth annual cornhole shootout at Tabor Lodge on Saturday, Feb. 17. Registration is from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Pre-registration is appreciated. For questions or pre-registration, call Mike Pracheil (Pickle) at (402) 641-1921. Shooting starts at 1 p.m. Food and beverages will be available

Dorchester UMW Soup Luncheon Is March 3

The Dorchester United Methodist Women are planning an event that is sure to tantalize the taste buds.

On Sunday, March 3, starting at 11 a.m. at the Dorchester Methodist Church, the UMW will host their annual soup and sandwich luncheon.  

Get there on time and catch up with old friends.

Whether you fancy chili, clam chowder, chicken noodle -- or the Dorchester UMW's famous liver dumpling soup -- you'll be sure to savor every spoonful.  

The soup is served with meat, cheese, and relishes, as well as some of Nebraska's very best deserts, including homemade cinnamon rolls.

There is no charge for the event, just a free-will offering -- so be generous. 

Support a good cause. Support the Dorchester UMW.

Harold Axline Celebration Of Life: Feb. 10, 1 To 4 P.M.

Dorchester's Harold Allen Axline was born on Nov. 11, 1944 to Art and Mary (Britton) Axline. He passed away at home on Tuesday, Feb. 6 at age 79.  

Harold attended kindergarten through the 12th grade at Dorchester and graduated with the class of 1963. Harold married Sharon Nohavec on April 11, 1964 in Crete.  The couple had three children: Todd, Tim and Julie.  

Harold worked at the Dorchester Co-op beginning May 1, 1964 and was the feed mill manager until he retired on Dec. 31, 2011. He continued to work as a courier for Farmers Cooperative up through the present time. He was on the Dorchester Volunteer Fire Department beginning Oct. 2, 1966 until November 1991. During this time, he was the fire chief for five years. 

Harold was on the town board from 1987 to 2010. He was a member of the Dorchester Jolly 30 Fisherman’s Club; a lifetime member of the Nebraska One Box Pheasant Hunt; and a member of the Dorchester United Methodist Church.  

He loved to spend time with his children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren. His hobbies included: hunting, fishing, trapping, and traveling. 

Harold was preceded in death by his parents, and siblings: Mary Ellen Klopp, Ardie Mortensen, Alta Weber, and Harry Axline. He is survived by his wife: Sharon. Sons:  Todd and Colleen Axline, Tim Axline and Lori Medinger. Daughter: Julie and Bob Behrens. Grandchildren and spouses: Dylan and Lexi Axline, Dusty and Amber Axline, Derek Axline and fiancé Ashley Schwisow, Meredith and Wessley Kohout, Avery and Nate Beach, Baylor Behrens and Paxton Behrens. Honorary grandson:  Ian Abbott. Step grandchildren: Brandon Schwisow, Justin Schwisow. Great grandchildren: Graham Kohout and Ottillee Beach.  

A Celebration of Life & Open House will be held Saturday, Feb. 10, from 1 to 4 p.m. at the Dorchester Legion. In lieu of flowers, memorials are in care of the family for future designation. Cards may be sent to Sharon Axline, 407 West 8th Street, Dorchester, NE 68343. Arrangements entrusted to Kuncl Funeral Home in Crete.

Saline Center's 2024 Consignment Sale, March 17

Around here, a lot of folks are already gearing up for spring. 

And the arrival of spring -- just six weeks away -- brings one of the biggest events in Saline County: the consignment sale at Saline Center.

According to this Facebook post, Saline Center will host the annual auction on Sunday, March 17, beginning at 9:30 a.m.

Six rings of selling with take place at once. More details available here.

Those interested in selling items should call 402-641-1357 or email salinecenter@gmail.com soon.

This year will mark the 40th year for this event.

For those unfamiliar, Saline Center is three miles west and nine miles south of Dorchester on Highway 15. A map of Saline Center can be found here.

If you have farm equipment, guns, ag supplies, coins, antiques, or other items you'd like to cosign, it's time to contact organizers to let them know what you'll be putting on the auction block.

Looking Back: Dorchester's Rich Baseball History

Spring is only six weeks away.

So are the sounds of children's laughter and the crack (or ping) of the bat coming from 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. 

The village's rough-and-tumble young men gained a reputation for their ability to beat teams from towns much larger in population.  

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.

In those early days, most games were played during free time on Sundays, according to old timers. By 1900, 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 from a reader, we have images of the uniform worn by the 1918 Dorchester club. The century-old jersey top, which is in perfect condition, 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 Dorchester's baseball club's jersey worn from the mid-1920s through the start of the Great Depression. It's fancier in design, with the town's name spelled out and with flashier colors on the thick wool material.

At last check, neither Dorchester uniform is currently on display in the county museum. We hope that the museum caretakers can find a way to properly display, protect and preserve these magnificent relics of Dorchester's glorious past.

In the meantime, let's count down the days until spring. Let's count down the days until we hear: "Play ball!"

GUIDANCE: Five Ways To Deal With Negative People In A Small Town

Every community -- regardless of size -- has its share of negative residents. It's just that in a small town, everyone knows who those negative people are. Nowadays, social media platforms make it even easier to spot them.  

These are the folks who can spot flaws in the best of situations. They are the ones who like to air their negativity publicly. They believe that nobody could do the job better than them, if ever they were around to actually help.

Putting up with constant negativity is draining, at best. At worst, it's a morale killer that negatively affects the attitudes of fellow residents.

Here are five simple strategies for dealing with negative people in a small town:

1.) Don’t write off the negativity. It’s easy to dismiss negative attitudes and comments with remarks like, “That’s just the way he/she is.” But sometimes, negative people are pointing out real problems and legitimate concerns that can and must be addressed. Town leaders, school administrators, business owners, and group organizers need to take into consideration all serious comments and complaints, even if from the consistently-negative crowd.

2.) Consider the circumstances. If an always-negative resident is coping with a personal matter that is affecting his/her behavior, be sympathetic. In a small town, we often hear what other people said, but we don't know the circumstances that may have prompted the comments. The truth is, those persistently negative people probably have a big void in their lives. 

3.) Make Negative Nancy and Ned part of the solution. Sometimes, community leaders simply need to let those negative folks know that their concerns are being heard. It would make more sense for them to tell someone who can do something about it, instead of airing their negative comments for all to hear or read. Establishing a special committee and offering a committee spot to the negative person would put the burden on Mr./Ms. Negative to be part of the solution.

4.) Be rational in your approach. Negativity is mostly emotional, so don't combat emotion with more emotion; combat negativity with facts. Example: If someone is constantly saying the cost of living is too high in Dorchester, show them Dorchester easily has the lowest school levy in Saline County; show them that Nebraska, overall, is one of the 15 least expensive states in which to live. 

5.) Know when to say goodbye. At the end of the day, some people only want to complain and wear a constant frown. Perhaps they feel isolated or can't see it's their own attitude acting as an impediment to making their community a bit better. For these folks, it's best to leave them alone and not give them a platform.

Looking Back: Dorchester's Political Past

It may come as a surprise to current Dorchester-area residents, but our community has played a role in Nebraska's political history.

Research by the Dorchester Times' staff has uncovered at least eight Dorchester residents or natives who have served in the Nebraska Legislature.

Of course, it should be noted that from 1866 until 1937, Nebraska had a bicameral legislature with both a state senate and state house of representatives. (Many today argue Nebraska needs to return to a two-chamber legislature because too much power rests with 49 lawmakers under the current system.)

When Nebraska implemented its unique unicameral legislature in late 1937, the number of state lawmakers declined from 133 in the bicameral to 43 in the stand-alone chamber. Today, the Cornhusker State 49 state senators. 

Despite large legislative branch of of Nebraska's first 70 years, we are still impressed by the lengthy list of Dorchester’s past elected leaders.

Here is a list of the Dorchester residents and natives who served in our state legislature:

• T.B. Parker (1877-79)
• John J. Edicott (1899-1901)
• William H. Beekly (1901-1903)
• John Chab (1909-11)
• Fred Gustus Johnson (1907-09; 1917-20)
• Charles H. Meacham, Jr. (1923-29)
• Allen J. Murphy (1921-23)
• Don Eret (1983-87)

Of the above public servants, Fred Gustus Johnson, who lived from 1876–1951, was the most prominent. He went on to serve as lieutenant governor and a member of the U.S. House.

A Republican, Johnson was born on a farm near Dorchester. He graduated from DHS in 1893 and from the UNL College of Law in 1903; he was admitted to the bar the same year. He set up practice in Dorchester and farmed on the side. In 1911, he moved Hastings to continue his law practice.

Johnson was elected to the Nebraska House of Representatives from 1907 to 1909, and again from 1917 to 1919. He was elected to the Nebraska Senate in 1919. In 1923, Johnson went on to become Nebraska's lieutenant governor.

Johnson reached the apex of his political career in 1929, when he was elected to serve as a U.S. congressman from Nebraska's 5th district. He ran in 1930 and 1932, but failed to be re-elected, as Republicans fell out of favor during the Great Depression. He was later elected as a county judge.

Johnson died April 30, 1951. He is buried in Parkview Cemetery in Hastings.