Dorchester Times: May 2025

Wednesday, May 14, 2025

NEWS ROUND-UP: Behrens, Elkins, Theis Headed to State Track and Field Meet

Three Lady Longhorns Headed to State: When the dust settled at this week's Class D-1 District Track Meet at Pawnee City, Dorchester High School found itself with three athletes qualifying for Nebraska's State High School Track and Field Championship Meet in Omaha later this month. Baylor Behrens qualified in the 100 and 300 meter hurdles; Bailey Theis qualified in shot put and discus; and Faith Elkins qualified in the 100 meter hurdles and 100 meter dash. Congrats to these student athletes for their hard work and standout performances. Check out the events schedule for the state track and field championships, which will be May 23-24 for Class D.

Behrens Sets New DHS Record: Congratulations goes to DHS senior Baylor Baylor Behrens for setting a new school record in the girls' 100 meter hurdles. Behrens' time was 16.57, enough to break the former record held by Neileen Filipi.

May 15 Deadline to Register for DHS Alumni Banquet: On Saturday evening, May 24, Dorchester alumni -- young and old and in-between -- will gather to recall the good times and celebrate the school that gave them their start. The 2025 Dorchester Alumni Banquet will be held at the DHS gym. Doors will open at 5 p.m. and the banquet will start at 6 p.m. RSVP to Jessica Tuttle by Thursday, May 15, by calling the school at (402) 946-2781. For those who'd like to carry on their conversations beyond the banquet, the Dorchester American Legion has traditionally been open after the banquet. City Slickers and East Side are also options.

Main Street Median Getting Irrigation: Dorchester's famous main street median (actually Washington Ave. median) is getting underground sprinklers. Work has been ongoing for the past week as old curbing is being removed and the underground tubing goes in. This follows last fall's main street resurfacing project.

DPS Has Elementary Teacher Opening: Dorchester Public School currently has a first grade opening for the 2025-2026 school year. Learn more here.

Saturday, May 10, 2025

It's Official: DHS Class of 2025 Celebrates Graduation

The caps, tassles, gowns, and Kleenex were in full effect Saturday, May 10, at the Dorchester High School gymnasium.

That's when graduation ceremonies were held for 13 Longhorn seniors and their friends and families.

Here are the members of DHS' Class of 2025 and their post-graduation plans as detailed by DPS social media:

Baylor Behrens: Baylor is the daughter of Bob and Julie Behrens. After graduating, Baylor plans to attend UNL where she will major in animal science with the goal of becoming a veterinarian.
Angelina Cornejo: Angelina is the daughter of Ashley Karst and Isrrael Cornejo. Angelina plans to attend Southeast Community College where she will major in radiology.
Isabella Cornejo: Isabella is the daughter of Ashley Karst and Isrrael Cornejo. Isabella will attend Central Community College where she major in occupational therapy.
Mackenzie Luzum: Mackenzie is the daughter of Kevin and Carrie Luzum. Mackenzie plans to attend Southeast Community College where she will major in business.
Alisson Nunez: Alisson is the daughter of Angela Del Carmen Escobar. Alisson plans to continue learning English so that she can go to college for cosmetology or work as a translator/interpreter. Alisson will also volunteer at the Capital Humane Society.
Joey Peacock: Joey is the son of Patrick and Noemi Peacock. Joey plans to attend the UNL where he will major in journalism.
AyLynn Schwisow: AyLynn is the daughter of Jacqueline Gooding. AyLynn plans to attend Peru State College where she will major in criminal justice.
Ariana Tellez: Ariana is the daughter of Miriam and Edwin Tellez. Ariana plans to attend Southeast Community College where she will major in physical therapy.
Julian Tellez: Julian is the son of Angelica and Rene Tellez. Julian plans to attend Southeast Community College where he will work toward an associates degree in welding.
Gabby Theis: Gabby is the daughter of Michael and Bethany Theis. Gabby is headed to Central Community College on a basketball scholarship. She plans to pursue an Associate of Applied Science degree and then transfer to Oklahoma State to complete a bachelors in sports management and marketing.
Owen Vyhnalek: Owen is the son of Steve and Sarah Vyhnalek. Owen will attend Concordia University on a football scholarship where he will major in agricultural science.
Atley Zoubek: Atley is the daughter of Brent and Lindsey Zoubek. Atley will be attending the Entourage Institute of Beauty and Esthetics.

Our heartiest of congratulations to the accomplished Longhorns in the Class of 2025. The sky truly is the limit for all of you.

Saturday, May 3, 2025

NEWS ROUND-UP: Museum Open House This Sunday

Museum Open House This Sunday, May 4: On Sunday, May 4, the Saline County Museum in south Dorchester will host its open house of the newly renovated Chapel Building. According to the Saline County Historical Society's social media, visitors can tour the 13 buildings on the museum campus, then enjoy a free bowl of homemade ice cream. There's no charge to visit the museum, but donations are accepted. Summer hours are 1-4 p.m. on Wednesdays, Saturdays, and Sundays.

Dorchester Track and Field Stars Set Records: In late April, DHS standout Bailey Theis broke the DHS shot put record with a distance of 43' 9". Theis, a junior, smashed the previous longstanding and impressive record of 41' 7" set by Karmen Lawver, who was present to see the feat. See DPS social media. Meanwhile, DPS eighth grader Kaitlyn Bolton recently broke the DPS junior high discus record from 1987 set by Janet Uher. Bolton's 102-feet throw beat the 38-year record by more than two feet. Congrats to these Lady Longhorns!

Community Garage Sales, June 6-7: The Dorchester Community Garage Sales will be June 6 and June 7, according to village officials. Other towns having garage sales during this time will be Friend, Exeter, and Fairmont. Contact the Dorchester Village office if you would like to be put on the list. Maps will be available the week of June 2.

Dump Site Now Open: Now through Aug. 31, the Dorchester dump site is now open. Hours are Mondays and Wednesdays 3-7 p.m. and Saturdays 9 a.m-5 p.m. Branches, leaves, grass clippings, and garden waste are accepted. Recycling is also available at the site.

Thursday, May 1, 2025

Acreage For Sale On West Edge Of Dorchester

Dorchester's real estate market remains strong despite the fact that easy, cheap money -- following years of federal money printing and massive government spending -- are coming to a close. Interest rates will continue to remain relatively high due to the uncontrollable debt unleashed during the COVID-19 years and foreign nations shedding U.S. treasuries.

While homes in large cities and rural properties have become unaffordable for the average buyer, Dorchester looks even more appealing now to most folks. Consider what our community has to offer:

STREET IMPROVEMENTS: Village leaders have paved more streets in recent months and more street improvements are planned.
POTENTIAL FOR MORE BUSINESSES: Due to its strategic location and available commercial buildings, many believe Dorchester will see an increase in more small businesses over the next two to 10 years.
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 and acreage that just hit the market:

1413 County Road 1400: Charming country living on the edge of town! This updated 1.5-story home sits on 3.5 acres and features 2 bedrooms, 2 baths, a beautifully remodeled kitchen, wood and carpet flooring, and a brand-new HVAC system. The property offers everything you need for a rural lifestyle — an detached single-car garage, a livestock building, a large shop with a concrete floor, and fenced-in pasture ready for animals. Situated on a blacktop road on the northwest edge of Dorchester, it’s just two blocks from the school — offering both convenience and privacy. Acreage like this doesn’t come around often. Don’t miss your chance to make it yours! View the listing.

Dorchester: A Good Little Family Town

Dorchester, Nebraska (est. population 630) is located in northern Saline county. Close in proximity to Interstate 80, Dorchester is only 25 minutes from the state capital of Lincoln (est. population 250,000) and about 55 minutes from Omaha (metro population 725,000).

Dorchester's median resident age is 37 years. In 2005, Dorchester had a median family income of approximately $35,600. The median house value was about $63,000. About 95 percent of Dorchester residents commute to work via Interstate and highways.

The village has a quality public school, which received a $4.1 million expansion and modernization in 2008; it offers a small classrooms and individualized attention. Total enrollment of grades K-12 is around 230-250 students.

Ancestries of the Dorchester area are primarily German (42.4%), Czech (24.9%), Irish (12.5%), English (5.4%), and Dutch (4.9%).

Dorchester Historical Facts

* On July 4, 1871, the railroad reached Dorchester.
* Incorporated in 1881, Dorchester's population grew from 200 to 500 by 1882.
* In 1882, Dorchester had 90 buildings, 35 of which were businesses or public facilities. Brick buildings lined both sides of Washington Avenue for two blocks.
* Dorchester's longest-running newspaper was The Dorchester Star, which was published until the late 1940s.
* By 1889, Dorchester's population is said to have reached 800, while the town housed an opera house, a two-story brick schoolhouse with a bell tower, and four churches.
* By the 1910s, Dorchester had electricity, a water tower and a fire department.
* Dorchester's main arteries, Highways 6 and 33, were graveled in the 1940s.
* Dorchester's first irrigation well was drilled on Chris Weber's farm and rural electrification was finished following WWII.

A Village with History

Dorchester is one of the "alphabet towns" on the Burlington & Missouri River Railroad line built west from Lincoln. The town site was selected for its pleasant location in the northern part of Saline County, about eight miles west of Crete. This situation is an attractive one, being on the level prairie land, midway between the West Blue River and Turkey Creek. The first named stream is three miles north, and the latter about the same distance south from the town. Dorchester was platted in 1870 and incorporated in 1881. The name "Dorchester" came from either for a suburb of Boston by that name or a town in England. No one is sure. Two of the very first settlers were James Seely and Edward McIntyre, who both made Dorchester their permanent home.

Dorchester: In The Beginning

Here is a look at Dorchester around 1890, less than a decade after its official incorporation, as documented by Andreas' History of the State of Nebraska:
* POPULATION: "About 300, and is made up of a substantial and progressive class of citizens, who are moral and industrious. ... The town grew but very little until the year 1879, for the reason that Pleasant Hill, on Turkey Creek, a short distance south, was the county seat and naturally drew a trade for quite a large scope of country."
* BUSINESS: "The business and professional interests of the town are represented by three general merchandise stores, two drug, one grocery, one furniture, two hardware, and two millinery stores, one bank, two restaurants, two hotels, three livery stables, a post office, one newspaper office, two elevators, two lumber yards, two coal yards, two blacksmith shops, two lawyers and four physicians."
* SCHOOL: "The schoolhouse is a good one. The schoolhouse was built in 1872, since which time the public schools have been continually kept up. The present schoolhouse is 24' x 40' in size, two stories high. The school is graded and consists of three departments. The house is found too small, and arrangements will soon be made to increase its size."
* CHURCHES: "There are three substantial churches."
* HOMES: "The residence portion of the village is made up of neat houses of different styles of architecture, but none of them very large."
* NEWSPAPER: "The Dorchester Star, which was established August 21, 1881, by H. C. Bittenbender, who edited it until January 19, 1882, when he sold it to Ryerson & Bullock, the present proprietors. The Star is a bright weekly paper, five-column quarto, in size, and is Republican in politics."