Can Small Towns Be Cool?

A few years back, a posting on Small Biz Survival -- a blog dedicated to small and rural business interests -- asked the $1 million question: "Can Small Towns Be Cool?" 

The answer: Of course, small towns can be cool. But to earn the title of "cool," it takes some work by community residents.

According Dave Ivan of Michigan State University Extension, small towns can be cool if they are willing to follow some common success themes. Here they are:

1. Strong Engagement Between Citizens, Community Organizations And Local Government. For example, in St. Joseph, Mich., approx. 8,000 in population, city leaders hold neighborhood town hall gatherings in backyards all across town. They also produce a unified community calendar and hand-deliver it to residents. Coopersville, Mich. uses its town entry sign to salute a different non-profit, business person, and teacher each quarter.

2. Local Entrepreneurial Investment. Ivan said this is often initiated by a local entrepreneur and then served as a tipping point to get others to invest. In New Carlisle, Ind., Bill Owens expanded a floral shop into gifts, a furniture store, and transformed the community into a regional destination. This can also be a community initiative, such as economic gardening to grow entrepreneurs, where you may have village staff used to make things work for business. In Ord, Neb., they developed a wealth transfer plan to strategically fund their community economic development initiatives. By asking people to give 5% of their estate back to the community, they now have $8.5 million in hand or in pledges.

3. Willingness To Change. This may be the hardest part for many towns. These new opportunities may require changes in all sorts of local laws, including zoning. 

4. Actively Pursues Cultural Elements To Economic Development. The most common cultural elements include the arts. In Three Oaks, Mich., the creatives are working to integrate with the existing parades and local celebrations. So it can work.

5. Cultural Efforts Reach Out To Community Youth. New York Mills, Minn., established a cultural center that capitalizes on the natural amenities. 

6. A Deliberate Effort To Engage Youth. There is a continuum of efforts to involve youth. You can do things to youth, or do for youth, or do with youth, Ivan said. It can be tough to get a town moved along the continuum. One idea was to provide disposable cameras to young leaders. Ask them to take pictures of what they like and dislike about the town, and have them present it at a future meeting. 

7. Retaining Youth And Attracting Families. Create economic choices that are appealing to youth. Ord, for example, has a youth entrepreneurship program starting in grade schools. Another town gave high school seniors a mailbox with their name on it, saying: "Brookfield is always going to be your hometown."

8. Conviction That, In The Long Run, You Must Do It Yourself.  Cool small towns cannot wait for an outside savior. Argonia, Kan., lost their grocery store. But they built a community convenience and grocery store. They are now doing spec houses to sell at cost to new families. And if you enroll kids in the school, Argonia will even cover your closing costs. 

The real key to small town success, Ivan says, is strong leadership that is willing to stand up to the CAVE people (Citizens Against Virtually Everything).

New State COVID-19 Restrictions Set For Implementation

More restrictions are coming if Nebraska's COVID-19 hospitalizations don't slow. COVID-19-related hospitalizations have been growing rapidly each day for weeks, rising from 200 on Sept. 23 to more than 900 now. 

Yesterday (Friday, Nov. 13), Gov. Pete Ricketts announced that the state will take a phased approach to public health restrictions based on the percentage of staffed hospital beds occupied by coronavirus patients. 

"Our hospitals are in serious condition now," Ricketts said during a news conference.

When 25% (about 1,170) of staffed hospital beds are filled with COVID-19 patients, Nebraska will move to the "red" category of restrictions, outlined in this spreadsheet.

Key changes will include:

• Youth extracurricular activities prohibited below high school level. 
  
  
• Bars go to carry-out, delivery, and drive-through only.
  
  
• Only licensed restaurants can do dine-in. Mask required for public facing restaurant staff. Patrons required to be seated, parties of eight (with six feet of separation), no games, no seating at counter/bars. Patrons can have alcoholic beverage as long as with a meal. Dine-in permitted from 5 a.m. to 9 p.m.

• 10-person limit on indoor gatherings, including wedding receptions.

• Attendance at college and high school sports limited to immediate family members.

• At churches, six feet of separation; no passing of items between household units.

• At salons and barber shops, six feet of separation between customers; masks required.

Currently, Nebraska is at about 23% (900) of staffed hospital capacity, and the hospitalization numbers continue to rise. An executive order will limit some elective surgeries starting Monday, Nov. 16.

Going forward, a seven-day average at lower percentages will be required for the restrictions to be lowered.

If you have been around those who've tested positive for COVID-19 or are suspected of having COVID-19, here are Gov. Ricketts' reminders for quarantining:

• 14 days of quarantine and have no symptoms (required);

• Wait 3-4 days (earliest) after exposure before testing;

• Get tested if you develop symptoms;

• You can NOT test out of quarantine; and

• TestNebraska offers free tests.

Election Results From Dorchester Area Races

If you want to take a break from the post-election drama that is taking place at the federal level, here's a summary of the local results of the Nov. 3 election.

Saline County Commissioner - Dist. 3

In a race that featured two Dorchester High School alumni of the same era, incumbent Marvin Kohout defeated Gary Veprovsky, 760 to 585. This was a competitive race fueled largely by Veprovsky's disapproval of the wind farm being built in central Saline County.

Dorchester Village Board

Incumbents Matt Scholtz and Andrea Pracheil were uncontested in their efforts to keep their seats on the village board. Scholtz received 193 votes; Pracheil 166.

Dorchester School Board

Incumbents Kelli Schweitzer and Mike Hatfield had no challengers, winning re-election with 411 and 380 votes respectively. Newcomer Shelly Lehr captured a seat on the school board with 341 votes.

For those wondering, President Donald Trump defeated former Vice President (and now President-Elect) Joe Biden in Saline County by receiving more than 80% the number of Biden votes, 3,618 to 1,976. Third District U.S. Rep. Adrian Smith was the county's top vote recipient, capturing 3,750 votes versus U.S. Sen. Ben Sasse's 3,666.

See all Saline County's vote totals here.

Dorchester-Based Farmers Cooperative Now 73rd Largest Co-op In U.S.

My, how you've grown over the years, Dorchester Co-op.

Nebraska is home to six of our nation's largest cooperative businesses, according to the latest annual report from the National Cooperative Bank (NCB). 

Cooperatives are active in many segments of the economy -- energy, groceries, finance, health care. But throughout the Midwest, we tend to associate them with agribusiness. 

For the past 30 years, the NCB has released the annual NCB Co-op 100, highlighting America’s top 100 cooperatives. The NCB Co-op 100 ranks the top cooperatives in the country based on revenue. 

This year, Dorchester-based Farmers Cooperative, with numerous locations throughout southeast and central Nebraska and northern Kansas, is 73rd on the list. It's a slight drop from last year's No. 70 spot. 

Farmers Cooperative reported $783 million in revenues in 2019. 

Last year, Allan Zumpfe replaced longtime CEO Ron Velder as chief of the cooperative. Velder retired after 46 years at the "Dorchester elevator," as some local old-timers still call it.

Other Nebraska co-ops that made this year's NCB 100 list: Ag Processing Inc., Omaha, 11th largest; FCS America, Omaha, 24th; Central Valley Ag Cooperative of York, 25th; Aurora Cooperative Elevator Co., Aurora, 59th; and Cooperative Producers Inc., Hastings, 100th.

See the full listing here.

NEWS ROUND-UP: DHS Football Season Ends; Community Foundation Dinner is Nov. 14

DHS Falls to Red Cloud in First Round of State Playoffs: The Longhorns 2020 football season came to a disappointing conclusion Friday evening, Oct. 30, as DHS fell to Red Cloud in the first round of the Nebraska playoffs for six-man football. The final tally was 50-36. With the game tied 20-20 late in the second quarter, Red Cloud scored 22 straight to put the game out of reach. Blake Hansen threw for 254 yards and four touchdowns to lead the Longhorns. (See the Hastings Tribune summary of the game.) Fans in Dorchester, while disappointed with the loss, say they are impressed by the team's progress from 2018, which marked the first time many Dorchester boys had played competitive tackle football. 

Community Foundation Fundraiser Dinner Set for Nov. 14: On Saturday, Nov. 14, from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m., the Dorchester Community Foundation Fund will hold its pre-Thanksgiving Windsor Loin/hamburger feed at the Dorchester Legion. Both dine-in and to-go orders are available. If you want to pick up your meal, call in advance to 402-641-0564. This is a free-will offering to raise money for interactive smart boards in DPS classrooms. Donations are accepted anytime; checks can be made payable to the Dorchester Foundation and mailed to: Peg Bergmeyer, 101 Washington Ave., Dorchester, NE 68343.

DHS Alum Gene Sehnert Passes: On Oct. 28, Dorchester native and DHS graduate Gene Sehnert passed away at age 91. Sehnert was the son of Sehnert Garage owners Henry and Vera Sehnert. After working as a for his father for a number of years at the Ford garage in Dorchester, Gene went on to owned and operate Sehnert Welding in Lincoln for 44 years. He is survived by his wife Marilynn, his two children, daughter Jackie (Tom) Lawrence, son Tod (Deb) Sehnert, is brother Jim, 3 grandchildren, 2 great grandchildren, nieces and nephews. See the full obituary.

Dorchester Native Ella Karpisek Passes: Ella Karpisek, 99, of Wilber, passed away on Oct. 22 at the Wilber Care Center, where she had resided for almost 15 years. She was born on January 28, 1921 to Eman and Mary (Kohout) Sysel on a farm near Dorchester. She attended Country School District 71 through the eighth grade and then attended Dorchester High School. See the full obituary.

Dorchester Volleyball Ends Season With 13-13 Record

The Dorchester High School volleyball team has concluded its 2020 season, finishing at 13-13 on the year.

Last night, Oct. 26, the Lady Longhorns beat Nebraska Lutheran in three straight sets at the D2-2 sub-district tournament in Exeter.

The scores were 25-18, 25-14, 25-11.

But this evening (Tuesday), DHS ran into a dominant Exeter-Milligan squad, ranked No. 9 in the state in Class D-2. 

Exeter-Milligan defeated Dorchester in three sets, 25-21, 25-14, 25-16.

DHS was led by Abigail Zoubek, who had 10 kills and two aces. Jacee Zoubek had two blocks.

The Lady Longhorns played well in 2020, but hit a rough patch in the last quarter of the campaign, losing eight of nine contests near season's end. 

Now Dorchester volleyball, led by first-year head coach Bailey Schindler and assistant Bethany Theis, will set its sights on the 2021 campaign with a strong stable young players coming up through the system.

Tonight's Scary Show -- Twilight Zone: 'To Serve Man'

It's Halloween week. For those of you who are still up, we have a special treat.

This week, the Dorchester Times will air some of the scariest episodes of that classic TV show, "The Twilight Zone." 

We've selected these episodes of "The Twilight Zone" because, thanks to our senior staff members -- who actually remember when CBS aired this imaginative series -- we've discovered these 25-minute programs to be wildly creative, spine-tingling tense, and yet family friendly. 

Imagination and solid story lines carry these shows, whose quality far surpass any of the "scary" entertainment produced today.

Tonight's episode is called "To Serve Man."  

The Kanamits -- nine-foot tall aliens -- arrive on Earth with one lofty goal: To serve mankind.

The story is based on the 1950 short story by Damon Knight. The title is a play on the verb "serve."  (Watch the show and you'll get it.)  The episode, along with the story's most famous line -- "It's a cookbook!" --have become recognized elements in pop culture.

Enjoy tonight's episode. But be sure to leave an extra light on.

Give Blood In Dorchester This Thursday, Oct. 29

USA Today is reporting that blood centers are still reporting significant declines in blood collections. 

In fact, the U.S. blood supply is at critically low levels, according to a joint statement issued earlier this month by the American Red Cross and other groups. 

COVID-19, coupled with wildfires in the Western states, recent hurricanes and other storms have led to “unprecedented fluctuations,” the groups say. The approaching flu season and continued rise in COVID-19 cases will further decrease the nation’s blood supply as more people become sick and are unable to donate, experts say.

Now is the time to be a hero in your community by donating blood.

More than 80% of the blood collected by the American Red Cross comes from blood drives, which haven't returned to pre-pandemic levels, as schools opt for virtual learning and people continue to work from home. 

This Thursday, Oct. 29, from 11:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., there will be a blood drive at Dorchester Public School. By donating, you will learn your COVID-19 antibody status.

Those interested in giving can click here to make an appointment. Due to social distancing appointment times are limited, masks are required, and temperatures will be taken.

If you have questions, call the school at 402-946-2781. 

If you don't think a blood donation will make a difference in your life or the life of someone you love, remember: 

• According to the American Cancer Society, more than 1.69 million people are expected to be diagnosed with cancer this year. Many of them will need blood, sometimes daily, during their chemotherapy treatment.

• A single car accident victim can require as many as 100 pints of blood.

Will you be a difference maker?

Tonight's Scary Show -- Twilight Zone: 'Night Call'

It's Halloween week. For those of you who are still up, we have a special treat.

This week, the Dorchester Times will air some of the scariest episodes of that classic TV show, "The Twilight Zone." 

We've selected these episodes of "The Twilight Zone" because, thanks to our senior staff members -- who actually remember when CBS aired this imaginative series -- we've discovered these 25-minute programs to be wildly creative, spine-tingling tense, and yet family friendly. Imagination and solid story lines carry these shows, whose quality far surpass any of the "scary" entertainment produced today.

Tonight's episode is "Night Call." An elderly bed-ridden woman gets repeated phone calls late at night. The voice at the other end is garbled, yet ominous. He repeatedly asks "Where are you? I want to talk to you." Frightened she asks the phone company to trace the calls. Just wait until you find out who's trying to call.

See the episode by clicking here. Be sure to leave an extra light on...

Wind Farm Faces Strong Gusts Of Opposition In Saline County

Heavily subsidized wind-powered electric generation -- specifically large wind farms -- seems to be getting a lot of negative press lately. 

For example, Bloomberg reports that wind turbine blades are filling up landfills since they can't be recycled. So much for "green energy."

But here in Saline County, wind energy is facing an exceptionally large volume of negative press, most of it published at a Facebook page by an anti-wind group called "Concerned Citizens of Saline County."

The page has more than 500 followers at last check. According to its "about" section, "citizens of Saline County, Neb. should be concerned that elected/appointed officials are performing their duties with a conflict of interest, without the safety and health of the citizens as their number one priority, and are not following regulations."

Concerned Citizens of Saline County's wind opposition is being fueled the Milligan 1 Wind project currently underway south and west of Dorchester. The project represents a $350 million investment in Saline County by EDF Renewables North America, which paid an undisclosed amount to acquire the 300MW wind farm last year. (Here's our September 2019 story.)

The social media activity is just the latest opposition to wind turbins in our neck of the woods. Legal action has also been taken against both the county and the wind energy investors.

Developing...

SPORTS ROUND-UP: DHS Football Heading To Red Cloud for Round 1 Of Playoffs

DHS Football Team Headed to Red Cloud: This Friday, Oct. 30, there will be 16 Nebraska high school six-man football teams, including DHS, kicking off Round 1 of the state playoffs. Kickoff will be at 7 p.m. The Longhorns will have to travel however. Dorchester (6-2) is the No. 12 seed and will hit the road to face the fifth-seeded Red Cloud, ranked No. 4 by the Journal Star. DHS appears to have good odds against Red Cloud, which had a noticeably easier regular season schedule than DHS, thanks to the Longhorns' contests against the state's No. 1 and No. 3 teams. In its most recent two games, Red Cloud struggled against a 1-7 opponent and 3-5 Pawnee City, which Dorchester handled a bit better in early September.

DHS Volleyball Will Play for Winning Record This Week: The Lady Longhorns on Thursday beat Class C-2 Tri-County in a home volleyball match-up, topping the Trojans on parents night and senior night. DHS is currently 12-12 on the season. The victory over Tri-County ended a six-contest slide over the past couple of weeks. The Orange and Black Attack will aim to make it a winning season as they enter sub-district play tomorrow, Oct. 26, in Exeter, taking on Nebraska Lutheran (1-24). Good luck to the Lady Longhorns.

Our Endorsement: 25 Reasons To Re-Elect President Trump

We're told that political opinions are like a certain part of the human anatomy: Everyone has them and they all stink.

But the opinions of the far left in this country are especially stinky nowadays.

That's one reason why we are once again endorsing Donald J. Trump for president, just as we did in 2016. (For the record, the staff vote was unanimous, 6-0.)

But providing just one reason for such an important decision is insufficient. That's why we are giving you, our readers, 25 reasons why you, too, should consider voting to re-elect the president. They are as follows:

1. You believe America is not only the greatest nation known to man -- the one your fathers and grandfathers fought for -- but that it's also the last great hope for mankind. 
   
   
2. You don't want America to be fundamentally transformed, and you don't want your daily life ruled by heavy-handed elites in DC.
   
   
3. You believe in the free market, capitalism, and letting people keep what they earn.
   
   
4.  You believe America is at its best when people are free.
   
   
5. You don't wish to reward anarchists and rioters who've terrorized American cities (and even some rural areas) throughout much of 2020.
   
   
6. You believe China is a geopolitical and economic threat to America, and must be kept in check.
   
   
7. You believe that big tech (social media, Google, etc.) and the news media meddling in our elections is just as dangerous as interference by a foreign nation. 
   
   
8. You don't want the New York Times, Washington Post, or ABC/NBC/CBS/CNN/MSNBC running the country.
   
   
9. You want to send a clear message to those who openly detest America and its values that they're in the wrong.
   
   
10. You reject extreme environmentalism, wealth redistribution, and the opposition to Western Civilization -- all of which have become like a religion to the radical left.
    
    
11. You'd like to see justice brought to Obama-era officials who fabricated a story and divided a nation for the sake of impeachment.
    
    
12. You think America's energy independence is a good thing for the nation's consumers and its military men and women.
    
    
13. You support law and order, including our police officers.
    
    
14. You support freedom of religion.
    
    
15. You believe that conservatives and traditional Americans have every right to express their opinions, too -- even on college campuses and in the classroom.
    
    
16. You don't want to see one-party, tyrannical rule come to America, as Democrats have promised.
    
    
17. You think federal taxes are already high enough.
    
    
18. You believe that while Trump may be brash, Biden is corrupt and Harris is a power-hungry socialist (or worse).
    
    
19. You believe the left-wing, activist news media are 1,000 times the bully that President Trump is on his worst day.
    
    
20. You want to see the unelected "deep state" chased out of the swamp.
    
    
21. You have a bigger problem with talk of Marxist policies and mob rule than you do with Trump's frank talk.
    
    
22. You're tired of the sermons from academics, celebrities, and elites about how privileged you are and how racist America is.
    
    
23. You believe individuals -- not the government -- are responsible for their success, as well as their choices.
    
    
24. You think politicians should be intelligent enough not to play the race card or engage in class warfare.
    
    
25. You think some real life needs to confront those Americans who've been indoctrinated to hate their own country -- and that it's time to reform U.S. education so we have more knowledgeable, productive, responsible, and capable citizens.

For these reasons and more, the Times staff is voting for the re-election of Donald Trump on November 3. We hope you will as well.

Available Now: Dorchester Football State Playoff Attire

As reported last Friday, Dorchester High School's football team is 6-1 for the first time since 1999. 

And regardless of what happens this week at No. 1 McCool Junction, DHS is going to be in the 16-team Nebraska High School Playoffs for six-man football. 

The state playoffs begin Friday, Oct. 30. Show your Longhorn pride by ordering a DHS Football state playoffs t-shirt or sweatshirt. 

Deadline to place your order is noon this Thursday, Oct. 22. Click here to see the DHS playoff merchandise and ordering information.

By the way, the Longhorns are No. 10 this week in Journal Star's six-man rankings.

DHS Football Goes 6-1 For First Time Since '99

It has been many moons since Dorchester had a 6-1 football team. (You'd likely need to go back to our list of the best DHS teams ever to find out the last time -- 1999 by our records.) 

But that's exactly what Dorchester has -- a team with six wins and one regular season game left to play. The Longhorns routed Lincoln's Parkview Christian, 50-24, on Friday night at Nerud Field. (See ABC Channel 8's coverage at the 3:50 mark. See 10/11's coverage here at the 4:31 mark.)

The No. 17 Patriots came into Dorchester with four wins. Dorchester was ranked No. 12 this week -- so this game had playoff implications. With the win, DHS will not only be in the playoffs, but will likely host the first-round contest.

Parkview showed sparks of life in the second quarter, scoring consecutive touchdowns with big plays. But the Patriots couldn't overcome the damage DHS inflicted in the first quarter, when the Longhorns ran up the score 32-6.

DHS' Collyn Brummett continued to build upon his six-man legacy, racking up 155 yards and five touchdowns. Quarterback Blake Hansen was 10 of 13 through the air, good for 160 yards. And Kohl Tyser hauled in five receptions for 120 yards, including a touchdown.

The regular season finale for DHS will be at No. 1 McCool Junction next Friday, Oct. 23 -- and what a test it will be. McCool is 6-0 on the year after walloping Hampton 80-0.

SPORTS ROUND-UP: Football Team Improves To 5-1; Basketball Camp for Grades 3-6

DHS Football Improves to 5-1 With Lopsided Win: On Friday evening, Dorchester's football team improved to 5-1 on the year with a 70-19 win at Heartland Lutheran in Grand Island. The Longhorns were led by field general and quarterback Blake Hansen, who went 6-9 in passing with 98 yards and four TD tosses, as well as senior Collyn Brummett, who scored seven of DHS' 10 touchdowns. Brummett racked up 148 yards on the ground and another 68 yards in receptions. DHS prepares to host Parkview Christian at Nerud Field next Friday, Oct. 16.

DHS Volleyball Now 11-8 After Going 2-1 This Week: The Lady Longhorns managed to pick up an easy win this week against Lincoln's Parkview Christian, but dropped their contests against Cross County and Exter-Milligan in a triangular at home. DHS now needs to bounce back as they host two tough opponents at home on Tuesday, Oct. 13 -- McCool Junction (11-8) and BDS (19-2). Then the Orange and Black Attack will prepare for the Crossroads Conference Tournament in York, Oct. 17-20.

Evening Basketball Camp for Grades 3-6: The Times has learned that Dorchester School officials will conduct a Longhorn Basketball Camp for DPS students in 3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th grades the next thee Wednesday evenings -- Oct. 14, 21 and 28 -- from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. This camp is free and will be overseen by DHS basketball Coaches Ray and Bruha. Contact them at the school (402.946.2781) if you need more information.

Penalty for Consolidating Sports Teams?: Some years ago, there was bill offered at the Nebraska Legislature to punish Catholic schools and other parochial institutions with high school sports teams by making those schools play in the next class size up. Those who offered the bill said parochial schools were essentially recruiting from large cities and from across their counties, while public schools were "stuck with the kids they had in the classroom." Now there are rumblings that some state lawmakers are considering legislation to force high school teams that consolidate athletes for teams -- but continue to have separate schools -- to compete in the next larger class size. Should be interesting if such a bill is introduced.

Pulled Pork Sandwich Take-Out From Dorchester UMC This Sunday

This weekend, some seriously good eats will be available for take-out in Dorchester. And all area residents are invited to satisfy their appetites while helping a good cause.

To-go orders of pulled pork sandwiches, homemade potato salad, pork and beans, and a delicious cookie can be picked up at the Dorchester United Methodist Church (612 Lincoln Ave.) this Sunday, Oct. 11, from 11 a.m. until 1 p.m.

Pick up, street drive up, or in town delivery are all available. Just show up -- or call in advance by phoning 402-946-3091 or 402-641-5170 

The cost is just $10 -- or feel free to give more as a free-will offering.

Proceeds will go to the "Smart Boards for the School," which is an effort being conducted in conjunction with Dorchester Community Foundation.