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.

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.

Greg Tyser, Lori Sip Cerny Are 'Citizens Of The Year'

The Dorchester Times proudly names Greg Tyser and Lori Sip Cerny as the Citizens of 2023 for their efforts to implement a new community institution: the Dorchester Legion Bar and Grill. 

These two individuals have been instrumental in creating, operating, and marketing this new venue, which has given area residents a great place to catch up and network on Saturday mornings and Monday evenings, when other main street establishments aren't open. The effort has also pumped new momentum into the Dorchester Legion and Sons of the American Legion memberships.

By the way, the Dorchester Legion Bar and Grill will be open Monday, New Year's Day, at 11 a.m.

It takes a community working together to achieve a great quality of life. Endeavors like the one to establish and sustain the Legion Bar and Grill not only make life in Dorchester and the surrounding area more enjoyable, they are often the centerpiece of our small-town activities.

Previous winners of the Dorchester Times' Citizen of the Year Award have been the members of the Saline County Historical Society board, Dorchester's small business owners, splash pad donors, Brent Zoubek, Greg Tyser (solo), Peg Bergmeyer, Penny Keller, Carol Olson, Dale Hayek, and Bill Velder. 

Honorable mentions submitted to the Times by staff members either this year or in previous years include (in no particular order): The members of the Dorchester Volunteer Fire Department, Dorchester Public School staff, Bret Cerny, Roger Miller, Judy Schweitzer, Tammie Lang, Bob and Marva Kasl, Daryl Schrunk, Andrea Pracheil, Julie and Joe Holly, Deanna Bird, Craig Bergmeyer, Amanda Cerny, Sarah Wenz, Tom Cerny, Nancy Tellez, Larry Kaspar, Phil and Bernice Weber, Lyle Weber, Donna Parks, Shelly and Rose Bruha, Todd Axline, Jason and Kathy Duhrkop, Mike Pracheil, George Kasl, Ben Haufle, Marv Kohout, Sarah Wenz, Matt Smith, Novak Auction Service, Don Eret, Steve Ottmann, Scott Pohl, Eric Stehlik, Joyce Karl, Adam Briggs, Rob Parks, John Bruha, Mark Bors, Joel Weber, LJ Barley, Mark Bartek, Allan Papik, Dan Nerud, Mike Nohavec, Brandon Bruha, Lisa and Kevin Veprovsky, Kelly Vyhnalek, Matt Shaw, and Sandy Rains.

Congratulations to our Times' Citizens of 2023.

Merry Christmas, Dorchester!

 

Is there anything better than Christmas in a small town?

Here's our Christmas music for you and your family on this special day.

Merry Christmas to all. 

And please be safe -- we want you reading the Times in 2024.

Home For Sale: 507 Fulton Ave.

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. (That's fine, we say. Let someone else pay those massive property tax bills.)

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:

507 Fulton Ave.: Affordable three bedroom home in the small community of Dorchester, just minutes to Lincoln. Has one bedroom and full bath on main floor, along with a separate dining room and laundry. The second level has the other two bedrooms. Located on a large lot with an easy commute to either north or south Lincoln. Appliances are included and has a NEW FURNACE. See the full listing.

Dec. 11 Funeral Services For Belva Johnson

Dorchester native and DHS graduate Belva Jean (Arnold) Johnson has passed at
88.

Belva was born Dec. 25, 1934, in Lincoln, Nebraska to Ross G. and Helen J. (Stephen) Arnold, the youngest of three children and passed away Wednesday, Dec. 6, 2023, at the York General Hearthstone in York.

Belva graduated from Dorchester Public Schools. She was united in marriage to Charley Gilbert Johnson on May 27, 1951, in Beatrice, and to this union five children were born, Nicky Bryan, Dwayne Stephen, Kim, Brad, and Holly. Belva was a cook at Warren Memorial Hospital for three years, worked at the Crete Mills for nine years, Hughes Brothers for three years, and a cook and waitress for many years. She was a faithful member of the United Methodist Church in Dorchester for 75 years.

Belva had many hobbies; she loved to decorate and sell cakes, listen to Elvis, paint art, work on puzzles, needle point in the Crete Nursing Home, play cards, and most especially spending time with her family and grandchildren.

Belva is survived by her sons, Kim (Tereasa) Johnson, York, and Brad Johnson, Dorchester; Daughter Holly (Dennis) Baber, Wilber; 9 grandchildren, 3 step-grandchildren; 13 great-grandchildren; and 13 step great-grandchildren.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Ross and Helen Arnold; her husband, Charley Johnson; two sons Nicky Bryan, and Dwayne Stephen; brother, Dale Arnold; and sister, Lois Eret and brother-in-law, Don Eret.

Funeral Service will be held Monday Dec. 11, at 10 a.m. at the Dorchester United Methodist Church. A livestream for the service will be available. To access the livestream, see this page.

Burial will be at the Dorchester Cemetery. Memorials will designated to the United Methodist Church in Dorchester.

Arrangements have been entrusted to the care of Lauber Funeral and Cremation Services, Friend.

DHS Basketball Teams Drop Season Openers

(Photo: Sharon Axline)

It wasn't the start Longhorn fans were hoping for. 

Both Dorchester High School varsity basketball teams have dropped their opening two contests of the 2023-24 season.

In the season opener on Nov. 30, both the DHS boys and girls hosted Deshler. The Lady Longhorns fell to the Lady Dragons, 26-41, despite three steals from Dorchester's Gabrielle Theis. The DHS boys lost to the Dragons by an even larger margin, 15-42. Sophomore Chase Tachovsky led DHS in scoring with 6 points.

On Friday, Dec. 1, both Longhorn teams traveled west to take on Meridian. The girls lost 34-49, despite outscoring the Mustangs the final two periods. The boys fell 22-45, despite senior Andy Drake's team-leading 16 points.

Both Dorchester teams play again Tuesday, Dec. 5, in home games at DHS' "Corrale." Both teams will host the High Plains Storm. 

On Friday, Dec. 8, both BDS boys and girls teams will visit Dorchester.