My Side of the Fencepost
February 24, 2009
A small town fights the good fight
By Jim Dickerson
I’ve heard and written enough about the national economy and the economic stimulus package. I’m returning this week to the home front.
I’ve always believed in small towns. They have personality. They tend to produce people who genuinely care about each other; and when those small town people join together to meet a common goal, they are capable of great things.
So, I like to see small communities take on challenges and succeed. It’s even better when several small communities can band together and help each other out. That is the general idea behind the Boone County Development Agency, which is intended to unite the entire county behind common economic development goals.
With the economy in the shape it’s in right now, communities of every size are simply trying to maintain what they have. The list of challenges can vary from town to town, but they still have similarities. Whether the community is working to get an ethanol plant reopened, keep its schools funded and viable, or maintain its business district, it needs concerned and involved citizens.
Right now, the community of Petersburg is facing a challenge in keeping its grocery store open. The local store has been struggling to meet the sales volumes necessary to achieve profitability and remain in business. Their local development corporation and community leaders are working on several fronts to keep their local business.
In addition to meeting with the wholesale supplier and others who may be able to help, the Petersburg community will be “going public” with an appeal to increase the store’s patronage and help it reach a sales level that would keep it viable.
They realize that a local grocery store is vital to the community’s overall business district and quality of life. They know that the loss of a “kingpin” business like this could quickly lead to the closing of another business and then another, until very little is left of the business district.
For those reasons, this is being treated more like a campaign to preserve an important public facility than a private business — because in a small town, the grocery store is that important. Owner Larry Temme has already stated that, even though he and his wife Radene are the store owners, “it really belongs to the community.”
So, Petersburg area residents will be told the history of the store, the current operating status, monthly sales and the sales goals that must be met to keep the store open.
The concerned and involved citizens are in place and ready to do what they can. Hopefully, their numbers will grow.
All the cards have been laid on the table.
Petersburg will be fighting the good fight, and we hope the community can succeed.
My Side of the Fencepost
January 27, 2009
Important water hearings
By Jim Dickerson
Four very important public hearings are coming up in Central and Eastern Nebraska during February and March. The Nebraska Department of Natural Resources (DNR) will use these hearings to explain its “fully appropriated” designation handed down last December for the entire Lower Platte River Basin.
The designation includes the Elkhorn and Loup Basins. If the designation is made permanent, it will bring new water restrictions to most of Central and Northeast Nebraska.
DNR will be accepting written and oral testimony about the river basins and its preliminary ruling. The four hearings are scheduled as follows:
- Friday, Feb. 13, 2009 at 1:30 p.m. at the Lower Loup Natural Resources District Office, 2620 Airport Drive, Ord.
- Tuesday, Feb. 17, 2009 at 1:30 p.m. at the Learning Center of Northeast Nebraska Community College, Norfolk.
- Tuesday, Feb. 24, 2009 at 1:30 p.m. in Room A on the Lower Level of the State Office Building, 301 Centennial Mall South, Lincoln.
- Thursday, March 12, 2009 at 1:30 p.m. in the Fremont City Auditorium, 925 North Broad Street, Fremont.
Many people would agree that we need to protect both our ground and surface water supplies in Nebraska. Most would accept the “hydrological connection” between ground water and surface water.
But there are some points of contention, and it would be good to hear those points discussed in a public hearing.
For example, one point was brought forward by Butch Koehlmoos, general manager of the Lower Loup NRD, when the designation was announced in December.
His contention: Since the fully appropriated status was determined by DNR using gauges on the Platte River, it appears that the Loup and Elkhorn Basins may be tied in (perhaps unfairly) with the upper Platte River, which is already over-appropriated.
In consideration of the fully appropriated designation, are flows from the Loup and Elkhorn Rivers being used to “make up the difference” from the over-appropriated basins upstream?
Notes from a Vagabond
January 6, 2009
Diplomacy failed to end conflict
By Steve Fox
The Israeli conflict today in my opinion is the result of using diplomacy to resolve previous conflicts. At the urging of President Jimmy Carter (a person who never met a dictator he didn’t love) and later President Bill Clinton (who never met an intern he didn’t love), who in their rush to Stockholm to accept the Nobel Peace Prize, we threw Israel under the bus by forcing on them a negotiated a peace that made Israel weaker and emboldened the Islamofacists. I guess that’s OK; because like everything else the Democrats do, as long as the intentions are good, the outcome doesn’t matter.
Well, here we are. Did the Israelis act because there was a Republican administration in the White House knowing that the Republicans would support their actions? I don’t know. My suspicion is the answer is yes. I think their fears of a Democrat administration were well founded. I have been watching the news lately, and when Democrats are asked what Barack Obama is going to do about the situation, no one can say. When asked what he should do, the answer is unanimous: Begin to arrange for a diplomatic solution to this conflict. Anyone remember shuttle diplomacy and the special envoy? Well, that seems to be the plan of action after Obama is president.
I think the opposite should be the plan. I think we should materially support Israel. I think attacking Iran would be a good start. It is an accepted fact that Iran is an enemy of Israel and the United States, a material supporter of Hamas and other terrorists, and just generally a bad actor on the world stage. The rockets that Hamas has been firing into Israel have been stamped made in Iran. This is unacceptable.
I think it’s time for Iran to pay the piper. The United States needs to be done with negotiation and talk. We have been negotiating off and on since the Carter administration. Things have only gotten worse. I think now is the time for try a military solution. I don’t mean a limited war. If we go in, we do so to destroy the country’s military-industrial complex, destroy their “peaceful” nuclear program, their leadership and their military. This would destroy a safe haven for terrorists.
Will this end the entire conflict? Probably not, but neither has negotiation. I believe fewer people would be dead in the long run if we were to crush the main financier of terrorism today.
Questions? Comments? Suggestions? You may e-mail Steve Fox at foxissly@gmail.com.
Molly’s Musings
December 2, 2008
Laboratory of Life
By Molly Young
Laboratory of life
A pink suitcase rests empty on my bedroom floor. Propped beside it, a black backpack lies unfilled. Nearby, piles of clothes and stacks of books wait to be packed.
Winter break is over, and the countdown to class has begun. It’s time to go back to Lincoln; time to start another semester at the University of Nebraska.
As I prepare myself, I can’t seem to erase a thought from my mind. I enjoy going to class, at least most of the time, and I feel like I learned quite a bit.
Life’s lessons aren’t printed on coursework or presented on whiteboards, however.
Written like a true college student, I know. I bet you’re rolling your eyes now, aren’t you mom and dad?
Admittedly, last semester’s history professor taught me a lot. I can now explain the flaws in Frederick Jackson Turner’s thesis of the American West, illustrate the settlement patterns of frontier immigrants, and demonstrate several ways to mine for gold.
But learning doesn’t cease once school’s doors are closed. And education doesn’t end after the office’s computers go dark for the night.
Wisdom comes from our surroundings: the people that make us laugh, the places that help us remember, and the things that make us tick.
Knowledge can come in small packages. I love spending time with my three-year-old cousin, Gabbi. She knows she will grow up to be the Little Mermaid. The certainty in her voice reminds me to follow my dreams. Her laugh tells me life isn’t so serious after all.
Or wisdom can come from larger things. The sun settling behind Nebraska’s rolling scenery reminds me of creation’s vastness.
Sunsets don’t fit in classrooms. Laughs can’t be published in textbooks. Our lives, then, are the real laboratories.
My Side of the Fencepost
November 25, 2008
By Jim Dickerson
The Future is under discussion
I attended two meetings Monday evening, not thinking there would be any common threads connecting the two. As it turns out, there were common threads.
Both sessions were about the future of the Albion area — different aspects of that future, certainly, but discussion leaders wanted public input from Albion residents at both meetings. They wanted to hear our thoughts about the community’s future.
The first meeting, at Boone Central, was about the search for a new superintendent of schools. Marcia Herring, director of superintendent search services with the Nebraska Association of School Boards, explained the entire process.
She then asked three questions that are considered important to the search process: What are the strengths of your school district and communities? What are the challenges faced by your school district and community in the coming years? What are the most important qualities you believe are needed in a new superintendent?
These questions were answered in various ways by the small group of seven people attending. Strengths included good community support of the school system in academics and all activities, a strong teaching staff and administration, and a welcoming attitude toward new residents and new ideas. Challenges, the group said, were budgeting, maintaining all academic and activity offerings, dealing with enrollment declines, and maintaining buildings and transportation infrastructure. A superintendent, they said, will need many positive qualities, including good communication and leadership skills, involvement in community issues and a businesslike approach.
On to the next meeting . . . the Albion Planning Commission was holding the first of its Planning Steering Committee meetings to begin work on the 10-year update of the city’s comprehensive plan (and additional plans on redevelopment and economic development).
Tim Keelan and Lonnie Dickson presented their preliminary information on population trends, household characteristics, employment data, housing stock and land use. Several interesting points were made from their preliminary study.
Point 1: Land within the corporate limits of Albion is nearly fully utilized. To build new housing within the city limits, the primary method is to remove an existing structure and replace with a new one.
Point 2: The population within the Albion City Limits has been declining for several decades; but if you include the people in the city’s one-mile planning jurisdiction, it has actually remained stable. New residential areas are being created just outside the city limits. The theory is that the city is “bleeding” its population and housing stock outside the corporate limits. A primary reason is that there are very few open building lots inside the city limits.
Point 3: In order to add new housing for future growth, the city will need to expand its corporate limits.
Again, the 20 to 25 participants were asked what they felt the most important planning goals for the city’s future would be. They mentioned increased affordable housing, infrastructure improvements to allow future growth, improvements in the business district and various other priorities.
These were good local discussions to lay some groundwork for the future at the beginning of a new year.
My Side of the Fencepost
November 11, 2008
Opportunities to participate
By Jim Dickerson
Here we are in the week after election day with a new president-elect, a new state senator-elect and a new U.S. Senator.
New leaders are emerging, and all pundits are predicting that we’ll see “change” now that the voters have spoken.
Democracy is a wonderful system, but I don’t believe all of us practice it as much as we should by getting involved. These coming years represent yet another chance to participate, but how much do we Americans really participate beyond the voting booth?
In its purest form, a democracy like ours makes room for public participation. We can participate on the local, regional, state and national levels. We can attend open meetings, express our opinions at the designated time and attempt to have influence on the issues that we care about. We can write letters, join groups of like-minded citizens to get our point across and, if we’re willing to make the effort, we can lobby our office-holders directly and be part of our own solutions — at least that’s the intent.
Public participation. The whole system is built around it.
That’s why, for example, the Boone County Commissioners held public meetings on their plans for the courthouse expansion. It’s the reason the Boone Central School Board will include members of the public in its interview process for a new superintendent of schools. It’s also the reason the City of Albion will try to involve the public and hold public sessions during the coming months to formulate a new comprehensive plan.
In short, the public participation part of democracy requires a lot of time and hard work. It can be downright boring at times. I suspect that’s the reason lobbyists are so powerful in Washington, DC, and why money talks so loudly in national politics. It’s a whole lot easier and more practical for us, at least on the national level, to toss some money in the pot and hire a lobbyist than to do our own legwork.
BUT — we can all now see the influence that lobbyists and special interests have had on our American economy. We can see the flaws in national policy that paved the way for subprime mortgages and all the rest.
We can now look back and say: Were these policies really debated, really analyzed, before they were enacted? Did our representatives and the media do an adequate job of informing the American public at the critical time? Did we (the public) expend the time and effort to educate ourselves about the impact these decisions could have on our future?
I would have to answer “no,” and I suspect many others would have to answer the same.
In terms of economic policy on a national scale, we may have failed the public participation test.
Perspectives
November 11, 2008
Looking forward, Looking Back
By Paul Hosford
January is named for the Roman god Janus, a god of thresholds and doorways who had two faces, enabling him to look both forwards and backwards at the same time. To the Romans and many other people, the threshold between years is a natural place to pause and reflect upon the past. Looking back is an important part of moving forward — it gives us a chance to make changes and hold on to what‘s important.
While I’ve always subscribed to the maxim ‘never look back — something might be gaining on you’ — there’s much of value to be found in the past. Remembering the lives and sacrifices, struggles and successes of those who came before is a time-proven way for each new generation to chart its course in life. The past, after all, tends to repeat itself — if not in its details, certainly in its essence.
We’re not, unfortunately, doing a very good job of sharing our past. In hopes of retaining youth in rural Nebraska by understanding them better, Chris Schroeder of the Center for Rural Entrepreneurship has been conducting in-depth surveys of young people across our state. A common concern among the over 2,000 youth he’s surveyed so far has been a lack of connection to their local heritage.
While our high school students didn’t participate in this survey, our middle school students did. Fully 80 percent of them rated this as an above average to excellent place to live, and 65 percent pictured themselves living here in the future.
But like other students across the state, one of our young people’s major concerns was their lack of a sense of heritage, lack of a connection with their past. In this regard, our children feel like strangers in their own hometowns.
I’m not sure why this is. Maybe we don’t think it’s important. Maybe we just take it for granted that everybody knows about the past. Or, maybe we don’t know that much about it ourselves. Whatever the reason, linking our young people to their past is a vital element in fostering a stronger sense of place. And a strong sense of place will do much to encourage our young people to return someday.
But there are simple ways to address this problem. The Albion Library has a number of books about this area’s history, as well as old editions of the Albion News on microfilm. And the Boone County Historical Society has worked for decades to preserve artifacts from this area’s past.
Despite ever-increasing demands on my time, I joined the Historical Society a year ago and am pleased that a lot of good things are happening. Our Historical Society is one of only a handful of museums selected to participate in the statewide Hands-On Experiential Learning Project (HELP). This professional development program is doing a great deal to help us bring our local museum into the 21st century.
Boone County Historical Society is also working with the Elkhorn Valley Museum in Norfolk preparing an exhibit about the history of Boone County. This exhibit, which will go on display Jan. 17 and be featured for six weeks, will expose new people to the history of Boone County — people who may decide to visit our county as a result.
A consultant from the HELP project visited our museum and said it has the most potential of any she’s seen to showcase the unique history of an area. She feels the sky’s the limit on what the Historical Society can do to live up to its mission statement of “Helping Us Move Forward By Preserving Where We’ve Been.” There’s a lot to be done to make this happen, but with hard work and community support, our museum can not only attract new visitors to our county but do much to connect our young people with their past. And this can only strengthen their ties to this area, making it that much more likely they’ll build their lives here.
Our ancestors worked very hard, after all, to carve out a life here. Their strength and determination can and should serve as an example to us today. Our county museum isn’t just a repository for old things — it’s a vital resource for our future. By preserving where we’ve been, it offers future generations not only a living link to their historical legacy but a proven roadmap to living successfully on the Great Plains.
My Side of the Fencepost
October 21, 2008
OK, so it IS partisan . . . .
By Jim Dickerson
If you’ve been picking up your mail lately most anywhere in the 41st Legislative District, you are well aware that the two major political parties are already heavily involved in the legislative race between Kate Sullivan and Paul Eurek.
Our little old 41st District must be very important on the state and national scene, because there is some REAL money being spent on this race — and it’s coming from more than just the candidates and their campaign committees. The state Republican party is now hauling out the ammunition. The Democratic party has also produced one direct mail piece on the District 41 race and may be planning more.
You might have heard a big “Whoosh!” a few weeks ago when the first volleys were fired. That was the sound of our nonpartisan Legislative system being swept away. From now on — apparentlly without regard to language in the state constitution or other resource material — the Nebraska Legislature will be Partisan (with a capital P).
Now, I really shouldn’t complain about this. Our newspapers and the others across the 41st District might gain financially from increased newspaper advertising . . . or the political parties might choose to spend the bulk of their campaign money on direct mail or other media. Whatever the case, it appears we’ll be hearing more from (and about) the candidates through the two political parties — with their own “spin” added.
The ball started rolling during the primary election campaign last spring. Gov. Dave Heineman and Attorney General Jon Bruning, the two highest ranking Republicans in state government, made a swing through the 41st District to endorse Paul Eurek.
At that time, I used this space to mention that nonpartisan races should remain nonpartisan. I said (more or less) that the governor should have stayed home — let the candidates do their own campaigning and let the people decide.
My editorial opinion apparently didn’t change any minds.
As I mentioned, the shots have pretty much been taken by direct mail so far. I’ve been saving up the cards for later reference. They started with a direct mail piece from the Nebraska Republican Party, which stated that “Kate Sullivan has benefitted from thousands of dollars from Nebraska’s biggest unions.” Actually, as far as I know, the only union endorsing Kate was the Nebraska State Education Association, which is an endorsement many candidates would like to have.
So far, I have counted five direct mail pieces in the race. The only two negative pieces came from the Nebraska Republican Party, and both sought to cast Kate Sullivan as a union supported big spender. The other three pieces have been positive — one each from the respective candidates’ campaign organizations and one positive piece from the Nebraska Democratic State Central Committee.
I don’t believe negative campaign ads appeal to most voters in the 41st District. In that regard, I think the Democrats have the upper hand so far. I hope both parties refrain from any further negative campaigning in this race.
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