Living Rural

96824

96

634

NORFOLK IMPLEMENT INC. NORFOLK IMPLEMENT INC. 200 S. 1st, Norfolk • 402-371-4311

www.mynorfolkimplement.com SALES GAROLD

KOLLMAR (402) 750-9455

(after hours)

PARTS CARL

KUWATCH (402) 649-9270

(after hours)

EQUIPMENT EQUIPMENT

SKID LOADERS All-new, cutting edge features have been built

into the compact frame structure that users have come to expect from Gehl Skid Loaders.

COMPACT EXCAVATORS High-performance hydraulics and a powerful

Yanmar diesel engine combine to provide ultimate effectiveness in a variety of applications.

We We Service Service

All All Makes Makes

and and Models! Models!

96986

97204

1909 Vicki Lane • Norfolk, NE 68701 402-379-4158 • www.aseracare.com

AseraCare Hospice welcomes all persons in need of its services and does not discriminate on the basi s of age, disability, race, color, national origin, ancestry, religion, sex, or source of payment. AHS-04569-0 9 SU

THE PROMISE OF DIGNITY THE PROMISE OF DIGNITY THE PROMISE OF DIGNITY This is our life’s work. This is our life’s work. This is our life’s work.

This is our promise. This is our promise. This is our promise.

With more than a decade in service, AseraCare Hospice is dedicated to providing a gentle, holistic approach at the end of life.

At AseraCare, it is our privilege, our duty, and our commitment to serve our patients and their families with respect and dignity.

The large cover photo features Timothy and Janet Miller watch-ing in the background as their children, McKinzie (right) and Mikayla, check on and feed their chickens at their rural Norfolk home. They bought and moved into the former Warnerville coun-try school building south of Nor-folk. See story on page 4.

In the smaller bottom photo at left, Green Gables waitress Jasmine Phander of Ewing puts a dish of ice cream on the table in front of Kaydence Carpenter (left), 6, of Phoenix, Ariz., and Lawson Zierke, 4, of Pierce. This was actually the second stop at Green Gables, which is located north of Royal, for the family. They had been there earlier that day to eat lunch, took a break and came back for dessert. See story on page 6.

In the smaller middle photo, 10-year-old J.T. Hobbs and his 7-year-old sister, Rachel, of Norfolk, fish off the dock during fishing night at Skyview Lake in Norfolk. See story on page 2.

And in the smaller bottom photo at right, Ben Vanderheiden of Laurel auctions a pie held by Doug Nelson during an auction at Sweet Corn Sunday festivities at Immanuel Lutheran Church near Wayne. Merle Roeber of Wayne (left) keeps track of bids and bid-ders. See story on page 16.

On the cover

By CRISTINA [email protected]

The pier on the northeast side of Skyview Lake in Norfolk was busier than usual one balmy summer evening in mid-July.

A crowd of anglers, young and old, clutched their fishing poles as they poked worms onto hooks and skillfully flicked their lines into the lake’s murky depths.

Many were at the lake as part of a family fishing night spon-sored by the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission. The pier was the most popular gathering place for boys and girls and their parents, who took advantage of the free pole rentals and bait provided by the commission.

“We provide all the tackle that is needed, the bait and some ad-vice,” said Tyler Kapple, a con-servation technician with the commission’s aquatic education division and an avid fisherman. “If people are fishing for the first time or if they just haven’t fished in a really long time, we can reacquaint them with a fish-ing pole and answer any fishing questions they might have.”

A little girl squealed with delight as she felt a tug on her fishing pole. Quickly reeling it in, a tiny brownish-blue fish ap-peared on the end.

“I caught one!” she exclaimed with a huge grin.

Other young anglers stood pressed against the dock rail-ings, peering into the water with wide eyes, one hand poised over the reel handle in case they had to quickly wind in their loot.

As one boy returned his fish-ing supplies with his dad, he chatted excitedly about how he

had caught seven fish in just over an hour.

“It’s unbelievable the type of reactions we get,” Kapple said. “The kids love it. We get to see the smiles on their faces and their excitement watching them catch their first fish.”

The commission puts on a number of family fishing events across the state during the sum-

mer months. Besides Norfolk, staff also visit Scottsbluff, Ke-arney, Lincoln, Omaha, North Platte and several other areas. Some of the fishing nights focus on specific types of fishing such as bass fishing, fly fishing or catfishing.

Norfolk’s Skyview Lake has been a popular fishing spot for local residents for many years, with a 2005 lake renovation proj-ect adding more amenities for visitors. Individuals can enjoy catching bluegill, channel cat-fish, largemouth bass and wall-eye.

Donna Hergert of Plainview drove in with her two sons to meet up with her husband after work so they could all go to the family fishing night together.

“My sons have been wanting to fish, and I have no clue on how to fish,” Hergert said. “I thought if they could learn from some-one who knew what they were doing, that would be better.”

Hergert said her boys had a great time at the event, with one catching his very first fish.

“My youngest son caught a fish, and he probably scared the rest of the fish away when it started flopping toward him

Families ‘reel’ in the fun

DENNIS MEyER/DAILy NEWS

SETH KOSSMAN, 6, of Battle Creek holds up his “catch” dur-ing fishing night at Skyview Lake. Seth was there with his sister, Paige, and dad Randy.

►Please see FuN, page 3-A

�-A NORFOLK DAILY NEWS, WEDNESDAY, AuguST 14, 2013

500 W. Madison Ave., Norfolk • 402-371-1221 Stanton • 402-439-2142

FAX 402-371-7800 • E-mail: [email protected]

Choose us for friendly, personal service in closing your real estate transaction. Providing Title Insurance, Searches, Closing & Escrow Services in all of

Northeast Nebraska

***Agent for First American Title Ins. Co.***

36 YEARS of SERVICE

A Move In The Right Direction

96735

Nebraska Licensed Well Drilling & Pump Installer • Free Estimates

W EILAND W ELL C O . Domestic Well Specialists

Steve Dickes Owner

• Pumps & Repair Service • Trenching - Backhoe • Ritchie Fountains • Goulds Submersible Pumps • Water- R ight Conditioning Equipment • Licensed Septic Tank Installation & Service

402-454-6660 or after hours call 402-454-3399 511 Industrial Pkwy. Madison, NE

96736

Now and for Generations From the building materials to the construction crews, quality is evident throughout every step of the process at Morton Buildings. Our components and building methods have been designed and tested to provide the best to you.

With a wide range of building styles, sizes and pricing available, you choose exactly what you want and need in a building - all while knowing that you are getting a high-quality structure that you can be proud to own.

96996

Norfolk, N E

and he screamed,” she said with a laugh.

A few other kids at the fishing night had prior fishing experience, even toting their own pint-size fishing poles and tackle boxes.

“I’ve been fishing a few times before,” said Luke Hobbs, an 8-year-old from Norfolk. “Catch-ing fish is my favorite part, but I haven’t caught any yet tonight. The only gross part is when the worms split in half when you put them on the hook.”

Luke perched on the pier with his dad, John Hobbs, and his brother and sister nearby, careful-ly watching his submerged fishing line for any movement.

John Hobbs said he thinks kids

should be exposed to fishing when they’re still young.

“It’s just good, clean, cheap en-tertainment,” he said. “And it can be done in addition to any number of other outdoor activities like boating and camping. It’s a skill that you can hopefully keep the rest of your life.”

Kapple agreed that fishing is an important activity for young peo-ple to get involved with because it gets them outdoors and more con-nected to nature.

“Our ultimate goal is to get the whole family out fishing togeth-er,” Kapple said. “We’re seeing a lot of kids now are sitting behind a Nintendo all day and not enjoying the outdoors like they used to. We want to get the kids out here and get outside.”

Continued from Page 2-A—

Fun

JT HOBBS, 10, watch-es his dad, John, attach a worm to his hook during fam-ily fishing night at Skyview Lake in Norfolk.DeNNiS Meyer/DaiLy NewS

By GREG [email protected]

The days of using an ATV to get around the farm have evolved.

Now, the driving is likely to be done aboard the more versatile side-by-side.

As the name suggests, it has a front seat for two. Unlike its counterpart with handlebars, there is a steering wheel and ped-als like a car for accelerating and braking.

A side-by-side resembles a golf cart in shape and size but with much better performance, pow-erful engine and long-travel sus-pension.

So it is an alternative to driv-ing a pickup to do chores be it running pivots, fixing fence or spraying thistles. Call it a cross between an ATV and a pickup truck.

Don Novotny, owner of Motop-lex of Norfolk, has seen them be-come a big part of his business.

“About 80 percent of sales,’’ he said. “We really cater to the farmer. Ag is our main input.’’

Use of side-by-sides has grown along with the size of operations.

“It used to be the farmer had a mile travel or less or a cluster of farm ground you could throw a rock and hit it,’’ Novotny said. “Today, a farmer goes 5, 10, 15 miles away, so it’s pretty much

spread out, and they have a big radius they have to get to.’’

Side-by-sides are made for the job.

With speeds to 60 mph, they can be driven from home to the field. They can tow 1,500 pounds or be equipped with a carry box.

Another plus is accessorizing. Available are heating and air conditioning, a full cab, wipers and a stereo — even snow tracks in the winter.

“I don’t know how a farmer can operate without one . . . They

have pretty much taken over that market mainly because of cost, ’’ Novotny said.

Depending on the model, an ATV runs around $6,000 to $13,000, a side-by-side $9,000 to $18,000 or more depending if they’re all cabbed up.

Used vehicles had been popu-lar to buy, but that’s not necessar-ily the case now.

“That farmer can afford the new stuff,’’ he said.

Some buy more than one for their operations, he said.

JaKe wraGGe/DaiLy NewS

DOn nOvOTny of Norfolk is seated in a side-by-side at Moto-plex of Norfolk.

Side-by-sides offer style, functionnORFOLK DAILy nEWS, WEDnESDAy, AuGuST 14, 2013 �-A

Timothy L. Davy, M.D.

Family Practice & Obstetrics

Edward A. Wicker, M.D.

Family Practice

Amber Krikke PA.-C. -

Family Practice Physicians

Assistant-Certified

900 W. Norfolk Ave, Suite 100 24 Hour Physician Call Coverage

(402) 371-2326

w w w. n o r f o l k f a m i l y m e d i c i n e . c o m 96893

2200 Michigan Ave. Norfolk (between Shopko & Wal-Mart)

402-371-7067

96897

Most Experienced Shop In Town • Paintless Dent Repair • Complete Detailing • Scratch & Chip Repair

• Headlight Restoration • Spray On Bedliners • Auto Glass

Collision Repair Specialists

Just imagine a new sunroom on your home. Enjoy the

outdoors all year! Call for free estimates.

2000 E. Omaha Ave. • Norfolk Phone: 402-371-0051

Web: threeseasonsandfour.net Email: [email protected]

969

95

By CRISTINA [email protected]

The Miller family is city folk no more.

Timothy and his wife, Janet, and their two daughters, McKinzie and Mikayla, moved from their west Norfolk home into the old Warnerville school south of town about a year ago.

Instead of daily runs to Wal-Mart and bike rides around their subdivision, the family of four now raises chickens, grows wheat, picks fresh produce from their garden and grinds their own flour and cornmeal.

“We just thought it was a nice location and a nice area,” Timo-thy said about purchasing the schoolhouse about five years ago. “It’s far enough out in the country that it’s quiet, but it’s still close enough to town if we need something.”

In the past, the school served the residents of the unincorpo-rated town of Warnerville. After a legislative push to consolidate many of the state’s smaller schools, the school closed and was auctioned off.

Farming isn’t completely for-eign to the Millers, with Janet having grown up on a farm. Timothy, too, said he has learned a lot about self-sufficiency from

his grandmother, who lived through the Great Depression era.

“She would literally make dresses out of potato sacks,” Timothy said. “If she wanted the dress to be colorful, she would have to stain it with ani-mal blood or berries.”

Timothy, who is an audio and recording instructor at North-east Community College, and

Janet, a teacher in the Battle Creek school district, said they think it’s important for today’s children to know more about the food they’re eating and where it comes from.

“Today’s society allows peo-ple to specialize in things and not know a lot about how other things work,” Timothy said. “It just becomes ‘magic.’ So the more you know about how the

‘magic’ works, the better off you are.”

Both McKinzie, 12, and Mi-kayla, 10, have thrived while learning more about farm ani-mals and food production.

“I’ve always wanted to live on a farm or out in the country, so I’ve really liked it,” McKinzie said.

The girls got involved in 4-H this year, with each of them win-ning a grand champion award for poultry showmanship at the Madison County Fair last month. Mikayla, especially, has taken a liking to feeding the chickens their daily treat of corn kernels, grain and grits.

McKinzie has developed her own interest in growing herbs and spices, with plans to start her own garden in the coming months. She also is hopeful for a different addition to the family’s property.

“I want to have a calf and a horse eventually,” she said.

The Millers have other big plans for their home as well, including building a winter coop for their flock of chickens, constructing a barn to house outdoor equipment and possi-bly setting aside part of their 4-acre property for horses and

Family finds home in country school

DARIN EPPERLY/DAILY NEWS

MIKAYLA MILLER picks produce from the family garden, while her sister, McKinzie, and their mother, Janet, also work in the garden at their rural Norfolk home.

►Please see SCHOOL, page 5-A

By JERRY [email protected]

MEADOW GROVE — Many men and women who farm also work in town.

But there are also many people in smaller communities who operate sev-eral businesses or work another job. It seems like there aren’t enough people for all of the jobs.

Take the Tim and Deb Schmitz fam-ily, who own The Pit Stop convenience store along Highway 275 in Meadow Grove.

Most people are probably familiar with it because it has a race car on top of the canopy over the fuel pumps. Peo-ple from out of state have been known to stop and take a photo of it.

“The previous owner left it,” said Traci Maugham. “It’s a good conversa-tion piece.”

Small town’s residents often wear many shoes

JERRY GUENTHER/DAILY NEWS

JENNIFER SCHMITZ (right), who operates Schmitz’s Greenhouse, receives help from her sisters, in-cluding Traci Maugham (left).

►Please see SHOES, page 5-A

�-A NORFOLK DAILY NEWS, WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 14, 2013

ture donkey.“We just take it one project at a

time,” Janet said.Timothy said he is planning to com-

pletely renovate the section of the building where the family has their bedrooms to make it homier and less school-like.

The building also includes a large gym that was used for kids’ P.E. class-es, several classrooms, two kitchens, one of which was used to prepare caf-eteria meals, and a school-sized bath-room area.

As for the older school building, the family plans to either sell it or tear it down.

Timothy emphasized that his fam-ily certainly isn’t the first to make an old schoolhouse their home.

He and Janet estimated there are at least three or four similar properties in the area.

The schools tend to have solid infra-structure and spacious yards for kids to play in, Timothy said.

Watching the Millers chase down two escaped chickens on a recent sum-mer afternoon, one would never guess that just a couple years ago, they were typical city dwellers.

“We’re still by no means farmers,” Timothy said. “People who are farm-ers work at it for a living, as a living, at a much bigger scale. We’re just learn-ing more about agriculture than we would ever be able to if we lived in the city.”

Continued from Page 4-A—School

Much of the time, Tim is working for a farmer. His wife, Deb, works at the Tilden Community Hospital.

That leaves the Schmitzes’ four daughters to run the convenience store. Each has an area of expertise, such as Jennifer Schmitz, who keeps the books.

The other sisters who work at the store are Traci Maugham, Kylie Eckert and Crystal Schmitz.

“Each of us wears a lot of hats,” said Jen-nifer, who started her own greenhouse next door, known simply as Schmitz’s Greenhouse.

Jennifer said she has had a green thumb as long as she can remember. Growing up, she also remembers working in her parents’ and grandparents’ gardens, oftentimes getting cu-cumbers and pickles ready for shipment.

After high school, Jennifer took some hor-ticulturAL classes at Northeast Community College in Norfolk, then operated a landscap-ing business for about 10 years.

While she still operates the landscaping business, she cut back on it when she opened the greenhouse a couple of years ago.

The greenhouse is operated with expanded hours during May and June when most people are looking for plants. Otherwise, people who want to purchase plants may do so while the convenience store is open.

“I love to work in the greenhouse,” Jennifer said. “Right now, it’s more of a hobby.”

One of the best times to work in the green-house is February, when it’s still winter out-side, but smells and feels like spring under the clear house.

“That’s the best,” she said.

Continued from Page 4-A—Shoes

NORFOLK DAILY NEWS, WEDNESDAY, AuguSt 14, 2013 �-A

FOR ALL YOUR COOLING &

HEATING NEEDS Derric Werner

(402) 368-9373 • (402) 677-8617 [email protected]

PO Box 55, Tilden, NE 68781

Scott Wegener (402) 563-0713

[email protected] 1052 26th Ave., Columbus, NE 68601

bryanthomecomfort.com 96913

824 Main Street, P.O. Box 35 Creighton, NE (402) 358-3236

301 North Main Verdigre, NE

(402) 668-2281

253-5 Apple Street Niobrara, NE (402) 857-3596

220 East Main Bloomfield, NE (402) 373-2345

102 S. Washington St. Wausa, NE

(402) 586-2778

303 East 2nd St. Street Tilden, NE

(402) 368-5300

204 South Thayer St. Spencer, NE

(402) 589-0070

901 N. 13th Street Norfolk, NE

(402) 371-2960 97000

Northeast Nebraska’s most trusted news source for more than 125 years!

Reaching Readers More Ways...

Subscribe Today 402-371-1080 • 1-877-371-1080

97338

By GRACE [email protected]

Green Gables is worth the drive.Just a few miles from Ashfall

Fossil Beds State Historical Park, Green Gables has a lot to see and enjoy.

When pulling up to the red barn, the first thing you notice is a mix of farm machinery and toys and sandboxes for children to enjoy. Within the front door, customers can enjoy perusing the numerous li-cense plates on the wall, the Green Gables replica built by a customer in Illinois or the maps that custom-ers tag with their hometowns.

“They’ll come up and see if their tag is still up from the last time they came here. The maps have been a big hit,” said Denise Hartigan, co-owner of the restaurant with her mother, Lois Dempster.

The rest of the restaurant is filled with antiques galore, old family pho-tos, pie tins, sifters and even old perfume bottles.

“A little lady from Pennsylvania would come up to Ashfall every

First impression of Green Gables

a good one

►Please see ImPRESSIoN, p7-A

By GRACE [email protected]

It may be off the beaten path, but Green Gables definitely has made a name for it-self.

Stationed near Orchard and Royal — and, most notably, on the road to THE Ashfall Fossil Beds State Historical Park — Green Gables sticks out among the farmland that surrounds it.

Once a barn that stood two miles from where it now sits, Green Gables — owned by mother-daughter duo Lois Dempster and Denise Hartigan — was moved, gutted and restored into a restaurant known for its homemade food and delicious desserts, not to mention its gift shop.

The reason behind opening the restau-

rant: Ashfall Fossil Beds.Hartigan said when Ashfall opened in

1991, people complained about being hungry while shopping at their gift shop, originally in Orchard. The two contemplated opening a sandwich and pie shop during the summer to give visitors a place to stop on their way home.

In October 2001, they started their ven-ture and bought and moved a barn. The loca-tion of the restaurant was chosen because it was on family land, and it was on the direct path to Ashfall.

“We wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for Ash-fall, plain and simple,” Hartigan said. “Now that we’re established, there are people who come in all the time to eat.”

Green Gables opened Memorial Day weekend in 1992 to a big crowd.

“I’m surprised people came back after the first day,” Hartigan said with a smile. “When the day ended, we were like, ‘What did we get ourselves into?’ ”

It was trial and error, Hartigan said. Be-sides having to train the staff on writing or-ders and tickets and making sure they had enough equipment to hold freight, the road leading to Green Gables was once gravel. So when the roads were bad, reservations were canceled and trucks wouldn’t deliver sup-plies.

“They wouldn’t go on the gravel road. The bread truck, we had to meet, so I would drive down with my mini-van, meet the bread guy or the milk guy,” Hartigan said.

It was about two years before the road was paved and about three years when they decided to put the gift shop upstairs, which

Hard work, good food keep Green Gables going

JAKE WRAGGE/DAILY NEWS

GREEN GABlES, located near Orchard and Royal, is actually a former barn.

96914

SCRANTON SCRANTON FLOORING & SUPPLY FLOORING & SUPPLY

• Carpet • Hardwood

• Luxury Vinyl • Tile

• Cabinetry • Onyx Showers

A Dream A Dream Kitchen for the Kitchen for the

Real World Real World

We’ve Got Your

Open Daily Except Sunday, or Call For An Appointment 402-640-7701 or 402-379-1878

97116

Wear-dated Embrace-irresistibly

soft

711 Michigan • Norfolk, NE www.scrantonsupply.com

►Please see GABlES, page 7-A

�-A NoRFolK DAIlY NEWS, WEDNESDAY, AuGuST 14, 2013

96894

Facsimiles • B/W & Color Copiers • Digital Duplication

Elite Office Products Elite Office Products

Copier & Printer Sales & Repair • Paper & Supplies 301 E. Main St., Pierce Toll Free 877-329-4301

We Service All Makes & Models Russ & Shelia

Stusse

Home Of Customer Service Home Of Customer Service

96919

• Purchase • Rent

• Lease • Sales • Service

• Farm Sales • Farm Management • Appraisals

(402) 371-0065 400 Braasch Ave., Suite 1

Norfolk, NE

Randy Oertwich

9692

0 This Agency is an Equal Opportunity

Employer

Rod Johnson

www.ufarm.com Take a snapshot with your smart phone for real estate sales.

• Leasing • Crop/Hail Insurance • Consulting

features handbags, jewelry, house-hold decor and antiques, among other items.

Now in its 21st year, Green Gables is still going strong.

“I’m amazed we have survived because, like I said, when we started on main street of Orchard, so many businesses have changed hands,” Hartigan said. “I guess we just stuck through it. It wasn’t because we were making a lot of money. I think we were just going to see it through. I never dreamt I’d be here 21 years.”

One of the main reasons for its success is her mother, who is the epitome of strength, support and hard work.

“I think it’s a tough gig. It helped having a partner in it,” Hartigan said. “I couldn’t have done any of this without my mom.”

The quality of Green Gables’ em-ployees and homemade food also has helped it sustain itself through the years. The employees form their own patty burgers, make fresh salads, peel potatoes and cook large roasts and hams. And if they run out of sup-plies, Hartigan drives to Orchard to pick up groceries.

For being open just five days out of the week from Easter to Thanksgiv-ing, Hartigan said they usually draw good crowds for lunch and supper. Even people from other countries wind up at Green Gables, including a

recent visit from Hungarians.“We are a destination. You just

don’t fall upon us unless you’ve been to Ashfall,” Hartigan said, adding that a lot of people contribute to its success. “I hope it’s the good food. I hope it’s the clean atmosphere, the service. I hope that’s what it is.”

Continued from Page 6-A—Gables

summer, and she would bring us old perfume bottles and candy tins,” Hartigan said.

Even the bathrooms are worth a visit, both decorated with eclectic pieces from yester-year.

“The bathrooms are decorated to the hilt because I think they should be. We used to have my mom’s wedding dress in there,” Hartigan said.

The best part about Green Gables: the food.

“People say it’s like eating Thanksgiving dinner at grand-ma’s,” Hartigan said.

This writer would have to agree. The piece of cherry pie ala mode sampled on a recent visit was, by far, the best pie eaten in years. It was perfectly warm and crispy. Delicious.

Continued from Page 6-A—Impression

COURTESY PHOTO

LoIs DemPster, co-owner of Green Gables with her daughter, Denise Hartigan, is well-known for her pies. Shown with Dempster is her great-granddaughter, Scarlett Babl.

NorFoLK DAILY NeWs, WeDNesDAY, AuGust 14, 2013 �-A

2632 W. Norfolk Ave., Norfolk (402) 644-8000

2277 22nd Ave., Columbus (402) 564-2066

707 W. 1st, Grand Island (308) 675-1776

3 LOCATIONS: 3 LOCATIONS:

96623 www.gofigurefitnesscenter.com

We keep your workouts fresh,

exciting and effective!

First Month FREE

with 1 year contract

OPEN 24 HOURS

1 WEEK FREE TRIAL!

• 24 Hours a Day/7 Days a Week • 2 Circuits - Hydraulic & Weights • Abundance of Cardio Machines • Tanning Beds Available 24 Hrs. a Day (Non-member Packages Available)

EQUAL HOUSINGOPPORTUNITY

MLS

2200 Taylor Ave. Each office independently owned and operated

Steve Osborn, ABR Associate Broker

www.SteveOsbornRealtor.com

Let’s Get Started. Call me today!

402-750-0717

96636

Sign up for my newsletter to stay up-to-date on the area’s real estate market.

Open Monday t hru Friday, 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday And Evenings b y Appointment

707 W. Norfolk Ave. Norfolk, NE

402.316.3236

N ORFOLK • C OLUMBUS O MAHA • L INCOLN

Summer Sales

GVKustomKitchens.com

The Possibility People!

96981

�-A NORFOLK DAILY NEWS, WEDNESDAY, AuguSt 14, 2013

By KAtHRYN [email protected]

AINSWORTH — Wild horses couldn’t drag Krista Graff away from living her dreams.

Even if they tried, the Ain-sworth rancher and her husband, Josh, would likely tame them in short order anyway.

Working with horses is just what they do.

“It is very awesome,” Krista Graff said. “It’s kind of a dream come true for me.”

Graff said she has ridden horses for as long as she can re-member. She grew up on a ranch in southeastern Montana, where she did a lot of work on horses while helping her family raise cattle. She experienced her first rodeo when she was 6 years old.

From that moment, she was hooked.

“Everything I could find, I took around the barrels,” she said. “I just loved it.”

As she grew older, Graff made it to the national finals in high school and college rodeo compe-tition. She also spent some time working with a woman in Wis-consin who trained horses for barrel race competitions.

After graduation, she moved to the ranch owned by her hus-band’s family at Ainsworth and

stepped into an 8-to-5 working world that didn’t include horses.

But two years ago, Graff ex-changed her desk for the wide open spaces of the ranch and the sound of hoofbeats against fresh dirt.

The change in scenery al-lowed Graff to follow her dream of joining her husband on the pro rodeo circuit.

The couple load up a few of their 10 horses and spend sev-eral weeks during the summer months traveling from arena to arena in North Dakota and South Dakota to compete on the Bad-lands Rodeo Circuit. Her hus-band competes in roping events. Graff competes in barrel racing and would love to qualify for the grand national finals in Oklaho-ma City someday.

“That’s kind of my ultimate goal,” she said.

And leaving her traditional job allowed her not only to follow her rodeo dreams, but also to estab-lish a full-time career doing what she truly loves: training horses for rodeos.

“I knew my passion was in training barrel horses, and so I just put the word out there that I was training and got a few clients,” Graff said. “It kind of snowballed from there.”

Graff said it’s difficult to es-timate the number of horses she trains each year, but clients generally send the animal to her for an average of 30 days. In that time, Graff trains the horse for barrel-racing events. After she gets the horse started on the right path, Graff will invite its regular rider back for lessons on how to work with that particular animal.

“There are trials and tribula-tions,” Graff said. “Just by listen-ing to the horse, you can learn just as much from them. You try to work as a team.”

Occasionally, Graff said, she will receive a horse that doesn’t seem suited for barrel racing. In those rare instances, she puts them under the direction of her husband, who trains horses for roping.

“We’ll try to find a niche for that horse,” she said.

Graff said one of the most re-warding experiences is seeing a horse and its rider make a strong connection.

“To send them home and for that owner to feel what I have felt on that horse and get that bond and see them go on to have any level of success . . . it’s pretty amazing,” she said.

COURTESY PHOTOS

KRIStA gRAFF of Ains- worth (right) instructs Rhayna Waldner of Pierce at a clinic Graff hosts for young riders and their horses that are being trained for rodeo barrel racing. Graff and her husband, Josh, train horses on the family ranch at Ainsworth, as well as compete on the pro rodeo circuit in North Dakota and South Dakota. In the photo at right, Graff talks to a group of riders at a recent horse clinic.

Ainsworth horse trainer lives her dream

V OLKMAN PLUMBING, HEATING, & AIR CONDITIONING, INC.

Where Quality Workmanship Matters... 211 S. 3rd St., Norfolk, NE 68701

402-371-0316 • www.volkmaninc.com

AIR CONDITIONING Air Conditioner Repair & Replacement • Duct Cleaning

• Heat Pump Repair & Replacement • Sheet Metal Fabrication

HEATING Furnace Repair & Replacement • Heat Pumps • Boiler Parts • Duct Cleaning • Sheet Metal Fabrication

PLUMBING Showroom & Remodeling Headquarters • KOHLER, MOEN & DELTA Products

Water Softeners • Water Heaters • Water Purifiers Septic Tank Repair & Replacement • Drain Cleaning • Backhoe Service

Residential • Commercial Licensed • Bonded • Insured 24 Hour Emergency Service

VOLKMAN PLUMBING & HEATING, INC.

96895

Aaron G. Volkman-current President and C.E.O. of Volkman

Plumbing and Heating, Inc.

EISENMANN SUPPLIES INC.

55414 Hwy 32 (Jct. Hwys 81 & 32) Madison, NE (800) 685-7580 • (402) 454-3306

www.esiallmakespartscenter.com Always Growing to Better Serve You!

We ship throughout North & South America! 96917

Your “All Makes” Parts Center

Auto Value Auto Parts • JD New & Used Parts

• Case- IH New & Used Parts • NH New & Used Parts

• Allis Chalmers New & Used Parts • Oil Filters For Auto & Farm • Welding

- Engine Overhaul • Hydrostat Rebuilding • Farm Equipment Rebuilding

• Gearbox Rebuilding

Largest Parts Stock on Hand

in the Area!

New, Used and Remanufactured Parts

Offering Over 85,000 Aftermarket Parts For ALL Your Repair Needs

12 Storage Buildings

at 2 Locations!

NORFOLK DAILY NEWS, WEDNESDAY, AuguSt 14, 2013 �-A

By LuANN [email protected]

BRUNSWICK — For a few weeks in June, Second Street here looked vacant.

The local café closed its doors, and for only the third time in 60-some years, this Antelope County village was without an eating es-tablishment. That meant a drive of 10 miles or more to an area town for a quick bite or a bit of conversation.

“It’s an inconvenience,” said Ray Snodgrass, who frequented the establishment.

Locals know that a small-town café provides more than a place for a burger and fries or a cup of hot joe.

“It’s a meeting place,” said Lou-ise Eggerling of Brunswick.

Not wanting the town of ap-proximately 140 residents to be without a gathering place of sorts, Eggerling opened the Roadside Bar and Grill on July 3, just two weeks after the previous owners shuttered the venture. Eggerling noted that the effect of an empty main street felt like a ghost town.

“You wonder, ‘What’s next?’ The only way to keep a town alive is to keep life in it, and this helps

keep life in Brunswick,” Egger-ling said.

The local gathering spot also is helping to build and maintain community morale. Mom-and-pop joints offer a sense of normal-ity and community.

“Just listen to customers talk. Everyone knows what’s going on,” Eggerling said, “and that makes the younger generation appreci-ate their (local) history.”

It seems here that, indeed, ev-erybody knows your name.

Bruce Forbes said catching up with the regular coffee klatch at the café is a good form of thera-py.

“We laugh a lot here. It’s the best medicine,” Forbes said.

Eggerling, who worked at the establishment prior to assuming daily operations, said in addition

to regular customers, she’s seeing new regulars drop by.

“Since I opened, I’ve seen sev-eral older couples in the area come in for dinner, as well as a younger crowd that’s starting to meet here regularly,” Eggerling said.

The grill offers daily specials that Eggerling describes as down-home food, including homemade French fries and fresh, in-season produce. Menu service also is available.

Eggerling said she wants the café to have an upbeat vibe.

“Maybe it’s the energy I bring to it, but people have noticed the new business feeling the place has,” Eggerling said.

And that’s key to good busi-ness.

“It’s good economics for Bruns-wick, too,” she said.

Forbes said a café draws people to town.

“Once they’re here, they stop by other businesses and spend money, too,” he said.

Eggerling said it’s exciting to see the outpouring of encourage-ment from the community.

“Everyone has a vested interest in seeing the business succeed,” she said.

LuANN SCHINDLER/CORRESPONDENT

MORNINg REguLARS Gaye Mullins (clockwise from left), Bruce Forbes, Ray Snodgrass, Jim Mullins and Kristen Snodgrass, meet at Brunswick’s Roadside Bar and Grill for coffee and con-versation.

Café fills more than cups for small-town residents

“Maybe it’s the energy I bring to it, but people have noticed the new business feeling the place has.”

LOuISE EGGERLINGROADSIDE BAR AND GRILL

www.HomeForFuneralsInc.com John A. Burns • Steven P. Dolezal • Eric J. Stinson

96500

1203 Norfolk Ave. • Norfolk, NE 402-371-3330

Dedicated & Caring Service Since 1887

• Full Services • Pre-Arrangement Planning Serving you with dignity.

ATKINSON LIVESTOCK MARKET

“THE OLD RELIABLE”

Sales Every

Tuesday

“Our Desire Is To Be Of Service To You”

View our Sales Live over the internet at www.cattleusa.com

Owners: Mike & Diane Tasler Atkinson, NE

402-925-5141 www.atkinsonlivestock.com

Listen to WNAX Radio Station every Monday morning, at 10:38 A.M. for our live broadcast market update, also at 10:39 A.M. on KZ 100 FM.

96650

10-A NORFOLK DAILY NEWS, WEDNESDAY, AuguSt 14, 2013

By MARY PAt [email protected]

CONCORD — Well wishes abounded at a barbecue reception in April honoring Bob Frerichs for 46 years of dedicated service to the research farm east of here. He was surrounded by family, friends and colleagues.

The Allen native had worked in various capacities at the Univer-sity of Nebraska Haskell Agricul-tural Laboratory (also known as HAL), including the last 22 years as its farm manager.

“It went by so fast,” he said of his career at HAL.

The 1965 Allen High School graduate arrived in 1967 at the facility then known as the North-east Nebraska Experiment Sta-tion. The research farm was in its infancy.

A decade earlier, the Universi-ty of Nebraska-Lincoln had taken possession of the 320 acres of land given by C.D. and Margaret Haskell of Laurel for the express purpose of research studies that would benefit Northeast Nebras-ka crop and livestock producers.

Frerichs, who grew up on the

family farm north of Allen, re-members first farming the exper-imental farm with a John Deere 630 tractor. Corn — the sole crop — yielded 80 bushels dryland. Soybeans were added to the crop rotation in the 1970s.

“In the ’60s and ’70s, we did a lot of stuff by hand,” Frerichs said. “Corn was planted and har-vested by hand. The cattle were fed by hand.”

Seed hybrids continually im-proved; no-till was implemented. Today yields can be calculated from the combine seat.

Frerichs was involved in plant-ing the windbreaks throughout the farm, as well as many of the now-towering trees in the North-east Arboretum surrounding the headquarters building.

Today, HAL encompasses 480 acres; over two-thirds of the land is nonirrigated. Research proj-ects now include wind and solar energy. The staff totals 25.

The equipment includes a John Deere 7720 tractor, Frerichs said, “with air conditioning and all of the luxuries of home and a guid-ing system. Things have come a

long way.”“It seems like just yesterday

that I got here,” he said on a recent afternoon. “I didn’t think they’d hire me. I’ve been here ever since. I’m proud of the place.”

That’s right. He is still at HAL.Retirement was short lived.Frerichs said when he retired

at age 66, he told the young guys that “if something would come

up, I’d be glad to fill in.”With snow falling over three

weeks in April, followed by a cool wet spring, planting fell behind schedule at Haskell. Frerichs was called back to duty in what is known as a standby position, said Twig Marston, director of the Northeast Research and Exten-sion Center and Northeast Exten-sion District.

“He’s helping the guys when they need a little extra hand,” Marston said. “Bob has a lot of institutional knowledge (about the facility), and he’s really good about sharing that with the guys or helping out. He’s been really, really, really good to us.”

Marston said Frerichs was one of the first employees he met

COURTESY PHOTO

REStORINg ANtIQuE farm machinery is a hobby for Bob Frerichs, who is shown pulling the Uni-versity of Nebraska “N” float in a parade aboard his 1959 John Deere 730 diesel tractor.

Frerichs celebrates 46 years in ag career

►Please see FRERIcHS, p11-A

Continues to serve for HAL, share knowledge with others in field

96901

2501 South 13th St., Norfolk, NE 402-379-0490 • www.kenstrailersales.net 9

71

28

LUM-LINE, INC.

NORFOLK DAILY NEWS, WEDNESDAY, AuguSt 14, 2013 11-A

MARY PAT HOAG/DAILY NEWS

BOB FRERICHS stands with a solar-powered computerized grid system that regulates water to a 5-acre underground irrigated corn field at the University of Nebraska Haskell Agricultural Laboratory east of Concord. He calls under-ground irrigation the “wave of the future.”

when he assumed his roles more than five years ago.

“Bob has been honest and hard working, and he believes in the station and the Uni-versity of Nebraska,” Marston said. “He’s just an outstanding guy. When we have extra things going on, he’s the extra we call on.”

“He loved being in the field, and he loved being in the shop, so the job was perfect for Bob,” Marston said.

Frerichs, who said he especially enjoys working with heavy equipment, modified and even designed and built various pieces of crop and livestock equipment used at HAL. Sometimes, Frerichs said, he’d draw an idea in chalk on the shop floor and then build it.

Being the HAL farm manager, he said, was a 24/7, physical job.

Marston said the university is in the pro-cess of filling the farm manager position. The title has been changed to operations manager, with a bachelor of science degree required, he said.

Frerichs said his initial career goal was to be an agricultural education instructor, but the obstacle was affording college.

From eighth grade until learning of an opening at the research facility, Frerichs had worked on land-clearing and other proj-ects for Phil Verzani, a lawyer-landowner from Ponca.

Frerichs married for the first time 17 years ago, becoming a stepfather to three children; the youngest was in seventh grade at the time. Nancy, of Independence, Iowa, had lost her husband to cancer. The couple live on the west edge of Allen — “kind of in the country,” he said.

Frerichs lists antique tractors as his hobby. He drives one of his restored trac-tors, a 1959 John Deere 730, in parades pull-ing the University of Nebraska “N” float.

Frerichs said HAL is “an interesting place to work. There’s always something new every day.”

Frerichs said he is assisting with site preparations for the upcoming VIP Tour and will be involved in cutting silage and assisting with the fall harvest. Then he plans to take the winter off, work on his an-tique tractors, and again be on standby at HAL next spring.

And why not?“I feel great,” he said.

Continued from Page 10-A—Frerichs

“Bob has been honest and hard working, and he believes in the station and the

University of Nebraska.”TWIG MARSTON

DIRECTOR Of THE NORTHEAST RESEARCH AND ExTENSION CENTER NORTHEAST ExTENSION DISTRICT

96997

The Insurance Ag -vantage

NORFOLK LOCATION 3202 Koenigstein Suite 200

Norfolk, NE 68701 (402) 371-3200

WEST POINT LOCATION 445 E. Deere St.

West Point, NE 68788 (402) 372-2946

• Crop • Farm • Truck • Business • Home • Auto • Life • Health 9

71

03

226 2nd St., P.O. Box 29 Brunswick , NE 68720

402-842-2435

314 Main St., P.O. Box 131 Winnetoon , NE 68789

402-847-3223

www.brunswickstatebank.com Member FDIC 97208

Let Us Help You With Your Banking Needs


By ANDREA [email protected]

TILDEN — Town celebrations are a way of life in many parts of Northeast and North Central Nebraska, often showcasing the history and beauty of a particular community with a summer festi-val.

Some of those events have a way of fading out after a year or two. That was true in Tilden, too, but that all changed in 2003.

That’s when the Tilden Prai-rie Days festival began, and the annual event has drawn crowds numbering in the thousands ever since — a pretty big draw for a town with a population of 950.

Prairie Days committee mem-ber Vickie Moore said the festival is the longest-running celebration Tilden has had. She said it was important for her community to keep trying to incorporate an an-nual event until it found one that took root.

“My personal opinion is that it just helps to keep our town going. We didn’t want to see the town die out. We didn’t have a chamber of commerce or anything, so this Prairie Day committee is kind

of our main thing for the town of Tilden,” Moore said.

The festival takes place each year during the last full weekend of July, and it serves to bring the people of Tilden together while showcasing the spirit of the town.

“It also brings a lot of pride into our community. . . . It’s kind of a family get-together type atmo-sphere. Just a nice local setting, and all your neighbors are there. A lot of people who graduated come back, so it brings everybody back that you’ve grown up with,” Moore said.

Prairie Days is probably best-known for the quilt shows and an-tiques displays, which draw more than 40 dealers each year. But there is also the highly anticipat-ed Drag Your Nag competition, which is the local take on a wife-

carrying contest.Another unique feature of the

festival is that local businesses and community members deco-rate the streets with flowers.

“We’re well-known for our street decorations, and that is getting to be more widespread throughout the town,” Moore said.

Like many community celebra-tions, Prairie Days offers a street dance, children’s activities, pa-rade and craft and food vendors. There is also a home run derby, a town barbecue and garden tours. Such festivities benefit both the local businesses as well as the people of Tilden, Moore said.

“It brings in a lot of revenue that way, like our cafés — they’re packed, and it draws in quite a few people. There are thousands of people that come through, es-pecially with the antique dealers. So they benefit from the revenue, but it’s just kind of a nice way to show off your town.

“We’re a little town on the prai-rie, and that’s kind of how our theme got started, and the whole festival just evolved from there,” she said.

IN thE phOtO ABOvE, children vie in a minnow

race at Tilden’s Prairie Days in 2012. In the

photo to the right, couples compete in the Drag Your

Nag competition during the 2012 celebration. Prairie

Days is probably best-known for the quilt shows

and antiques displays, which draw more than 40 dealers each year. “It also

brings a lot of pride into our community.

. . . It’s kind of a family get-together type atmosphere,”

said Prairie Days commit-tee member Vickie Moore.

Prairie Days ‘brings pride into our community’

COURTESY PHOTOS

“We’re a little town on the prairie, and that’s kind of how our theme got started.”

VICkIE MOOREPRaIRIE DaYS COMMITTEE

• 55 or older • 2 bedroom, 2 bath • All utilities paid • 2 car attached garage • FREE lawn care, sno w removal & maintenance

13th & Benjamin Ave. • Norfolk, NE • www.HeritageBelAir.com Want a tour? Call Missy or Jan 402-371-4991

Home Maintenance Too Much For You? Let our cottages be your home with no unexpected expenses.

97115

97211

SAWS SAWS SAWS

HEDGE TRIMMERS

HEDGE TRIMMERS

HEDGE TRIMMERS

TRIMMERS

TRIMMERS

TRIMMERS

BLOWER BLOWER BLOWER

LEAF SHREDDER LEAF SHREDDER LEAF SHREDDER

WALKS WALKS WALKS TRACTORS TRACTORS TRACTORS GENERATION GENERATION GENERATION

ZERO ZERO ZERO TURNS TURNS TURNS

SPECIAL SALE SPECIAL SALE SPECIAL SALE

Farm & City Service, Inc. E. Hwy. 275, Neligh, Nebr.

402-887-4607 • 800-653-2332 reinkesfarm.com • [email protected]

Farm & City Service, Inc. E. Hwy. 275, Neligh, Nebr.

402-887-4607 • 800-653-2332 reinkesfarm.com • [email protected]


By LINDA [email protected]

CROFTON — Cool, blue water and hot summer days — a recipe for cooking up summer fun in a small rural community.

Daily visits to the local pool are fond memories for many “town” kids and part of those memories that come flooding back when its high school reunion time.

In Crofton, the memories have been hap-pening since 1972. For pool co-manager Tracy Barnes, the job is good.

“I love working in my hometown,” Barnes said.

This is Barnes’ third year as a member of the pool staff, and she has worked her way up from lifeguard to making the pool function. Being a co-manager meant along with the required lifeguard certification and training, she also had to take a course to manage the chemical balance in the pool and add the necessary products to keep it safe and clean for the swimmers.

This summer season, the employees had a few issues to deal with other than lessons and pool safety. The Crofton City Council decided over the winter to raise pool rates.

The pool staff is on the front line when people complain about fees. Along with raising fees, the state recommended the pool have a set list of regulations hanging in the common area for all to read.

“Having the regulations posted makes it easier for us,” Barnes said. “If the pool visi-tors have questions, we can just refer them to the posted guidelines.”

This was a new process for the Crofton

pool. The pool probably averages about 70 swimmers a day, and lessons are always filled with eager youths ready to learn how to have fun in the water safely.

“We had a few objections to the increase in rates and the guidelines, but soon people realized they were there just for their safe-ty,” Barnes said.

Barnes’ co-manager, Kelsey Foxhoven, agreed.

“We have had a few complaints, but we

have to follow what the city council de-cides,” Foxhoven said.

This is Foxhoven’s third year. She was a farm girl and didn’t live at the pool like some of her “in-town” friends.

“When my mom suggested there was an opening at the pool, I thought, ‘Why not?’ ” Foxhoven said. “I knew how to swim and passed the other certifications. It’s a great job if you love being outdoors in the sun.”

Being a manager is a full-time job. The

pool opens at 8:30 a.m. and stays open until 9 p.m. It does close over noon and evening mealtimes, but if the lifeguards come to work that day, it’s a long one, five to seven days a week.

The pool managers also make sure there is a stock of ice cream, pop and popsicles for sale for the swimmers.

“There’s no place I would rather be,” said lifeguard Taylor Tammen.

The pool was always the place to hang out with her friends all summer long. Tam-men only lives two blocks away and has be-come an avid swimmer over the years.

For Crofton, the city fathers realize it is a quality drawing card for the small Knox County community.

When the decision was made to raise rates, the council had just reviewed the cost of the pool over the three summer months it’s open. Some complaints were received, but the council had good reason to make those changes.

Last summer, operation of the pool cost the City of Crofton $58,398. Last summer the revenue for the pool was $13,485. The city lost $37,000.

Some of the expenses include a $6,000 water bill to fill the pool. The city paid a $7,500 bill for chemicals to keep the water safe for swimmers. The bill to keep the water warm for the swimmers was $26,680.

None of these expenses include the $30,000 pool basin project that the council completed this spring. Now the aging pool house needs to be looked at.

Pool provides hours of cool fun for ‘town’ kids

LINDA WUEBBEN/CORRESPONDENT

RAtES tO SWIM at the Crofton swimming pool went up this year, but they still only provide enough revenue to cover a fraction of the pool’s operating costs.

404 Omaha Ave., Norfolk, NE (402) 379-8433

motoplexofnorfolk.com

Hours: Monday-Friday 9:00 a.m. - 5:30 p.m.

Saturday 9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. Sunday Closed

97212

SERVING YOU IN MANY WAYS • Gas/Diesel • Convenience Store • Kitchen (24 hrs.) • Trucking/Automotive Supplies • FedEx Box • Ne braska Lottery • Shower Facilities • Truck Park • Propane • Husker Merchandise • Beer/ I ce • Chester’s Chicken

South Hwy. 81 (across from Ta-Ha-Zouka Park)

24 HOUR BREAKFAST MENU

DAILY KITCHEN SPECIALS

97213 402-371-5337

CHICKEN


By MIKE [email protected]

VALENTINE — With apologies to Mr. Aesop of tortoise and the hare fame, this Cherry County com-munity may have the edge when it comes to racing turtles.

Valentine hosts turtle races one Saturday each July as part of the Min-nechaduza Days celebra-tion.

How do you make turtle races, well, interesting?

Quite simple actually. You offer up to $750 for the

winning turtle; you allow people to adopt a turtle; and you dump them into their natural habitat — the water.

Or in Valentine’s case, the Minnechaduza Creek, which runs through the Valentine City Park on the north edge of town.

“It is actually one of our big fundraisers,” said Dean Jacobs, executive director of the Valentine Chamber of Commerce and Cherry County Tourism. “We allow people to adopt a turtle for $5. Each turtle is numbered, which the number is on the adoption certificate each adoptive parent received when he or she gave us the five bucks.”

The turtles are dumped into the creek in heats of about 100 turtles at a time. The top 10 turtles in each heat qualify for the finals where the champion is crowned.

Now, before you begin to wonder how you could keep track of 100 turtles

at a time, it should be noted, these adopted turtles are of the bath tub variety — but that doesn’t curtail the fun — or the need for turtle herders.

“Yes, we have herders that dump them in the creek and then follow them along to make sure they don’t get hung up on the banks,” Jacobs said. “We make sure each turtle has a fair chance to win.”

On this day, Dave Dent, the

owner and manager of KVSH Radio in Valentine and Jacobs’ wife, Christy, were charged with putting the turtles in the creek and following the caravan of around 100 plastic turtles on an almost 300-yard jour-ney down the creek.

MIKE RENNING/CORRESPONDENT

tHESE tWO adopted turtles were in a virtual dead heat as they neared the finish line of the races. They remained side-by-side until they hit the end of the turtle corral where the turtle on the left “squeaked” through the plastic pipe, securing his/her adoptive parent $50 and qualifying to race for the championship.


tHE FIRSt bale of turtles comes around the bend on the Minnechaduza Creek just outside of Valen-tine on July 13. The turtles were part of the 10th edition of the Minnechaduza Days turtle races.

Crowds gather for turtle racesEvent in Valentine used as

chamber, tourism fundraiser

►Please see RAcE, p15-A

100 N. 13th St. 1211 Riverside Blvd. • 920 S. 13th St.

402-371-8005 • 888-371-8055 www.bankfirstonline.com

96704 97127

Custom Build For All Your Farm Building Needs Shop • Garage • Office • Residential • Agricultural Multi-Use

FARM & RANCH BUILDING SUPPLY 1500 S. 1st • Norfolk • (402) 371-2260

www.farmandranchnorfolk.com

Serving all of Northeast Nebraska!

NOT ALL HOMES ARE ALIKE. SO WHY SHOULD THEIR INSURANCE COVERAGES

BE THE SAME? With Farmers Next Generation ® Homeowners Policy, you have the options to tailor your coverage to fit your

particular needs. After all, we believe you deserve a policy that’s as unique as you are. To find ou t more about the benefits of our new policy, contact me today.

Brian Cram 402-371-4050 • [email protected]

805 S. 13th STE A, Norfolk, NE 68701-1721 97200


Jacobs constructed a sort of corral at the finish line — which is only fitting for cowboy country — made out of Styro-foam swimming noodles. The noodles are connected by rope and attached to metal posts temporarily placed in the creek.

The noodles taper to a 6-inch opening where each turtle passes through a short plastic pipe, taking all of the guess-work out of establishing the winner.

After the first 10 turtles pass through the pipe, turtle wranglers then scoop up the remaining turtles and retire them to a Tupperware crate until next year’s races.

Obviously, the first 10 turtles are taken back up the creek to race for the title.

This year’s participation or the number of adopted turtles was a little down com-pared to other years, Jacobs said.

This was the 10th running of the turtle races, and there were enough adopted turtles for four heats.

Each of the four heat winners were awarded $50, or rather the adoptive par-ents were awarded the prize and the 40 in the top 10 went back upstream to compete for the grand prize.

Although it is far from what Aesop had in mind when he related his famed fable all those years ago, these Minnechaduza turtle races are fun — moral at the end or not.

Continued from Page 14-A—Race


A “HERD” of people eagerly await the arrival of their adopted turtles in the Minnechaduza Days turtle races just outside of Valentine earlier this summer.

100 S. Pine St. • Tilden, NE Just West of Tilden Community Hospital

402-368-2250 96544

Come and see our 22 warm & inviting apartments, new in 2013. • Excellent Food • Clean & Spacious Apartments • “Living Rural” At Its Best!

• Medical Facilities Close By • Caring & Friendly Staff

Serving Food Daily Monday - Saturday,

10 a.m. - 9 p.m. CLOSED Sundays

Monday Night - Broasted Chicken

Tuesday Night - 5 Oz. Cheeseburger & Fries

Thursday Night - Taco Salad, Enchilada Platter

Friday Night - Chicken & Fish Fry (All Year Long)

Saturday Night - Rotating Special Prime Rib or Chicken Fried Steak Every Third Calendar Saturday of the Month - 3 Meat Buffet - Chicken, Shrimp, Roast Beef

Owners Bob & Anita Stange

Catering Catering Available Available

Daily Lunch Daily Lunch

Specials Specials

97206

301 N. State St. • Osmond • 402-748-3884 301 N. State St. • Osmond • 402-748-3884 301 N. State St. • Osmond • 402-748-3884

JUST LIKE GRANDMA’S GOOD COOKING


By SHERYL [email protected]

WAYNE — When mid-July ar-rives in Nebraska, taste buds start craving one of nature’s greatest gifts — sweet corn.

And some of the most succulent varieties of the summer favorite grow in the gardens and fields in Northeast Nebraska.

To celebrate nature’s gift, mem-bers and friends of Immanuel Lu-theran Church north of Wayne gather once a year for what they call Sweet Corn Sunday.

There, under the shade of a friendly tree, they feast on the golden kernels still steaming from their hot water bath and dripping with real butter.

Forget the arteries and calorie count for at least one day.

It’s time for sweet corn — and fried chicken, mashed potatoes and a plethora of salads and home-made pies of every color and per-suasion.

“It’s the messiest food there is,” joked Doug Nelson, a longtime church member who organized the first event in 2002.

He still oversees the show with the help of a crew of volunteers who not only prepare much of the food but also serve it and clean up the mess.

Nelson, who shuns the spotlight,

said Sweet Corn Sunday started as a way to invite the public to ex-perience the church’s hospitality and to hear its message.

“If people liked what they saw, they could join,” he said. “We wanted to see if we could pick up a few members.”

The notion of serving sweet corn came naturally, Nelson said.

“We’re an agricultural church,” he added.

Indeed Immanuel Lutheran sits in the middle of corn fields, just where it was established in the fall of 1882. Two years later, church members pooled their re-sources, borrowed what money they could and constructed the church building, adding space on the back for a parsonage.

In 1896, the congregation built a new church across the road and turned the old one into a school. It survived until after World War II when, Debra Nelson said, the shortage of teachers caused it to close.

The old school still stands, and Debra Nelson — Doug Nelson’s sister — is spearheading an effort to restore it.

Today, the “new” church has modern amenities providing certain levels of comfort and old-fashioned charm, including a hand-carved altar and colorful

stained glass windows. The stee-ple, which rises high above the fields of green and even higher than some of the the trees, beck-ons people to come from miles away.

And they do.Especially on Sweet Corn Sun-

day.“A lot of people come from

town,” said Beverly Ruwe of Wayne, while taking a break from her “sweet corn” chores. “Some come from Omaha . . . some from Norfolk . . . some come just for pie.”

While slices of pie are served with the meal, pie lovers and church supporters square off in bidding wars during the pie auc-tion, which takes place after the meal.

Some years, pies sell for $100 and $125, said Debra Nelson, who has witnessed every auction.

It “can be a game,” she added.But preparing chicken and

sweet corn for 230 people isn’t a game. Volunteers husk 35 dozen ears of corn on the day before and gather around 8 a.m. on Sun-day to cook the corn, arrange the salads and cut the pies and cakes. Val’s Bakery in Wayne fries the 35 chickens and prepares the mashed potatoes.

“This is a small church. We

need 100 percent cooperation to make it work,” Doug Nelson said.

When Nelson started Sweet Corn Sunday, he intended for it to be free. But people were handing donations to volunteers, so “by popular demand, we decided to have a collection basket,” he said.

The funds raised through the meal and auction support the church, which today has around 75 members, he added

“It’s a pretty important source of income,” he said. “But it’s more about friendship building.”

Sweet Corn Sunday tempts taste buds

Photos by shERyL sChMECKPEPER/DAILy NEWs

SWEEt CORN lovers gather under the shade tree to enjoy chick-en, corn and other summer favorites. More are seated in the church basement. In the photo below, some of the 35 dozen ears of sweet corn prepared for sweet Corn sunday festivities at Immanuel Lutheran Church near Wayne are shown.

What are you waiting for?

www.biodiesel.org

Use clean, clear BiodieselFuel made better.

Made in the U.S.A.

Biodiesel is America’s Advanced Biofuel. Soy biodiesel isa clean burning fuel that extends engine life and can beused in most diesel engines. From planting, to harvest,to hauling your grain, soy biodiesel works hard to getthe job done and lowers our dependence on foreign oil.Ask your fuel supplier about biodiesel today.

402-441-3240 www.nebraskasoybeans.org

96542


By tRISHA [email protected]

PIERCE — Every piece has its own story — from the art on the wall, chair in the corner and lighting overhead.

So, get ready to take a good look around when you step in-side Willow, a unique stay prop-erty located about three miles from here or a half-mile from the Willow Creek State Recreation Area.

Krista and Steve Schluns pulled pieces from everywhere — estate sales and salvage yards, remnants and store displays for their uniquely shaped home.

There’s that piece of doorway trim that was originally part of an old ship. Those original adver-tisement posters for ’50s televi-sion shows she found in a barn. The boulders in the landscaping outside, well, she spent 15 years collecting them.

That art on the wall? A family member made it.

Each item has some kind of sentimental value, or it was hand-crafted or refurbished by the Schlunses.

“It was kind of like a jigsaw puzzle, but we made it work,” Mrs. Schluns said. “I am kind of proud. I have done things on a budget, like a shoestring budget, and turned it into this.”

Willow, a short-term rental property, is available for any type of gathering — from family reunions and wedding parties to a weeklong retreat or afternoon tea. The first guests stayed last December.

The property — “seven years in the making,” Schluns said — was constructed with a great eye for detail by the Schlunses, who operate a construction business based in Pierce.

The Schluns also live at Willow. But don’t worry, there’s plenty of room to accommodate guests.

“You don’t even have to see us,” she said.

The expansive main house in-cludes seven bathrooms and eight bedrooms on three floors. The main floor includes kitchen and living areas, along with a theater room, pantry, laundry and office. Up the steps, you’ll find addition-al bedrooms and a bathroom.

The three-bedroom, one-bath guest house next door is 1,600 square feet and includes a kitch-

en and living areas as well.Rental options include room-

by-room, an entire floor or the en-tire main house or guest house.

Both properties are surround-ed by lavish, landscaped gardens — with creeping vines, flowers, plants and, of course, willow trees. There’s even a stone-sur-rounded waterfall. There’s plenty of space to enjoy the scenic out-doors with a fire pit and outdoor seating, too.

When someone rents space at Willow, Schluns will ask about 10 questions to make sure the guest’s needs are accommodated.

Although it’s not a bed and breakfast, Schluns said she can arrange for catering and other supplies to be brought in for guests who don’t want to bring their own.

She also likes to throw parties. So, Schluns said Willow will be a site for events.

“Steve and I built this home for friends and family. I’d like to share it with friends we haven’t met yet,” Schluns said.

The goal is to make your stay — whether it’s an hour or two, a week or longer — as comfortable as possible.

“It’s like coming home — like coming home to Mom’s house,” she said.

KRIStA SCHLuNS shows off the living room area of Willow, a unique property near Pierce. It’s a short-term rental prop-erty available for any type of gathering.

Unique stay available on Pierce County property“It was kind of like a jigsaw puzzle, but we made it work,”

KrIsta schlunsWIlloW oWner

tHE mAIN HOuSE (pictured above) and

guest house at Wil-low are surrounded

by lavish, land-scaped gardens —

with creeping vines, flowers, plants and,

of course, willow trees. there’s even

a stone-surrounded waterfall. there is plenty of space to

enjoy the scenic out-doors with a fire pit

and seating, too.

Photos by JaKe Wragge/DaIly neWs

Norfolk Senior Citizens Center 307 Prospect Ave. 402-371-8299 • 402-371-3930

Cards, Music, Quilting, Exercise, Speakers, Gift Shop, Tai Chi,

FROG, Line Dancing

Hours 8:00 - 4:00 p.m. Monday - Friday

Meals Noon

Monday - Friday

Sponsor of Meals On Wheels 402-371-8626 Norfolk Public Transportation 402-379-4595

Evening Dances 1st & 3rd Tues. 7:00 p.m.

Evening Bingo Every Thurs. 7:00 p.m.

Everyone Welcome

97201

...so treat it to new windows or siding! We’ve been the area’s most trusted in windows and siding for over 30 years.

301 North 4th St., Norfolk, NE 402-371-1676 • 800-606-1676

YOUR HOME DESERVES THE BEST!

• Vinyl Siding • Seamless Gutters • Doors & Windows • Insulation • Roofing

• Fence - Chain Link & Vinyl • Expert Installation 9720


By LaRAYNE [email protected]

WISNER — In 1906, young-sters from the Wisner area brought their pigs and sheep, beef calves and dairy cattle, horses and goats to an area on the south end of town called the Land of Nod.

There, they paraded their ani-mals in front of a judge and were handed purple, blue and red rib-bons while their proud parents and grandparents smiled and ap-plauded.

This year, youngsters from around the area brought their livestock to the Wisner River Park, where they paraded their animals in front of a judge in a long-standing tradition of the Wisner Junior Livestock Show.

The show was moved from the Land of Nod to the park in 1975. For many years, the livestock show was the largest of its kind in the state. With the exception of 12 years during the 1960s and ’70s when interest had fallen off, the three-day livestock show has been a continually running event for FFA chapters and 4-H clubs since 1906.

In the early years, exhibitors showed beef cattle in the shade of giant cottonwood trees at the park. Those trees continue to

provide shade for the beef show ring along with other activities, which have become standard fare, while other aspects of the livestock show have changed.

Take Vernon Schultz’s experi-ence as an example.

Schultz of Wisner was a young exhibitor in 1947 through 1950. During that time, judges in the beef category were looking for fat, short, stocky steers, he said.

Today, more muscular animals earn the top ribbons.

Similarly, fat hogs lived up to their names. In the early years, 300-pound hogs were what the judges were after. Pig fat was used in the manufacture of am-munition for World War II, Schul-tz said, and the U.S. war effort

needed plenty of it.Eventually, judges were on

the lookout for smaller swine, in the range of 200 pounds or less. Today, as with beef cattle, pigs are bred to show lots of mus-cling.

Throughout the years, the list has lengthened on the livestock show’s schedule of events. Live-stock show queens have been chosen to reign over the festivi-ties, an annual barbecue has kept attendees fed, a fishing pond was added for contests for the young-er set, and a hot dog eating con-test or burger bake-off has drawn in contestants of all ages.

Last year, a baseball tourna-ment was added, bringing lots of new faces to the park.

This year, turtle races brought in one child shy of 100 partici-pants. Dog, rabbit and goat shows pulled in large numbers of en-tries, and a pet show attracted turtles, hairless guinea pigs, mini rats, husky dogs and chinchillas by the names of Snowball and Furball.

In more recent years, big at-tractions have been added to the roster, such as the Lions Club Rodeo, a road rally and a greased pig contest, won this year by a team known as Pig Whisperers.

Livestock show dates back more than a centuryThe show was moved from the Land of Nod to the park in 1975. With the exception of 12 years during the 1960s and ’70s, the three-day livestock show has been a con-tinually running event for FFA chapters and 4-H clubs since 1906.

COURTESY PHOTO

IN tHE 1940S, the local feeders association released 350-pound calves in a calf scramble for young men to catch, feed out and bring back to the Wisner Junior Livestock Show. Vernon Schultz of Wisner won first place in the Hereford Scramble Divi-sion in 1948. ►Please see LIvEStOcK, p19-A

124 S. 5 TH STREET • NORFOLK, NE Please call for an appointment (402) 379-4354

96653

• Full Service Bookkeeping • Accounts Receivable • QuickBooks Consulting • Accounts Payable • Payroll & Quarterly Tax Filing • Bank Reconciliations & Financial Reports

• Our bookkeeping staff can save you time, effort and stress. • We tailor our bookkeeping services for your specific business needs.

ESTABLISHED 1991

www.taxquest.biz

Not enough Not enough hours in hours in

the day? the day? Call... Call...

901 South 4th Street • Battle Creek, NE 68715 • (402) 675-7845 • (402) 675-2955

• Medicare & Medicaid Certified • Restaurant Style Dining • In-house Church Services • Physical, Occupational a nd

Speech Therapy f or bo th In- Patient a nd Out- P atient

• Licensed Nurse Available 24 Hours/day

• Assistance w ith Bathing, Dressing, Personal Cares, Grooming & Eating

• Restorative Therapy Assisted Living & Long Term Care

With . . . TLC 97209

74154

Battle Creek, NE • 402-675-3735

AstroBuildings.com

97210


COURTESY PHOTO

VERNON SCHuLtZ (pictured right) of Wisner came home with the grand cham-pion ribbon for his market hog at the Wis-ner Junior Livestock Show in the 1940s.

Another new attraction added to the River Park itself was a new livestock barn with pens and a show ring for smaller animals.

While beef and dairy cattle are still shown in the shade of the cottonwood trees, sheep and swine walk by judges in the new barn.

Livestock committee member Andrew Schweers, who with his wife, Jade, is in his second year of a three-year term, sang the praises of the new barn and its new pen sys-tem.

Two smaller, wooden barns, which the new open-sided steel multi-purpose building re-placed, needed attention each year, as many of the boards had to be renailed, Schweers said.

The new barn is “a lot more open,” he said, with a concrete floor except for the show ring.

As a former exhibitor, Schweers showed bucket calves in his youth, and helped his sister exhibit sheep and hogs. He is drawn to the event, as are many, by long-standing tradi-tion.

Plus, Schweers came to watch his dad com-pete, not in the beef or dairy show, but as a member of the Schweers family team, racing out to catch themselves a greased pig.

Continued from Page 18-A—Livestock

96805


Documents

Living Rural