Contractors exchanged hammers for golf clubs recently for a fun event at Antelope Country Club sponsored by Carhart Lumber.
Marketing Director Haylie Babl invited contractors from the store locations in Neligh. Tilden and O'Neill to spend a recent afternoon at the Neligh golf course. Making this a little different than most events is that vendors were set up at various holes showing contractors their products and offering fun games for prizes. "Having the vendors here adds fun to each hole," Babl said. "It lightens the mood a little bit and takes the seriousness off of the actual golf. Some have games set up at the holes, and each vendor has given us a pin prize." Fifty-four golfers participated in the event. JamesHardie Siding served as title sponsor while BPI of Sioux Falls was the beverage and food sponsor. "All of these vendors are here to show their appreciation to our contractors who use their products every day, so it's nice to have them all here to see each other face to face, get to know each other and say thank you." Bable said. "This is a contractor appreciation event, and we're able to do this because of our great vendors." Babl said the entire company is putting on similar events throughout the summer to get all of their contractors involved and to say thank you. Join all the fun at the "Kick Off Party" At the new location of Great Plains Communications' at 910 W 10th St In Neligh. The festivities will be held Friday from 4:30- 7:30 with prizes, face painting and lots of food. They wish to let the public know about their "Speed It Up Campaign", in which they will be bringing the fasted high speed internet to the area. Marketing and Public Relations Manager, Laura Kocher speaks about the event and the services they will be providing to the Neligh area.
Petitions for the death penalty are now be available in Antelope County, giving Nebraskans a local chance to repeal LB 268. Petitions can be signed by any registered voter in Nebraska at Tab Financial in Neligh, 110 East 6th Street in Neligh, Heros Bar in Tilden, 200 E 2nd St, as well as events such as this weekend's Clearwater Rodeo. This was voted into law on May 27th of this year and it is scheduled to take effect in late August. Nebraskans have until August 27th to gain the signatures of five percent of the registered voters, or 57,000 signatures, to place it on the ballot and the signatures of ten percent, 115,000 signatures, to suspend it from becoming law until voters have a chance to decide in November of 2016. According to Vivian Tuttle, mother of 2002 Norfolk bank robbery victim, Evonne Tuttle, "I want justice for all the people who have suffered because of crimes that have been committed." She herself is collecting signatures for the death penalty in the area and plans to be in Neligh during the 4th of July celebration. "I believe in justice," she said, "and if I have to walk across every street in Nebraska, up and down every town, and knock on every door, I'll get enough signatures by August 28th to suspend LB 268." The petition states that, "The object of this petition is to restore the death penalty by repealing all of LB 268 enacted by the Legislature of Nebraska, 104th Legislature, First Session (which eliminates the death penalty and replaces it with a sentence of life in prison) and when this petition has been signed by ten percent of the registered voters, to suspend the effective date of LB 268 until it has been voted upon by the voters of Nebraska." There is also a referendum committee, Nebraskans For The Death Penalty, which is supported by a number of elected officials in Nebraska including Nebraska Governor, Pete Ricketts, Omaha Mayor, Jean Stothert, State Senator, Mike Groene and many others. If you are not in an area where someone is gathering signatures, you can fill out the form on their website and they will connect you with someone who will come to your area before August 27th. There are also volunteer and donation options available if you wish to support the cause. In an effort to improve communication between himself and residents of the City of Neligh, mayor Joe Hartz hosted a town hall meeting Thursday night; however, few residents spoke or voiced concerns to the newly elected leader who is already facing a recall attempt.
Nearly all vocal opposition toward Hartz and the annexation came from people living outside of city limits who cannot sign a recall petition. A majority of the 80-plus attending sat in silence during the nearly two-hour meeting at the Neligh Senior Center. After the mayor addressed each concern or comment, two residents braved the opposition to publicly make statements in support of the City's efforts. Brian Christiansen said in his years working as an accountant he was asked whether economic development was feasible. He said his response was, “You cannot afford not to.” “If you want to move forward, you had to spend the money and move forward to do something. You can’t stand there and stick your head in the ground because if you stick your head in the ground everybody is going to run right past you,” Christiansen said. Rick Eickholt wrapped up the economic discussion by praising officials, saying that despite not having all of the answers right now, they still have a vision for Neligh. “Visions mean looking into the future, and looking into the future is sometimes a little scary because we don’t always know what the future holds. I’m proud of the fact that you and the city council have a vision for our community,” Eickholt told the mayor. Throughout the meeting, Hartz graciously allowed non-residents to question him although he specifically invited only city residents to the meeting, which was not an official meeting since it did not have a quorum. City Council members were not present. Hartz, who has been in office since December, scheduled the meeting for residents the day after a petition was filed to recall him and all city council members. Hartz stated he wanted to give residents another opportunity to communicate, although all of the city council meetings are open to the public. David and Rebecca Williams, who addressed the council several months ago in hopes of changing an ordinance to allow them to keep a blind goat in their home, were two of the few residents to speak in opposition of annexation, saying they moved to Neligh from Tampa, Fla., because it was a small town and don’t want to see it grow into a larger community. Hartz said most of the comments he’s heard from both businesses and residents is that they support annexation. Rebecca Williams suggested if that’s true, then a vote from residents on annexation should be the next step. Hartz said that’s not possible at this time. This annexation plan, which was created based upon suggestions from the public at meetings more than a year ago, is expected to be officially approved on July 13 during the third reading, about a month before the petitioners turn in signatures. If successful in acquiring enough signatures to force a special election, which is estimated to cost about $5,000, the City of Neligh could potentially be without a governing body if an election removes all officials. Another special election, again at the cost of taxpayers, would have to take place. Hartz said most businesses in the areas are in favor of annexation, but Pat Veik, who owns Tri-Valley Electric, disagreed and said he is not. Recently having built a new location just outside current limits, Veik said having to pay to install utilities would force him to sell or move his company. Tom Borer told Hartz the City of Neligh is required by state statute to put in utilities within one year of annexation. Hartz corrected Borer and said the City is only required to have a plan in place for utilities, not that the City must provide the services. He said annexation does not force City utilities onto homeowners or businesses, and he suspects few businesses will ask for City water within a year considering they have their own well. Several business owners and residents who are in the areas of proposed annexation, including Veik, Eldean and Bonnie Reinke, and Connie Baker, criticized the mayor for not answering questions and providing more data on the projects, including projections on future utility costs and tax levy. “The reason the recall got established is we’re not trying to oust anybody. Slow down, people want figures on a piece a paper,” Dale Kallhoff said. “No figures have been shown.” Hartz said earlier in the meeting that his hands were tied, alluding to the threat of future litigation. He said he would like to provide more information but engineers have advised against it. Hartz has said estimates could be misinterpreted as bids, leading to unnecessary legal expenses for the community, all of which would be paid by taxpayers. “By law we can’t spit out figures saying this is what it’s going to be and then in six months we turn around and do it and it’s all changed. Now, you’re held liable for what you said because that’s what people do today,” he said. Sandy Koinzan asked for specifics on the annexation locations, which Bennie Taylor, who is chairman of the city zoning commission, stepped in to answer. Koinzan asked what land in those areas could be used for new businesses, and Hartz said “there’s a lot of odds and end small places that could be developed,” including near Blackstrap. David Wright suggested only annexing the land that owners wanted in city limits, but Hartz said state law doesn’t allow leaping over land tracts for annexation. For future growth, Hartz said it is key for current annexation to reach the edge of business and industry located along the highway. “By law we’re locked into doing what we have available to us. Right now, that’s within those boundaries, so we have nowhere to grow,” Hartz said. “We cannot jump over top another business, and that’s by state law.” Taylor said small businesses may want to build on Main Street, but larger companies simply need more land. One of the larger retailers to consider Neligh in some time is Shopko Hometown, which is currently looking at land options around the community in hopes of opening a store in 2016. “Where are you going to put Shopko on Main Street? That’s not the way businesses are built any more,” Taylor said. “Smiths (Craig and Melissa) are going to tear a bunch of buildings down and make a complex there (along Highway 275 where Helmer's Furniture formerly was), which the city ought to be very grateful for them to clean up some old buildings to do that. But that area wouldn’t have been big enough for Shopko or some company like that.” Taylor said the City of Neligh has to be prepared for when those companies want to come to town. “Eventually when we have a new business come to town, they’re probably going to want to be on water and sewer, and they need 3-4-5 acres, they’re probably going to have to be on the edge of town. We have a real disadvantage because we have hills on one side and a river on the other. The only corridor we have is down the highway,” he said. Borer said Neligh should wait to address these needs until a business has put in writing that they are coming to Neligh, pending all of these details. “That’s not the way business works,” Craig Smith said. Baker voiced concern about the costs associated with building the 6.5 megawatt bio-diesel electric generation plant in 2012, which was the first of its kind in Nebraska, as well as the debt the city currently has. Baker suggested TIF funding and LB 840 dollars add to the city’s debt and shouldn’t be used. LB 840 is a law passed by Neligh voters by a 9-1 margin in 2011, putting one-fourth of one percent of city sales tax toward economic development. Loans are then made available to businesses wanting to either expand or start in Neligh. TIF funding is a 15-year tax break for the business requesting assistance with a portion of a project that has public-use benefit, for example a public parking lot. “What you want is Bomgaars’ sales tax,” Baker said. Numerous residents immediately fired back, “Yes, we do. Why not?” Bomgaars is planning to nearly double the size of the Neligh store, which is its smallest store in the company, and has asked to be annexed into the City of Neligh. After the meeting, Hartz was commended by those in attendance, including many who had just criticized him publicly, for having the meeting to answer questions. Several of those individuals stayed afterward to thank Hartz for his service to the community. The recall was filed last Thursday by Bernadine Hughes and Merlin Mortinson and stated it was due to “continued support/vote to approve the annexation ordinances has been done with repeated admissions that he/she has no idea what the future costs and revenues will be to the taxpayers of Neligh. This pattern of political conduct is alarming and sets the stage for future harm to the people of Neligh and to the business sector.” The mayor and council members have 20 days after receiving written notification of the recall from county clerk Lisa Payne to submit a defense statement. Hughes and Mortinson then have 30 days to collect 162 signatures per council member and 187 against the mayor. Antelope County Shooters Club will be debuting their new range and targets this Independence Day.
The group has leased Russell Park from the City of Neligh and are using the location to hone the skills of archers with their new targets. The course will have permanent outdoor bullseye weather targets and will use 40 three dimensional targets as well. The practice range is in place and is currently being used by the Antelope Archery 4-H Shooting Sports Club. Antelope County 4-H has over 70 kids enrolled in shooting sports, who will benefit from this new range. When complete, it will be one of the best archery ranges in the state. Only members of the club will have access to the range. The range will be locked with a combination lock that only members will have. Members can visit the range at any time, and they may bring a guest, but they must be present while the guest is shooting. Membership is $25 a year, and after the first year the renewal drops to $15. To become a member you can contact the treasurer, Boyd Pedersen (402) 887-4653. They ask that only field point arrows are used, and not broadheads because they tear up the targets too much. Also no combination bows will be allowed, unless you bring your own targets. According to Lyle Juracek of the Antelope County Shooters Club, the range will be "top notch" and “the 4-H archery program is excellent in Antelope County.” In early April, when the lease for the course was granted by the city council, the course was estimated to cost $17,000. The goal of this new archery program is to motivate more kids to get involved outdoors and improve their shooting skills. They plan to join the Nebraska State Archery Association and begin going to tournaments across the state. The profits of these tournaments will go to improvements to the range. They will be setting up the 3-D target course for their Old Mill Days Shoot. This will be held on Saturday, July 4th and Sunday, July 5th. The range is located at Russell Park, half a mile south of the Old Mill on the East side of the road. Registration will be held both days from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Prices are $15.00 for adults and $8.00 for children. For more information contact chairman, Mark Eggers (402) 750-0005, or other members of the shooters club, Rod Christiansen (402) 887-7791 or Lyle Juracek (402) 640-6552. Neligh's annual celebration kicks off this weekend and will continue throughout the Fourth of July weekend with both new events and family favorites. Sponsored by the Neligh Young Men's Club, activities begin Sunday, June 28, their annual free-will offering pancake feed and poker run. New this year is a trap shoot at the Antelope County Shooters Club. "We have several new events this year that are sure to be fun for all ages," said president Adam Mortensen. "We've added a trap shoot and archery shoot and brought back the water fights. Like last year, most activities will be on Main Street in front of the courthouse." Also new this year is a beer garden on July 4, which will be located between the Pinnacle Bank drive-thru and Urbanec's Furniture and Flooring. It will open around noon. Mortensen said the annual Stop Light Drags will not be taking place this year due to runway work at the airport; however, the fireworks will still be shot off at the airport for everyone to see. "Nearly all events are free to the public, so we encourage people to bring their families to Neligh for a weekend of fun," Mortensen said. "There will be lots of fun, prizes and all-around good time in Neligh." Sunday, June 28 Pancake Feed Pavilion in Riverside Park 8:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. Sponsored By NYMC Poker Run Starting at Riverside Park Pavilion 9:00 a.m. Sponsored By American Legion Riders Trap Shoot Antelope County Shooters Club ï 4 p.m. Random Prize Rounds & Tournament. Must Be 16+ Bring Own Shotgun & Shells Wednesday, July 1 Cruise Night Meet At Legion To Start, 6:00 p.m. Sponsored by the American Legion Friday, July 3 Scavenger Hunt West Side of Courthouse 7:00 p.m. John Petersen Congregational Church 7:00 p.m. Free-Will Donation. Linger Longer Mr. Hand Downtown Street Dance & Beer Garden. 9 p.m. to 1 a.m. Saturday, July 4 Lion’s Club Breakfast/Lunch 7:00 a.m. at Senior Center Building Archery Shoot Antelope County Shooters Club, 8 a.m.-2 p.m. $15 Adults, $8 Kids Fishing Contest 9:00 a.m. Fred Penn Lake (Ages 0-13) Parade Line-Up 10:00 a.m. Riverside Park (no pre-registration) Ice Cream Social 11:00 a.m. Courthouse Lawn. Lutheran Youth Group Parade Judging 11:30 a.m. Riverside Park. Grand Parade Noon - Main Street Legion Hotdog Feed Following Parade - American Legion Water Fights Following Parade - Main Street. Sponsored By Neligh Volunteer Fire Department Kids Tractor Pull (Non-Sanctioned: Ages 4-5-6-7) Following Parade - Courthouse Lawn Turtle Races Bring Your Own Turtle. Following Tractor Pull - Courthouse Lawn Horseshoe Pitching Rolly Johnson Memorial - Riverside Park . 2:00 p.m. start Bath Tub Races Teams of 3 - Must Be 16 Or Older. Following Turtle Races - Courthouse Lawn Ducky Derby 6:00 p.m. at Riverside Park Fireworks Antelope County Airport at Dark. Bring Your Grill & Refreshments And Grab A Good Seat To See The Awesome Fireworks Display Sunday, July 5 Archery Shoot Antelope County Shooters Club, 8 a.m.-2 p.m. $15 Adults, $8 Kids
With nearly 2 inches of rain falling at Neligh, the Antelope Country Club isn't allowing carts on the course Wednesday, leading to a schedule adjustment.
Wednesday's mens league has been canceled, according to secretary Nate Metschke, but the Junior Golf Tournament is still scheduled for Thursday. Manager Lisa Hansen said she hopes the course will dry enough Wednesday afternoon to have the tournament Thursday. The Neligh #1 Jr. Pee Wee baseball teams went 2-1 in their final three regular games of the season. They will play Tilden #2 in their first tournament game at 7:15 p.m. Wednesday in Tilden. Neligh fell to Battle Creek #1, 15-13, but bounced back to win their next two games. They defeated Tilden #2 by a score of 23-9 and won 8-7 over Battle Creek #2. Battle Creek #1: Coach Chris Ford said his team started the game against Battle Creek #1 with hot bats and strong defense; however, failed to finish the game. "The Warriors jumped out to a 13-7 lead after 4 innings, but failed to stop Battle Creek’s 8 runs in the 5th and 6th, and proceeded to strike out 3 of the last 6 batters and had no hits in the last two innings on offense," he said. Singles: Carter (1), Austin G (2), Isiah A (1), Aiden (1), Austin (1), Jace (1), Gavin (1), Landyn (1), and Carson (1); Doubles: Isiah (1), Aiden (1), Ty (2), and Austin R (1) and Triples: Aiden (1), Ty (1), and Austin R (1). Tilden #2: A couple nights later, Neligh came back on fire against Tilden #2. "The Neligh Warriors rebounded from a devastating loss two days prior and used relenting offense and smothering defense to slow down a tough Tilden #2 team," Ford said. "The #1 JPW only had one inning in which 3 outs closed the inning (2nd inning) and proceeded to score 5 runs in each of the other 4 innings. Neligh used 16 multi-base hits to overpower a younger Tilden #2 team." He said the team had an impressive offensive night with 11 singles, 5 doubles, 7 triples, and 5 homeruns. "This was by far was the team’s best hitting of the year," he said. "This win was attributed to strong team play." Singles: Carter (3), Cameron A (1), Austin G (2), Ty (2), Isiah A (2), Landyn (1); Doubles: Cameron A (1), Isiah (1), Austin R (1), Cameron S (1), and Carson (1); Triples: Cameron A (1), Ty (1), Gavin (2), Jace (3); and Home runs: Gavin (1), Aiden (3), Austin R (1). Battle Creek #2: Neligh's final regular season game was a close one with Battle Creek #2. "The Neligh #1 Warriors won their last regular season game against Battle Creek #2 in dramatic fashion," Ford said. "The Warriors started slow, scoring 1 run in the first after allowing BC 3 runs. The 2nd inning the Warrior defense showed up to get a three-up-three-down inning and followed up with 5 runs scored in the bottom of the 2nd." He said Battle Creek "came back to life" in the 3rd, scoring 3 runs and followed up on the defensive side of the inning to hold Neligh scoreless and take the lead at 7-6. "Neligh's defense clamped down in the 5th and 6th innings, holding Battle Creek scoreless," Ford said. "In the bottom of the 6th with 1 out, Aiden Kuester stepped to the plate and knocked out a triple. His effort paid off when Jace Cameron followed with a double to score Kuester to bring the game all square at 7-7. The next batter Carson Whitesel ground out a single to push the winning run to third. That is when Austin Rudolf stepped up to the plate and fired a rocket directly back at his Coach Pitcher (forcing me to let out a huge grunt in anticipation of getting nailed in the ribs and nearly causing me to drop to the ground) line drive straight up the middle to push Jace Cameron across for the winning run!" Neligh won 8-7 with a walk-off single by Austin Rudolf. Singles: Austin R (4), Austin G (1), Hayden W (2), Ty (3), Isiah A (2), Landyn (1), Jace C (2), Carson W (1); Doubles: Austin G (1), Cameron S (1), and Jace C (1); Triples: Aiden K (1); and Home runs: Aiden (1). The former clerk of the Village of Oakdale was sentenced to prison in district court Wednesday morning and must pay restitution for her theft.
Megan Brandt, 31, pleaded no contest to felony theft in Antelope County District Court as part of a plea agreement. Prosecutors dropped a charge of unlawful use of a financial transaction device in return. Brandt was sentenced by Judge Mark Johnson to an indeterminate term of not less than 24 months nor more than 48 months in the Nebraska Correctional Center for Women. She must pay restitution of $25,186.37. The prosecution presented the judge with letters from Mildred Kinnan and Chris Sanderson. Testifying were Delayne Fulsaas, Village Board Chairman, and Wanda Cornett, Village Board member. Antelope County Prosecutor Joe Abler said in court that an investigation from the state auditor's office turned up over $50,000 in funds that Brandt stole from the Village of Oakdale between December of 2012 and her resignation last October. Abler says Brandt would write checks to herself and make withdrawals using the village's credit card. She has agreed to pay back half of the money as part of the agreement. The third individual suspected of being involved in a cattle rustling scheme in Antelope County was sentenced Wednesday in district court for his involvement.
Twenty-six year old Errik Dummitt pleaded no contest to a Class IV felony count of attempted theft in Antelope County District Court as part of a plea deal. In return, prosecutors dropped a felony theft charge. Judge Mark Johnson sentenced Dummitt to 24 months probation and 180 days in the Antelope County Jail with credit for one day served to be served at the end of his probation, unless waived by the court. He must also pay $145 court costs and $600 restitution. Dummitt is required to write a letter of apology to the victims. Prosecutors say Dummitt helped load cattle that had been stolen as part of a scheme devised by Rebecca Robbins of Lyons. Robbins arranged for the sale of cattle from an Antelope County farm that didn't belong to her to a Columbus couple. Robbins was sentenced to 40 months to 10 years in prison for her involvement in December. Her ex-boyfriend, Benjamin Johnson, was sentenced to five years of probation for his involvement in February. Prizes for next weekend's NYMC annual youth fishing contest will be a little bigger this year thanks to the local grocery store. Thriftway Market in Neligh and Tilden received several fishing-related items from Pepsi for an in-store summer promotion. On Tuesday, the grocery store donated the items to the Neligh Young Men's Club for its annual youth finishing contest on the Fourth of July. The items - tackle box, cooler and minnow bucket - will be used as prizes for the older age divisions of the tournament. The top three in each division will receive a prize from the NYMC while all participants will beg given a smaller prize courtesy of the Nebraska Game and Parks. The tournament is part of Neligh's annual Old Mill Days, which begin Saturday, June 28, with a pancake feed in Riverside Park. The fishing tournament will be Saturday, July 4, beginning at exactly 9 a.m. and lasting until 10 a.m. at Penn Lake, prior to the parade through Main Street. There are three age divisions for the free fishing tournament, which is for youth up to age 13. For more information on Old Mill Days, visit the NYMC website at www.NelighYoungMensClub.com. The Animal Shelter of Northeast Nebraska in Norfolk is currently under construction and is looking for area families, including those in Antelope County to adopt and foster animals until the building is complete.
According to Sydney Hurley, Executive Director of the animal shelter, "We've been in existence since 1995 doing foster care and we recently purchased a building and are trying to raise funds to actually be able to put this animals in a building. Every day we have to turn down calls, because we just simply don't have a place to put them. " Hurley says they are currently 100 percent run through foster care. "Right now, we service this community quite a bit and so I wanted to raise awareness about the services that we currently offer and the services we will offer once the building is open." "I really just wanted to tell everyone about us and what we're about and everything that we do," Hurley stated. Becky Williams, the Intake Coordinator for Neligh spoke about her duties and her love of animals. "I'll take in animals that have been surrendered and match them up with a foster family that would be able to take them in until they are adopted. Sometimes we do foster to adopts, where someone will see the animal and think they want to adopt it and they can foster it and make sure it work and then they can actually adopt it." Williams explained the foster program, how to apply and the benefits of fostering. "When you go into the foster system, they expose them to cats, dogs, kids. They take them to parks . . . they work on potty training. When you foster them it makes you feel like you're helping and you really are." Since the animal shelter takes care of all the supplies, the animal you adopt will be spayed or neutered, have updated shots and will be vet checked and healthy. Williams spoke of the dog she adopted from the animal shelter that helps her with stress, "He's my buddy . . . I couldn't imagine life without out him."
Nearly four dozen students are taking advantage of hands-on activities at a summer camp hosted by ESU #8 in Neligh.
The camp focused on science, technology, engineering, arts and math (STEAM) for students in grades 3-8. “There are growing job opportunities in the fields of STEAM. We hope this summer camp will inspire kids to explore some of what STEAM has to offer them in their future," said staff developer Heidi Rethmeier. Tuesday was for grades 3-5 with students from Neligh-Oakdale, Elgin, Clearwater-Orchard and O’Neill attending. Wednesday will be students in grades 6-8 and from Neligh-Oakdale, Stuart, Pierce, Clearwater-Orchard, West Boyd and Elgin. “We were so happy to have so many kids from our ESU 8 schools participate in today’s learning opportunity," said staff developer Steph Wanek. "The kids were very engaged in all of the hands-on activities. We hope that we showed them some fun ways to keep learning at home all summer.” Activities included the following: Fingerprint Forensics and Photo Editing- Students combined science, technology and art. Learned about the history of using fingerprints for forensics, fingerprint styles, and how they are used to solve crimes. They printed their fingerprints on note cards and took digital photos of them. Then using an app, edited the photos to include fun colors, overlays, and their names. Scale drawings- Students learned how to read maps using coordinates then created a scale drawing by expanding a small one page picture onto a large wall. Coding- Students created their own “Flappy Bird” video game through the Hour of Code website. They used block programing to complete the computer code for the game. Makey Makey- Students explored a tool to control a computer using electrical circuits. They learned about electrical science and used engineering to design their own game controllers. Robotics - Students in 6-8th grade learned how to program a CEENBoT robot. Their task was to program the robot to move from a specified starting point to a finish line using block programming. Neligh will host a 10-and-under softball tournament for the newly formed Nebraska Diamonds league. The tournament will be Wednesday-Saturday at Neligh's Riverside Park.
In the 10U tournament, there will be a North and South division. The top three teams of each division will be crowned on Friday. The winners of both divisions will play Saturday, vying for overall champion. Both division runner-ups will also play on Saturday, vying for third-place overall. "Mimes, Masks and Magic," presented by Fax Gilbert, is planned at the Neligh Public Library on Tuesday, June 23. The program is set to begin at 5:30 p.m. Fax's performance programs all use comedy, mime, masks, and magic illusions, to highlight his series of unique characters. The whole family will enjoy this hilarious blend, which includes a self-destructing robot, a bodybuilder outmuscled by audience volunteers, a court jester who uses magic to entertain a reluctant queen, a magical masked marionette (Fax), a rock band, and a heart transplant operation you¹ll never forget. Gymnastics classes will be offered in Neligh! N-Motion Gymnastics Center instructor Patty Payne is planning an information/registration meeting on Monday, June 22 at 5:30 pm. at 319 Main Street, Suite 4, in Neligh. Classes will be offered for boys and girls, ages 3 and up. If you are unable to attend the Monday meeting, and classes are not filled, a second meeting will be held on Tuesday, June 23 at 5:30 p.m. She may be reached by calling 402-649-9298 or by sending her a message via Facebook. Payne taught, coached or judged gymnastics for 25 years at the Norfolk YMCA until 2010. The recall attempt of all City of Neligh elected officials has one resident saying enough is enough. And he doesn’t believe he’s the only one who feels that way.
Nate Metschke, who has lived in Neligh for nearly 15 years and is the music teacher at Neligh-Oakdale, said he’s embarrassed by recent behavior in the community and is taking a stand against the negativity. Metschke is asking other Neligh residents to join him in a “We Support Neligh” campaign in hopes “the real majority are heard loud and clear.” “I love Neligh. I support Neligh. And I know I’m not alone in this,” Metschke said. “We have a wonderful community, and it’s time the silent majority stepped up and put a stop to this negative behavior that has brought a dark cloud over Neligh. I’m tired of my friends in other towns poking fun about all of the negativity in the news about Neligh. There are a lot of great things happening here for us to be proud of.” Metschke recently started a “We Support Neligh” Facebook page, created a paper petition for people to sign to show they support the community and hopes to have signs for people to put in their yards. He said “We Support Neligh” isn’t about being for or against annexation; it’s about being proud to call Neligh home and supporting one another. Plus, Metschke said, it would be interesting to compare the names of those who pledge their support of Neligh with the names of those who sign the recall petition against Mayor Joe Hartz and the four council members - Dale Wilkinson, Ted Hughes, Leonard Miller and Stephanie Wanek. “Petitions aren’t anonymous. It’s not like going into a voting booth privately on election day,” Metschke said. “If you sign a petition, it’s public. Everyone will see your signature against the mayor and council members. There’s no anonymity in signing a recall petition.” Metschke said he’s spoken to many Neligh residents since the recall petition was filed last Thursday and not one person was in favor of the recall. In fact, Metschke said most people were “appalled and embarrassed” that the effort was taking place in Neligh. Metschke said there’s a lot of concern that a recall was filed by people “who haven’t even attended meetings” about annexation. Metschke said it’s time to stand up for the silent. He said just because people aren’t very vocal doesn’t mean they agree with the negativity being spread around the community. “My mom always said, ‘Just because you talk louder doesn’t mean you’re right,’ ” Metschke said. He added, “I really care about our school and community. We were lucky to find a great interim superintendent, but we’ll be looking for a permanent one soon. The board talked about a full search beginning as early as October. And if you think superintendent candidates don’t research a town first, then you need to think again.” Metschke said what is happening now will have a long-term effect on Neligh, and it’s time for those who have been silent to stand up and pledge support for Neligh. “I don’t think people even realize what they’re doing to the future of our community. Most people who live in Neligh support our leaders and want what’s best for our town. This negative behavior is affecting our future. If you’re tired of it, then you need to pledge your support of Neligh,” he said. Metschke said if people support Neligh, then they should “Like” the Facebook page “We Support Neligh” or sign a paper petition that is being circulated through town or message the Facebook page for a yard sign proclaiming their support of Neligh. “People don’t always agree, and that’s fine. Actually, it’s great to disagree because then more ideas may be shared,” Metschke said. “But just because you don’t get your way doesn’t mean Neligh should get rid of all elected officials. We saw something very similar to this not very long ago, and Neligh has to stop these knee-jerk reactions and start working together. We can stop this negative behavior right now and start working together. Let’s show everyone that you support Neligh.” In this humble van resides a family with a cause.
Robin Bair, along with his wife and children, is on a spiritual walk on the 700 mile Ponca Trail of Tears in an effort to raise awareness of the horrendous drug and alcohol problem on the reservations. Bair hopes to spread his message and unite the Ponca people to stand and fight against the substance abuse. He also is celebrating his ancestors and conducting ceremonies to remember those who were lost in 1877 when the Ponca Tribe was forced to leave their home in Niobrara and travel by foot to Oklahoma. He expresses his gratitude to the city of Neligh for caring for the grave of White Buffalo Girl. The fight against methamphetamine is very real for this spiritual family. They hope to unite their people and heal their nation’s wounds. With hundreds of miles to go and an undying faith, they walk forward. Singing the song of the Ponca. |
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