On Thursday, July 16th, 4-H members will begin dropping off their non-perishable static exhibits from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m., marking the unofficial start of fair week as exhibit buildings begin to fill ahead of judging.

The fair proper begins the next day, on Friday, July 17th. Exhibition booth setup will take place throughout the day. From 9:00 a.m. to noon, 4-H members will check in perishable exhibits and participate in interview judging. Open class exhibits will be accepted during a similar timeframe, from 9:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

Judging will then get underway; both the 4-H exhibit building and open class exhibit building close from noon until 6:00 p.m.

At 5:00 p.m., volunteers and exhibitors will begin setting up livestock panels in preparation for the arrival of animals the following morning, wrapping up the first official day of fair activities.

Saturday, July 18th, shifts the focus to livestock and rodeo events.

Livestock check-in will begin early in the day, with animal stalling taking place from 5:00 to 10:00 a.m. Swine check-in, including breeding animals, will be held from 8:00 to 8:30 a.m., followed by sheep and meat goat check-in from 8:30 to 9:00 a.m. Beef check-in will take place a bit later, running from 9:00 until 10:00 a.m.

The annual 4-H Breakfast, sponsored by Heritage Bank, will be served at the VFW Hall from 8:30 until 11:00 a.m.

The exhibit buildings will be open to the public in the afternoon, from 1:00 to 6:00 p.m.

At 3:00 p.m., the 2026 4-H Ambassador winners will be announced.

Saturday evening’s featured attraction will once again be the Ranch Rodeo. Team checkin begins at 3:00 p.m., followed by the Calcutta at 3:30 p.m. The rodeo itself will begin at 4:00 p.m.

Entry is $240 per team, with the competition limited to fifteen teams.

Following the Ranch Rodeo, competitors can take part in Goat Roping, presented by Swick Performance Goats. The event is a two-head progressive competition with a five-dollar-perman entry fee.

Sunday, July 19th will feature livestock judging, worship services and small animal competitions.

The day begins with the goat show at 9:00 a.m., immediately followed by the sheep show.

At 10:00 a.m., Cowboy Church will be held at the horse arena.

The annual chicken dinner at the VFW Hall will be served from 11:00 a.m. until 1:00 p.m.

Exhibit buildings will be open from noon until 6:00 p.m.

Small animal checkin also begins at noon, with the small animal show getting underway at 1:00 p.m.

The afternoon concludes with the Ranch Team Draft Horse Show, beginning at 3:00 p.m.

On Monday, July 20th, the spotlight returns to livestock competition. At the same time, activities for all ages will be on offer throughout the afternoon and evening.

The swine show begins at 9:00 a.m. Decorated cake judging will begin at the VFW Hall at the same time.

Exhibit buildings will remain open from 10:00 a.m. until 7:00 p.m.

The feeder calf, Clover Kids, bucket calf and cow/calf pair shows start at 12:30 p.m.

From 4:00 until 8:00 p.m., children will once again be able to enjoy the bounce houses.

The annual fashion show begins at 5:00 p.m. at the VFW Hall. It will be followed by the decorated cake auction at 5:15 p.m.

Registration for the cornhole tournament opens at 6:00 p.m., with competition following at 7:00. Entry is ten dollars for adults and high school students and $5 for junior high students and younger.

Also beginning at 7:00 p.m. is Family Fun Night, sponsored by the Loup City FFA, featuring games and activities for families throughout the evening.

Tuesday, July 21st, marks the final day of livestock shows. It features one of the fair’s biggest evening attractions.

The beef show—including showmanship, breeding beef, and market beef—begins at 9:30 a.m.

The Overall Livestock Showman Contest will take place immediately following.

Exhibit buildings will remain open from 10:00 a.m. until 7:30 p.m.

From 4:30 until 7:00 p.m., the Loup City Chamber of Commerce Free Barbecue will be served at the VFW Hall.

At 7:00 p.m., Bull Riding with McKay Rodeo Stock will take center stage. The event serves as a Mid-States Rodeo qualifier. Admission is ten dollars for adults and five dollars for children ages 6-12. Children five and younger will be admitted free.

Mutton Busting will take place during the bull ride. Participants must be three to eight years old, with the event limited to twenty- five riders. The entry fee is ten dollars, and competitors must weigh under sixty pounds.

The fair begins to wind down on Wednesday, July 22nd.

Livestock release begins at 6:00 a.m. that morning, with release of 4-H and open class static exhibits following at 8:00.

At 4:30 p.m., the Champion Exhibit Awards will recognize outstanding entries from this year’s fair.

The annual Livestock Auction and Market Animal Picture Sale will follow at 5:00 p.m., providing buyers with an opportunity to support local youth exhibitors. The final scheduled event of the fair will be the 4-H Swim Party, sponsored by Farm Credit Services of America. That event will take place at the Loup City Swimming Pool from 8:00 until 10:00 p.m.

Although the bulk of the fair concludes next Wednesday, one final event will take place a few days later. On Saturday, July 25th, the annual Horse Show—held in conjunction with the Howard County fair board—will begin at 9:00 a.m. at the Sherman County Fairgrounds, officially bringing another Sherman County Fair to a close.

No computers, no commas, no phone calls. Just me, the yard, and a beautiful summer night.

Last week, I had spent the night crisscrossing my property, getting things in tip-top shape, when I ran into a snag.

With the end of the night in sight, and while mowing the road ditch at likely the farthest point from my house, the mower’s engine started to sputter. Then, suddenly it stopped.

Right then, I had two pretty important revelations.

The first was that, since I live on a big hill, one of the steepest in Howard County, just because the engine on the lawn mower cut off, that didn’t mean that the mower stopped. The horsepower was soon traded for gravity, and I started rolling down the hill at a clip that made me cringe.

As soon as I engaged the brake, I was struck by the second revelation.

Lawn mowers, like most machines with engines, require fuel.

I had the fuel on hand, but it was in the barn on the farm, not in the mower tank at the top of the hill.

Like a six-year-old whose mom had called him in from the playground to do the dishes, I got off the mower and started heading for the barn, down the road and up the driveway. Naturally, just like a little kid, I was grumbling all the way.

Sure, it was a beautiful night, and the vistas from the top of the hill were as special as always, but I was in a foul mood. Not only was I grumpy as I walked down the hill and to the barn, but on the return trip, climbing the hill with the five-gallon fuel jug in hand, I was even more sour.

Being an adult is hard, but, as it turns out, being a stupid adult is even more difficult.

When I got to the mower’s position, filled the tanks, and hopped on, I vowed then and there to always check the fuel level—I honestly think the gauge is broken, but I imagine that is a sentiment shared by all people that run out of fuel—before I started mowing ever again.

Making big pronouncements is one thing; however, living by them is something that is much more difficult.

I think like a lot of people, I vow to improve myself, but then I quickly forget that vow and likely make the same mistake again. One place I break that promise more often than not is when the end of summer starts to show its ugly head.

Sure, we just crossed the hump and celebrated Independence Day, so naturally there must be many more summer nights in which to relax and enjoy one of the greatest seasons there is.

While that is also my current mentality, I feel like I must point out that, just recently, I encountered a school supply list on social media, and sports conditioning and fall practices are now less than a month away.

We all say that we are going to make the most of these summer months, but then, we seem to fall into that trap and forget how fast time flies.

In my youth, I spent some of my summers, ironically, working the full-service island at my parents’ gas station in Palmer. While you would think that experience would have taught me the importance of topping off the tank, apparently, the only thing that I did learn is it never hurts to offer some help.

So, to all those that think summer will never end, here is some free advice.

The joys of the season will be over before you know it, so take advantage of the time you have now.

Whether that means taking a night away from the yardwork to enjoy an evening baseball game—things have flown by so fast that even some Legion baseball teams have ended their seasons now—literally stopping to smell the flowers, or driving down a country road to try and listen to the corn growing in the field, these moments will soon fade.

Thankfully, some of summer’s biggest moments remain on the horizon.

This week, my staff and I enter county fair season, and beyond that, there are plenty of other annual celebrations, events, and family get-togethers that I am sure will be happening everywhere you go.

But, just like filling up the tank, the fact remains that you don’t want to forget to enjoy the season.

Summer, like the tank on my mower, always seems fuller than it really is. One evening you think there is plenty left, the next you’re plodding uphill, wishing you had paid closer attention.

That time of year is nearing—the time when you have to pay the second half of your property taxes, due by the end of July.

It’s a big check, and I write two of them, one for my house and one for the small farm that’s still in the family.

No one likes to write these checks, and we don’t need a state hotline—as launched by Nebraska Governor Jim Pillen recently—to tell us that.

I’ll save the state some money and the governor some time by stating the obvious: Just about everyone thinks property taxes are too high in Nebraska.

Some think “way, way too high” and others think “maybe just a tad too high.” But everyone thinks they’re too high.

Exacerbating the problem is the rise in the value of homes and farmland. In my case, my modest house is worth fifty-four percent more than it was five years ago, according to my local assessor. The farm’s value has risen thirty-three percent over that span.

That, of course, is good news. Our homes and our land are investments, so we want investments to increase. But since our property taxes are partly determined by the valuation, it’s also bad news.

School districts and others who rely on property tax income to operate set the tax levy, and when property values are rising like they are, they typically either lower the levy or retain the same levy so that our actual tax bill doesn’t increase too much.

But I don’t think that rising valuations, or even local spending, are the reason property taxes are so high. It’s because we’ve reduced the other taxes that we use to finance government, sales and income taxes. That, in turn, has shifted the load more heavily onto property taxes.

Tax geeks (which I suppose includes me) call this the “threelegged stool.” In concept, each of the three taxes, property, sales, and income, should provide a similar amount of revenue, creating a stool with three legs of equal size.

But instead of pursuing that, the legislature and governor have chosen to cut income taxes significantly, and seem to annually pass new tax credits and exemptions that erode sales taxes.

They also carved off a quarter-cent of state sales taxes for highway construction a few years back, which wasn’t a horrible idea but it also helped imbalance the threelegged stool.

Why not, I always wondered, increase the “user fee” on highway use—fuel taxes paid by truckers and motorists— instead?

The answer, of course, is that “raising taxes” have become dirty words, words that a few years back resulted in some state senators getting booted out of office after the gas tax was hiked to expand highway construction (a really good idea in our vast state).

Somehow “tax shift” has also become a verboten phrase, even though that’s what this state needs—a shift off property taxes and onto sales and income taxes.

It’s really easy to outline the problems with the state’s tax system, and much harder to make the needed changes. Every governor over the past thirty years has discovered that.

To make some needed changes, it will take the state’s business and agricultural communities to agree on some things, as well as conservative and progressive state senators to compromise.

Some folks will have to agree to pay new taxes on stuff in exchange for lower property taxes. Why not raise gas taxes? It’s one of the few ways we can have non-Nebraskans (those traveling across I-80) help pay the load.

It’s a real test of leadership, one that will require the next governor to work with a lot of interests.

But I’m pretty sure that a hotline isn’t going to help.

Paul Hammel has covered the Nebraska state government and the state for decades. Prior to his retirement, he was senior contributor with the Nebraska Examiner. He was previously with the Omaha World-Herald, Lincoln Journal Star and Omaha Sun. A native of Ralston, Nebraska, he loves traveling and writing about the state.

“As America turned 250 over Independence Day weekend, our troopers and dispatchers remained vigilant to keep Nebraskans safe,” said Colonel Bryan Waugh, Superintendent of the Nebraska State Patrol. “There are many more local events on the schedule as the summer continues across Nebraska. If any of those events involve alcohol, always make sure to have a sober driver.”

The effort coincided with a national campaign, which ran from July 2nd through July 6th. Throughout Independence Day weekend, troopers performed high visibility patrols and traffic control around many community gatherings, while watching for impaired drivers.

In addition to the thirty-five arrests for driving under the influence, troopers also issued 596 citations for speeding. Twenty- three of those speeders were driving over 100 miles per hour. Troopers also issued citations for driving under suspension (34), open alcohol container (27), minor in possession of alcohol (4), no seat belt (18), improper child restraint (11), and failure to move over (7). Troopers also performed 174 motorist assists during the campaign.

This effort was made possible thanks in part to grant funding from the Nebraska Department of Transportation— Highway Safety Office.

The drive collected twenty-eight units of blood toward its goal of thirty-five units.

Homemade cookies prepared by Vivian Damratowski were available for donors throughout the day.

Volunteers also played an important role in the event. FBLA member Dillion Rademacher assisted with checking in donors. Melissa Kaputska serves as the FBLA sponsor. Shirley King helped with setting up and taking down tables and handled general cleanup duties.

Those donating blood were Gary Kuszak, Daryl Kuszak, Connie Hancock, Robert Ksionzek, Eldon Adams, Vivian Damratowski, Shawn Damratowski, Tamara Kuehl, Peggy Mroczek, Brenda Jerabek, Josh Cole, Deb Moeller, Taralee Baker, Joan Teichmeier, Sharlene Mc-Clary, Richard Dethlefs, Debra Obermiller, Lisa Harrington, Douglas Day, Patricia Kowalski, Debora Smedra, Lucinda Ryan, Allan Ziola, George McFadden, Carrie Setlik, Gerard Larchick, Marcia Kaslon, Tina Chilewski and Daniel Kwiatkowski.

The next community blood drive is scheduled for September 2, 2026, from 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

“Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.” — Psalm 90:12 (NIV) Time has a way of reminding us that nothing on earth stands still. The seasons change, children grow into adults, and yesterday’s memories become today’s treasured stories. We often wonder where the years have gone, especially when we look back and realize how quickly life has passed. Yet every passing moment is a gift from God, entrusted to us for His purpose.

It is easy to become consumed by busy schedules, deadlines, and responsibilities, believing there will always be more time later. We postpone conversations, delay acts of kindness, and sometimes neglect our relationship with the Lord. But Scripture reminds us that our days are numbered, not to make us fearful, but to encourage us to live wisely and intentionally.

The elapse of time is not something we can control, but how we use our time is a choice we make each day. Every sunrise offers another opportunity to forgive, to serve, to encourage someone, to grow in faith, and to share God’s love. The moments that seem ordinary often become the ones that leave the greatest legacy.

God exists beyond time, yet He walks with us through every season. He knows our past, guides our present, and has already prepared our future. When we place our trust in Him, we no longer need to fear the passing years. Instead, we can embrace each day as a chance to honor Him.

As another day comes to a close, ask yourself whether your time reflected God’s priorities. Did your words bring hope? Did your actions show Christ’s love? May we remember that while time continues to pass, every moment spent serving God has eternal value.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, help me use the time You have given wisely. Teach me to treasure each day, seek Your will, and invest my life in things that will last for eternity. Amen.

Hosted by Carlee Moates, the six-episode series premieres at 8:00 p.m. on Thursday, July 23rd, on Nebraska Public Media and the PBS app. Through powerful storytelling, stunning visuals, and engaging conversations, Conservation Works highlights the partnerships helping conserve Nebraska’s land, water and wildlife.

Featuring field stories from across Nebraska and studio interviews filmed in Nebraska Public Media’s Ron Hull Studio, the series features conservationists, scientists and educators working together to conserve the state’s natural resources while maintaining productive working landscapes. Their efforts demonstrate how collaboration, innovation and stewardship can produce measurable results.

From the return of trumpeter swans to the Sandhills and the recovery of bighorn sheep near Gering to prairie restoration projects and efforts to protect endangered fish and wildlife, Conservation Works highlights the people and programs helping preserve Nebraska’s natural heritage for future generations.

“These stories are about good work in conservation and showing that conservation works,” said producer Kay Hall. “One of the things I hope viewers take away is that good people across Nebraska are doing good work based on good science. The series highlights the collaboration behind these efforts and shows how Nebraskans are working together to create a healthier future for the land, water and wildlife we depend on.”

Throughout the season, viewers will visit some of Nebraska’s most scenic landscapes, including the Sandhills, Scotts Bluff National Monument, Fort Robinson State Park and the Missouri River, while learning how conservation efforts affect communities across the state.

Classroom-ready educational resources inspired by the series are also in development.

Conservation Works is a production of Nebraska Public Media. It was produced in partnership with Nebraska Game and Parks and Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium. For more information, visit NebraskaPublicMedia. org/

July 20, 2016

Betty Keep was honored as the oldest participant in the World Famous Ashton Polish Steeplechase. Richard and Marge Ritz were pictured with their hand delivered Ashton State Bank cake they bid on for $910. Mitzi Kuszak won first place in the women’s pie contest and cook Mike Gregg was pictured with a roaster full of mountain oysters he prepared for the feed Friday evening to raise money for the Polish Heritage Museum.

The Sherman County Senior Center article noted they will have their third annual Colorado peach fund raising event in August. Each box will cost $34.

A Saturday afternoon open house at the St.

Josaphat’s Parish Hall will honor the ninetieth birthday of Eldren Michalski.

The Arcadia Village Board approved a motion to authorize Chairman Dale Paider to sign a deed to transfer the old Coop building to the Arcadia Community Development Agency.

The Litchfield Old Settlers Picnic parade first place winners were the American Legion Auxiliary float “You might be a red neck...”; Tena Boyles and her children’s float “Moma’s hot dogs and burgers for youth”; and the Litchfield Pack float “Boocher Shop” business float entry. Breiann Royle was pictured singing the National Anthem at the start of the parade.

Ashton Community Club President Sue Goc announced Marie Curlo as the Ashton Community Club volunteer of the year.

July 19, 2006

Tim Hoffman and Scott Placzek finished seventh in the National Walleye Tournament sponsored by Cabelas.

Kay Einspahr has returned to Rose Lane Home as the new administrative assistant.

Ashton Days first place parade float was the Ashton Community Club entry showing the twelve states and territories that have a town named Ashton.

The winner of the best costumed “horse race” entries were Chris Trompke and Jody Kaslon. Ralph Krolikowski drove his two door car in the parade with his dog Noel on the roof. The dog preferred riding outside the car rather than inside.

Lonnie Mitteis was voted to have the “best bike” and was awarded the “people’s choice” honors in the Ashton poker run.

The children of Tony and Lois Kuligowski requested a card shower to honor their parents’ sixtieth wedding anniversary.

Mark and Sue Goc, Alexa and Ethan, were Friday dinner guests at the Jim Goc home.

Kathy Spotanski was pictured with the sixty foot long mural she completed at the Sherman County Fairgrounds for the Little Sprites Farmyard.

Loup City Schools Superintendent Dr.

Caroline Winchester reported in her weekly column about the replacement of the windows on the north side of the K-3 building.

July 17, 1996

The obituary of long time Loup City High School German and English teacher and librarian Mina Schumann was published on the front page. Someone broke into the Sherman County Courthouse the evening of July 11th. Entry was gained by breaking out the north window in the County Extension office and crawling in.

The only other office entered was the County Treasurer’s office.

Nothing was missing from either office.

Temperatures have been very mild with highs in the mid-eighties and lows in the fifties.

Leonard Czaplewski was elected the new Sherman County Historical Society president. Other elected officers were Earl Baillie, John Rowe, and Leona Shiadek.

The Republican River Wagon Train will arrive in Ashton Sunday.

A barbecue is planned and the “Good ol’ Boys” band will provide the music for the street dance following the meal.

A motion was made at a special Loup City Schools meeting to end all bus routes by Kowalski and seconded by Obermiller. Rademacher amended the motion to charge an activity fee for students using school transportation to sponsored activities.

The motion passed but the amended motion failed on a 5-3 vote.

The cast for the Old Settlers Picnic melodrama “Faith County II, the Saga Continues” was Ronda Slocum, Virginia Rachow, Jackie Janssen, Mary Hoover, JoAnn Slocum, Henry Fletcher and Rick Magritz. Directors are Virginia Rachow and Sue Bice. Heather Paitz took care of the lighting and Karen Flamig was in charge of costumes.

July 17, 1986

Janice Robertson and the Sherman County Attorney Mark Eurek will appear before the Nebraska Department of Revenue to justify taxes set by the Assessor’s office on irrigated land in the county.

Robertson said they “will fight the battle for equalization”. Custer, Cherry and Banner counties are all involved in the lowering of the valuation of irrigated land.

The light poles installed in 1948 at the Sherman County Fairgrounds ball field were removed this week. It was a big event in all the local papers when the lights were installed allowing night football and baseball games. The first night ball game was with Mason City and Loup City.

Mayor A. R. Brown threw out the first pitch.

Jack and Jill advertised fresh ground beef for eighty-eight cents per pound.

The wedding picture and story of the Margaret Bloyd and Norman Quandt wedding led the social news.

Pvt. 1st Class John Krolikowski, son of Dennis and Donna Krolikowski, has been assigned to the Presidio of San Francisco.

He is a carpenter and masonry specialist with the 864th Engineering Battalion.

The Litchfield School Board offered a football coaching contract to Steve Schnackenberg and a basketball coaching contract to Jerry Arnold.

The Litchfield Bicentennial parade had seventy-five entries.

Maybelle Easterbrook, age eighty-seven, was honored as the oldest lady in Litchfield to have lived her entire life in the town. Henry Christensen, age ninety- seven, was named the oldest man in the community. He moved to the area from Loup City in 1920. Others honored were Harry Haller, Myrtle Roelle, Merle Cherry, John Cherry and Helen Witt.

July 15, 1976

A meeting will be held Friday in the Loup City Schools Superintendent’s office with the Loup City Chamber of Commerce and the Sherman County Agriculture Society to determine how to make the county fair a success since there is no carnival and no rodeo this year.

Frank Czaplewski’s ’68 Ford Galaxy received $350 in damage when someone threw a smoke bomb into the car while it was parked at 237 N. 9th Street.

Loup City School Board member Harry Knecht presented his letter of resignation with no reason given for his leaving the board. The board tabled the resignation until next meeting. Knecht has served on the board for the last twenty years.

The newly elected Sherman County Historical Society board of directors are Mrs.

Ralph Badura, Mrs. Ira Criffield, Mrs. Beryl Lang, A.R. Owens, Mrs. Jack Charlton and Mrs.

Don McDonald.

A daughter, Jessica Ann, was born to Mr. and Mrs. Arnold Augustyn.

The Ashton State Bank bowling team of Captain Patty Badura, Betty Kuszak, Peggy Stanczyk, Virginia Pokorski and Florabelle Kugler were champions of their league at St.

Paul.

Bill Morris was hired to teach physical education and as an assistant basketball coach. Kathy Gimple was hired as a part time special needs teacher and junior high home economics teacher.

The Ashton column reported Johnnie and Jimmie Maschka were Sunday afternoon guests at the Steve Kaslon home.

July 21, 1966

David Dean Lonowski, age seventeen, son of Mr. and Mrs. Edward Lonowski, died following an auto accident on Highway 92. Lonowski was driving a 1960 Chevrolet convertible that collided with a pickup driven by Orvin Kieborz. Mr. and Mrs.

Kieborz were returning to Grand Island after visiting their son Eldon Kieborz’s home in Loup City.

Loup City Schools Superintendent Russell Harah resigned to take a position at the State level.

Pvt. Darrell Corbin, son of Mr. and Mrs. Arthur Corbin, completed a seven week recovery and evacuation course at Aberdeen Testing Grounds. The training involved how to remove damaged, disabled and mired vehicles during combat operations.

Ravenna citizens overwhelmingly approved a bond issue to build a new school on the northwest side of town.

A daughter, Kristina Kay, was born to Mr. and Mrs. Lawrence Kaslon.

Litchfield Cub Scouts earning Wolf badges and Bob Cat pins were Mitchell Unick, Randy and Ronnie Sweley, Stanly Linden, Mitchell Lewis, Bryce Reissland, Jerry Grantham, Randy Chloupek and Jimmie Evans.

A card shower was requested to honor the twenty-fifth wedding anniversary of Mr. and Mrs. Ben Janulewicz.

The couple was surprised by a group of relatives and friends who brought them lunch and two anniversary cakes.

Sherman County Fair carnival advance tickets are available, ten tickets for $1 at eight different Sherman County merchants.

Chartreuse is not usually the first color that comes to mind when describing tree leaves.

This bright yellow-green color may be eye-catching, but it can also be a sign that something is wrong. If your trees are looking more chartreuse than dark green this summer, chlorosis may be the culprit.

Chlorosis is a general term used to describe leaves or needles that develop an abnormally light green or yellow color. One of the most common forms seen in Nebraska is iron chlorosis. Trees affected by iron chlorosis often have leaves that are yellow or pale green while the veins remain dark green. As the condition worsens, leaf edges may turn brown, branches may begin to die back, and severely affected trees can decline over time.

The most common cause of chlorosis in our area is not a lack of iron in the soil. In fact, Nebraska soils often contain plenty of iron.

The problem is that our naturally high-pH soils can make iron unavailable for plant uptake.

The iron is present, but the tree simply cannot access it.

Other factors can contribute to chlorosis as well. Wet or compacted soils, root damage, excessive nitrogen or phosphorus levels, and deficiencies of other micronutrients such as manganese can all interfere with a tree’s ability to absorb nutrients.

Some tree species are especially susceptible to iron chlorosis. Common examples include silver maple, red maple, Freeman maple, pin oak, crabapple, pear, birch, and baldcypress. While other species may occasionally show symptoms, these trees tend to be the most frequently affected.

Fortunately, there are several treatment options available.

For young trees with severe chlorosis, tree replacement may sometimes be the most practical solution. Selecting a tree species that is better adapted to our soil conditions can save time, money, and frustration in the long run.

One treatment option is applying elemental sulfur around the tree.

Sulfur can gradually lower soil pH, making iron more available to plant roots. This method is relatively inexpensive, but patience is required.

It may take one to two years before noticeable improvements occur.

Another option is applying iron chelate products to the soil. Look for products containing FeEDDHA, a form of iron that remains available in high-pH soils. These products are mixed with water and applied around the root zone.

While they can provide relatively quick results, treatments often need to be repeated annually and can become costly for larger trees.

Iron can also be applied directly into the tree through trunk injections or iron implants.

These treatments typically provide results that last one to three years.

However, they require drilling into the trunk, creating wounds that the tree must seal. Repeated treatments over many years may cause additional stress. In Nebraska, trunk injections must be performed by a licensed pesticide applicator, which can increase treatment costs. The timing of treatment is also important.

Spring and fall are generally the best times to address chlorosis.

Treatments made during the heat of summer are often less effective because stressed trees may not absorb nutrients efficiently.

Another long-term management strategy is the Whitcomb Method.

This technique involves drilling a grid of holes beneath the tree canopy and filling them with sulfur, a complete fertilizer, iron, and micronutrients. While labor-intensive initially, it can provide long-lasting improvements for severely chlorotic trees.

One treatment that should be avoided is the use of iron nails, iron shavings, or other pieces of metal buried around the tree. Despite their popularity in gardening folklore, these methods have not been shown to effectively treat iron chlorosis.

Take time this summer to visit your museum. The Sherman County Historial Museum is open without an appointment on Sunday afternoons thru Labor Day (except July 19th). The museum has six buildings chucked full of history. Even if you only see one or two buildings at your visit, you will go away amazed at the Sherman County history on display.

And, while you are at the Sherman County Historical Museum, take time to take a selfie with the Trail Trek sign located by the Elsner/Clark Exhibit Hall entrance. This is a special designation this year sponsored by the Nebraska Game and Parks and WanderNebraska.

Have you seen the new marker in the Hayestown Cemetery for the Zeller twins, who died in 1880? Kathy Burr, who updates Find A Grave listings, was the first to make us aware of this memorial in the Hayestown Cemetery. Do you remember the story about the iris that mark the actual grave site? Even though the grave site is no longer accessible, the story of August and Anna Zeller’s first children is commemorated through this marker.

The Sherman County Historical Museum has resumed its summer Sunday schedule. The museum is now open without an appointment through the summer on Sunday afternoons from 1:00 p.m. until 4:00 p.m., with the group’s last weekend of the summer being Labor Day weekend. The Research Center (and Hanshew Barbershop) is open Wednesday afternoon 1:00 until 4:00 p.m. all year. Members welcome visitors at other times, too—just call to make your arrangements.

To become a member of the Sherman County Historical Society, call Donna Trompke at (308) 750-3325, or contact Kathy Spotanski, Mark Nabity, RoseAnn Kowalski, or Elsie Kieborz for a membership application.

The society’s mailing address is P.O. Box 362, Loup City, Nebraska 68853; the Facebook page is Sherman County NE Historical Society. The society’s website is www.shermancountyhistoricalso-ciety. com.

Community’s annual Old Settlers Picnic this weekend

Litchfield’s annual Old Settlers Picnic, themed Farming Through the Ages, will be held Friday, July 10th, through Sunday, July 12th, bringing three days of community events, competitions, food, entertainment, family activities and fireworks to the community.

Sponsored by the Litchfield Community Club, with support from numerous local businesses and organizations, the annual celebration features activities throughout the weekend for all ages.

Festivities begin Friday with the Dessert Contest. Entries may be dropped off at the Winters Building by 4:00 p.m., with age divisions for participants sixteen and under and seventeen and older.

The Firemen’s BBQ follows from 5:00 until 7:00 p.m. at the Winters Building, where a freewill donation meal will be served. Christian Church will host an Ice Cream Social from 6:30 until 8:30 p.m., sponsored by the Litchfield Rockin’ Kids 4-H Club.

At 6:00 p.m., the Litchfield FFA Pickleball Tournament begins at the park. Open to beginners and experienced players alike, the tournament carries a twenty dollar entry fee, with paddles available for those who need them. Only sixteen teams of two will compete, and the winning team will receive half of the tournament pot.

Friday evening also features the annual Fun Run, Walk, Ride Poker Run beginning at 8:00 p.m., with registration opening at 7:30 p.m. at Loup Valley Ag.

Participants may travel the course on foot, bicycle, golf cart or sideby- side vehicle, stopping throughout town to collect poker cards before returning to determine the winning hand. Fullsize street vehicles are not permitted.

Entry is five dollars per poker hand, while the twenty-five-dollar registration via the Spartan Foundation benefits the Community Food Pantry and includes three poker hands.

The evening concludes with a fireworks display beginning at 10:00 p.m. at the southeast corner of town. Sponsored by Litchfield Fire and Rescue and the Litchfield Community Club, the display serves as the opening night’s grand finale.

Saturday begins with the Rose & Co Coffee Station on main street from 8:00 a.m. until 1:00 p.m. Market in the Park will also be open from 8:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m. on the east side of the park, offering homemade foods, crafts, and a variety of vendors.

The annual Old Settlers Picnic Parade, carrying this year’s Farming Through the Ages theme, begins at 10:30 a.m. Participants are asked to register and check in at Litchfield Public School by 10:00 a.m.

The Kids Parade will lead the procession, which travels down Main Street before turning east and circling the park, finishing near P&D Market.

Lunch will be served from 11:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m. St. Gabriel’s Catholic Church will once again serve its annual dinner in the Winters Building for a freewill donation, while Pizza in the Park will also be available.

Saturday afternoon centers around Fun in the Park, scheduled from 11:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. Inflatable water slides, sponsored in part by the Spartan Foundation, will be available throughout the afternoon.

The Litchfield Rockin’ Kids 4-H Club will also host a dunk tank and additional children’s activities.

Competitive events begin at 1:00 p.m. with the Horseshoe Tournament. Registration opens at 12:45 p.m. with a twenty-dollar entry fee. Cash prizes will be awarded to the firstplace team.

The Cornhole Tournament also begins at 1:00 p.m. Registration starts at 12:45 p.m., teams may enter for twenty dollars, and cash prizes will be awarded to the firstplace team.

Sponsored by the Litchfield FFA, the free throw contest begins at 2:00 p.m. and is open to participants ages fifteen and younger.

The afternoon concludes with turtle races beginning at 3:00 p.m. Participants should register their turtles by 2:45 p.m.

One of the weekend’s signature events, the Smokin’ on South Main BBQ, begins at 6:30 p.m. at the ball field.

Advance tickets are available at P&D Market and Town & Country Bank. Presale tickets are twenty dollars for adults and ten dollars for children ages six through twelve, while children age five and younger are admitted free.

Trivia Night follows at 8:00 p.m. at the ball field. Teams of up to six members may compete for a ten-dollar entry fee, with a variety of trivia categories and cash prizes awarded to the first-place team.

Saturday concludes with the Glow Ladder Ball Tournament beginning at 10:00 p.m. at the ball field. Teams of two may register by 9:30 p.m. for a twenty-dollar entry fee, with cash payouts awarded to the top three teams. Players of all ages are welcome.

The celebration concludes Sunday with a full slate of tournaments, demonstrations, and worship services.

The sand volleyball tournament begins at 9:00 a.m. at the Litchfield Ball Field. Teams may enter for sixty dollars, while concessions throughout the event will be provided by the Litchfield Rockin’ Kids 4-H Club.

Registration for the Firemen Water Fights begins at 9:00 a.m., with competition starting at 10:00 a.m. on Main Street.

The Dads, Lads, and Lassies Trap Shoot begins at 1:30 p.m.

The weekend concludes with Church in the Park beginning at 6:30 p.m. The non-denominational worship service welcomes the entire community. It will feature music by the band Undivided Devotion. Attendees are encouraged to bring lawn chairs.

Throughout the weekend, visitors may also participate in the community raffle, with two children’s bicycles to be awarded. Tickets may be purchased at P&D Market.

Turns out that, like the memories, the sunburn that I acquired while lying on the beach for a couple of days doesn’t quickly fade away.

That pesky reminder of my time away from work this summer has kept me scratching and itching for the last week or so. As it so happens, they weren’t lying when they claimed that, in certain situations, too much of a good thing can be a problem.

While I hope that my sunburned skin soon turns a golden brown that I can show off at the river later this summer, I doubt that every lesson I acquired during my recent travels will be able to be forgotten as quickly.

In fact, a week after returning home and getting back to the grind, I am still stuck with another constant realization garnered during my travels through the south.

On my I trip, I quickly learned that, like shade on the beach, in some parts of the country, access to local news can be hard to find.

Since I was a tot, when traveling, I have always taken a moment or two to brush up on the local happenings at my destination by grabbing a copy of the local newspaper. This is a habit that I have practiced no matter whether I am traveling down the highway in the Cornhusker State or traversing time zones for business or pleasure.

Wherever I go, I like to have access to local news.

Unfortunately, late last month while traveling across the country, local news proved to be hard to find.

During a layover in Chicago, I struck gold on my first attempt at an airport convenience store. There, front and center, both of Chicago’s daily newspapers— The Chicago Tribune and The Chicago Sun-Times— were offered for sale. I bought both, and on the next leg of our trip, I enjoyed soaking up all the news from one of the Midwest’s biggest cities and comparing how the two competing publications covered the same news in the same city so differently.

What also was different was that, as soon as the plane touched down at its destination, local news in print seemed to be a scarce commodity. From gas station racks to grocery store shelves, there was little in the way of local publications. While my travels took me to a booming hotbed of tourism—while few tourists were likely looking for local coverage, something tells me that in communities that are at the region’s epicenter of growth there were some big issues that were of concern to the locals—it proved to be a bit of a news desert.

What was even more disheartening was that, even just across the bay, in a major metropolitan city, the newspaper and all the information it had delivered to residents across platforms had disappeared.

After five days without a trusted source of local news, and a pair of airports on our return trip where even the Sunday editions of their local newspapers weren’t available, I was pleased to see that, in the terminal in Omaha, the newspaper was placed front and center at a local shop.

I know I am too young to be so archaic in my thinking about access to news. After all, in the twenty-first century, anything you want to know about happenings in your community is only a few clicks away.

However, I think there is some truth to the old adage that great communities must have great newspapers.

As the summer continues to whip by, and I continue to move from one summer celebration to another, I am reminded of how lucky we are to live in the corner of our country that we call home.

On Saturday, in a conversation with a southerner who had made the trek to Rockville to celebrate the Fourth of July, the facts that I already knew were further underscored. While there is a lot to see and do cross the country, we are fortunate that our return trips take us to the places those planes do.

And, when we get there, Nebraskans are lucky that there are so many hardworking reporters investing their time and other resources to tell the stories that matter in those otherwise far-off and often forgotten locations.

Sure, when something big happens, the storytellers will come from across the country to get a quote and snap a photo, but like a nagging sunburn, the impact of their coverage will quickly— and hopefully without much pain—disappear.

However, when it comes to the monotonous, the everyday, and the important stories, the residents of Nebraska remain fortunate that they have people working to get the word out.

That is a mission I hope local journalists never take a vacation from. If they do, I guarantee you that, like I did on the beach last month, Nebraskans will get burned.

I also used to cover the sport.

I was around when then-Coach Terry Pettit was begging football fans to attend volleyball matches after watching a football game.

Way back in the day (years before I caught the volleyball bug) loyal fans used to set up their own folding chairs so they could watch a match.

Fast forward to today. Home volleyball matches in Lincoln have been sold out for years, making it harder for new fans to attend matches despite the move to the Devaney Center, which doubled the tickets available.

Nebraska’s volleyball program has won five national championships, and is regularly in the top five teams in the country. Team members are celebrities and now, internet darlings. Little girls in the state grow up dreaming to be Huskers.

And, oh yeah, don’t forget the incredible Memorial Stadium match in 2023 when 92,000 eager fans packed the football venue. It set a record for the most fans to attend a women’s sporting contest.

To say that the success of women’s volleyball has been incredible is almost an understatement. And this fall, the Huskers will again be one of the favorites to win it all.

But now, loyal fans like me are being asked to step aside so people who have more money, and give more money to the university, can choose the best seats in the house—the ones where fans like me used to sit.

It’s called “reseating” and the NU athletic department describes it as an attempt to “embrace the evolution of intercollegiate athletics and find ways to preserve our financial model.”

In plain English: “college sports is a big money enterprise, and we need to cater to the people who give the most money.”

The big donors, mostly those giving to football and other sports, have been allowed to pick season tickets (up to six each) since early June. I get to wait until July 13th, and can only choose up to four.

This is despite being a regular contributor to the athletic department, faithfully giving the suggested contributions to keep our two seats.

Our seats were great. We felt like we were part of the match, and responded loudly. Now, we’re looking at the nose-bleed sections, in the darkened, upper reaches of the arena, far from the action.

Some friends who used to share our seats have backed out, saying it’s not worth it. Others I know gave up when the reseating was announced last year.

On some level, I understand what’s going on. College athletics has become a big-money enterprise, and now that athletes are being paid, big money needs to be raised.

But it stinks that loyal fans, including those who used to set up their own chairs for matches (you know, the ones who “all stick together, in all kinds of weather”) are being shoved aside.

I complained about this so much that the NU athletic director (to his credit) called me to talk me off the ledge.

He calmly explained that since players can now be paid, and can earn extra money through “name, image and likeness” deals with companies, Nebraska needs more money to compete.

I appreciate that the university is getting creative, and using assets like Memorial Stadium to earn extra money by staging concerts, “Banana Ball” and even some goofy golf game inside Memorial Stadium.

Reseating is now planned for football, basketball, and softball, so it’s not just faithful volleyball fans being impacted. I felt especially bad for softball season ticket holders, who sat through some pretty chilly and wet early games this year, but when it came to the NCAA tournament, had to move to the bleachers so bigger donors could sit in the front row.

When I write stuff like this, part of me is whispering, “boy, you’re getting old and grumpy—give it a rest.”

But the rest of me is thinking this is just sad—sad that, in one more place, it’s all about money.

Maybe they should change the words in the fight song. - I’m also sad about the passing of Paul Fell, a masterful cartoonist, who I was honored to have collaborated with every week in this corner of the paper. What a talented guy, always upbeat and full of wit. Draw well in that art studio in the sky my friend.

Paul Hammel has covered the Nebraska state government and the state for decades. Prior to his retirement, he was senior contributor with the Nebraska Examiner. He was previously with the Omaha World-Herald, Lincoln Journal Star and Omaha Sun. A native of Ralston, Nebraska, he loves traveling and writing about the state.

DHHS is urging Nebraskans to take precautions to protect themselves and their families from mosquito bites as WNV activity increases during the summer months.

WNV is the leading cause of mosquito-borne disease in the United States, and Nebraska has historically experienced higher levels of WNV activity than many other states. The virus is transmitted through the bite of an infected mosquito that acquired the virus after feeding on an infected bird. WNV is not spread directly from sick or dead birds to humans and people cannot get the virus from sick or dead birds.

“Since there is no vaccine or specific medicine to treat West Nile virus, it is important for Nebraskans to take preventive steps to reduce their risk of mosquito-borne illness and enjoy their summer safely,” said Dr. Sydney Stein, DHHS State Epidemiologist.

People can reduce their risk:

• Use a repellent that contains DEET, picaridin, lemon eucalyptus oil, or IR3535.

• Wear long-sleeved shirts, long pants, shoes, and socks when outside.

• Take extra precautions when going outdoors at dawn and dusk when mosquitoes are most active.

• Drain standing water around your home. Empty and change the water in bird baths, fountains, wading pools, rain barrels, and potted trays at least once a week, if not more often.

• Irrigate lawns and gardens carefully to prevent water from standing for several days.

• Make sure window and door screens are “bug tight” and repair or replace torn screens.

Most people infected with West Nile virus experience no symptoms or only mild flulike illness. However, fewer than one percent of infected individuals develop severe disease. Adults over age fifty and people with weakened immune systems are at greater risk for serious illness and complications.

Additional information can be found on the DHHS website at: https://dhhs.ne.gov/pages/ west-nile-virus.aspx.

Life has a way of teaching us lessons we never expected to learn. Often, our greatest realizations don’t come during seasons of comfort but through challenges, disappointments, and moments when we rely on God. These experiences remind us that what truly matters is not our achievements, possessions, or plans but our relationship with the Lord.

One of the most important realizations is that God is always faithful. Circumstances may change, people may disappoint us, and our own strength may fail, but God’s character never changes. “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever” (Hebrews 13:8). His promises remain true even when we cannot see the outcome.

Another life-changing realization is that we are not in control of everything—and that is actually good news. Surrendering our plans to God allows us to experience His wisdom and peace. Proverbs 3:5–6 encourages us to trust in the Lord with all our hearts rather than relying on our own understanding. When we acknowledge Him, He faithfully directs our paths.

We also realize that people need love more than judgment. Every person carries burdens often hidden from view. As followers of Christ, we are called to extend grace, forgive freely, and encourage others just as God has shown mercy to us. Love reflects the heart of Christ and brings healing where criticism cannot.

Finally, we realize that this life is temporary, but eternity is forever. The choices we make today shape our character and eternal perspective. Investing time in prayer, Scripture, worship, and serving others produces treasures that never fade.

As you reflect on your journey, consider the lessons God has been teaching you. Even painful seasons can become stepping stones to deeper faith when placed in His hands. Ask Him for wisdom to recognize His work in every circumstance and the courage to live according to His truth.

The lead article was about Chad Curlo volunteering to repair damage done to the Union Cemetery by cattle. The cemetery is located one-half mile east and one-half mile south of Ashton.

Claire Kaslon was the grand champion pie baker at Ashton Days. Her butterscotch pecan pie sold for $155 at the auction.

The eleventh annual Ashton poker run Sunday is a benefit for Rich Iske who is battling throat cancer.

Ashton Community Club members Sue Goc, Roger Lewandowski, Bob Ksionzek, Marcene Kaslon, Brian Kaslon, and Mary Skibinski conducted a ribbon cutting ceremony for the newly installed playground equipment at the Ashton Park.

The Red Cross Bloodmobile was five units over goal. Dennis Lindquist earned his twenty gallon pin, Eldon Adams and Bob Skorniak, sixteen gallons, and Peggy Morrow twelve gallons.

The Sherman County Economic Development report to the Loup City City Council noted the newly opened Sunset Cottages now have one tenant and two applications pending.

The documentary film “At the Fork” featuring Kevin Fulton and his children Colleen, Cami, and Timothy, took a “hard look” at how farm animals are raised for our consumption.

The Loup Valley 4-H Club received the Governor’s Award of Excellence and a $500 grant to be used to defray expenses for a four-wheeler safety course in Sherman County and to sponsor the Mobile Beef Lab at local events.

July 12, 2006

Local Abate members Dave Moore, Donnie and Sandy Nagorski, Chuck Dusek, Earl and Becci Teichmeier, Bob (Shorty) Czarnek, and Dale Trompke helped organize the 2006 ABATE rally in Loup City.

The children of Dallas and Kathy Nesiba requested a card shower to honor their fortieth wedding anniversary.

Robert and Alma Aufrecht were pictured renewing their wedding vows at a Rose Lane Home ceremony.

Jori Kuszak, daughter of Kevin and Tricia Kuszak, will compete in the National American Miss Pageant in Lincoln.

Joe’s Market advertised Wimmer’s “natural casing” Polish sausage for $4.29 for a one-and-three-fourth pound package.

A son, Timothy Joseph, was born to Kevin and Amy Fulton and a son, Allen, was born to Steven and Dawn Heapy.

State 4–H Horse Show qualifiers are Jessica Bush, Western Horsemanship; Ashley Schriner, Western Horsemanship; Colton Trotter, Western Pleasure; and Trieste Wortman, Western Pleasure.

A large ad alerted citizens of Loup City that the Loup City Utility Department and the Nebraska Rural Water Association inspection team will be conducting a survey of the Loup City sanitary sewer system using non-toxic smoke.

July 10, 1996

The Litchfield Old Settlers Picnic celebrated its fiftieth anniversary this past weekend. First place float honors were earned by the Elder Grove entry titled “Only in Nebraska-allergies, Hay Fever, etc.” Retired Litchfield Elementary teacher Marlene Rasmussen was the parade grand marshal. Old Settler Henry Christensen, age 104, attended Friday evening activities but decided to miss the parade because of the heat. Other old settlers recognized were Clyde Kelly, 88, and Thelma Lang and Trena Lewis, both 90.

Lenny Piontkowski sated the rout of the Grand Island Chiefs ball team with a walk off 340-foot home run in the first inning. The final score was 9-0.

Pastor Leon Zimmerman saw water in the Immanuel Lutheran Church parking lot and then noted water coming from under the church doors. Two-anda- half inches of water covered the church floor surface. The flood was caused by a break in the underground sprinkler system.

Loup City Schools Superintendent Dave Rokusek reported state aid for the coming school year would be $912,582 which was $73,000 more than last year.

Jim and Ruby Kuehl will celebrate their fiftieth wedding anniversary with a Sunday afternoon open house at the St. Josaphat’s Parish Hall.

The new Loup City curfew ordinance was published in a large ad. Children under 18, without parental supervision, are not allowed in public areas of the town after 10:30 p.m. Sunday night through Friday morning and are not allowed in public areas from 12:00 a.m. until 6:00 a.m. Friday and Saturday night.

July 10, 1986

Carolyn Heil has a new title, Sherman County Clerk Magistrate, replacing associate judge. The change on July 1st was the result of a law passed this session of the legislature. The Rockville Bicentennial Parade had forty entries. The Ritz Lumber Yard float, “Good Old School Days” was judged the most original. Over 600 people attended the beef barbecue. Ron Moritz won the talent contest, Deanne Bochart was second with her baton twirling, and Becky Young third with her piano solo. Gary Eilenstine won the twelvegauge shotgun raffle to support the midget baseball team.

Someone stole the four rows of letters on the new sign located on the lawn of the Sherman County Courthouse.

Vera Mason was elected the president of the Sherman County Historical Society. Other elected officers were Judy Obermiller, Mina Schumann, Irene Klausen, and Carol Lonowski.

Allen’s 66 advertised an oil, filter change, and lube job for $13.99. You get a free twelve ounce drink while you are waiting for your car.

Tom Obermiller advertised, “Custom big round baling. Reasonable rates.”

The brakes failed on a feed truck when Glenn Sawyer was driving down “school house hill” in Mason City. He continued to the highway where the runaway truck collided with a passing semi. Sawyer received minor injuries and was not hospitalized. In the same week, Joe Boyles had facial burns from an exploding battery and had to have surgery to rebuild his thumb tendon.

July 8, 1976

The Ak-Sar-Ben Good Neighbor Award was presented to Sherman County residents Mrs. Irene Bacus, Mr. and Mrs. Harlan Quandt and Alvin Bauer.

Sherman County Attorney Fred King was hit on the head by a golf ball while riding his cart on the fifth fairway at the Loup City Golf Club course. An unknown person had teed off from the fourth tee hitting him. The cut required five stitches to close.

Presbyterian pastor Kenneth Fells and his wife Glynia and four children, Dennis, Kenneth, Debbie, and Shane, have moved to Loup City where he has begun his pastoral duties at the church.

The Loup City girls’ softball team is now 4-0 after a 19-2 win at Litchfield. Deb Mroczek had two singles and Shelly Damratowski hit a home run.

Immanuel Lutheran church held a July 4th special Bicentennial service dedicating a new American flag and a Christian flag of the church. Tammy Magner was the American flag bearer and Jim Jaeschke presented the Christian flag.

Loup City Library summer reading winners were Julie Piontkowski, Nancy Harris, Cindy Piontkowski, Susan Placek, Doug Farmer, Brenda Farmer, and Melissa Mason.

The Rockville neighbors of Ella Miller helped her celebrate her birthday Tuesday with a no hostess lunch carried in by Nellie Bonczynski, Jan Kalkowski, and Carl Mieth.

T.J.’s Drive-In advertised a weekly special of a hamburger, fries, and a soda for ninety- eight cents.

July 14, 1966

Over eighty people attended the Rockville High School alumni banquet Sunday evening. Mrs. Herb Stobbe was the mistress of ceremonies. Vicki Howard sang two selections and was accompanied on the piano by Patricia Lorenz. Ron Moritz was elected the new president of the alumni.

Darrel Johnson, son of Mr. and Mrs. Howard Johnson of Litchfield, has returned to the Milford Trade School after a three week vacation with his parents.

The Nebraska Farm Bureau president wrote, “Whether America admits it or not, call it socialism or something else, the U.S.

is deeply involved in spreading the burden of old age, illness, hospitalization, education and the like to all the people”.

Mr. and Mrs. Alfred Maiefski entertained a group of relatives Thursday in honor of their daughter Tammy’s fourth birthday.

An improved 400acre plot of land west of Loup City, half in pasture, half in hay, was listed for $100 an acre by a land dealer in Grand Island.

Mr. and Mrs. Ejnar Rasmussen were hosts for a picnic dinner Sunday afternoon at their house. Guests were Mr. and Mrs. Rupert Clausen, Mr. and Mrs. Don McDonald Jr. and sons, and Mr. and Mrs. Ron Moritz and family.

The classic survival film “The Flight of the Phoenix” starring Jimmie Stewart, was playing the Liberty.

All of us have heard the familiar phrase “Are we there yet?” from children who are bored from sitting for what they perceive as an endless amount of time in a vehicle, or are so excited about their destination they just can’t wait any longer.

Parents often overlook travel time as an opportunity to interact with their child(ren). What better opportuni-ty to spend some quality time? For most, it is a question of ideas for what to do with their children during drive time. Here are some activities that can be fun for everyone when traveling with children. (Note: These activities should only be done with the adult not responsible for driving.)

• Bubbles: Keep some bubbles in a non-spill container in the car and blow some for baby when someone else is doing the driving. This calms a baby down (and older children will enjoy it too). Tiny bubble containers sold for weddings or party favors are ideal.

• Read a good picture book: Even very young babies will respond to a good book. You don’t have to read the entire story (especially if you yourself are prone to car sickness), simply hearing your voice as you point to pictures in the book will occupy time and keep them entertained.

• Play classical music: Studies have indicated that classical music may boost baby’s intelligence.

• Peek-a-boo: This classic game is perfect for the car.

• This Little Piggy: As long as you’re stuck in the car, might as well kick off your shoes!

• Where is your nose: An older baby can practice learning all the parts of the body. Ask them to show you where they are starting with their nose. Then help them find their head, mouth, cheek, ear, chin, hand, foot, tummy, etc.

• Surprise packages: Prepare ahead with paper bags of items to be given out every twenty-five, fifty, or seventy-five miles as marked on a map with the location. It takes a little bit of prep to do this, but it really helps young children. In each bag put a wrapped item, usually a small toy. Then add various other things to each surprise package, like a juice box or a snack, stickers and a piece of paper, or something pertaining to the trip that you can talk about.

• Aluminum foil modeling: Give everyone a sheet of aluminum foil. Have them mold it into anything they want: animal shapes, balls, jewelry, crowns, etc.

• Pipe cleaners: Pack a bag of multi-colored pipe cleaners and let their imaginations run wild!

• Cookie sheet magnet board: Use an old cookie sheet and a collection of ABC magnets. Children can work on putting the letters in order or identify beginning sounds.

• Name the clouds: What do they look like?

Now that our garage sale and homemade ice cream fundraisers are history, what is going on at the Sherman County Historical Museum? QR codes have made an appearance at most of the vintage farm machinery displays. These QR codes take you to a short YouTube video showing how the farm machinery functioned or perhaps telling a little history of an individual piece of farm equipment. More QR codes will be added to various displays in the future.

So how do the QR codes work? If you don’t yet have a cell phone, you will need to have someone with you that does have one. To access the information associated with a QR code, one would need to access their camera, which will probably take you to another application that connects to the QR code information itself.

Currently, our QR codes access You Tube videos, but that is not always the case. If we don’t have the information/ documentation you are looking for, let one of the officers know. We’ll do our best to create a QR code for that particular topic; after all, you probably aren’t the only one wanting to know more about that topic.

There’s been a change to the July meeting date; the historical society will be having our regular meeting a week earlier than originally planned due to the Sherman County Fair. The meeting will be on Monday, July 13th at 1:00 p.m. Another change is that we will not be open for touring on Sunday, July 19th, except by prior arrangement.

Once again, members do not want to draw attendance away from the Sherman County Fair.

Speaking of the Sherman County Fair, the Sherman County Historical Society will have a booth displaying some of the country’s 250-year history. The society will have a copy of the Declaration of Independence, a mannequin of George Washington in uniform, and…Well, come see!

Take time this summer to visit your museum. The museum will open without an appointment on Sunday afternoons thru Labor Day (except July 19th). Members have six buildings chucked full of history. Even if you only see one or two buildings at your visit, you will go away amazed at the Sherman County history on display.

The Sherman County Historical Museum has resumed its summer Sunday schedule. The museum is now open without an appointment through the summer on Sunday afternoons from 1:00 p.m. until 4:00 p.m., with the group’s last weekend of the summer being Labor Day weekend. The Research Center (and Hanshew Barbershop) is open Wednesday afternoon 1:00 until 4:00 p.m. all year. Members welcome visitors at other times, too—just call to make your arrangements.

To become a member of the Sherman County Historical Society, call Donna Trompke at (308) 750-3325, or contact Kathy Spotanski, Mark Nabity, RoseAnn Kowalski, or Elsie Kieborz for a membership application.

The society’s mailing address is P.O. Box 362, Loup City, Nebraska 68853; the Facebook page is Sherman County NE Historical Society.

The society’s website is www.shermancountyhistoricalsociety. com.

Weekend to feature fireworks, Ashton Days, and more

Several community events will be taking place across Sherman County to celebrate Independence Day this weekend.

In Ashton, the Ashton Community Club will be hosting Ashton Days from Friday, July 3rd, through Sunday, July 5th, offering three days of family activities, entertainment, food, competitions, and community traditions throughout the village.

The celebration begins Friday evening with several events starting at 6:00 p.m. Kids’ games and bouncy houses will be available at the main street park, while a cornhole tournament and the popular turtle races take place on main street.

DJ Kaz will provide music from 6:00 until 11:00 p.m., with food trucks including Lazy JK BBQ, Nachos Tacos, Mrs. C’s Popcorn, and Dirty Soda serving throughout the evening. The Ashton Fire Department’s annual fireworks display is scheduled for 9:30 p.m.

Activities will resume early Saturday morning with registration for the Steeple to Steeple Chase from 6:15 until 6:55 a.m. at St. Francis Catholic Church. Buses depart at 6:55 a.m., and the race begins at 7:00 a.m.

The Fireman’s Breakfast will be served in the Parish Hall from 8:00 until 11:00 a.m., while the Polish Heritage Center will be open from 9:00 until 11:00 a. m.

Later, the Oak Creek Saloon will host a Bloody Mary Bar from 10:00 a.m. until 2:00 p. m.

Saturday afternoon shifts to Roosevelt Park, where the Ranch Rodeo Calcutta begins at 1:00 p.m., followed by the Ranch Rodeo itself at 2:00 p.m.

Also Saturday, a free barbecue will be served on Main Street beginning at 5:00 p.m. The annual cake auction will follow at 7:00 p.m., with live music by the Jessy Karr Band closing out the evening from 8:00 p.m. until midnight.

The celebration concludes Sunday with a Polish Mass at 10:30 a.m. at St. Francis Catholic Church. Following, the Polish Heritage Center will be open from 11:00 a.m. until 1:00 p.m.; a luncheon, featuring free-will donations, will be served starting at 11:30. Ashton Days will wrap up Sunday afternoon with live music by Kush & The Outlaws, featuring Mike Kuszak, from 1:00 until 5:00 p.m.

Elsewhere, Rockville will be hosting its annual Fourth of July BBQ & Amazing Fireworks Show on Saturday. The free-will donation meal will start at 5:00 p.m, composed of pulled pork, beans, a pickle spear, chips, potato salad, coleslaw, hot dogs, and cupcakes.

CHI Health—Good Samaritan AirCare, the state’s longest-operating medical helicopter program, will be flying in for an exhibit, arriving at the field at about 6:15 p.m. They will be available to talk about their work unless an emergency calls them away.

Beginning at 5:00 p.m., members of the Boelus American Legion Post 201 will be carrying out a flag retirement ceremony.

All those with flags they would like to have appropriately retired are welcome to bring them.

The firework show will begin after the sun sets, with fireworks provided by the Village of Rockville and the Rockville Volunteer Fire Department. Donations will be collected via a fireman’s boot.

Attendees are asked to be generous to keep the show successful for years to come.

Fourth of July festivities will also take place at Sherman Reservoir.

There, attendees will be able to enjoy live music from the Riley Morgan Band while they eat, drink, and enjoy the lake at Trade Winds Marina. The annual fireworks show will kick off at dusk.