We are all guilty of doing it. Sitting around and bemoaning the state of the world. Complaining about what did or didn’t get done in our community. Wishing that things would be better, would change or would simply be different,
But if that is where the process stops, then nothing will get better. Nothing will change. Nothing will be different. Because we must be the change we want to see in the world. Yes, it is an overused cliche but it became overused and became a cliche because it is true.
My late mother-in-law used to hold onto things because someone, somewhere, someday may need the item. In the end, we never found that someone.
Similarly, sitting around and waiting for “someone” to solve our problems or make our community better isn’t going to happen without our input.
Alongside the phrase “That’s how we’ve always done it,” the next eight worse words in the English language are: “I wish someone would do something about it.”
Wishing and dreaming are great. That is where many of our best ideas begin. But taking that next step and making things come to fruition is where change happens.
Maybe it is like Emily Young, who is working to create a Harvest Festival on Saturday morning in the parking lot of her business at West 9th and C in McCook. A lot of man - and woman - hours are making this event a reality in its first year.
St. Patrick Church’s Fall Festival is Sunday afternoon on East Fourth and G Streets. Now in its 47th year, this community event happens because dozens - if not hundreds - of volunteers put countless hours and financial resources toward it.
And there are other things happening in the community because people have determined that it is worth their time and effort to make it a reality.
Kellie Soden and her volunteer committee persevered for two years to create a dog park in McCook. With the support of many financial donors and the city of McCook, the K9 Korner Dog Park at Barnett Park will soon become a reality.
The walking trails may soon be expanded, new ballparks are in discussion and the pool...that’s another column unto itself.
Maybe you see something that needs to be improved. Maybe you have thought of something the community needs. Maybe you have seen something that is wrong that needs to be fixed.
We cannot sit back and wait for “someone” to ride in on a white horse and save the day. We need to make the change happen that we want to see.
For starters, contact someone who can actually do something about it or who knows how to fix the situation.
Sure, continue to call into Openline to voice your concerns with Rich Barnett. That is one way people learn about what is going on. Write your letters-to-the-editor at the Gazette. It is a good way to articulate how you feel about the situation.
But that isn’t going to solve the problem. Nor is lamenting to your coffee club, even if they claim to solve all the problems of the world by the end of three cups of coffee.
Instead, it is calling the city offices if you want to have your road fixed. It is reaching out to the restaurant with a complaint rather than posting on Facebook. It is joining local service organizations who are just one of the groups getting things done in the community.
And finally it is stepping up to run for political office because ultimately they are making many of the decisions that affect day-in, day-out. While we may not always agree with those in political office, we must acknowledge that they are giving of their time and energy. If we aren’t doing the same, then we don’t have a lot of room to complain.
If all this seems like just too much, there is one further step we can all take. Show up.
If someone goes to the effort to create an event, we can show our support by attending. If we want to know what is going on in our community and how our tax dollars are being spent, we need to show up at government meetings. If someone starts a new business, we need to show up and shop local.
We don’t have to make grand, sweeping gestures to make change in our community. Rather, our everyday decisions will make an impact. Showing up, volunteering, getting involved, reaching out to others. Those are the actions we need to take if we are going to be the change we want to see in our community. Those are the decisions we need to make if we are going to make McCook an even better place to call home.
Linda Graff named McCook Volunteer of the Month for December 2025
By focusing on what is important, we can make an even better impact in our communities.
After a 10-year hiatus, the McCook Holiday Home Tours return focusing on downtown upstairs apartments.
While many people think volunteering is for older residents, serving your community has no age restrictions. And young people can regularly be found lending a hand or offering their services in their hometown. The November 2025 McCook Volunteer of the Month recognizes one of many young people are working to make their community an even better place to call home: Grady Riemenschneider. Currently a senior at McCook High School, Grady volunteers with a wide variety of organizations and groups. As a four-year member of the McCook Community Foundation Fund’s Youth Change Reaction, Grady serves as the ambassador for the youth group’s “Cars Under Stars,” the outdoor movie theater at the Red Willow County Fairgrounds. At nearly every showing, he can be found operating the projector and setting up the parking lot, as well as passing along his knowledge to the next ambassador. In McCook’s FFA program, Grady has held officer roles the past four years and is currently the chapter vice president, organized the chapter banquet in 2025 and coached for the conduct of chapter meetings. Along with serving as the president of the Driftwood Feeders 4-H Club, he assists with setup, tear down and fundraising for the dog show and helps fellow members train their dogs. Grady steps in to help and lead at local events, including Prairie Plains CASA’s Kick in’ It Up for CASA and the Cajun Broil; the Edward Jones Alzheimer’s Walk; operating sound boards for various groups; and Feed the Farmer. And he has served as a youth leader at McCook Christian Church for elementary youth since approximately 2018 as well as stepping up to ensure the ag program ran smoothly during a teacher’s maternity leave Upon request from his mother about some of Grady’s activities, Sharleen noted that he is the “Chief Household Operations Officer: first responder for Mom’s to-do list, go-to chauffeur and caretaker for his favorite sidekick (a.k.a. his nephew), and the family’s unofficial event planner who somehow keeps everyone together without a clipboard.” The McCook Philanthropy Council recognizes a volunteer every month who is doing good work in McCook and Red Willow County. If there is a volunteer in the community who should be recognized, please contact the McCook Chamber of Commerce at 308-345-3200 or visit McCook Volunteers on the McCook Community Foundation Fund’s website, mccookfoundation.org to complete a nomination form. The only requirement is that the nominee must be a resident of McCook or Red Willow County but please have information about the nominee along with where and how they volunteer in the community. The volunteer honoree is selected monthly by the McCook Philanthropy Council.
With the holiday's nearing, MCFF member and Mayor Linda Taylor reflects on the many things to be thankful in McCook.
The names of those people who have made a generational impact on McCook and Southwest Nebraska is a long list. Many of them are working day-in, day-out right now to make their mark on the community. And then there are those people who no longer call McCook home but still make an impact long after they are gone. Allen Strunk is one of those people. Allen passed away on Nov. 1 at his home in Las Vegas, Nevada but he never lost the love of his hometown. Born and raised in McCook, Allen was a member of an already well-known family, Harry and Arlene Strunk. The Strunks started and published the McCook Daily Gazette, with the motto, “Service is the rent we pay for the space we occupy in this world.” A saying that was so important that Harry had it etched at the top of his downtown newspaper office on Norris Avenue. That sense of service was passed along to Allen, who continued to serve his community as he took over leadership of the Gazette. I didn’t know Allen personally until he came back for visits years later. Even though my first job upon arriving in McCook was at the McCook Daily Gazette and Allen had turned over the publishing reins to Gene Morris many years prior, the Strunk legacy loomed large. He was instrumental in the building of the then-new YMCA, moving the facility from downtown to its current location next to the McCook High School. He was a key player in the new hospital, again moving from one location to a new expanded space. And McCook Community College benefitted his involvement in an expansion. Those projects continue to impact McCook today. And the support didn’t stop just because Allen retired from the Gazette and left McCook. There are programs the Strunks are involved in that benefit McCook and Southwest Nebraska. The Strunks continue to support Santa Claus Lane, which is overseen by the McCook Chamber of Commerce. And which after a few years of decline is seeing a resurgence of enthusiasm and nostalgia for the decorative holiday pieces lining Norris Avenue. Allen funds the annual McCook Area Outstanding Teacher award, which provides a financial prize to several teachers every year. And Allen recognized the work of the McCook Community Foundation Fund, providing a donation several years ago so that he could see its impact while he was still alive. This has led MCFF to consider how they will recognize and remember Allen for years to come. Because of his belief in service to his community, this could mean more recognition for the countless volunteers who keep our community thriving. It could be a day of community service, to see how many people can come together to make something happen. It could be a celebration for all the great things happening in our community. During Allen’s memorial service this past week in McCook, his step-daughter-in-law read the poem, “The Dash" by Linda Ellis, who published it in 1996. It reflects on the meaning of the dash between the birth and death dates on a tombstone. The dash is a reminder of everything that happens between the moment a person is born and the moment a person dies. The dash emphasizes the importance of how one lives their life during that time. The dash prompts a person to think about living, rather than worrying about dying. Ultimately, the dash is where all the good - and the bad - happens. And Allen Strunk made the most of his “dash,” both in his community and within his family. We can’t all run a newspaper. We likely aren’t going to etch our favorite saying into a building. But we all need to consider how we are paying the “rent for the space we occupy in this world.” And we can all make a difference in our hometowns, whether we currently live in them or even if we haven’t stepped foot on the main street in years.
Everyone feels a need to be needed and it is shown through the Big Give and Meal Kit Giveaways
SWNE Big Give reaches new heights thanks to enthusiasm of organizations, individuals and businesses
Food pantries are seeing an increased need, which means the community must step up with donations of food and time to help those who struggle to put food on the table.
