There are a lot of words to describe 2020: exhausted and frustrated, chaotic to challenging. While every year, there are many lists dedicated to describing the past 365 days, 2020’s list ranges from a long list of profanities to simply being tired.
But the word I am selecting to describe 2020 and which I hope to hold up for 2021 is grateful.
While there were many things that went wrong in 2020, there were still many things to be grateful for this past year and it doesn’t take much thought to create a long list.
For starters, I am grateful that we live in a community which looks out for one another on both the small and large scale.
The top of the gratefulness list goes to our front-line workers, especially those at Community Hospital and the McCook Clinic. It cannot be overstated how important it is that we have such a capable and professional medical facility and staff right here in our community, which is trying to keep us safe and healthy.
If there is only thing that we take from 2020 is renewed appreciation for our health care workers.
We should be grateful for our McCook Fire Department, police and EMTs who have worked tirelessly over the past year despite all the hurdles. And kudos to the staff at the Southwest Nebraska Health Department who were thrust into high-gear this year.
We should be grateful for the organizations, which have stepped up during this crisis to make sure our most vulnerable citizens’ needs are being met form the Family Resource Center to Mid-Nebraska Community Action Partners, to the Red Willow Ministerial Association, all working together to make sure resources are available for those in need.
We should be grateful for our childcare workers, who did everything that was asked to stay open so that employees could go to work and businesses could open their doors. And the list goes on and on to the grocery store clerks to the sanitation workers and to all the essential workers who never quit working despite the crisis.
And the list doesn’t stop there for those who keep this community going day-in and day-out, regardless of the pandemic, but who make this community a better place to call home.
I am grateful to McCook and Southwest Nebraska for stepping up and making the 2020 Big Give McCook reach record numbers in its five year history and to Melissa Stritt and Lisa Felker and the Community Chest committee, who worked for months to make it happen.
I am grateful to Kyle Dellevoet, Jamie Mockry and Dan Miller and McCook Christian Church volunteers for stepping up to administer the “Cold-Hard Covid Cash” program, which pumped thousands of dollars into our local economy.
I am grateful for the McCook Community Foundation Fund, MNB Bank and Graff Charitable Foundation and several other donors, who funded the Covid-19 Response Account to make those programs happen.
And then there are the personal things which made 2020 memorable and which make me grateful to live in this community.
Like the work of Jeff Gross and the entire staff at McCook Public Schools which made an in-person graduation ceremony happen for my Class of 2020 senior and the 100 other graduates. Like Mary and Dale Dueland leaving dinner on my front porch when my family entered its second “quarantine camp” this fall. Like Staci and Jason Blomstedt posting free coffee and donut gift cards during the Reindeer Run at Barnett Park because they missed their fellow runners.
There are countless other stories out there of people doing little things to make life just a little bit better for their neighbors, friends and family. There are so many more people and organizations which I cannot even begin to name all of them of which we should be grateful.
As we turn the page on the calendar to 2021, things will not automatically be different, things will not automatically get better, things will not automatically change. But we can make things different and we can make things better if we are simply a little more grateful for one other, for our family and friends and for our community, .
On behalf of the entire McCook Community Foundation Fund Advisory Committee, we are grateful to be part of McCook and Southwest Nebraska and we wish everyone a Happy New Year.
McCook's last hometown bakery closed this past week, leaving a void not just for donuts but for connections.
Many organizations and businesses in McCook offer the opportunity to recycle, reuse and repair items that may just end up in the trash.
Organizer for Buffalo Commons Storytelling Festival and former librarian named Oct 2025 volunteer of the month.
McCook's Third Thursdays were created to get businesses and organizations involved and designed to create life-long memories for the community.
Long-time community advocate Barb Ostrum received the Sept 2025 McCook Volunteer of the Month award.
We need to celebrate our young people while they are here and encourage them to return.
While some like myself appreciate a rainy day, others dread them for a variety of reasons. We need to be empathetic as interact with others.
MCFF Fall Grant Deadline is Oct. 1. Complete list of former recipients on MCFF website
With so much going, it is time for a “This, That and the Other Thing” column, where we will cover several topics, not very deeply but hopefully with a sense of humor as we clean up and prepare for a busy week in McCook. *** McCook again made state and national news this week for ice. This time, it was in the form of hail that pounded the community for hours upon hours. Conversations this week begin with “where were you….?” or “how many windows did you lose?” And while they may be legitimate and are offering their services, it is like vultures with all the roofing repair and dent removal businesses which have descended upon McCook following the storm. As city officials noted, do your due diligence with any company doing repairs for you and follow the old adage, which is old and still around because it’s true: If something seems to be too good to be true, it probably is. And one last note on the storm, we need to be careful what we ask for. As storm after storm approaches McCook and then splits in two to go around the town, we finally got one to roll right over us. The storm liked McCook so much it slowed down and just there. I was in Lincoln during the storm and trying to determine when I would drive home. I thought the weather app had frozen or the radar was broken because every time I looked, the storm was still sitting over McCook, doing its damage. I guess we can be thankful the next time a storm seemingly just goes around us. *** We are in the thick of McCook’s Heritage Days celebration. Congratulations to all the Heritage Days Royalty, which was announced at the MNB Bank Mixer this week. A special shout-out to Bill Donze, better known as Mr. Bill and his wife, Kathy, who were honored as royalty for their impact in McCook. As many know, Mr. Bill is fighting cancer and the prognosis isn’t good. The chances of him selling snow-cones and candy out of his van next summer near the McCook Aquatic Center are not good. One judge of his impact was the response to my column about Mr. Bill a few months ago. The post was shared thousands of times, viewed nearly 70,000 times with just as many comments by people sharing their fond memories of Mr. Bill. So when you see Mr. Bill riding down Norris in the convertible this weekend in the Heritage Days parade, send extra prayers and well-wishes to the man who has brought so much joy to so many kids - and adults too - over the years. *** Continuing on the Heritage Days theme, I would be remiss if I didn’t mention that the McCook Rotary Club is tossing all egos and formality out the window this weekend. As the president of the McCook Rotary Club, I invite everyone to at least watch, if not participate, in the Rotary’s first inflatable costume relay race on Saturday as part of the festivities in Norris Park. These are those giant, blow-up costumes you usually see around Halloween. The first costumes were usually T-Rexes but now there is everything imaginable available as a design. With the idea for the race originally conceived by Melanie Goodenberger, she has purchased everything from corn on the cob to a cowboy riding a chicken. This is a fund-raiser for the Rotary Club with a cost of just $20 for a team of four to participate in the relay race. But it is also a chance to giggle, perhaps make a fool of yourself and just have fun. Come to the park Saturday afternoon for the Wiener Dog races and stay for the Rotary Relay races. While the dogs will already be close to the ground, the relay race participants will likely just end up on the ground. *** With so much going on in McCook this week, I debated whether there should be another activity the next week but the response has already been great for the Lied’s Arts Across Nebraska’s next production in McCook. Hosted by the McCook Creative District, the Omaha Street Percussion ensemble will perform at the Fox Theater on Wednesday, Sept. 24. There is a matinee showing at 10:30 a.m. but I will be up-front…we are testing the capacity of the Fox with every seat already claimed with students. If that is the only show you can make, please come and we’ll find you a seat but it may be those up in the rafters. Otherwise, please plan to attend the 7 p.m. show on Sept. 24. And even better, there is no cost thanks to the Kimmel Foundation and the Friends of the Lied. This is a busy week and a busy weekend but this is a great opportunity to sit back and enjoy a fun, entertaining evening of live music.
Most likely, we aren't going to be good at something at the start. But that shouldn't stop us from trying.
