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.
Most likely, we aren't going to be good at something at the start. But that shouldn't stop us from trying.
August 2025 Volunteer of the Month Bruce McDowell can be found walking around McCook for his health, to be helpful or maybe even attend a meeting.
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With the McCook Aquatic Center closing soon for the season, another tradition - Mr. Bill and his 25-cent snow-cones - will likely be coming to an end soon too.
McCook among five Nebraska communities in Revitalize and Thrive Program
Getting Outside of National Night Out Nearly everyone can tell you their last interaction with the police or the fire department. And unfortunately because of the nature of the organizations, it is usually not at a positive moment. My last contact with the McCook Police Department was just a few weeks ago, when I was pulled over on B Street in McCook…on my scooter. I pulled into the wrong lane when making a turn, which is illegal. But in my defense, it was an act of self-defense to just get through the intersection of East B and Sixth streets alive. Since the drivers haven’t seen a stop-light since Holdrege, cars and semis regularly run the traffic light, which makes me a wee bit vulnerable as I pass through the lanes. I got off with a warning but the true punishment were the texts throughout the day from everyone who saw me with my scooter and the police officer. Since most exchanges with police and fire are not on good terms, National Night Out was created to have an evening of positive interactions, to remind the public that the police and fire departments are just normal people, doing their jobs, looking out for their friends and neighbors, trying to create a safe community for everyone. National Night Out is designed to simply join your friends and neighbors for an evening of fellowship and fun. It is an opportunity to meet local law enforcement, creating safer and more caring neighborhoods. McCook is joining thousands of other communities across the country in hosting National Night Out, which typically takes place on the first Tuesday of August every year. Planned for Tuesday, Aug. 5 from 5:30-7 p.m. in and around Norris Park in McCook, the night includes a bike parade, a walk, awards for bike decorating, desserts and more. In other words, it is simply a block party to hang out. Numerous organizations have come together to make the evening possible. CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates) and the McCook Rotary Club are hosting a bike parade that starts at 6 p.m. Linda Maiden with State Farm, a bicycle helmet advocate, will also be in Norris Park. The streets around Norris Park will be shut down to provide a safe area to ride, as well as more space to cruise around the block. Participants are encouraged to decorate their bike, scooter, roller skates or anything on wheels. This could mean streamers, pompom balls, markers or even the old classic - playing cards in the spokes of your wheels. Some supplies will be available at the park for use if you show up and realize you are the most underdressed person at the party. If your bike has an inch of dust on it, this is a great time to get it out, wipe it off and get it rolling. And if your bike needs minimal fixes like a flat tire or a brake adjustment, bike tools will be on hand along with myself and my hubbie, who know just enough about bike repair to be dangerous but did manage a 300-plus mile bike ride last week so we must be doing something right. But let’s say you don’t have a bike or biking isn’t your cup of tea? Then you are still encouraged to join the “Walk in the Park,” hosted by Community Hospital. Designed to encourage a healthy lifestyle, walkers will stroll around the park and the neighborhood at whatever pace you feel like with strollers and dogs on leashes welcomed. And perhaps most importantly, there will be a chance to meet members of the McCook Police and Fire Department, getting to see police cars and fire engines close-up in a non-emergency manner, always the best way to see them. And if the weather cooperates, there may be a fire hose, water and spraying involved. If you have been at the Culbertson Fourth of July parade, you know it is up to you to stay out of the line of fire if you want to remain dry. We all have excuses for why we don’t want to go out at night, especially after a long day at work. But National Night Out in McCook on Aug. 5 is a great reason to get out your bicycle and lace up your walking shoes. Hang out with your friends, get to know your neighbors and meet your first responders. That is what makes our communities just a little bit better.
Judy McCune named July 2025 McCook volunteer of the month
Joyce Anderson named June 2025 McCook Volunteer of the Month
