To say next week is important is an understatement. The 2020 elections are finally here, thank goodness. And as if that wasn’t enough, Big Give McCook is next Thursday, Nov. 5.
Add on top of that the fact we’ll have just wrapped up Halloween, still adjusting to the time change and wondering about the never ending threat of quarantine from Covid.
And by the way, it’s a full moon this weekend.
While we don’t have a say about most of those issues (O.K. we don’t have to gorge ourselves on Snickers), we can have impact by voting and by donating.
Let’s start with the election. It has been a contentious year to say the least. With so much focus on the national election, the local races have gotten lost in the shuffle, which is unfortunate because they have just as much if not more of an impact on our daily lives.
Here’s a test: While everyone knows who is running for president, can you name the three McCook school board candidates? Hint, they are all incumbents. Can you name the three people running for the two open seats on the McCook City Council? How about the two Red Willow County Commissions vying for the one spot?
These elected officials control millions of tax dollars and decide policies, which will have an impact on us for years and years to come. Local elections should have equal if not more precedence than national politics. Local civic knowledge actually has an impact on a community.
Thanks to a recommendation by Andy Long, I have been reading “Our Towns - A 100,000-Mile Journey Into the Heart of America” by James and Deborah Fallows over the past year. The couple travels across the country over the course of several years visiting several dozen towns to learn what makes them thrive - or struggle - including Atwood, Kan.
At the end, they use anecdotal evidence to derive a list of 10 things that make a community a success.
I won’t go into all of them but the first item is relevant now more than ever: “People work together on practical local possibilities, rather than allowing bitter disagreements about national politis to keep them apart.”
Yes, we need the national government, but ultimately, it is local resilience which makes a community successful.
So while most of the focus may be on the national election, we should have greater awareness about our local elections. If you haven’t voted yet, research all the candidates to learn what they want to do to make our community better.
Or better yet, we are a small community, so reach out to the candidates. And ask them their thoughts on taxes, on improvements, on collaboration, on how they intend to make an impact during their time in office. Even if the seat is uncontested, have the candidate explain why they are the best person for the job.
Making an informed, educated vote about all the candidates is one way to make an impact.
But another way to make an impact next week is by making a donation.
The fifth annual Big Give McCook takes place on Thursday, Nov. 5 from midnight to midnight. This is your opportunity to show your support for these organizations with your donation.
The organizations involved in Big Give McCook are truly necessary if you want to have local resiliency. They provide the safety net for those down on their luck. They are behind the projects which make this a great place to live. They help make our day-to-days better as well as improve our community for generations to come.
For some of these organizations, these donations are used for operational expenses. Your dollars literally help keep their doors open and the shelves stocked.
For others, your donation is what will make the difference on whether a project happens. Your dollars will help determine if our community will be better five years from now or if it’s just status quo.
As I’ve said for the past five years, every dollar matters. When the Community Chest committee was setting up this program five years ago, the original name was “Give Big McCook,’ but “giving big” was not what was the most important or what makes it a success.
Big Give McCook is successful because people are working together to make our community better. Big Give McCook is successful because people are making a difference on the local level. Big Give McCook is successful because we are stronger together rather than apart.
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.
