Whether we like it or not, we live by the calendar. Our schedules are dictated by the day of the week. We plan around what is already on our schedule. We look to see when we have days open to plan a trip or schedule a meeting.
When asked if we can attend something, the automatic response is “Let me check my calendar.”
The same holds true for a community. There are so many things going on that a calendar is a necessity. And good or bad, we have a lot of them.
The Gazette has a great calendar which lists everything from governmental meetings to area festivals. I think it is so important that it should be one of the first things listed on their website.
McCook Public Schools maintains its own calendar which is a necessity with the plethora of sporting and social activities the school oversees. The McCook Arts Council has a list of all the arts and culture events on its new website.
And the McCook Chamber of Commerce has maintained an online calendar for years, but just last week made it easier than ever to add an event by removing the login step to submit information.
Why is an online community calendar so important? Just look at what happened Monday during the McCook City Council meeting.
City staff and the council were working with the pool engineer to set a community meeting to discuss a new city pool. They settled upon Thursday, Aug. 5 at 7 p.m.
Unbeknownst to them, MNB Bank had already set their popular Hot Summer Nights Concert for that same evening at the same time. The band Soca Jukebox was booked. The venue at Norris Park was reserved. The promotional materials had been printed.
The city is now aware of the conflict and will likely - and hopefully - move the date of the pool meeting so that people can both enjoy a wonderful, free event in the park one night and have their own voice heard about the pool on another night.
The scheduling conflict just highlighted the need for organizations and individuals to use the community calendars already in place for several reasons.
The first is so things like Monday don’t happen where multiple events get scheduled at the same time or even on the same weekend.
I suffer from a severe case of FOMO - Fear of Missing Out. I hate when multiple events, especially within a community, conflict with each other and I must choose. I would rather support all the events and programs and projects that people have put time and effort into.
I realize everyone doesn’t want to attend the same events, but people shouldn’t have to choose to give up something because no one checked to see what else was going on.
Another reason for a strong community calendar is to show everything that is going on. Yes, I’ve already said that, but I mean we need to show everything that is going on to outsiders who may be considering moving to our community.
People want things to do. If they are considering moving to McCook or Southwest Nebraska or Northwest Kansas, they want to know what is going on.
If organizations list what they are doing, people - both local and visitors - can access everything going on, both to plan other events and to get excited about all the cool things happening.
Scheduling doesn’t just affect McCook. The Fourth of July and the last week of September are both examples of dealing with scheduling conflicts.
Culbertson is the king of celebrating the Fourth of July. And I am not just saying that because I help with the Freedom Run 5K and 10K road race on Sunday, July 4…but do sign up.
Culbertson residents put on a great event for all ages with a parade and games and swimming and a car show. No one wants to compete with that.
So Indianola has set their Fourth of July celebration for….July 3.
And McCook Christian Church has set their Freedom Fest celebration at the Red Willow County Fairgrounds for….July 2.
We can literally make a full weekend of celebrating the Fourth of July holiday thanks to all these communities’ hard work.
When the end of September rolls around, there are hard decisions to be made.
That is the standing date for McCook’s Heritage Days celebration. It is just traditionally the last full weekend in September and plans are already underway for the event.
Stratton Days are planned for that same weekend, as is Smokin’ on the Beaver in Atwood. All great, fun events to bring people together and celebrate their communities.
For our little part of the world to thrive, we know we must support our neighbors, so we travel to area festivals too which makes it difficult to then choose between staying in McCook or hitting the road. It’s a great problem to have and I hope all of them are a success.
Many of these events are now settled into their dates year after year. But as new events are added or meetings pop up, all of our communities would benefit from using, adding to, looking at, referencing regularly, emailing often and listing continuously on these calendars. We simply need to make it a habit to check our community calendars, as regularly as we do our own.
By creating all these events - and almost as important, just showing up - we are working toward making our communities even better places to call home.
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.
It takes work and effort to be social but its vital to our community.
McCook's young people are shaping their hometown through a various projects.
MCFF Summer Hometown Intern Natalie Roberts shares how her perspective on McCook changed over the past few months.
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
