McCOOK, Neb. -- Over the weekend, sidewalks, driveways and streets around McCook were covered in beautiful chalk drawings of flowers, hearts and words of encouragement.
That concept was taken a step further with a painted mural on the sidewalk in front of Sehnert’s Bakery, focusing on the idea that “We Are One.”
For several years, the idea of murals on the side of buildings around McCook has been part of the discussion about arts and culture in McCook and Southwest Nebraska. The current crisis has moved the project from discussion to action, at least on a small scale, with the hope of lifting spirits during the pandemic.
The mural was painted on the sidewalk in front of Sehnert’s Bakery on Norris Avenue features colorful spring flowers and an artistic, “We Are One,” a common refrain in McCook and especially pertinent during the crisis.
Ginny Anderson, who is on hiatus as owner of The Tattoo Shop, and Deonne Hinz, St. Patrick Elementary’s art teacher, combined creative forces to design and paint the sidewalk artwork. That same artwork will be duplicated on large panels to be installed along the highway as well a coffee-themed banner to be installed on the second level of the Bieroc Cafe.
Several local businesses and organizations have already asked to be part of the sidewalk mural to show their support with their names added artistically by Deonne and Ginny.
“Although we may be competitors, we are also friends and we are in this together,” Matt Sehnert said. “This is a great example of working together to get through this crisis.” Any business or organization which would like to be on the bakery mural may contact Matt Sehnert by email at sehnertbakery@gmail.com. Just provide the business name and Matt will work on getting it added to the mural.
The project was a collaboration of several organizations and businesses, including financial support from the McCook Community Foundation Fund. The project also involves Acme Printing Co., Sehnert’s Bakery and several private donors.
The sidewalk mural is intended to last two or three months, but organizers hope to consider more permanent murals on a larger scale.
If you would like to be a part of the mural project or other community art projects, from creating ideas to providing venue space for murals to making a financial donation, please contact Ronda Graff with the McCook Community Foundation Fund at mcffund@gmail.com. MCFF is an affiliated fund of the Nebraska Community Foundation.
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.
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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.
