When I first moved to McCook, one of the first things that caught my eye was the Fox Theater. I was fascinated every time I saw the sign out front lit up on Norris Avenue.
We aren’t the only community with a Fox Theater...actually, can someone please explain why Fox is such a common name for a theater?
But I digress…
When the Fox marque is lit up, you know you are on Norris Avenue and you are in McCook. But what else is distinctly McCook? What else says “Only in McCook?” What else makes you proud to be from McCook?
Consider this: if someone walked up to you today and started asking you questions about your hometown, what would you say?
How would you describe your community? What sets your town apart from every other town? How is your town better or different than it was five years ago? Where is your community headed? What would you say is the town’s story?
If they asked you why they should move to your hometown, what would you say to convince them? Would you be able to answer in a positive way? Would you recall something about your community which made your smile?
Alternatively, consider the towns you have visited and - more importantly - that you admire. What do you recall about your visit? What makes them stand out? What impressed you and made you say, “We should have that in our town”? What are they doing that you would not only duplicate but then make your own in your hometown?
Most likely, those communities had character. Something that tells a story. Something that is memorable. What are we doing that let’s people know they are in your community and remember it when they leave...or makes them stay?
Most likely, these communities had a common story. Think about Red Cloud and Willa Cather, O’Neill as the Irish capital of Nebraska and Gothenburg claiming the Swedes. Should McCook put more of a focus on George Norris or Buffalo Commons or the lake or the bison herd?
Most likely, these communities invested in themselves to make things happen so that someone who visited five years ago would find something new and different now. Do we have a five-, 10- or 20-year plan for what we want our community to look like?
Those are all ideas that we need to consider for our own community.
What is our story? If someone asked you why they should move there, what would you say? Would you be able to answer in a positive way? Would everyone have a similar story?
As you can tell, I have more questions than answers. But that is where the conversations need to start. We need to be asking ourselves, our leaders and our local organizations these questions. We need to be planning for the future rather than just letting it happen. We need to be having these discussions if are going to make our community a place people want to stay, want to visit and want to call home.
And probably the most important question of all: What are you doing personally to make your community an even better place to call home?
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.
