If there is one thing which has changed for my family over the past few months, it is the reduced number of miles on our vehicles.
For the past decade, if we weren’t hosting a road race for the Republican River Fitness Series, we would be driving to a nearby state for an athletic event. With the exception of the lone McCook swim meet, every weekend in June and July would have been spent traveling to a regional pool for a summer swim meet. And there would have been one or two family vacations within driving distance…a distance which was determined by how far we could drive before nine people crammed in a vehicle lost their sanity.
During the summer, our house served as a home base, which we visited for a few hours, maybe a few days to do laundry and restock on supplies before heading out again.
But as all of those activities came to a screeching halt as they did for everyone and we suddenly had to find something else to do with our time.
While the radius of our travels is starting to expand with a trip to the Omaha Zoo or a canoe ride in Valentine, the majority of our time is still spent within 15 miles of home. Like a lot of people, we have taken this time to reconnect with what is available in our community and accomplished things we most likely would not have if not for this pandemic.
If there is a silver lining to these past few months (and who knows how long into the future), it has been the opportunity to rediscover your hometown.
Perhaps, it was a new-found appreciation for the restaurants who adapted to the closures and mastered carry-out in order to stay in business. Maybe it was intentionally shopping at local retailers, which are asked for donations throughout the year. Or maybe it was as simple as walking around your neighborhood, waving at your neighbors, and enjoying the peace and quiet we sometimes take for granted.
Possibly, you took things even further and got things accomplished that you wouldn’t have if not for this pandemic: How many decks were constructed or rebuilt over the past few months? How many gardens were planted for the first time in years? How many people painted nearly every room in their house, if not just to keep their kids busy? O.K. I just recounted everything my family did since March. But we aren’t alone. Judging by the pickup trucks which are loaded with 2x4s in the back as they pass me on my bicycle rides, the local hardware stores and lumber yards have been busier than usual.
And that is great to see. People are investing in their homes for the long-term and they are investing in their community to see it prosper into the future. And there is actually a term for this, which is used by the Nebraska Community Foundation: ABCD.
Developed by Dr. John McKnight, the letters stand for Asset-Based Community Development. The intent is to identify the assets of your community, rather than the weaknesses or needs, and to improve your community by enhancing your assets.
In other words, rather than looking for what is wrong, look for what is right and make it better.
Is McCook perfect? No. Is Southwest Nebraska or Northwest Kansas perfect? No. But there is a lot which is right. And there is a lot which can be made better if we just take a few minutes to rediscover and appreciate our hometowns.
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If you purchased COVID Cash this spring, don't forget to spend those funds at one of the 100 local businesses which accept the COVID Cash certificated. The program is coordinated by volunteers at McCook Christian Church and was funded by a grant from the McCook Community Foundation Fund.
You have until September 1 to use the certificates but this weekend during Crazy Days would be a great time to visit local retailers and show your support.
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.
