Anyone with more than one child knows that none of them are the same. They each have their own characteristics and their own quirks, their own way of learning and their own way of responding to a situation.
Just as every child is different, every high school class is different. Ask any teacher who has been teaching a few years about the ebb and flow of classes through a school.
But this class of 2020 will have the distinction of truly being different.
Along with everyone else, their year was upended this past spring. And while hopefully, the next class will be able to return to some sort of normalcy, the Class of 2020 will not get those opportunities back.
There was no senior celebration or senior trip. The spring sports season was lost to the history books. And there was no final chance to say goodbye to teachers and friends.
But the McCook High School Class of 2020 is fortunate to have one final hurrah with an adjusted graduation and a semblance of a prom to close out their high school career.
As the MHS Class of 2020 prepares to walk across the stage Friday evening to “officially” graduate, it will be about as normal as normal can be these days. Their name will still be read, speeches will be made and someone will sneak in an airhorn to celebrate the milestone.
But the changes to the graduation ceremony will not be missed. The stands will not be packed because of the health directives in place. There will be family members with hurt feelings because they could not be included. And there will be fewer kids in the chairs, as some have already left for the military or moved onto the next phase of their life.
If there is an upside to all this, everyone is hopefully a bit more lean and sporting a summer tan in all those graduation photos. After all, it’s the end of July. Graduation should have been two months ago when we were still trying to shed our winter fat and just unveiling our pasty white legs.
After graduation, many will take their diplomas, leave for college or a career elsewhere and never look back. Letting these kids go is a missed opportunity on our part, but one that can be easily amended.
The McCook Community Foundation Fund conducted a “youth survey” at the McCook High School this past spring, the fifth survey held over the past 20 years.
We were supposed to do follow-up conversations with the kids in April about the results, but obviously that didn’t happen. That was going to be our opportunity to have a dialogue about what they want to see in their community and how they could be involved and make that happen.
But more importantly, it was going to give us a chance to do the one thing that many adults fail to do: Ask our youth to move back to McCook.
In the survey results, nearly 65 percent of the kids said they had never been asked to stay or return to McCook.
While it may seem like a simple concept, people like to be asked. They like to feel appreciated. They like to feel valued. And that is what that question boils down to: We want our youth to move or stay in McCook because we want them to be part of our community. We want them to establish a career here. We want them to raise their families here.
As the parent of a graduating senior with a husband who has taught nearly everyone of these graduates, we have grown close to these kids and I would love to see not only my own kids but all of them stay or return to McCook.
As the McCook High School Class of 2020 prepares to graduate on Friday, we wish them nothing but the best. We want each and everyone of them to know that they are a valuable member of this community. We want them to know that they can always call McCook home. And just in case no one else told them (or they missed it during this week’s graduation practice when Tyler McCarty was supposed to be sharing that message but instead was memorably throwing shrimp at them): Class of 2020…we want you to return home to McCook and help us make this community an even better place to call home.
Linda Graff named McCook Volunteer of the Month for December 2025
By focusing on what is important, we can make an even better impact in our communities.
After a 10-year hiatus, the McCook Holiday Home Tours return focusing on downtown upstairs apartments.
While many people think volunteering is for older residents, serving your community has no age restrictions. And young people can regularly be found lending a hand or offering their services in their hometown. The November 2025 McCook Volunteer of the Month recognizes one of many young people are working to make their community an even better place to call home: Grady Riemenschneider. Currently a senior at McCook High School, Grady volunteers with a wide variety of organizations and groups. As a four-year member of the McCook Community Foundation Fund’s Youth Change Reaction, Grady serves as the ambassador for the youth group’s “Cars Under Stars,” the outdoor movie theater at the Red Willow County Fairgrounds. At nearly every showing, he can be found operating the projector and setting up the parking lot, as well as passing along his knowledge to the next ambassador. In McCook’s FFA program, Grady has held officer roles the past four years and is currently the chapter vice president, organized the chapter banquet in 2025 and coached for the conduct of chapter meetings. Along with serving as the president of the Driftwood Feeders 4-H Club, he assists with setup, tear down and fundraising for the dog show and helps fellow members train their dogs. Grady steps in to help and lead at local events, including Prairie Plains CASA’s Kick in’ It Up for CASA and the Cajun Broil; the Edward Jones Alzheimer’s Walk; operating sound boards for various groups; and Feed the Farmer. And he has served as a youth leader at McCook Christian Church for elementary youth since approximately 2018 as well as stepping up to ensure the ag program ran smoothly during a teacher’s maternity leave Upon request from his mother about some of Grady’s activities, Sharleen noted that he is the “Chief Household Operations Officer: first responder for Mom’s to-do list, go-to chauffeur and caretaker for his favorite sidekick (a.k.a. his nephew), and the family’s unofficial event planner who somehow keeps everyone together without a clipboard.” The McCook Philanthropy Council recognizes a volunteer every month who is doing good work in McCook and Red Willow County. If there is a volunteer in the community who should be recognized, please contact the McCook Chamber of Commerce at 308-345-3200 or visit McCook Volunteers on the McCook Community Foundation Fund’s website, mccookfoundation.org to complete a nomination form. The only requirement is that the nominee must be a resident of McCook or Red Willow County but please have information about the nominee along with where and how they volunteer in the community. The volunteer honoree is selected monthly by the McCook Philanthropy Council.
With the holiday's nearing, MCFF member and Mayor Linda Taylor reflects on the many things to be thankful in McCook.
The names of those people who have made a generational impact on McCook and Southwest Nebraska is a long list. Many of them are working day-in, day-out right now to make their mark on the community. And then there are those people who no longer call McCook home but still make an impact long after they are gone. Allen Strunk is one of those people. Allen passed away on Nov. 1 at his home in Las Vegas, Nevada but he never lost the love of his hometown. Born and raised in McCook, Allen was a member of an already well-known family, Harry and Arlene Strunk. The Strunks started and published the McCook Daily Gazette, with the motto, “Service is the rent we pay for the space we occupy in this world.” A saying that was so important that Harry had it etched at the top of his downtown newspaper office on Norris Avenue. That sense of service was passed along to Allen, who continued to serve his community as he took over leadership of the Gazette. I didn’t know Allen personally until he came back for visits years later. Even though my first job upon arriving in McCook was at the McCook Daily Gazette and Allen had turned over the publishing reins to Gene Morris many years prior, the Strunk legacy loomed large. He was instrumental in the building of the then-new YMCA, moving the facility from downtown to its current location next to the McCook High School. He was a key player in the new hospital, again moving from one location to a new expanded space. And McCook Community College benefitted his involvement in an expansion. Those projects continue to impact McCook today. And the support didn’t stop just because Allen retired from the Gazette and left McCook. There are programs the Strunks are involved in that benefit McCook and Southwest Nebraska. The Strunks continue to support Santa Claus Lane, which is overseen by the McCook Chamber of Commerce. And which after a few years of decline is seeing a resurgence of enthusiasm and nostalgia for the decorative holiday pieces lining Norris Avenue. Allen funds the annual McCook Area Outstanding Teacher award, which provides a financial prize to several teachers every year. And Allen recognized the work of the McCook Community Foundation Fund, providing a donation several years ago so that he could see its impact while he was still alive. This has led MCFF to consider how they will recognize and remember Allen for years to come. Because of his belief in service to his community, this could mean more recognition for the countless volunteers who keep our community thriving. It could be a day of community service, to see how many people can come together to make something happen. It could be a celebration for all the great things happening in our community. During Allen’s memorial service this past week in McCook, his step-daughter-in-law read the poem, “The Dash" by Linda Ellis, who published it in 1996. It reflects on the meaning of the dash between the birth and death dates on a tombstone. The dash is a reminder of everything that happens between the moment a person is born and the moment a person dies. The dash emphasizes the importance of how one lives their life during that time. The dash prompts a person to think about living, rather than worrying about dying. Ultimately, the dash is where all the good - and the bad - happens. And Allen Strunk made the most of his “dash,” both in his community and within his family. We can’t all run a newspaper. We likely aren’t going to etch our favorite saying into a building. But we all need to consider how we are paying the “rent for the space we occupy in this world.” And we can all make a difference in our hometowns, whether we currently live in them or even if we haven’t stepped foot on the main street in years.
Everyone feels a need to be needed and it is shown through the Big Give and Meal Kit Giveaways
SWNE Big Give reaches new heights thanks to enthusiasm of organizations, individuals and businesses
Food pantries are seeing an increased need, which means the community must step up with donations of food and time to help those who struggle to put food on the table.
