When I mention that my husband and I are chaperoning a high school dance, people usually have one of three reactions: pity, sympathy or bewilderment.
I, on the other hand, really enjoy sponsoring dances. It gives us a chance to hear music of which we have no idea what they are saying...and probably don’t want to know. It gives us a chance to bust out our best 1980s dance moves, much to the chagrin of our own children at the dance. And it gives us a chance to just hang out with many of our great younger people, while they are doing something fun.
(And congratulations to Liv Wier and Bryce Dutton on being crowned MHS Color Day Queen and King this past weekend.)
Every year but especially this year, we need to be intentional about creating possibilities where our young people can have fun, can make memories, and can form those bonds with our community.
It is having a dance, even though everyone has to wear a mask - and did a great job wearing them all night. It is creating a inviting space, where kids feel safe and welcome. It is creating opportunities where they can be involved and make an impact and even have ownership of their own projects.
The McCook skate park is a great example of empowering and supporting young people and seeing their idea come to fruition. The idea started with young people who simply wanted a skate park, which so many towns already had. They were involved every step of the way and now McCook can say it has a skatepark. And even if you will never use a skate park, it is still an asset for the community. It could be the one thing that makes a family with young kids choose to move to McCook - or not.
It is investing in our young people, both with our dollars and our time.
Perhaps it is coaching a youth sports team at the YMCA. Maybe you have a passion for a sport that you could share with a young person. Maybe this is your chance to spend more time with your grandchild doing something healthy.
Just because you don’t have a child enrolled does not mean you cannot help. I have a picture of me standing in the middle of Weiland Field (yes, that’s where we played when the program began), six months pregnant with my first child, surrounded by a gaggle of 10 year olds during half-time of a soccer game. She’s now 24 and I’ve coached soccer every year since.
While we may not realize it now, investing our time and money in young people will pay off down the road when those kids become the employees we need to fill the many jobs open in our community; when those kids return from college with a spouse in a tow (the “better half” as I like to call myself) and start their family; or when those kids are our next leaders and volunteers for the many great organizations and programs which already exist or which they will create on their own.
Every day, each and everyone of us makes decisions which will have an impact on what our community will look like for future generations.
But we have a special opportunity next week to share what we would like our community to look like next year, 10 years from now, 20, 30 or even 50 years from now. Decisions made today will affect us, our children and our grandchildren for years to come.
The city of McCook is hosting a town hall meeting next Thursday, Feb. 18 at 7 p.m. in the City Auditorium on West 5th Street. Everyone will have a chance to provide input on what we would like our community to be, what projects we would like to see completed, what is important for our community to not just maintain the status quo but to actually thrive and grow.
Even if you can’t attend in person, there are still ways to participate. There are plans to Zoom the town hall, so check the city website for further instructions. Or you can always email or call the city offices to share your ideas and suggestions.
While posting on Facebook or calling the radio station lets a person vent, it is not the most productive way to get something accomplished. City officials would rather hear helpful suggestions before the fact, rather than negative comments when it’s too late.
While the meeting will focus on issues the city can address such as the pool project, street maintenance and annexation, there is no reason other ideas cannot be shared. Maybe those ideas will be picked up by other groups and organizations in our community or even individuals who share your passion.
And who knows? Maybe it is your idea which makes a 2021 graduate decide to stay in McCook after graduation. Maybe it is your passion which convinces an alumni to invest in their hometown. Maybe it is your creativity which pushes a former resident to return and raise their family here.
So plan on attending, speaking or even just listening at the Feb. 18 town hall meeting, so we can all make McCook 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.
