Reliable, Trustworthy Reporting, Capturing The Heartbeat Of Our Community
Reliable, Trustworthy Reporting, Capturing The Heartbeat Of Our Community
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I have a confession to make: I’ve never really learned how to make pie crust. In fact, most of the pies I’ve served in my life have a connection to Pillsbury, Mrs. Smith or the bakery department from my favorite supermarket. It’s not for lack of effort. I’ve tried to make my own crust, but I just don’t have it together. And you can’t blame my mother. For all of the good things she inherited from my grandmother, the ability to make a decent pie crust was not one of them. So long ago, I acknowledg...
While Santa Claus stopped in Clearwater, Saturday, a green-faced Grinch added to holiday fun, photobombing pictures as Jolly Old St. Nick greeted area youngsters at The Office. Unlike past years, Santa parked his sleigh along the street and greeted families as they drove by. Santa read children's wish lists, asked who had been naughty and nice and offered holiday greetings and goody bags. He told the Advocate-Messenger, "The best part of Christmas is receiving hugs and cookies." The Grinch may...
On Dec. 21 - the shortest day of the year - two planets will align in the evening sky, giving stargazers an opportunity to view a Christmas kiss. The last time the Jupiter and Saturn passed this close to each other was on July 16, 1623. Prior to that, they crossed paths in 1226. The proximity of planets may make the two appear as one unit during the winter solstice. The Christmas kiss, dubbed by Dr. Brad Tucker of Australia's National University, will be visible approximately one hour following...
Dear Santa, It is almost Christmas and I am feeling very excited! Some presents I would like to ask for this year are ukulele and a Mp3 player. To show you what I think of when we talk about Christmas, I drew you a picture of joy and Jesus' birthday. Merry Christmas! Love, Makenna Bergman Dear Santa, It is almost Christmas and I am feeling very jolly! Some presents I would like to ask for this year are OMG surprise, American Girl doll, Omari, a bouncy ball, and a fingerling. To show you what I...
Austin Pittet of Brunswick was presented a Quilt of Valor by Brunswick's Verner A. Baird American Legion Post 357 and the Brunswick Auxiliary during the organizations' annual Christmas party Saturday, Dec. 5 at the Brunswick Fire Hall meeting room. The quilt was presented by auxiliary president Linda Wahrer and vice president Janet Todd, who crafted the quilt, which she recorded with the Quilts of Valor Foundation. A Quilt of Valor is a handmade quilt awarded to a service member or veteran who...
Summerland School students and staff will receive an early Christmas gift this season. The final day of first-semester classes has been adjusted and holiday break will officially commence once school is dismissed, Thursday, Dec. 17. Superintendent Dale Martin reported administration requested a calendar change, “due to our staff working so hard first semester in dealing with COVID and everything that they have been asked to do as a result.” “December 18 had been scheduled as a half day for s...
Searching for unique, handcrafted Christmas gifts? Want to support local businesses this holiday season? Shoppers will find unique buys during the vendor fair at The Office, 522 Main, in Clearwater, Saturday, Dec. 12. The event will run from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. The Sidebar, Paparazzi, Pink Zebra, Cut Across Creations, JuJu Bean Coffee, Thirty One Gifts will be on site, in addition to other vendors. Food will be available fromWeave's BBQ food truck....
Christmas lights will be on display in the Orchard Park, beginning Saturday, Dec. 5. The lighting is scheduled to begin at 5:15 p.m. Members of the Orchard Economic Development Association, along with Orchard Young Men’s Club, organized the event....
All that planning. All those lists. All that grocery shopping. All that prep. All that cooking. And now Thanksgiving dinner is done and you're looking at all those leftovers. Well, you are if you're lucky. What's the point of Thanksgiving dinner if you don't have leftovers? It makes me chuckle when I read those "how much will you need" suggestions for how big of a turkey will you need to feed your crowd and it says "1 pound per person, maybe 1-1/2 pounds if you want leftovers." I'm not sure I...
Growing up, Thanksgiving was pretty laid back in my house. As I've mentioned before, I grew up in Oshkosh, but both of my parents were born and raised near Valentine and that's where most of their families still lived. My dad worked for the local power company; he and a lineman were the service crew for the area. Someone always had to be there "on call." He worked over Thanksgiving so he could take Christmas off and spend it in Valentine with family. So usually, it was just Mom and Dad and me. O...
Clearwater, Ewing, Orchard, Royal and Page children wanting to share Christmas wish lists with Santa have an opportunity to do so. Ewing information technology application classes are acting as liaisons between Santa and Ewing students. Letters should be received by Dec. 1 and include the child's full name, grade level and address in the letter. Letters should be mailed to Computer Elves, Summerland Public School, PO Box 98, Ewing, NE 68735. Clearwater, Orchard, Royal and Page youths, preschool...
Greetings, SAM readers. For the past two weeks, I have shared a breakdown of the differences between news articles and editorial items, after SAM began a partnership with Trusting News, a project of the Reynolds Journalism Institute and American Press Institute. We worked to devise strategies that promote responsible and ethical journalism. One goal I established, through the project, is to provide a breakdown of what makes a news article, an editorial and a column. This week, I will address...
Larry and Tamra Ziems are crazy about growing pumpkins of all shapes and sizes. The rural Ewing couple own CraZ Pumpkins, which has seasonal stands in Ewing and Clearwater, with pumpkins and gourds for sale. "Larry's been growing a few pumpkins for several years," Tamra said. "Then when I moved up here after we were married in 2012, we had a couple really good years and we had a few extras. And I said, 'It was sad we couldn't share these with more people.'" That led Larry and Tamra to put up a...
“Money can’t buy happiness, but it can buy board games, and that’s good enough.” It is unclear who initiated this statement, but it’s true. Money spent on board games is money well spent. Board games offer valuable life lessons: luck, strategy and teamwork. Don’t we all need a little luck now and then? Our family plays board games at every get-together. A stack of game boxes sat on the top shelf of the entryway closet at our grandparents’ house. Aunts and uncles would bring other games, and at...
Summerland Advocate-Messenger publisher, LuAnn Schindler, earned three awards and partnered with SAM designer Jenna Hemenway for a fourth honor, during the National Federation of Press Women's virtual Professional Communications Contest ceremony, Saturday, June 6. Usually the culminating activity of the organization's annual convention, this year's ceremony was held on Zoom, with approximately 200 members logging in. Schindler took top honors in personality profile, less than 500 words. Her...
Henry David Thoreau wrote, “When I hear music, I fear no danger. I am invulnerable. I see no foe. I am related to the earliest of times, and to the latest.” The quote has been on my mind lately for a couple reasons. First, I like music. It powers me through the day, well, music and a strong glass of brewed iced tea. Our graphic designer, Jenna, has a beautiful voice and she sings almost every day. It never fails ... it will be Tuesday afternoon, deadline looming near, and she’ll break out in son...
This is a love story, of sorts; a stream-of-consciousness gathering of thoughts and concerns, a song of praise for unsung heroes whose daily routines have been upended. Teaching isn’t an easy career to begin with. Sure, there are those people who think it’s an 8-to-4 job, with summer’s free and two weeks of Christmas vacation. What they don’t realize is, after staying in your classroom until 5 p.m., every day, you take work home - papers to grade, lessons to fine-tune, phone calls to parents...
February 2020 is on the calendar as I look out my kitchen window. There are still red bows and swags of red berries decorating the flower garden. Moving from Christmas to February, we are ready for Valentine's Day. February is one of my favorite months with dashes of pink and red spread around my house and yard and hearts tucked in where I can. As I watched the Super Bowl ad for Google, romance was definitely in the air in the Feb. 2 ad, along with precious memories. During the ad, an elderly...
Orchard school board members took no official action, other than consent agenda items when they met in the high school business room Wednesday, Feb. 4. Orchard principal Cathy Cooper told board members negotiations with the teachers’ association had been completed, with the 2020-2021 base salary for Summerland teachers set at $35,000. Currently Unified teacher base is $34,700 and Ewing’s is $35,000. Cooper said it would basically be a raise for everybody. “The base went up or the salary schedule percentages increased,” she said. “One item that...
Bobbi Riser, Region 11 emergency manager, addressed the Antelope County commissioners at their Jan. 14 meeting. She said the Region 11 board had voted at their Dec. 12 meeting to cover the insurance cost for the NRIN equipment, leaving electricity to the tower being the only expense to the county. NRIN is a statewide communication system for law enforcement agencies, with cost of equipment and installation covered by the state. Riser also told the commissioners the county had been awarded a $1,000 grant through Emergency Preparedness program....
What word do you associate with German Chocolate cake? For me, it’s love. Every birthday, Grandma Larson would have her best friend, Anna Kuhl, bake a three-tiered German Chocolate cake. I looked forward to that cake each time. It’s my favorite cake, especially when coconut pecan frosting tops it. Homemade, of course. Okay, I’ll be honest. I associate chocolate chip cookies and sugar cookies and gooey rice krispy bars with love, too. Primarily because Grandma made those goodies and toted them to...
Sergio V, Velasquez, 31, of O’Neill was sentenced by the Honorable Kale Burdick in the Holt County court last Tuesday, Jan. 14, on three counts, Count II, no operator’s license, a Class 3 misdemeanor; Count III, refuse to submit to pretest, a Class 5 misdemeanor; and Count IV, refuse to submit to test, first offense, a Class W misdemeanor. Burdick sentenced him to fines of $75, $100 and $500, respectively; eight months’ probation, including fees totaling $210; and $50 costs of prosecution. Velasquez changed his not guilty pleas to guilty on the...
An old problem returned to the Antelope County commissioners’ table when the leaders gathered for the first 2020 meeting at the courthouse in Neligh last week. Judy Wilcox, accompanied by her husband, Dave Wilcox, was there to discuss wind turbine “ice sling policy.” County zoning administrator Liz Doerr also addressed the leaders regarding a Christmas Day icing event. Doerr described procedures followed, after she received notice from Commission chair Dean Smith and Wilcox. She referenced a text message from Smith, indicating numerous turbi...
The other day, I was sorting through a pile of jewelry on my dresser - the catch-all for necklaces and bracelets. (Yes, I know. I should put them away immediately instead of letting everything pile up until I cannot open the doors on my jewelry box.) One pair of drop earrings, comprised of five squares of cubic zirconia, was in the mix. When did I wear these? What special occasion required pushing the finding through my semi-closed pierced ears? Your guess is as good as mine. I opened the...
I first want to extend my wishes that everyone had a Merry Christmas, and a nice holiday season with family and friends, as well as to wish a healthy and prosperous New Year to everyone. The 2020 legislative session convened at 10 a.m., on Jan. 8. The first several days of the session will consist mostly of bill introduction. Bills can be introduced during the first 10 working days of the session, which this year will run until Jan. 23. Debate on carryover legislation - bills from last year...
