Serving proudly since 1873 as the beautiful Nebraska Panhandle's first newspaper
Serving proudly since 1873 as the beautiful Nebraska Panhandle's first newspaper
Sorted by date Results 1176 - 1200 of 1718
In 1890, a young Danish immigrant named Jacob Riis published his book, How the Other Half Lives: Studies Among the Tenements of New York. He began his introduction, “Long ago it was said that ‘One half of the world does not know how the other half lives.’ That was true then. It did not know because it did not care.” Riis went where few other investigative reporters would dare to go. He visited the Italian ghettoes, Chinatown, the Jewish sweat shops, the Bohemian slums, and the black neighborhoods. In each, the tenements’ owners told their age...
All last week, I heard from coworkers and people around the community about the possible snow that was coming. Not being from this area, snow in late April or early May just sounds ridiculous to my southern ears. Still, I heeded the warnings and dusted off my winter coat. I had planned on working Saturday as that was the day the Sidney Regional Medical Center was set to hold their health fair at the Cheyenne County Community Center. And then Friday afternoon, I learned the health fair was cancel...
Non-metropolitan Nebraskan are predominately conservative, and more likely to support candidates who profess these views. However, this year is unlike any year in my memory since Franklin Delano Roosevelt (FDR) was the Democratic candidate in the 1930s whose views were similar to those of the Democratic candidates at present. Their programs are to spend money, which we don’t have, to solve our present economic disaster. No one that I know had heard of a trillion (dollars) before the past few years, let alone $18 trillion of them currently ackno...
Dear Editor, Anthony Ruiz’s picture of a panoramic view of the new Deadwood fitness and exercise trail was really neat! (April 12th edition of the Sun-Telegraph). Is it possible that Sidney could offer the basic services that traveling cyclists are looking for? (food, water, tents, showers). With this in mind, I would like to make a general statement that active bicycle tourists as well as hikers, walkers, runners, cyclists, triathletes and so on really does boost an area’s economy in a nice way! Could Sidney be a bicycle-friendly town with des...
Dear Editor, We the people are fed up with the lies and deceit of the greedy politicians who think more of themselves than the people they represent. They are a group of self-righteous individuals who capitalize on every opportunity to benefit themselves. Our voice is being heard loud and clear. Politicians, you will mistreat us no more. We will elect a person who is not a politician and cannot be bought. One who is on a mission to take this country back and restore the greatness that it once had. We will elect a one Donald J. Trump. And so it... Full story
The adventure writer Edgar Rice Burroughs wrote some eighty novels based upon two characters: Tarzan and John Carter. Tarzan lived among the apes in Africa, and John Carter transported himself from Earth to Mars, where he fought and conquered the Martians. In my younger years, I read several of Burroughs's books, as did thousands of other American kids of the twentieth century. The science fiction writer, Ray Bradbury, said this of Burroughs, "I have been astonished to discover how often a...
In my last column, I wrote about how I used to weigh north of 250 lbs. and was diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes by the time I turned 30 years old. During a rough period in my life, I decided to take charge of my physical health, one of the few things that I had any control over at that time, and lost 85 lbs. in less than a year. With my weight goals reached, I didn't want to slide back into my old habits. I began to search for a new venture, something that would keep me engaged in diet and exercis...
One of my favorite pastimes, at least in recent years, is walking. I'm sure some of you have seen me walking up and down the streets of Sidney as I make my way to the county courthouse, city hall, public schools and other stops as I "beat the bushes" for potential leads. If I don't have to drive my truck, I don't. Which is probably why I always have the best parking space outside my apartment, come to think of it. I even try to enter walking events when I can, such as the "Walk Across Texas" com...
After 15 days on the job as publisher of the Sidney Sun-Telegraph it’s time to say hello. I was named publisher of the Sun-Telegraph on April 1. No foolin’. While it’s not monumental news, I wanted to take some time before introducing myself to you, our readers. I have owned and or published newspapers since Reagan was president. My career has taken me from my home state of Minnesota (home of Ole and Lena) to the mountains of San Diego County, to the northwestern reaches of Wisconsin, the Ozarks of Oklahoma, to the Front Range of Colorado, and...
Dear Editor: I would like to know why the taxpayer has to pay for the Pole Creek Cross Rd. That was not an existing street or a road between Greenwood and Fort Sidney roads before they started to develop that land. Therefore, since it is on land being developed, the developer should pay to have that road paved. Why should the developer benefit from our tax dollars? The city council has the city deep enough in debt without adding more to it. Hopefully, the new city manager can help solve the spending problem the council has created. Jack...
On August 22, 1939, Nazi Germany's troops, tanks, and aircraft stood poised and prepared to attack Poland, its neighbor to the east, and on that day the Nazi's dictator, Adolf Hitler, spoke. "Our strength," he said, "consists in our speed and in our brutality." Already he had instructed his generals "to send to death mercilessly and without compassion, men, women, and children of Polish derivation and language." And the reason for his assault upon the Polish people? "Only then," he said, "shall...
Coming from South Texas, this week's snowstorm is definitely not something that I have experienced many times in my life. Sure, as a military brat, I've seen my share of snowfall when my father was stationed at Ramstein Air Force Base in Germany back in my early days of grade school, but in that case the weather was more constant than sudden. I was also not yet in double digits, so the memories aren't as vivid as they once were. As you can imagine, snow in South Texas is as rare as a winter...
Dear Editor, When a person graduates from high school, he can choose the higher education route and spend lots of money getting a degree. Or, he can spend lots of money on farmland and equipment to become a farmer. The first one might end up paying some real estate taxes if he eventually buys a home. The second one is being taxed to death if he lives in Nebraska, where the lion’s share of funding for schools and local government spending comes from farmers and ranchers. It is time to do away with the archaic idea of taxing property which may o... Full story
The NCAA basketball games are upon us, and March Madness has arrived. The team to watch in recent years has been the University of Connecticut, where basketball is king. The men won their last national championship, their fourth, in 2014, but the women point with pride to their ten national championships, the most recent one last year, in 2015. In first round play this year, the Uconn women decimated the Robert Morris Colonials 101 to 49, and played Duquesne on Sunday, March 21. Uconn’s men d...
Dear Editor, I grew up in Sidney, a poor kid, from the “other side of the tracks.” As such a kid, I often felt marginalized and left out of many community organized activities. Having said this, I recently heard what the daily admission price to the new pool was going to be. I want to challenge every elected city council member, on the first 90-degree day of summer, to go up to Sioux Villa, Cheyenne Villa, or any playground on the North side of town and explain to each of those children why they aren’t good enough to swim in the new pool with... Full story
Even just three months in, 2016 has been a year of new experiences for this South Texan. When I made the move to Nebraska, I made a decision that I would throw myself into any experiences that came with it. I didn't move here to remain set in sedentary ways. I want to drive the roads and see the sights. I want to meet the people and hear their stories. I want to experience the midwest and all it offers. That, of course, includes the cuisine. Last night, I covered the Peetz FFA annual oyster...
Dear Editor, There is currently an effort by the establishment of the Republican Party to sabotage the candidacy of Donald Trump. This is an effort that will destroy the Republican Party for decades if not for all time. They have even gone so far as to promote the candidacy of Hillary Clinton in order for them to retain their positions as the all wise and all knowing who should decide the candidate of the party and their personal perks which go along with same rather than let the voting public elect the Presidential candidate. If they are... Full story
If somebody had asked me at the beginning of this year if I saw myself leaving my hometown of more than 20 years and move 1,000-plus miles north to the Nebraska panhandle, I would have thought they were crazy. But here I am, and now that I've been in Sidney for the past couple of weeks I am starting to think I was crazy for staying in one place so many years. But maybe I'm getting ahead of myself. My name is Anthony Ruiz, and I am the newest addition to the Sidney Sun-Telegraph. I grew up a...
Dear Editor, I want to thank Mr. Arterburn and Mr. Galloway for reminding the council that the 1/2 cent sales tax being collected is to be used for street improvements, not new construction. So why are the other three against the use of the tax money? Jack Schilling Sidney... Full story
The United States has had two father-son presidencies. The first was John Adams and his son, John Quincy Adams, and the second was George Bush and his son, George W. Bush. Because Jeb Bush withdrew from the current race three weeks ago, we will not have a third, anytime soon. The Bush dynasty has ended, at least for the next four years. “The man responsible for Jeb’s demise” is Donald Trump. A journalist said, “From the moment he entered the race, the real estate mogul made Jeb his primary...
Dear Editor, I hate to bring this subject up once again, but after reading the article about the $4 million that our city council is spending on the new swimming pool, I feel a few items should be addressed. First off, I see the daily rates/seasonal costs to go swimming. They cannot be called “yearly” rates because it will only be open maybe three months out of the year, and that’s stretching it. Of course, we all knew the cost was going to go up because you can’t have something like this and expect to pay $1.25 per day to get in. So now the... Full story
Dear Editor, The Cheyenne County Democratic Caucus will take place at the Cheyenne County Community Center in Sidney on March 5 at 10 a.m. Registration begins at 9:30 a.m. This is the first determining step in the selection process. This will decide between Bernie Sanders or Hillary Clinton, who will be Nebraska’s choice for the presidential nominee. Nebraska has 25 delegates and five super delegates. With 56 percent of the delegates to be awarded nationally, in the month of March, Nebraska wanted to be included in that number. This is your c...
Scientists want to quantify. First, they observe a phenomenon, record their observations, arrive at a set of numbers, and then build a hypothesis. This procedure — the scientific method — works well in the sciences, such as in chemistry, biology and physics, but is less certain in the arts, such as in history. A writer who wishes to quantify events from the past calls herself or himself a “social scientist,” rather than a historian. This type of scientist observes a population’s demograph...
Dear Editor, I see they want a name for the water park. As much as the taxpayers are being hosed on this project and how big it is, they need to call it The Hose Monster. Jack Schilling Sidney...
In September of 1796, President George Washington published a remarkable document, his farewell address “to the People of the United States on his declining of the Presidency.” After two terms as president, he was exhausted, tired of public service, and eager to return to his beloved Virginia plantation at Mount Vernon. When asked to serve a third term, he refused, and six months later he would retire and turn over the president’s duties to John Adams. In his farewell address, Washington liste...
