Looking Back

These stories from the past first appeared in The Sidney Telegraph. Original writing is preserved, though some stories were shortened for space reasons.

100 YEARS AGO

April 5th, 1913

‘The London Girls’

The London Girls Musical Company, which is book to play the Opera House in our city on Saturday night, April 19th, in “Gay Paree” is a first-class company usually playing nothing but long stock engagements in the big cities. This organization is now on its way to Washington, California and British Columbia, and our local management has gone to no end of trouble to arrange for a short engagement of this big city company by securing it while en route to the coast.

75 YEARS AGO

April 5th, 1938

‘Sidney Students In Favorable Showing At Musical Contest’

Crowd Scottsbluff For Class A Honors At 1938 Meet; Band Rates Superior

MASSED BAND GIVES INSPIRING CONCERT

Sidney high school musicians, both individual and group, distinguished themselves in Class A competition at the district contest in Scottsbluff last Friday and Saturday, crowding Scottsbluff for top honors. Although the contest official no longer use the old sweepstakes methods in computing winners, a newspaper tabulation indicated that Scottsbluff barely nosed Sidney out in points scored, 96 to 80. Alliance was third with 71 and Chadron fourth with 15.

Mitchell nosed ahead of Gering to capture the Class B title, 83 to 80. Other Class B standings: Bridgeport 70, Kimball 63, Chappell 48, Bayard 44, Gordon 39, Crawford 37, Ogallala 27, Hay Springs 22, Rushville 14, Oshkosh 11.

Crowning excitement for the festival came early Saturday evening when the high school building and auditorium were plunged into darkness just as the festival orchestra was tuning up for the first number of the program. An overtaxed transformer ceased functioning when all lights in the building and auditorium were turned on for the first time since the auditorium addition was built. There were 2,500 persons in the building at the time.

Sidney’s colorful band brightened the Class A band performance with a special feature. Sidney prefaced its contest program with a presentations of colors, armed color guard and all, and played a fife and drum number, four baton twirlers performing with the drum and fife.

Thunderous strains of the massed band brought a fitting close to the annual festival, largest ever held in western Nebraska. Remarkable ability of all groups competing was evident in the massed bands, orchestras and mixed choruses in a festival concert Saturday evening.

Heart aches and rejoicing mingled around the bulletin in the high school lobby as results of the various contests were posted.

Champion hard luck contestant was LeRoy Rabe of Sidney, oboe soloist. When LeRoy prepared to compete in the oboe contest, he discovered his instrument was locked in an automobile and he couldn’t find the driver. He had to withdraw from the competition.

50 YEARS AGO

April 5th, 1963

‘Road Projects To Stimulate Area Economy’

Real estate activity is picking up in Sidney, indicative of a vibrant economy.

Sales of houses and building sites have shown a spurt in recent weeks. This is usually true in the spring, but the activity this year is the most significant in several years.

Rental properties are scarce now, according to local real estate brokers. This probably is influencing the sale market.

Partially responsible for the activity is the arrival of may families associated with the Minuteman missile project. However, most of these people are living in trailers and would not have a pronounced effect on real estate transfers.

Permits Up

Building permit records in Sidney during the first three months of this year indicate that 1963 will be the biggest construction year since the early 1950’s.

In addition to a spurt in residential construction, there are a number of large commercial and public projects in the works. Included are a half-million dollar high school for St. Patrick’s Academy, a $300,000 addition to Sidney Senior High School and a $75,000 addition to Memorial Rest Home.

In downtown Sidney work will start Monday morning on a new building for the Montgomery Ward catalog store on Illinois St. next to the Fox Theatre.

This will pave the way for an extensive remodelling program for the Lee Stores which will give that store a full half  block of frontage on Illinois St., between 10th and 11th Aves.

Employment opportunities during the spring and summer should be benefitted by these building projects. Too, there will be a large amount of road work done throughout the county in connection with the Minuteman project and the contractors probably will require a sizeable crew of local labor. Bids on the work are expected to be called sometime in May. It is understood that about ninety miles of road work will be involved, including widening and gravelling many county roads, and hard surfacing in some of the immediate missile areas.

25 YEARS AGO

‘KC’s launch annual Tootsie Sale’

April 6, 1988

Got a sweet tooth? Buy a Tootsie Roll and elp the KC’s help handicapped children.

Handicapped Children, Inc. of Sidney will benefit from the Annual Tootsie Roll Sale by Sidney Knights of Columbus, this weekend.

Starting Friday, the KC volunteers from St. Patrick’s Parish will be at five local businesses selling the candy, according to Chairman Clem Shumacher.

HGe noted, in addition to the local organization, the proceeds are donated to handicapped programs throughout the state. “In past years we’ve been able to raise close to $1.500, “ Shumacher said.

Special Olympics programs and state-sponsored projects for handicapped children will also benefit from the annual drive.

In addition to the local KCs, members of the Board of Handicapped Children, Inc. and many young members of the Sidney Community will also be selling the candy. The young people will also canvass the city house-to-house, according to the KC project chairman.

“We’ll have the candy on sale at Safeway, Jack and Jill, Town and Country, Alco and the Post Office,” Shumacher said.

10 YEARS AGO

‘Sign on display to

support soldiers’

April 4, 2003

As operation Iraqi Freedom enters its third week, a local couple has constructed a visual reminder that each soldier has people who care about them back home and would like to show their support.

Mike and Lori Borchert took it upon themselves to build a large sign they hope to fill it with photos of soldiers currently in military service and signatures from supporters back home. The sign is now on display in the window of the Sidney Sun-Telegraph at 1136 Illinois in Sidney “Anyone who has family in the service can ad a photo or name to the board,” said Lori Borchert. “They don’t necessarily have to be from Cheyenne County.”

Well-wishers can also stop in and add their supportive comment to the board.

The Borchert’s started the board after seeing a similar sign in Chappell using yellow ribbons. The idea struck a personal cord with them as well since they have two daughters, on son-in-law and one future son-in-law in active military service.

“One of my daughters is stationed in California and she said there are war protesters demonstrating right outside their base. I just wanted to let them know we support them,” said Borchert.

Anyone wishing to add to the board can fill out a form at the Sun-Telegraph including the soldier’s name, branch of service and location. Photographs should be two by three inches in size and can be re-sized if necessary.

“Even if pictures are not available that’s fine, we can use a yellow ribbon,” said Borchert.

Once the bard accumulates more photographs and signatures Lori plans on sending a picture of it to her children.

“I just want them to know they have the support of at least this town,” she said.

Starting today, each Friday’s edition of the Sidney Sun-Telegraph will feature a new special section entitled “Home Front” which will include news from and abut your men and women in uniform.

The page will feature stories, letters home, contract information and pictures of those brave soldiers serving their country.

Stories and photographs for Home Front can be e-mailed to [email protected] or saved to disk and brought to the office, no faxes or documents that require re-typing please.

Quality photographic prints can also be scanned at the office. War-time photos and photos of a potentially sensitive nature will not be published.

If you would e interested i helping sponsor Home Front, contact the Sun-Telegraph advertising department at 254-2818.