Good Old Days

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

‘The County Election’

November 9, 1913

In the county election passed off very quietly with little excitement and no heat. Very few bets were put up. Wilson having the grand lead from the start. The day was fair and a good day was polled, while not the full number. 1011 was the total number of votes cast.

The race was close for all offices, Norris 173, Aldrich 122 and so on down the progressive line to Kincaid, republican, receiving a majority of 197, Bushee 87, Brott 219. L. R. Barlow was re-elected county commissioner. Louie Wassem was elected county assessor.

Take it all around it was a very quiet election and no one else was surprised at anything, forecasts giving about the same results that were drawn. There was no stuttering or stammering as to the will of the people and the losers, which doesn’t mean defeated candidates only, can show the real stuff in them by taking their medicine cheerfully, putting their shoulder to the wheel and boosting with might and main for a better county and state. An old adage is that the republicans would rather not have the country benefited than have it done by the democratic party. That is false, and if the victorious party proves to do well and wisely no influence in the world can hinder the people from voting again and again for the party.

Now that the bloodless war is over let us return to our benches and to our plow-shares, which after all keeps the old nation alive.

75 YEARS AGO

‘Demolition Jobs To Be Started Shortly

‘2 Landmarks Coming Down’

November 8, 1938

Demolition of the Central School Building and the old Tobin opera house building will be started within the next ten days, it was announced yesterday. The job will be done as a WPA project, funds having already been appropriated for the work.

The city owns both structures, having bought the opera house property and traded with the school board for the Central school block. Tearing down the natural stone school building is expected to be a tremendous job. The frame opera house structure will be a routine job, however.

The Central school block eventually will be turned into a recreational center, according to present plans of the city administration. The two story, natural stone building which has stood on this block for more than forty years does not fit into the city’s picture and must make way. The excavation will be filled after the walls have been removed.

Stone taken from the building will be stored for use in future municipal improvement projects the council has in mind. Some of the stone block are three feet in thickness and will present the WPA workers with a problem.

The opera house property was bought by the city as an investment, with an eventful view to centering all of the city’s administrative activities in the half block between 10th and 11th avenues on Jackson street. No reconstruction is planned on this property for the time being.

Mayor R. E. Roche said yesterday the demolition work probably will start as soon as a competent foreman is selected by the city.

50 YEARS AGO

‘Two Accused In Theft At Local Store’

Nov. 6, 1963

Warrants have been filed in Cheyenne County Court against Gene Herganrader, Loveland, Colo.; and Kenneth Erlich, Boulder, charging them with petit larceny. They are specifically accused of the theft of a typewriter from the J.M. McDonald store on Oct. 19.

Authorities are pondering the possibility of their being involved in other local burglaries.

Herganrader was brought to Sidney on Tuesday by Deputy Sheriff Kermit Brumbaugh. He entered a plea of not guilty when arraigned and will have a county court hearing at 2 p.m. Nov. 13.

Erlich has been picked up by authorities in Colorado but it was reported by sheriff’s office this morning that he has refused to sign a waiver.

25 YEARS AGO

‘’Skiba Children Will Again Oppose Brick’s Parole’

November 11, 1988

The Skiba family – just two this time—will have to fly back to Lincoln again next week.

The family of a California man, slain near Sidney in 1976, vowed in March to continue to fight parole of their father’s admitted killer “until 1997.”

Karen, Nanette and Jeff Skiba flew to Lincoln in March to attend the parole hearing of Jacqueline Simpson Brick, 34, sentenced to 40 years in the Women’s Reformatory at York in September of 1977 by Cheyenne County District Court Judge John D. Knapp. She had entered a plea of guilty to second degree murder in the killing of Fred Skiba in November, 1976.

According to Karen Skiba, now Karen Skiba-Estrada, she received late work this week that Brick was going to have another parole hearing on Nov. 15. “Now we have to get plane tickets and fly back to Nebraska again. ‘She noted the short notice would not give her time to get lower-priced airline seats, adding to the expenses of the flight.

Skiba-Estrada reported this week her brother Eric, who was 11 at the time of their father’s death, will attend the November hearing. He had been unable to attend the hearing in March.

Cheyenne County Attorney Robert Goodwin was informed of the hearing in a telephone conversation this week from Eric Skiba.

In a letter to the parole board this week, Goodwin expressed his concern that notice had not been given on the hearing noting, “I am writing to voice my opposition.”

Arguing against parole of Brick, Goodwin’s letter pleads, “It is impossible for me to understand how the Board of Paroles could honestly consider release of this inmate after only 11 years after this heinous crime.”

“As a citizen of the state of Nebraska, I implore you not to release Ms. Brick at this time. As County Attorney, I inform you of my frustrations in that not only does an 11 year sentence depreciate the seriousness of the crime of murder, but also, I might euphemistically say she is getting away with murder for a second time.”

Brick’s brother, Jerry Simpson, was convicted of first-degree murder, after a trial during which Brick reportedly testified for the state against her brother. He was sentenced to life imprisonment by Judge Knapp, who added an additional 16 and two-thirds to a 50-year sentence for robbery.

Brick and Simpson were apparently hitchhiking west on I-80 near Omaha when they were picked up by Skiba, en route back to California on a break from construction work. Brick and Simpson were accompanied by Brick’s daughter, Tina Marie, four years old at the time. In his letter, Goodwin also stated, “This crime was senseless. I believe it would best be described as the merciless execution of a humanitarian.” The county attorney reminded the board, “Let us not forget that although Skiba was shot numerous times, he was left in a field to die of exposure.”

“Brick was the one who actually pulled the trigger. She was in the back seat and her brother got out to use the restroom or something. She pointed the gun at him and said, ‘This is a robbery.’ He fought her on it and she shot him, but she couldn’t remember any of the details.”

10 YEARS AGO

‘Fire Department Squashes Blaze’

November 11, 2003

The Sidney Volunteer Fire Department put on an impressive show over the weekend, knocking down a fire in record time and preventing extensive property damages for parties involved.

Volunteer firemen responded to a call that came into communications at 8:26 p.m. Sunday concerning a building fire of the corner of 15th and Hickory in Sidney. The department arrived on the scene minutes later to find flames emitting from the old 7UP building. “There was quite a bit of flame inside,” said Fire Chief, Keith Stone.

According to Stone the fire was contained and extinguished shortly after the department’s arrival. “The fire department was excellent and the response time was quick. They had the flames knocked down in a hurry, preventing more damage,” said Loren Hoekema, building property manager. “I think five more minutes would have made a lot of difference since the fire was at a breaking point. I was impressed.” The fire was already out when he arrived on the scene.

Hoekema said it appears the fire started in the middle part of the main floor of the building. In addition to smoke and interior damage, miscellaneous storage items and parts to restore vehicles housed on the main floor suffered the most damage. The building’s basement and lower level, where Hoekema stores a collection of automobiles, were luckily unaffected.

Consequently, a number of other automobiles and property in adjacent buildings at Steve’s Auto Shop may have also escaped impending damage due to the fire department’s, as well as a concerned publics response. “I had several people calling before I knew what was going on ,” said Steve Couch, owner of Steve’s Auto. He rushed to his shop to pull four vehicles out in a precautionary move.

The state fire marshal is continuing to investigate into the cause of the blaze.