Letter to the Editor: In praise of the north side

This is in response to Ms Sievers' article about her fear of our Nebraska winters and a seedy North side.

I am a four generation Sidneyite. My great grandparents homesteaded in this area and this is where my family has been proud to call our home. I, with my parents, lived on the north side as a kid, as well as on Linden. I currently live on the north side (last 30 years). My mother's grandparents owned a home on the north side. My father's mother lived on the north side. My grandmother was given a ride to church every week by some lovely people who then, and still do, live on the north side. Get my point?

When I last checked, the north side wasn't any seedier than any of the rest of Sidney. If she was referring to crime, we have had murders, child abuse, drug abuse, robbery, etc. all over Sidney--not just the north side.

If she was referring to the looks of the neighborhood, she just needs to open her eyes and look around town in a lot of our areas. She seems more concerned that people will judge her gloves not matching than her insulting a significant portion of the community. Anyone who has made it through one of the winters she has fears about won't even notice her gloves don't match--and who cares?

I sometimes think these kind of remarks or articles are why some Sidney people can be a little cliquish to outsiders. I also know reporters can't please everyone, and this one hasn't pleased me.

If I see her walking in a blizzard this winter, I will still give her a ride, because I am one of those north siders and proud of it!

Dana M. Revell

Sidney

Editor's note: Caitlin Sievers' column that day was intended as tongue-in-cheek humor. Her line about the north side was a sardonic reflection of the comments she heard when arriving in Sidney. In previous columns--intended to be taken seriously--she has defended the north side against aspersions, citing the neighborhood as a nice place to live. Indeed, she resides on the north side.

We include this explanation with Ms Revell's understanding in the matter. Humor is a personal thing, after all, and others may not have realized our columnist did not intend anything more.