Good Old Days 01-08-16

Compiled By Delaney Uhrig

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

50 Years Ago

'SHS Seniors Rated High'

Jan. 5, 1966

Miss Chris Cramer, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Robert Cramer and a senior at Sidney High School, has been awarded a one-year scholarship to the University of Nebraska.

Alternates chosen, as the result of high scores in the Regent's exams, are Kent Brunzell, Bonnie Countryman, Steve Ham and John Morrison.

Miss Cramer is active in band, National Honor Society, Future Teachers of America, Girl Scouts and class plays. Last spring she was named a semi-finalist in the National Scholarship Program.

A total of 7,100 seniors throughout Nebraska took the test. They represented 425 schools. In Sidney High School, there were 52 seniors, the upper third of the class, taking the test.

40 Years Ago

'Biting Storm Ushers in 1976'

Jan. 2, 1976

Snow-blocked roads in the Panhandle were slowly opening up this morning as Nebraskans dug out of a New Year's storm that buried the region.

It was the third major snow storm to hit the Panhandle during 1975, and while traffic was near normal in the Southern Panhandle, reports indicated it would take several days before residents in the northwest corner of the state would be dug out.

The storm dumped 19 inches of at Chadron, although snow depths generally ranged from 10 to 12 inches, according to the Associated Press, Bayard reported 18 inches, Harrison 15, Scottsbluff 13, and Alliance 11.

Officially, Sidney received four inches of snow, but a weather observer at the Flight Service Station here said "a lot of more snow than that fell in town."

Perhaps the community's closest link to the blizzard-like storm was concern for the Sidney High School basketball team, cheerleaders, and fans who were snowbound in Chadron Thursday. The team won the Chadron State College Invitational tournament Wednesday night, but could not leave because drifting and blowing snow blocked roads.

This morning the team and the fans left Chadron at about 5:30 in a caravan behind a snow plow. Family and friends weren't expecting to arrive until dark because of poor road conditions, but the caravan pulled into town at 12:30 p.m. The 137-mile journey took seven hours.

Rosie Folda, wife of Sidney basketball coach Joe Folda, said this morning the team spent Wednesday and Thursday nights in a college dormitory watching television football bowl games and playing cards.

A Chadron restaurant opened New Year's day for the stranded team and fans. Mrs. Folda said she understood that all the teams were stranded in Chadron. The York High School team bus and a bus carrying the Bethal (Kan.) College basketball team followed the Sidney Caravan out of Chadron.

25 Years Ago

'Water Group Uses Page From Past In Trying To Spread Its Message'

Jan. 4, 1991

Economists who have been predicting gloom and doom for rural America would do well to focus their attention on a 14-county region of western Nebraska, northeastern Colorado and eastern Wyoming. They would find a vibrant, non-profit grope that has started the groundwork for a water control and management program that could revolutionize agriculture and business philosophies of the future.

Organizers of Hi Plains Rural Water Systems, Inc (HPRWS), headquartered in Sidney, emphasize the timing of their venture is linked to the growing evidence that water quality is fast eroding due to years of neglect and abuse. Water conditions in the sprawling region must be improved and managed in order to re-vitalize growth and prosperity in agriculture and industry.

The group has borrowed a page out of America's misty past, the electrification of rural America in the 1940s (REA) to serve as a role model for applying new techniques and sciences to reach a lofty goal - safe and secure domestic water for this generation and generations to come. It will be an enormous task, for the matter plan calls for much more than locating new sources of bountiful, clear water. We must work together as individuals, farmers, ranchers, and business people to become better informed regarding water management and conservation, and to back up our commitment with positive action.

HPRWS already has received a strong endorsement and support retiring Congresswoman Virginia Smith of Nebraska's Third District. "This is a big undertaking," she recently wrote, "especially in view of the financial stringencies of the present time. However, the time to begin is NOW! I hope our representatives can soon introduce legislation authorization, to be followed by the needed appropriations."

Hi Plains officials have already received encouraging responses from the newly elected Third District Congressman, Bill Barrett of Lexington, and his official ag representative, Meryln Carlson, a prominent western Nebraska rancher from Lodgepole.

10 Years Ago

'WNCC Again Attracts Worldwide Students'

Jan. 7, 2006

Yesterday at a new student orientation, Western Nebraska Community College welcomes two new international students, Hyun Do and Paul Kon.

Hyun Do from South Korea came to WNCC so that he could study aviation.

He says he was looking at schools in the U.S. because another student he knew from South Korea had come over here to study. He originally applied to a school in the Denver area, but decided to come here instead.

"My friend in America recommended this school. He studied aviation." Do said.

Do said he enjoyed it here because it is a small town and the people are really friendly.

Upon completion of his studies here, Do hopes to find a job, so that he can continue perusing his education in aviation.

Kon originally came to Nebraska from the Sudan as a refugee. While at WNCC he will be studying aviation maintenance. His main goal after school is to find a job in the aviation industry to help him fund another degree international business.

While in the U.S. Kon has been able to travel around having been to cities such as Chicago and Philadelphia. He enjoys living in a small town because big cities are more crowded.

"I am glad I made the decision to come here," Kon said.

Along with his studies Kon hopes to be able to take some flying lessons. He also enjoys playing basketball, having played for his high school team in Lincoln. He hopes to continue to play basketball while attending school here and wold like to play on a team.