Good Old Days 03-18-16

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

'Summer School Course To Provide 19 New Jobs'

March 14, 1966

The Sidney schools will conduct a special six-week summer course under a newly approved Federal Education Act.

Supt. Russell Pedersen said today that Sidney's application for $24,425 under Title One, Elementary and Secondary Education Act., has been approved.

It will enable school administrators to begin plans for a course to run for six weeks starting June 13.

The summer course will require twelve teachers, all of whom will be chosen from the Sidney Public Schools faculty, plus a secretary, school nurse, custodian, physical education coordinator, bus driver and two supervisors. They will be employed from June 6 to July 29.

The course is described as supplemental communication skills. Broken down into layman's language, this means reading, writing, speaking and other instruction for children in grades one through six who find it difficult to keep up with the regular school pace. The course also will include physical education and instruction, some field trips, and visits to the Sidney Public Library.

Mr. Pedersen said he anticipates the summer school will accommodate about 150 youngsters from the public schools and 45 from St. Patrick's Academy. He said the school will proceed immediately with orders for supplies and materials for the special course.

Staff employment will provide summer jobs for a number of Sidney teachers who otherwise might leave for the summer vacation period.

With this program assured, Mr. Pedersen said he and his aides are now preparing a proposal for the school term of 1966-67 to expand the special education program on the secondary level. Sidney now provides special education for students in grades on through six, and it will be proposed that funds be made available so that his can be continued through the 12th grade. Two more teachers specializing in this instruction would be needed.

40 Years Ago

'NU Regents

Winners Named'

March 15, 1976

Six Sidney High School students have been named winners and alternates of Regents Scholarships at the University of Nebraska system, according to Ralph Spencer, director of guidance services for the Sidney Public Schools.

Named were Brian Cornelius, Laura Gable, Tom Geu, Mark Johnson, Sharon Levin and Jane Matzke.

Miss Levin won a scholarship to the University of Nebraska-Omaha, and plans to major in pre-medicine. She is the daughter of Rev. and Mrs. Paul Levin.

Geu and Johnson were awarded one-year scholarships to NU's Lincoln campus. Both plan to enter the College of Business Administration. Geu is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Earl Geu and Johnson is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Walt Johnson.

Alternate scholarships were awarded to Cornelius, Miss Gable, and Miss Matzke. Cornelius is the son of Dr. and Mrs. Carl J. Cornelius. Miss Gable is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Gary Gable. Miss. Matzke is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Gerald Matzke.

Spencer said 193 one-year scholarships are awarded in Nebraska for study at UNL and may be renewed each year on a competitive basis with all other upperclass applicants. "Only 200 alternates are chosen of which only 50 will eventually become scholarship winners," Spencer said. "Fifty scholarships are awarded at UNO and they are renewed automatically if the student maintains a 3.0 scholastic average."

Regents scholarships are used for tuition. Selection is based on class rank and scores obtained on the American College Test.

25 Years Ago

'Gas Prices Down, But New Climb is Likely'

March 18, 1991

Pre-Tax gasoline prices in Sidney are lower today than they were when the Persian gulf crisis began last August. A survey of advertised prices for self-serve unleaded at stations along Illinois Avenue showed prices ranging from $1.069 to $1.159. On Aug. 1, 1990, the lowest price in Sidney was $1.029.

Since last August, however, ten cents in new taxes has been added to gasoline; 5 cents federal and 5 cents state. A total of 40.6 cents tax is now on each gallon of gasoline.

Nebraska's state tax on gasoline is one of the highest in the nation, which keeps Nebraska's gas prices among the nation's highest. A Sidney traveler to Cheyenne, Wyo., reported pump prices at 86.9 cents over the weekend.

Prices are likely to go up across the nation. Industry experts say that shrinking gasoline supplies are likely to collide with increased demand linked to the approaching summer driving season. Analysts say U.S. refineries are already running at near capacity, and that supplies are falling. According to the American Petroleum Institute, gasoline supplies are about ten percent below what they were a year ago at this time.

Vincent Brown, executive director of the Nebraska Petroleum Council, confirms the refinery crunch. "All the marginal refiners, such as the one at Scottsbluff, have been closed down because they were inefficient," Brown says.

"No new refineries have been built for many, many years," he continued. "And no new ones are planned. Obtaining the necessary permits is like hacking through a jungle."

The United States is presently importing about ten percent of its refined gasoline. "That's not good for the economy," Brown says. "For one thing, you lose all the employment connected to the refinery industry."

10 Years Ago

'Cold Weather Causes an Increase in Visitors'

March 17, 2006

Pain can sometimes be remedied by pills or shots, but there is only one cure for hunger. . . food.

Recent cold weather and loss of employment are some of the main reasons the Salvation Army Food Bank has seen an increase in visits to its food bank. Since the start of the fiscal year, October 2005, the food bank has helped 107 families, and nearly 4,000 since it opened its doors five years ago.

"We try to make sure they have protein, and soups are a quick fix during cold weather," said Sherry Torres, who works at the food bank. "We try to have food on hand that people can stretch meals out of like beans, rice, and pasta.

The food bank also has a refrigerator for donated eggs and a freezer for meat and bread. Sometimes the food bank welcomes donations from generous hunters who drop off wild game like deer, elk, moose, geese, duck and someone even donated an alligator once."

"That was surprising," Torres said.

These items are normally packed tightly on shelves and appliances of the food bank, which is a room that could barely fit two ping-pong tables side by side. Those normally packed spaces have given way to gapes and bare spots on the shelves.

A drop off in food drives and a pickup in visitors has contributed to this problem. Some visitors have been caught abusing the food bank's policy of one trip every four oaths, and those caught trying to work the system end up on the state "abuser" list.

"The state has a computer system that enters the names of the people caught abusing the system," said Bob Cook, chairman of the local Salvation Army Unit. "Once they are on the list they can't use Salvation Army services for a year from the date they were put not the list."

The Salvation Army provides this service to help people in time of transition, to help them get back on their feet. It was not developed, and cannot sustain, being a regular source of food.