Good Old Days - 04-08-16

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

'Trains Back On Schedule Today'

April 4,1966

A four-day paralysis of activity on the Union Pacific and seven other railroads in the country is slowly coming to an end.

Officials of the striking Brotherhood of Locomotive Firemen and Engineers announced the end of the strike at 10 a.m. Sunday. At that time the wheels began grinding slowly to get back on some sort of schedule.

Locally, the pickets were called off shortly after the Sunday morning announcement and employees began filtering back to the railroad yards.

Dale Norman, ticket agent, said running on schedule since Sunday afternoon and the first passenger train to arrive in Sidney since the onset of the strike will be westbound No. 5 coming in 5:40 p.m. No eastbound passenger trains will come through until Tuesday morning.

As far as this area was concerned, service was pretty well uninterrupted as far as the mail delivery was concerned. The mail was sent by truck and plane as much as possible and there was little delay. There were no passenger trains stopped here when the strike was called so that eliminated the big problem of transferring travelers to other modes of transportation.

Everyone was back to working in this area was back on the job by 10:30 p.m. Sunday.

40 Years Ago

'Community College Property Tax Levy Planned at hearing'

April 7, 1976

The Nebraska Legislature's interim study committee on post-secondary education heard testimony at Western Nebraska Technical College (WNTC) Monday morning strongly supported the vocational-technical concept of education.

Sen. Jerome Warner of Waverly, chairman of the study group, said similar hearings are being held throughout the state, and will be summarized late in the year for presentation to the 1977 session of the legislature.

The committee is seeking better understanding of the needs of higher education. Sen. Warner said, and is particularly interested in determining whether better coordination would eliminate waste and duplication and deliver a better quality of education to Nebraskans for the tax dollars being spent.

The philosophy of supporting the university system and the state college with state funds, but assessing the cost of technical education in the community college system against locally property was criticized by Cheyenne County Commissioner Edward Narjes in one portion of the testimony taken by the committee.

Narjes explained that the county board has contested the payment of funds to the technical college system in this area because of this differing philosophy and not because the commissioners view the technical college with disfavor.

"We're one hundred percent behind this school," Narjes said, "but we believe that the system of tax support for the school is unfair to local and area property owners."

Criticism of the concept of local property tax support for the community colleges throughout the state laced much of the testimony heard by the committee. A plea for a return to state support of the technical colleges was repeated frequently, including testimony by Gene Leinamann of Sidney, a newly-appointed member of the community college in this area.

He called for the creation of a state board of control for the technical college system is similar to the board of regents of the University of Nebraska.

25 Years Ago

'Accreditation Continues for Sidney High School'

April 5, 1991

Sidney Senior High School has been continued as an accredited school by the North Central Association of College and Schools. The school was first admitted to membership in 1916, and has been continuously accredited since that time. The school has been recognized for its 75-year continuous accredited status.

"Accreditation by the NCA means that the school has met the standards set for membership," said Secondary Principle John McLane. "These standards signify that the school has the resources, personnel, and leadership necessary for effective education."

Accreditation must be renewed each year. In commenting Superintendent Myron (Bud) Jasnoch: "continuation within the NCA requires a joint effort by the community and the staff to make certain that the potentiality for quality education remains unimpaired. The advantage of NCA membership is that it assures the public at large that the school has met those standards which good schools in the NCA region consider to be imperative for effective education to take place."

The NCA State Director, Gerald Jordan of Lincoln, extended congratulations to the school for its continued membership in a growing league of schools whose purpose is the continuing quest for higher levels of quality education.

10 Years Ago

'Drug Court Offers Alternative to Tax Dollar Train'

April 5, 2006

Change your life or go to jail.

Criminals weren't afforded options before the Cheyenne County Drug Court began accepting clients for rehabilitation in 2000. Now people arrested for a drug or alcohol offense can opt for treatment, if they qualify; through the drug court program. This option may help people avoid jail time, but it is by no means, an any easier option.

"Not a lot of people are willing to change their lives, so they take the jail time," said Kelly Lapp, drug court program coordinator.

"It takes a real commitment to be successful in the program."

Drug court involves continuous drug, alcohol and behavioral treatment. Abstinence from drugs or alcohol is monitored through volunteer testing visits to a client's home performed by law enforcement. The Sidney Police department conducts the majority of the drug testing for Cheyenne County Drug Court. Clients are subjected to one of three tests: breath tests for alcohol, urine test for drugs or a saliva test for drugs.

Sidney Police Chief Larry Cox wasn't sure the program would be a success when it first started.

"I was a little leery at first," Cox said. "I am a very ardent and true believer in this program now. Being able to see the changes it has made in people's lives over the course of the program has changed my mind."

The life changing factor was also coupled with the savings to the taxpayer, Cox added.

A person involved with drug court is not in jail, is required to maintain employment and pays back $2,600 to the program before they are allowed to graduate.

Despite dropping numbers in participation, 18 were active in 2004, 13 in 2005 and seven are currently in the program, the program considers itself successful. Drug Court coordinators were able to come to this conclusion by comparing those in the drug court during those in the drug court during 2005 to those who were screened for the program, but refused.

"It's a valuable program because it is meant to give an alternative to people that have addiction problems from returning to court," said Jordan Ball. "It helps to reduce repeat offenders."