‘Plan For High School Addition Is Approved’

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

‘Burlington has a wreck’

Two Engines Ditched and Several Cars

Smashed Up in Yards

February 28, 1913

At 5:40 Saturday morning a wreck occurred in the Burlington about one hundred feet east of the house track switch. A southbound ore train, a double-header, became uncontrollable because of frosty rails and ran into a southbound extra freight. The latter could have made it to safety upon hearing the warning whistle but for the unfortunate circumstance of the train dividing. The engine and some of the cars of the pursued train escaped while the detached cars occasioned the wreck.

The caboose and two cars of the head train were totally wrecked, one engine was laid in the ditch and damaged to the extent of $800 while the other engine was derailed and damaged about $600. The damage to engines, cars and track is estimated at about $3,200.

Fortunately, no one was hurt, both crews jumping when they saw the crash was inevitable.

At 1:30 a wrecker from Alliance was in action and at 4:30 the Denver train was able to get through but it was 12:30 Tuesday before the last of the wreckage was cleaned up. The dead engines were conveyed on their own wheels to the Alliance shops and can be repaired. It is not thought that an investigation will be necessary as it was eleven below zero at the time of the wreck and the rails too frosty for surety down the incline from the viaduct.

About every man, woman and child in town was on hand at some time in the day to superintend the removal of the debris, the cold or the snow underfoot and the damp wind did not discourage the sightseers. It doesn’t happen everyday, a wreck inside the city limits, devoid of morbid incidents therefore perfectly enjoyable to everybody, unless, perchance, the company had some regrets.

75 YEARS AGO

‘Sidney Scouts

Take District

Title; To Enter

Bluffs Meet,

Championship Event

Set For March 16th’

March 4, 1938

Sidney Scout Troop No. 90 won the scout -o-ral at Chappell Tuesday night and will be eligible to compete in the council contests later this spring. Sidney scored 173 points, defeating Chappell with 148 and Oshkosh with 142-1/2.

Twenty-four Sidney scouts attended the meet, accompanied by Scoutmaster Frank Wait and Assistant Scoutmaster Ward Jones.

The Sidney troop put on the opening and closing flag ceremonies at Chappell and has been asked to handle the same ceremonies at the council scout-o-ral at Scottsbluff. Derwood Johnson was in charge.

The council meet is scheduled for March 16. Sidney scouts are confident they can hold their own with the best in the Wyo-Braska area.

50 YEARS AGO

‘Plan For High School Addition Is Approved’

February 27, 1963

Exterior design of the new high school addition approved by the board of education at a special meeting Monday night will clear the way for architects to complete interior plans preparatory for a bid opening about June 1, according to school superintendent Russell Pederson.

Original plans called for an exterior finish of pre-cast concrete which the board felt did not conform with the present building style. Use of matching brick was declared impractical because of prohibitive cost. The revised plan makes use of the face brick which more nearly conforms in style with the older part of the building, yet keeps the cost within estimates.

Dean Arter of the architectural firm of Arter and Speece of Lincoln presented the new plans to the board. Next phase of the preparation is work on the layout and arrangement of science lab, library, and cafeteria.

Total cost of the project will be $312,000 which will provide ten new classrooms in a two story addition to be built to the south of the present high school building and a study hall and cafeteria to be built in a single story wing to the north.

Also included in the plans will be renovation work at the junior high building, including the installation of a library and study hall at the site of the present cafeteria.

25 YEARS AGO

‘March Lion Arrives Along With Three

Inches Of Snow’

March 2, 1988

March came in like a fairly wet, gentle, lion Wednesday.

With at least two inches of wet snow on the ground in Sidney at 8 a.m. Dalton was reporting just a trace of precipitation, Potter noted three inches of snow, Lodgepole two inches and Chappell one inch.

At the Burlington Northern overpass construction site on the east edge of the city, plans for a concrete pour were held off from Thursday to Friday so workmen could dry the excess moisture from forms on the 25-foot bridge structure.

On city streets, although many drivers could be seen to be trying out their snow driving skills, the still-warm temperatures were quickly turning the snow into slush.

On I-80 State Trooper Ron Gusman appeared to be investigating the only accident to come out of the storm, a single vehicle accident in which two men were slightly injured.

In Sidney no accidents were reported as a result of the snow.

This morning’s snow was the first decent moisture since Feb. 10, when a half inch was received and the moisture was appreciated in most cases. The Sidney Aviation Service reported the snow melted out to .14 of precipitation.

10 YEARS AGO

‘New Housing Development Planned

For the North Side’

February 28, 2003

Another moderately priced housing development is in line for Sidney with this one on the north side.

“This is exciting for the north side,” City Manager Gary Person told the Sidney City Council Wednesday. “There has been no development there in recent years.”

The developer is Scott Nelson of Wheeler Commercial Property Services. The company plans to build nine single family homes fronting Ash Street between 16th and 17th Avenues.

Person said the houses will be in the “affordable”price range with a 2.99 percent interest rate for first time home owners.

The action came before the city council so it could approve amending the city’s One Year Street plan that was adopted at the council’s Feb. 11 meeting. Ash Street was platted but never developed. The Ft. Collins, Colo. based company will pave the street, and no street improvement district is required, Person said.

Person said the company will offer homes to first time home buyers. He said the development will be “on the fast track.”

“It will be the most cost-effective home building we have seen in some time,” Person said.