Good Old Days 03-27-15

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

'Wheatbelt manager named in South Vietnam project'

March 29, 1965

A Nebraska rural electrician specialist has been selected to work in South Vietnam in an effort to assist the rural people of that country.

Charles Ham, manager of the Wheatbelt Public Power District in Sidney, will spend 90 days in that troubled Far East country as part of a five-man survey team.

Ham was selected as a result of the recent inspection trip to South Vietnam by Clyde T. Ellis, general manager of the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association, of which Wheatbelt is a member.

The country survey will be made to determine the electric power needs of South Vietnam. It will be performed under NRECA's nonprofit contract with the agency for International Development (AID) to provide technical assistance in rural areas of the free world.

Ham has had previous experience in assisting underdeveloped countries in South America. In 1963 and 1964, he spent 60 days in Uruguay conducting a study which covered preliminary engineering, feasibility, and application criteria.

25 YEARS AGO

'Street cost-share resolution approved'

March 28, 1990

After it almost died for lack of a second, Sidney City of Council Tuesday unanimously passed a resolution defining the cost sharing policies of Street Improvement District No. 11 that it passed at its last meeting.

The Council Chambers in city hall was nearly packed with Illinois St. property owners and other Sidney business people who have an interest in the street, gutter, curb, sidewalk, and driveway renovations that are called for in the creation of the street improvement districts.

Some of the Councilmen seemed to misunderstand the mood of the citizens who attended the meeting, thinking them to be against the resolution. Others such as Dr. Jay Matzke sensed they only wanted their questions answered. When Matzke moved to approved the resolution, no one succeeded it and Mayor Bruce Hauge declared it died for lack of a second.

Matzke gave Council a lecture about the implications of the lack of action, which some have interpreted as the city's turning its back on state funding. He made a minor revision, moved a second time for its approval and this time all the councilmen voted for it.

The resolution is complicated but it basically provides for a cost-sharing plan between property owners along a portion of Illinois, the city and the state of Nebraska.

Work it to be done over the next two summers.

In other actions, Council voted to approve the application of Loraine M. Brungardt for a liquor license at the Sportsmen Liquor Store at 2045 Illinois Street, which she has bought.

10 YEARS AGO

'SP library expansion still on track'

March 26, 2005

Don't give up on a new addition to the Sidney's Public Library. It will happen-some day.

But first, "I need money" says Mary Beth SancombMoran library director. There are steps taken to raise the estimated $1.5 million needed to add the planned $6,000 square foot addition to the existing facility.

"I would love to start construction any minute now," she said, "but we need to get the money first."

"The board is looking into working with a fund raising consultant," she said. "Hopefully that will help." The library board has met with one consultant and will meet with another in April and then probably make decision, she said. "Hopefully that will reinvigorate things."

About $50,000 has been raised from local donations, including one $20,000 donation from a donor who wishes to remain anonymous.

The expansion, first announced two years ago, will add a second story L-shaped loft to the library and also expand the current building, dedicated in 1965, on the north and east sides, she said.

The east (front) side of the library will be extended east about 10 feet "to give us more reading area and then we can use the space we already have for books," she said.

5 YEARS AGO

'CAPstone Child Advocacy Center holds open house'

March 30, 2010

What once required a more than hour-long car ride will now only take minutes, for Sidney families at least. That is because satellite office of the CAPstone Child Advocacy will open in town April 5 at 1240 Jackson St. The public is invited to attend an open house between 2 and 4 p.m.

Since first opening its doors in Scottsbluff in 2000, the center has been the go-to place for children in the 11 western counties of Nebraska who are suspected victims of sexual or severe physical abuse. With the number of cases steady between 175 to 200 per year over the last five years, the center's board of directors has focused on achieving its goal of opening more locations that require less travel time for victims.

"It has always been a goal to open more offices," said Cheyenne County Attorney and CAPstone board member Paul Schaub. "We are fortunate to get some people in Sidney working with us in making this site accommodate our needs."

The Sidney satellite office will be the second such office of its kind opened by the center. The first, located in Chadron, was opened in May, 2009. CAPstone director Joy McKay said Monday the center saw an increase in the number of cases when the satellite office opened. That's a trend she expects to repeat itself with Sidney's office opens. It's attributed to the proximity of the office.