Good Old Days - 04-22-16

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

'Mayor WIll Dedicate Big Program; 10,000 Trees go In Ground Through Area'

April 20, 1966

The sound of post hole diggers cutting into the ground, the crunch of shovels overturning earth and the good noise of dedicated people at work will be heard all day Friday as the Cheyenne County Centennial tree planting program gets an appropriate Arbor Day start.

Throughout the county, beginning at 9:30 a.m., the planting of 10,000 Ponderosa Pine seedlings and will place them at designated points as the start of a far reaching beautification program.

Central point for the tree planting kickoff will be the site of Sidney water tower on the north bluffs. A program of dedication for the Fort Sidney Memorial Forest at this point will coincide with tree planting activities throughout the country. Radio and communication will keep the planters at other points in touch with the central planting site.

At the Memorial Forest program Dick Thailing, chairman of the Cheyenne County Centennial committee, will serve as master of ceremonies. The invocation will be given by the Rev. James Green. The dedication of the Centennial Tree will be made by Mayor J. L. Thorpe to officially kick off the planting. The song "Trees" will be sung by Miss Gayleen Woodburn and the benediction will be given by the Very Rev. Vincent J. Pelster.

The plantings will undoubtedly be completed over the weekend at the sites where the entire job cannot be done in one day.

In general charge of the Centennial tree planting are Ivan Liljegren, Cheyenne CountyAgent, who will explain the tree planting activities at the dedication program by the water tower, and Gene Lienemann.

40 Years Ago

'Swine Flu Inoculation Waits State Program'

April 21, 1976

The president of the Cheyenne-Kimball-Deuel County Medical Society, Dr. L.S. O'Holleran of SIeny, said Tuesday that he is certain his group will be willing to cooperate with any program to inoculate area residents against swine flu.

The State Board of Health coveted Monday to have Dr. Henry Smith, director of the health department, work out a plan for the mass inoculation procedure.

Dr. O'Holleran said the medical society has not met to discuss the program, but noted that he is confident that the physicians in the region will go along with nearly any plan that is developed.

Dr. O'Holleran pointed out that the doctors had some experience with a similar program approximately 16 years ago when the Sabin Oral vaccine was given en masse as protection against polio.

"Bassically, I think they're (health officials) on the right track," the Sidney doctor said. "They might be a little premature as far as a nationwide program is concerned, but we'd hate to be wrong.

Dr. O'Holleran noted that malpractice suits are a concern of some doctors as they look ahead to the mass procedure. However, he expressed hope that this matter can be resolved before the inoculations begin.

Rep. Virginia Smith of Chappell recently reported that the Department of Health, Education and Welfare is developing malpractice safeguards.

Health Director Smith said he expects the vacination to begin in October. He estimated the cost of administering the free federal vaccine at 50 cents a dose.

President Ford originally proposed the nation-wide inoculation program, and Congress has passed a plan to make the vaccine available to all Americans. A total of $135 million has been appropriated for the program.

Health officials fear that the flu ill arrive next winter. The strain is believed to be the same that caused the world-wide epidemic in 1918, although Dr. O'Holleran said this has not been established.

"About all we know now is that the virus seems to be a particularly dangerous one," Dr. O'Holleran said.

The Sidney Telegraph in 1918 reported that the town was pretty well closed to outsiders for about two months that fall. The first deaths on account of the flu came in late October. As many as seven were reported in some issues of the weekly later during November.

25 Years Ago

'Endangered Species?

Good Friends, Neighbors Make Running Store in Small Town Worthwhile'

April 20, 1991

LODGEPOLE – The Nightingale grocery store in Lodgepole, like may other local groceries in small towns, is an endangered species. But here are no preservation societies or environment groups to lobby for the survival of small town grocery stores.

Yet proprietor Bob Nightingale has no complaints. He accepts the "fact of life" with a quiet smile. Small town businesses might be gradually withering away, but Nightingale loves small towns, especially Lodgepole. Good friends and neighbors enrich his life, even though the store isn't going to pay for a sunny retirement in Hawaii.

Last December, for instance, just about everybody in town turned out to help him clean up and repair his store after vandals brook all the front windows one night.

"The news got around town fast," Nightingale recalls. "By 7:30 that morning there were at least a dozen people helping clean up the glass and putting things in order. I couldn't count how many came in during the day to help or to say a few kind words. There's no way you can put a value on things like that."

The Nightingale store is one of the original buildings in Lodgepole. Although Nightingale has had it for only 20 years, the building was erected in 1911. At the time, it fronted Highway 30. Now , it is part of the "old" Lodgepole on the south side of the tracks. Modern Highway 30 runs parallel to the Union Pacific tracks on the north side.

Nightingale's grandfather homesteaded in northeastern Colorado, then moved the family to the Nebraska Panhandle. Nightingale and his brothers and sisters grew up on a farm north of Sidney and attended the Sidney schools.

The store depends on the patronage of local residents.

"This town is real good at supporting local businesses," Nightingale says. "We try to carry all the basics - bread and milk and thing like that."

Actually, the store carries a full line of groceries, including fresh cut meats and vegetables.

10 Years Ago

'Sidney Completes Power Shift; Strong Winds Can't Deter Electrical Department'

April 19, 2006

Exchanging three pieces of equipment for one may seem like an unfair trade, but the exchange will help the Hickory Street substation more adequately supply downtown Sidney with electiricy during the high-demand summer months.

The Sidney Electrical Department exchanged three aluminum transformers, which were made in the 1960s, with one copper wound modern transformer at the Hickory Street substation located behind the Fox Theater.

"The Hickory Street substation has been overloaded by the demands of the downtown area," Rod Fries, Sidney Electrical Department Director said. "It forced us to bring the power plant on almost every afternoon during the summer. The new transformer will be able to handle the power needs of the area."

The old transformers will be kept at the substation as backups. The new transformer was purchased a year and a half ago for $38,000, and the exchange hit various snags along the way. The most recent being a communication problem between the city and the crane company hired to hoist the transformer into place. The new transformer was scheduled to be in place last month, but the crane was no where to be found on the day the transformer was scheduled to be installed. After contacting another crane company the electrical department scheduled April 18 for the exchange and completed the work despite strong winds in the area. The cement wall surrounding the transformer area helped reduce the sway of the transformer while it was being hoisted into place.

The city power plant supplied power to the downtown area while the switch took place and no problems were reported.

"We were hoping to do this in calm weather, but you just have to deal with the wind when you are in Sidney," said John Hehnke, Sidney Public Services Director.