Good Old Days 10-23-15

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

'County Officials Salaries Given Substantial Boost; Could Spur Competition'

Oct. 22, 1965

Terms for all but two of the Cheyenne County officials will expire on the last day of 1966. Those whose terms will extend another two years are Judge Sydney Finch and First District Commissioner A. A. Fenske.

Officials whose four-year terms have a little more than a year to go are: Commissioner Carl Olson and William Smith of the second and third districts; Assessor Lloyd Mintken; Treasurer Mable Jorgensen; Sheriff W.W. Schulz; Clerk of the District Court Ruby Hendle; and Superintendent of Schools John Webb.

Filing for offices is usually started after the first of the year but actually it can be done anytime now. Filing must wait for the establishment of salary schedules and the Cheyenne County commissioners did that at their meeting this week.

The primary election will be on Tuesday, May 3, with the general election on Tuesday.

County Clerk Englert reports that he is not certain of the filing deadline. This information will be given out at the December meeting of county officials in Omaha.

Other elected county officials, not affected by this raise are the commissioners themselves and the judge. Their salaries are set by the Legislature with the commissioners receiving $2400 a year and the judge, $6500.

At the last official setting of salaries – done every four years – the commissioners raised pay for county officials to $4,400. This was done in accordance with a legislative ruling that counties of this size (Class 3) must pay minimum salaries of $4,200. Even with that raise, Cheyenne County's pay to officials was not as high as many other Class 3 counties.

Filing for county office can be done any time after salaries are set, although candidates generally wait until after the first of the year.

There has been much interest in the 1966 election in which all officials, with the exception of the county judge and the commissioner from the first district, will be chosen. The substantial salary increase should spur on greater interest and there will undoubtedly be many office seekers.

40 Years Ago

'Sidney Second Place in NCIP Competition'

Oct. 27, 1975

Sidney won second place in the Nebraska Community Improvement Program's annual contest, it was announced Friday evening during the awards banquet in Lincoln.

Alliance won first in the category, which included communities with populations between 5,000 and 50,000. Third went to Kearney, with honorable mentions going to McCook, Nebraska City and Norfolk.

Sidney also won an honorable mention for recreation and art development in the community.

"It was a great thrill," said Sally McGee who, along with Jerry Lawson, co-chaired the 1975 Sidney Community Improvement effort. "We are pleased and proud to be among the finalists for the third consecutive years." Sidney's Community Improvement Program was revived in 1973 after about a dozen years of not participating in the contest. This year's finish was preceded by a first place in 1974 and a second in 1973.

Mrs. McGee said the scrapbook committee, which prepared the documentation of local improvement efforts, deserved public recognition for its role in the program's success. "They are the ones that told our story," she said.

A total of 180 communities and 12 metropolitan neighborhoods participated in this year's contest. Friday's all-day program began with a speech entitled "You and Your Community; A Key to Our American Freedom" by Richard Posten, director of area development for the Southern Illinois Power Cooperative. Evaluation sessions followed, in which participants expressed opinions and suggestions concerning the NCIP. There also were community improvement workshops and other speakers.

25 Years Ago

'City to Buy Land With Good Water Well Potential'

Oct. 24, 1990

After meeting in closed session for discussion, Sidney City Council Tuesday night approved of an option agreement for the city to purchase 20 acres of land on which an apparently good water test well is located.

The land was already on the market prior to the city's recently having 13 test wells drilled by M&S Drilling of Potter which found seven wells that were pronounced good to "exceptionally good" by driller Ed Killham who chose their locations.

Council also passed, after lengthy discussions, Task Order 10 of the Water 200 program to go ahead with test pumping of what is called Test Hole Number 1, located about two miles northeast of Sidney.

Roger Helgoth, a Water 2000 consultant, and Killham addressed the council on the status of the city's search for a new source of low nitrate water supply. They said the newly discovered well field near Sidney has the potential of saving the city millions of dollars as compared with the option of having to pipe the water 12 miles from the Gurley area.

However, the two stressed, much more work remains to be done to ascertain that the wells will recharge, that is, replenish the water that is pumped out over a long period of time.

10 Years Ago

'Gas Drive-Offs Impact Local Gas Retailers'

Oct. 22, 2005

It used to be an honest mistake that happened once in a while at area gas stations, but record-setting gas prices have also led to new highs in gas thefts.

Gas stations with convenience stores across the nation experienced an estimated $237 million dollars in losses to drive-offs last year. Though only a small portion of that estimate, Sidney gas stations have seen a heavy increase in drive-offs as well.

"Last year we responded to about two or three calls involving drive-offs a month," said Sidney Police Chief Larry Cox. "Last month, there was four drive-offs in about an hour."

Cox added that some of the calls deal with someone who used a credit card at the pump who didn't know that their card hadn't registered or went over their limit.

Most of the thefts occur at gas stations near the Interstate 80 interchange because the highway offers thieves a quick getaway, Cox said.

Stations don't force customers to prepay for gas during daylight hours to keep the process convenient. But this convenience means the cashiers have to be alert to what their customers are doing outside while handling a line of customers inside the store as well.