Nebraska Life Magazine September-October 2022 by Flagship Publishing

Nebraska 100% Public Power

Providing Nebraskans with affordable, reliable, and locally owned public power.

Custer Public Power District supplies electric power over 4,600 miles of distribution lines to Custer, Thomas, Blaine, Logan, McPherson, Loup, and Hooker counties, including portions of Sherman, Dawson, Cherry, Lincoln, Brown, and Garfield counties. Proudly, serving over 8000 square miles of rural Nebraska.

October 2-8, 2022, public power utilities across the United States celebrate Public Power.

UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA PRESS

“That Kooser often sees things we do not would be delight enough, but more amazing is exactly what he sees. Nothing escapes him. Everything is illuminated.”

—Library Journal

COTTON CANDY Poems Dipped Out of the Air

TED KOOSER

$17.95

“Eileen Wirth offers Omahans a window into their history, a fuller accounting of the contributions of remarkable women who built this city.”

—Erin Grace, former columnist for the Omaha World-Herald

THE WOMEN WHO BUILT OMAHA A Bold and Remarkable History

EILEEN WIRTH

$22.95

FEATURES

26 Wahoo Swap

What do antique tractor parts, vintage cowboy boots and a wooden duck have in common? They’re all up for grabs at this treasure hunt for classic car mechanics, fashionistas and DIY home decorators – and vendor fees support a good cause.

Story and photographs by Megan Feeney

Sandhills Journey Scenic Byway, Part One: Grand Island to Dunning

The beautiful Sandhills Journey Scenic Byway stretches from Grand Island to Alliance. In part one of our two-part story, Nebraska Life Photo Editor Josh Hardin encounters historical artifacts, scarfs a delicious hot dog and ducks cliff swallows hunting insects over the Middle Loup River.

Story and photographs by Josh Hardin

38 Modern Nebraska Buildings

Seven examples of modern Nebraska architecture shine. These inspired buildings provide Nebraskans with places to work, worship, study and play.

Story by Tom Hess

46 McCook Shrimp Farm

As the Beef State, Nebraska has the “turf” portion handled. Now a family-owned McCook shrimp farm is delivering the “surf.” A delicious inland sea adventure in aquaculture awaits.

Story and photographs by Alan Bartels

56 Clayton Yeutter

A farm boy from Eustis served four U.S. presidents and became a trailblazer in world trade. Nebraska shaped Clayton Yeutter; then, he carved a new path for American agriculture.

Story by Joseph Weber

60 Nebraska Life Birthday Fun

The festivities continue! As Nebraska Life celebrates its 25th year, we highlight other singular Nebraskan institutions that make us a great state: the Unicameral, public power and TeamMates Mentoring Program.

Story by Megan Feeney

Nebraska Harvest Time

Gardeners and farmers from across the state toiled through the hottest months. In autumn, they reap bountiful harvests of apples and wheat, corn and peppers. Nebraska photographers document the visual feast.

Story by Megan Feeney

Nebraska is strong, from all the ways we lift each other.

Chadron pg. 38

Ogallala pg. 38

Gordon pg. 82

Johnstown pg. 38

Dunning pg. 28

North Platte pg. 82

Hershey pg. 60

O’Neill pg. 16

Merna pg. 28

Broken Bow pg. 28

Eustis pg. 56

McCook pg. 46

DEPARTMENTS

11 Editor’s Letter

Gavins Point Dam pg. 102

Wynot pg. 16

Pierce pg. 16

Norfolk pg. 60

Schuyler pg.38

Ravenna pg. 28

Cairo pg. 16

Grand Island pg. 28

Fairfield pg. 38

Wahoo pg. 26

Gretna pg. 38

Lincoln pg. 60

Beatrice pg. 38

Omaha pg. 82

Observations on the ‘Good Life’ by Editor Megan Feeney.

13 Mailbox

Letters, emails, posts and notes from our readers.

16 Flat Water News & Trivia

An indoor farmers market offers oodles in O’Neill, a Wynot joint serves locally caught hot-fried fish with a side of history, a writer finds faithful lessons with her horses, and a Pierce trio makes music for webbed-footed friends. Plus: Grand Island trivia that won’t maroon quiz buffs. Answers on page 90.

52 Kitchens

Diners prepare for plant power! Peanuts get the main-course treatment with these original recipes by Amber Pankonin, a Lincoln-based registered dietitian and personal chef.

73 Poetry

Nebraska poets rustle up Western tales and cowboy ballads that evoke a nostalgic take on the season.

82 Traveler

North Platte Canteen Festival pays tribute to the town’s service and patriotism during World War II, Husker women’s volleyball leaps into another exciting season, Rathskeller Bier Haus breaks out the pretzels and lederhosen for its Oktoberfest, and Gordon residents celebrate unbendable community ties at the Willow Tree Festival.

100 Naturally Nebraska

Alan J. Bartels tells the story of a gift from his deceased grandfather that paved the way for many of his most treasured outdoor adventures.

102 Last Look

Every fall, paddlefish anglers crowd the Missouri River below Gavins Point Dam. Photographer Sam Stukel is there too –but he’s not after the fish.

Pankonin, Steve Moseley/University

ON OUR COVER This red barn at Stuhr Museum in Grand Island is one of the many photogenic attractions along the Sandhills Journey Scenic Byway.

PHOTOGRAPH BY JOSHUA HARDIN

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2022

Volume 26, Number 5

Publisher & Executive Editor

Chris Amundson

Associate Publisher Angela Amundson

Editor Megan Feeney

Photo Editor Joshua Hardin

Design

Jocas A. See, Valerie Mosley

Advertising Marilyn Koponen

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Mentorship matters

ROSE’S HOUSE HAD a piano and homemade marinara sauce on the stove. Laura’s house had a crystal dish filled with M&Ms and doe-eyed porcelain figures. Naomi’s house had loads of books. Growing up in Omaha, I befriended the elderly widowed women in my neighborhood. Their homes and company provided a refuge from my fun-loving but rowdy house with four brothers. I’d tell Mom and Dad where I was headed and knock on doors until one of my older lady friends answered.

These friends and I might enjoy a simple card game, a cool drink or conversation. I was privileged to have loving, supportive parents, but my relationships with Rose, Laura and Naomi further enriched me. With the gifts of their patient presence and kind attention, they affirmed my selfworth and built my self-confidence.

Memories of these relationships – and their specialness to me – resurfaced when our team was putting together this issue. We continue in these pages to celebrate Nebraska institutions in honor of Nebraska Life’s 25th anniversary. This time, we give kudos to public power and the Unicameral and pay tribute to the TeamMates Mentoring Program.

Tom and Nancy Osborne started the program in 1991 to support and guide schoolaged youth. Adult mentors commit to spending one hour per week with their mentees. Mentors don’t have to have degrees in physics or psychology. They follow their mentee’s lead on how to spend the time together. They might toss a ball, put together a puzzle, or enjoy a snack. Likewise, mentees don’t need to be at-risk or meet any other qualifications to be eligible for a mentor. The idea is that every young person can benefit from the care and encouragement of an adult who’s got their back.

One exceptional Nebraskan in this month’s historical feature proves the power of mentorship. Clayton K. Yeutter rose from a hardscrabble rural Nebraska life during the Great Depression to serve four U.S. presidents. But he didn’t do it alone, writes Joseph Weber, author of the fine biography, Rhymes with Fighter: Clayton Yeutter, American Statesman. Other Nebraskans who recognized Yeutter’s raw talent cheered him on and provided him the opportunities to reach his full potential.

Throughout Nebraska, TeamMates has mentees on waiting lists. Meanwhile, the youth in our country are facing unprecedented mental health challenges. This year, U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy said, “The future well-being of our country depends on how we support and invest in the next generation.”

I wish every kid in Nebraska had a Rose, Laura, Naomi … or Tom Osborne – someone to say, “You’re great. What do you need? I have time, and I’m here for you.”

What if that someone was you?

Megan Feeney Editor editor@nebraskalife.com

Valerie Mosley

TASTY, FRESH & FUN

NEBRASKA CITY

Savor the farm-fresh produce and baked treats at Union Orchard. Bring the kids for pick-your-own fruit and pumpkins, plus monthly events held in our large pavilion. Sample a wide variety of Nebraska wines, hard ciders, and seasonal cocktails in our tasting room.

Applejack Festival

Sept. 17-18

Shop all your Favorite Goodies at Both of our Locations Breakfast and Lunch from our grill (Orchard) Boxed lunches (Downtown)

Art Show in our Orchard Pavilion

Children’s Activities at the Orchard

The Taste of Applejack Sept. 25-25

Check the events section of our Facebook page

NEBRASKA CITY’S HISTORIC AND ONLY FAMILY-OWNED ORCHARD

Open year-round

UNION ORCHARD

Check our Facebook page for up

Forward-looking leaders

Your July/August 2022 article regarding Natural Resources Districts (“Elevating the Good”) made me smile.

When I was in law school in the early 1970s, I had the good fortune of working for Professor Richard Harnsberger, a leading national water law expert and a close friend of Maurice Kremer, on the legal background for the legislation to create NRDs.

Senator Kremer’s profound political insight was threefold: 1. to create NRDs along natural water basin boundaries –which no other state had done, and thereby alleviate the political infighting which occurred in other states with traditional non-basin boundaries; 2. to provide for locally elected directors instead of gubernatorial appointments, which took NRD control out of gubernatorial politics and assured local control responsive to voters and landowners; and 3. to provide NRDs with strong powers, particularly independent taxing power, which took NRDs out of the biennial state appropriations fights and provided dependable funding.

Nebraska was lucky to have such forward-looking leaders.

John Wagner Papillion

Plattsmouth’s (im)possible events

The article on the Nebraska Community Foundation hit home (“Elevating the Good”). I’m part of a non-profit organization that relies on and uses the funds from our local Plattsmouth Community Foundation Fund.

We use the grant money to hold events in our historic downtown and could not do it without the support and funds of the community foundation fund. They make our events possible.

Joni Friberg Plattsmouth

Imperial skates to good life

Thank you for featuring the important work Nebraska Community Foundation and its affiliated funds and for highlighting young Mr. Moreno’s dream of a skatepark in Imperial (“Elevating the Good”).

Our community quickly rallied behind Mr. Moreno to make one of the best outdoor skateparks in the state. The Imperial Community Foundation Fund has also recently helped build an art-filled park from a vacant lot and issued a challenge grant to the community to help with audio and video repairs at the municipally owned and volunteer-operated movie theater. These projects and many more help continue to create the high quality of life for all ages our residents have grown accustomed to in Imperial. Thank you for lifting up this work and that of our peers across the state.

Tyler Pribbeno Imperial

Stuart’s big splash

As a resident of Stuart, I was proud to see our recently completed splash pad in your July/August 2022 issue that featured Nebraska Community Foundation (“Elevating the Good”). Stuart has been an affiliated community since 2000, and they have helped our entire community “Turn Up Our Dream Switch.”

Our recent success in building our unrestricted endowment to a point where we soon will be able to grant back over $50,000 to our community every year is just one example of the generosity and the abundance around us. As a member of our Stuart Community Foundation Fund, we are encouraged by NCF to continue to build our fund for the future of Stuart and rural Nebraska. We encourage others to remember your community fund in their estate planning.

As the article states, gifting just 5 percent of your estate will help rural America thrive for years.

Jay Wallinger Stuart

McCook’s youthful impact

Thank you for lifting up the work of McCook’s Youth Change Reaction (YCR) in your July/August 2022 issue (“Elevating the Good”).

More than a decade ago, YCR was formed in McCook to provide young people with a voice to be heard in the community and the opportunity to make a difference. With the support and guidance of Nebraska Community Foundation and McCook Community Foundation Fund, YCR members are becoming leaders in the community, doing projects for others and getting things done.

As highlighted in the article “Elevating the Good,” McCook’s YCR group established a bike loan program at Red Willow Lake. Now they are taking on a more ambitious project: raising funds to build a permanent drive-in theater at the local fairgrounds, which they hope will benefit the community for generations.

These young people are the future of McCook and the future of Nebraska. And the future looks bright as these young people work to make McCook an even better place to call home.

Ronda

Graff McCook

MAILBOX

Red-hot heritage

In the past, I read with interest articles you have written about local firefighter museums (“Museum Sparks Interest in State’s Oldest Fire Department,” July/August 2022).

People who have a passion for firefighters and the history of the fire service will love the Nebraska Firefighters Museum Hall of Fame Education Center and Memorial Garden in Kearney.

It is dedicated to honoring the history and heritage of Nebraska’s fire and emergency service and educating individuals from toddlers to senior citizens regarding fire prevention and safety.

A change out of equipment takes place every fall, and we have many activities for children throughout the year.

A must-see is the beautiful memorial garden that honors Nebraska first responders and those who have died in the line of duty.

Bob Vogltance West Point

Pioneer history

I enjoyed reading the article on the Mormon pioneers. (“Linda Meigs: Omaha’s Keeper of the Mill,” May/June 2020). My family lived in Florence in the 1940s on Young Street. It was mostly farmland back then. Our house still exists but no sign of a farm today.

I don’t recall learning about a Mormon settlement when we lived there. However, I was curious about the Mormon Pioneer Cemetery when traveling on the bus to school. I do recall the Florence Mill and the Mormon Bridge, which I believe was a toll bridge back in the day.

A bridge tender was nice enough to let a paperboy warm up on cold winter mornings.

Howard “Butch” Stitt

Loomis, California

Memory magic of butterflies

Hello from Wisconsin. We lived in Norfolk for many years relocating to Wisconsin to be closer to family as we age. I receive the Nebraska Life as a gift from a long-time friend. I’ve always enjoyed the magazine with the variety of stories, poems, recipes and illustrations, but have found a new use for it that I thought you might find rewarding. I am a hospice volunteer and many times find segments from the Nebraska Life to share with my patients.

Today was no exception, but your article “Nebraska’s Parade of Pollinators” (July/August 2022) was especially a hit. I have a patient with Alzheimer’s who enjoys nature, colors and patterns. I thought of her when I saw the bright cover of the recent issue. I shared this article and the beautiful, colorful pictures, including the assortment of butterflies on the cover. She always enjoys thumbing through the pages, but she really connected with this article and the pictures, looking at them and talking about the beauty over and over. It certainly added some joy to her day. This issue will be getting a lot of use with our visits. Thanks so much for the quality you put into each issue.

Marsha Rotherham Oregon, Wisconsin

Team effort

Thank you for your beautiful magazine. It is wonderful to take a break when it arrives and enjoy all aspects of each issue. I appreciate all the work and effort your staff puts into each issue.

Marcia Reining Hastings

SEND YOUR LETTER TO THE EDITOR

Please send us your letters and emails by Oct. 15, 2022, for possible publication in the November/December 2022 issue. One lucky winner selected at random will receive a free 1-year subscription renewal. This issue’s winner is Tyler Pribbeno of Imperial. Email editor@nebraskalife.com, or write by mail to the address at the front of this magazine. Thanks for reading and subscribing!

CARDIAC CATHETERIZATION LAB HEART CARE

There’s a saying in cardiology: “Time is muscle.”

In laymen’s terms, the saying means that the sooner doctors restore blood flow after a cardiac event, the healthier the heart muscle and the patient will be.

Columbus Community Hospital’s new cardiac catheterization lab puts time on a patient’s side.

The hospital’s new cardiac cath lab is fully equipped with advanced technology to perform minimally invasive tests and procedures that will diagnose and treat heart disease on-site.

In the past, Columbus Community Hospital needed to transport critically ill patients to large facilities that had cardiac cath labs.

With its new cath lab, staff will be able to treat those patients in-house, decreasing the time from diagnosis to restored blood flow — leading to healthier heart muscles and healthier patients.

It’s lifesaving care, right here at home.

For more information on the new cath lab and its comprehensive cardiology services, visit columbushosp.org.

BY LAURYN HIGGINS

Noteworthy news, entertaining nonsense

Duck, duck, goose calls Pierce product attracts the fat birds

In the quiet farming community of Pierce, there’s a business making a lot of noise – a lot of quacking noise, to be exact. Brothers Kenley and Cody Silhacek and their friend Aaron Halpin founded the award-winning hand-crafted duck and goose call business Hammer Calls in 2015. Duck and goose calls attract flocks of birds close enough to make a clean kill. A good call is not unlike any other reeded instrument. It requires skill to craft one that sounds good.

The Silhacek brothers’ love for woodworking traces back generations. Their grandfather Lonnie Wickett is a woodworker by trade and the first person they sought advice from when they began crafting the calls. Wickett lent them a 1970 Craftsman lathe and some tools to get started. The Hammer Calls’ shop location bounced around a few times but now operates out of Cody’s garage.

The Silhaceks and Halpin grew up fishing bass in Maskenthine Lake in Stanton County, Buckskin Lake in Hooker and Chalkrock Lake by Crofton.

duck and goose calls. They’ve experimented with meaningful custom calls, too.

One good friend, AJ Schahrer, had a hunting dog named Tank who died suddenly from cancer. Schahrer had his dog cremated and passed the ashes along to Hammer Calls. They made him a matching set of duck and goose calls with the

Once they reached their early 30s, they decided to try out waterfowl hunting to extend their season outdoors together. The only problem was the steep price tag on duck calls – so they decided to make their own. Their love for Nebraska’s great outdoors energizes their work.

The trio handcrafts each call down to the barrel, reed and insert. Every team member tunes it to ensure they hear the same sound before shipping it out. They also try them out in the field. From hunting in big open water along the North Platte to smaller areas like Maple Creek in Leigh, the team travels all over the state to hunt ducks and test their products. They use the knowledge they gain to refine their

dog’s ashes integrated into the calls so Schahrer could always have his hunting buddy with him.

As the sun sets on an autumn day in duck season, Tank is still bringing in birds. As it rises, the men at Hammer Calls are preparing to ship their Nebraska-made products to hunters around the United States.

Who let the ducks out? Quack, quack, quack, quack! The Silhacek brothers and their friend Aaron Halpin, all of Pierce, help hunters bring in the ducks with handmade duck calls.

An indoors farmers market offering local food blossoms in O’Neill

BY JENNIFER TROESTER

The spice of Barbara Bailey’s cinnamon rolls and the rich aroma of Jim Bean micro-roasted coffee perfumes the air at Wildflour Grocers in O’Neill. The two O’Neill-based vendors are among 50 who sell their local products at the community-established grocery store.

Filled with seasonal vegetables, locally grown meat, cheese, honey, eggs and Hartington’s Burbach’s Countryside Dairy’s fresh milk in glass bottles, Wildflour Grocers provides patrons healthy food options while supporting local food entrepreneurs.

Local citizens came together to open the store in 2018. These “managing members” varied by age and eating style, but they shared the common belief that local food was important and local producers deserved support.

Vendors from the surrounding area bring in fresh greens, eggs and sweet potatoes. Shoppers are welcome to browse items a la carte or join the community

supported agriculture group, which provides fresh weekly produce from several local growers for $10 a week for 22 weeks.

Shoppers can clearly see the origin of their food and how it was grown. The food hub labels its organic produce and hormone- and antibiotic-free meat and eggs. By cutting out the middle distributors, Wildflour sells these usually expensive items at more affordable prices. Farmers and ranchers bring their products directly to the store where they are sold to consumers along with a personal touch and the stories carried with them. (Vendors make 80 percent, Wildflour makes 20 percent) The store operates solely on the financial and time investments of members who are Holt County food advocates.

In the commercial kitchen, members prepare, bake, pickle and dry foods and herbs. Anyone who sells their fare at the store is welcome to use the commercial kitchen for free. Each year, Wildflour hosts an ice cream social using ice cream prepared in the kitchen using Burbach’s

milk. Customers eagerly wait to see what flavors will be at the social. Will it be strawberry made with a local farmer’s bounty or coffee ice cream made with locally roasted Jim Bean Coffee? There has even been a vanilla ice cream with George Paul Raspberry Vinegar drizzled over it.

At Wildflour, food is more than sustenance. It is memory. During a chamber of commerce coffee event, an older woman told cinnamon roll baker Kate Popke that the treat brought back warm recollections of her grandmother.

Wildflour also promotes the talents of local makers.

Denim and floral aprons by O’Neill resident Ann Schneider hang ready for purchase. Local artist Ranell Otte’s watercolor flowers brighten the walls with tulips, peonies, lilies and sunflowers.

Otte also creates beautiful Nebraska wreaths using boxwood from her backyard and milkweed and thistles from Holt County ditches – a fresh new take on common weeds.

Wildflour Grocer connects the community to food, land and one another while giving locals a taste of Nebraska’s best.

Jennifer Troester

Wildflour Grocer offers Nebraska eggs, milk, honey, vegetables and fruit, as well as baked and canned goods created in the onsite commercial kitchen. Smiles are free.

NL Art Award goes to a warm winner

BY MEGAN FEENEY

Artist Deb Monfelt grew up on a farm east of Wymore. She enjoys painting all Nebraska seasons, but the autumnal light at the end of a growing season, the way the dust clings to the humid air, feels especially poignant. She was driving the country roads east of Odell when she came upon the scene she would paint in “Hot Sultry Sunday,” which received the

Nebraska Life Art Award at the Association of Nebraska Art Clubs 2022 conference, held in Broken Bow this summer.

In the foreground of Monfelt’s oil color painting, beautiful shades of Nebraska grasses catch the sepia light. Trees in the background frame a church’s steeple.

In her paintings, Monfelt likes to reflect on one day, place and moment. “Hot Sultry Sunday” expresses this meditative quality of peaceful attentiveness.

Deb Monfelt

Nebraska Life chose Deb Monfelt’s oil color painting,“Hot Sultry Sunday” as the winner of the 2022 Nebraska Life Art Award, given at the Association of Nebraska Art Clubs annual conference. Monfelt’s painting evokes the scents and feelings of a fall day.

Wynot celebrate history and fried fish?

BY BROOKE STEFFEN-KLEINSCHMIT

It’s another fish fry at History Hall in Wynot, and Dennis Promes is busy cooking up carp and buffalo for a crowd of hungry people. The laughter of old friends and the clink of forks fill the air. He grins. When he purchased the vacant building a few short years ago, this was his vision.

Growing up, Dennis relished fishing with his dad on the Missouri River and fondly remembers long evenings spent frying and feeding “rough” river fish to area folks. “Rough” fish are common freshwater fish that have traditionally been considered less valuable. It doesn’t make them less tasty.

Brooke Steffen-Kleinschmit

Dennis Promes grew up fishing the Missouri River with his father. Now he brings the bounty of “rough fish,” or freshwater fish, to folks in Wynot at his newly opened History Hall.

Photo: Joan Marcus Richard Thomas in To Kill a Mockingbird.

Photo: Julieta Cervantes

Those delicious memories – and a bit of free time – inspired Dennis and his wife, Rose, to revive the area’s fish fry tradition every Friday during Lent and on select other Fridays about once a month for the rest of the year. With sides, a meal is $15, but the atmosphere is priceless.

History Hall boasts a mix of modern rustic decor and Dennis’ ever-growing collection of local memorabilia, ranging from his father’s World War II uniform to images of Wynot when it was a fledgling town. A giant hand-painted mural pays tribute to Rogers #83, the train that put Wynot on the map. Originally slated to pass through Saint James on the way to Rapid City, unforeseen issues suddenly had the train turning around in a less developed area to the southwest, and “Wynot” sprang to life.

Dennis points to a photo of a street packed toe-to-toe with hundreds of dapper men and ladies in long dresses. “My mom said this is what every weekend

FLAT WATER

was like in those days. The farmers would come to town to sell their eggs, and everyone would socialize.”

Just as the train fed people and life into the small community, Dennis’ river fish sustain it. “People still love rough fish – it’s nostalgic. And we’re one of the only places you can get it. We love that we’re bringing people something from their past that they can’t get anymore.”

Parties and live music are also on the horizon. On a busy night, Dennis looks around at the people he’s serving and knows he’s right where he should be. “It’s important to keep the town alive. And when you’ve fed 400 people that night, and the street is full of cars, you know you’re doing the right thing.”

History Hall in Wynot, Friday fish frys every week during Lent, other select Fridays throughout the year. (402) 357-2131

Brooke Steffen-Kleinschmit

Friendship, history lessons and local art, including a train mural, are also on offer at History Hall

Author’s faith, love of horses inspires memoir

BY MEGAN FEENEY

Cara Whitney’s new horse Gus didn’t like her. She didn’t particularly like him, either, she writes in her new book Country Soul: Inspiring Stories of Heartache Turned to Hope. But instead of breaking him the traditional way, she took her horse to a natural horsemanship trainer. The trainer taught Whitney to take it slow with Gus and create trust. Whitney could tell Gus, “I’m going to put pressure on you … this is what’s best for you. I am your safe place.”

Erik Johnson

Author Cara Whitney finds solace and inspiration in her relationship with God and in her friendships with her horses. Horse training and faith take work, she writes in her new book.

Whitney not only marveled at her progress with Gus but also felt astonished by the training’s resonance to her journey with the Christian faith.

“Even though we were created in the image of God,” Whitney writes, “we were also created with these wild human hearts.”

And yet Jesus stands by, Whitney concludes, ready to gently lead us back. He doesn’t try to break us; he asks us to be unafraid.

For her fourth book, Whitney’s husband, Dan Whitney, aka Larry the Cable Guy, once again pens the foreword. He is from Pawnee City, and the couple lives on land outside of Lincoln.

The author divides the essays, photography, Bible verses and prayers into six parts: “God’s Spirit Makes Us Loving and Happy”; “God’s Spirit Makes Us Peaceful and Patient”; “God’s Spirit Makes Us Kind

and Good”; “God’s Spirit Makes Us Gentle”; and “God’s Spirit Makes Us Self-Controlled.”

Chapters divide each of the six sections, creating time to reflect. Photographs feature pictures by Nebraskan Erik Johnson, whose work has also appeared in this magazine. (“First & Last Light: Lincoln photographer races sun and moon across Nebraska’s ‘prairie sea,’” Nebraska Life, September/October 2021.)

Whitney and Gus formed a partnership in the end. It makes for some beautiful rides.

Country Soul: Inspiring Stories of Heartache Turned to Hope by Cara Whitney published by Thomas Nelson Hardcover, 218 pp, $18

Let’s Talk

Capitol Forum on America’s Future

Governor’s Lecture in the Humanities

Museum on Main Street

Nebraska Chautauqua

Nebraska Warrior Writers

Prime Time Family Reading

Speakers Bureau

GRAND ISLAND

Challenge your brain with our Nebraska quiz. Questions by MEGAN FEENEY

This Grand Island attraction stirs visitors with its main building’s stunning architecture and its reconstructed prairie town.

Visitors to Grand Island can view an original stretch of this U.S. highway named after an honest American leader.

Unscramble the letters of these two words – Awl Mofenrecent – to apprehend the _____________ Training Center, which trains Nebraskans to protect and serve.

This Grand Island Irish American tenor who shares a last name with Nebraska Life’s editor (no relation) often sang on the Lawrence Welk show.

No peeking, answers on page 90.

5 Odds are good that construction on what major new Grand Island attraction will begin after the conclusion of this year’s State Fair.

AJ Dahm

Alan J. Bartels

Images

MULTIPLE CHOICE

This iconic Grand Island eatery run by three generations of the Katrouzos family hosts an annual hot dog eating contest.

a. Go Dogs, Go

b. Coney Island Lunch Room

c. Nebraska Hot Dog Company

Interactive paintings of _____ on buildings throughout Grand Island allow visitors to pose as though they’re about to _____.

a. antlers … charge

b. toenails … scratch an itch

c. wings … take flight

Fred Schritt owned a Grand Island body shop and created whimsical car and cartoon sculptures that he erected on poles. Which one of these is not among his creations?

NEBRASKA’S FAVORITE ISLAND SINCE

Husker Harvest Days, held annually in Grand Island, showcases the newest equipment and technology, as well as livestock handling demonstrations. This year, at least two autonomous machines will be in operation each day of the show. Talk about hands-off!

7 Grace Abbott, a native of Grand Island, helped draft the Social Security Act and was the first woman nominated (but not confirmed) to a presidential cabinet position. Her bust is in the Nebraska Hall of Fame.

8 Grand Island was named for the French island from which its first Western inhabitants came.

9 Grand Island-born Henry Fonda starred in films such as 12 Angry Men, The Fugitive and The Grapes of Wrath

Since its inception, the Nebraska State Fair has always been held in Grand Island.

a. Snoopy fighting the Red Baron and the Germans

b. Shrek hanging out of a Model-T

c. Herbie the Husker driving a Lamborghini

Awful weather hit Grand Island and unleashed death and destruction in June 1980. The debris from that time is now a mound popular with sledders called:

a. Tornado Hill

b. Cyclone Cliff

c. Twister Mound

15 Before Western arrivals, the grasslands stretched to the horizon and earth lodges dotted the landscape. Which Native American tribe lived in the area, cultivating corn and hunting bison until disease from Europeans decimated their population?

a. Lakota Sioux

b. Pawnee

c. Ponca

Grand Island, Nebraska

Nebraskans mingle at Saunders County Fairgrounds. Vendor fees from the event fuel scholarships. for youth in the community

Wahoo Swap Meet teems with community ties and treasures

THE VINTAGE WOODEN

children’s wagon can’t handle the truck ruts. With a bang, it crashes onto its side on the grassy path of Saunders County Fairgrounds. The wagon puller, Melany Lockhart from Fremont, kneels to right it. Members of her group also crouch to gather the spilled contents. Laughing, Lockhart, her mom, sister and friends collect the toppled items, including a pair of horseshoes; a trolling motor; rusty rings from an old whiskey barrel; an antique toolbox; a three-legged stool; and a wooden duck.

For many Nebraskans like the Lockhart family and their friends, visiting the biannual Wahoo Swap Meet is a tradition. Hundreds of vendors and buyers crowd the Saunders County Fairgrounds. There are motorcycle and automotive parts, historical appliances, well-loved cowboy boots, funky toys and items to upcycle for home décor projects. But many casual visitors may not realize they’re supporting a more significant cause. Proceeds from the swap meet entry fees return to scholarships and community betterment in Saunders County.

For three decades, the Saunders County Auto Association ran the swap meet. A few years ago, its aging members discussed the need to change the event’s oil. The Saunders group had noticed the impact another local car club, Seven Mile Ridez, was making on the community with its annual Mitchell Ostry Memorial Show N Shine car show. They asked Seven Mile Ridez to take over the swap meet in 2018.

Seven Mile Ridez had named its car show for Mitchell Ostry, a young man who’d died his senior year of high school

story and photographs by MEGAN FEENEY

before he had the opportunity to attend college for custom automotive restoration. To honor him, the club created a scholarship for high school graduates interested in pursuing a career in the automotive industry.

Since 2014, Seven Mile Ridez has awarded 12 students the Mitchell Ostry Memorial Scholarship. Later, the club added another scholarship, the Jacob Smaus Superhero Scholarship, after another club friend died from injuries received in a motor vehicle accident. It’s awarded six of those scholarships. The club has also supported fundraising efforts to help with a local woman’s cancer treatments. And it prohibits food vendors at the Wahoo Swap Meet so that local Boy Scouts can sling hot dogs, chips and pop to raise money for their troop.

On a warm day at a fall swap meet, the scent of those hot dogs wafts in the breeze as vendor David Redding, from Omaha, relaxes behind his table filled with items that haven’t passed his two-year test. (If it’s been sitting in the garage for two years

and he hasn’t touched it, it’s destined for a swap meet.) Redding has been doing swaps for years and travels to Iowa and Wisconsin, but the Wahoo Swap Meet is his favorite. He sells items to finance his pet projects.

“It’s hay for horses,” Redding said.

That day, no one enjoys the hot dog fragrance more than Redding’s white and brown bulldog Max (Redding’s best buddy who’s “afraid of a paper bag”).

From Redding’s open truck window, Max watches with longing and drools as people pass by with lunch in hand. Soon, one of Redding’s old friends comes to visit.

“We’re both ironmen,” Redding said by way of introduction.

“Blacksmiths.” The friend corrects him. “Ironmen,” Redding insists. “And I’ve bought stuff from him, and he’s bought stuff from me.”

Who’s made the most money off the other?

“We’ve probably come up even,” Redding said.

Friendship is a recurring theme at the swap meet. Sometimes it feels more like a class reunion than anything else.

At a nearby table, Ernie Abariotes and Rex Medley, both graduates of Omaha North High School’s class of 1959, hang out but do not buy from one another. Abariotes, whose friends call him “The Greek” because of his heritage, is a Pontiac man. Medley is a Studebaker guy. Still, they work in concert to try to sell the items on Abariotes’ table, mostly International tractor parts.

“You need this,” Medley said to a woman browsing.

“No, I don’t.” She laughs, putting the item down as if it suddenly turned hot. Medley turns back to his friend and shrugs.

“Well, there’s always eBay,” Medley said. Abariotes smiles and shakes his head. That just wouldn’t be as fun.

Old friends reunite for lighthearted banter, trades and sales. Finding just the right item is invigorating, but getting finds to the car can be tire-ing. Good thing he’s on a roll.

The Rails, the River and the Road Sandhills Journey

National Scenic Byway, Part One

story and photographs by JOSHUA HARDIN

Sandhills Journey Scenic Byway

LIKE A BRIDGE suspended over a grassy sea of glittering emeraldand-gold-lined waves, a 272-mile stretch of Nebraska Highway 2 called the Sandhills Journey National Scenic Byway connects Grand Island to Alliance. The highway begins in soybean and corn country and proceeds through the state’s rolling Sandhills, an expansive ancient prairie dotted with cattle. It concludes on a sweet note among sugar beet cropland and golden wheatfields.

Early settlers in the Sandhills drawn to the area by the 1862 Homestead Act faced immeasurable challenges in building a better life. But now caravans pass through for different reasons.

“You come here for the rails, the river and the road,” said Terry Licking, byway president. “And you get rest, relaxation and rejuvenation.”

In this two-part series, Nebraska Life travels the byway to discover the hidden natural wonders, human-made landmarks and fascinating personalities that make the Sandhills one of the nation’s most pristine reminders of how open the West once was (and still is in many places). We begin our two-part story with the first stretch, from Grand Island to Dunning, a journey of 121 miles.

We embark knowing we aren’t the first to, as the highway’s slogan goes, be “on 2 something.” CBS News journalist Charles Kuralt was among the byway’s biggest admirers, ranking it as one of America’s 10 most beautiful highways.

Opening spread: A collection of 30 windmills towers above the plains at Downey Well Co. Above, Robert Dudley demonstrates carpentry at Stuhr Museum in Grand Island.

beautiful byway runs from Grand Island to Alliance. In the first section of Nebraska Life’s journey, we explore the history, culture and natural beauty of the first 121 miles.

The sculpture “The Arrowmaker” is a centerpiece of Stuhr’s Fonner Rotunda, which tells the story of the West.

“From the first time I ever drove along it, I’ve been in love with Highway 2. It’s not that there’s a special something to see along Nebraska’s Highway 2. There’s a special nothing to see,” he said in one of his famous On the Road reports. “Like the sea, the emptiness of the sandhills gives the traveler a strange sense of comfort, there’s a feeling that as long as these two things are in order, the earth and the sky, all the rest can be forgotten until tomorrow. Highway 2 is not just another highway that goes somewhere; Highway 2 is somewhere.”

EXPLORING GRAND ISLAND

Travelers find Grand Island’s Stuhr Museum of the Prairie Pioneer an ideal place for an orientation to the voyage. The 200acre museum includes a reconstructed 1890s railroad town. Living history reenactors guide visitors through historic buildings, like actor Henry Fonda’s birth home, while demonstrating trades of the era, including blacksmithing and candy making. The Leo B. Stuhr Building and Gus Fonner Memorial Rotunda display temporary and permanent collections focused on Nebraska’s settlement history. The museum’s Stuhr Crazy podcast (downloadable at stuhrmuseum.org) provides further audio commentary for the tour ahead.

In downtown Grand Island, drivers stop at Coney Island Lunch Room for a meal worthy of an epic road trip. Owner George Katrouzos’ grandfather bought the business during the Great Depression for $600. George still serves the restaurant’s signature dish, the “coney” hot dog topped with loose, finely ground beef and a unique

chili seasoning, often paired with french fries and a chocolate malt made from real ice cream mixed in a classic mixer.

The byway begins two miles away at Veterans Park on Old Highway 2. A Lockheed T-33A Shooting Star jet stands along a path where dozens of American flags flutter in the breeze. The park provides a peaceful moment for reflection on the sacrifice of servicepeople who paved the way for the freedoms we enjoy today, including driving on postwar highway projects.

CAIRO TO BROKEN BOW

Beyond Grand Island, travelers find familiar Nebraska scenes of fertile farmland and friendly small towns. A sculp-

ture of a camel and pyramid welcomes visitors. Another whimsical nearby road sign marks the direction of and distance to nearby towns and world capitals – as well as directions to Heaven and “The Other Place.” Across the highway, Jenna & Joel Kaczor renovated the century-old Farmers State Bank of Cairo into the Medina Street Vault coffee shop. Passion and “high levels of caffeination” fueled a restoration project that revealed the original tin ceilings, bank vault and plaster walls. Diners delight in the shop’s sandwiches, soups and brews.

Traveling onward to Ravenna, a historical marker highlights Solon Borglum, who took over his family’s ranch near this

Flags wave at Veterans Park. Coney Island Lunch Room serves a classic American favorite. Motorists enjoy a visitor center and a museum in Broken Bow, a sod house in Anselmo. TorPic to quam faceaquibus, cuptatinto illectem que eum hilluptat doloreh entur?

spot at 17. Solon dabbled in sketches and sculptures of Western life. Local newspapers reported that Solon carved a large image of an American Indian in the bluffs near the ranch. An 1890 visit from older brother and full-time sculptor John Gutzon Borglum changed their lives. Some believe John was first inspired to sculpt Mount Rushmore after seeing his brother’s carving in the bluffs and convinced his younger sibling to take up sculpture permanently. Solon would travel from California to Paris, gaining recognition as a “sculptor of the prairie” for his works inspired by ranching.

An artist working in a different medium who was less successful during his

lifetime shared Borglum’s prairie inspirations. Homesteader Solomon Butcher followed his family west from Illinois to Custer County to occupy a sod house, a simple structure constructed from thickly rooted prairie grass since the region lacked more expensive building materials like wood or stone. Butcher had little interest in farming. His trade of photography would become his legacy instead. In 1886, he began work on a pictorial history of the county. His father provided him with a team and wagon, which was converted into a mobile photo lab. Butcher crisscrossed the county in the wagon for the next several years, taking

photographs and recording his subjects’ life stories.

It would take 15 years for Butcher to complete the book due to a series of setbacks, including economic depressions and a house fire that destroyed his first recorded narratives and prints. Luckily, Butcher’s glass plate negatives stored in a granary during the fire survived. He eventually sold the bulk of his collection to the Nebraska State Historical Society for $600.

More than 3,000 of Butcher’s negatives survive today, a third depicting sod houses and their occupants stoically gathered with their livestock and possessions in front of their abodes. The Custer County

Historical Society Museum in Broken Bow displays prints of Butcher’s work, providing a time-machine-like window into pioneer life. Museum director Tammy Hendrickson eagerly leads visitors through the exhibit or helps those with local connections track their ancestry in the society’s extensive records library.

Across the street from the museum, the Arrow Hotel, built in 1928, intrigues history buffs and train fans. The attached Bonfire Grill seats diners in repurposed railcar booths. The resilient community bounced back after a devastating fire on the adjacent eastern block. Local businesses exclusively contributed furniture, carpeting and handiwork for reconstruction efforts on the block, which became the hotel’s new wing.

The name of nearby Kinkaider Brewery is also a nod to Broken Bow’s early settlers, who, like the homesteaders, occupied free Nebraska land under terms of the 1904 Kinkaid Act allowing each settler 640 acres upon payment of a filing fee of $14. Kinkaider’s small-batch, hand-crafted beers are made with locally grown ingredients like pumpkins, corn and jalapeños. Its “Frame the Butcher,” a hoppy India Pale Ale, pays homage to Custer County’s famous photographer.

Broken Bow hosts the byway’s Visitor Center featuring displays of local railroading, ranching and rodeo lifestyle. The center is housed in a 150-year-old barn that formerly stored golf carts west of town but was trucked through the city to its east end, remodeled and painted from white to bright red. Motorists use this rest stop to study sightseeing opportunities ahead.

MERNA TO DUNNING

Continuing westward, the shining patina of Dave Downey’s collection of more than 30 windmills rises on the east end of Merna. Downey’s well-drilling business helps repair windmills statewide and dug the well for the windmill at the byway’s Broken Bow Visitor Center. At the suggestion of a cousin, Downey raised vintage windmills he had been gifted as an added attraction for passing motorists and people staying at his Cuzn Eddyz Campground.

A mural in downtown Ravenna reflects upon its early days. A cabin with mirrorlike waters offers a restful retreat at Victoria Springs State Recreation Area, 6 miles east of Anselmo.

East of Dunning, a rancher works a horse. In NL’s May/June 2023 issue, the next segment of the journey will take readers farther west, into the

“We have people pull in here, and they act like they are scared to come in, but it’s OK,” Downey said. “I always say, take all the pictures you like, just leave your footprints.”

A spur road just south of the campground leads to Victoria Springs State Recreation Area. Visitors savor this oasis of tree-lined hikes around a tranquil lake lined by rentable rustic cabins, colorful paddleboats waiting for water enthusiasts and picnic areas ready for family cookouts. Opportunities abound for watching wildlife like waterfowl and deer. Once part of the homestead of Custer County judge Charles R. Mathews, the park includes two original log cabins he built, one as his home and the other as the county’s first post office.

From the recreation area, State Highway 21A diverts drivers 6 miles west back to the byway and the town of Anselmo. The belltower and bright limestone spires of St. Anselm’s Catholic Church tower elegantly over the village. Known as the “Cathedral of the Sandhills,” this late gothic revival building features vivid burgundy brickwork and stained-glass windows. Visitors might be tempted to think the village was named for the saint, but railroad official Anselmo B. Smith is the namesake.

The elevation gently increases as the byway curves northwest. The once-level ground begins to undulate as the region’s namesake sandhills rise more and more prominently like flowing waves over the horizon, revealing clues to the nature of the terrain to come.

The highway crosses the effervescently bubbling Dismal and Middle Loup Rivers, which converge just east of Dunning. In displays of adept flight, clouds of cliff sparrows hunt for insects around bridges bisecting the two rivers, mesmerizing birdwatchers who take the time to leave their cars and stretch their legs.

The drive has traversed about 120 miles as the Middle Loup begins to dance alongside the route. Though we have explored much cuisine, nature and history, the journey into the Sandhills has only just begun. Watch for the second part of our Sandhills Journey in our May/June 2023 issue of Nebraska Life.

heart of the Sandhills.

BROKEN BOW Welcome to

“Center Of It All” on scenic Highway 2, along the Sandhills Journey National Scenic Byway.

Broken Bow has something for everyone.

THIS IS A PLACE where tradition has nothing to do with being resistant to change.

There’s a kind of identity that’s inherent in the agricultural tradition. The straight plowed rows would still be familiar to the long-ago settlers who found their way to this place. It’s a way of life with its roots planted deep in the earth, not by chance, but by the dedicated work of many hands. And it’s a way of life that endures in Broken Bow and Custer County.

The roots are deep. The roots are strong. But they don’t keep us earthbound. They keep us growing.

126 total acres of parks • New Aquatic Center • Fishing pond • Picnic and camping facilities • Numerous playgrounds Bike paths and walking trails • Visit our downtown merchants • Restaurants and breweries • Art galleries and museums Custer County Historical Society • Sandhills Journey National Scenic Byway Visitors Center

BROKEN BOW. ROOTED, BUT NOT STANDING STILL.

For more information: brokenbow-ne.com

Trust Nature & Visitor Center just off of I-80 at Exit 305. View native wildlife exhibits, bison diorama, interactive flyway map, and educational videos. View beautiful artwork and photographs by local artists and check out our gift shop which has a variety of items for all nature lovers. Items include books, cards, toys, jewelry, apparel and more!

Venture outside to see our butterfly garden and herd of American bison along the path to a 35-foot observation tower. Two footbridges take you across the north channel of the Platte River to roughly 10 miles of tallgrass prairie nature trails.

(308) 382-1820

S Alda

Wood River, NE

BUILDING MODERN NEBRASKA

Seven inspiring places to play, study, work and worship

by TOM HESS

Modern structures provide Nebraskans with places to study, worship and reconnect with friends and the natural world.

Beloved buildings like the State Capitol in Lincoln will always stir Nebraskans’ pride. Now a new generation of structures inspires. These seven places show how design can fulfill Nebraskans’ needs, nurture dreams and honor history.

1 TERRA COTTA TOUCHES

Southeast Community College Academic Excellence Center, Beatrice

ARCHITECTS AND SCHOOL

leaders at Southeast Community College in Beatrice wanted to create a modern expansive feel for this 60,000-square-feet multipurpose building. Used by traditional students and members of the community and local industries, it needed to be open and inviting.

Natural sunlight streams into the classrooms, science labs and common areas. The day-lit thoroughfares feature gathering spaces with tables and chairs. These cheery nooks encourage collaboration. The building’s terra cotta flourishes wink at the area’s history. Terra cotta was often used in special buildings in the region, such as the 1904 Beatrice Carnegie Building in Gage County and the 1892 courthouse and tower in neighboring Jefferson County.

The main inspiration, though, is Kansas University’s Earth, Energy and Environment building in Lawrence, clothed in terra cotta for its durability and beauty. About 25 percent of campus enrollment is from Kansas, just 12 miles away.

The terra cotta wall on the Beatrice center’s west side, which is also the main entrance, brings the outside in, with terra cotta facing the interior stairwell and lining half the ceiling of the building’s large multipurpose room. Outfitting the school with technology was also a top priority.

“We wanted it to be a marvel outside, with connectivity inside,” said Bob Morgan, campus director.

Inspired by their building’s warm earthen touches and natural light, Southeast Community College students face a bright future.

Michael Robinson (both)

2 I-80 BEACON

Holy Family Shrine, Gretna

INTERSTATE 80 ACROSS Nebraska offers 25 official rest areas. Consider Holy Family Shrine number 26.

The 45-foot-high shrine off Exit 432 offers an unimpeded view of the Platte River Valley through enormous glass windows. Its wood arches resemble grain stalks. An ornamental stream flows through a channel from outside the chapel to inside.

The shrine projects a Catholic perspective with its crucifix and portrait of Joseph, Mary and baby Jesus.

The founders prefer anonymity. They want God alone to receive the credit for the shrine’s location, beauty and tranquility, said shrine manager Matt Sakowski.

The architects wanted to attract thousands of I-80 motorists. They first inquired about property on Ruff Road in Sarpy County. The county assessor misunderstood the request and showed them a site a mile north on Pflug Road. The founders did not consider the confusion a mistake; instead, they saw it as the Lord’s direction for their project and chose the Pflug Road location.

Tom Everson, an Omaha Catholic, stops by, driving the milelong gravel road off I-80 to the shrine whenever he’s in the area.

“It’s like a beacon, inviting you to come to see it,” Everson said. “Because it’s a glass structure, you absorb the nature around you. The stream of water that flows right into the chapel evokes living water.”

Visitors may discover their cups runneth over.

3 TORNADO TURNAROUND

Nebraska Center for Advanced Professional Studies, Fairfield

CURIOSITY COMPELS STUDENTS to peer through small classroom windows at a traditional school. Do their friends look engaged? Is the teacher interesting? What’s being written on the whiteboard?

One school in Fairfield maximized this peeking idea. Glass classrooms allow students to see each other at work. Furniture is movable. Even the walls can be written on. The design sparks new energy and ideas. It only took a tornado to make these futuristic changes happen.

After a 2016 twister tore off the front of the school and damaged the roof, South Central Nebraska’s Unified School District 5 reinvented its high school’s look with an open house design and flexible interior spaces. The curriculum changed, too. The district’s high school is the only Center for Advanced Professional Studies school in Nebraska. The nationally recognized CAPS program encourages students to pick from career pathways including transportation, healthcare, or construction and provides mentorship with real-world training.

The school’s curriculum and the design lure students who may be reluctant learners in traditional classrooms. At the Nebraska Center for Advanced Professional Studies, one student has committed to the real-world enterprise of laser printing and engraving. Other students are launching a sports marketing business for small college athletic departments.

The way forward is wide open in the hip new futuristic environs – just don’t accidentally walk into the glass.

Corey Gaffer

360° VIEWS

Rangeland Laboratory, Chadron State College, Chadron

CHADRON STATE COLLEGE’S agricultural business program competes with Texas A&M and Oregon State for students. Like other Nebraska schools, the college uses its architecture to give it an edge.

The college’s Rangeland Laboratory sits atop a hill, a glass cathedral looking out over the short-grass prairie. Architects modeled it after traditional ranching facilities, aligning its structures to form a windbreak. Geothermal, solar and wind power help power the site. Corn crib siding, metal-clad walls and cedarwood siding nod to the region’s ranching roots. The location impresses parents who visit with their prospective students.

“Mom and dad bring their kids to the building, look out the window, and see rangeland in any direction,” said Jim O’Rourke, founder of Chadron State College’s Range Management program. “Walk out the door, do some field demonstration or a measurement on the hillside.”

The lab hosts fall and spring semester classroom studies and summertime fieldwork in five areas: range ecology; wildlife management; equine management fire ecology; and range livestock production. Students staff deer check stations, work with horses, assist with firefighting and move cattle.

Cattle can trample grassland to dust. Rotating cattle by season and moving them from one prairie patch to another preserves healthy soil and air. Proper livestock management adds organic material, half of which is carbon, back into Nebraskan soil. No one should have a beef with that.

Paul Crosby (all)

AN OASIS OF TRANQUILITY

St. Benedict Center, Schuyler

WATER IN THE form of a small lake is central to the tranquility that St. Benedict Center offers, nestled into bluffs 5 miles north of Schuyler off Nebraska Highway 15 and what feels like a million miles away from the state’s cities.

Located on 160 acres of farmland, the center has a low, simple, elegant profile. Its reflection shimmers in the adjoining lake, with concrete piers lining the water’s edge. Through the windows of a library and sitting room, guests see a gentle fountain at the center of the lake and on the opposite shore a bigger-than-life statue of St. Benedict, a fifth century Italian priest, dressed in simple clothes, his hands and head lifted to heaven – the picture of peace.

Father Thomas Leitner runs the center, and sometimes leads “contemplative” prayer retreats, in which he trains participants “to receive the pure and simple light of God directly into the summit of our souls.” Among his teaching techniques, he instructs how to “divest” the mind of distracting thoughts and to breathe in prayer.

During the holiday season, the retreat displays nativity scenes created and imported from Africa, Asia, South America and Europe.

The center offers overnight and daytime accommodations open to people from any faith tradition. Locals receive a $25 discount. Offerings of peace are freely given to all.

Joe Gehr (both)

FIGHTING FIRE WITH FIRE

Nature Conservancy Niobrara River Valley Preserve, Johnstown

LIGHTNING IGNITED DROUGHT-DRIED

tinder in north-central Nebraska in 2012. The Fairfield Creek Fire burned 74,000 acres, including homes, fencing separating 500 bison from 2,500 cattle, and parts of the Niobrara Valley Preserve.

The Nature Conservancy owns the preserve, an ancient biological crossroads that straddles Brown, Cherry and Keya Paha counties. After the fire, the conservancy decided to build a new visitor center that would blend into the environment and be fire-resistant. Architects choose a Japanese technique, Yakisugi – also known as Shou Sugi Ban – which treats cedar building planks with fire.

“Once you burn something, it creates a fire resistance,” said Mark Bacon, principal designer for the Lincoln architectural firm BVH, which designed the new center. The fired wood also repels pests. BVH chose repurposed cedar planks from an old onsite horse barn and living red cedar, which grows like a weed. “It pops up where you don’t want it,” Bacon said. “Harvesting and milling the red cedars turn a disadvantage into an advantage. It’s upscaling.”

Clearing red cedar prevents it from fueling future fires, protecting the area’s mature ponderosa pines.

The center is at the end of a 16-mile gravel road drive off Norden Road in Keya Paha County. Its deck offers an expansive view of the Niobrara River and trees like the ones Native Americans and homesteaders witnessed more than a century ago.

AJ Brown Imaging (both)

A DYING WISH

Baxa Cabin at Cedar Point Biological Station, Ogallala

DR. MARK BAXA’S dying wish was for other students to find joy in learning as he had done at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s Cedar Point Biological Station near Ogallala. Many years earlier, after being discharged from the Navy in 1979, the Columbus native enrolled in a five-week course at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s Cedar Point Biological Station near Ogallala. He dove to the floor of Lake McConaughy and found a previously unidentified freshwater clam. He wrote about it for a peer-reviewed journal, Nautilus. Baxa later linked his professional achievements to his experiences at Cedar Point. He created a scholarship fund and provided financing for a new cabin to house other scholars.

The Baxa Cabin was built through the collaboration of the Cedar Point Biological Station and the College of Architecture’s design-build program, PLAIN Design Build, led by associate professsor Jason Griffiths at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

The cabin is the first cross-laminated timber (CLT) building in Nebraska. CLT elements (wall, floor and roof) provide an alternative to concrete and steel and sequester carbon from the atmosphere instead of producing it. The outside of the building is clad in locally sourced cedar. A solar panel provides electricity to power a few LED lights and charge a smartphone inside. Louvered windows keep it cool during hot summer days. Bug screens help occupants sleep better at night. Otherwise, there’s no reason to be inside. Outdoor learning awaits.

PLAIN Design Build

Angel Coleman

Make Burwell your outdoor destination this year in the heart of Nebraska’s Sandhills.

at Calamus Lake and take in the beauty of the Loup Rivers Scenic Byway.

restaurants and warm hospitality await you in Burwell.

McCook farm family raises saltwater shrimp

The McCarty family nets one of their farm-raised shrimp. Raising small protein has resulted in big sales for this McCook-area family.

BEEF MAY BE what’s for dinner in Nebraska, but in McCook, it’s served medium-rare with a side of locally grown jumbo shrimp.

The winter wind swirls around the McCarty farm atop M Hill south of McCook. The grassy landmark is named for the 78-foot-tall letter M made from white painted stones that has overlooked the community since 1957. The exposed escarpment receives the full blast of winter’s fury, but no bundling up is needed when checking livestock or water at the McCarty farm.

The barn is buried to its roof in mixed grass prairie sod. Twelve-foot-tall concrete block walls help keep the facility almost tropical no matter the weather. Livestock animals feed and grow here like on other Nebraska farms, but owner Tyler McCarty doesn’t consider himself a farmer, not yet. Tyler works the barn with help from his wife Carrie, their children Cruz and Eva, and his father, Dave. Their uncountable troupe numbers in the tens of thousands.

Surrounded by a sea of cattle, corn, soybean, alfalfa and wheat production, this McCook farm family produces jumbo shrimp for a burgeoning inland seafood industry that they hope to help build on their hilltop island. They call their operation Saltwater Hills.

Chores begin early for the McCarty family. Before they leave for school, 12-year-old Cruz and 9-year-old Eva serve a breakfast of commercial fish food - a mixture of squid, fish and kelp - to the family’s crustaceans. Grandpa Dave takes water samples from the eight 4,000-gallon saltwater shrimp tanks.

Smaller than those repurposed aboveground swimming pools, two nursery tanks house week-old baby shrimp overnighted from southern Florida. The eyelash-size shrimp, collectively called fry,

Three generations of the McCarty family work together to raise shrimp at Saltwater Hills south of McCook.

are so small that only their eyes are visible. Five feedings a day cause the shrimp to shed their protective exoskeletons three to four times a week as they grow, changing from iridescent blue green to brown and eventually transparent white. When fully grown, each shrimp has 20 legs.

Used to doting on the young shrimp, Tyler was testing water quality one morning early in his shrimp adventure when he noticed something terribly wrong in the nursery.

He was growing shrimp from a new genetic line and was excited to see how fast they would grow. High hopes turned to heartbreak upon discovering that the 10,000 fry in the tank were dead. He be-

lieves that an overnight spike in nitrates may have been the culprit. “You can look across the feedlot or pasture and see if your cows are healthy,” Tyler said. “With tens of thousands of tiny shrimp, all we can do is feed them and take care of the water. And like a rancher losing a cherished heifer or calf, a tank of dead shrimp is a hit to the wallet.”

The science behind the operation includes three levels of biological filtration. No chemical or mechanical filters are used. The shrimp barn and lab are not heated. The comfortable atmosphere inside comes from the water tanks that are kept at a balmy 85 degrees year-round. The water is recirculated and reused. The

family hopes someday to use solar power to heat it.

A silent microscopic partner is critical to the family’s shrimping success. Beneficial bacteria, introduced by the McCartys, break down the shrimp waste and any leftover food. The result is an edible protein that makes up 25 percent of the shrimps’ diet. The McCartys take care of this bacteria almost as much as they provide for their shrimp.

After being transferred to the production tanks, the shrimp grow to jumbo eating size in only five months. “We don’t eat a lot of shrimp at home. I wish we did,” said Cruz, who likes his shrimp fried with garlic and butter.

Chores begin early for the family. Repurposed swimming pools serve as saltwater tanks. Grandpa Dave checks the water quality. Before leaving for school, the McCarty kids, Cruz and Eva, feed the shrimp. Their father, Tyler, supervises the biological filtration and monitors growth.

Fresh Nebraska shrimp don’t need much preparation to taste great. A few minutes in a hot pan with butter and garlic will do it. The company doesn’t freeze its shrimp.

Starting in the family business at a young age is tradition for the McCartys. Grandpa Dave was 5 when he began working at Mac’s Drive-In in McCook, stepping up on a wooden box so he could reach the sink to wash the dishes. Six decades later he owns the business known for its fresh fast food. Customers still place their orders from phones mounted in each booth or park in one of 18 driveup stalls outside.

Tyler grew up in the restaurant, too, taking orders and whipping up malts, shakes and ice cream cones. Now Cruz and Eva help at the restaurant when not in school or feeding shrimp. They are the fifth generation of the McCarty family to work at the restaurant founded by patriarch Rhea McCarty (pronounced Ree) in 1948. Mother Carrie helps as a carhop.

The restaurant’s beef is from Nebraska, and the onion rings are hand breaded. What you won’t find on Mac’s menu board is shrimp from Saltwater Hills. “Serving our homegrown premium shrimp at the drive-in would be like serving Wagyu beef at Carl’s Jr.,” said Tyler, who moved home to McCook from Omaha in 2018 to help with the restaurant and start his shrimp farm. The shrimp is available at a pair of local dining establishments. Tyler said that two McCook chefs have extensive experience with seafood.

“McCook has a very independent spirit, and there is high-quality dining here in my hometown,” Tyler said. “We’re not a big enough market for most chains, so lots of independent restaurants here are doing well.”

When they produced their first crustacean crop, the McCartys put some shrimp on ice and took it to Adam Siegfried, owner of the Coppermill Steakhouse & Lounge. The McCook native and former Alaskan deck hand knew his way

to raise meat rabbits and chinchillas for the fur trade. Their poop was used to grow bait industry fishing worms. Some unsavory tenants moved in after he moved out.

“Every feral cat in Red Willow County and some skunks were living in here, and the office looked just like the workers had just left for the day,” Tyler said. “It needed a lot of work, but the bones were good.”

Up and running since 2019, the McCartys personally deliver their shrimp on ice to restaurants within a 5-hour radius of McCook. They have accounts in McCook and Kansas City, among other communities, Tyler said that McCook sits in a sweet spot between Omaha and Denver.

around quality shrimp straight out of the ocean. “He remarked at how fresh our shrimp was and he ate it raw,” said Tyler. Cooking shrimp well is simple but takes some know-how.

“If you want to take $18 a pound shrimp and have it turn out like cheap grocery store shrimp, all you have to do is cook it for 30 seconds too long,” Tyler said.

Bill Lesko, who owns Citta Deli with his wife, Jade, is known for cooking Italian recipes passed on from his mother, grandmother and great-grandmother. When the Leskos opened the restaurant, they wanted it to be the town deli for McCook. They reached that goal. Their restaurant with Italian art above

the booths and an arched entryway had to evolve quickly into a true New York-style deli to meet their customers’ needs. Shrimp is a component of many of their entrées.

“Here we are in the middle of Nebraska and I can get live shrimp whenever I need it. I’ve lived on the coast and know what fresh shrimp is. This is amazing for Nebraska,” Lesko said. “I bought everything Tyler had for Fat Tuesday and we sold out. People came out in droves for our creole shrimp fettuccini.”

Before Tyler and Dave found the building to launch their operation, the structure had sat empty and abandoned for 30 years. It had once been used by an oilman

“The farm is exactly 278 miles from each of those cities, and I think we’ve got a product here that Nebraska can be proud of, just like our state’s beef.” Tyler said.

“I don’t consider myself a farmer, not yet. But I think I can get there from here,” he said. Customers wishing to order Saltwater Hills shrimp may visit saltwaterhill.com/shop.

It’s also on the menu in McCook at Citta Deli, 110 W. First St., (308) 345-1515, and Coppermill Steakhouse, 202 N. U.S. Highway 83, (308) 345-2296.

The McCarty family also owns Mac’s Drive-In in McCook, which serves local beef but not Saltwater Hill’s shrimp. Two high-end restaurants in town feature shrimp on their menus.

POWER-PACKED PEANUTS

This meaty, crunchy legume is ready for the main course

AS HUSKER FOOTBALL fans prepare their tailgating coolers, peanuts are an easy and delicious grab-and-go snack. But with a little extra prep, this lip-smacking legume (not a nut but it sure works as one!) packs a mighty protein punch and an incomparable crunch to vegetarian burgers, chicken tenders and power bowls. These recipes by registered dietitian and personal chef Amber Pankonin of Lincoln pave the path for peanut perfection.

Peanut Power Bowl

Dinner comes together in a snap – and everyone makes their own customized bowl to taste – in this nutrient-dense and flavor-packed meal. The lime, garlic, peanut dressing makes for a lovely creamy mouthfeel that complements the snap of the vegetables, the softness of the grain and the richness of the meat.

For each bowl, build base with 1/4 cup whole grains. Add 4 oz lean protein source, which can include lean beef, chicken, pork, eggs or beans. Add preferred veggies. Dress with spicy peanut dressing. Top with peanuts.

Bowl

1 cup quinoa or brown rice

1 lb lean protein source (beef, chicken, pork, eggs or beans)

Different types of vegetables, chopped

Crushed peanuts for topping

Dressing

1/4 cup +1 Tbsp water

1/2 cup peanut powder

2 tsp low sodium soy sauce

1 Tbsp lime juice

1 Tbsp brown sugar

1 tsp finely minced garlic cloves

Serves 4

recipes and photographs by AMBER PANKONIN

Peanut Crusted Chicken Tenders

Parents know that chicken tenders appease even the pickiest kids. But sometimes your average chicken tender can be a little boring for adults. This recipe takes tenders from workable to wow. A crunchy peanut crust adds a satisfying bite, especially when dipped in a honey mustard sauce. Move over, junior. Mommy wants another one.

Lightly season both sides of chicken tenders with kosher salt, pepper and small amount of cayenne pepper.

Combine 3/4 cup flour with 2 tsp kosher salt and 1/4 tsp pepper. Set aside. Combine 1 cup crushed peanuts with 1/2 cup bread crumbs. Set aside. Combine eggs and milk. Set aside.

Set up breading station using seasoned flour, eggs and peanut mixture. Dredge each chicken tender in flour, then dip in egg mixture. Coat with peanut mixture. Place on aluminum-lined baking sheet and bake for 15-20 minutes at 400° until golden brown or the internal temperature reaches 165°.

Once fully cooked, remove from baking sheet and sprinkle with chopped parsley. Serve with lemon wedges and honey mustard sauce.

Chicken

1 ¼ lbs chicken breast tenders Kosher salt Pepper

Cayenne pepper

3/4 cup flour

2 tsp kosher salt

1/4 tsp pepper

2 large eggs, beaten

2 Tbsp milk

1 cup lightly salted roasted peanuts, crushed 1/2 cup bread crumbs

2 Tbsp fresh parsley, chopped

Dressing

2 Tbsp honey

2 Tbsp dijon mustard

2 Tbsp mayonnaise

Serves 4

Peanut Burger with Raspberry Coulis

For a fun dinner switcheroo, here’s a peanut burger mixed from superfood quinoa and garbanzo beans and dressed with a zingy raspberry coulis – a thin fruit puree. Nebraska beef lovers needn’t fret – this is just a burger variation, like using chicken or pork, and not a permanent replacement. It’s great on a bun or on top of a salad.

For burger: Cook quinoa as directed. Sauté onion and garlic until onions are carmelized. In food processor, add peanuts and beans. Process into smaller pieces. Add other ingredients (except coulis ingredients) and blend until ingredients hold together. Split burger mix into four sections and pat into four large burgers. Heat skillet medium low with small amount of oil in pan. Cook patties 7-10 minutes each side until golden brown. Serve with raspberry coulis, onions, tomato slices and lettuce.

For coulis: Heat raspberries, water, powdered sugar in small sauce pan. Berries should pop and reduce. For thicker sauce, mix in cornstarch slurry and boil for three minutes. Strain and set aside to top burgers.

Won’t you dish with us?

We’re ravenous to taste your favorite family recipes. Nebraska-sourced ingredients and stories that accompany beloved dishes feed our stomachs and our souls. Please submit by emailing kitchens@nebraskalife.com, and thanks!

Peanut burger

1 cup peanuts

1 cup garbanzo beans

1/4 cup quinoa

3/4 cup water

1 Tbsp peanut butter powder

2 Tbsp basil, dried

2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce

2 Tbsp soy sauce

1 Tbsp garlic, minced

1 medium onion, diced

1/2 tsp kosher salt

1 tsp black pepper

2 Tbsp flour

Raspberry coulis

6 oz raspberries

2 Tbsp water

1 Tbsp powdered sugar

Cornstarch slurry, optional

Serves 4

Rhymes with Fighter

Nebraska-born Clayton Yeutter claimed wins for farmers and

free markets

by JOSEPH WEBER

ON WINTER EVENINGS, a boy carried newborn calves into the family farmhouse. He placed them on the door of a wood-burning stove. That’s one way Clayton K. Yeutter helped keep his family’s Eustis corn-andcattle operation going through the Great Depression and the Nebraska Dust Bowl.

These farming trials, his whip-smart mind, and fellow Nebraskans’ help propelled Yeutter as a trailblazer in world trade and U.S. politics. He served four presidents and was a U.S. trade representative and the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture, but he never forgot his Nebraska roots.

Like many Nebraska farm kids, Yeutter began building the foundation for success in 4-H, where he showed cattle and learned public speaking. Impressed by young Yeutter, one Dawson County extension agent was the first to encourage him to go to college. Years later, another of Yeutter’s 4-H connections, Gov. Norbert T. “Nobby” Tiemann, hired him in a leadership role.

Yeutter earned his bachelor’s degree in 1952 at the University of Nebraska and met his future wife, Lillian “Jeanne” Vierk. They married after her graduation and lived in Florida for three years, where Yeutter served in the Air Force. Afterward, they moved back to the family farm in Eustis. Yeutter loved the farm, but his wife encouraged him to attend law and graduate school at the University of Nebraska. He ranked first in his law school class in 1963 and was named the university’s outstanding graduate in agricultural economics in 1966. With a world-class education from the University of Nebraska, Yeutter’s biggest adventures were about to begin.

Jeanne, Clayton and their four young children spent two years in Bogota, Colombia, where Yeutter directed an ambitious multi-university agricultural mission for the University of Nebraska. The experience underscored the Yeutters’ concern for the disadvantaged. In Bogota, Jeanne set up a program to improve nutrition for Colombians.

Omaha World-Herald

Clayton Yeutter (right side) grew up a farm kid and ascended into positions of national prominence, but he never forgot his Nebraska roots or lost touch with Nebraskans.

One Stop Shop FOR ANY

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Later, back in the States and working in an ag post for President Richard Nixon, Yeutter helped create a program so that no mother or young child might go hungry.

The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) provides federal grants to states for food, health care referrals and nutrition education for low-income pregnant and postpartum women and infants and children. Since 1972, it’s helped millions. But for Yeutter, it was just a start on the impact he’d make on the world.

THE IPHONES AMERICANS carry in their pockets, the low-cost clothing they buy at big-box stores, and the high prices Nebraska farmers command on corn are all possible because markets went global over the last four decades. Yeutter had a lot to do with it. As President Ronald Reagan’s point man, he set the stage for years of international bargaining that led to sharp cuts in tariffs.

Yeutter kicked off and helped guide bargaining among nations that delivered economic opportunity to hundreds of millions in countries ranging from China and Mexico to Vietnam and Malaysia. The expansion lifted legions worldwide from abject poverty – attacking the kind of destitution that the Yeutters saw in Colombia. His moves also spurred growth in the United States in everything from agricultural exports to professional services that he opened to the globe.

Still, as he reached his career peak in the early 1990s and beyond, Yeutter faced professional and personal tests. His time leading the Department of Agriculture was tumultuous. For example, in a fight over a chemical additive on apples, Yeutter squared off against actress Meryl Streep, who called for suspending it. Defending the Alar additive, he labeled her “a self-proclaimed nutritionist who ought to stick to acting.” In the end, the EPA sided with Streep and banned Alar.

Worse, Yeutter and the nation’s farmers struggled with a dismal farm economy. Bumper crops worldwide meant low prices, infuriating farmers.

But Yeutter held fast to his conviction that farmers relied too much on Washington. He led the way in passing the most

market-oriented Farm Bill since the Great Depression.

Next, President George H.W. Bush called on Yeutter to restore order to a troubled Republican National Committee (RNC). A self-described “pragmatist” and non-ideologue, Yeutter steered the RNC away from extremists he loathed, such as former KKK leader David E. Duke, a Republican Louisiana legislator.

Bush then brought Yeutter into the White House for a new cabinet-level job, counselor for domestic policy. Yeutter held that post until Bush asked him to serve as deputy chairman for the BushQuayle re-election effort for a few months until the November 1992 election. Despite Yeutter’s efforts, Bush lost to former Arkansas Gov. Bill Clinton.

Soon after that political disappointment, Yeutter faced the greatest loss of his life. Jeanne died of a presumed heart attack in August 1993. “When someone commented … that Jeanne was ‘one in a billion,’ a lady standing nearby intervened to comment that such a ratio did her a disservice,” Yeutter wrote a friend in the following year.

Yeutter Archives and Special Collection, University of Nebraska-Lincoln Libraries

Still vibrant and charismatic in his 60s, Yeutter found someone to share his life with anew. His marriage to Cristena Bach opened a new domestic chapter in Yeutter’s life. The couple adopted three girls. He prioritized raising them over his career.

For Yeutter, it was a second chance to be a father. He had often been away from his first family because of work. As his infant daughters grew into toddlerhood, he joined them for tea parties, wearing a pink feather boa around his neck and clip-on earrings dangling from his ears.

Later, he attended their school and sporting events, volunteering to help on school trips and giving the girls driving lessons – though he was a notoriously bad driver. He asked his daughter Elena at age 14 whether she wanted to take the wheel, and she then routinely did so when he came to pick her up at school – a father-daughter secret kept from Cristena.

He gathered all his children to watch Husker football games on TV. Devoted to the team, the university and the state, Yeutter and Cristena even named an adopted rescue dog “Husker.”

Though he ratcheted down his professional activities, Yeutter remained connected in business, law and politics. He served on corporate boards, gave paid speeches and worked at a Washington law firm. Yeutter died at 86 in March 2017 of colon cancer. He and Jeanne are buried at Arlington National Cemetery.

Today, a stretch of road between Eustis and Cozad – a road Yeutter often drove as a teen – bears his name. Yeutter and Cristena also endowed an institute in his name at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. It trains students to work in Yeutter’s most beloved arena, international trade. That realm – his most significant professional legacy – is something he would have never dreamed of if not for the Nebraskans who helped him along the way.

92% of 2020 grads found work or continued their education.

91% of 2020 employed grads are working in Nebraska.

83% of 2020 grads are continuing their education in Nebraska.

Adapted from Rhymes with Fighter: Clayton Yeutter, American Statesman, University of Nebraska Press, 2021

Lance Cheung/USDA

Yeutter met his first Nebraska mentors through participation with 4-H. These Nebraska connections set him on a path of academic and professional excellence.

A SPECIAL FEATURE

POWER TO THE PEOPLE

In honor of Nebraska Life’s 25th birthday, we’re recognizing other distinctive Nebraska institutions that have served our people–with political representation, public electricity and empowering partnerships

by MEGAN FEENEY

FEATURING Public Power • TeamMates • Unicameral

Nebraska Public Power District runs the Gerald Gentleman Power Plant at Sutherland in Lincoln County. Nebraska is the only state that relies 100 percent on public power. Chris Amundson

Joshua Hardin

ELECTRIC EGALITARIANISM

A VERY SPECIAL

73 YEARS OF PUBLIC POWER

farm glimmers on U.S. Highway West 275 in Norfolk. Residents recently celebrated the completion of the state’s largest solar farm – and now participating community members who purchased shares are reaping the benefits of low-cost, clean energy. More than 26,000 solar panels and intentionally planted pollinator species dot 70 city-owned acres of wellfield on the west side of town. The city of Norfolk, which owns half the solar farm shares, expects to save $170,000 on its electric bill annually.

The Nebraska Public Power District (NPPD) SunWise Community Solar project – which also has locations in Scottsbluff, Venango, Ainsworth and Kearney, among others in development – is the result of years of effort and commu-

nity input, said Brittney Koenig, retail account manager for NPPD, who worked on the Norfolk solar project.

Nebraska has abundant renewable energy resources, and the state’s three largest electric utilities have established carbon-free generation goals.

“It made sense to rely on energy in our backyards,” said Josh Moenning, Norfolk’s mayor.

Nebraska is a state that runs exclusively on public power – a singular distinction since 1949. The Norfolk project illustrates how public power works.

Norfolk city officials began discussing the possibility of a solar farm in 2015. Technology and a maturing industry have made renewable energy costs more feasible. Next, the city reached out to NPPD and held a series of public forums to test support for the idea. Support was overwhelming. Finally, NPPD helped the city find a private developer and entered a

Men work on the outlet tower structure at Kingsley Dam, which releases water from Lake McConaughy and produces hydropower. Petersburg’s wind farm created jobs for residents.

Alan J. Bartels

Students in the utility line program at Northeast Community College get hands-on training in Norfolk.

purchase agreement with the developer to provide Norfolk residents a fixed cost of energy for decades.

Unlike a top-down corporate approach, public power gives consumers the power of democratic participation. All books and records are open to public inspection. Nebraskans elect their district boards or city councils, which run the power utilities and cooperatives. Consumers may attend power board meetings and provide comments; they have a say.

Not only is Nebraska’s community-owned energy reliable – it has one of the shortest outage durations anywhere – but it’s affordable, too. Nebraskans pay one the lowest rates for electricity in the U.S. That’s a good thing because the state’s major industries – agriculture, food processing and chemical manufacturing – require a lot of energy. As a result, per capita, Nebraska is one of the top 10 energy consumers in the nation.

Public utilities don’t pay taxes but make payments to the state that fund social services, like public schools. And since there are no stockholders, there’s no profit motive. Utilities reinvest revenue in infrastructure.

Nebraska has 121 municipals, 30 public power districts and 10 electric cooperatives. NPPD is the state’s largest electric utility. There’s also Omaha Public Power District, Lincoln Electric System, Tri-State Generation & Transmission and Nebraska Municipal Power Pool, among others.

Today Nebraskans in urban and rural areas enjoy equal access to electricity, but a previous disparity helped fuel the development of public power in Nebraska.

In the earliest days, municipal electric companies began providing power in the 1880s. By the 1920s, some rural cooperatives had formed, but most people in agricultural areas were still living in the dark. Private electric holding companies with Wall Street bank-backing began taking over municipal systems. Developing low-paying rural projects disinterested them. There wasn’t enough profit – still, the holding companies pushed against new public utility developments – even the little guys.

Nebraskans pushed back. They passed

Greg Latza/Northeast Community College

an initiative in 1930 that allowed for revenue bond financing for municipal utilities, which aided capital raising efforts. Three years later, Nebraska’s Enabling Act allowed 15 percent of voters to petition to form a public power or irrigation district with its local board of directors. In 1933, the Nebraska Legislature also created the Central Nebraska Public Power and Irrigation District, also known as the “Tri-County Project,” which endeavored to bring water and electricity to South-Central Nebraska.

Federal legislation also helped propel the state toward its public-powered future. Nebraska Senator George Norris, a New-Deal Republican, sponsored the Tennessee Valley Authority Act (1933), allowing public hydroelectric power ownership. (Norris was also a fierce advocate of the Tri-County Project and often la-

beled a socialist for his support. He believed no corporate interest should profit off essential services like electricity or water.) The Public Utility Holding Company Act of 1935 broke up corporate electricity monopolies, and the Rural Electrification Act of 1936 provided loans to rural utility projects.

As a result of legislation and labor, by the mid-1940s, Nebraska had 16 public power districts and 35 rural electrification districts. Three districts’ hydro plants could meet 85 percent of Nebraskans’ power needs. By 1949, every resident received their electricity from a community-owned institution.

“Everyone has a voice in decisions,” NPPD’s Koenig said. “We are Nebraskans serving Nebraskans. When you live and work in the community you serve, you consider everyone.”

At top, the Columbus Powerhouse is one of Nebraska’s oldest and largest hydoelectric plants. Loup Power District empoyees replace a turbine bearing at Monroe Powerhouse.

Stacy Wemhoff/Loup Power District

Nebraska Public Power District

MENTORING IS MAGICAL

31 YEARS OF MENTORING

TWICE A WEEK, first-grade teacher

Andrea Wilson uses her planning time at Hershey Elementary for a different purpose than lesson preparation. She’s preparing her two TeamMates Mentoring Program mentees for life.

For Wilson, TeamMates is a family affair. Her three children and husband have also participated in the program, which matches mentors with students to support them and help them reach their full potential. What began as a Nebraska program in 1991 has since expanded to Iowa, Kansas, South Dakota and Wyoming and touched the lives of more than 43,000 students.

The first mentors to make an outsized impact were outsized people. Twenty-two University of Nebraska-Lincoln Husker Football players heeded Coach Tom Osborne’s call to team up with Lincoln middle school student to show them they cared and had their backs. Among those

kids, 21 graduated high school, and one pursued a Motocross career.

Osborne and his wife, Nancy, formalized the statewide TeamMates Mentoring Program in 1998.

Mentors don’t have to be star athletes. They don’t have to have degrees in childhood psychology or education. They just have to show up – and keep showing up. Spending time with someone might look like helping with homework, playing a game, or just offering a listening ear. “A mentor,” Osborne said, “can provide a vision of what’s possible.”

There are no requirements for a child to be eligible for a mentor. The idea is that every child can benefit from another supportive adult in his or her life. The program matches each mentor-mentee pairing based on the results of a strengths assessment test.

The ripple effects of a mentor-mentee relationship can benefit generations. Osborne felt the impact on his life. As a child, Tom Osborne’s grandfather moved from Illinois to Western Nebraska with

March/April • 2012

May/June • 2013

July/August • 2014

Tom Osborne and his wife, Nancy, started TeamMates in 1991. In his family, Osborne witnessed firsthand the positive impact that mentorship can have on generations.

AJ Dahm POWER

his mother, father and three siblings to homestead in the 1870s. It was a difficult life. The farming was bad, and his father drank too much.

But Osborne’s grandfather was a gifted speaker, and a traveling preacher noticed. The preacher encouraged Osborne’s grandfather to use his gift and pursue his education. Because of this, Osborne’s grandfather went to high school, then college at a time when this was rare. Osborne’s grandfather also met his wife and Osborne’s grandmother, a fellow college graduate. After the couple had children, they also expected their kids to graduate from university, which they did during the Great Depression.

Osborne said his grandfather was his most significant role model. Osborne’s grandfather’s mentor ultimately influenced not only generations of Osborne’s family, but that relationship also impacted how Osborne coached more than 2,000 young men.

TeamMates takes this Osborne strategy to heart: the best way to better society to improve culture is one person at a time.

Hershey teacher Andrea Wilson’s middle child, Addilyn, is going into her senior year of high school. Addilyn has had a mentor since fifth grade.

Addilyn credits her mentor Karen Troyer with helping her learn how to speak more confidently and encouraging her to believe “I had something to say, even though I’m from a small town in Nebraska.”

Addilyn has used her voice to promote TeamMates in her role as Miss Omaha’s Outstanding Teen. As a youth ambassador, she’s raised $7,000 for TeamMates scholarships through organizing Daddy-Daughter dances in her community.

“Having someone believe in you pushes you to be the best version of yourself,” Addilyn said.

In towns throughout Nebraska, there are still more hopeful mentees than mentors, so there are waitlists. Could con-

nection be one of the cures in a nation fractured by a youth mental health crisis? Yes, says Wilson. It changes a child's life to know that someone cares and will always be there for them.

Mentors don’t need special qualifications. They only have to commit to showing a child that they care and they’ll be there.

TeamMates

The power you can rely on.

There’s not a lot that stops power in Nebraska. The lights stay on due, in part, to the hardwork and dedication of more than 6,000 public power employees across the state. As a result, we enjoy some of the most reliable power anywhere.

Many Nebraskans worked to make the legislature unicameral, but none championed the idea more than U.S. Senator George Norris. The legislative chamber bears his

NEBRASKA’S UNIQUE ONE-HOUSE LEGISLATURE

WITH JUST weeks before election day in 1934, U.S. Senator George Norris embarked on a Nebraska road trip that wore out two sets of tires and changed the state’s politics forever. Nebraskans had just suffered through the hottest summer on record. Economic depression and drought made the future uncertain. Support for an amendment to make Nebraska a single-house state legislature – or unicameral – also felt tenuous. But Norris had been fighting too hard for too long to give up.

YEARS OF UNICAMERAL

Along with his son-in-law, John Robertson, Norris traveled as many as 200 miles a day throughout the state, giving dozens of speeches in a few weeks. Norris argued that a unicameral state legislature

made government more transparent and accountable. It diminished the influence of lobbyists and partisan interests. And as Nebraskans struggled with the impact of depression and drought, there was also a pragmatic appeal to the economic benefit.

“Why should we then have two bodies instead of one and burden our taxpayers with the necessarily increased expense to attain the object that can be fully attained by one house instead of two? “

On the eve of the election, the McCook Daily Gazette reported that their hometown senator Norris “told approximately a thousand southwestern Nebraska voters that he would rather death close his eyes before a check is made of today’s ballots if the vote brings defeat to his proposal to install a Unicameral Legislature in Nebraska.”

Norris didn’t invent the unicameral, and he wasn’t the first to support it.

name.

Harris & Ewing/Library of Congress

Thomas Paine’s 1776 essay Common Sense advocated for a republic governed by a unicameral legislature. The Articles of Confederation, written in 1777, adopted a one-house legislature, but it didn’t go into effect until 1781 after all 13 states agreed. At the Constitutional Convention in 1787, delegates restructured the government into a two-house, or bicameral, system.

At the state level, proposals for onehouse legislatures became popular in the 1910s, driven by the ideals of the Progressive Movement, including in Nebraska. Stromsburg native John N. Norton, a Democrat who later worked with Norris to promote the unicameral, was one of the state’s earliest one-house supporters when he served in the Nebraska House of Representatives from 1911 to 1919. His attempts to make the legislature unicameral were unsuccessful, but he remained con-

The first Nebraska Unicameral Legislature opened session on Jan. 5, 1937. Nonparisan senators serve Nebraska together.

vinced of the superiority of a one-house legislature. John Senning, the chair of political science at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, also championed it.

Most Nebraska papers were distinctly less impressed. The Beatrice Sun proclaimed in a headline, “Unicameral Plan is Strange All Around.” Even more emphatically, The Nebraska Beacon wrote, “The whole idea is communistic.” Only The Lincoln Journal and Star and a few others expressed support for the so-called “Norris amendment.”

Much to Norris’ relief, Nebraskans voted in favor of making Nebraska a onehouse legislature. And on Jan. 5, 1937, the state’s first unicameral legislative session opened with 43 senators, each representing a district. Senning drew the first district map. Norton wrote the house rules and left a federal position to serve one two-year term in the new Unicameral before returning to work in D.C. Later, the district – and the senator count – grew to today’s 49. Each senator represents one district that’s home to 39,000 people.

Despite efforts by other states to adopt a one-house legislature, Nebraska remains the only unicameral state legislature in the United States. Its senators run on nonpartisan ballots – a feature not inherent to a unicameral but a condition that Norris insisted on when the parties were drafting the amendment.

Still, lawmakers generally announce their affiliation and receive party endorsements for seats. They also tend to align themselves with national party positions. Though much is made of how fractious our current political moment is, even Norris was considered a maverick in his day for breaking with his fellow Republicans on specific issues.

This fall, voters from even-numbered districts head to the polls to vote for their state senator.

Many of Nebraska’s locally owned public power districts and municipalities have served their communities for more than a hundred years. In an era when new competitors come and go faster that we can learn their names, you can count on public power. We will be there when you need us. In partnership with our supplier, Nebraska Public Power District, we deliver energy to you.

402-362-3355 www.perennialpower.com Find us on

Unicameral Information Office

Nebraska State Historical Society

AJ Dahm

GOOD LIFE Poetry

Nebraska poets delivered tales of fences and cattle, rolling hills and gopher mounds, new boots and old barns. They invite readers to settle in for evocative stories of simple pleasures.

Standing Tall

Nivan

Hornik, Norfolk

Ah’ old fence, I see you kinda’ leaning and bent, I know your life’s rough, but you must not relent. The deep snow pushes so hard on the line, I hear you whisper your pain, I see your decline. The rust and the rot from the wind and the rain, Be strong old fence, there’s much to regain. See the birch that grow so free in the hollow, The pastures so green, the hill’s yellow flowers.

Think of the wildlife, the slow winding creek, From you, old fence, your protection they seek. I’ll be with you my friend, with the brace and the nail, We all have a purpose, and we must not fail.

I remember your youth; you never stood straighter, With four strands of barb, a real gladiator. The vines and the mud all took a big toll, I’ll surely fill in all these old gopher holes.

Now the posts are all straight and the wires are tight, Our goal has been reached, but now comes the big fight.

So keep the barbs clean and prepare to stand firm, The scouts have come back and they have a concern.

Now we know we will have a real two-fold bout, That’s to keep the cows in and the city out.

The Cornhusker State

Harvey Jorgensen, Lexington

Somewhere between the Rocky Mountains and the wide Missouri, I call home,

An area for many years Native American Indians and Buffalo could roam.

About halfway between Texas and the Dakotas, they call the Great Plains.

Early settlers crossed rivers and streams, in search of finding a place of their dreams.

The state of Nebraska with tall grass prairie, rolling hills and fertile farmland,

With miles and miles of rolling hills covered in grass that is anchored in sand.

It is called the Nebraska Sandhills, where horses and cattle are King.

I have no interest in living on the East Coast or the West, This part of the United States suits me best.

Hard work and long hours is just the way of life, and also having some fun,

We have a reputation of great work ethic second to none.

My roots grow deep in the Cornhusker State, But when God calls me home, His timing will be right, not too early, or too late.

Alan J. Bartels

Derrald Farnsworth-Livingston

A boot on a fence post, like this one at Ash Hollow Historical Park, can signify honoring a loved one or indicating direction.

Unfinished Business

Lyn Messersmith, Alliance

While Mama lit the coal oil lamps Dad and I pretended it was me That pulled off his dusty boots. I set them up, straight as could be, Left the long-roweled spurs still attached. Traced the graceful stitching of green, blue and red; stepped in, teetered on underslung heels, and, as always, hopefully said,

“Next time let’s order the ones with yellow stars and butterflies.” Heard, “Cost too much. These wear better.” An answer we both had memorized. Teasing now… “Who’d see ’em anyhow? Only dudes tuck pant legs in.” I sighed, turned a dog-eared page in the Blucher catalog, and pointed out my favorites once again.

Then clomped around the kitchen to the tune of frying taters, twisted an ankle, finally fell down in a jingling tangle, scrambling amid Ma’s orders to please go fetch the broom and quit tracking up her floor. Dad growled, “What the hell? It’s gold dust, nothing more!”

I never quite grew into the boots and frequently fell behind while attempting to follow his tracks, living out Dad’s dreams and mine. Never owned any custom built Bluchers, just others with names long forgot. But I pitched ’bout a ton of gold dust. Blucher’s out of business now, which seems odd, because we’re not.

Memories of Fall 1962

Allan Urkoski, Silver Creek

Memories of a special time When I was a boy Fall was finally in the air It always gave me joy

Got up early morning Chores and cows to feed Making sure that everything Was ready up to speed

Smoke out of the chimney From cobs and burning wood Walking across the barnyard That smell was oh so good

Daddy’s ready for harvest Corn picker out of the shed Mornings getting frosty Leaves are turning red

Poorman cribs are ready Wagons set to go Mamma is canning apples Love this season so

Geese and ducks are flying Everyone’s heading south There’s no time a wasting That’s what fall is about

You hope the crops are good ones They’re what pays the bills Thankful for what’s given Believing in God’s will

NEBRASKA LIFE IS seeking poems about the beauty and challenge of change. We prefer poems that mention Nebraska in some way. Send to poetry@nebraskalife.com or to the mailing address at the front of this magazine.

Alan J. Bartels

Straight Arrow Bison Ranch in Broken Bow makes good use of every part of the animal. This skull tells its own Western tales.

MUSEUM OF NEBRASKA ART Bringing the art of Nebraska to you . . . Visit us at mona.unk.edu experience the art of Nebraska from wherever you are!

Stuart Chittenden, Mike, Russel & John - Dannebrog - 8.17.15 digital photograph (1/2), 2015 (printed 2017), Gift of the Peter Kiewit Foundation, Museum of Nebraska Art Collection

Celebrate Cozad

Delight in small town shopping, savor the flavors of dining, hunt for barn quilts, and tour our museums and outdoor art. Cozad’s outdoor art projects celebrate our art heritage while making art accessible at all times of the day.

• Barn Quilts of Dawson County Trail • 50 States Barn Quilt Display

• Wilson Public Library sculpture garden • Rhakenna’s Wings

• “Cozad Creates” paint palette icons • For more information and maps, visit barnquiltsdc.com Also visit roberthenrimuseum.org and cozadhistory.org

ASHLAND

NEBRASKA MUSEUMS

Strategic Air Command, pg. 78

BANCROFT

The Neihardt Center, pg. 81

COZAD

xxx, pg. 64

CHADRON

Museum of the Fur Trade, pg. 80

DAVID CITY

Bone Creek, pg. 80

FREEMONT

Louis E. May Museum, pg. 81

GRAND ISLAND

xxx, pg. 63

KEARNEY

The Archway, pg. 77

LA VISTA

Czech and Slovak Museum, pg. 81

LINCOLN

History Nebraska , pg. 77

International Quilt Museum , pg. 81

MADISON

Madison County Museum, pg. 81

NEBRASKA CITY

Wildwood Historic Center, pg. 78

Gothenberg Chamber of Commerce, pg. 80

NORFOLK

Elkhorn Valley Museum, pg. 80

OMAHA

The Durham Museum, pg. 76

Omaha Children’s Museum, pg. 79

Joslyn Castle, pg. 80

ST. PAUL

Museum of Nebraska MLB, pg. 79

WEEPING WATER

Weeping Water heritage Trail, pg. 79

WOOD RIVER

xxx, pg. 64

YORK

Clayton Museum of Ancient History, pg. 79

Wessels Living History Farm, pg. 80

Legacy of the Plains celebrates roots and tubers at fall festival

by MEGAN FEENEY

CORN, SOYBEANS AND sugar beets get a lot of love as major Nebraska crops, but the mighty potato will have its day this autumn at the Legacy of the Plains Museum in Gering. Every year on the third weekend of September, the museum’s Harvest Festival highlights a different crop grown onsite and showcases its collection of historic agricultural equipment and implements in action.

This year’s festival will feature a pickyour-own potato patch, demonstrations of horse-drawn plowing, and tractor rides. Most spud-tacularly, a Nebraska-born invention – the Lockwood Grader – will illustrate the dawn of mechanical sorting.

Born in Albion in 1913, Thorval John Lockwood invented his first potato grader as a 17-year-old farm kid. Before he turned 30, he’d developed more than 100 models of potato and onion handling equipment. Not only will the museum’s vast collection of machines hum to life – there will be living history, too. Longhorn cattle roam in a nearby pasture with Scotts Bluff as the backdrop. Goat kids play in the yard. Descendants of the Wiedeman family, which has a 1930s-1950s homestead on museum grounds, and of the Gentry family, which has an 1890s log cabin there, will be present to answer questions and tell stories. They might even be willing to swap potato recipes. Spudtacular!

The 2022 Harvest Festival is Sept. 17-18, 9 am-4 pm. 2930 Old Oregon Trail, Gering, (308) 436-1989

Megan Feeney

A Home Run for Baseball Fans!

In downtown St. Paul, explore memorabilia of American Major League Baseball players from Nebraska. View displays on our seven MLB Hall of Fame players, plus information and memorabilia on over 160 players born or raised in Nebraska.

We are now open on Saturdays and Sundays by appointment only, otherwise, Open Mon-Fri, 10 am-4:30 pm

Museum of Nebraska Major League Baseball

THIS EXHIBIT WILL TRANSPORT CHILDREN TO A WORLD INSPIRED BY THE CURRENT REALITIES AND THE FUTURE DREAMS OF SPACE TRAVEL!

St. Paul, NE 308-754-5558 • nebraskabaseballmuseum.com

Explore ancient Rome, the Near East and much more. Special Bible exhibit shares the story of scripture from scroll to modern translations. Children’s interactive Little Kingdom now opened!

View rare artifacts from the ancient civilizations of Mesopotamia and Roman Empire! Young and old can experience the museum’s Little Kingdom interactive area. Uncover objects in an archaeological dig, “live” in an ancient house and “shop” a Roman market. Admission is FREE with donations always accepted.

ADMISSION IS FREE

Open Tues-Fri, 1 - 5 p.m. Call for group tours. claytonmuseumofancienthistory.org

Open Tues-Fri, 10 am-5 pm • Sat 1-4 pm claytonmuseumofancienthistory.org 402-363-5748

402-363-5748 • 1125 E 8th St • York

1125 E 8th St • York, NE o at

Located in the lower level of the Mackey Center on the York College campus

MUSEUM OF THE FUR TRADE

See the history of the ﬁrst business in North America -the fur trade.

10 Unique items to view!

John Kinzie’s gun

HBC Ofﬁcer’s sword

Brass Handle Cartouche Knife

William Clark Fabric Samples

Chief’s Coat

Kit Fox Society Lance

Russian American Co. note

Oldest dated trap 1755 Parchment HBC Ofﬁcers Certiﬁcate Andrew Henry’s Leggings

Open 8-5, May 1 to October 31

3 miles east of Chadron, Nebraska on US Highway 20. www.furtrade.org 308-432-3843 • museum@furtrade.org

Featuring the newly renovated Johnny Carson Gallery, The Nebraska Music Hall of Fame, Children’s Discovery Zone, Historic Verges Park and more!

Hispanic Heritage Festival September 17

Hauntingly Historic October Various events throughout October

Verges Holiday Festival and Tour of Historic Homes December 11 402-371-3886 515 Queen City Blvd • Norfolk

For program details, visit: ElkhornValleyMuseum.org

Open Tues-Sat, 10 am-5 pm

Explore

FARM LIFE

From the early 1900s to 2022, looking back at over 100 years of farm life, history comes to life through the barn, outbuildings, farmhouse, rural church and school house. Visit the animals and learn through hands-on activities. Shop the Wessels Mercantile – a GROW Nebraska store! OPEN REGULARLY MAY-SEPT.

Visit the John G. Neihardt State Historic Site

Nebraska’s Poet Laureate in Perpetuity 402-648-3388 • neihardtcenter.org

Georgian Architecture Explore Fremont’s

• Museum

• Bookstore

• 1890s Historic Study

• Sacred Hoop Garden

Special Exhibit:

Free and open to the public. Tues-Sat 10 am-4 pm

306 W Elm St • Bancroft

Explore our exhibits featuring the Immigration Room, Music Room, Sokol Room and Josef Lada calendars from the 1940s. Our gift store offers many beautiful Bohemian items from the Czech land.

Dr. Susan LaFlesche Picotte, the nation’s first Native American doctor, featuring her professional artifacts 8106 S. 84th St. • LaVista 402-686-9837 CzechAndSlovakMuseum.org Visit this unique cultural experience in LaVista!

Admission: $5 for Adults, $1 for Students Free for ages 5 and under

Louis E. May Museum Dodge County Historical Society

Nebraska Traveler

TAKING TO THE ROAD FOR FOOD, FUN AND FESTIVITIES

by BECKY McCARVILLE

COMMUNITY

WILLOW TREE FESTIVAL

SEPT. 10-11 • GORDON

The sun rises and sets on a hardy willow tree rooted in the banks of Antelope Creek near Sheridan County Fairgrounds. From Nebraska’s early roots, this lone willow tree provided a gathering place for Indigenous Americans, fur traders, cowboys and settlers. Today, the land is private property, but the tree’s symbolism in Gordon as a gathering place has endured.

Every year people gather under Winship Park’s leafy shade to celebrate community at the Willow Tree Festival. The event features artists, local and regional performers, professional musicians, Native American storytellers and fancy dancers, food trucks and children’s activities.

Like the stalwart willow tree, the festival has endured because of the hard work of its 20 volunteer board members, robust community engagement and financial backing from businesses and residents, and grants from the Nebraska Arts Council, Nebraska Cultural Endowments and Humanities Nebraska.

Not much has changed from its origin. The late Dave Sweley, a minister at the Presbyterian church and experienced festival planner, founded the festival in 1983. Now In its 38th year (canceled in 2020), this year’s festivities are Sept. 10-11.

Board member Jean Hess returned to her hometown to attend her first Willow Tree Festival in 1986. At the time, she lived on the West Coast and dabbled with art. She didn’t know what to expect from her hometown, but she was so amazed that she decided to be part of it.

Twenty-five years later, Hess still helps the well-oiled organization spread the word to surrounding Panhandle towns and bring in vendors.

Festival magic is in the air from sunup to sundown. Visitors grab fun festival

foods from the many food trucks and join strangers at picnic tables for small talk and common ground. Art lovers meander through 60-plus arts and craft booths representing a five-state area. The city blocks off the entire park and some side streets for a car-free zone. Three stages feature performances: the gazebo stage; the children’s stage; and the indoor stage. Kids romp through the children’s space with supervised activities.

Mornings begin with biscuits and gravy at the Tri-state Old Time Cowboys’ Museum. Ice cream and pie sweeten the afternoons. Visitors glimpse the past at Scamahorn Museum. When the festivities close, the branches of a nearby willow seem to say, “come back again soon.”

WHERE TO EAT THE TWISTED TURTLE PUB

Hometown hospitality and wood-fired pizza warm hearts and bellies. Cute decor, funky green chairs and exposed brick walls keep it feeling cozy.

129 Main St., Rushville (308) 327-2233

WHERE TO STAY JEFCO INN

After a full day enjoying golf or rodeo in the rugged beauty of Sheridan County, guests at Jefco Inn enjoy quiet, comfortable rooms. 308 S. Cornell, Gordon (308) 282-2935

WHERE TO PLAY

MODISETT BALL PARK

The Rushville community restored this historic park and added modern amenities and facilities. The Sheridan County Regulators American Legion team takes the field on their home turf. Play ball! 302 W. 2nd St., Rushville

Willow Tree Festival

DINING RATHSKELLER OKTOBERFEST

SEPT. 9-10 • OMAHA

Rathskeller Bier Haus owner Charles “Chaz” Kline is dancing in his lederhosen again. It’s the lead-up to Oktoberfest, and the 1915-era brick building at 4524 Farnam in Omaha’s Blackstone District throbs with polka music and rings with laughter. Staff garbed in traditional German dress carry fists of frothing beer steins and platters of steaming pretzels.

In German culture, a rathskeller is a bar/community gathering place for wedding parties and family events, typically in the basement, or cellar, of a city hall or bank. Located on Farnam Street, with abundant indoor and outdoor seating, Rathskeller Bier Haus creates a community and cultural experience.

There are hefty wooden tables and community benches. People sample from an enormous menu of German and local and regional beers A menu spotlights “Germerican” food. The Reuben pretzel is

a special treat – stuffed with corned beef and melted Swiss cheese and drizzled with Russian dressing and a homemade kraut mixture. But first, bar-goers drink beer and play games.

Chaz, ever the showman, grabs a full stein and immediately starts a one-man stein holding contest – arm outstretched, elbow locked, not spilling one drop of beer for five minutes. He beats the previous record-holder at Rathskeller by about 20 seconds.

Winners of stein holding and other Bavarian games like pretzel and bratwurst eating contests, nagel schlagen (driving nails into a wood board), the boot drinking game, keg tossing, darts and bags will take the stage and compete at this year’s Oktoberfest celebration at Rathskeller, scheduled Sept. 9-10. There might be beer drinking, but this is a family-friendly event and will offer fun for all. (402) 991-7724

WHERE TO EAT VIS MAJOR BREWING CO.

Vis Major Brewing Co. has won the hearts of its beer-loving neighbors and beyond. Truffle popcorn, pretzels and specialty pizzas pair well with its artisan craft beers. Neighbors make friends here. 3501 Center St. (402) 800-8846

WHERE TO STAY ALOFT OMAHA

AKSARBEN VILLAGE

Aloft’s modern and whimsical design springs to life in Central Omaha, with easy access to the Interstate. Close by are major corporate headquarters, the University of Nebraska at Omaha, Baxter Arena, nightlife, local eateries and shops, and green space that holds events. 6201 Center St. (877) 462-5638

WHERE TO PLAY KEYSTONE TRAIL

From Aksarben Village, cyclists hit the Keystone Trail, the backbone of Omaha’s 120-mile trail system that connects to various trails, including the South Omaha Trail and Field Club Trail. Walkers, joggers, bikers, skaters and even cross-country skiers coast the paved paths. It’s a busy place. On your left!

Becky McCarville

HISTORY

CANTEEN FESTIVAL

OCT. 7-8 • NORTH PLATTE

On Dec. 17, 1941 – just after America entered World War II – a rumor spread like a wildfire through the town of North Platte. Nebraska National Guard company D was on a train destined to make a stop in town. The townspeople assembled anxiously at the depot to give their boys gifts as a sendoff. Surprised looks crossed their faces when Kansas National Guardsmen stepped off instead. Without hesitation, the Nebraskans passed out presents anyway.

Thus began a tradition of Nebraska hospitality during World War II. For over four years, the citizens of North Platte, primarily young women with their daughters and sons, banded together to open a canteen at the depot. Soldiers on their way to war, many teenagers, received tasty treats and a dose of optimism.

This fall North Platte once again welcomes visitors to the North Platte Canteen Festival held at the Historical Downtown Canteen District. The festival features a

blend of entertainment and education.

This year’s new production in the North Platte Community Playhouse, A Sentimental Musical Journey, tells the story of the canteen while paying tribute to the traditional dance and music of the era.

The streets come alive with activity as a band performs 1940s hits and dancers of all ages let loose. Vendors peddle unique wares next to businesses in the historic district, and the area becomes almost as busy as it was for four years during World War II.

Amanda Connick, the event organizer, loves seeing people react to experiencing the story firsthand. “Tears well up in their eyes.”

By the war’s end, nearly 8,000 troops passed through the Canteen a day, more than 6 million soldiers in all. They came from all corners of the country, but their stop in North Platte was a compassionate moment in a journey into the unknown.

– Mason Lee

WHERE TO EAT LUIGI’S

Generous plates of pasta, piping hot homemade rolls and warm service make this casual Italian eatery a popular spot for families. Locals swear by the specials, like osso buco. Seafood and meat entrees also wow. 502 S. Jeffers St. (308) 221-2961

WHERE TO STAY HUSKER INN

This cozy budget hotel is close to attractions like the North Platte Children’s Museum, Cody Park and the Lincoln County Historical Museum. 721 E. 4th St. (308) 534-6960

WHERE TO GO BUFFALO BILL’S STATE HISTORICAL PARK

Guests learn about the man, the myth, the legend Buffalo Bill Cody. This complex and fascinating Pony Express Rider, Army scout, bison hunter and showman lived an outsized life. The house and barn tell his story. 2921 Scouts Rest Ranch Rd. (308) 535-8035

Lincoln County Historical Museum

Come celebrate the largest volunteer e ort of WWII that served over 6 million service

Friday, October 7, 2022

A Sentimental Musical Journey theater production

Saturday, October 8, 2022

Canteen Festival Vendor & Art Show

A Sentimental Musical Journey theater production

Big Band Street Dance for more info, go to: VisitNorthPlatte.com/north-platte-canteen-festival/

SPORTS HUSKER VOLLEYBALL

DEC. 15, 17 • OMAHA

At the Bob Devaney Sports Center in Lincoln, a sold-out crowd roars as the University of Nebraska-Lincoln Cornhuskers women’s volleyball team bumps, sets and spikes their way to another win. Husker volleyball fans have cheered their team on to claim five NCAA championships –and nearly a sixth last year. The team has something to prove this year, especially since the NCAA Women’s Volleyball Tournament will happen in Nebraska.

In 2021, the team fell short in a heartbreaking title match with Wisconsin in Ohio. This year, the team plans to go all the way again but seize the win – and fans would get to see it happen in Omaha. The CHI Health Center will host the NCAA Women’s Volleyball Tournament on Dec. 15 and 17.

That’s good news for a program that owes much to its Nebraska fans. They love good volleyball, no matter the outcome, said assistant coach Kelly Hunter, who also once played for the team and was a three-time Husker All-American and

two-time national champion. For Hunter, it runs in the family. Her mom, Lori (Melcher) Hunter, played for the Huskers from 1977 to 1980. Back then, crowds were much smaller. Since then, fans have discovered the excitement of this women’s sport and become loyal fans – even though it coincides with the football season, debatably Nebraska’s most supported sport. The high pressure of a packed auditorium fuels the team’s success.

“It’s electric,” Hunter said. “High pressure and high expectations can bring out the best in you.”

The big push now is to create more opportunities for television coverage, like men’s sports have typically enjoyed. This year, the Big Ten Conference will televise a record 55 volleyball games. The Huskers will have 18 games televised, including 14 games that will air on national television.

Whether watching it live at 1600 Court St. or on the screen at home, fans leap to their feet with every ace serve to cry with gusto, “Go Big Red!”

WHERE TO EAT LEADBELLY

This homey water hole features twists on classic pub fare and local brews in a 130-year-old building that harkens back to the Haymarket’s historic rail station days. Guests tucks into hearty sandwiches, salads and fish & chips. 301 N. 8th St. (402) 261-8849

WHERE TO STAY THE SCARLET HOTEL

Situated in the heart of Innovation Campus, The Scarlet Hotel is as much a fan of Nebraska as Huskers are of their Big Red teams. From guest rooms and suites named after featured hometowns to design that pays tribute to the state’s legends and innovators, The Scarlet Hotel celebrates Nebraska. 2101 Transformation Dr. (531) 300-6300

WHERE TO PLAY

SPEEDWAY MOTORS MUSEUM OF AMERICAN SPEED

Visitors peruse automotive history at the Speedway Motors Museum of American Speed, a 150,000-square-foot building that houses a speed-fueled collection curated by “Speedy” Bill and Joyce Smith. Kids enjoy racing around the building using their own horsepower. 599 Oakcreek Dr. (402) 323-3166

Molly Houser/University of Nebraska Communications

Wild Colonial Bhoys

Kelihans

Quarter Horse Show

Sept. 7-10 • Lincoln

Lincoln hosts the fifth-largest quarter horse show in the nation, with more than 90 classes of competition featuring roping, English, jumping, trail riding, Western pleasure, halter and reining. Open to public viewing, youth, open and amateur classes will compete. (402) 441-6545

Tim Sullivan in Concert

Sept. 16-18 • Brownville Western songwriter Tim Sullivan brings his storytelling style and guitar chops to the Brownville Concert Series. The series, held in the charming historic church turned concert venue, provides an unparalleled intimate experience with killer acoustics. Sullivan, who’s played with Willie Nelson, Vince Gill and Tammy Wynette, takes audience members on a lyrical journey through heartbreak and triumph. (402) 825-3331

Greeley Irish Festival

Sept. 17 • Greeley

It’s halfway to St. Patrick’s Day, which means it’s time for Greeley to green up their garb and their gear. A family clan parade kicks off the day, which features Irish step performances and music. Sounds like a lucky way to spend an autumn day. greeleyirishfestival.com

Lincoln Calling

Sept. 22-24 • Lincoln

Celebrating music, art and education, this annual fall festival highlights local rockers, graphic designers, and fun-loving folks of all ages and abilities to dance, build, sing and create. Community members also gather to discuss how they’d like to change or improve their hometown of Lincoln. lincolncalling.com

Plum Creek Literacy Festival

Sept. 23-24 • Seward

This reading festival begins with an all-day children’s books festival hosted by Concordia University. Nationally renowned children’s book authors and illustrators host interactive workshops with kids to encourage the love of reading and writing. On Saturday, adults mingle, talk books and rub elbows with authors. (402) 643-7483

Continental Drift Music Festival

Sept. 24 • Fremont

This free music festival at Fremont Lakes State Recreation Area only requires a daily parking pass. The one-day grassroots music festival features rock, folk, powerpop and Americana in the great outdoors. Guests can also watch from boats. continentaldriftmusicfestival.com

Living History Weekend

Sept. 24-25 • Nebraska City

Guests to the Arbor Lodge Mansion and grounds enjoy watching demonstrations of costumed actors blacksmithing, fabric dyeing, printing, seeding, weaving, leather crafting, and cooking. Mansion admission $9 adults, $7 youth. (402) 873-7222

Walk For the Animals

Sept. 25• Omaha

It’s a pawfect day to raise money for homeless pets. Participants in the Nebraska Humane Society walk can bring their pup. Vendors, games, food and beverages are offered. No dog? No prob. Rescue organizations introduce a new best friend. (402) 905-3483

Antiques Show

Sept. 29-Oct. 2 • Omaha

Antique, garden and art lovers converge on Omaha’s unique collector’s experience to browse booths selling furniture, fine art, home décor, estate jewelry, tableware and fashion accessories. Luncheons feature talks by designers, illustrators and authors. omahaantiqueshow.org

Sidney Oktoberfest

Sept. 30-Oct. 2 • Sidney

Watch the wienerdogs do their wurst in a race celebrating Oktoberfest. Three days of entertainment, food, live music and beer bring out the German in everyone. A car show, Saturday parade, craft show and high school band competition draw visitors from surrounding Western Nebraska. sidneyoktoberfest.com

OCTOBER

Harvest Moon Festival

Oct. 1 • Chadron

This year’s Harvest Moon Festival will hit a little differently. A drumline battle encourages local schools to win best band. Audience applause determines the winner. Games, food and festivities also included. harvestmoonfallfestival.org

Great Pumpkin Festival

Oct. 1-2 • Crete

Knives out, pumpkin carvers! Will it be a grinning face, a leering sneer, or a goblin-like grimace? Pumpkin carving demos inspire ideas. Carnival games, a food court and a car show will inspire fun. Firefighters and police will be on hand to meet the kids and community. (402) 826-2136

in Knox County. Join us for outdoor recreation, culture, and history in our ‘neck of the woods’. Visit Knox County

Hallowfest

Oct. 8 and 15 • Ponca State Park

Guests spooked by the dark enjoy takeand-go crafts, pumpkin carving and a pumpkin roll race during the day, as well as campsite decorating. Once night falls, who-who-who will dare board a hayrack ride with scary surprises. (402) 755-2284

Kearney Craft Show

Oct. 22 • Kearney

Handcrafted items delight shoppers as vendors supply a plethora of repurposed, crafted, up-cycled, canned and baked goods at Buffalo County Fairgrounds. Admission is free. (308) 379-9272

Good Life Halfsy

Oct. 23 • Lincoln

Runners lace up their shoes. The 13.1mile course winds through Lincoln and ends in the Historic Haymarket District, where organizers serve Runzas and local brews to the runners. goodlifehalfsy.com

TRIVIA ANSWERS

Questions on p 24-25

1 The Stuhr Museum of the Prairie Pioneer

2 The Lincoln Highway

3 Law Enforcement

4 Joe Feeney

5 Casino

6 True

7 True

8 False. It was named for an island on the Platte River.

9 True

10 False. The fair relocated to Grand Island in 2010 after a 2008 bill passed in the legislature.

11 b. Coney Island Lunch Room

12 c. wings… take flight

13 c. Herbie the Husker driving a Lamborghini

14 a. Tornado Hill

15 b. Pawnee

Trivia Photographs

Page 16 Historical interpreters at Stuhr.

Page 16 Ribbon-worthy produce.

Page 17 Henry Fonda, Grand Island hunk.

Gurley

Lodgepole

Potter

Sidney

a recreator’s dream MORRILL

Morrill Village has everything a family vacation needs. Just 20 minutes from the bustle of Scottsbluff, you can hit the range at the public 9-hole golf course, go for a dip at the community swimming pool, stroll through the city park or pick-up a tennis match at the courts. And don’t forget to pack your tackle box and poles for some fishing at the sand pit ponds!

Treasure hunt 25,000 sq-ft-plus of antiques and collectibles. You’ll find something for everyone at the Aardvark Antique Mall. Lincoln’s best kept secret! Located off I-80 and Exit 405. Open daily, 9 am-8 pm

5800 Arbor Rd • Lincoln

Nebraska’s Abundant Harvests

Harvest time is a season of abundance and preparation. As days shorten and temperatures cool, gardeners comb beds for the final fruits of their labor.

by MEGAN FEENEY

At left: Jodie and Kevin Borer farm west of Loretto in Boone County. Below: Perfectly golden kernels ornament an ear of dry corn in a field south of Eustis. Don Brockmeier

Kyle Mock

Nebraskans feast on fresh vegetables and fruits, work long hours in the field and make time to celebrate the season.

CANNERS PREPARE JARS

and lids. Kitchens thicken with steam as they fill pantries with tomatoes, green beans, sauces and jellies, anticipating the welcome taste of the garden in the depths of winter. Soup season has arrived – and the butternut squash, carrots, garlic and sweet potatoes are just on time. But it’s not yet cold enough to just cozy up at home. The weather invites Nebraskans to enjoy the outdoors.

Families pile into their cars with picnic lunches. An autumnal trip to one of Nebraska’s orchards is a favorite tradition. Apple trees sag with fruit in shades of green, gold and red. Older children hop and reach, yelping with excitement as they fill bags, careful not to bruise the fruit. Parents lift younger children to grasp apples. Tiny hands grip and pluck. Delighted giggles erupt.

Next, it’s a trip to the pumpkin patch to find the perfect porch decorations or jack-o-lantern. And what a selection of pumpkins it is – there are warty gourds, smooth green and white ones, deep burnt orange oblongs, and cream-colored orbs. Haystacks and chrysanthemums perfume the air. Above, honking geese form a v heading south.

Nebraska’s winery and brewery guests enjoy the season’s treats, too. On the patio, guests toast the beautiful fall colors with glasses of Nebraska-grown wine, beer or cider as they watch the sunset.

For Nebraska farmers, though, there’s no time for sitting around – unless they’re

Cox’s Pumpkin Patch, west of Champion, bursts with color every autumn. Mama’s little pumpkin finds a gourd to take home, but first it’s playtime in the leaves.

AJ Dahm

Union Orchard visitors sample apples. The Langenberg family works together outside Norfolk. At right: Who wouldn’t want a pumpkin as big as their head?

Aaron Beckman

AJ Dahm

Farmers work long hours during the harvest season. They continue their toil after sundown. Geese, too, have an arduous task ahead as they migrate south.

Derrald Farnsworth-Livingston

Lori Eisenmenger

Derrald Farnsworth-Livingston

sitting in a combine from the dark hours of the morning until late at night. The state’s corn, soy and wheat farmers often skip dinner to put food on American tables.

For these farmers, family support is crucial. Photographer Alan Nash and his wife bring dinner to his brother-inlaw and crew during the wheat harvest in Banner County a few times a season. They pack rotisserie chickens, macaroni salad, a couple of watermelons and cold drinks. Dessert is brownies or cake. They set up tables and chairs right in the field. The farmers enjoy a nourishing supper before going back to work. Nash and his wife work in town, so it’s one way they can support the farmers’ efforts, he said.

Little things can show support – like drivers slowing down when farmers need to use the highways to travel to another field. As they plunge into working another area, the farmers’ machines stir up dust that coats the air.

The dust drifts in a filmy haze onto wooded areas, where another harvest is underway. Nebraska birds and mammals feast on a bounty of ripe wild grapes, elderberries, wild plums, pawpaws and persimmons, and a variety of nuts, like walnuts, shagbark hickory nuts, American hazelnuts and Chinese chestnuts.

These items, properly prepared, are edible – and delicious – for foraging humans, too. The trick is beating the finches, turkeys, foxes and deer to the wild feast.

There’s more than enough to share.

A family takes a break from harvesting wheat in Banner County to enjoy a birthday supper. Little things can show Nebraska farmers support during a busy time of year.

Alan Nash

The Harvest Moon Festival at the Dawes County Fairgrounds features games, food, performances and gourds galore.

Hemingford Ledger

A GAMECHANGER For Our Hometowns

Volunteers in Keith County were thrilled when they learned of a charitable estate gift exceeding $7 million. This is big money, but it’s just a fraction of the $565 million that will transfer from one generation to the next in Keith County over the next 10 years.

Harnessing just a small percentage of the massive transfer of wealth could be a gamechanger for every hometown in Nebraska. How much is transferring your county? And how can we ensure some of those precious resources remain instead of leaving the state with heirs who live elsewhere? Find out at fivetothrivene.org.

Think of the Nebraska hometown you love. This is your opportunity to enrich its future. We’re asking you to consider leaving just five percent of your assets to your favorite Nebraska hometown or to Nebraska Community Foundation to benefit all of our communities. When we all leave five, our hometowns thrive!

Grandpa’s Guns An inheritance of life in the great outdoors

by ALAN J. BARTELS

THE COOLER DAYS of September and October inspire me to unpack my fleece jackets, lace up my hunting boots and rub a thin layer of oil on my grandpa’s guns.

Grandpa, Denver Lyle Haines, was a mountain of a man – at least that is how I remember him. He was born Oct. 28, 1913, and became a World War II hero, a husband, father and grandfather. He was my mother’s dad and an outdoorsman.

I only remember one outdoor adventure with him, a family gathering along the Missouri River near Grandpa’s home in Iowa. We lived hours away in Nebraska and usually only saw each other on holidays. I’m envious of cousins who lived near Grandpa and grew up knowing him much better than I did.

I was 11 in 1982 when Grandpa died. When his belongings were divided among his children, grandchildren and other family members, we returned home with Grandpa’s two guns. I have no memories of anything else.

One is a Springfield/J. Stevens Arms single barrel 20 gauge with a stiff hammer and hair trigger. The other firearm is a Remington Model 34 .22 rifle, the company’s first repeater of that caliber.

I learned the basics of aiming and trigger pull thanks to Dad’s marksmanship lessons. As a teenager, Grandpa’s guns became my constant hunting season companions. The sleek .22 was and is my favorite.

Grandpa took great care of that gun. The $13.25 it cost when new was a lot more money then, built during the Depression when owning a straight-shooting rifle meant being able to put food on the table. The tube magazine can be loaded with .22 short rounds, but I only

ever used .22 long since a box of 50 was $1.50 at Callahan’s ACE Hardware/IGA store in Greeley. When smalltown boredom set in, friends and I would walk a mile north of Greeley to the town dump. We’d spend hours in that divide between farmland and sand hills devising contests – like shooting through the screw holes on discarded license plates or seeing who could shoot the caps off bottles at increasing distances.

The gun’s smooth bolt action allowed me to fire in quick succession at cans, bottles and discarded appliances. I rarely shot at moving targets with the .22, but

my best friend swears I knocked a rooster pheasant out of the Nebraska sky on his uncle’s farm 5 miles south of Greeley with one stellar shot from this rifle. You’d think I’d remember an amazing shot like that, but I don’t. Maybe, after all these years, I should accept my friend’s memory as his long-overdue admission of my marksmanship superiority.

Those shooting competitions were hit and miss, but when it came to hunting small game, some innate instinct took over as I raised the rifle – my aim was almost always true.

The early 1980s was a different time. One of Grandpa’s guns often rested on the front seat of my unlocked car in the Greeley High School parking lot, parked in a row of fellow students’ pickups with rifles and shotguns hanging in their back windows. Other times, I’d walk from our house through town, gun in hand, on my way to see what I could kick or flush from Stanley Johnson’s shelterbelt, pond or field. Small game was not safe there. But I admit here for the first time that – thinking it was a squirrel – I shot a reddish spot on a tree trunk, twice.

As my interest in hunting grew, my dad, who hadn’t hunted in decades, began coming along. Mom wasn’t overly enthusiastic about Dad and me bringing home the squirrels and rabbits that fell to the .22, or the pheasants that the 20-gauge brought down, but she cooked them for us. Thanks, Mom.

I never got to go hunting with Grandpa. But I know that during countless outdoor excursions on the edge of the Sandhills in Greeley County, with one of his cherished guns in hand and an inherited sense of adventure in my heart, Grandpa was always hunting with me.

Alan Bartels once knocked a rooster pheasant out of the sky with a .22 ... or did he?

LAST LOOK EDITORS’ CHOICE

photograph by SAM STUKEL

EVERY DAY IN October, paddlefish anglers descend on the Missouri River by the Nebraska Tailwaters Boat Ramp below Gavins Point Dam. They have one month to catch a whopper.

Paddlefish can weigh as much as 100 pounds (that’s like reeling in an averagely sized 13-year-old boy), so excited crowds of fishermen and women line the bank and buzz the river in boats – even in the early hours of the day. Many mornings, photographer Sam Stukel is there too, but it’s not fish he’s trying to capture.

Instead, he’s collecting shots that reflect both the excitement and the serenity of Nebraska’s paddlefish season. If he turns to shoot one way, there will be a crowd on the bank. If he angles his camera a different way, it looks like a tranquil scene. The cooler October nights create a mystical fog on the river that’s only briefly visible at dawn. Photography is like life, Stukel says. What you focus on influences your perception.

IN EACH ISSUE, Last Look features a reader’s photograph of Nebraska – landscapes, architecture, attractions, events, people or wildlife.

Submit your best photographs for the chance to be published in Nebraska Life. Send digital images with detailed photo descriptions and your contact information to photos@nebraskalife.com or visit nebraskalife.com/contribute.

This image was created with a Canon EOS 7D Mark II camera with a Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L lens at 150mm, exposed at ISO 320, f/5.6 for 1/1000 of a second.

Find your fun in historic Nebraska City! We are the perfect place to bring the family on a mini-vacation or come alone if you are looking for space to relax and recharge. Nebraska City has something for everyone ... check out the timeless Kregel Windmill Factory Museum, bring the kids to the Museum of Firefighting, or learn some cool history at the Missouri River Basin Lewis & Clark Center. Shop our unique downtown stores or walk the trails at the Tree Adventure at Arbor Day Farm. Goodies galore await you at any one of our fabulous apple orchards – from pies to ciders to wines. There’s more, but it appears we’ve run out of room! Find out more about the Home of Arbor Day at NebraskaCity.com.