Commentary

Scientists have known for decades that the skies will grow dark over Hamilton County during a total solar eclipse Aug. 21, though the reality of this phenomenal event is just now starting to really sink in.
This is a big deal! How big? It hasn’t happened here in Central Nebraska for hundreds of years and it won’t happen again for hundreds more, so it is in fact a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for several generations.
While the excitement is building for events in Aurora and Hampton, so too is a bit of angst. The fact that the path of totality covers only a small sliver of America, passing through 12 states in a matter of hours, has some officials predicting that it could be one of the worst traffic days in U.S. history. Approximately 12 million people live within the narrow band of totality, though about 200 million reside within a day’s drive of it. Talk about a potential traffic jam. You do the math.

After years of retirement I was convinced that I had adapted pretty well. I seemed to have settled into the routine of most retirees participating in casual days of light pressure following no particular schedule.
Oh yes, there were some “honey-do” days; showing up for a few hours weekly at the animal shelter; having an early morning coffee break; taking a daily walk; and naturally picking up my News-Register at 2 p.m. every Tuesday. Everything had been going pretty well until the Betterhalf pointed out I was still on a schedule.
We were driving and on our way home when she questioned why I was impatient being slowed down by heavy traffic and several stop lights. I explained I wanted to be home by 6 p.m. She asked, “Why? Are you on a schedule?”

It’s showtime.
The area’s rich, ag-based heritage will be on full display this week with the 147th version of the Hamilton County Fair.
This is a highlight of the year for many area youth, serving as a milestone end-of-summer event as well for the entire community. Four days in July offer a made-to-order invitation to gather with friends and have some fun while celebrating our culture.
I grew up in western Nebraska, where the Chase County Fair provided memorable moments from my childhood. Though I wasn’t showing animals, many of my friends were and it gave me a sense of place and rural perspective that has endured my entire life. Fiftysome years later, those memories still endure, even for a “city kid.”

The Betterhalf jumped for joy when she saw in the newspaper evidence mounts that coffee seems to be just plain good for you. What really caught her eye was the statement, “Coffee drinkers live longer.” Judging by her jubilance she’s already making plans for her 100th birthday and birthdays beyond.
As for me, it looks like she going to leave me in the dust. I quit drinking coffee in the early years of marriage -- not because the coffee price went from a nickel to a dime -- but because coffee gave me stomach aches. Other bad habits have taken its place since and those habits are not going to improve my longevity.
This recent coffee acclaim follows years where studies have reversed earlier health opinions that basically were sacred. It leads me to our current society’s belief, “The rule is there are no rules.” And sometimes I wonder if that belief is not limited to just nutritional studies.

The villages of Hampton, Marquette and Phillips have all passed nuisance abatement ordinances recently, working to clean up their towns and tackle issues related to abandoned and neglected properties. The effort is making a difference in those communities and should now be considered by Aurora city leaders as well.
The Hampton Village Board deserves credit for taking the lead on an issue many would prefer to let take care of itself. That’s the problem, however, in that properties which have for whatever reason been neglected over the years are not likely going to change, and in fact are more apt to continue deteriorating. In some cases weeds are growing out of control while in others there are more serious problems including structural decline, inoperable vehicles and/or growing piles of clutter and trash.

Taking a look at the thermometer, it is quite evident July thus far is showing no sympathy to those of us who dislike hot weather. The temps remind me of a joke about a ditch digger who, on one of the hottest days of the year, had his hat off and was wiping his brow when the foreman approached him.
“Be careful,” warned the foreman, “that hot sun will injure your brain if you leave that hat on too long.”
“Stop worrying,” replied the worker. “Do you think I’d be digging ditches in the middle of July if I had any brains.”
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The final countdown has begun.
Though scientists have known for centuries that the skies over Hamilton County will go dark in the middle of the day on Aug. 21, 2017, the reality of what viewing a total solar eclipse really means is finally starting to sink in. This is a rare opportunity to have a front-row seat to such a natural phenomenon and also a huge logistical challenge, it turns out, to prepare for masses of people who MAY show up.
Dan Glomski, Aurora’s own “eclipse evangelist,” has been beating the drum for several months now, sharing his own experience of viewing a total solar eclipse from Aruba back in 1998 and explaining why he’s had this day circled on his calendar for years. The momentum has been building, thanks in large part to his bubbly enthusiasm, and a number of events are now being planned.

A proposal talked about for years in Aurora is getting lots of attention these days, though plans to pave 1st Street are not yet chiseled in concrete.
With the steady arrival of new single-family homes in the Lincoln Creek housing subdivision and across the street east toward Streeter Park over the past 15 years, what previously looked like and functioned as a county road has by use and definition become a city street as well. It’s time to figure out how to make it official and pave this stretch of road from Highway 34 north to the bridge.

“What’s this world coming to?”
That’s the exclamation my grandmother made frequently when I was a youngster as she read the newspaper or was watching the television. Upon hearing her comment I would smile and then go on my way never giving much thought to her remark. Now I catch myself repeating the line, “What is this world coming to?” and seriously believing the same statement.
My concerns seem to center not as much on the “world,” but our nation, our state and even our own individual actions. There’s not much need to outline all the actions going on in Washington DC, because most all of us for years have questioned what is going on there. However, state actions outside Washington DC have aroused my curiosity.

It’s the “Best Seat in the House,” as well as one of the best entertainment values in Central Nebraska.
Aurora’s 12th Street Cinema re-opened its doors last week with a new, upgraded look and feel designed to enhance an already terrific movie-going experience. The latest improvements now feature 120 comfy new seats, as well as new carpet and floor lighting, creating an even more enticing invite to relax and enjoy the latest flick.
This $38,000 upgrade is the latest chapter in a 17-year success story that locals know well. It’s been volunteer driven since Day 1, which makes this theater “our theater” for anyone who calls Aurora and Hamilton County home. That just adds to the atmosphere when you walk in the front door, regardless of what show happens to be playing.