Commentary

Ten years after lawmakers made a bold decision to move the Nebraska State Fair out of Lincoln, the event seems very much at home now in its Grand Island venue.
This year’s fair was another winner, despite a deluge of rain that has hit Grand Island and all of Central Nebraska hard this spring and summer. Event organizers had no choice but to scrap the initial parking plans and ramp up the shuttle service to parking lots throughout Grand Island, which according to all initial reports addressed the dilemma as well or better than anyone could have been expected.
Plan B wasn’t ideal, but then neither is 31 inches of rain through the first eight months of the year. The ground is saturated, creeks, rivers and retaining areas are full, leaving no where for water to go but up and around the fairgrounds. There was absolutely no other option but to deal with the circumstances, be positive and get on with it, which come to think of it is the Nebraska way.

Some people like big celebrations of birthdays, anniversaries and accomplishments. As for me, accomplishments of another year are one of quiet satisfaction with no sky rockets fired off and instead substituted with a wine toast and steaks on the grill.
Now, I should qualify my statement. The Betterhalf disagrees with my anniversary viewpoint but, accepts it to a certain degree.
As for those anniversary celebrations we had a few exceptions. Friends surprised us on our 25th annniversary with a champaign supper. By mutual agreement the Betterhalf and I decided to forego a big 50th shindig and celebrate all year with just the two of us heading out on small travels or making some special purchases, etc.

When I was 6 years old something magical and at the time almost life changing happened. Aurora received its very own movie theater and while I was excited, I had no idea how much that place would impact my life.
Merwyn and Betty Davidson started the 12th Street Cinema using a volunteer system with a simple reward. If you volunteer to work tickets, concessions or the projector then you got to see that movie and received a free popcorn and soda. A simple enough plan, but something extraordinary to a child.
I can still remember going to see Runaway Bride with my family. Not because I had any interest in that movie, but because of the thrill of seeing a movie in my own town. Before 12th Street Cinema opened, it just wasn’t feasible with both time and money to go all the way to Grand Island to see a movie, and still is difficult to this day.

These past weeks family dinner table talks have been dominated by their children’s reports about the first days of school. Our dinner table on the subject has been quiet on the first day subject since our youngest came home from kindergarten over 4-1/2 decades ago. We can recall throwing out the general questions of “How do you like your teacher . . . Who do you know in your class . . . What did you do today?”
Our family had three boys spread over a seven year period and over those years their answers to our questions about the first day of school became pretty ordinary. “It’s OK .  . . all, except the new kid. . . we had recess,” were the simple replies. We should qualify our statement because their actions sometimes spoke louder than their words.

Recently two diaper companies announced they would soon be selling a new innovation called “tech diapers.” Thankfully our family has been out of the baby diaper need for years. The only innovation we can recall during our kids’ diaper years was when the diaper market moved from cloth to disposables.
At that time we (particularly my Betterhalf) thought how wonderful it would be to rid the household of the smelly diaper bucket and not have the continual daily diaper washing duties. Unfortunately in our younger years we found we could only afford disposable diapers on “special” occasions such as when we traveled to the grandparents’ home or an overnight stay.
Getting back to those new tech diapers, we’re hoping for the best for today’s families who have diapered tots. However, we do question the need for new high-tech diapers. Years ago the Betterhalf and I had little trouble questioning when a diaper change was needed. Simply put, our noses could smell it!
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A new feel-good event has hopefully found a permanent place on Aurora’s summer agenda with the unanimous support and growing success of the Bands on the Bricks concert series.
Sara Sutherland and the Aurora Chamber of Commerce deserve a ton of credit for coming up with that vision and then finding a way to make it happen. The second year was better than the first in terms of crowd size and support and there is every reason to believe that this gig will just continue to get bigger and better each year.

Dear Editor:
I would hope that one of the main goals of the Hamilton County commissioners would be public safety, but by their apparent lack of action this does not seem to be the case.
On Monday, Aug. 12, I was made aware that the county road conditions are getting more deplorable and unsafe to the point of some senior citizens, who count on a daily hot meal, being unable to receive home-delivered meals from the Hamilton County Senior Center. I might add that the pickup from the center does have four-wheel drive.
Some county roads are just rutted and pure mud due to the lack of appropriate maintenance and void of any gravel. Some of those roads have not had any gravel for at least four years in the Phillips area, so this is not just a new situation with the plentiful rains this summer, but has been compounded due to a lack of maintenance.

Dear Editor:
My wife and I and some friends went to the Band on the bricks Friday night (Aug. 2) and it was sprinkling rain. So they moved the band to the bandstand. WHAT A CONCEPT -- a band on the bandstand.
When was the bandstand last used for a band concert? Why don’t they do that every time? There’s shade and shelter for the band and the audience, not to mention our beautiful bandstand could be used again for what it was intended for. Then the street wouldn’t be blocked off and the venders could pull up to the sidewalk just like A’ROR’N Days.
Maybe some of the revenue from beer sales could help fix the spots on bandstand that are rotting out. So far all the bands have been really good and everyone looked like they were having fun. I think the shade would help bring more people out to see the bands on the bandstand. So in closing, move the band off the bricks and onto the bandstand.
Carlin Engert,
Aurora

When we were studying journalism in college our instructor cautioned us to avoid certain subjects when writing a column. One of those subjects mentioned was religion. Since I’ve broken many rules, I guess one more won’t make much difference.
While out of state for a few weeks, the Betterhalf and I happened to attend a church service where the minister’s preaching centered on the word, “sin.” He told his congregation that all people -- even including him -- have sinned and that there are many kinds of sins.
The minister expounded on the subject there were major sins such as murder, as well as less serious sins such as some of those little fibs, fish stories and stretching the truth a little.
He then brought laughs to the congregation when he related to two of his own personal “sinning incidents” that occurred in their household. He and his wife have four young children, three of which are boys.

The cycle begins again.
School bells began ringing this week, a tell-tale sign that fall is falling, even though the calendar and thermometer says it’s still late summer in the dog days of August.
All four area schools reported back to the classroom this week and we wish all area students, their families and teachers a wonderful, memorable year ahead in 2019-20.
The first week of school brings a familiar look and feel that reminds us another year of change, learning and opportunity has arrived. Whether your family is embarking on that first magical day of kindergarten, the jump into high school, that quantum leap into college life, or into unfamiliar “empty nest territory,” it’s yet another reminder that the only thing constant in this life is change.
Monday was also the first day for fall sports practices and we look forward, as always, to covering the Huskies, Hawks, Hornets and Storm.