Commentary

There were a lot of reasons to celebrate this week as residents of the former Hamilton Manor made a symbolic move across town to Westfield Quality Care.
First and foremost, the community sent a strong message by opening the doors to a brand new 64-bed skilled nursing facility. Simply put, Hamilton County cares about its elderly population!
There have been headlines in recent weeks telling a much different tale about nursing homes in Nebraska, some of which are facing dire financial struggles. That is not the case now in Aurora, though the picture looked vastly different just two years ago.

I found some consolation in a statement that “thousands of lost Einsteins’ would have been successful had they been exposed to careers in innovation as children.” Well, I have to dispute that statement.
If I look back (I won’t say how many years ago), if I could have been an Einstein when my mother thought I would have been the next “Dorsey” of playing the trombone in my junior high years.
It was pretty obvious her dreams were dashed when I had difficulty playing “off-beats.” My musical ability was never doubted by our instructor where I remained third chair in the junior high band. However, I made the big move entering high school band and became aware those trombone players marched in the first row behind the baton twirlers and the drum majorettes.

We all hear much about a “living wage.” The government releases figures about a national living wage. Workers report their living wage is too low. Bosses counter that they are paying above the living wage. So just what is a living wage?
It’s pretty obvious the living wage scale for the Midwest is not the same for those who live and work in the heavily populated areas such as the east or west coasts, or even for some who live in isolated areas such as Alaska. The government justifies its living wage info being keyed to national poverty guidelines.
Let’s face it, we all feel we are under-paid...even when we’re retired and that weekly paycheck is no more. In my case, I’ve looked back over the past 18 years of retirement and figured I haven’t done much to even deserve a wage of any kind -- living or otherwise. The Betterhalf, no doubt, concurs. However, I should report she contributed to some of my nonproductive retirement workload.

Election day is upon us, or soon will be, which means it’s time to start listening in to what local candidates have to say.
There are several choices to be made in the May primary, a healthy sign of interest in any community. Voters will decide who will fill the District 1 and District 5 seats on the Hamilton County Board of Commissioners, while also narrowing the field of candidates running for Aurora mayor from three to two.
Incumbent Becky Richter faces a challenge from Rich Kinsey in the District 1 race, while District 5 voters will have a choice between incumbent Tim Bergen and challengers Roger Nunnenkamp and Ivan Hongsermier. In the race for Aurora mayor, Phil Hupf, Marlin Seeman and Stan Valasek have thrown their hats in the ring, with the top two vote-getters to advance to the general election in November.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says we adults are not eating enough fruits and vegetables. Federal guidelines recommend having 1-1/2 to 2 cups of fruit and 2-3 cups of vegetables daily. Now that figures out almost 4-5 cups of the so-called “health foods” each day.
Looking at my own intake of food if I followed the CDC’s recommendation I believe there would be little room left in my tummy for the “good stuff” like meat and desserts.
***
Here’s some advice based on our past experiences. “If a woman wants a welcome when she gets  home, she should leave her husband with the baby when she goes.”
***
The topic of “flipping a coin” drew a smile from the Betterhalf recently. She recalled how when she and her sister were youngsters, her dad flipped a coin to see who would go up the farm lane to get the mail. He pointed to each girl and said, “Heads you go, tails you’re sister goes.”

We are not immune.
That, unfortunately, is the lesson learned last week after a weapon was confiscated on school property in Aurora. Though there was no reported threat of violence, the fact that a gun was illegally brought on to school property was in and of itself alarming.
Just weeks after a deadly school shooting in Florida, an alert like this coming from right here at home feels like a punch to the gut. Incidents involving teens and guns can and do happen anywhere, but it still seems unbelievable that someone would think it’s okay, for any reason, to bring a gun with them to school.
The student in this case faces pending criminal charges and is reportedly not allowed on Aurora school grounds. That seems completely appropriate, though you can’t help but wonder what is in that young person’s immediate future.

Over the years we males have had a back seat driver. Well, my era has ended and it may not have concluded the way I wished. I have a front seat driver...and I am reluctantly fortunate.
Recently coming out of heavy traffic, I made a left-hand turn and the Betterhalf mentioned the car’s left-hand turn signal was not working. In our 10-year-old car that didn’t surprise me, but it was embarrassing when she pointed it out to her hubby that he was still not familiar with a car that he had been “captain” over for the past 60 years.
“Your left rear turn-signal on the car is not working,” she said. “The dash left signal is blinking more rapidly than the right,” she added.
As any smart husband, I bluffed and said, “I know, I’m taking it in to get it fixed tomorrow.  Unfortunately, she saw through my bluff and we road home quietly without pointing out my lack of observation.
***

There was a whole lot of learning going on when Aurora seventh graders lifted their chins and came to life as famous characters from our nation’s past.
Thursday’s 12th annual People of the Past event was a fantastic experience all around, from my vantage point behind the lens. Students were TOTALLY engaged in their character and the audience was TOTALLY enthralled with the performances of young “actors” who themselves seemed to be coming of age right before our eyes. It was a feel-good evening for everyone involved.

A new visitor arrived in our household a week ago and the guest has upset our routine to the extent our “normal” is not “normal” anymore. In fact the visitor’s demands have even challenged our dog “Missy’s” lifestyle.
This tale, or should I say “tail,” started innocently enough when our son requested if we could bring “Oscar” back to Nebraska to his original home. You see Oscar is a middle-aged overweight Pug. He had spent most of his life in Tennessee on the lap of his mistress, but because of the mistress’ health issues she wanted Oscar to be returned to his original home in Nebraska City. There was just one little catch; the Nebraska family won’t be able to accept the dog for a couple of weeks.

The sun is shining a little brighter this week, and not just because of Sunday’s switch to Daylight Savings Time.
This is Sunshine Week in America, part of a national initiative to promote a dialogue about the importance of open government and freedom of information. Though the political landscape is more polarized than ever at the national level, keeping the light on the people’s business ought to be something everyone can agree on, especially here at home.
Toward that end, I am pleased to report this week that the News-Register will be shedding sunshine on a conversation of extreme importance to our community involving the future of emergency medical services.
It’s been well documented that the county board voted to end its role as owner/manager of what all agree is a top-rate ambulance service, setting an end date of Oct. 1, 2018. The city has therefore launched a new study, with a committee focused on the merits of converting to a fire-based EMS system.