Community mojo

Good things are happening these days in Hampton.
That comes as no surprise for local residents who have lots of purple in their wardrobe and fully embrace Hawk Pride. That’s a very real thing, by the way, for anyone who is now or has ever called Hampton home.What may be less well known is a series of developments unfolding which individually are each newsworthy in their own right. 
The largest and most complex development has been in the news for a couple of years, though signs of progress are now finally visible. A new subdivision is unfolding on the west edge of town offering 15 residential lots and one commercial lot with direct access to Highway 34. The Hampton West Subdivision became a reality only because of the vision and combined efforts of  the village board, Hampton Community Development Corporation, Hawk Builders and a non-profit formed in 2017 known as Hampton Housing Solutions. It’s impossible to quantify what this development could mean, over time, in terms of providing more jobs, more housing and more local residents whose children will very likely join the extended Hawk family.
This past Friday, the Loading Chute officially opened its doors as the town’s new hometown restaurant. In typical Hampton style, the owners went to great lengths coming up with features that will make this eatery unique, which in this case means a menu featuring locally-raised beef. Diners know they will be getting fresh beef raised just a few miles north of town, with the only stop between the farm and the restaurant being a date with the butcher. That’s what the “farm to plate” concept looks and tastes like in real time, giving the Chute a niche that is bound to be a hit. Proof was in the pudding Friday, when locals filled the restaurant, demonstrating yet again that Hampton supports its own!
Just across the street, Danish Oak has upped its game in a big way as a locally-owned business that is quite literally building its own success story. Dane and Jennifer Schafer share the latest chapter of that story in a business story in this week’s edition, and will host an open house Friday debuting their latest expansion plans.
Day care is a challenge for communities large and small across America and Hampton is tackling that issue head on. After hearing community members say it was a top priority during a recent survey, school and community leaders put their heads together and came up with a well-thought-out plan to convert the former Hampton Lutheran School into Hampton Day Care. That facility is scheduled to open its doors in August, giving local families a home-grown option to have their littles taken care of in a positive preschool environment.
Another major construction project in this ag-based community is very visible now on Highway 34, as Central Valley Agriculture works to complete its new $15 million white corn cleaning facility. That structure is expected to be completed in time for this year’s harvest and will have the capacity to process 3,000 bushels of corn per day and up to six million bushels annually.
Combined, these developments are creating a sense of momentum in a Hamilton County village which boasts a population of 432. Many rural Nebraska towns with much larger populations would love to say they have as much mojo, but the reality is that those are likely few and far between.
Well done, Hampton!
Kurt Johnson