Saturday, February 9, 2019

Exeter-Milligan Boys Win Over Cross County

 It didn't take triple overtime this time for the Timberwolves to defeat cross county.  Final from Exeter 58-52.




 Mitchell Manning seals the deal for the T-wolf win with this steal and fast break and had a little help from Spencer Pribyl on the put back for two.

Revenge is served best at home for the Lady Timberwolves

The Timberwolves were knocked out of the CRC tournament by Cross County just a few weeks ago but it seems that just served to motivate them Friday night at home in Exeter.  The Timberwolves never trailed against the Cougars and came out on top with a 36-29 win.








Exeter Village Board Hires Summer Help









The Exeter Village Board met on Monday, February 4 with a full audience including members of Girl Scout Troop 20703.

The board approved the minutes and invoices with Chairman Alan Michl bring to attention, “Our electric bill is $400- $500 cheaper with the new streetlights.”

The board passed Resolution 19-03 approving the one and six year road plan.

A representative from Caterpillar was present to answer any questions about the lease to own plan for the mini excavator.

Michl informed the board that Caterpillar will no longer allow a one year lease on the equipment and instead has a four to seven year term with an added warranty policy.

Several board members commented on the essential nature of the equipment even though last year the unit was only used for 31 hours.  Michl added, “Basically we want to purchase it, we just need to decide on the terms.”

The board chose to do a five year lease at $7509 per year.

Terri Volkmer approached the board asking to add a driveway off of Maplewood to extend her current driveway into a u shaped.  She has a culvert to put in.  Board quickly approved the additional driveway request.

The board received a request from the post prom committee and donated $100 out of Keno funds.
Exeter Librarian Lynette Trauger gave her annual report.  She discussed updates planned to Storybook park including a chain link fence. “I plan on having summer activities out there but I only have two eyes so we want to keep them contained in the park.”

Trauger reported she is working toward attaining her library certification and plans to have it completed in the next year.

The board approved the summer help applications of Tara Mueller in the maintenance department, Katie Mounce as the pool manager and returning lifeguards Josie Kresak, Anna Sluka, Jaiden Papik and Kayla Geiger.  New lifeguards hired were Kate Jansky, Cammie Harrison and Victoria Androyna.

Next on the agenda was a discussion regarding an ongoing zoning violation in the village.  Board member Justin Harre and Clerk Becky Erdkamp reported on their interaction with the building owner.  Currently the owner is looking for someone who wants the structure or they will tear down the structure and salvage the materials.

Board member Kathy Erdkamp commented “If we give them to May 1 surely there would be enough dry days they could move it?”

The board decided to have Village Attorney Charles Campbell notify the owner that they have 90 days to move the barn.

Michl noted that there was a request from the League of Municipalities for photos of nuisance properties within the village as there is a bill in the Nebraska Legislature that would allow communities within the state to form landbanks to help them get rid of dilapidated properties.  

Community members could donate to the landbank and then the community could use the funds to purchase dilapidated properties, clean up the properties and then sell the empty lot and the funds would return to the landbank to be reinvested in similar projects.

Michl reported that Maintenance Supervisor John Mueller had photographed the properties in the village.  Clerk Erdkamp added that Village Attorney Charlie Campbell advised that the village needs to have some sort of building inspector appointed.  This would be the starting point in the process.

“My goal would be to deal with the houses where no one is living,” added Michl, “There are some abandoned houses that need to be taken care of.”

Although Officer Shawn Gray was not able to be at the meeting Clerk Erdkamp gave an update on the department including the fact that the assault rifle the village currently owns can only be legally sold to another law enforcement agency.  

The garbage issue on Maplewood has not yet been dealt with but Michl and Mueller plan to remove the trash when the weather is better.  Michl also noted that he met the new officer hired in Friend who will be assisting in Exeter.  

The board held a lengthy discussion on the current situation with law enforcement in the community.

Mueller presented the annual water usage report.  He noted that prior to installing meters the total water used every month was 50 – 76 million gallons.  With the water meters installed, usage in the last year was down by over half at 25.5 million gallons.

Mueller noted that he had ordered the new shades for the pool and also identified 31 street signs that need to be redone.  He reported that he had used temporary steel tubes on the new road but now he will need to put in real culverts.

Clerk Erdkamp reported that the sales tax for November was $15,209.75 and Keno for December was $652.44.  The village received a $500 donation from JEO to purchase new banners to decorate the 14 new lightpoles.  Board members looked at several options. 

Before adjourning the board set the next meeting for Tuesday, March 5.



Friday, February 8, 2019

Obituary Dwayne Joseph Luzum, Sr.

Dwayne Joseph Luzum Sr. was born on February 27,1941 in Lincoln, Nebraska to James and Anna (Suda) Luzum of Milligan, Nebraska. Dwayne passed away in Mesa, Arizona on January 31, 2019 after a very short illness. Dwayne was one of six children in his family.

Dwayne grew up on the family farm west of Milligan, Nebraska. He attended school at District #2 and graduated from Milligan High School with the class of 1958. He served in the US Army from early 1964 to late 1965.

Dwayne was married to Nora Frankforter on March 27,1964. To this union four children were born; Dwayne Jr., Deanna, Dale, and Amanda. On January 19, 1983, Dwayne married Cheryl Styskal Trenary and added two more daughters, Laurie and Rebecca, to the family.

Dwayne spent his life along Turkey Creek where he loved farming the land with brother Jimmy, nephew Jay, and son Dale. Even when it was suggested that he retire from farming completely, he just couldn’t stay away from the planting, irrigating and harvesting, eventually becoming the “Supreme Commander” of the Turkey Creek Mafia harvest crew. He has passed his love of Turkey Creek onto his children and grandchildren. He also passed on his love of sharing by generously providing sweet corn to much of Fillmore County and locations beyond.

Dwayne was involved in all things Milligan. He was a member of the Rural Fire Department and faithfully brought lunch to the regular meetings. He served on the Farmer’s Co-op and Milligan Public School boards. He often served on the military honor guard and was active in the American Legion. Dwayne could be seen at the Milligan Stag parties, washing dishes and helping out. He attended countless weddings, funerals, dances, benefits, card games and just generally loved visiting with people. He could strike up a conversation with a stranger and soon they would be best friends.

Dwayne’s sense of community was reflected in his love of the Milligan and the later combined Exeter-Milligan Public School Districts, which he religiously followed until his passing. He and Cheryl were even recently awarded Timberwolves fans of the year. He was faithfully involved in his children’s and grandchildren’s activities and lives. He was proud of their many successes, achievements, and championships. Dwayne was a doting grandfather and his grandchildren were always on his mind. He would express his love by showing up with treasures for them from auctions and sales. His generosity even extended to opening their home to numerous foreign exchange students.

Dwayne was known throughout the entire county as a man who loved a good auction. He could be seen bidding on good buys and celebrating with some homemade pie or kolaches at the food stand. He loved listening to polka music and playing cards with his good friends at Ron's Tavern. He was a cheerful optimistic man, who loved and celebrated life; that was always evident by his big contagious laugh.

Dwayne loved spending time in Arizona with his wife, Cheryl and the family pet, a dachshund named North. He enjoyed visiting flea markets, garage sales, and just getting away from the cold Nebraska winters.

Dwayne was preceded in death by his parents James B. and Anna (Suda) Luzum; daughter, Deanna Lyn; brother James (Arlene) Luzum Jr.; sisters Vivian (Bill) DeCamp, Anita Briske, and Jeantte Svec; nephew Jay Luzum; infant niece Kim Luzum; brother-in-law Kenny Kresak; and father and mother-in-law Fritz and Jean Styskal.

Dwayne is survived by his wife, Cheryl Styskal Luzum; sons Dwayne (Shally) Luzum Jr. of Elkhorn and Dale (Tamra) Luzum of Milligan; daughters Amanda (Shawn) Barney of Strang, Laurie (Scott) Glock of Lincoln, Rebecca Nichols of Tempe, Arizona; sister Diane Kresak; brothers-in-law Ron Svec, Ron (Jan) Styskal, and Daryl (Ann) Styskal; grandchildren Alison (Michael) Ulfers, Kate Luzum, Jeff Luzum, Jackie Luzum, Derek Luzum, Hailey Luzum, Trevor Luzum, Elizabeth Ohlde, Kennedy Barney, Aliviah Barney, AJ Barney, Madison Glock, and Miranda Glock; and by many nieces and nephews.

A Funeral Service for Dwayne was held on Friday, February 8, 2019 at 10:30 a.m. at the Milligan Auditorium. Pastor Jeff Jensen officiated the service. The recorded selections “You’re My Best Friend” and “When I Get Where I’m Going” were played during the service. Special music of “Amazing Grace” was also played on the Cello by Dwayne’s grandson, Jeff Luzum.

Pallbearers for the service included Derek Luzum, Trevor Luzum, Jeff Luzum, Brad Kresak, Steve Briske, Jeff Thomsen, and Jeff Mazza. Honorary pallbearers included AJ Barney, Leonard Sluka, Rich Kassik, Scott DeCamp, Tim DeCamp, Jim Svec, Bob Svec, and Ron Svec, Jr.

Interment was held in the Bohemian National Cemetery following the Funeral Service. The Milligan American Legion HSSK Post 240 performed military Rites.

Farmer & Son Funeral Home was in care of the arrangements and online condolences can be left at www.farmerandsonfuneralhome.com.

Memorials are suggested to the Milligan Fire Department.

Exeter-Milligan Update: View From the Front Office


VIEW FROM THE FRONT OFFICE
Maybe it’s just me, but I have the tendency to get a little behind in reading the newspapers.  We currently subscribe to the York News-Times, the Sentinel, the NE Signal and the Springview Herald, so the pile tends to get rather large. There are times that when I finally get them read, the news is well over two weeks old. It doesn’t take very long for the recycling bin to get filled after one of these reading sessions.  One article that caught my eye was Jessica Votipka’s (Exeter class of 1999) opinion piece “All it Takes” in the January 4th edition of the York News-Times. 
In her commentary, Jessica explains about a situation she had with the editor of college’s newspaper. Having had positive experiences writing for the Exeter yearbook, and a state journalism gold medalist, she thought it would be a great idea to be on staff for the college newspaper.  This enthusiasm was “squashed” by the editor, not because of her writing ability, but because “Only upperclassman can be on the newspaper staff.”  Thus, her college writing career was over before it even started.  To quote Jessica, “That was all it took. I sometimes wonder what would have happened if that young man had welcomed me…with open arms, or pushed me harder.”  In other words, what could have happened if he had created a more positive atmosphere or responded in a more positive way.
          As one looks back over time, history has demonstrated that the optimists, the
believers, and the positive leaders are the ones who have changed the world.  Research has also shown that optimistic people work harder and in turn get paid more. Sports has demonstrated those teams who work together and support each other (are positive) perform at a higher level and win more championships.  Being positive doesn’t just make ourselves better, it makes EVERYONE better.  So, the million dollar question here is why don’t people in all walks of life respond to situations in a more positive manner? History and research proves that having a positive outlook and positive reaction creates better results.
The education field is no different.  Students who learn in a positive environment, knowing that their teachers and administrators truly care about them, perform better in and out of the classroom.  The most effective teachers are not the ones who know the most, but are those who care the most.  Thank back to when you were in school - who was your favorite teacher?  Was it the one who knew the most or the one who took an interest in you as a person?  For me, that is an easy question to answer - it was the teacher who asked me how my day was going, the one who displayed a genuine interest in me as a person, the one who showed they cared.  Throughout my career as a teacher, administrator and coach, I have strived to provide that positive learning environment. Taking the time to get to know the students and teachers has helped create lasting relationships.  These relationships set the foundation for all other items to build on.  Without this solid foundation, leaning cannot begin.
As you go through the next few months, as the winter doldrums start to settle in, make that extra effort to be positive.  Take that extra time to extend a helping hand - make a conscious effort to work on building those relationships. As Jessica stated, all it takes is a little positivity to make a world of difference. Some of us have discovered, it may be too late before we make the effort.  Jimmy Casas, in his book Culturize, puts it this way,
“We are blessed every day with the opportunity to help change the course of someone’s life with our words, our actions, and our believes in their abilities.  By changing our perspectives, we can change lives.”

Thursday, February 7, 2019

Exeter-Milligan Fifth and Sixth Graders Sing National Anthem


Exeter-Milligan Fifth and Sixth grade classes sang the National Anthem before the Friday night home basketball game in Exeter.  Pictured from the left are: Kiley Oldehoeft, Alexis Saatmann, Alivia Luzum, Selah Petersen, Tucker Svec, Jase Luzum (hidden behind Mrs. Murphy), Carter Milton, Kierra Papik and Lily Jeffries.


Wednesday, February 6, 2019

Exeter-Milligan Coach White Nominated for National Award


Darcy White, Exeter-Milligan Head Volleyball Coach, is a finalist for the national coach of the year.  She is shown here when she was recognized for coaching 500 wins in her career during the 2017 season.



Exeter-Milligan Volleyball Coach and Physical Education teacher Darcy White recently received notification that she has been nominated as a finalist for the National High School Athletic Coaches Association national coach of the year.
“It’s a big honor just to be recognized by the coaches association,” White explained, ”but when I got the email (about the national honor) I was thrilled.”
The national coach of the year will be recognized at the national conference in June in Bismarck, ND.  White plans to attend the event.   There are just eight national finalists in the volleyball category.
White is one of fourteen coaches and one athletic director from Nebraska who were nominated for the national award.
White’s nomination comes from the Nebraska Coaching Association, but the final coach is chosen by an expert in that field of coaching.  Taken into account for the award are the longevity of coaching, service to high school athletics, honors, championship years, and winning percentage.
Last year during a home match, White was recognized for her 500th career win record in her 25 years of coaching volleyball.  She began her coaching career in McCool Junction in 1991 and then went on to coach at Exeter and at Milligan before the schools combined.  She has been the Exeter-Milligan head volleyball coach for the last 17 years.
White has guided Exeter-Milligan teams to five state championships, one runner-up finish and numerous district and conference championships.
In 2012 White was recognized as the Nebraska Coaches Association as the volleyball coach of the year for the 2011-2012 season.
White doesn’t forget how these accolades happen, “you can’t win state without amazing athletes.  The credit goes to the kids and my support staff.  Mrs. Kroll gets the credit as much as I do.”
White played volleyball at the University of Wyoming and was inducted into the University of Wyoming Athletic Hall of Fame as an athlete in 1999 and for her 1989 Elite Eight finish team in 2005. She was inducted into the Nebraska High School Sports Hall of Fame in 2003.
White lauded the Nebraska Coaching Association, “Our coaching association in Nebraska has one of the largest memberships nationwide.  They are so supportive of us.”