Friday, May 31, 2019

Exeter Memorial Day Program

Members of the Exeter American Legion Post 218 and the Sons of the Legion Post 218 approach the center of the Exeter Cemetery flanking the flag for the Memorial Day program.


 Sons of the Legion member John Tauriella posts the American flag during the Memorial Day program.


The Exeter Cemetery was stunning with flags flying proudly on their posts and graves decorated for the day of remembrance. The Sons of the Legion and volunteers from the community put up the avenue of flags and decorated the graves of veterans with small flags on Friday.
In this spectacular setting it was effortless to focus on the importance of the Memorial Day holiday.  After the presentation of the flag, master of ceremonies, Ralph “Butch” Jansen indicated that the Exeter-Milligan band would play “The Star Spangled Banner.”
Monsignor Daniel Seiker gave the invocation before Exeter-Milligan graduate Joel Klemm read the Gettysburg Address.
Jansen reminded the audience of the location of photos of the men from Exeter who gave their lives in service to their country.  He read the names of each of these fallen heroes. 
The Exeter-Milligan band also performed America and later in the service played “A Salute to Freedom.”  Mitchell Manning read “In Flander’s Field” before the speaker, Vietnam Veteran Tim Wilbeck was introduced.
Wilbeck noted that a thunderstorm the night before had snapped three flagpoles and bent several others but, “Our flag, though tattered, still flies high.”
He also reminded those gathered that, “Sacrifice is meaningless without remembrance.”
Wilbeck spoke about North Ogden, Utah Mayor Brent Taylor who wrote on facebook just prior to the election in 2016, “We must all remember that we have more as Americans that unites us than divides us.”
He went on to tell about Taylor, a member of the National Guard and father of seven, who chose to serve in the military and was killed during an insider attack in Afghanistan where he was serving.
Wilbeck emphasized that “politics are irrelevant to a family that hears ,’we regret to inform you.’  They all died so we can have the things we cherish, freedom.”
He reminded the audience to “honor their sacrifice by caring for their family members.”
After he spoke he joined the Legion members in a 21 gun salute to the dead.  Jansen dismissed the audience after inviting them to share fellowship and coffee at the Legion.




The Exeter Memorial Day program was well attended.
Above -The Exeter-Milligan band performed several pieces during the Memorial Day program.
Below – Exeter American Legion members give the 21 gun salute at the Memorial Day program.




Caitlin Murphy plays “Taps” while Mitchell Manning plans “Taps echo.”

Thursday, May 30, 2019

Exeter-Milligan Update: All-Conference Academic Team


The Crossroads Conference has announced its All-Conference Academic Team.  Seventy-one seniors, representing 14 schools, were recognized as Gold, Silver, or Bronze award winners based on their highest achieved ACT score as of March 1st.

Members recognized as Gold achieved a score of 30 or higher, Silver is 27 to 29, and Bronze is 24 to 26.  Those recognized received an Academic Medal from the Conference.

Exeter-Milligan Timberwolves earning this honor include:
Joel Klemm – Gold
Spencer Pribyl – Gold
Mitchell Manning – Silver
Trever Zelenka – Silver
Josie Kresak – Bronze

Mitchell Manning Graduation Speech




“Two roads diverged in a yellow wood, and sorry I could not travel both and be
one traveler, long I stood and looked down one as far as I could to where it bent in the
undergrowth. Then took the other, as just as fair, And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear." This piece from a poem by Robert Frost is
challenging the reader to not take the easy way because the route that everyone takes
may not be the best decision. The poem ends with, “I shall be telling this with a sigh
somewhere ages and ages hence: Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—I took the
one less traveled by, And that has made all the difference.” So to all of you graduates,
when you are faced with a tough decision, look for an alternative route, one that can
result in a greater outcome even if it requires more work. Often times I hear the biggest
regrets people have when they reflect on their past aren’t things they have done, but
the things they never did. When you’re older and look back, will you be happy with the
path you took, the choices you made? This is your chance to start off your life great,
right now. You can have anything your heart desires if you start applying yourself from
this point on. Don’t wait for something to be given to you, because that likely won’t
happen, you have to go out and pursue it.


I find it hard to believe that my class and I are sitting here today in the position
of the people who have sat in these seats countless times before us. It’s hard to
imagine that we are now those people—the ones who will be missed by their
underclassmen, the ones who will be sent off by their parents, the ones who will finally
be going to college. I remember when my brother had just graduated from high school
eight years ago; he told me, “Enjoy it while it lasts because it goes by fast.” And at that
time, I was probably thinking yeah, sure. But that’s really what everyone says, and
everyone says it because it’s the reality. Time does go by fast—in the blink of an eye. I
often times think about this and try to think of ways I can make the moment last, how I
can make it memorable. They say to take a look around, take it in. I’ve done that—on
the football field of my last game, in the classroom with my classmates, and even
walking down the hallway for the last time as a student here. I’ve thought about those
moments I knew would be my lasts, but it doesn’t necessarily change anything. The
most important thing you can do is just enjoy it, don’t dwell on it. I believe a
fundamental factor in life is to not fill your days with so much work that you don’t make
time for the little things. Spend time doing activities you enjoy, hang out with friends,
and go on some trips. That's my advice to my fellow classmates as you begin your
next journey in life.

I speak for myself and my classmates when I say thank you to the many
teachers and coaches who have helped us become respectable graduates who are
ready to step into the next process of life. Remembering from football practice,
something that will stick with me is the sweet sound of “ready ready” after either me or
one of my teammates made a careless mistake. That is not a phrase you wanted to
hear on a cold, rainy day, simply because that phrase means up-downs and probably a
lot of them. I’m not really sure if I’ll miss that part too much. However, the biggest
thank you goes to the parents for your relentless support and love for all of us. Without
you, we surely wouldn’t have been able to afford that double-scooped cone of ice cream
when we were four years old.

Speaking of some memories, well we’ve had a lot of them, and a lot of them
weren’t always intelligent. Like the time when Peyton made a video presentation for our
science class on axils, and it was literally just a video of him driving around for ten
minutes explaining how the steering wheel works. Another presentation that didn’t go
so well was when Theron had a slide show of a certain element and one of the slides
was in a completely foreign language. Our class’s trip to get the school’s Christmas
tree was also quite the experience. It consisted of Johnny and Katherine trying to
tackle each other in the snow, while the rest of us were finding a tree that would make
it through the doors. Once we got it in, we did a little cleaning around the tree, and as
smart as we are, we used the janitor’s vacuum to clean up the pine needles. Yeah…
that got clogged pretty quickly, and I’m not even sure if it worked after that. And of
course, the senior trip to Colorado to go skiing had its ups and downs. From the start,
riding in the van with Blake was interesting because he had to point out basically every
rock he saw, and he wasn’t convinced there was actually going to be any snow on the
mountain when we got there. Peyton and Colton were both mercilessly dragged
underneath the ski lift, and almost everyone immediately fell after about the first thirty
feet onto the snow trail. But besides that, it was a lot of fun.

There is one last thing I want to leave you with, and that is if you get the chance
to make a memory or learn something, then please take it, because you might not get
that opportunity again. Thank you, everyone, but most of all, congratulations to the
Class of 2019!

Wednesday, May 29, 2019

Exeter Aquatic Center Rules and Information


EXETER AQUATIC CENTER
110 EAST MAPLEWOOD
EXETER NE, 68351
(402) 266-3001
Hours of Operation:
Sunday – Friday
1:30 pm to 5:30 pm
6:30 pm to 8:30 pm
Saturday
1:30 pm to 5:30 pm
Closed Saturday Evening
The pool is now available for private parties - contact Pool Manager at the pool to make a reservation. The cost is $60.00 per hour (no additional entrance fees). Check with the manager for the number allowable at this fee.
Admission Fees:
Ages 5 & Under – Free with Paying Adult
Ages 6 – Adult - $4.00 per day
2016 Season Pass:
Single - $55.00
Family - $120.00 (immediate family only)
Passes are not transferable or refundable.
*Note: There will be at least one 10-minute rest break taken every hour.
GENERAL
Children must be 8 years old to gain admission to the aquatic center without an accompanying chaperon (13 & older).
Patrons must take a shower using soap before entering the pool.
No person having an obvious communicable disease, skin eruption, open sore, lesion, eye, ear, nose, or throat infection shall be permitted to use the pool.
Tobacco products, alcoholic beverages, and glass are prohibited in the pool area. All food and drink must be consumed outside the aquatic center or inside the designated area directly north of the bathhouse.
Coolers, food, and beverages may not be brought into the facility.
Profanity and abusive or vulgar language is prohibited.
Fighting, rough play, pushing/shoving, and running are prohibited.
No spitting or spouting of water or blowing nose in water.
Proper swim wear is required. Street clothes are not permitted in the water.
Infants or toddlers wearing diapers will not be allowed entrance into the facility without plastic diaper covers or swim diapers.
No hanging on safety ropes or buoys.
No sitting, playing on, or diving off ladders.
No pets or animals allowed (other than service animals).
No diving in less than 5 feet of water.
Flotation devices (inner tubes, air mattresses, etc.) are prohibited.
U.S. Coast Guard or Red Cross approved life jackets are permitted.
Soft toys and play items are permitted if they are used appropriately.
Any conduct, behavior, or activity that endangers the welfare, safety, and/or comfort of other patrons is prohibited.
Management reserves the right to close the aquatic center due to inclement weather or lack of attendance.
The Village of Exeter is not responsible for the loss or theft of personal items.
ZERO DEPTH AREA
Children 4 & under must be within arm’s reach of the supervising chaperon. If the child is in the water the chaperone must also be in the water.
DIVING BOARDS
Only one person on the ladder or board at a time. Swimmers must wait on the deck at the ladder entrance.
Only one bounce permitted on the board. Running jumps and starts are not permitted.
Divers must wait for the person ahead of them to reach the pool ladder prior to diving off the board.
Dive straight off the end of the board. No jumps or dives are allowed off to side of the board.
No swimming under or between the boards.
Individuals are not allowed in the diving well to “catch” other divers.
SLIDE
All riders must be at least 48” tall or have prior approval from management in order to ride the waterslide.
Maximum operational load 1 person – 300 pounds.
No combs or foreign objects are allowed in pockets and no jewelry can be worn while riding the slide.
Riders must enter the slide in a sitting position.
All riders must ride feet first while lying on their back. Absolutely no riding on stomach or headfirst is permitted.
Riders should lie on their back with arms crossed across their chest or hands clasped behind their head with their legs crossed at the ankles.
Only one rider at a time. Absolutely no trains or chains of riders are permitted.
No life jackets are permitted on the waterslide.
The line should form on the deck with one rider on each landing and one rider in the starter tube.
Riders must be in good health. Pregnant women or individuals with heart or back conditions or other serious health issues should not use the slide.
Do not use this slide while under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
Follow instructions of the lifeguard.
No running, standing, kneeling, rotating, tumbling or stopping in flume. Arms and hands must remain inside the flume.
No diving from the flume.
Leave the flume pool promptly after exiting the waterslide.
Water level is 4’ or greater and rider must be able to swim.
LOCKERS
A limited number of lockers are available on a first come, first served basis on the east bathhouse wall. Patrons should bring their own locks, as the Village does not provide them. Lockers are day use only and locks must be removed when you leave the facility. Locker use is encouraged to prevent theft.
The Village of Exeter maintains these rules and policies that govern patron conduct at this facility. In general, any conduct, behavior, or activity that endangers the welfare, safety, and/or comfort of other patrons will not be tolerated. Disciplinary action may range from a one-day to one-year suspension.
Note: Expelled and/or suspended pool patrons will not receive a refund for daily admission or season pool passes.

Tuesday, May 28, 2019

Exeter Aquatic Center Closed Tuesday

Pool will be closed today due to low temperatures.

Graduation Speech by Joel Klemm




Today is the day that we have been working towards since our first day of school. Now,
as I look back, it honestly doesn’t feel like it has been 13 years since that first day. I guess our
parents were right when they would tell us that this day would be here in the blink of an eye.

We have made many memories in our time here at Exeter-Milligan, but now it is time to look
forward to making new memories as we begin a new chapter in life. We can look at today as
the end of a chapter, but I would prefer to look at today as the first day of the rest of our lives.

Throughout our many years together at school we have shared many memories and
gotten to see each other succeed in different areas of life. I think it has been amazing to see
our class succeed in extracurricular activities and academics. Over the past four years, we
have seen our athletic teams work really hard to be a top contender in all of our athletics. Just
a couple recent athletic achievements have been last years volleyball championship and this
year’s football team making it to the semifinals. On the topic of athletics, I would like to
congratulate Macy, Kate, Josie, Blake, and Katherine on having the opportunity to pursue
sports on the college level. Yes, Blake, congratulations, even though we would always give you
crap that trap shooting isn’t a sport. I would also like to point out how our class has also been
very academically successful. Over half of our class has 4.0 GPAs and nearly everyone was
able to make the A Honor Roll this year.

Even though it might seem like we are saying goodbye, we are also saying hello to our
futures. We are now entering a new chapter in our lives and I am quite confident that every
single one of us has an idea of what we can succeed in. I know that every single one of us will
make a difference in whatever career we find ourselves in because I have seen the hard
working abilities of every single one of us. Whatever career you plan to go into, I would like to
wish all of my classmates the best of luck with their future endeavors. I would like to thank all
of the parents, family, and school staff that have helped all of us become the incredible young
adults that we have become. I would also like to thank the community for supporting all of us in
everything we do and encouraging us to succeed.

We have all had the amazing opportunity to attend a small school where we were able
to really get to know each other; not everyone gets that amazing opportunity. I don’t think
anything could be better than being able to graduate with the same people you became friends
with in kindergarten and personally know every one of them. I would honestly consider us to be
more like family than just classmates. Now, as we embark on our own journeys and enter our
careers, I hope that we never stop pursuing our dreams and do whatever we can to be
valuable members of our society. So, I just pray that wherever you find yourself you represent
our nation as proud Americans, our state as proud Nebraskans, and our community as proud
graduates of Exeter-Milligan High School. But most importantly, I hope that wherever you find
yourself, that you’re happy. I would like to leave everyone here today with a quote by Albert
Schweitzer, “Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success. If you love
what you are doing, you will be successful.” Congratulations class of 2019.

Sunday, May 26, 2019

Exeter- Milligan FCCLA members attend FCCLA State Leadership Conference, Caitlin Murphy elected State Officer.


L-R: Kayla Geiger, Daisy Kanode, Caitlin Murphy, Anna Sluka and Jaiden Papik



by Mary Lou Vossler, E-M FACS Instructor and FCCLA Advisor

Exeter-Milligan FCCLA Officers attended Nebraska FCCLA State Leadership Conference in Lincoln on April 7-9th.  Approximately 1,200 FCCLA members from across the state of Nebraska were in attendance.  The conference opened with State Officer Candidates introducing themselves.  Caitlin Murphy was one of the State Officer Candidates.  The evening keynote speaker was Logan Weber. 

Logan Weber shared that even organizations have "Goliaths", barriers, challenges and obstacles blocking the path to their goals.  Rather than running from them in fear, or behaving as they don't exist, the most successful among us have used one secret to rise above every challenge and it is available to all of us, to shift our vision from the obstacles to the rewards awaiting us in the future.
  
EMHS FCCLA officers were able to tour Hudl and Memorial Stadium.  District Officer meetings were held, along with networking with FCCLA members from across the state of Nebraska.  EMHS Officers attending were:  President: Caitlin Murphy, Vice President:  Daisy Kanode, Sec/Treasurer: Anna Sluka, PR/Historian:  Kayla Geiger and District Officer:  Jaiden Papik.
Caitlin Murphy competed in STAR (Students Taking Action with Recognition) with a Leadership Project entitled " Learning to Lead", which focus' on using the planning process to create an portfolio to complete a leadership profile and employability skills checklist, competencies inventory analysis and summaries, 3 observers leadership competencies inventory and summaries, writing an admirable leadership summary and developing a leadership plan.  The portfolio also included an outside perspective reflection and leadership reflection.  Caitlin was awarded a gold medal and was NE State Runner Up. She will represent NE FCCLA and EMHS FCCLA at National Leadership Conference in Anaheim, CA. on June 28 - July 4. 
Caitlin also was a State Officer Candidate.  Through this process she had a detailed application, interview with State Department representative and FCCLA Board of Directors members, competed a FCCLA knowledge exam, prepared an introduction for the opening ceremony and was observed in leadership and team building activities with other candidates. The last component was a 3 minute speech on a given topic in front of the voting delegates and advisers.  Caitlin was elected NE FCCLA Vice-President of Competitive Events and will represent NE FCCLA at National Leadership Conference in Anaheim, CA.  along with 7 other elected officers.  Congratulations Caitlin.