Saturday, March 11, 2023

Exeter Village Board Meets

 

The Exeter Village Board met on Tuesday, March 7 with a lengthy agenda.

After approving the minutes from the last meeting and the invoices, the board invited Rose Pinkman with HBE to present the audit review.

As she opened she reminded the board that the audit was late last year because the former audit company quit doing government audits without notifying the village.

In her presentation she noted that revenues were down slightly in the general fund due to restricted use grant funds received in the prior year while water and sewer funds were up due to an increase in rates.

“You were under your budget which was a good thing,” explained Pinkman, “and there was nothing unusual in the audit.”

Chairman Alan Michl noted that “some improvement could be made on some of our outside accounts (fire department, cemetery board, etc.).”

Pinkman added “You are very fortunate to have a clerk like Becky.”

Michl concurred, adding, “People don’t realize it but most of the village clerks are also the administrator for the village. There is more to it than just books, you are dealing with the public, and making daily operation decisions.”

Board approved the audit before Michael Schultes with JEO Consulting came before the board to discuss two issues, first, the estimated costs to replace the water main close to Casey’s that broke last year and was temporarily repaired and second to present the “Limited Preliminary Engineering Report Wastewater Lagoon System.”

The board approved the engineering bid cost on the water main and directed JEO to set the project out for bids.  The new main will have to be tunneled under Highway 6 and involve more permits and permissions because of the location.

They hope to get the utility locations done and approve a bid so that construction could have this fall yet. The engineering costs were estimated at $23,000 and the construction costs are expected to be around $70,000.

Schultes  also reviewed the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit the village just renewed. He noted that two important changes were made on the permit. First, there is a new E. coli limit of 126#/ml from May 1 to September 30 and second, the ammonia limits were decreased.

These two issues, along with the age of the current lift station were the main focus of the report that Schultes presented.  The permit allows the village a total of four years and six months to meet all of the ammonia limits with planning to be done in the first three years.

There were four options for the board to consider.  First, which was deemed vital to the project, was revamping the lift station.  Much of the equipment is original to the lift station from its construction in 1985 and is in need of repair or replacement.

The next three options the board reviewed addressed the issue of reducing the ammonia levels.  The three alternatives include land application through a center pivot on cropland, building an additional lagoon and installing a secondary ammonia treatment and disinfection equipment to further reduce ammonia levels.

The board discussed several scenarios and agreed that the lift station had to be done. 

Board member Justin Harre asked Schultes what he recommended they do.  Schultes responded “If you can get a landowner you can work with that would be the best route.  Otherwise you might have to expand your lagoon.”

Board member Bob Mueller concurred, “I think the lagoon expansion is the best, but how long is it before the feds come in and adjust your levels.”

Schultes reminded the board, “You have time, you don’t have to make a decision tonight.”

After thanking Schultes the board welcomed Kory Kahlandt to the table to discuss the village insurance policies.  Kahlandt explained that the annual premium has decreased significantly but the carrier (EMC) now has a $10,000 wind and hail deductible.

The board briefly discussed the lot the Robeson family has approached them indicating they would like to donate the land.  Due to some issues with the deed Mueller visited the courthouse to see if the the issues could be resolved.  Mueller was advised that the best solution to the deed issue was for the village to wait and purchase the land for a minimum amount on a tax sale.  The village will continue to mow the property.

The board approved applications for six lifeguards, a manager and several assistant managers.  They plan to discuss wages at the next meeting.

The board tentatively set the date of May 20 for the Spring clean up dumpster.  They also approved a $100 donation for Exeter-Milligan post prom and $750 for the scholarship all of which will come out of keno funds.

The board approved $1500 to the Fillmore County Development Corporation by a 3-2 vote (Mueller and Anderson, no).

The only business discussed during the Marshalls report was the current state of the Slama property the village recently purchased.  Although the former owner has vacated the property the eviction notice must be served before the village can enter the property and take possession.

Village Maintenance Supervisor John Mueller reported that he had cleared all of the trash on the deck at the Slama property. He also noted that as the weather warms up he plans to putting the new batting cage up at the ball field and pressure test the main drain at the pool in addition to his other duties.

Clerk Becky Erdkamp shared that the sales tax for December $30,055.86 which included a large percentage of motor vehicle sales tax. Keno funds for January were $256.88.

The next meeting was set for April 4.

 

Exeter-Milligan Speech Team Competes

 

The Exeter-Milligan speech team had a busy schedule recently. Competing in three meets in eight days. The first was on Saturday, February 17 in Sutton. Facing tough competition, the E-M team brought home three medals. Troy Kallhoff in informative and Logan Krupicka in humorous prose, each placing sixth. Kmila Benitez finished seventh in POI. 

 

Between the two Saturday meets, Exeter-Milligan traveled to Meridian for the CRC conference speech meet on Wednesday. The Timberwolves advanced two participants to the final round, with three others just missing by less than two points. Benitez placed fifth in POI, while Morgan White reached finals, but finished seventh in serious prose. In extemporaneous, Kallhoff finished out of the finals, as did Krupicka in humorous, tying in place, but each just short on points. The same can be said for the OID team of White, Kylie Oldehoeft, Selah Petersen, and Tucker Svec. 

 

At the McCool Junction meet on Saturday, February 24, Benitez and Kallhoff reached the finals in POI and extemporaneous speaking, respectively. Benitez finished second in her event, while Kallhoff brought home the third place medal. Again, White just missed out on a medal in serious and Krupicka in humorous. Svec performed well, also just short of the medal round in humorous impromptu. E-M will be preparing for the District competition, which will be held on March 6 at Nebraska Lutheran High School in Waco. 

 



 

Logan Krupicka performing his humorous prose in finals at Sutton. 

 


Morgan White in an early round of serious prose at the CRC meet. 

 


Kmila Benitez and Troy Kallhoff after earning their second and third place medals at the McCool Junction Speech Meet. 

Friday, March 10, 2023

Throwback Thursday 03/03/2013

 

3/3/2013

Each month Second Graders at Exeter-Milligan Public Schools have an opportunity to join a book club. The children read the selected book at home and come to book club prepared to share what they liked about the story. There are no worksheets or directed questions, just a time to have a discussion. This month students used iPads to share their comments about Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs. Using Kidblog, a blog site designed for children, students shared their favorite parts of the story and submitted their comments to be viewed by fellow classmates. The Exeter-Milligan second graders have extended an invitation to their pen pals from Friend Public Schools to participate in their next book club via Kidblog.

 

The 2012-2013 Odegeo...Leadership for Fillmore County class traveled to Lincoln on February 13, 2013 with the Leadership Hastings class to the State Capitol to learn more about the Unicameral and the issues in the Legislature.

 

The Leadership groups began their day with Chief Justice Heavican presenting information about the Nebraska court system.  Next Kate Heltzel from the Unicameral Information Office gave an over of the unicameral.  The group then had a tour of the Capitol building.

 

Services for Leo Soukup of Exeter were Saturday, March 9, 2013 at the Farmer Funeral Home in Exeter, Nebraska. Burial was in the Exeter Cemetery.

The Annual Meeting of the Fillmore County Development Corporation was held Wednesday February 27th, 2013 at the Geneva Public Library in Geneva, Nebraska.  

 

Gary Dick, Vice-President of the Fillmore County Development Corporation, presided over the business meeting.  The minutes of the 2012 annual meeting were approved. The FCDC Board of Directors presented the 2013 proposed budget that they had approved at their December meeting to the FCDC membership.  The membership accepted the 2013 budget. 

 

Shari Michl-Exeter, Amanda Haumont-Geneva, and Ann Jansky-Milligan were elected to serve on the FCDC Board of Directors for a three-year term. 

Wednesday, March 8, 2023

Exeter woman goes on medical mission

“Pray, give or go,” explained Vicki Klemm of Exeter.  “We can pray about missions, give, or go or do a combination of them.”

She strongly believes this and recently returned from a medical mission in Honduras. She joined Ron and Maryann Schernikau of Beaver Crossing and the work they started called “Mission of Love.”

Klemm has known the Schernikau’s for over 20 years and during that time has watched as the mission group has served the mountain people of rural Honduras and Guatemala with medical clinics. 

This year as part of the team Klemm explained that several of the men in their group traveled to Honduras prior to the departure of the rest of the group so that they could put the finishing touches on new church buildings built by the natives in rural areas.

Klemm and the group of four others spent a week in Honduras.  After arriving in country they  met with a missionary in Honduras who runs a Bible college and used that as their base.  The first day they sorted and bagged the medications they had shipped from the United States.

They did four clinics in different areas of the mountains using the new church buildings.  Klemm explained that she “took blood pressures and they fill prescriptions – It’s a band aid (for the rural people).  We are showing the love of Christ in doing that, we are filling a need.”

She estimated they saw about 500 during the four days of clinics in the rural areas. When she wasn’t taking blood pressures and helping in the clinic she was out playing with the kids.

Klemm was very touched by the giving spirit of the missionaries in residence.  She explained that many of them live in homes with dirt floors and meager supplies but they “took care of our lunches and fed us well and they don’t have much.”

The group was there during the time coffee was being picked which Klemm found interesting.  She also commented on the terrible roads, there weren’t a lot of cars where they were.  The majority of transportation was done by motorbikes and horses – she even saw a team of oxen in use.

For many of the pastors in Honduras education has become a priority, especially for young girls.  Most young people quit school before sixth grade to help their families pick coffee beans.  Seeing an immediate need, their missionary team pooled together to raise enough funds to pay for four young women to have the supplies to keep going to school through to the eighth grade.

“It was so meaningful, not just a mission trip. We were filling a need, it means so much to bless people like that.  That is just what it is all about,” explained Klemm.

She saw God’s hand work before they went on the mission trip and during it.  She and Maryann Schernikau received a phone call from the airlines the week before they were to leave that there was a problem with their ticket and it would cost $300 to rebook their flight.  That Sunday at church someone came up to her and mentioned he wanted to give to her mission trip and offered her $300.

In the past she has taken two mission trips to Ecuador with youth groups and one to Ireland but plans to return with the Mission of Love group next year with a few more language lessons under her belt.

“I could still communicate, just in love – it always works.  I didn’t know how to say rain all I could remember to say was Jesus agua and the older lady I was with understood and she laughed,” Klemm explained.

 




 

Monday, March 6, 2023

Exeter-Milligan Update: Science Olympiad

 

Science Olympiad

By Lorie Sliefert, Exeter-Milligan Science Instructor

 

On February 20th, the Blue River Cohort Science Olympiad will be held at Exeter-Milligan School.  Five area schools will bring 7th and 8th-grade students to compete in different science activities.  The day will begin with all students taking a test of general science knowledge.  Then the students will compete in various activities.  The catapult competition will involve students having 30 minutes to build a catapult from a given amount of supplies and launch a marshmallow as far as possible.   The egg drop competition will involve using given supplies to protect an egg from breaking and getting the egg as close to a target as possible when dropped from a certain height.  The write it- do it competition involves one student writing a description of how to build a given object in one room and then having someone else build the object from their written instructions.  The last competition is the bridge build.  Students needed to build a bridge made of balsa wood and bring it to the competition.  They will measure how much load it can carry without breaking.  The most efficient bridge will win.  The end of the day will involve a quiz bowl competition between the 5 schools.    

 


Pictured are Clayton Pribyl and Titus Petersen working on their bridge for the bridge build competition.