Exeter-Milligan Update: Physics

Lorie Sliefert's Exeter-Milligan Physics class is studying projectile motion.  They recently had a lab were they had to calculate where they thought a marble would land on the floor as it was projected off the edge of the table.   Once they calculated the distance it would travel, they placed an empty can on that spot on the floor to see if they could get the marble in the can on the first try.   Of course their calculations were correct and it did land in the can. Pictured are Claire White and Michael Schoop calculating their marble destination.

Exeter-Milligan implements high-five program

  Kohl Svec was the high five winner during Homecoming week and is pictured with his prize.

Brightly colored hands plaster the lockers of Exeter-Milligan students at both of the elementary campuses.

 

These neon paper hands represent the "high five" program that Exeter-Milligan Elementary Principal Laura Kroll and her staff have implemented this year.

 

When a teacher or staff member spots a student performing a good deed, behaving well or being kind, that student is given a high five note praising their behavior.  The program also includes "high five's" for students who have achieved a scholastic goal.

 

Once a week all the names of the students who received a high five during the week are entered into a drawing at each school and the student whose name is drawn gets a small soda and a candy bar. 

 

Kroll noticed so much of school discipline is negative and thought that, "Pointing out the positives is very important at all levels, but especially at the elementary level."

 

Instead of focusing on a system of discipline that punishes students for misbehavior, Kroll hoped that rewarding students for good behavior would encourage them to look for opportunities to help others.

 

Helping the students to take pride in their behavior "is what it's all about," according to Kroll.

Local Donates Stuffed Animals to Exeter Volunteer Fire Department

 

Exeter Volunteer Fire Department members hold some of the stuffed animals Deidre Stevens, Miss Nebraska Junior Teen, donated to the department. The department keeps new, small stuffed animals in the Rescue Unit and gives them to the children they transport.  The stuffed animals were donated by Stevens' fellow pagaent contestants.  Pictured in the front row from the left are Jon Murphy, Margaret Petro, Stevens, Hope Androyna, and Dan Votipka.  In the back row are John Graham, Jacob Miller and John Miller.

Special Halloween Events in Exeter

Exeter hosted some special activities for Halloween this year.  Exeter Care Center hosted a Fall Fair during the afternoon and then the residents welcomed trick or treaters during the early evenings.  Ghosts and goblins were welcomed to the Exeter Fire Hall for Halloweenie hot dogs, chips and pops sponsored by the Exeter Chamber of Commerce.

 

 

 Lucky Leprechaun Aliva Hartmann gets a Halloweenie hot dog for supper in Exeter.

 Toni Bossaleer tries to get Ben Bartu to guess what he is feeling under the towel at the Exeter Care Center Fall Festival. Was it eyeballs or grapes?

 Trick or Treaters Tyler Due (middle) and Macy Due (right) got some treats from Exeter Care Center resident El Jensen (left).

Linda Underwood, right, helped serve hot dogs to some hungry trick or treaters at the Exeter Chamber of Commerce Halloweenie Hot Dog Feed - Jacy Schlueter, left, and Olivea Swanson, middle.

 

Halloweenie Tonight

Don't forget the First Annual Halloweenie Hot Dog Feed at the Exeter Fire Hall Tonight.  Hot Dogs will be served from 5 - 7 p.m. and are FREE!!! Come on down - sponsored by the Exeter Chamber of Commerce!

Local Scouts Attend Merit Badge University

 Boy Scouts in the photography merit badge took some time during class to explore the outdoors for textures and backgrounds for their pictures.

Scouts ate their lunch at the Prairie Winds Merit Badge University while listening to Concordia Professor Tim Huntington (far left) give a lecture on entomology.

Concordia University was invaded by Boy Scout uniforms as they hosted the largest Merit Badge University in the Cornhusker Council this year on Saturday, October 22.

Scouts from Nebraska, Iowa, Kansas and Missouri traveled to the campus for a day of learning and training. Over 20 merit badges were offered, including the most recently released Chess merit badge.
In addition to the offerings to the Boy Scouts, adult leadership courses were also available. Over 275 participants registered for the day long courses with close to 200 of those Boy Scouts working on merit badges.

Many of the merit badges were taught by Concordia University professors who were recruited by the chairman of the Merit Badge University, Kevin Potratz. Potratz, who is the Scoutmaster of Troop 256 out of Seward, also serves as a computing service system analyst and infrastructure support coordinator at Concordia.

This event was the first Merit Badge University offered by the Prairie Winds District’s since 2003. District Executive Jerad Reimers noted “This is a great way for scouting access opportunities in the community to help the scouts attain merit badges that they wouldn’t normally be available to accomplish like nuclear science and energy.”

Each scout was able to register for two merit badges, many which were required for the Eagle Scout rank. Scouts registered in advance were also given a list of prerequisites for each merit badge that could not be completed during the class time and were given time to present those if possible.

As part of the special event, scouts and leaders were treated to “The Decay Café Buffet” a presentation by Professor Tim Huntington, PhD, D-ABFE, a board certified Forensic Entomologist and faculty member at Concordia during their lunch break.

Locally, scouts and leaders from Cordova Troop 359, Geneva Troop 175, Troop 173 and 174 out of York and Troop 270 out of Friend attended the event.

Exeter-Milligan Update: Reading Mastery Class

 

Exeter-Milligan reading student's Marcus Krupicka, Christopher Kelch, and Wesley Ronne work on their independent work in Mr. Jackson Krejci's Reading Mastery class.


 

Exeter Junior Fire Patrol Graduates

The Exeter Volunteer Fire Department hosts a Junior Fire Patrol classes each fall during Fire Safety Month in October. This is the fourteenth year that the Exeter Volunteer Fire Department has sponsored the Junior Fire Patrol for area fifth graders. This year there were ten participants.

The fire department hosts the program at Exeter Fire Hall and attendance is required for all four sessions. During the sessions the students plan a fire escape plan individualized to their home, learn about fire hazards in the home, learn burn prevention and first aid, and how to use a fire extinguisher to put out a fire.

 

One of the most important lessons the kids learn is about the damage that arson causes and how to prevent fires inside and outside. Ed Mark is the Chairman of the Junior Fire Patrol project for the Exeter Volunteer Fire Department.  Mark started the program in 1998 after researching educational materials and designing the program for the Fire Department to approve. "We wanted to help teach the kids more fire safety so we could save some lives. . .who knows what value it will have in their future lives."

The students are required to attend every one of the four sessions and perform each assignment if they want to acheive the rank of junior fire marshal. Some of the assignments include fun, like running the water hoses on the department trucks, while others, like crawling through a room full of artificial smoke, are a much greater challenge.

If the students pass the final written exam, attend all the meetings and complete the other requirements then they become a junior fire marshal of the Exeter Fire Department.
After so many years of watching students take the junior fire patrol course Mark is still amazed at the fifth graders, "Every year they grab the information. The intensity level is amazing. They just want to learn. We have great kids every year."

 

Junior Fire Patrol graduates pose for a picture with their instructors.  Front row from the left are Ed Mark, Kate Jansky, Mitchell Manning, Theron Odvody, Blake Stueben, Josie Kresak and Michelle Bassett.  Back row from the left are Hope Androyna, Tim Axline, Colton Bossaller, Peytan Brandt, Spencer Pribyl, Johnny Babula, Macy Due, Dennis Johnson and Ken Strate.

The Exeter Volunteer Fire Department hosts a Junior Fire Patrol classes each fall during Fire Safety Month in October. This is the fourteenth year that the Exeter Volunteer Fire Department has sponsored the Junior Fire Patrol for area fifth graders. This year there were ten participants.

The fire department hosts the program at Exeter Fire Hall and attendance is required for all four sessions. During the sessions the students plan a fire escape plan individualized to their home, learn about fire hazards in the home, learn burn prevention and first aid, and how to use a fire extinguisher to put out a fire.

 

One of the most important lessons the kids learn is about the damage that arson causes and how to prevent fires inside and outside. Ed Mark is the Chairman of the Junior Fire Patrol project for the Exeter Volunteer Fire Department.  Mark started the program in 1998 after researching educational materials and designing the program for the Fire Department to approve. "We wanted to help teach the kids more fire safety so we could save some lives. . .who knows what value it will have in their future lives."

The students are required to attend every one of the four sessions and perform each assignment if they want to achieve the rank of junior fire marshal. Some of the assignments include fun, like running the water hoses on the department trucks, while others, like crawling through a room full of artificial smoke, are a much greater challenge.

If the students pass the final written exam, attend all the meetings and complete the other requirements then they become a junior fire marshal of the Exeter Fire Department.
After so many years of watching students take the junior fire patrol course Mark is still amazed at the fifth graders, "Every year they grab the information. The intensity level is amazing. They just want to learn. We have great kids every year."

Exeter Arms Opens Retail Outlet in Downtown Exeter

 

Exeter Arms held an Grand Opening on October 15th and had a large crowd all day.

Exeter Arms owner Rob Androyna (facing camera) helps customers during their Grand Opening on October 15th.

Exeter Arms staff from the left Rob and Hope Androyna and gunsmith Dan Piganell (center).

Rob Androyna shows the extensive video monitoring security system that monitors Exeter Arms.

 

 

 

After six years of a lucrative internet presence, Exeter Arms has now opened a retail outline in downtown Exeter.

 

Exeter Arms is a full line gun store offering everything from hand guns, long guns and hunting rifles to T-shirts and a complete line of accessories.

 

Owned by Rob and Hope Androyna the family has made Exeter their home for a number of years and they decided "Exeter would be a great place to have a business."

 

They purchased two buildings on the south edge of downtown Exeter and spent most of the summer remodeling the facility.  The biggest challenge, according to Rob, was the rezoning process.  Although the building was zoned for commercial due to the nature of their business they needed to add manufacturing to the zoning.  "Zoning went relatively smoothly. People had fears about having this type of business in town, but we have a very high security system," explained Rob.

 

The Androyna's have worked closely with the Fillmore County Development Corporation to open the retail outlet.  The FCDC helped them secure a small business loan, "FCDC helped ups get started and they along with First National Bank in Exeter have been very generous and supporting," according to Hope.

 

In addition to the facilities available at their storefront in downtown Exeter the business also have a machine gun range near Friend that they rent out by the hour.

 

Part of their facility in Exeter is dedicated to space for the full time gunsmith, Dan Piganell, to clean, repair and maintain most weapons.  Exeter Arms also custom builds weapons and will be manufacturing their own line of rifles and sound suppressors in the near future.

 

In the store you will find guns sold on consignment as well as used guns that have been inspected and are ready for use.  Of course, Hope commented that "All regular Federal Firearms License laws apply when purchasing at Exeter Arms."

 

Part of the service that Exeter Arms offers to the community is training for many of the arms that they sell.  They teach the Nebraska Concealed weapon carrying course and also offer training on the taser guns they sell.  In the spring the Androyna's hope to offer a Ladies night providing information  and instruction on personal protection for women.

 

In bringing their retail store to downtown Exeter the Androyna's have begun to achieve one of their goals which is to "bring jobs to town and also bring people into town which will benefit not only our business but hopefully the other businesses in town," explained Rob.

 

Throughout the process of opening their new store in Exeter the Androyna's have noted, "the great support from the community of Exeter as well as our regular customers."  Exeter Arms is open Tuesday through Saturday from 9 - 5 and until 8 p.m. on Wednesdays.

 

Cordova Fights to Keep Post Office Open

 

Todd Case, left,  and Howard Nissen, represented the US Postal Service at the Cordova Town Hall.

 

Cordova resident Lance Larsen, far right, moderated the Town Hall meeting and gives Tom Jensen, middle the microphone to ask a question while Tammy Sladek, on the far right, listens.

 

The population sign outside of Cordova.

 Cordova Fire Hall signs informs the community of the Town Hall meeting.

 

Cordova Postmaster Kathy Stych outside the post office.

There were very few empty chairs and plenty of residents standing at the Cordova Town Hall meeting about the possible closing of the post office.

Cordova, population 147, has been notified they are on a list of post offices that may be closed to help the United States Postal Service drastically cut it's deficit.

"The deal isn't done," according to Todd Case, manager of US Postal Operations from Lincoln.  Case along with Howard Nissen, area senior manager of postal operations in Nebraska, Kansas and western Iowa spoke to residents' concerns at a town hall meeting on Tuesday, October 18th.

The village was notified that there will now be a 60 day review period ending in November where the "work hours" at the post office are monitored. Two of the main criteria in choosing post offices to cut were office with less than a two hour work load and offices with less than $27,500 walk in revenue per year.

November 27th the review period ends and the USPS will compile a report which will include the results from a post office survey offered to Cordova post office users, the results of the work load study and revenues.  The financial workbook will also have a cost/savings benefit reports included.

Kathy Stych serves as the postmaster in Cordova and nearly every community member at the town hall meeting spoke in support of her.  Kristine Winters, a relative newcomer to the community testified that "Cordova is a growing community. . .the postmaster is so much more to a small town than just taking care of the mail."

Village Board member and former Cordova mayor Delayne Eberspacher spoke, noting that the post office is the main venue that the village has to communicate with the residents, "The post office is the centralized location for public notices.  I don't know how we would go about it if we didn't have the post office."

Case and Nissen explained that if the Post Office closed in Cordova, the community would be served by a rural carrier out of Friend who would deliver to individual boxes, or to cluster boxes around town or to one central box location. However, they did confirm that Cordova would maintain their town identification and zip code, box residents would change from a Post Office box to a street address.

Case and Nissen cited the financial hardships that the USPS is facing with $607,578 spent in Cordova over the last 10 years.  Nissen stated that 3700 offices nationwide with 400 in Kansas and Nebraska are scheduled to be closed.  "Could Friend be closed? Absolutely, because we have closed a station in Lincoln and Lincoln is a profitable area for the Post Office.  When facing financial bankruptcy you can't survive in a business without cutting.  We need customers, it's kind of paradoxical - we are going to close your post office but we want you to use the post office.  Rural carriers are the cheapest option," explained Nissen.

Most of the two hour session was spent with Case and Nissen answering the questions from the Cordova residents.  Many of the residents were well prepared citing the lack of service from other carriers, naming Fed Ex and UPS, neither will deliver in Cordova. Resident Angie Petersen testified that, "Cordova is the only community in Nebraska that isn't wired for fiber optics," [which indicates they cannot get high speed internet] defending the lack of alternate resources for the community.

Case and Nissen explained that part of the demise of the post office is due to the increase in technology including email and online bill paying which has led to a massive reduction in mail pieces.  They stated that if Cordova were to switch to rural carriers those carriers would be able to provide nearly every service the post office is providing now.  Rural carriers would be able to accept and deliver packages, sell stamps, and provide money orders.  They did note that rural carriers are not equipped to handle debit or credit cards.

Other items brought to the postal representatives attention were:

 - options for cutting the post office hours, including Saturday's nationwide instead of closing individual post offices.

- the fact that Cordova is a growing community

- the current road construction project which will bring a paved road from Interstate 80 to Cordova

- the possibility that some of the figures state by the USPS were inaccurate

- currently the post office does not pay anything for lawn upkeep or snow removal because the postmaster takes care of it.

At the end of the evening Case reviewed the next steps in the process.  After the November 27th deadline, Case will review the portfolio of information that has been gathered on the Cordova post office. Case reminded the crowd that "The focus is on the workload, do we have enough workload to justify the postmaster?"

If Case decides that the closing should happen, the information will be forwarded to a district level at which point another supervisor will review and either approve or disapprove the closing.  If approved, residents of Cordova will be notified that they have 30 days to appeal the decision.  Case strongly encouraged each resident to write a letter of appeal to the Postal Regulatory Commission who will review each item in the appeal. "They make a decision based on what is in the official record.  The hardest thing about this for us in the human factor.  We understand the impact in the communities and to our employees."