4th Grade Update by Shelli Mueller, Exeter-Milligan 4th grade instructor
The Exeter-Milligan fourth graders are learning about the different regions in Nebraska. We learn about five different regions: the animals, plants and climate. Each group of students will give a presentation on each different region using google slides. This will allow us to find differences and similarities to our state that we live in. Pictured are Brynnlye Johnson and Gavin Mueller.
James Robert Zeleny, a Fillmore County father and farmer, died on Wednesday, Sept. 16, 2020.
He was born at Warren Memorial Hospital in Friend on Oct. 12, 1968 to
Robert and Diane (Yeck) Zeleny. He graduated from Exeter High School in
1987, where he was a letter winner in football, basketball and track. He
attended the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and graduated with an
agricultural business degree from Southeast Community College in
Beatrice.
After college, Jim worked at Fleischer Manufacturing
in Columbus. He traveled across Nebraska, the Midwest and South,
setting up trade shows for Buffalo farm equipment.
He later
returned home to work on the family farm near Burress, raising hogs and
cattle, corn and soybeans. He loved the freedom of the farm and learning
from the best, his father.
He married Liz Allen in 1994 at
St. Stephen’s Catholic Church in Exeter. Their three children, Logan,
Sam and Max, were a source of great pride and joy. A shared passion was
sports, from countless hours of weekend basketball practice to softball
tournaments to watching Nebraska or NFL games together.
From an early age, all three children inherited their father’s love of the game.
While only Sam may have shared Jim’s admiration for the Dallas Cowboys,
Logan and Max also enjoyed every sport with him, whether playing
together, being coached by him or cheered on from the sidelines. They
loved traveling to games of all kinds, including a memorable trip to
Lambeau Field to watch the Packers and Cowboys.
Jim’s smile
and warm personality lit up any room, as he shared his kindness,
generosity and friendship with people from many walks of life. To Jim,
or “Z-Bart” as he was known in the early years, few people were
strangers, only new friends yet to meet.
For years, he was a
dedicated member of his community, serving on the Exeter-Milligan Board
of Education, as a member of Sons of the Legion in Milligan and the
Young Farmers Organization of Fillmore County.
His life was complicated, and ultimately cut short, by a long struggle with alcoholism.
In his final days at Bryan West Hospital in Lincoln, he was surrounded
with love by his children, his mother, his Godmother, his brothers and
Liz, as well as unwavering support from legions of lifelong friends.
James was preceded in death by his father, Robert, along with his
grandparents, Mike and Frances Zeleny and Frank and Libbie Yeck, as well
as many aunts and uncles.
He is survived by Liz and their
beloved children, Logan, Sam and Max; mother, Diane; brother and
sister-in-law Mike and Amy; brother Jeff; nieces, Claire, Katherine,
Lauren; and nephew, John. Survivors also include, devoted aunt and
Godmother, Judith Yeck; uncle, Bernard Zeleny along with many cousins.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be held for Jim on Monday, September 21,
2020 at 10:00 a.m. at St. Stephen Catholic Church in Exeter, Nebraska
with Fr. Brendan Kelly & Fr. Kenneth Borowiak presiding.
Praying of the Rosary will be held on Sunday, September 20, 2020 at 7:00
p.m. at St. Stephen Catholic Church in Exeter, Nebraska.
Visitation will be held on Sunday, September 20, 2020 from 1:00 p.m.
until 5:00 p.m. with family present from 1:00 p.m. until 3:00 p.m. at
Farmer & Son Funeral Home - Kotas Chapel in Milligan, Nebraska.
Graveside Services will be conducted at the Bohemian National Cemetery in Milligan, Nebraska.
In Lieu of Flowers - Memorials are to be directed to the family to be designated at a later date.
A Livestream Video of the Funeral Mass will begin at 10:00 a.m. To view
the Livestream Video you can go to Farmer & Son Funeral Home's
Facebook Page or in your search engine type @friendlyfuneraldirectors
and click the link to Farmer & Son Funeral Home's Facebook Page. You
do not have to have Facebook to view the Livestream Video.
Due to the COVID-19 Directed Health Measure Phase IV, we are limited to
75% occupancy for the Funeral Service and we will be practicing social
distancing as indicated by the measure. Per the family's request, masks
are encouraged to be worn at the Funeral Service.
The Exeter Village Board met on Wednesday Sept 9 with a budget hearing and a one and six year road plan hearing.
The board discussed three options in the budget hearing. The first was to decrease the levy but with the increase in valuations the dollar amount collected by the village would be the same.
Option two would maintain the levy and would increase the amount collected by $17,000. Option three would drop the levy slightly but still increase the tax revenue.
After closing the first two hearings the board opened the special hearing to set the final budget.
Resolution 20-02, the third option, was passed which will provide a budget that allows the levy to go down but the amount of tax dollars the village receives to increases because of the higher valuations.
The board also approved Resolution 20-03 to adopt the one and six year road plan. The board closed the special hearings and opened the regular meetings.
The minutes and the invoices were approved and Chairman Michl informed the board that the League of Municipalities would not be having their annual conference live. In order to change the bylaws so that members of the League could vote villages were asked to approve voting by phone for this year. The board approved this change.
The board discussed a letter from a pool patron requesting an additional sunshade or more lounge chairs. There are currently 10 chairs at the pool and two sunshades. The patron also asked that the village provide more training for the lifeguards.
Village Maintenance Supervisor John Mueller noted that a new sunshade would be $6400 just for the sunshade which does not include installation which would be extensive as cement would need to be cut to install.
The board discussed the possibility of using heavier tables with sun umbrellas as an option. New chairs made from recyclable material and are $330 but are currently out of stock.
Village Clerk Becky Erdkamp has compiled a training notebook to share with lifeguards. The board also discussed talking to the lifeguards in regards to some of the rules governing young children in the deep end.
Recently Mueller worked with JEO Engineering to find where the pool was leaking. They found several leaks and JEO confirmed that there is a warranty on the leak investigators work that was done at the pool earlier this year.
The board recognized that several of the sidewalks on the old tag factory ground are settling. Mueller informed the board they would have to be torn out and replaced. The board advised Mueller to have them fixed when other items are being fixed in town.
The board also asked Mueller to make a list of homeowners with Low hanging branches in the street so that letters could be sent to them to address safety concerns.
Board member Justin Harre asked the board about some improvements to the trap club which is on village owned property.
Harre wants to “tear one out the old trap house and pour a new concrete house with block base so it will be more permanent.”
Harre noted that the trap club would supply all of the labor and asked if the board would be willing to pay for all of the materials. He estimates the material costs would be around $1000. He also asked if Mueller would be able to bring out the mini excavator to dig around the old trap house.
Michl explained that the trap club has been making a lease payment for over twenty years and also maintains the property which was the old dump. “It’s a good thing to do with an old dump,” explained Michl.
The board advised Harre to go ahead with the project and continue with the lease payment which will recoup the costs for the village.
The board entered Executive session at 7:45 p.m. for the annual personnel pay review. After coming out of session at 8:00 p.m. the board announced raises for all permanent employees.
Under the marshals report the board discussed the possibility of hiring an ordinance officer depending on the current marshals availability.
Under the maintenance report Mueller referred to the pool issues and concrete repairs that need to be made. He also asked the board about purchasing a small cement mixer.
The board held a lengthy discussion on nuisance properties and the difficulties in addressing them through the proper channels.
Clerk Becky Erdkamp reported that June sales tax was $15030.49 and July Keno was $114.04. The board set the next meeting for Tuesday, October 6.
Exeter-Milligan/Friend traveled to Shelby on Friday night to meet the Shelby-Rising City Huskies on the turf.
The Huskies started hot to trot, converting a fourth down to a touch down and completing the conversion making it 8-0. Less than a minute later the Bobcats came storming downfield with Breckan Schluter taking it in for six and Christian Weber adding the two points with 9:00 on the clock.
After forcing the Huskies to turn it over on downs the Bobcats
found the end zone again with a Weber pass to Jackson Beethe and a Weber keeper to
add the two point making the score 16-8 with 5:19 left in the first
quarter.
SRC turned it over on downs but stripped the ball from the Bobcats at their own 25 before Jackson Beethe stopped them. They did find the end zone but the Bobcat defense held their own making it 16-14 at the end of the first quarter.
Schluter plowed through multiple defenders to get into the end zone making it 22-14 with 10:20 in the second half.
SRC stepped up their passing game and EMF struggled for a few plays before getting their defense down. SRC scored with 9:08 left in the half 22-29
Schlueter took another in for 8 and Beethe catch the Weber pass in the end zone for the 2 point. Score was 30 to 20 with 2:23 in half
Some great pass defense by the Bobcats got them the ball with 49 seconds on the clock but they didn't have enough time to finish a good drive. Score was 30-20 at the half.
The Bobcats started building their lead with another Schluter touchdown followed by Newsome with the conversion. 38-20 with 7:33 in the third quarter.
A huge run by Schluter to five yard line lets Newsome carry it in for six but two point was stopped.
The Bobcats punted on the fourth with Beethe booting a perfect ball down to around the 15 where a SRC player touched it as it bounced it's way down the four yard line where Newsome recovered the ball. Two plays later the Bobcats punched it in on a Weber keeper but the two point was stopped. 50-20
SRC put one more on the board with a 27 yard pass making it 50-26. The Bobcats denied the Huskies two point attempt.
The Bobcats added one more score on a Weber pass to Beethe in the end zone and the two point pass was good to Schluter. 58-26
With 4:28 left in the half SRC scored one more time making it 58-34 final.
The Bobcats will be at home in Milligan on Friday against Tri-County.
