theBeat – February 2016

Written by Shannon Siebert

Quote of the Day—“Repetition is both as ordinary and necessary as bread.”  Danish philosopher Soren Kierkegaard. And apparently it takes much repetition to even make good bread.

Winter Storm Kayla 

THE STORY: Blizzard February 2, 2016

Ok so we now have a name for what we call an “old fashioned blizzard” here in Nebraska. And by the way, calling it a sweet girly name like Kayla is way too nice. Here’s what it means in real time.

The Normal Stuff

School and business closings, conference basketball games rescheduled, meetings postponed, and food stocking up are all to be expected. But when wind gusts of up to 50 miles an hour ensue, then it’s serious and our precious I-80 shuts down. Local commuters to York, Grand Island and Lincoln stay home and miss a day of work. Oh and did I mention, there was no trash pickup on Tuesday. 

Clearing the White Stuff

City employees Chad Casper and Mike Sabel were already prepping snow removal equipment on Monday and were working on keeping the main roads (Front, Main & 17th) clear by 6:00 AM Tuesday morning. They called it quits around 5:00 PM due to the high winds but Casper was called out later that night to open up a drift that closed Parkview Drive by the ballfields. Sabel who lives north of town, spent the night at the shop knowing he might not be able to make it back to town.

Both men were out clearing the streets by 2:00 AM Wednesday morning. “I run the payloader and Mike drives the dump truck so we each have designated areas to cover in a set pattern,” said Casper. Thursday was another full day of snow removal and additional clean-up on the side streets. Their job is tough and not for the faint-hearted. Maybe they should be up for the “Friends of Henderson Award” next year!    

Country Stuff 

Drifts happen. And if you own livestock, it’s a beast! No matter how high the snow or poor the visibility they need to be fed and watered. Even with modern machinery, I’m told there’s still plenty of manual labor needed—digging open shed doors, feed bunks and gates. What is most challenging for livestock producers is power outages and certainly worse if storms happen during calving season. 

So while “townies” may enjoy a snow day watching movies, sledding, or making snowmen, critter owners don’t have near as much fun.    

theBeat

We’ve had worse storms for sure but this was a doozy. We forget about the sacrifices made by local law enforcement, healthcare providers, EMT responders, fire volunteers, and road crews who don’t get a rest on a typical “snow day”. Blizzards can bring out the neighborliness in most of us when we reach out to scoop for those who can’t. Local farmers often come to the rescue bringing their big tractors in to town making quick work of difficult shoveling. It’s a time to reflect and appreciate the cozy homes we have and the good people all around us.   

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Who’s running this place anyway? Better hurry up and decide because the incumbent filing deadline is February 16 and March 1 for non-incumbents. Only one spot is up for reelection on the Henderson City Council and that is councilman Corbin Tessman’s seat. He has officially tossed his hat in the ring by filing to run.  The office of Mayor is also up for reelection and as of press time Mayor Jim Mestl has not filed to run nor anyone else. Here’s your chance to ride in a fancy car in the Henderson Community Days parade looking regal!

All ABOARD…. That is the Heartland School Board bus. There are only three seats available—incumbents Paul Brune, Gary Braun, and Glen Ott are all up for reelection. According to the York County Clerk, as of today, only Gary Braun and Paul Brune have filed to run again.    

What to say when your BF brags about their latest greatest deal…. ONE UP them with the big discounts on several blood work tests at the annual Henderson Health Care Health Fair that is coming up February 15-20, Monday-Saturday, 7:30-8:30 AM.  No appointments necessary! Go to their page to get the scoop— https://www.hendersonhealthcare.org/event/hhc-health-fair/

Things to know… It’s only 38 days until daylight savings time kicks in and you get cranky again. And only 40 days until the spring equinox and the sun finally arrives over the equator promising warmer temps!

What people are talking about… The Henderson Home Show of course—Saturday, Feb 27th. Where else can you eat pancakes, home made ice cream and give blood all in the same day! Check out the vendors and activities at http://heartlandbeat.com/2016/02/home-show-february-27/

Word for the day:  kerflooey (ker-FLOO-ee), adverb

Informal; to cease functioning, especially suddenly and completely; fall apart; fail.

Thank goodness every light in town didn’t go kerflooey, after the blizzard hit.