theBeat – March 2017

theBeat
Written by Shannon Siebert

Quote of the Day—“It was a humbling experience but I truly believe that a teacher cannot achieve something like this without students carrying out what you ask them to do,” said Heartland Band Director Royce Schweitzer who was recently awarded the prestigious A. Lentz Outstanding Bandleader Award by the Nebraska State Bandleaders Association. 

2017 Daycare Revisited 

THE STORY:  It was one year ago in March when “The Story” was titled “Daycare Dilemma” outlining the struggles our community faced without adequate daycare available for working families. It’s a subject worth revisiting since so much has happened making it possible for a licensed Home II daycare (12 children) facility to be opening up in the very near future.

What’s happened—

The original committee that got the ball rolling was from the Bethesda Mennonite Church. After much consideration and research, the church ultimately decided not to pursue installing a daycare facility at the church. But fortunately the “daycare ball” was picked up by others in the community who had a passion for this project. Today, a non-profit organization has formed called the Henderson Child Development Center (HCDC). Six volunteer individuals are on the board who have been overseeing the development of the center.

New Digs— 

Grace Children’s Home stepped up in a big way and partnered with HCDC by offering one of their group homes, The Ranch House, for use as the new startup daycare. A workday was recently held to help get it spruced up and changed out to meet the needs for a daycare facility. Donations are welcome and the public can check out the current list of needs for the facility on the chamber website. Tax deductible monetary donations can be made for the center through the Henderson Community Foundation. There is also a HCDC Facebook page where current information is posted.

Meet the Director—

Hilary Lee is the newly hired director, and she has hit the ground running working out all the details needed for state licensing, attending workshops, and processing childcare applicants. She is a native of Streator, Illinois, and graduate of Western Illinois University. She has worked extensively with YMCA after school and preschool programs in Diamond, Oklahoma, before moving to the area. 

“I’m excited to be working on gaining all the necessary information needed to obtain licensing so we can be up and running quickly with a good quality facility,” said Lee. In addition to the director, two other part-time staff have been hired to help run the daycare. According to Henderson Chamber Executive Director Kelsey Bergen, their licensing application has been submitted to the state, and it could take anywhere from 1-3 months before they receive their license. In the meantime, for any questions or information, Lee can be contacted at hendersonCDC@gmail.com.

Open House—

Come on out and see for yourself what’s going on Monday, April 17, for the HCDC enrollment/open house from 6:30-8:00 PM.   

theBeat—

A big round of applause for all the folks who never gave up on this difficult issue—the original Bethesda committee that did much of the groundwork and research on starting a daycare facility, Grace Children’s Home for providing a much needed place, the newly formed HCDC committee members, Henderson Chamber & Director Kelsey Bergen for spearheading the committee, the Henderson Community Foundation, and all the local community volunteers who have offered their time, labor, money, and resources towards this worthy cause! Most of us have families who have been directly affected by the shortage of daycare, and this startup facility is a great step towards solving a difficult problem.

What everyone is talking about….

“Big Fish” of course! You won’t want to miss this magical musical performed by Heartland students this weekend Friday, March 24, and Saturday, March 25, at 7:00 PM. This big fish of a story has something for everyone and will entertain all. Purchase tickets at Heartland so you can know what everyone is talking about.

What to say to your friend who never misses a sale….

You better not miss this annual SALE! That is the Mennonite Central Committee Relief Sale on March 31 & April 1 held at the Aurora Fairgrounds. All the buildings open on Friday at 4:00 PM and this GRAND DADDY of an auction begins on Saturday morning at 8:30 AM. Besides the auction of hundreds of donated items there is plenty of food for sale—soup, BBQ pork, all-you-can-eat breakfast, Windsor loins, BBQ chicken, and the ethnic favorite verenika.   

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What to Read

The Magnolia Story by Chip & Joanna Gaines

No surprise that this book is high on the top seller’s list! Who isn’t curious about how this likable couple became such a success as the feature of HGTV’s home renovation show “Fixer Upper.” The book answers all the questions about how they met and fell in love in Waco, Texas, to how they’re handling their new found fame and success. The book does a good job of showing the many struggles they had along the way while growing their home renovation business—Magnolia Homes. It wasn’t always easy and one theme of the book was how their relationship was always strengthened when they worked together on their projects. The book is mostly told through Joanna’s voice but Chip chimes in in italics. The book was written with author Mark Dagostino, and it features a generous sampling of their family photos. If you love “Fixer Upper,” you’ll thoroughly enjoy this first book detailing their life journey. 

Word for the day:

Comportment
\kuh m-PAWRT-muh nt\
noun
Definitions: 1.  personal bearing or conduct; demeanor; behavior.

“The Heartland fans were commended on their comportment during the boys state basketball tournament and received the Sportsmanship Award.”