theBeat – July 2017

theBeat
Written by Shannon Siebert

Quote of the Day—“Best ride was the “California Screamin’,” said Leslie Braun after returning from FBLA Nationals competition in Anaheim, California. 

JULY IS JAM-PACKED    

THE STORY:  Bored? Not!

There’s nothing boring about this July if you live in and around Henderson. Here’s a quick run down on a few of the local happenings.

VBS—

In the old days, most of the area churches held their traditional Vacation Bible Schools in early summer. Not so anymore. There’s no reason any of the kiddos will be spouting the “B” (BORED) word in July with two churches holding their VBS programs. The Faith Evangelical Bible Church will have their Victory in Christ VBS from July 10-14th. The Mennonite Brethren Church will follow up with their Maker Fun Factory VBS on July 17-21st.

Good Old Community Days—😀👍😜

This annual event will happen as usual with a BANG beginning Friday, July 14, through Sunday, July 16. Here’s the 2017 Community Days tentative schedule of events that you will want to check out! According to Henderson Chamber executive Kelsey Bergen, “Henderson has been emoji-cized. Henderson Community Days is too good for words, so we’re using emoji’s!”   

New events this year include an adult softball tournament, craft vendors, and an eclipse presentation. The Revival Band will be performing gospel music at 5:30 p.m. and later 60’s & 70’s hits during the BBQ Friday night at the downtown park. The City of Henderson is once again generously providing a top notch fireworks display at Lakeview Park after sunset on Saturday night that you won’t want to miss. And icing on the cake will be a community wide church service in the downtown park.

Vintage Kid’s Camp—

The Henderson Mennonite Heritage park will host a Vintage Kid’s Camp on Wednesday, July 18, from 9:30-11:30 AM. Favorite old time games like Pom Pom Pull Away, Annie Annie Over, Dutch Tag, and much more will be introduced to the kids. This is a great diversion for any kids age 5-8th grade to get away from their video and digital world experiencing first hand good old fashioned fun! 

Summer Reading Program Finale—

Rewards are coming for all those bookworms out there who completed the Heartland Community School Summer Reading Program “Build a Better World”. Those kids who turned in their 100 minutes of reading each week during the program will be able to go on a reward trip to either the Lincoln Children’s Museum or the Edgerton Center according to their age division! Thank you to all the local volunteers who showed up at the library to read aloud to the kids.

Farmers Market—

The downtown park is bustling every Tuesday from 5-7 PM with our very own Farmers Market. Check out their Facebook page on the link and see what meal is being served that particular Tuesday. A variety of vendors offer a wide range of homemade crafts, baked goods, produce and other products.

theBeat—

Small towns can pack a big punch even in the supposedly hazy lazy days of summer. As usual these sorts of events and happenings are only possible through the efforts of numerous volunteers. Preplanning for all of the above have been in the works for months and are successful due to a large number of folks doing their community homework. Let’s give them an A+, and if you have a chance, remember to thank someone directly involved in any of these endeavors. Sponsorship by local businesses are also another important component that is often overlooked. THANK YOU!

What to say to your friend who’s never visited Disney Land…

You gotta join FBLA (Future Business Leaders of America). Their National Competition was held in Anaheim, CA, which happens to be pretty close to Disney Land! Six Heartland students qualified for Nationals this year, and the Entrepreneur team of Aaron Buller, Ethan Hall, and Leslie Braun came home with a 7th place finish!  “We did have an amazing time at Nationals and had time to check out Disney Land, Universal Studies, and California Adventure,” said Braun.

What to say to your friend who’s always wanting to one up ya….

Enter the annual Cornhusker State Games and prove it! There are sports galore competitions to enter such as aquatic diving, bowling, martial arts, pickle ball, sailing, shooting, and tennis just to name a few. The games begin July 21 and there is still time to register! 

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What to Read

“The Rim of the Prairie” by Bess Streeter Aldrich

This is a Nebraska based book by the famous Bess Streeter Aldrich and as always she captures the beauty and uniqueness of the Nebraska landscape and its inhabitants. It was published in 1925 but the love story set in this Nebraska community that is on “the rim of the prairie” keeps readers turning the pages to find out if the returning Nancy Moore follows her heart. It’s also a love story about the land and how Nancy’s Uncle Jed and Aunt Biny struggle with their life long ties to their farm, its demands, and their declining health. There’s enough mystery, romance, and a few twists in the plot that make this a great summer read. 

Word for the day:
gosmacked
\gob-smakt
adjective
Definition: utterly astounded; astonished.
“I was gobsmacked after riding the California Screamin’ rollercoaster!”