Opinion

Dear Editor, I read in the August 2, 2022 edition of The McCook Gazette, about the very generous gift by the Benjamins to build a huge ballpark complex north of McCook. The article also lists additional monies from an unnamed donor plus revenue from the McCC and hospital Foundations. ...

This weekend we had occasion to drive from Omaha south to Nebraska City. It is interesting to see how diverse this wonderful State of Nebraska truly is. From the nearly barren hills around Scottsbluff to the verdant farmland of our eastern reaches agriculture is king but truly varies from west to east...

Lately, I have been curious about the nature of time. It rules our lives. We define ourselves by it, yet we don’t entirely understand it. As our fourth universal dimension, time is mysterious. Albert Einstein called time an “illusion” and with his special theory of relativity, explained that time is “relative to the observer.” He also sought to prove that gravity could create time by increasing spacetime curves. ...

INDIANOLA, Neb. — On July 25, we got about .35 inches of rain and I had marked on my calendar that we also got .25 on the 24th of June. Needless to say, a half-inch in one month’s time must mean we aren’t living right, or as the world evolves naturally over centuries, that’s just the way it’s going to be...

Did instant gratification begin with the microwave when cooking a meal went from an hour to mere minutes? Can our desire to see and do everything now be blamed on automobiles, giving us personal access to go wherever we want? Are our shortened attention spans blamed on these giant advances in technology, making it possible to have almost endless entertainment and information at our fingertips?...

Dear Editor, Who deserves thanks for ARPA? Senator Kerrey's letter to the McCook Gazette July 26, 2022, forgot to thank the taxpayer, they are the ones that will get stuck with the bills. "Please" and "Thank you" — I know this is easier for a Republican to say than it is for a Democrat, but I am going to say on behalf of everyone who has benefited from ARPA: Thank you Taxpayer!...

Now is the time to get involved One of the most brilliant and inspired ideas ever conceived by the American mind is having an election every two years. Citizens in the United States have the opportunity to select their elected representatives, and they don’t have to wait very long to determine whether or not they chose wisely...

The discussion on McCook’s upcoming swimming pool project has been interesting of late. Yes, it will cost local taxpayers money, more taxes. Yes, most people think that we are already paying enough. Still, we need to look at the bigger picture. Yes, we raised the sales tax to finance the new Safety Center for the City of McCook plus several other things at the time. ...

Show, don’t tell. You probably heard those words from an English teacher at some point in your life. The rule reminds writers to not just tell readers what’s happening but show them through evocative language. Instead of saying “Nebraska has a lot to see,” say “In Nebraska, you can hike through sun-dappled woods along the Missouri River, wander through an otherworldly landscape of strange rock formations or stand beneath cascading sheets of water at Smith Falls after a long day floating on an innertube.”. ...

“I’ll go next year.” “We are out of town this time, but it’ll be even bigger and better next year when you do it.” “It happens every year. I’ll catch it next time.” These are just a few of the statements made about the upcoming Chautauqua this weekend in McCook...

We are all accustomed to partisan bickering, so much that we have become numb to it. Whether it’s immigration, crime, vaccinations, or the causes of climate change, the party talking points on each side are invariably crafted to make the opposing party look dishonest, unpatriotic, or stupid. That’s the way it has been since Jefferson split with Adams in 1796, and that’s the way it will be long after we’re gone...

Grannie Annie and I made several trips to the Red Willow County Fair this year even though the heat was a bit oppressive. Fresh pies and “fair food” at one of the church-sponsored food booths were the main attraction but there was so much more. I was raised a farm kid and the yearly county fair was a goal to display 4-H projects, dairy as we milked cows and later beef projects in FFA. ...

Dear Editor, I am always interested in reading Dick Trail's column, unafraid to speak his mind and full of common sense. His July 19, 2022 column in the McCook Gazette, "Sales tax is a'comin'" particularly spoke to me. I am a fairly new McCook resident, so my opinion probably carries little weight, but I agree with Dick Trail on the subject of sales tax...

It should surprise no one that I caught a bit of heat over my article published two weeks ago. It was admittedly caustic, and as is often the case, the Democrats accused me of being a mouthpiece for the Republicans, and the Republicans called me a flaming Liberal. That isn’t exactly how I wish to be regarded, but it tells me I’m in the right neighborhood...

Dear Editor, I read the article in the McCook Gazette: “New sign marks 3 corners” (July 19 issue). I am happy that this sign denoting the 3 corners site where the States of Kansas, Colorado and Nebraska meet and Devil’s Gap was installed courtesy of the family of the late Larry Williams...

I always knew that when I was ready to start a family I wanted to raise my children in McCook. I wanted them to have the childhood I always dreamed of. A childhood where they could grow up with a tight-knit group of friends, ride bikes to the park, play sports and spend time with family. A childhood that would be enriched with the best values of small town Nebraska...

I would like to address a question I get a lot: Why did you go to Ukraine? As most people know I am a retired US Army Colonel with numerous combat deployments over my thirty-six years of service. I have a lot of experience with war. I became frustrated watching and reading the endless news reports of artillery and rocket attacks on what seemed to be primarily civilian targets. ...

Our McCook City Council is in the process of deciding whether to raise our local sales tax another half-cent to build a new swimming pool. Yes the question will have to go for a public vote in the upcoming election so the choice will eventually be made by you the voter...

It’s been quite a summer so far. Just a few months ago, people were talking about a “red wave,” and flipping both the House and Senate to Republican majorities. Historically predictable mid-term losses have plagued first-term presidents consistently for the last 75 years. ...

INDIANOLA, Neb. - How smart are our “IT” people in the United States? I’d say pretty darn intelligent. Farmer Tom has a cool monitor in his tractor when he plants and when he combines his crops. Although they may not be the newest or the best available, they are still pretty smart...

In February, the McCook Rotary Club celebrated its 100th anniversary. Over the past century, the club has evolved out of necessity and to remain relevant and perhaps most importantly, to be welcoming. The dress code changed from suits and ties to whatever its members were wearing that day with an occasional Rotary shirt thrown into the mix. Fines for missing a meeting or having your name appear on the front page of the paper went away...

Dear Editor, Just as Washington D.C. has its political “royalty” – what Donald Trump calls “the swamp” – so too the Nebraska GOP. We have our sect of political elite who think themselves “nobility.” For them, Lincoln-Omaha is the kingdom of “just us” – the Republican aristocracy’s inner sanctum. ...

Losing a younger brother and lessons on life Your old columnist is treading a path that I’ve never walked before. That being the loss of a sibling, my younger brother Tom. Like we of the “older set” he’d led an event-filled life. Failing body systems had put him in ICU on a respirator and dialysis then a flare-up of bone cancer. The wonderful hospice organization put him on palliative care and then his time had come. May his soul rest in peace...