Thanks, and congratulations

After a glorious weekend -- from both a weather and accomplishment standpoint -- it's time for congratulations and thanks.

Outstanding Wrestlers

Three Southwest Nebraska athletes brought honor to this region by winning state championships in their weight classes at the 2002 Nebraska State Wrestling Tournament.

Stuart Frazier of McCook, brought home the gold in the 215-pound weight class in Class B; Jay Wood of Imperial Chase County captured the championship in the 152-pound weight class in Class C; and Rusty Taper of Curtis Medicine Valley won the title in the 145-pound weight class in Class D.

Three classes ... three champions. As coaches and parents will attest, it takes an extraordinary amount of work and dedication for athletes to reach the championship level.

Congratulations to Stuart, Jay and Rusty for reaching the pinnacle in Nebraska high school wrestling.

Council does the right thing

The McCook City Council is to be commended for giving Valmont five more years to achieve the company's employment goal of 225.

By the unanimous vote, the council spoke for the community in recognizing the importance of Valmont to this area's economy. The Sept. 11 terrorist attacks sent shock waves through the entire nation, and the council did the right thing in recognizing that Valmont will need more time to qualify for tax forgiveness status.

Valmont's plant in McCook is a leader in the industry, with the best production record of any Valmont manufacturing facility. Employment at the McCook Valmont plant averaged 165 full-time equivalent employees in 2001.

For that, this area and this community are grateful.

Swimmers going to state Under the direction of Coach Charles Coleman, the McCook High School swimming and diving team continues to improve. Proof of that is provided by the two Bison relay teams who have qualified for the state meet, scheduled Thursday through Saturday in Lincoln. Our congratulations to the coach and the swimmers who are going to state. They are Jeremiah Herron, Ty Lafferty, Joe Crocker, Casey Rupe, Katie Loghry, Melissa Ankersen, Amber Hiatt and Cinda Coleman. Good luck, Bison. Enjoy the state experience and accept our congratulations for your continued improvement.

Home Show was a hit!

We've said it before and we'll say it again: the McCook Chamber of Commerce's 2002 Home & Builders Show was a rousing success.

A turnout of 6,400 people in a town of 8,000 population is awesome! Many people played a role in the event's success, including the coordinator, Linda Frank; the Chamber manager, Marie Owen; and the dedicated Chamber board members and volunteers.

You did a great job. Thanks for bringing an outstanding event to this area.