Daughter praises Hillcrest care

A McCook woman whose 101-year-old mother lives at Hillcrest Nursing Home praised Red Willow county commissioners Monday mor-ning for the care given to her mother at the county-owned nursing facility.

Shirley Nothnagel said her mother, Lillian Shaw, has lived at Hillcrest for the past year and a half, after she broke her leg living semi-independently at home.

"Her leg has healed, thanks to Hillcrest, its staff and therapy," Nothnagel said.

Nothnagel said she and her family do not "go to 'check up on' Mom every day. We go to visit her. She's comfortable there," Nothnagel said.

"The home is clean, the staff is attentive, helpful and cheerful," Nothnagel said. "Cheerfulness means a lot to older people."

Commissioner Leigh Hoyt, who in the past has questioned the wisdom of the county owning the nursing home, asked Nothnagel if she thought her mother would receive the same level of care if the home were owned by a private enterprise or a national management organization. Nothnagel replied, "I've visited homes in Boulder, Longmont and Loveland, and they are just not as friendly, cheerful or clean."

Hoyt said he thinks people misunderstand the county's involvement with Hillcrest. He said county commissioners appoint Hillcrest board members, but the home is run just like a privately-owned organization. "It's a county-owned operation," Hoyt said, "but it's run by one person and a board."

Nothnagel did not change her opinion. "I don't think you would have as good of care if it was run by a national organization," she said.

Fellow commissioner Steve Downer said he feels it is an advantage to have a local administrator and board, maintaining a feeling of local ownership.

McNutt agreed, "It could be run by people who never set a foot in the place."

In other action, commissioners:

* Renewed a contract with Prichard and Abbott of Fort Worth, Texas, an appraisal firm that determines the valuations of underground oil and minerals in Red Willow County. The contract, for 2005 and 2006, will cost $3,200 per year, and $750 per day if the firm is called upon to defend against a tax protest.

* Approved the county's one- and six-year road improvement program plan presented by the county's road supervisor Gary Dicenta. The plan details paving, armor-coating and shoulder work, bridge replacement and grading projects, and is submitted annually to the Nebraska Department of Roads.

Commissioners also approved the highway allocation budget report that accompanies the road plan.

* Dicenta and commissioners discussed repairs needed on the county road leading north from U.S. Highway 6-34 to Harry Strunk Lake. Dicenta said Nebraska Game and Parks plans to erect more signs and is recommending that the county also erect more signs and consider the possibility of laying rumble bars.

Downer said the road was last armor coated in 1997. It needs it again, he said, and then the lanes and passing zones can be painted.

Dicenta told commissioners he will visit with officials of Figgins Construction about the warranty regarding some potholes that are appearing in summer armor-coating projects.

County Attorney Paul Wood will be asked to determine where county liability starts on Old Highway 6-34 southwest of McCook, at the city's transfer station. A wash-out under the road needs attention, but Dicenta asked that Wood determine whether it is inside or outside the city limits.

* Denied a claim made by Roger Messersmith of rural McCook that a truck accident that Messersmith had during wheat harvest was the fault of the county road. Messersmith submitted a $12,724.56 truck repair bill to commissioners, saying the county road he was driving on was too crowned and too narrow and that a windrow of graded dirt was piled in the middle of the road.

McNutt said Messersmith had complained of washboards on the road and that he (McNutt) was grading the road at the time of the accident and had not yet turned around to do the other side of the road when the accident occurred. "His complaint wasn't ignored," McNutt said.

"There is no way the county can be liable for this claim," McNutt said. "It's a no-fault accident. He simply got onto the shoulder with an overloaded grain truck."

"That's a hazard of driving on county roads," Downer said.

* Discussed with County Attorney Paul Wood an offer from McCook rancher Tom Kiplinger to pay off early and in full (rather than in yearly payments) the $223,000 he owes the county on the new arena on the fairgrounds.

* Learned that weed control specialist Bill Elliott has issued one 10-day forced spray notice, to a Lebanon-area farmer, upon the recommendation of Tom Neill, an inspector with the Nebraska Department of Agriculture. Two other areas of concern, southwest of McCook, have been taken care of, McNutt said.

* Reviewed and filed the county treasurer's report of changes to pledged securities and monthly fee reports from the clerk of the district court and the county clerk.