Mailbox

Forward-looking leaders

Your July/August 2022 article regarding Natural Resources Districts (“Elevating the Good”) made me smile.

When I was in law school in the early 1970s, I had the good fortune of working for Professor Richard Harnsberger, a leading national water law expert and a close friend of Maurice Kremer, on the legal background for the legislation to create NRDs.

Senator Kremer’s profound political insight was threefold: 1. to create NRDs along natural water basin boundaries – which no other state had done, and thereby alleviate the political infighting which occurred in other states with traditional non-basin boundaries; 2. to provide for locally elected directors instead of gubernatorial appointments, which took NRD control out of gubernatorial politics and assured local control responsive to voters and landowners; and 3. to provide NRDs with strong powers, particularly independent taxing power, which took NRDs out of the biennial state appropriations fights and provided dependable funding.

Nebraska was lucky to have such forward-looking leaders.

John Wagner Papillion

Plattsmouth’s (im)possible events

The article on the Nebraska Community Foundation hit home (“Elevating the Good”). I’m part of a non-profit organization that relies on and uses the funds from our local Plattsmouth Community Foundation Fund.

We use the grant money to hold events in our historic downtown and could not do it without the support and funds of the community foundation fund. They make our events possible.

Joni Friberg Plattsmouth

Imperial skates to good life

Thank you for featuring the important work of Nebraska Community Foundation and its affiliated funds and for highlighting young Mr. Moreno’s dream of a skatepark in Imperial (“Elevating the Good”).

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Our community quickly rallied behind Mr. Moreno to make one of the best outdoor skateparks in the state. The Imperial Community Foundation Fund has also recently helped build an art-filled park from a vacant lot and issued a challenge grant to the community to help with audio and video repairs at the municipally owned and volunteer-operated movie theater.

These projects and many more help continue to create the high quality of life for all ages our residents have grown accustomed to in Imperial. Thank you for lifting up this work and that of our peers across the state.

Tyler Pribbeno Imperial

Stuart’s big splash

As a resident of Stuart, I was proud to see our recently completed splash pad in your July/August 2022 issue that featured Nebraska Community Foundation (“Elevating the Good”). Stuart has been an affiliated community since 2000, and they have helped our entire community “Turn Up Our Dream Switch.”

Our recent success in building our unrestricted endowment to a point where we soon will be able to grant back over $50,000 to our community every year is just one example of the generosity and the abundance around us. As a member of our Stuart Community Foundation Fund, we are encouraged by NCF to continue to build our fund for the future of Stuart and rural Nebraska.

We encourage others to remember your community fund in their estate planning. As the article states, gifting just 5 percent of your estate will help rural America thrive for years.

Jay Wallinger Stuart

McCook’s youthful impact

Thank you for lifting up the work of McCook’s Youth Change Reaction (YCR) in your July/August 2022 issue (“Elevating the Good”).

More than a decade ago, YCR was formed in McCook to provide young people with a voice to be heard in the community and the opportunity to make a difference. With the support and guidance of Nebraska Community Foundation and McCook Community Foundation Fund, YCR members are becoming leaders in the community, doing projects for others and getting things done.

As highlighted in the article “Elevating the Good,” McCook’s YCR group established a bike loan program at Red Willow Lake. Now they are taking on a more ambitious project: raising funds to build a permanent drive-in theater at the local fairgrounds, which they hope will benefit the community for generations.

These young people are the future of McCook and the future of Nebraska. And the future looks bright as these young people work to make McCook an even better place to call home.

Ronda Graff McCook

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Red-hot heritage

In the past, I read with interest articles you have written about local firefighter museums (“Museum Sparks Interest in State’s Oldest Fire Department,” July/August 2022).

People who have a passion for firefighters and the history of the fire service will love the Nebraska Firefighters Museum Hall of Fame Education Center and Memorial Garden in Kearney.

It is dedicated to honoring the history and heritage of Nebraska’s fire and emergency service and educating individuals from toddlers to senior citizens regarding fire prevention and safety.

A change out of equipment takes place every fall, and we have many activities for children throughout the year.

A must-see is the beautiful memorial garden that honors Nebraska first responders and those who have died in the line of duty.

Bob Vogltance West Point

Pioneer history

I enjoyed reading the article on the Mormon pioneers. (“Linda Meigs: Omaha’s Keeper of the Mill,” May/June 2020). My family lived in Florence in the 1940s on Young Street. It was mostly farmland back then. Our house still exists but no sign of a farm today.

I don’t recall learning about a Mormon settlement when we lived there. However, I was curious about the Mormon Pioneer Cemetery when traveling on the bus to school. I do recall the Florence Mill and the Mormon Bridge, which I believe was a toll bridge back in the day.

A bridge tender was nice enough to let a paperboy warm up on cold winter mornings.

Howard “Butch” Stitt Loomis, California

Butterfly memory magic

Hello from Wisconsin. We lived in Norfolk for many years relocating to Wisconsin to be closer to family as we age. I receive the Nebraska Life as a gift from a long-time friend. I’ve always enjoyed the magazine with the variety of stories, poems, recipes and illustrations, but have found a new use for it that I thought you might find rewarding. I am a hospice volunteer and many times find segments from the Nebraska Life to share with my patients.

Today was no exception, but your article “Nebraska’s Parade of Pollinators” (July/August 2022) was especially a hit. I have a patient with Alzheimer’s who enjoys nature, colors and patterns. I thought of her when I saw the bright cover of the recent issue. I shared this article and the beautiful, colorful pictures, including the assortment of butterflies on the cover. She always enjoys thumbing through the pages, but she really connected with this article and the pictures, looking at them and talking about the beauty over and over. It certainly added some joy to her day.

This issue will be getting a lot of use with our visits. Thanks so much for the quality you put into each issue.

Marsha Rotherham Oregon, Wisconsin

Team effort

Thank you for your beautiful magazine. It is wonderful to take a break when it arrives and enjoy all aspects of each issue. I appreciate all the work and effort your staff puts into each issue.

Marcia Reining Hastings

SEND YOUR LETTER TO THE EDITOR

Please send us your letters and emails by Oct. 1, 2022, for possible publication in the November/December 2022 issue. One lucky winner selected at random will receive a free 1-year subscription renewal. This issue’s winner is Tyler Pribbeno of Imperial. Email editor@nebraskalife.com, or write by mail to the address at the front of this magazine. Thanks for reading and subscribing!