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Saturday, March 9, 2013
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Giving back to their hometown Jerry and Diann Steffens helping to keep downtown Sidney moving Page 3
W W W. S TA R H E R A L D . C O M
A S TA R - H E R A L D P U B L I C AT I O N
Jack of all trades
Returning to her hometown roots
Diamonds in the rough
Helping the Panhandle prosper
Grooming the leaders of tomorrow
Hessler hasn’t met a job he couldn’t handle
Heggem: Singer, actress and community promoter
Local jewelers change face of diamond industry
Kelley improving communities one job at a time
Program helps shape leaders one class at a time
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Photo by Mary Wernke Photo by Chabella Guzman
Kevin Mooney, KNEB news director, and Leslie Smith, KNEB farm director, share a laugh at the station. The two are among award-winning staff members.
KNEB: A part of the Panhandle for 65 years By CHABELLA GUZMAN
Kevin Sandberg demonstrates how a youngster would use the back lever to power the Honda scooter toy. He has three of these toys, with family and friends finding new treasures for his collection all the time.
Local businessman shares his passion for Hondas
KNEB HISTORY
Staff Reporter
In 1947, before ever yone in America had a TV in the living room, most had a radio. In the North Platte Valley, they’d hear the friendly voices of KNEB. Businessmen in the valley came together in 1947 to create Platte Valley Broadcasting Corporation. Founders included Russ Stewart, Byron Joachim, owner of Joachim Radio Supply (D&H Electronics today) and John R. Jirdon, owner of Jirdon Industries. The radio station went live, broadcasting from above the Golden Rule Building (now Western Trails Sports) on Jan. 1, 1948, and was a daytime station only. The station ser ved the rural communities of the area much as it does now, with news, sports, weather, agricultural news and countr y music. “Our audience is ver y important to us,” said Craig Larson, general manager at KNEB, Nebraska Rural Radio Association. The station is not just about deliver y of ser vices, he said, but interacting with the community. A couple of longstanding events KNEB hosts include the Thanksgiving in the Valley and the KNEB Farm Show. The initial Farm Show was near
■ 1947 — Businessmen Russ Stewart, Byron Joachim and John R. Jirdon found Platte Valley Broadcasting Corporation and KNEB. ■ 1969 — Scotts Bluff Broadcasting Corporation owners George Haskell, Wayne McIntosh and Les Proctor purchase KNEB-AM and KNEB-FM. ■ 1979 — Panhandle Broadcasting Inc., owned by Gladys Seaton, widow of former Secretary of the Interior Fred Seaton, purchase KNEB-AM and KNEB-FM from Scotts Bluff Broadcasting Corporation. ■ 1984 — Panhandle Broadcasting Inc. is purchased by the Nebraska Rural Radio Association, which owns stations in Lexington and West Point, reaching across Nebraska and Kansas and into parts of Wyoming and Iowa. Panhandle Coop with a couple of vendors. It grew and was at one time at Monument Mall, said Kendra Feather, sales manager at KNEB. “From what I understand, the equipment was outside and down the runway at the mall,” she said. The event continued to grow and eventually moved out to the Scotts Bluf f County Fairgrounds in Mitchell. Now in its 28th year, the Farm Show is another way for the ag community to come together and network, Feather said. “We’re such an ag-based community, the show is a good way to catch up before you get out in the field,” she said. “It offers a variety of products, and people can visit with their
neighbors and have breakfast.” Feather likens it to an old-time ice cream social and looks for ward to it ever y year, though it is a lot of work. More than 30 years ago, thenGeneral Manager Jim Thompson and other employees of the station, including Kevin Mooney, Rich Berr y and Dennis Ernest, thought it would be a good idea to have a dinner for the community on Thanksgiving. For all but that first year, the event has been at the Guadalupe Center. KNEB included members of the community in the event, receiving help from the Kiwanis Club and Guadalupe soup kitchen. See KNEB, page 5
By MARY WERNKE For the Star-Herald
Kevin Sandberg drives one of his 60-plus Hondas to work, another on vacation, and still another patrolling country roads. He has Honda toys, Honda mowers and Honda rototillers. His of fice and shop building are decorated with Honda banners, flags and a computerized rendition of Sandberg as the super her o “Honda Man.” Near his home, a shop building is crowded with Honda motorcycles, Honda spor ts cars and Honda snowmobiles. His high school car and pickup stand out as the only nonHonda vehicles on the place. His shirts and jackets are all emblazoned with the Honda logo, and the Scottsbluf f-Gering businessman has been to Japan three times to visit the Honda factory. As you might suspect, he sells Hondas for a living. When his employer, Tim
Reganis, once joked with Sandberg about giving up the Honda line at Reganis Motors, he responded, “That will be my last day.” To call Sandberg a fan of the Japanese auto line is an understatement. He has one of the first Honda Cuby engines shared at conventions. He’s toured Twin Rings Formula One motorsport racetrack, built for the 50th anniversar y of Honda in 1998. Sandberg took Reganis along on a trip to Japan’s Honda factory last fall. On an earlier trip, Sandberg shook hands with his idol, founder Soichiro Honda (1906-1991). He said his admiration is based on the genius of Mr. Honda. In fact, he’d rather talk about the company’s founder than himself. “He was an engineering genius,” Sandberg said, “who teamed up with a financial genius.” The money man told Honda, ‘We must go to America.’” See SANDBERG, page 4
Banking on volunteer efforts of the community By JOE DUTTON Staff Reporter
Katie Camacho says she was just networking — looking for ways to make contacts as she began her career. But volunteering became part of a lifestyle that’s filled her walls with plaques and certificates and made her a lot of friends and admirers. A Scottsbluff native, Camacho returned home from Colorado to become a valuable asset within the Scottsbluff community. After graduating from Scottsbluff High School in 1997, she earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Wyoming in 2001 in finance with a minor in banking and financial services. “I kind of hit the pavement just looking for jobs,” Camacho said. “When you’re fresh out of school, you don’t even know what you want to start in and I started as a credit analyst and had some really amazing bosses and mentors when I first started.” Her career led her to Colorado Springs to work for Vectra Bank as a credit analyst and a small business lender, then followed her su-
pervisors to Academy Bank to be a commercial and residential lender. Camacho began volunteering with nonprofit agencies. “When you’re starting a career, you’re looking for ways to network and get involved in the community and I was really fortunate that my mentors pushed me to get out and get involved,” Camacho said. “That is in my heart to help people, and especially a passion for children.” She found a good fit in the Kiwanis Club of Colorado Springs. The average age of the members was 78 years old and most were men, but she quickly fell in love with their mission of serving children and eventually became next in line to be president of the organization. Her biggest challenge volunteering in Colorado Springs came when she got involved with the Leukemia & Lymphoma Societies Team in Training event. Camacho signed up to run a marathon in Chicago and was given a coach to help her train for the event. She said she doesn’t enjoy running, but if she has a goal to reach, she will do it. Her coach told her that training for the marathon is hard and may seem impossible, but to think of the
Photo by Joe Dutton
US Bank assistant relationship manager Katie Camacho proudly displays awards that she has received over the years for volunteering within the community at her office at US Bank in Scottsbluff.
people that are going through chemotherapy, radiation and think of what a hard fight that is. It helped her get motivated, and soon she signed up for another race. Her second marathon took Camacho to Dublin, Ireland. Cama-
cho also had a friend from Texas to join her in Dublin as they trained together, but in different states. Camacho was able to raise $10,000 between both marathons. In 2008, Camacho decided to move back to Scottsbluff after
meeting Christopher Camacho through mutual friends, and they later married in 2009. She joined Kiwanis here and later became involved with the United Way and the Court Appointed See CAMACHO, page 2
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CAMACHO: Banking on volunteer efforts of the community Continued from page 1 Special Advocates. She said the CASA mission of helping abused, neglected and exploited children was something she could wrap her arms around and got heavily involved with the Light of Hope Breakfast every year. Camacho said it was an easy decision to move back to Scottsbluff since her husband needed to stay in the area to help support his daughter Julia from a previous marriage, and it was a chance for her to be closer to her mother and stepfather. “I was never one of those people that said, ‘Oh I will never move back to Scottsbluff,’ because I really liked living here and I still have a lot of close friends that live here. Out of my siblings, I would be the one to move back,” Camacho said. “I’ve really been happy with moving back. I like the slower pace, I like the tight community that we have here.” Camacho said she is more involved with the United Way of Western Nebraska than she was before in Colorado. As a 2012-13 campaign cochair, and newly appointed board of directors member, she praises Executive Director Steph Black and the “phenomenal” program within Scottsbluff. “That’s a great organization to be involved with just because even though I tend to focus on children with my other involvement, the United Way encompasses everything and gives me a good way to reach out and help a lot of different people,” Camacho said. Camacho is also president of CASA of Scotts Bluff County. She organized the Light of Hope Breakfast in Scottsbluff in partnership with CAPstone. She said the effort has been a huge success over the past five years and was able to raise $17,000 for each agency last year for their fight against neglect and abuse of children. “For me, that’s a highlight,” she said. “Compared to five years ago, CASA and CAPstone are better known and the mission of the agencies is better known.” Camacho served as Scottsbluff Noon Kiwanis Club president and is now coordinator of the Bringing Up Grades program. She’s also a Teach A Child To Save educator through the American Banker’s Association. Recently her efforts were recognized by the Scottsbluff-Gering United Chamber of Commerce. At its annual banquet in January, Camacho was awarded the Rising Star Award. “It was really a humbling experience just because I am out in the community so much, I see the work that so many people do and, really, that stage could be filled with rising stars because we have an amazing group of volunteers in this community,” Camacho said. “To be picked among people that are my peers for the award was just really amazing and that’s where the emotion came from because I feel like I’m just one of many that does a lot in this community.” In her earliest memory, Camacho said she remembered volunteering when her father was working for Panhandle Concrete. Every year the business would donate presents to ESU 13 students and she remembers the good feelings that went along with helping him and seeing the students’ reactions after handing them their gifts. “I always knew that you just can’t be here for yourself,” Camacho said. “You have to help those that are in need, you have to help those that are less fortunate and not necessarily monetarily, but you can give your time and really make a difference.” In her recipient speech, Camacho gave a quote from Helen Keller that she said has always helped her keep things in perspective: “I am only one, but still I am one. I cannot do everything, but still I can do something; and because I cannot do everything, I will not refuse to do something that I can do.”
Courtesy photo
ABOVE: 2012-13 United Way of Western Nebraska campaign co-chairs Krista Sarchet, left, and Katie Camacho, right, show their dedication by teaming up with the agency, helping to raise $429,543 this year. Photo by Maunette Loeks
LEFT: Katie Camacho receives her Rising Star Award at the Scottsbluff-Gering United Chamber of Commerce annual banquet last January. Courtesy photo
LOWER LEFT: Katie Camacho, middle left, stands with the 2012-13 Loaned Executives who gathered outside the offices of the United Way of Western Nebraska in Scottsbluff for the “Teaming Up for a Better Tomorrow” campaign.
Do you have something to sell? Call 308-632-9020 for assistance.
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Giving back to their hometown ■ Jerry and Diann Steffens helping to keep downtown Sidney moving By ROGER HOLSINGER Assistant Editor
SIDNEY — Jerry and Diann Steffens are too busy to even think about retiring. The couple were both born and raised here, and credit strong employees and good customer service for the success of their five businesses. Both graduated from Sidney High School and shortly after graduation, Jerry began learning the ropes of the floor covering business by working for Dick Fiegenschuh at Dick’s Flooring. But this wasn’t Jerry’s first taste of working. “By the time I was 8, I had two paper routes,” Jerry said. “I scooped sidewalks in the winter and mowed lawns in the summer. I also had a nightcrawler business and I had two or three kids that would hunt for me.” Like her husband, Diann (Uzel) Steffens grew up working including babysitting and farm work. The two said their parents and grandparents instilled a strong work ethic in them. Prior to going into business with her husband, Diann worked 16 years for the Wheatbelt Public Power District. “It was not an easy decision to quit at Wheatbelt, and we were even advised not to open the furniture business,” she said. The couple entered the business world by purchasing a house and turning it into a rental property. One turned into two and so on. Today, the couple owns 26 apartments that are “always full.” In 1977, the two built their own home west of Sidney from wood from one of the barracks at the former Sioux Army Depot. The couple remains in the home today as a constant reminder of what can be done with faith and a strong work ethic. After working for Fiegenschuh for eight years, Jerry decided to go out on his own and then signed on with Sidney Flooring and Ken Pittam before working for Fisher’s Home Furnishings. Then he spent 14 years working as a contractor for T-n-T Floor Designs. In 2004, the couple purchased the home store from the Fisher family and opened Steffens Home Interiors. They also purchased a 10,000square-foot warehouse that was primarily used for the floor covering business. Then the only appliance store closed. “No one was stepping up and we saw the need. So we opened a store (Steffens Appliance Center) and it’s done very well for us,” Jerry said. The two used half of the warehouse for appliances, but the business openings were not done. In July 2011, the couple opened franchise restaurant Sam and Louie’s Pizza. The franchise is based out of Elkhorn. The business went into an empty building that once was home to a barbershop. Jerry and his crew remodeled the 100-year-old building, and today, the business adds another unique stop in the historic part of downtown Sidney. “Ninety percent of the buildings downtown are like this building. This just shows what can be done,” Jerry said, referring to the restaurant and the apartments above it. “Both of us grew up here. I grew up just three blocks from here (the furniture store) and I hung out in downtown Sidney all my life. Many of the buildings downtown have been here for 100 years and we believe that we can have them around another 100 years with a little work,” Jerry said. Following the restaurant opening, Diann got the bug to open a women’s clothing store in the loft of the furniture store. Then some property became available on the corner of 10th and Jackson. Last October, the d’Boutique moved and opened at the new location. While most of the days are spent working, every once and awhile they leave town to visit children and grandchildren. “When we leave town we don’t worry, but I’m on the phone checking in and reminding people about things. We have good employees at all of our locations, and that’s what makes it all work,” said Diann.
Photos by Roger Holsinger
Jerry and Diann Steffens were both born and raised in Sidney and today operate five businesses in their hometown. The two attribute their success to their faith in God and also having strong employees. They say they try to instill in their employees a strong sense of customer service.
In July 2011, the Steffens entered the food business, opening a Sam and Louie’s Pizza. The business went into an empty building that once was a barbershop. Above the restaurant are two apartments that Jerry and his crew remodeled.
The two said they would never have thought they would be this busy 30 years ago, but they keep investing in the community. “We’re both religious,” said Jerry, “and we believe that God directs us and we are always asking for his guidance. We also know that you can’t take any of this with you.” While life is good now, there have also been some bumps in the road. In 1989, Jerry was playing softball and broke his leg. He couldn’t work for two years and the two saw lean times. Even then the two made sure that their bills were paid and their credit remained strong. That’s something the two said many young people don’t think about and consequently they go into debt and their credit suffers. “But we’ve also had a lot of good things fall our way, too,” said Diann. The two said their business philosophy is to offer products at a competitive price and provide the best customer service possible. Diann said they realize that in many instances they are the only store in town, but
she said they also realize that people can shop out of town. Sidney City Manager/Economic Development Director Gary Person said the couple has really had a positive impact on the community. “Jerry and Diann Steffens are tremendous assets for our historic downtown business district,” he said. “They have an entrepreneurial spirit that has transformed their ideas into several small business success stories. They recognize a need in the community or a niche that needs filled and find a way to make it happen. They have proved that hard work, faith and believ-
ing in Sidney and its future are the ingredients for sound business development,” he said. Person said the couple are also very likeable and have upbeat personalities, “that helps them persevere the challenges, but also makes them good employers and business people.” He added that the two have earned the respect of the community and that there is no “slow down” in their vocabularies. “They keep dreaming about that next big venture even before they get their latest business development completed.”
Jerry Steffens said they worked hard to remodel some downtown apartments and tried to keep some of the original materials to give the apartments an original feel. He and his wife own 26 apartments in Sidney that are always full.
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Photos by Mary Wernke
LEFT: Sandberg enjoys working with his sons to restore old cars and trucks. While the décor is strictly Honda, an occasional antique vehicle from this side of the pond finds its way into their shop. BELOW LEFT: Sandberg’s most recent acquisition is known in Japan as the Honda NS-X, a luxury sports car. In a back-and-forth trade with another Honda sports car admirer in Colorado, the other man replaced the Acura brand on the front of the car, but Sandberg plans to return the logo to the NS-X style. To complete his collection, Sandberg is looking for a Honda S-600 or S-800 sports car from the 1960s. BELOW: An historic barn on the family farmstead houses an automotive workshop on the first floor and the beginnings of a “man cave” on the upper level.
We’re proud to celebrate 18 years of service
Courtesy photo
Kevin Sandberg and Tim Reganis were welcomed at the Honda plant in Japan by Asimo, a humanoid robot first created in 1986. Asimo’s mission is to inspire young people to enjoy science.
SANDBERG: Sharing his passion for Hondas Continued from page 1 In the 64 years of Honda histor y, there have been only seven chief executive of ficers, and ever y one was an engineer. Honda’s own son and his par tner’s sons would never rise to that level, he said. For the company’s 25th anniversar y, Honda put on a waiter’s jacket and ser ved wine to all his dealers at a banquet. “Honda has never had any layoffs and they have no unions,” Sandberg said. “The employees don’t want unions.” In December 1962, a Honda advertising camp a i g n d e c l a r e d , “ Yo u meet the nicest people driving a Honda.” Although he was only 4 or 5 years at the time, Sandberg could have been the poster child for that campaign. When a customer’s non-Honda vehicle broke down on the highway 30 miles from Scottsbluf f, Sandberg went out to meet them. He loaned the man one of his personal Hondas to drive while the pickup was being repaired. In 2011, a retired aeronautics engineer, who was no longer able to drive his Honda spor ts car, sold the rare model to Sandberg. He still owns the fire-engine red Honda NS-X (aka Acura, but Sandberg will rebrand it with the Japanese Honda logos). Designed by an Italian car designer, Honda manage-
ment informed its engineers that the new car would have to be as fast as anything coming fr om Italy or Germany. Honda intended the NS-X to meet or exceed the per formance of the Ferrari, while offering targeted reliability and a lower price point. “The Honda factor y only made two NS-X bodies a day,” Sandberg said. “They were made by hand and a worker had to have 10 years of experience with Honda befor e he could apply to work at that factor y.” Sandberg said his col-
lection won’t be complete games in the creative until he finds an S-600 or stage. S-800 from the 1960s. Naturally, they both When he’s not busy drive Hondas. selling Hondas, Sandberg is a founding member of the Farm And Ranch Museum, a district finance chair for Boy Scouts and a member of the Gering Merchants Association. The “just-a-car-salesman” lives on his family’s farm outside Gering with his wife Karla. Their two sons, Phillip and Ryan enjoyed trips to Japan with their father when they were 12, skateboarding and seeing Sega video
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Photos by Chabella Guzman
ABOVE: Announcer Steve Kjos has worked for KNEB for 21 years and is the afternoon DJ. Kjos is a native of the area and is the public service director at KNEB. LEFT: The KNEB staff has moved to a new building at 1928 Portal Place in Scottsbluff.
KNEB: A part of the area for the past 65 years Continued from page 1 “Everything is donated now, from the turkey to the pies,” said Mooney, KNEB’s longtime news director. “The community has really taken hold of the event and turned it into their own.” The relationships KNEB has built through its events and through its listeners is what attracted many of KNEB’s staff to radio. With media ever-changing, the station is trying to remain relevant to the younger demographic. “They are still out there listening,” Larson said. “We just have to give them a reason to continue to tune in, on their iPods, iPhones or other devices.” The station has added many new media, such as Facebook, a website and even video. “Radio is good at re-inventing itself,” Larson said. “They said TV would mark
radio’s doom, but we remain.” He said change is never easy for any media, but the station continues to evolve and grow. Mooney agreed, adding that the immediacy of radio is often what keeps people coming back to the station. “We get information right then to tell them,” he said. “It’s easy to develop a personality in radio and people feel they can relate to you.” The station is also working on creating an app for smart phones, through which the public will be able to stream KNEB, archive programs and listen to them later. Larson said the name of the game is being relevant to their listeners. “We’re a strong station,” he said. “People see us as a trusted voice. We’ll continue to keep to our cornerstones of news, sports, weather and markets, and people will keep listening.”
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1310 Circle Drive, Scottsbluff Mon–Fri 7:30 AM – 5:30 PM Sat 8 AM – 2 PM
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Hessler hasn’t met a job he couldn’t handle By ROGER HOLSINGER Assistant Editor
When you ask Lar r y Hessler if there isn’t anything he can’t do, he pauses, a smile begins to cross his face and he says, “Well, I haven’t found anything yet.” That pretty much sums up Hessler as he has been a preacher, furniture maker, artist, carver, inventor, sheriff’s deputy, has built his own home and knows more than most when it comes to computers. He fishes, hunts, is a skilled photographer and when he has some spare time he enjoys building toys for his grandchildren. Hessler grew up in Scottsbluff and attended kindergarten through third grade at Roosevelt Elementar y School. Then his family moved to Nor th Dakota when his father was offered the pastor position in Elgin, which is 57 miles southwest of Bismarck. “That area had some of the best pheasant hunting in the world, and since I knew all the farmers, they let me hunt,” he said. While growing up, Hessler worked at the Farmers Cream Exchange beginning in seventh grade through his senior year. “In those days, I would bring my shotgun to the school, leave it in the principal’s office and then pick it up and hunt while I walked home. Oh, how times have changed,” he said. The family returned to Scottsbluff after Larry graduated from high school and he began working for the Lichter Dual Rest Furniture Company. The business was located where Bomgaar’s is today, and Hessler said where Heilbrun’s NAPA is used to be Magnolia Mobile Homes. During the next eight years, Hessler built furniture used in the mobile homes. During the same time, he attended Nebraska Junior College in Scottsbluff, located in what is now Centennial Park. He then attended Evangel University in Springfield, Mo., where he became an ordained minister for the Assembly of God church. Hessler then enrolled at the University of Nebraska in 1965. The following year he met and fell in love with Delores Wimp. She was working as a par t-time secretar y at a church and worked for the radio station that broadcast the show “Back to the Bible.” The couple was married in 1966. The couple moved to the Lakewood Park Bible Camp in Devils Lake, N.D., where they spent the next 17 years. Hessler said that when they first arrived in Devils Lake, the area had its share of hippies and there were some seedy characters that embraced drugs and tried to influence the children at the Bible camp. As 1973 opened, he said things continued to decline and the sheriff’s department was doing nothing about it. He said they went to the sheriff’s office to complain, but got little help. Hessler then went to the county commissioners and pounded his shoe on the table, saying angrily that something had to be done or the town would risk losing the camp. “The chairman of the commissioners called me an S.O.B. and said if I was so good at telling them what to do that they would pin a badge on me and I could take care of it myself,” he said. Hessler, with no formal training in law enforcement, was sworn in by the Ramsey County sheriff on June 11, 1974. That fall he was sent to police training school. He also served as the department’s chaplain. After working at the camp from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Hessler would put on his uniform and patrol the area from 6 p.m. to 2 a.m. for the next six years. He was also one of the first deputies to have a four-legged partner, as Hessler trained his own German shepherd to assist in arrests, for search and rescue, and as a drug dog. “One time, a little 5-yearold boy left his home and was missing. We tracked the boy for five miles and when we found him, he was sleeping next to the railroad tracks. Then there was this one time when my dog sniffed out some marijuana in a guy’s pocket. I looked at him and told him, ‘Hand it over,’ and he did.”
Photo by Roger Holsinger
With no formal training in computers, Larry Hessler taught himself about how computers are built and how to repair them. Ordering parts from Byte magazine, Hessler built his own computer while living in North Dakota and then spent 12 years at Connecting Point in Scottsbluff.
Hessler was also around when the American Indian Movement was starting up and Russell Means and Dennis Banks were trying to gather some followers. “They didn’t get a foothold, so they moved to Wounded Knee and that’s when all hell broke lose,” Hessler said. Prior to a violent standoff at Wounded Knee, Hessler said he would occasionally stop a car in the middle of the night and inside might be AIM members, including Means and Banks. Something Hessler said he’s very proud of was that while he was in law enforcement, he never lost a case in district court. “I took my own photographs, did my own developing and had everything documented. When you showed the jury everything, they didn’t question it, and when you take those steps, that’s how you win.” While he saw many horrible things while in law enforcement, Hessler said he was never bothered by what he saw.
“What did bother me was that people didn’t tell the truth,” he said. “Even in the midst of death they’ll look you right in the eyes and lie.” After he had served as a deputy sheriff for more than six years, the couple moved to the Phoenix area. Larry had received a call from a friend who needed some help in running a supervised care facility and Lar r y helped to keep the facility running by doing all types of jobs. While there, the couple’s son, Japheth, graduated from Peoria High School, where he excelled in football and track. Larry said their son chose a career in nursing and today he and his wife, Karen, live in Severance, Colo. Japheth and Karen both graduated from the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Scottsbluff. The couple also has two children that are always at the top of Larry and Delores’ to-do list. The couple also has a daughter, Cindy Hessler, who works in the rehabilitation unit at Regional West
Medical Center. She graduated from the University of Nor th Dakota in Grand Forks. In 1991, the couple moved back to Scottsbluff where Delores opened a beauty parlor on Broadway and Larry began a career at Connecting Point. While he had no formal training in computer repair, Larry learned on his own. He said that during the winters in North
Dakota, he read up on computers and built his own. Once word spread about his ability, he was in high demand. So working at Connecting Point seemed like a logical step. After 12 years at Connecting Point, Larry went out on his own and operated his computer repair service in the rear of his wife’s business for two years. The property was then sold and his wife
hung up her scissors, but Larry continues his computer repair service from the couple’s home in the Bellevue addition. “I am as busy as I want to be,” he said. “I turn down the big jobs and prefer the smaller jobs. I don’t want to be tied down because I want to be able to go and visit my grandkids. See HESSLER, page 8
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Star-Herald
HESSLER: Hasn’t met a job he can’t handle Continued from page 7 When he’s not repairing computers, fishing, hunting or taking pictures, Larry invents things to make his life easier. Just recently he applied for a patent that would be used to holster a rifle. In 1999, he built a unit for his boat that allows him to control two independent motors with the same steering wheel. Since his home is mostly heated with a wood burning stove, making it easier to move logs, cut and split them are usually a priority. Larry also spent nine moths remodeling their home. So is there anything he hasn’t done? Larry pauses for a moment and then says, “I’ve been blessed. I have had a good wife for 48 years that puts up and cleans up after me. But I can’t complain.” Then after another short pause, he adds, “If I were going to build something right now, I think it would be tying a (wood) router with a CNC (computer numerical control) to carve wood. It already exists but they are really expensive. I might try to make one,” he said.
Photos by Roger Holsinger
One of Larry’s many talents is woodcarving. The rectangular piece he is holding was carved by hand while he attended the University of Nebraska in Lincoln in 1965. In the other hand is a jewelry box he recently completed.
Larry said he learned many things during his years working as a sheriff’s deputy in North Dakota. He also served as the department’s chaplain and proudly states that he never lost a district court case because of the time he took to document and photograph evidence.
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Star-Herald
SATURDAY, MARCH 9, 2013 9
Heggem: Singer, actress, community promoter By CHABELLA GUZMAN Staff Reporter
Life doesn’t always cut a clear path. Just ask Darla Heggem. She left her community to pursue a career and came back. Now she spends much of her time as employee recruitment manager with Twin Cities Development encouraging others to do the same. A native of Mor rill, Heggem attended Eastern Wyoming College in Torrington, Wyo., on an athletic scholarship in basketball and volleyball before attending Creighton University in Omaha. “I was thinking about a career in medicine,” she said. “I loved the academic side, but the hands-on stuff was just not for me.” It turned out her brother was in Los Angeles at the time she was debating her medicine career, and he invited her to join him. Heggem moved west and worked in the movie industr y at Warner Bros. Records, where her talent as a singer took her to another level in the industr y. “Someone heard me sing and I ended up cutting a demo,” she said. Heggem decided within a year that she also didn’t want to pursue the career of a singer and headed back to her roots in Nebraska. “I came home, because I wasn’t really sure what path I wanted to pursue,” Heggem said. “I considered a physician’s assistant, but wasn’t sure.” Heggem has remained in the community ever since. And after finding a career path, she still has continued to pursue some of her passions. She never would have considered herself as ideal for her present position, but after three different people encouraged her to think about it, Heggem applied and took the job when it was offered. Twin Cities Development is a nonprofit organization that provides economic development ser vices for Scottsbluf f and Gering. Her job entails encouraging people to consider a career in the valley, including some who grew up here and are looking for a way to come back. “Part of my job is talking to people about coming to the Scottsbluf f, Gering and surrounding areas,” she said. “There are so many dif ferent ways to plug our community. If a person has children, you look at the schools, and if they are artists or audience members of art attractions, I talk about the ar tistic community.” That’s a community she never left. Heggem was never trained professionally as a singer, but has been singing most of her life. “I’ve never taken a singing lesson,” she said. “I did take some acting lessons when I was in Los Angeles.” She added that the lessons were from a woman who was originally from Potter. She believes her abilities offer a way to give back to the community. Heggem has been in several Theatre West productions, but lately has focused more on her career and family. She admits a part of her always
Photo by Chabella Guzman
While Darla Heggem has never had voice lessons, she commands the microphone. She says she’s a vessel for the music she preforms.
Do you have something to sell? Call 308-632-9020 for assistance.
Photo by Chabella Guzman
Darla Heggem is known in the community as a singer and actor, but also promotes the community she loves as the Twin Cities Development employee recruitment manager.
wants to audition for a part during the Theatre West season. “As I get older, I find it takes a lot out of me,” she said. “Anyone who has never done a professional caliber production doesn’t know the amount of work it takes. You bring whatever you have, and it takes time to recover.” She smiles, adding that as she gets older, it’s a big commitment, but loves being a part of it whenever
one, and that’s OK. It’s she can. The arts are ver y team like finding the part that is oriented, she added. TCD right for you.” is similar, with a lot of people involved in the recr uiting of people and businesses to the area. Heggem said that if she didn’t believe Scottsbluff and Gering were great places, she wouldn’t be in the job. “Our area is ver y special and we should be proud of it,” she said. “But it won’t be for ever y-
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10 SATURDAY, MARCH 9, 2013
Star-Herald
Local jewelers change the face of diamond industry By BRANDON NELSON Staff Reporter
It’s a great start, but this is only the beginning. The product’s popularity is growing. The patent has been filed and so far, the Orion Company is helping to market SHG Gem Guard to more than 50 countries including the United Arab Emirates, Finland and Japan. This creates new marketing possibilities, Reichert said. Pro Ice has been tapped as a training location for the new process. With companies sending trainees in from across the countr y and around the world, he said there will be many excellent opportunities for promoting tourism in western Nebraska. Drawing attention to the region has always been a high priority at Pro Ice. Whether it be highlighting Oregon Trail history with the Sand Hills Gold Jewelr y collection and its ingrained wagon wheel hallmark, or proclaiming the beauties of the Panhandle through T-shirt graphics and signs, all of the products reflect the owners’ affinity for the area. Western Nebraska has a lot of potential as a tourism destination, but it requires a concerted effort from the community. Other local entities alr eady excel at showcasing it, Reicher t said, and Pro Ice will play a part in taking local tourism to the next level. “South Dakota has Black Hills Gold. I think we can do the same thing here with Sand Hills Gold,” he said. “We have the geography, the landmarks and the talent here. I know we have high potential in this area.”
With only a few tools inhand, Terry Reichert and Bob Moore of Pro Ice Jewelers arrived in Tuscon, Ariz., for the prestigious Tucson Gem and Jewelry Winter Show and set up shop in a makeshift booth. The pressure was on. The Scottsbluff firm’s booth sat inside a pavilion rivaling the size of two football fields, and more than 50,000 people passed through it each day to view $1 trillion in sparkling merchandise. Reichert and Moore had arrived on the world stage. Pioneers and leaders in the diamond industr y were passing by, scouting the competition. “We had everyone from master jewelers to kids watching us,” Moore said. “Everyone can see you in that little booth. You don’t have a shop to hide in.” But the seasoned jewelers came prepared. Backed by their business partners, the Utah-based Orion Welders company, and armed with their revolutionary product, the Sand Hills Gold Gem Guard, the team aimed to showcase their new method of jewelry repair. The process harnesses the precision of Orion’s fine spot resistance welder and pairs it with Pro Ice’s gem guard solution to open doors to new possibilities for speedy jewelry production, repair and design. Reichert said the outcome will change the way jewelers do business. “It opens up new avenues in jewelry. There are opportunities now that were thought to be impossible before,” he said. Orion laid the groundwork for new jewelry manufacturing and repair techniques when the company created the third generation fusion welder. Reichert said he and Moore started corresponding with Orion and began researching and developing several applications for the welder about two years ago. At the time, using such a powerful welder without damaging or making changes to a stone was not believed to be possible, Moore said, and the industry was in need of a product to protect the jewels. When mixed and applied Photos by Brandon Nelson to a stone or jewel, The ABOVE: Pro Ice Jewelers Sand Hills Gold Gem Guard Co-owner Terry Reichert acts as a shield and allows a holds an example of his jeweler or manufacturer to Sand Hills Gold Jewelry put prongs or metal on and collection. Each piece in the over the top of any precious collection is fashioned or semiprecious stone. entirely from gold found in Using the two-part soluthe Sand Hills region. tion, jewelers can employ welding techniques that LEFT: Sand Hills Gold Gem eliminate the need for solGuard is a two-part solution der joints on jewelry. Prothat protects precious or jects that once required semiprecious stones while hours or days, such as ring jewelers or manufacturers fittings, take minutes. weld prongs or metal on and A synthesis of well-inover them. Invented by Terry formed research, trade Reichert and Bob Moore of knowledge and a little bit of Pro Ice Jewelers, the product luck produced the SHG is on its way to changing the Gem Guard. Reichert said jewelry repair industry he likes to think of the entirely. breakthrough as the opposite of inventor Thomas Edison’s endeavors. “He tried thousands of times to make the light bulb,” he said. “We got this on the first try.” In Tuscon, their product was a hit. Reichert said jewelers were bringing projects that would be too risky and time-consuming for traditional jeweler tools to them from other booths. “We had between 10 and 20 jobs lined up at all times and 80 percent of those jobs you couldn’t do with a torch,” Reicher t said. “That’s how amazing it is. It took the whole show by storm.” With a crowd surrounding the booth and new projects pouring in constantly, Reichert and Moore completed about a month’s worth of work in the span of four days. They also marketed the SHG Gem GuardOrion Welder combination to company leaders from as far away as Africa and South 606 South Beltline East, Scottsbluff Yamaha. The 1st Name in Motorsports. America in that time. 308-635-0622 The response was over- *Rate and down payment based on credit approval criteria.www.celliscycle.com Offer is subject to credit approval by GE Capital Retail Bank. Valid on the purchase of new Yamaha Side x Sides made between 12/27/12 and 3/31/13 on your Yamaha installment loan account. Rate of 3.49%, 4.99%, 7.99% or 13.99% APR will be assigned based on credit worthiness. Payment Example: $160 monthly payment based on $10,350 purchase for 72 months at 3.49% APR, and 13.99% APR requires monthly payment of $213.21; Example based on 2013 Rhino 700 MSRP, less 10% down payment. Minimum Amount Financed of $5,000 or more and 0% to 10% minimum down payment whelmingly positive, Rerequired. **Customer Cash offer good on select 2012 (and prior year) models between 12/27/12-3/31/13. ***Trade in your Motorcycle, ATV or SxS and get up to an additional $300 towards the purchase of an eligible new, unregistered 2009-2013 SxS between 12/27/12-3/31/13. This offer may be combined with other current finance and customer cash offers. Offer good only in U.S., excluding HI. Shown with optional accessories ichert said. dc eg^kViZ egdeZgin# 6alVnh egdiZXi i]Z Zck^gdcbZci VcY lZVg V hZVi WZai! ]ZabZi! ZnZ egdiZXi^dc VcY egdiZXi^kZ Xadi]^c\# '%&' NVbV]V Bdidg 8dgedgVi^dc! J#H#6# 6aa g^\]ih gZhZgkZY# yamaha-motor.com 12/12 “We thought we were ™ Motorsports. Ya m a h a . T h e We 1 st N a mYamaha. e i n MThe o t o1st rs pName o rts.in leaders in the industry. Yamaha. The 1st Name in Motorsports. went out there and we *Rate and down payment based on credit approval criteria. 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Courtesy photo
ABOVE: Jeweler Bob Moore demonstrates the capabilities of the Orion welder and Pro Ice’s Sand Hills Gold Gem Guard at the Tucson Gem and Jewelry Winter Show in Arizona. Photo by Brandon Nelson
LEFT: Terry Reichert buffs a piece of Sand Hills Gold Jewelry at the Pro Ice Jewelry store at 2425 Ave. I Suite 2 in Scottsbluff.
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Star-Herald
SATURDAY, MARCH 9, 2013 11
Improving communities one job at a time By JOE DUTTON Staff Reporter
Jeff Kelley is known as the voice of the Scottsbluff Bearcats, but his real job takes him to towns all over the Panhandle. Ever y community needs assistance from time to time, but one man has made it a goal within his profession to help other towns within the Panhandle prosper, while also becoming a recognized voice among the air waves of western Nebraska. A grant administrator and housing specialist for the Panhandle Area Development District, Kelley came to the area as a broadcaster 31 years ago. Born and raised in Omaha, Kelley was always enthralled by the television and how it worked. His first experience within television was helping to answer telephones for the Jer r y Lewis Labor Day Muscular Dystrophy telethon in Omaha. He was surprised by the initial disorder. “It was all this chaos, and then the minute the lights went on, ever ything just got in order,” Kelley said. “Of course, I had a big interest in sports and so that’s what I wanted to do, and television just fascinated me.” After high school, Kelley got a degree in broadcast journalism from thenKear ney State College. Kelley said the program was more radio-based than television at that time, but he was able to get a job at KDUH television in Hay Springs as a sportscaster right out of college. When KDUH moved to Scottsbluff in 1982, Kelley moved with it, but later decided to leave the television lifestyle after getting burned out. He had plans to start a family, which didn’t mix well together. “It’s not a conducive life to do when you’re starting to raise a family,” he said. Kelley started in sales at Tracy Broadcasting, now Hometown Family Radio, but once again had the desire to get back behind the microphone and asked his station manager to let him do some color commentar y work for football broadcasts. Although he later left broadcasting to become manager of the Gering Civic Center, he came back to the station later on and was eventually announcing games for local schools in football, baseball and basketball. In 1998, Kelley pursued
a marketing position at the Panhandle Area Development District. Now in his 15th year, Kelley has seen his work evolve past marketing and now writes and administers grants for towns within the 11 counties of the Panhandle. Kelley said PADD helped community leaders acquire water towers in both Minatare and Morrill. He said one of the highlights of working in PADD is being able to help communities throughout western Nebraska with water, housing rehabilitation and other issues. “The rewarding part is being able to help these local communities better themselves and stay viable. You get to work with a lot of nice people too with all the local governments,” Kelley said. Part of his job also involves helping low-income home owners in the Panhandle to fix up their houses. His job is to inspect the homes, take bids from the contractors and do periodic inspections of the homes. Kelley said PADD has rehabilitated an estimated 70 homes since 2002, but lately it has been tough to keep the program available. “Right now, we’re kind of in a little bit of a lull, because it’s getting really hard to find contractors that want to do that type of work,” Kelley said. “There are some other organizations around the area that are doing those types of things, but hopefully we’re going to get back into it in a different way in the near future.” During one of the home rehabilitation projects in Oshkosh, Kelley said he received one of the most humbling pieces of feedback from a lady whose home had a wall heater, bad windows, limited insulation and a bad electrical system. He said PADD was able to bring the electrical system up to code, put in new windows and install heating to make it a comfor table home once again. The woman r ecently called to thank him. “That was great being able to hear that from someone that has gotten that help.” During the Scottsbluf f High School spor ts and West Coast Zephyrs baseball seasons, he returns behind the microphone to cover the games throughout the Panhandle and eastern Wyoming. “It’s something totally
Photos by Joe Dutton
LEFT: As the voice of the Scottsbluff Bearcats, Jeff Kelley calls a basketball game for Hometown Family Radio during the district finals at Western Nebraska Community College. BELOW: Hometown Family Radio Broadcaster Jeff Kelley looks over and prepares his stats during the district finals game.
different. This is all paperwork and filling out forms and emailing,” Kelley said. “It’s totally away from what the eight-to-five job is, which is nice.” He enjoys calling the big rivalr y games. “What makes it fun is when you’re in an environment like that and you are tr ying to describe the action to the listener and tr ying to give them what’s going on in the gymnasium,” Kelley said. In 1999, after Scottsbluff had won the district football championship game, fans r ushed the field, celebrating and waiting at the north end zone to wait for Coach Gar y Har tman to talk with his team, Kelley said he went onto the field to talk with the coach and noticed Hartman and his family off the the side. “I look over and here’s Coach Hartman and his wife and his daughter and they were just in this big hug. It was just so neat because all these people are just all crazy over here and these thr ee ar e just having their own private moment.” As a dedicated Husker fan, Kelley says he’d like to attend more football games and not have to plan the time in going to Lincoln and back to accommodate his local broadcasts. “We would just like to be able to get in the car like on a Thursday and just cruise down to Lincoln, and then if we wanted to, come back on a Sunday,” he said.
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12 SATURDAY, MARCH 9, 2013
Star-Herald
Program helps shape business leaders of tomorrow By BRANDON NELSON Staff Reporter
An organization centered on grooming the leaders of tomorrow is in its 24th year. Over the decades, Leadership Scotts Bluff has graduated more than 600 community leaders, who have gone on to shape Scotts Bluff County’s business and community landscapes. Its graduates have served in professional roles for civic and community groups. They have also assumed school board, city council, county commission and chamber of commerce positions. Susan Wiedeman, marketing director for Panhandle Coop and former mayor of Gering, finished with the class of 2001-02. She said one of the program’s best attributes is showing its participants how to network, be involved and making a difference in the community. “I grew up here, but it helped me get plugged into the community of today,” she said. “I’m still in contact with the professional relationships I developed in that time.” Leadership Scotts Bluff began with a vision and a mission to develop the leader within each of its participants. The need for such a group was evident when its founders saw young and emerging leaders looking to larger metropolitan areas for professional growth opportunities. To keep those future leaders in the community, the group was founded through the Scottsbluff/Gering United Chamber of Commerce in 1989. Board of Directors Chair Patricia Comfort said the program’s original mission remains relevant today, but it has remained flexible and multi-dimensional, allowing it to evolve as needed and change with the times. Goals now extend beyond the business realm. Comfort said personal growth is another central tenant, and participants are encouraged to explore and discover the leadership possibilities in their own lives and build confidence in the process. “It’s more than just building leadership in business,” she said. “It’s about gaining the tools to improve the world around you.” Through the years, it has evolved from a program involving business tours to a program that now exposes students to professional trainers and opportunities in the community. Class members receive instruction in remembering people’s names, understanding the tendencies of different personalities, improving communication skills and making group decisions. Community leaders also provide them with insight on leadership and management styles. Wiedeman participated in an exercise assigning a color to dif ferent personality traits. Class members identify their personal color and learn how to best interact with others based on their own tendencies. The skill came in handy when she was running for mayor of Gering, but Wiedeman said the color activity remains a skill and teaching tool she applies today at her current job. “When you’re in an environment with all different types of personalities and people, it helps you be cognizant of what drives them,” she said. Community involvement is also central to the course curriculum. Participants can research the past, present and future of the region and identify ways to contribute, Comfort said. That helps to build a tight network of community leaders, who seek to increase the number of opportunities for others in the region. “There’s a strong focus on community and what we can do to make our community a better place,” she added. Supporting local organizations through fundraisers plays a part in the program’s community focus. The Hoops 4 Heroes charity event is one of the program’s greatest successes in recent years, Comfort said. Classmates benefit by using Hoops 4 Heroes as a chance to work as a team.
They choose a local organization they would like to see benefit from the proceeds and practice organizing a fundraiser. What began as “An Evening of Elegance,” a wine and cheese LSB alumni event, grew into an event with themes tied to the NCAA March Madness. It began accruing thousands of dollars for groups such as the American Red Cross and rural firefighters. Last year’s funds allowed LSB to donate more than $18,000 to Scotts Bluff County schools. “In three years, we doubled the amount we could donate,” Comfort said. Comfort said the board is always looking to assemble each class into a diverse group of participants with varying interests and styles across a broad spectrum of achievement. The program appears on the resumes of several present and past city mayors, including Wiedeman, Fiona Libsack and Dave Boeckner. A long list of business owners and leaders are LSB graduates, including Bill Trumbull of Carr-Trumbull Lumber, Infinite Graphics owner Spencer McMurtry, Scottsbluff/Gering United Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Karen Anderson, The Spa at TLC owner Becky Zwickl, Runza franchise owners Neal and Lori Blomenkamp and their son, Spencer. It’s also multigerational. Gering dentist Dr. George Schlothauer, his wife Barb
Photo by Joe Dutton
Members of the 2011-12 Leadership Scotts Bluff class present an $18,800 check to Scotts Bluff County teachers. Class members hosted the third annual Hoops 4 Heroes charity event to collect the funds.
and his son, George, are all graduates. “Many of them are people who would not have stepped up before, but by going through the program you learn that everyone brings something dif ferent and there are many areas of need and so many opportunities,” Comfort said. Open enrollment will begin in July and the application is available on the Leadership Scotts Bluff website. After the interview process, the program will begin in September. Tuition for the program is $500 per participant. Comfort said it is not uncommon for employers to assist employees with the tuition cost. Panhandle Coop tries to send an employee through the program once a year, Wiedeman added. “It’s a very worthwhile program,” she said. “These are skills you will use going forward.” For more information about Leadership Scotts Bluff, contact the chamber at 308632-2133 or visit www.leadershipscottsbluff.net.
Courtesy photo
Classmates participate in a team-building exercise during orientation day for the 2011-12 Leadership Scotts Bluff program. Without speaking to one another, teams need to construct the tallest tower possible using only dry spaghetti noodles and gumdrops.
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