Carnival tickets can be purchased in advance until 2:00 p.m. on March 20th for 5 for $1 or at the door for 4 for $1. We will have 16 fun games, so there is something for all ages.

For our parents we will have a silent basket auction.  We have 18 themed baskets that have been put together by our elementary classrooms, plus four that have been donated by PCS. Along with the baskets we will have a Weeping Water Indian quilt that will also be silently auctioned off. All of the classroom baskets and the quilt are on display at in the Meeske Auto Parts store window so stop by and take a look. You do not need to be present to win the silent auction items.

In addition to the above there will be a prize raffle.  Tickets are being sold by all elementary families and can also be purchased at the door of the gym on the night of the carnival. The raffle list includes a Nintendo Wii, Nintendo DS, Ipod, $10 gift card to Dairy Sweet, Mary's This ‘N’ That, Express Lane, and Stop ‘N’ Shop, radio controlled truck, $20 gift card to Happy Tails Grooming, 2- Weeping Water Indian drawstring bags, Weeping Water Indian stadium chair, giant candy bar, $50 gift card, State Farm camouflage hat & t-shirt, State Farm teddy bear and penny bank, and the list is still growing. You need not be present to win raffle items.


I have saved the best for last!  We will serve some really good food. Our families can enjoy meal combos of shredded beef sandwiches, hotdogs, or a slice of cheese pizza.  All meal combos include a small bag of chips.  Our menu also includes plain nachos and pop. We will be taking tickets instead of cash for the concession items, so buying in advance is a better deal.  However,  tickets can also be purchased at the door.  If you would like to purchase any raffle or carnival tickets you can contact Brandy Ahrens, PTO President, at 297-0876.  Please come and support your school.

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Relay For Life brings more than 3.5 million people from across the country together each year to celebrate the lives of those who have battled cancer, remember loved ones lost, and fight back against a disease that affects so many.

Samantha Wessels, a 2008 graduate of Weeping Water High School, recently contacted me about spreading awareness about Nebraska Wesleyan’s upcoming “Relay for Life” event to be held on April 17th.  She is on the Survivorship committee and is contacting area towns looking for cancer survivors who might like to participate and be honored during the festivities.  Survivors will get a free t-shirt and goodie bag and will be honored during the Survivorship Ceremony.
“Relay for Life” is an all-night event, with the teams walking around the track all night, taking turns in a relay.  However, the Survivorship Ceremony will be held earlier in the evening.
Those who are cancer survivors and would like to participate in the relay and meet with other cancer survivors can call Samantha Wessels at 402-297-1643 or email her at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..  She will then mail/email them a Survivor’s packet with all the information needed for the event.
Even if you aren’t a cancer survivor, you can still make a donation.  Wesleyan has almost 40 teams signed up to compete for donations this year.  Samantha’s team is called the “Plainswomen”.  There are ten girls on her team and their goal for donations is $1,000.  If you would like to make a donation, you can write a check to the American Cancer Society and mail it to Samantha at: 
Samantha Wessels
5000 St Paul Ave SMB 9029
Lincoln, NE  68504
You can also donate online with a credit card by going to the Wesleyan website at http://main.acsevents.org/site/TR?pg=entry&fr_id=16948.  Make sure you specify that you want your donation to be credited to the “Plainswomen” team.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 4, 2009
CONTACT:  Melinda Keeling, Safe Kids Sarpy/Cass Coordinator, at 402-339-4334 x210, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Safe Kids Sarpy Cass: Are Car Seats Safe?
An article in the March 1, 2009 edition of the Chicago Tribune suggested that unpublicized government crash tests from 2008 may have revealed “flaws” in car seats. While the details of the tests are still unclear, one thing remains undisputed: car seats save children’s lives every day. It is critical that parents and caregivers continue to use car seats for their children.
Correctly used car seats and booster seats are extremely effective, reducing the risk of death in a crash by as much as 71 percent. And the number of children killed in crashes over the past 30 years has dropped significantly, mostly due to the widespread use of car seats and enhanced child passenger safety laws.
Safe Kids USA always puts children and their safety first. Despite the report in the Tribune, the car seats on the market today are still the best, proven way to protect children in the event of a crash. Parents should continue to buckle their children in the right car seat or booster seat on every ride.
Safe Kids believes that more testing for car seats and vehicles can only continue to advance the child passenger safety field and improve the level of protection we can offer children when they ride. The more we know about car seats and how they react in crashes, the better equipped we will be to push for new technology and improvements that will keep children safer.
But there are a few important things a parent can do today to make sure their child is getting the best protection when using a car seat or booster seat:

• Always use the right restraint for your child’s height, weight and developmental age.
• Read and follow the manufacturer’s instructions that came with the car seat.
• Make sure your car seat and vehicle work together. For example, the largest car seat on the market may not fit in a compact car as well as a smaller car seat. Remember all seats meet the same Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards.
• Get help installing your seat the right way. Find a Safe Kids car seat checkup event at http://www.usa.safekids.org/. A certified car seat technician will guide you to the right seat for your child and vehicle and teach you how to install it correctly.
• All children under 13 should ride in a backseat.

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For Immediate Release: The Nebraska Retirement Systems Committee

March 6, 2009, Lincoln—The Legislature has 14 standing committees. Each committee is responsible for processing legislation that relates to specific issues. For some, like Agriculture, Judiciary or Revenue, the committee’s focus is easy to understand. However, the purpose of the Nebraska Retirement Systems Committee may be less clear. When I was encouraged by my legislative colleagues to seek the chairmanship of this Committee, I studied its role in the Legislature and its importance to all Nebraskans. I would like to describe what I learned and why my involvement with the Committee has and will continue to require careful time and attention from me.

The Nebraska Retirement Systems Committee has six members, including a chairperson. Unlike the other standing committees which hold public hearings on specific days of the week, this Committee meets at the call of the chair. The hearings are usually scheduled during the Legislature’s noon recess. The Committee studies legislative proposals and manages bills that affect retirement systems that have been established by the state of Nebraska or its political subdivisions. The Committee has jurisdiction over three administrative entities, which manage retirement plans for the state and the laws that govern them.

The Nebraska Public Employees Retirement Systems (NPERS), under the direction of the Public Employees Retirement Board, administers plans for state, county, school and State Patrol employees, and judges. County employees are eligible to participate in the applicable retirement plan, if their county does not offer a voluntary plan. Currently the plans have over 108,000 members and assets of more than $8 billion.

The governor appoints eight members to the Public Employees Retirement Board (PERB). Six members are participants in the retirement systems, and two are at-large members who are not employees of the state of Nebraska or any of its subdivisions. The State Investment Officer serves as a non-voting member of the Board.

The state auditor conducts an annual audit of the state retirement systems and reports the findings to the Legislature. The PERB and the Nebraska Investment Council also present an annual report to the Committee on the actuarial condition of the state retirement systems. In addition actuarial reports are presented annually on each plan.

The Legislature created the Nebraska Investment Council in 1969 to provide for the centralized investment of state funds. The Council has five voting members, who are appointed by the governor and confirmed by the Legislature. The state treasurer and the executive director of the Public Employees Retirement Systems serve as non-voting members of the Council. The Council selects and the governor approves the selection of the State Investment Officer. The Council, with recommendations from the State Investment Officer, is responsible for the investment management of the assets of state funds, including those in the retirement system plans.

Because of the steep decline in financial markets that started in 2008, the Retirement and Appropriations Committees requested updated projections of the state’s obligations for the retirement plans. The analysis was conducted by Buck Consultants, which provides actuarial services for the state retirement systems. Actuarial projections are based on three market recovery scenarios – slow, modest and strong.  

The state of Nebraska has a long tradition of meeting its obligations to state-administered retirement plans. Even with the recent steep decline in financial markets, current retirees will continue to get their retirement payments. During these uncertain times, state government will work with retirement plan representatives on long term sustainability issues.

The Appropriations Committee will budget some additional retirement plan state contributions based on a modest market recovery assumption. Future state obligations will depend upon actual market results, realized demographics (actual rate of retirement, the age at which people retire, etc), and potential changes in contribution rates.

In addition to our regular duties, the Committee’s legal counsel and I will begin soon to meet with plan representatives to review all options to minimize the negative financial impact to the state’s budget.

I appreciate the opportunity you have given me to represent District 2 in the Nebraska Legislature.
We welcome your contacts by mail, phone or email.

Senator Dave Pankonin
    State Capitol
    PO Box 94604
    Lincoln, NE 68509
    (402) 471-2613
    This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

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FOR YOUR INFORMATION

• The Weeping Water Public Library now has wireless internet service for community use.  Please stop in and check out this new service.

CALENDAR OF UPCOMING EVENTS

Wednesday, March 11:

• School dismissed at 1:30 p.m. for Spring Break

• Steak Dinner at the First Congregational United Church of Christ in Weeping Water  5-8 p.m.

Thursday, March 12:

• No School—Spring Break

• JH Wrestling @ Conestoga @ 4:15 p.m.

Friday, March 13:

• No School—Spring Break

• American Legion Fish Fry @ 5:30 p.m.

Saturday, March 14:

• JH Wrestling @ Ashland @ 1:30 p.m.

Sunday, March 15:

• Corned Beef and Cabbage or Ham Dinner at the Avoca Town Hall   11:00-1:00 p.m.

Monday, March 16:

• American Legion 90th Birthday Celebration @ 6:30 p.m. at the American Legion Hall