Jessie Randall   Sydney Barrett   Dallas Petereit

The Wednesday Night Steak Dinners at the Congregational Church in Weeping Water will continue until the end of April.  The dinners are served from 5:00 – 8:00 p.m. and can be eaten in, carried out, or delivered.  This fundraiser has been a huge success and the food is delicious!  There are just a few more nights to enjoy the food, atmosphere, and fellowship, so come on over to the Congregational Church this Wednesday and enjoy a great meal.

To order carryout or delivery, please call Annette at (402) 267-7445 or (402) 660-8112.  You can also call Chris at (402) 297-0293.

March 27, 2009, Lincoln – The need for LB 364 was identified by a school superintendent in our legislative district. The proposed change would help several school districts in Nebraska.

Last year the Legislature eliminated several budget limit exclusions after the 2007-2008 school fiscal year. One applied to payments to certified staff that are made in exchange for a voluntary termination of employment. In the past schools were able to make the agreements and increase school property levies, if necessary, to fund the payments.

The effect of eliminating this exclusion varied by school district. LB 364 would give school districts, for which budget problems were created, some additional time to adjust to the change. The bill would create a phase-out of the early separation budget exclusion, so all districts would be able to meet their obligations to certified staff, who agreed to voluntary termination agreements prior to July 1, 2009, and maintain all necessary services for current students. The Education Committee will amend LB 364 into a priority bill, which virtually ensures that the bill will pass this year.

LB 521 would allow the Learning Community to levy up to one-fourth of one cent for general fund purposes. Current statutes allow funds to be redirected from the core services funds of ESUs 3 and 19 to fund, in part, the administration and operation of the Learning Community. The loss of core services funding to ESUs 3 and 19 could undermine the current efforts to expand partnerships within the Learning Community and serve the school districts outside the Learning Community. Several of the ESU 3 schools are in Legislative District 2.

The relationships between the school districts, ESUs and the Learning Community are still being defined. Under the current fiscal arrangement, it may be difficult to build a sustainable working relationship among the players. LB 521 should help ESU 3, ESU 19 and the Learning Community to efficiently and effectively use the core service funds, as well as the proposed levy authority. The Revenue Committee’s hearing on LB 521 was held this week.

As you may know, the Lower Platte South Natural Resource District (LPSNRD) wants to acquire a trail corridor to link a bridge over the Platte River with the MoPac trail head east of Elmwood in Cass County. The route is not on an abandoned railroad line. The LPSNRD wants to create the trail, in part, by using its eminent domain powers to take permanent easements on more than 20 parcels of private property. The Cass County Board has twice voted unanimously against the proposed route, because it crosses the county road between intersections and would affect the flow of vehicular traffic.

Last fall this situation was described to me by constituents, many of whom are long-time friends and customers. After hearing their concerns, I decided to bring them to the attention of the Legislature. LB 134, as amended, would align NRDs’ eminent domain powers for recreational property acquisition with that of the Game & Parks Commission. If eminent domain is to be used, except when a trail is associated with a flood control structure, an NRD would first be required to obtain the consent of the Legislature.

LB 134 was prompted by a local issue. The broader public policy questions are, “What should the proper balance be between recreational trail development and the taking of private property by eminent domain?”, and “Who should have the final word when a local governing body and an NRD are not in agreement on a recreational trail route?”

LB 134 is my priority bill for the 2009 session, so I will discuss the bill again when it is scheduled for debate.

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.

RELAY FOR LIFE

April 17, 2009
Nebraska Wesleyan Campus, Lincoln, NE

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.

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.

• Seasons of the Soul author Janet Syas Nitsick won honorable mention for her unpublished, early-twentieth-century novel, Sustaining Love:  A Time Remembered.  www.Christianstoryteller.com   Writers Dream Contest of 2008 notified Janet of the award in February.  Visit Weeping Water Public Library to read Seasons of the Soul or listen to its audio version.

CALENDAR OF UPCOMING EVENTS

Wednesday, April 1:

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

Thursday, April 2:

• Track Meet at Platteview at 2:30 p.m.

Friday, April 3:

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

Saturday, April 4:

• Close-up returns from Washington D.C.

Friday, April 10:

• American Legion Fish Fry @ 5:30 p.m. (Last One)

• Community “Good Friday” Service at 7:00 p.m. at the Congregational Church in WW