Opinions

In the word’s of War, why can’t we be friends? Now I’m sure that song has some deeper meaning that I have never cared to research because it came out well before I was born. For me though that is the song that is the soundtrack to all the conflict in my life.

Loren Lippincott, District 34 Senator Learning to discern There’s an old maxim that says “there are two sides to every story.” In fact it’s so old it can be found in the Bible, although not in so many words. Proverbs 18:17 says, “The one who states his case first seems right, until the other comes and examines him.” In other words, if you only hear half the story it seems to ring true until the other side is presented to shed more light on the situation.

The Bison Afterschool Program began six years ago with the mission to “promote healthy choices and love for learning in a positive environment of cooperation and support.” If you ever have an opportunity to visit the afterschool program (and we hope you do), you will see that mission on display through the smiles and enthusiasm of our students. You will see kids who are actively engaged in hands-on learning, physical fitness, and cooperative games. You will see them enjoying a healthy snack, interacting with caring adults, and learning from our presenters and from one another. None of this is possible without tremendous support from our community. We are incredibly grateful for all of the grants and donations that have helped make this program possible, and, of course, we could not offer this program without the teachers, paras, and volunteers who are willing to invest their time for our kids. From the start, the aim has been to bring members of our community together to work with our students on a regular basis in a safe, educational, and engaging environment, and we continue to pursue that goal.

As September ends we have October to prepare for as nothing wants to wait. As a chamber we are always looking forward in order to promote upcoming events. Next week will be the return of our semi-annual Small Town Market Days from October 5-7. Central City businesses are preparing for shoppers to come for some retail therapy! Check out the flyer in this week’s paper for places to shop, dine and explore right here in Central City. Remember your Bison Bucks! This is a great time to support local and spend them at your favorite chamber business.

Cross County, a sport that I may never understand, but will always appreciate. Last Thursday I headed to Valley View with my sons to watch the Roger “Bumps” Nielsen Central City Invitational and it was great to see both Bumps and Mrs. Nielsen! It was also extremely special to see the Central City and Nebraska Christian girls teams come together to share a moment before they ran. Made this Central City native so darn proud.

Middle school, high school, and into adulthood we are continually piloting and learning how to discern peer conflict and facilitate positive relationships. Middle school specifically is the first time students begin to do this independently. It is important that you help your child view conflict and disagreements as a normal developmental task. Otherwise, you lose a golden opportunity to teach your child how to navigate conflict and to problem solve in a way to produce productive relationships.

Each of us has a select few people in our life who have truly helped shape who we are today. Our parents certainly exert a great influence over what kind of adults we ultimately become, but the impact of mentors outside the family sphere cannot be understated.

Someone once said that a picture is worth a thousand words or ten thousand words, depending on who you are listening to. More than likely it was either Confucius or one of those other guys who are often credited with a bunch of stuff they likely never said.

It’s been a busy time at the Central City Elementary and Middle School libraries this summer and fall. Our previous reading program, Reading Counts, has been discontinued. In its place, we are implementing Accelerated Reader (AR). The goal of the Accelerated Reader Program is to motivate students to increase their reading and vocabulary comprehension and guide them to read independently. There is a proven link between strong reading skills and academic success; great readers make great students!

2023 continues to fly by and here we are in September. As I was looking at my calendar I noticed that September 12 is National Day of Encouragement. I know that, depending on the calendar you look at, you will find there is a day to celebrate almost anything! Anyway, “encouragement” is such a positive word and I started to think of how this might look in the chamber world. I guess we start with our membership. We have one membership category of just individuals who choose to support their community and chamber businesses through a chamber membership. I like to think of these members as those who encourage, provide the behind the scenes support, expertise and insight. Maybe they were business owners at one time or maybe they just know the importance of community and encouraging each other. This week we are thanking the following individual chamber members.