Chamber Coffee Connection

Parker-Hannifin hosted the September Coffee Connection at the plant on September 16. Wil Midkiff, Plant Manager, shared interesting information about the plant with those in attendance. The format of a coffee connection is informal and provides a time for everyone present to share the new things happening with their respective businesses. Join us for the next Coffee Connection to be held on October 21 at the McCook Art Guild on Norris Avenue. The coffee begins at 7:30 a.m. and wraps up around 9:00 a.m. but keep in mind that it is a “come as you can” and “go as you must” event. We hope to see you there!

SPUCC October Meeting in McCook

The McCook Area Chamber of Commerce is hosting the regular monthly meeting of the South Platte United Chambers of Commerce on Tuesday, October 13, at Sehnert’s Bakery and Bieroc Café. Committee meetings begin at 3:30 p.m. with the SPUCC Board meeting at 4:30 p.m. Social hour will begin at 5:30 p.m. with dinner and program at 6:00 p.m. Chamber members are invited to attend and may do so by contacting the Chamber at 345-3200 for reservations.

38TH Annual Heritage Days Celebrates "Lookin' Fine in '09"

Parade Marshall		Parade Royalty		Past Royalty

MNB Mixer

MNB Staff		Royal Court includes (L to R): Carlos Dominguez, Ashley Pick, Kendra Cuellar, Rebecca Crouch, Adrian Lambing, Princess Hailey Buddenberg, King Austin Edwards, Alexandra Trew and Alex Bracht.

Angela Wagner Entertains		Thanks, Don!		Cal Siegfried and assistant, Todd Thiezen

Beautiful fall weather greeted the thousands of spectators and participants for the Heritage Days Celebration held September 26-27 in McCook. “One of the best…..” was a comment often heard about the parade which again boasted over 100 units this year! The parade is, of course, a highlight but the festivities actually are kicked off at the MNB mixer on Wednesday evening, September 23. Carrying out the theme, “Lookin’ Fine in ’09”, the staff at MNB went all out to assure that this was a mixer to forever be remembered. The staff decked out in white dress shirts, bow ties, and black dress pants to serve the fantastic array of food they had prepared themselves. Master Chef Cal Siegfried and his skilled assistant, Todd Thiezen, donned attire (including chef’s hats) to suit their role of carving the beef for the cocktail sandwiches. Staff dressed to the ‘Nines’ greeted guests at the door and musical entertainment was provided by staffer, Angela Wagner. Served on silver trays, skewered fruit and other hors d’oeuvres were beautifully displayed atop cocktail tables which added to the festive atmosphere.

Special Honorees Revealed

Honor Family, Don and Alice Harpst		Grand Marshall, Colonel Linda S. Aldrich Photo courtesy of McCook Gazette

 Each year we honor individuals during Heritage Days for their contributions to our area or to the world at large. The Honor Family recognition was presented to Don and Alice Harpst. The Harpsts have been long time residents of Southwest Nebraska and McCook. Their philanthropic generosity has touched many lives in our area but they also give of their time and talents to help provide the quality of life we enjoy.

The Grand Marshal for the 38th Annual Heritage Celebration was Colonel Linda S. Aldrich, the daughter of the late Ray Aldrich and her mother Gladys Aldrich. Colonel Aldrich was a 1969 MHS graduate and has attained many achievements in her lifetime. We are proud to say she is from McCook! The 2009 Parade Marshal, Dennis Berry, is a person known to most everyone in our community as a leader and educator. He has touched many lives and we are certainly blessed to have enjoyed the fruits of his leadership skills over the years. From a court of eleven finalists, the Heritage Days Royalty judges team were challenged to select our royalty for the festivities. Austin Edwards and Hailey Buddenberg, Seniors at McCook High School, were chosen for the honor.

Deal or No Deal

Celebrities		Students

The Thursday evening activities were hampered by stormy weather and had to be moved to the City Auditorium but proved to be fun even then. Deal or No Deal, the barbeque and the “Art in the Park” went well even though we probably lost numbers due to the move. Suitcase holders in the television game show were the McCook High School Cheerleaders and dance team, 26 businessmen and women, and students from McCook Community College. As always, we really appreciate the support we receive from the community for our activities but in the case of Deal or No Deal…..words are not enough….you just had to be there to understand! They were the greatest again this year. We were blessed with special guests ranging from Larry the Cable Guy to Cleopatra to Coach Gross to James Bond 007 to Ugly Betty to Donald Duck. And I could go on listing 20 more! We also extend our sincere thanks to Schmick’s Market and Parker Hannifin for their help with the barbeque and to First Central Bank for manning the popcorn and pop stand with all proceeds going to the Chamber!

Cal Siegfried, Emcee		Jesse Stevens Does TV Too!

Of course, the event would not be the same fun without having Cal Siegfried as our game show host. Jesse Stevens provided the sound and also doubled as our television commercial provider. Thanks too for the extra effort by the McCook Art Guild and the McCook Community College Art Department for the art displays. The number of people involved in this one evening is amazing and we are forever indebted to our ever-willing volunteers!

Lucky “Deal or No Deal” Contestants included Sarah Dixon, $75; Glen Tietze, $156; and Claralynn Wudtke, $5.

Norris Foundation Prayer Breakfast

Friday morning was the time for the annual Prayer Breakfast hosted by the Norris Foundation at the Heritage Senior Center. As always, the event enjoyed a nice turnout and left everyone with a sense of satisfaction as we took time from the hectic pace of the Heritage Days Celebration to give thanks and hear about our heritage with regard to Senator George Norris.

Norris Park Activities Brings Thousands Together

Veteran's Memorial Dedication		Heritage Days Crowd

The Arts & Crafts Fair, food booths, the bandshell entertainment, the Car Show, church in the park and the Veteran’s Memorial dedication brought thousands of people to Norris Park. Friends reunited, neighbors visited, children played, memories made……all of these things make the celebration so much a part of what keeps a community alive and well. We so often take for granted the quality of life we enjoy in Southwest Nebraska. This weekend reinforced how blessed we are.

Backyard Barbeque Contest

The fourth annual Backyard Barbeque Contest was held on Saturday afternoon in beautiful Norris Park. Schmick’s Market provided two 12-ounce ribeye steaks for each team, McCook Lettering provided specially made T-shirts. D & S Hardware provided a $400 value Charbroil Barbeque Grill for first place and Parker Hannifin provided $300 in prize money. Winning the contest was John Gomez, McCook. Second and third place prizes went to two McCook FFA teams.

The Chamber Salutes…..

All of the many, many, many volunteers who are willing to say yes to help make the Heritage Days celebration possible each year. Our staff of three could certainly not do it without all of those wonderful people! THANK YOU!!

Educator Welcome Brunch

New educators and their administrators were invited to attend the annual “Educator Welcome Brunch” hosted by WalMart at 10:00 a.m. on September 12. Guests were treated to a complete pancake breakfast, as well as, a number of door prizes provided by Chamber members. The purpose of the breakfast is to express appreciation for the work done by our educators which directly influences our future through the students they touch each and every day.