City leaders go through strategic planning session
LAUREL — This year’s Year in Review section begins with many accomplishments and achievements from Laurel area residents.
May 1, 2019
LAUREL — Keeping a city growing takes work and planning. A strategic planning meeting here April 24 gave community members a chance to brainstorm, and collaborate on how to keep the community growing well into the future.
After learning about the needs of the community, the 35 community members in attendance decided a community center and an early childhood development center were the most pressing issues facing the community today.
The strategic planning session was led by Nicole Sedlacek, Economic Development Consultant for Nebraska Public Power District.
May 1, 2019
LAUREL — The creativity just oozes out of Kaylee Donner. She loves to draw, paint, design, sew, write, sing, dance and create, said her mother, Shasta Hans. Donner used that creativity and her never-say-quit attitude to launch her own business — Meraki Bakery. She named her business after a word that defines her. “Meraki is defined as ‘to do something with all your soul, love and creativity,” Donner said. She began expressing her creative side through cake and cupcake decorating about two years ago when she started baking cakes and cupcakes for family and close friends. “It’s a stress reliever for me. I find it relaxing, and it takes my mind off of things,” she said. Donner is an active sophomore at Laurel-Concord-Coleridge School, in addition to working a parttime job and juggling extra curricular activities. Donner turned her passion of cake decorating into a side business. “She has always been headstrong and confident. When she sets her mind to something, and is passionate about it, she will get it done — and she loves to be challenged,” her mother said.
May 1, 2019
LAUREL — Photography is one way artists can capture the world around them, capturing a moment and telling the story. That’s exactly why Cassandra Kvols fell in love with this art form. “Photography is one way to see beauty in everything around us,” said Kvols, who is the second artist to be featured at the Laurel Community Learning Center.She has a passion for using her camera to capture that beauty in every day life.
May 1, 2019
LAUREL-Laurel-Concord-Coleridge first graders made their way up the walking trail Friday for an Arbor Day tradition — planting a tree. A Red Maple was chosen to be planted with the assistance of Dwayne Freeman. Freeman told students the importance of planting a tree correctly, the care of the tree, the importance of keeping it watered and the use of mulch. All the students were able to participate in helping plant the tree. Once planted, the Arbor Day Proclamation was read by Tayler Hall, LCC 1st grade teacher. Those taking part were: Brooke Jansen, Mason Mendez, Kynslee Hoffart, Madison Olson, Jade Fettig, Jeremiah Kinkaid, Aliya Detlefson, Hazley Folkers, Caden Barnes, Alex Kvols, LizzBeth Lempke, Lucy Ocampo, Ruby Tasler, Myles Parsons, Kory Burns, Peyton Benson, Emma, Kvols, Foster Stone, Stella Graham, Jacey Folkers, Treytan Lawyer, Karla Pippitt, Sophia Pounds, Elle White, Josh Tarno, Aaliyah Kizzire, Ryleigh Loberg, Tiernan Parsons, Nash Cunningham, Tayler Hall, and Dwayne Freeman.
May 1, 2019
PLAINVIEW — The Laurel- Concord-Coleridge girls finished in the middle of a balanced pack while the Bear boys finished 12th at Monday’s Lewis & Clark Conference meet. Vanessa Vance led the way for the Lady Bears with a four-medal effort, highlighted by a runner-up finish in the 100-meter hurdles. She also placed seventh in the 100 and eighth in the 200, while running the opening leg of the 400-meter relay that finished fifth. Erica Wolfgram had a pair of medals for the Lady Bears,placing third in the high jump and joining Vance, Glenda Vance and Makayla Forsberg on the 400-meter relay team. In boys action, Cody Babl and Austin Hall both came away with third-place medals to lead LCC. Babl picked up a bronze in the boys high jump, while Hall was third in the discus.
May 8, 2019
LAUREL — Laurel-Concord-Coleridge seniors are getting ready to begin a new chapter in their lives. The 28-member LCC Class of 2019 will turn that tassel and be confirmed as graduates on Saturday, May 11.
May 8, 2019
COLERIDGE - Floyd McCart has always felt his strong faith would guide him. He credits that faith with saving his life when he was in the Navy. That same faith has helped him share his gifts with two LCC Middle Schoolers — a role he continues in to this day despite recently being diagnosed with cancer. In 2017, he was getting his hair cut by Sally Sayler when she encouraged him to become a TeamMates mentor.
He contacted the school and became a mentor in the winter of 2017. He had heard of TeamMates because his nephew Don Graham is a golf pro and manager at the Wild Horse Golf Course in Gothenburg, and they host a golf fundraiser for TeamMates. Tom Osborne and many former Huskers have participated in this annual fundraiser.
May 8, 2019
COLERIDGE — Robots, water rockets, coding, and other STEM themed activities were tested out at the Second Annual STEM night at the Laurel-Concord-Coleridge Middle School, Friday, May 3. The kids enjoyed it this year just as much as last year. LCC Supt. Jeremy Christiansen, was outside guiding students on how to use a water rocket. Students filled two liter bottles with various amounts of water, pressurizing it by using a special launcher, then launching the bottle into the sky. Christiansen asked the students a variety of questions, encouraging them to observe if more or less water in the bottle rocketed it higher in the air.
A few stations with robots and coding were available as well, allowing students to learn more about the robots. A balloon tower challenge was given. Students were allowed 10 minutes to blow up balloons and tape the balloons together to see who could build the highest free-standing tower. “For the balloon towers we didn’t know how to do it, but we had a set time so we couldn’t just give up,” said student Haley Hart.
Alex McKamy, LCC Middle School Mathematics teacher was available with his popular break-out room. Students were given clues throughout the room to unlock various locks and small boxes, requiring collaboration to break out.
Students were also given the opportunity to make balloon powered cars.
