Sara Martin will be this year’s visiting artist.  Ms. Martin earned her Bachelor of Science Degree in K-12 Art Education from the University of Nebraska in Lincoln.  She has been teaching drawing and painting classes for students age 5-13 at the LUX Center for the Arts and led painting clubs at Nebraska City Middle School and Syracuse Middle School during the 2011-2012 school year.

Students will be constructing wire mobiles inspired by Alexander Calder at the 2012 Summer Art Camp

This years theme will be the “Great American Art Escape”.   Children will complete a different project each day, including: mobiles or wire sculptures inspired by Alexander Calder on Mondays, mixed media birds inspired by James Audubon on Tuedays, clay portraits inspired by Gutzon Borglum on Wednesdays, and paper jewelry or paper ornaments on Thursdays.  On Fridays, students will complete and critique their projects, that display their final work for family and friends.

A morning session for children who

Students will create mixed media birds inspired by James Audubon at the 2012 Summer Art Camp

will be in grades 1-3 next year will take place from 9:30 to 11:30 each day that week, and youth who will be in grades 4-7 next school year will enroll in the afternoon session that takes place from 12:30 to 2:30.  There is room for 20 students to participate in each session.   Click here to download a registration form.  There is a registration fee of $40 per child to participate.  Scholarships are available.  Funding from the Nebraska Arts Council and The Steinhart Foundation helps reduce the cost of registration fees.

Elks member Kent Blum and NCPD Officer Ben Murry

Otoe County citizens disposed of 91 pounds of expired or unused medications in conjunction with the Drug Enforcement Agency’s third National Prescription Take-Back Day.  The Nebraska City Police Department and Nebraska City Elks Chapter manned a drop off site at the City Hall Parking Lot in Nebraska City on April 21st.  The Otoe County Sheriff’s Office and Partners for Otoe County collected drop offs at the Syracuse Fairgrounds on April 28th.

Volunteers included: Kermit Holmes, Kurt Grother and Kent Blum from the Nebraska City Elks Chapter, Officers Jason Holman, Ben Murry and Chris Bando from the Nebraska City Police Department,  and Deputy Mike Riege from Otoe County Sheriff’s Department.

This is Otoe County’s fourth prescription take-back event and the amount of medications collected has increased with each event.  Activities such as this keep prescription medications out of the water supply and out of the hands of people who might use them for non-medical purposes.  For more information about disposing of medications safely, visit http://www.p4oc.org/programs/pact-substance-abuse-prevention/safe-meds/.

Carol Crook has been the Study Buddy for the same student from 1st through 5th grade. The student is now reading at grade level.

Its National Volunteer week, and we’d like to thank the many volunteers whose efforts help Otoe County Children grow and thrive.

This week, our featured volunteer is Carol Crook.  Carol is being honored today as the 2012 Arbor Day honoree.  Among her many volunteer duties, Carol has been a Study Buddies Tutor for 12 years.  As a Study Buddies tutor, Carol volunteers one hour each week to work one-to-one with an elementary student on reading and math skills.  Carol also fills in as the Study Buddies Site Coordinator at Arbor Bank from time to time if the Program Coordinator needs to be absent.   Carol is also a substitute teacher, trail guide, county commissioner and owns a family farm with her husband, Tim.  A list of Carol’s many volunteer activities in the Arbor Day supplement of the Nebraska City News-Press.  

You, too can help Otoe County children and families thrive by volunteering as little as one hour per week.  For more information about volunteering, visit our website or call 873-6343.

This week, our featured volunteer is Ronda Johnson.  Ronda has been a Study Buddies Tutor since  she retired from teaching in 2006, spending an hour each Monday evening working one-to-one with an elementary student on reading and math skills.  She was sworn in as a Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) volunteer in February and is currently advocating on behalf of two children involved with an abuse/neglect case in court.  Last summer she volunteered at Summer Art Camp, assisting the artist with the 40 plus children who were completing projects each day.

Ronda sets a wonderful example for volunteers in our community, but not everyone has the ability to devote as much time to volunteering as Ronda does.  You, too can help Otoe County children and families thrive by volunteering as little as one hour per week.  For more information about volunteering, visit our website or call 873-6343.

1.  Stand for the Silent is a national anti-bullying movement that encourages students and schools throughout the nation to promote and reinforce anti-bullying practices by participating in a one-day event on April 20, 2012.  All of the school districts in Otoe County will be participating in conjunction with the United Against Violence Initiative.   For more information about the Stand for the Silent movement, visit http://standforthesilent.org.
2. Otoe County CASA is sponsoring free Child Abuse 101 workshops presented by the Child Advocacy Center on Monday April 16th at 1:00 or 6:00 p.m.  This training offers three hours of continuing education credits for Child Care and Foster Care providers.  Call 873-6343 to register.
3. Gwen Hurst-Anderson, Executive Director of the Nebraska CASA Association and an ordained minister, will be speaking to the congregation at First Christian Church in Nebraska City at their worship services on April 22nd in conjunction with Child Abuse Prevention Month.   Contact Rev. Jerry Albright at 873-6315 for more information.

Ten Ways to Help Prevent Child Abuse

1. Be a nurturing parent.  Children need to know that they are special, loved and capable of following their dreams.
2. Help a friend, neighbor or relative.  Being a parent isn’t easy. Offer a helping hand take care of the children, so the  parent(s) can rest or spend time together.
3. Help yourself.  When the big and little problems of your everyday life pile up to the point you feel overwhelmed and out of control – take time out. Don’t take it out on your kid.
4. If your baby cries…It can be frustrating to hear your baby cry. Learn what to do if your baby won’t stop  crying. Never shake a baby – shaking a child may result in severe injury or death.
5. Get involved.  Ask your community leaders, clergy, library and schools to develop services to meet the needs of healthy children and families.
6. Help to develop parenting resources at your local library.
7. Promote programs in school.  Teaching children, parents and teachers prevention strategies can help to keep children safe.
8. Monitor your child’s television and video viewing.  Watching violent films and TV programs can harm young children.
9. Volunteer at a local child abuse prevention program.  For information about volunteer opportunities, call 402-873-6343.
10. Report suspected abuse or neglect.  If you have reason to believe a child has been or may be harmed, call the Child Protective Services Hotline at 1-800-652-1999 or your local police department.

For more information visit  www.preventchildabuse.org.

On Thursday, February 23^rd, the 4^th Annual Students Accelerating in Leadership (SAIL) Conference was held for area Otoe County 7^th graders.  Approximately 195 students participated in the conference including students from Nebraska City Middle School, Lourdes Middle School, Palmyra Jr.-Sr. High, Syracuse Middle School, and Nebraska City Home School Association.

The goal of the conference is to provide leadership skills through hands-on activities.  The event started with a Key Note Speaker from Boys Town, Kevin Kush, who presented “Competing with Character”.  Throughout the day, students rotate through six sessions including Team Building, College Bound – Know How to Go, Leadership Cadre (personal mission statements), Social Media, Success 4 U (communication), 3′Rs (Respect, Responsibility, & Relevance).

The conference was generously funded through the Nebraska City United Way and St. Mary’s Community Hospital.

Judge Robert O’Neal, Rev. Jerry Albright, Ronda Johnson, Janet Palmtag, Carissa Phillips, Rev. Roger Good, Antonio Edwards and Mari Jackson, CASA Coordinator.

On Wednesday, 2/8/12, six new volunteers completed a 30-hour training course and were sworn in as officers of the court by Judge Robert O’Neal at the Otoe County Courthouse.

The new CASA volunteer advocates are: Rev. Roger Good, Bethel United Church of Christ; Rev. Jerry Albright, 1st Christian Church; Antonio Edwards, Peru State College; Janet Palmtag, J.J. Palmtag, Inc.; Ronda Johnson, retired teacher; and Carissa Phillips, Arbor Bank.

Mari Jackson, Otoe County CASA Program Coordinator is quite pleased to add these outstanding volunteers to the team. She said “The years of experience working with children and parents in this group of CASA volunteers is incredible. What a wonderful asset they are going to be for the abused/neglected children in Otoe County.”

Otoe County CASA supports and promotes court-appointed volunteer advocacy so that every abused or neglected child can be safe, establish permanence and have the opportunity to thrive. Each new volunteer will be appointed to a single current court case to advocate in the best interest of the children in that family. For more information about CASA visit http://www.p4oc.org/programs/otoe-county-casa/.

Lourdes students Bret Kochanowicz and Jameson DeFreece display the banner for Life of an Athlete

“One night of drinking erases 14 days of athletic training.” This is the message Otoe County youth are communicating on a daily basis to their peers, parents and the entire community this school year. The message is based on research from the American Athletic Institute.

John Underwood, a former world-class athlete and a trainer of Olympic athletes, heads up the American Athletic Institute. Underwood visited the schools and medical professionals in Otoe County last year where he presented his research and the Life of an Athlete Code of Conduct. “The Life of an Athlete”, initiated in 2002 targets male and female adolescent athletes, coaches, parents, athletic directors and communities. It is based on the realization that in order for an Interscholastic Athletic program to function, all stakeholders must take an active and vigilant role. The program sets the foundation for ownership, focus, dedication, purpose, goals, collective and personal responsibility.

Students took Underwood’s message to heart and are using it in a campaign to prevent underage drinking. Students worked with Jennifer Conway of Conway Communications to develop their campaign. Messages include:

Radio ads airing on KNCY are voiced by Amanda Chapin and Perry Giles from Nebraska City High School, Nick and Ellen Wulf from Nebraska City Lourdes and Paige Zastera from Syracuse High School.
Banners and popcorn bags that will be used at athletic events were developed by the athletic department at Lourdes under the direction of Mr. Andy Fedoris, the PRiDE organization at NCHS under the direction of Ms. Dawn Leu, the STOP group at Syracuse High School under the direction of Ms. Wendy Buchanan, and the PARTY student organization at Palmyra High School under the direction of Ms. Char Church.

Check out next week’s newsletter for photos of the Syracuse STOP Students and Palmyra P.A.R.T.Y. Students with their new banners.

Nebraska City PRiDE Students displaying the banners they designed

Those busted for drunk driving will face new, stiffer penalties under Nebraska law.

Among the changes, procuring alcohol for a minor becomes a felony if there’s a fatal crash involved. And first-time D.U.I. offenders would either have their license revoked for several months or, if they qualify, be allowed to drive only with an ignition interlock device.
Click here to find out more!

“I think the message is that no drinking and driving will be tolerated by the law. The legislature’s enacted stiff penalties to punish those people,” said Sarpy County Judge Jeffrey Funke.

Funke told Channel 6 News he hopes the law makes a dent in the repeat offenders which appear so often before him.

Omaha Police Sergeant Tony Gutierrez said the changes won’t impact patrols immediately. But within a month or so, they’ll begin to see those first offenders who are required to use the ignition interlock.

“What we want people to understand,” he said, “is if you say, drive a friend’s car and you’re required to have an interlock device, and you drive a car without one, you could be charged with a Class IV felony.”

Funke added, there are enhanced penalties for repeat offenders including ankle bracelets for third time offenders or higher. The bracelets monitor blood alcohol level and notifies the court if an offender is in violation.

Drinking and driving with children, 16 or younger, becomes an offense for the first time – a misdemeanor. “It encourages people not to put their children at risk,” Funke said.

He and others in the judicial system have a 10-page cheat sheet on the changes. “It’s challenging for judges, prosecutors, defense attorneys,” he said of all the changes that come down to the unicameral each year.

“But I think the changes are necessary to address the problems sooner, to make a bigger impact right away.”

Gutierrez added, “We’re hoping that we have safer drivers on the road. That’s the long-term goal. Time will tell if that’s what actually takes place.”

A message from

David Partsch & Tim Noerrlinger

Otoe County Attorney’s Office

“We need to set a higher standard and have better expectations for our kids. They need to know early – before age 10 – that drinking alcohol is harmful to their health and not acceptable conduct prior to age 21. Even after age 21 binge drinking is extremely dangerous. Parents also should be aware that here in Nebraska a parent or adult host that allows minors to drink alcohol may be held responsible both criminally and civilly for damages.

Any person allowing a minor, under 18, to drink could be charged with “contributing to the delinquency of a minor”, a crime punishable by a maximum $1,000 dollar fine and/or one year imprisonment. The same individual hosting a drinking party or providing alcohol for anyone under age 21 could also be charged with procuring alcohol. On both of these crimes, there can be as many counts charged as there are kids drinking. Generally procuring alcohol carries same penalties as outlined for contributing delinquency to a minor.

Now consider if an underage youth is provided alcohol and then causes serious bodily injury or death to another person maybe in a car crash . . . Nebraska criminal law enhances the penalty for procurring alcohol to a Class IIIA Felony, punishable by up to by a maximum $10,000 dollar fine and/or five years imprisonment with a mandatory minimum 30 days imprisonment! Are you willing to roll the dice and assume a minor won’t hurt anyone after drinking?

If criminal punishment isn’t enough of a deterant, a social host for minors drinking is also on the book civilly for damages. Any person (or their estate) which is injured or has property damaged by an intoxicated minor may bring suit against: the host who allowed the minor to consume alcohol; the person who procurred, or bought, the alcohol for the minor; or the retailer knowingly selling to the minor.

Bottom line: Don’t let your kid drink; don’t let any kids drink. In addition to harming them, allowing them to drink may harm you too.”