By Tory Duncan

Some times during the course of a week, when I finally sit down to pen the Bull there becomes thoughts that I almost would rather just pass on, a week now and then, from writing this column.

This week is one of them. A great deal of thoughts and personal views have come and gone, some of which would turn heads for the good and not so good, other thoughts this week just wouldn’t matter.

So, I turn to an easy going thought for the week, that being the end of the school year.

With just over a month to go before the three graduating classes of seniors take the step into the next stages of their lives, it draws me back to those final weeks of my senior year in high school...1983.

I recall some of our classmates constantly saying they just can’t wait to be done and move on.

By Ashley Swanson

When I first had my sip of that black, bitter liquid steaming out of that white mug, I was really little. I was sitting with my grandpa, dad and uncle and was told that if I was going to sit up at the big table with the guys, I had to drink coffee.

Well....fast forward about an hour or two and I distinctly remember taking a sip and deciding it was disgusting as my cup turned cold. I was later excused from the “big table.”

Moving forward, I rarely ever had coffee growing up, and if I did, it was super sweet and was more a latte (lots of sweetner and cool whip) than actual coffee.

However, my brother and I did take turns brewing a pot of coffee for our dad each morning so we could fill his thermos before he headed off to work...I loved the smell of coffee back then, and only the smell.

Flint Hills Resources of Fairmont made a donation of just over $1,500, to both the agriculture and industrial arts departments at Sutton High School, to help with the purchase of safety equipment in both programs. Shown with students in each program at SPS is Kim Fuglestad on the left and Lynn Jasnoch, far right . Sutton educators for both departments include Jessie Bower in the agriculture department and Steve Ramer in the industrial arts department.

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Dec. 16, 1925 - March 31, 2017

Edgar Fire, Rescue Department hosts annual banquet Saturday

Firefighters and EMTs put in the long hours, they put in the training, and they have a strong desire to serve their neighbors—all of this for a job that may or may not pay them much or anything at all.

Mark Majors, with the Lincoln Fire/Urban Search and Rescue, and former member of the Sutton VFD, spoke these words to the members of the Edgar VFD during their annual banquet.

“Why do we do what we do?” He asked. “For those who serve in this capacity, it certainly isn’t for the pay...it’s not for the recognition.”

Majors went on to say that each and everyone involved with a fire department or EMT squad puts in the long hours for those they love and care about—for their family, friends and neighbors.

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State speech for 2017 ended with some tears, some shouts of joy, and some sorrows, as some of Nebraska’s speechletes entered their final meet at the University of Nebraska-Kearney.

Nine students from Clay County ventured to UNK Thursday, March 23, competing in the Class C-1 part of the meet.

Ending their senior speech season with medals, included Sutton’s Cassie Lopez, who earned the title champion in Humorous Prose, as well as Sutton’s Jandro Alarcon and Dylan Christ, who earned third places in Poetry and Entertainment Speaking, respectively.

While they did not final, Sandy Creek’s Atley Van Emmerik displayed a moving poem about the creation of the Earth from God’s perspective. Sutton’s Casey Van Kirk entertained crowds with his Humorous Prose that was focused on a dream that just didn’t make any sense.

Sutton’s Stan and Linda Perrien and Todd Hofmann were recognized for their efforts in keeping Sutton friendly, welcoming and moving forward during the annual Sutton Chamber banquet Saturday.

“This year’s honor goes to a couple that certainly helps to make Sutton an even more attractive and inviting community for those that return home after years of living away, or those that are totally new to this community,” Tory Duncan said about the Perriens when he was introducing the Friends of the Community Award.

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The season opening track and field meet for the Harvard girls track team proved to be a big success, as the Lady Cardinals returned home from the Sutton Invitational, held March 21, with three gold medals on the track and another in field event action.

Junior Shayanne Porter earned two of the three gold medals in the 100 and 200-meter dash events, and then teamed up with Cassie Roberts, Carleigh Novak and Hannah Fields to claim top honors in the 4x400-meter relay, while in the field, sophomore Jaylessa Wilkerson topped the discus.

TRACK EVENTS

Porter edged out Heartland’s Taylor Quiring in both the short sprints, winning the 100-meter dash by nearly two-tenths of a second over Quiring, with a winning time of 13.28 seconds. Quiring finished in 13.42 seconds.

The 200 would see the Harvard junior gain the title with a winning time of 28.39 seconds, nearly five-tenths of a second ahead of Quiring.

Under cool and breezy conditions, the Sutton Fillies hosted the opening outdoor meet of the season for the Fillies, March 21, with the six-team, Sutton Invitational. Senior Kailyn Wiseman, along with the Fillies’ 4x100 and 4x400 relay teams, paced the day for the Fillies, while in the field, senior Makyah Calkins had a strong day in the two throwing events.

TRACK EVENTS

Wiseman claimed the lone gold medal of the day for Sutton, winning the 300 meter low hurdles with a time of 50.07 seconds, outrunning second place Macy Gustafson of Osceola, who hit the finish line in a time of 51.61 seconds.

Wiseman also helped both medal winning relay teams for the Fillies. Wiseman, along with Gina Osterhaus, Alyssa Schurman and Clara Burgmans, placed second in the 4x400-meter relay with a time of 4:38.39. Harvard would claim gold in the four-lap relay, with a winning time of 4:30.39.

By Tory Duncan

With the end of the school year quickly approaching, it turns my thoughts toward spring weather, activities of a different sort, with the return of community celebrations and activities taking place outside.

Track and golf athletes may not be happy with the start of their respective seasons, with cool (even cold) temperatures and rain plaguing the start of the spring sports season, but we all know that it will soon change to much better weather to better enjoy a track meet, or take in a round of golf.

Several communities have begun planning their summer community festivals, with talks going on throughout the county for the summer activities.

Baseball season...well, practice anyway...is well underway. Ag producers are working diligently to prepare acres and acres of ground for the pending planting season, leading us into the growing season.