What's New

Bark for a Cure Cancer Walk

Saturday, May 21st

8:00am -12:00noon

Lied Activity Center
2700 Arboretum Drive
Bellevue, NE

$15.00/particpant and each registered participant and their dog
will receive a goodie bag.

For more information, go to https://sites.google.com/site/rflthunderingherd
or
email Shannon Gier at giersm@yahoo.com05-18-2011

CASS COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY
646 Main Street
Plattsmouth, NE  68048

Phone:  402-296-4770
E-mail: ccohsm@windstream.net
website: www.nebraskamuseums.org/casscountymuseum.htm

G.A.R. MUSEUM in ELMWOOD
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
Guest Speaker:  Bonnie Brewer

One of the newest museums in Cass County is the G.A.R. Museum in
Elmwood, housed in the 1886 G.A.R. Hall.

Bonnie Brewer will tell us about the museum ald also share some history
about Elmwood which will celebrate its 125th birthday on May 28.

***

Book Discussion:  The Adventures of Tom Sawyer
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
Leader:  Kirsten Wood
At Cass County Historical Society in Plattsmouth

In conjunction with the Big Read, Kirsten Wood of Plattsmouth Public Library,
will lead a book discussion of this year's book, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer,
by Mark Twain.  Copies of the readers' guide are available at the Museum
and the Library is giving away copies of Tom Sawyer, if you need a copy.

ART CHICKS' PAINTING PARTIES

Art Chicks is adding FREE painting parties throughout the summer! 
Stop in, bring your supplies and paint.  Acrylics, oils-whatever.  Bring
snacks or drinks or just show up!  No stress.  No fuss.


May 17 Tuesday 5:30 -8:00
May 24 Tuesday 5:30 -8:00 
May 31  Tuesday 5:30 -8


June 4 Saturday 2-4:30
June 9 Thursday 5:30 -8
June 18 Saturday 1-4
June 23 Thursday 5:30 -8

July 7  Thursday5:30 -8
July 12  Tuesday 5:30 -8
July 19 Tuesday  5:30 -8
July 26 Tuesday  5:30 -8

August 1 Monday 5:30 -8
August 9 Tuesday 5:30 -8
August 20 Saturday 1-4
August 30 Tuesday 5:30 -8

Art Chicks is also looking for great artists and whimsical crafters! 
We take consignment art and unique gifts so give us a call and we
can give you the scoop.  We love to feature our amazing local talent. 
Call Jeanne at 234-2669.

Art Chicks is open Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays for lunch at
11:30 and 1:00 with reservations.  Book your special occassion any
day and time for weddings, showers, parties, clubs and meetings.

ATV Driving and Safety Course -

Hands-On Training for Youth and Adults

ATV's are built for sport and work.  They have become a common place item
on most farms and ranches in Nebraska.  Formal training is not required to
purchase an ATV and they can be bought for a reasonably small amount. 
Safety training for an ATV, however, is a critical item that no farm or ranch
should go without.  In Nebraska alone there were 15 recorded fatalities and
124 serious injury accidents recorded from 2006-2009 (Nebraska Office of
Highway Safety-NDOR July 2010).

In an effort to educate and promote ATV safety, the University of Nebraska-
Lincoln Extension in Cass County will be offering a comprehensive driving and
safety course for riders of all-terrain vehicles.  The half-day ATV RiderCourse
is conducted by Extension Educators that are licensed ATV Safety Institute
Instructors.  Participants will increase their safety knowledge of ATV operation
through pre-riding inspections, protective gear identification and maintenance,
and an introduction to rules and regulations governing the use of these highly
versatile machines.  In addition, participants will operate the vehicles on a pre-
pared course, under the direct supervision of a licensed instructor, which will
introduce basic handling skills such as accelerating, stopping, quick turning,
swerving, and reacting to an emergency.  Advanced skills such as hill riding
and responding to obstacles will also be presented.  Participants will develop
critical thinking and decision making skills as they master the use and respon-
sibility of the all-terrain vehicle.

This course will be offered on Wednesday June 22, 2011 at the Cass County
Fairgrounds.  There will be two sessions offered.   Session one will be offered
from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m.  Session two will be from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.  Early registra-
tion is required as each session is limited to 8 participants.

There is NO COST to participate in the course, however, youth (under18) will
require a signed release and may require the presence of an adult or guardian
during the training.  If you would like to register, please contact the Cass County
office at 402-267-2205 or visit our webpage (with printable registration form) at:
cass.unl.edu and look for the ATV riders.

June is National Safety Month

• Brain injury is the leading cause of sports-related death to children. Each year, more than 3.5 million children receive medical treatment for sports injuries.
• Each year, approximately 135 children die from bicycle-related injuries and more than 267,000 non-fatal bicycle injuries occur.  Helmets can reduce the risk of severe brain
  injuries by 88 percent; however, only 15 to 25 percent of children usually wear a bicycle helmet
• Each year more than 830 children die as a result of unintentional drowning.
• Each year approximately 626 child pedestrian fatalities occur
• Each year approximately 100 children die as a result of unintentional poisoning
• Each year, approximately 518 children die due to unintentional fire- and burn-relatedinjury
• On the average, nearly 2,500 children aged 1 to 14 were treated for non-fatal; motor vehicle back-over injuries in emergency departments. Nearly fifty percent of these happened at home
  and nearly fifty percent of these children were between the ages of one and four years old
• (Information taken from usa.safekids.org)

• Fun games and prizes
• Over 100 free bike helmets to be given away courtesy of Safe Kids Sarpy/Cass andMidlands Community Foundation.
• Free AAA Good Going, a 20-page activity booklet for kids focused on summer safety
• Pinky the Elephant from the Nebraska Regional Poison Control Center
• Roll-Over Truck sponsored by Nebraska State Patrol
• FedEx Truck pedestrian safety demonstration

This is a free event and you do not need to be a YMCA member to attend.

Food will be available for purchase from The Pizza-Pie-Guy.

For more information about safety and preventing unintentional injury and death in children
age 14 and under,call 402-339-4334, ext. 210
or visithttp://www.sarpycasshealthdepartment.org/safe_kids.html

Safe Kids Sarpy/Cass, organized in 2006 and led by the Sarpy/Cass Department of Health
and Wellness, is a member of Safe Kids Worldwide, a global network of organizations dedicated
to preventing unintentional injury in children under the age of 14.

Getting the Most for Our Money

May 13, 2011, Lincoln -

LB 600 would generate additional federal funding for Medicaid payments to Nebraska
nursing facilities. The funding is needed to offset cuts in Medicaid provider rates. The
provider rate reductions are part of the plan to close the state's current budget gap. LB
600 would bring to Nebraska a creative program currently used by 39 states. Nebraska
already accesses the program to finance intermediate care facilities for the mentally disabled.

Under LB 600 the state would collect an assessment for Medicaid and private pay patients,
which would trigger a reimbursement of the same dollars, plus an additional match of federal
Medicaid funds. Nursing facilities would not realize profits from this procedure; they would
simply lose less money that they would have once the provider rate reductions are in place.
It was anticipated that some nursing facilities might close, if the provisions in LB 600 were
not enacted.

Data provided during floor debate on LB 600 reported a total of 224 nursing facilities in
Nebraska, six of which are located in Legislative District 2. Of the total, 33 or fifteen percent
are city owned, and 12 or five percent are county owned. Before the votes on LB 600, I was
asked to support the bill by nursing facilities administrators in our district. During the first
round of debate, I said, "The increased number of Medicaid patients in Nebraska nursing
facilities has created a critical situation in the state. With fewer private pay patients and cuts
to Medicaid provider rates, facilities are having difficulty staying in business." I added, "There
is a huge need for quality nursing care. We need to keep these facilities open."

I supported LB 600 through all three rounds of debate, and mine was one of 44 votes to over-
ride the governor's veto of the bill. Some individuals consider this reimbursement program to
be a tax increase. Those of us who continued to support enactment of LB 600 believe that not
implementing its provisions could be considered a "tax increase." It is well known that Medicaid
reimburses significantly less than a facility's actual costs. To recoup losses, the only variable
source of revenue is private pay rates. LB 600 reduces Medicaid losses and cost shifting to
private pay residents. For example, the funding generated by LB 600 would save private pay
residents over $12 per day or nearly $5,000 per year. Every dollar assessed and paid to the
fund is returned to the facilities. Others are hesitant to implement this reimbursement program,
because they think the federal government could eliminate the program and Nebraska would
have to assume responsibility for it. Currently, the funding is available and desperately needed.
A majority of state senators felt that we should use it while we can. The reimbursement plan pro-
vided by LB 600 is the most conservative in the country. Under federal rules the reimbursement
cannot exceed 5.5 percent of total nursing home revenues. LB 600 proposed a rate of 1.9 percent.
As written and passed, LB 600 would not create any liability for the state if the federal program
ended.

During debate on the override vote, I noted that nursing facilities are large employers and are im-
portant to the state's economy. I also pointed out that many of the 45 nursing facilities owned by
Nebraska cities and counties have outstanding bond obligations that would remain should facilities
be forced to close.

LB 600 would offer a way to control costs for private pay residents while honoring the state's duty
to care for some of our most vulnerable citizens. I supported LB 600 through the first three votes
and in the successful effort to enact its provisions, not withstanding the objections of the governor.
I did so because I believe it offers Nebraska a way to stretch some health care dollars in a very
creative and productive manner.

I appreciate the opportunity you have given me to represent District 2 in the Nebraska Legislature.

We welcome your contacts by mail, phone or email.

Senator Dave Pankonin
State Capitol
PO Box 94604
Lincoln, NE 68509

(402) 471-2613

dpankonin@leg.ne.gov

The Otoe County Genealogical Society will hold its Quarterly Genealogy
Workshop on June 9th at 7:00pm at the Unadilla Community Library at
770 'G' Street in Unadilla, Nebraska.  Guests are invited to attend so they
can receive assistance in finding their missing ancestors by accessing
the subscription websites of Ancestry.com and Footnote.com in the library's
media center.  For more information, please contact the society at
cwolbert@neb.rr.com.

"SAC Federal Credit Union" Team with the Cass County Relay has a
fundraiser going on now and until they are sold out. They are offering
bracelets for a minimum $2 donation to the Relay. The bracelets are
silicone purple with grey swirls and white lettering that says
"CU Crush Cancer".

Stop in to 219 South 23rd Street Plattsmouth, Ne.(next to Pamida) to
purchase!

SCHOOLHOUSE FIDDLE CAMP REGISTRATION is OPEN NOW

Registration is now open for the 2011 Schoolhouse Fiddle Camps, in the Old Avoca Schoolhouse,
in Avoca, Nebraska.

Deborah Greenblatt, championship fiddler, author of many fiddle collections, will help the campers
get in touch with their inner fiddler.  The course of study during the Schoolhouse Fiddle Camps will
be designed specifically for the individual campers who sign up.

Fiddle Camp for Beginners is Monday, June 13 - Friday, June 17.  This 5 day camp includes some
of the basics and fun of fiddling, such as performing in public, practice techniques, reading music,
playing y ear, and jamming.  Fiddling styles include bluegrass, Cajun, Irish, Klezmer, old-time, and
newly composed tunes by the campers.  Movement and singing are included in the experience.

Fiddle Camp for Intermediate/Advanced Fiddlers is Monday, July 11 - Friday, July 15.  Campers
will discuss picking tunes for contests, performing in public, practice techniques, reading music,
playing by ear, playing for dancers, back-up fiddling, arranging twin fiddle pieces , and jamming.
Many fiddling styles will be represented, including original compositions by the campers. 
Campers can sign up for all 5 days, or just 2 days, or just one day of Intermediate camp.

Monday & Tuesday is for reading fiddlers/violinists who want to read more tunes. This mini-camp
is perfect for fiddlers who want to improve their music reading skills, and for classically trained
violinists, violists, and cellists who are interested in various fiddling styles. Using sheet music in
standard notation, these campers will get to improve their sight reading, and experience the fun
of playing fiddle tunes at the same time! Fiddling styles included in the sessions will be tailored
to the interest of the campers who register.

Wednesday & Thursday is for fiddlers/violinists who want to learn tunes by ear. This mini-camp
is designed to jump-start your ability to pick up tunes quickly by ear, and to make them stick!
Tunes used will reflect various styles, meters, tempos, and difficulty levels.

Friday is for fiddlers who "just wanna have fun". This mini camp includes jamming, modulating,
singing, dancing, experimenting, sharing, improvising, and playing fiddle related instruments.

Each day is scheduled from 9 AM - 1 PM.  Registration is available on line at
www.greenblattandseay.com.

For more information, contact Deborah Greenblatt at debby@greenblattandseay.com.

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