Wednesday, March 25, 2020

2020 Summer Shows at Post Playhouse cancelled

Editor's Note:  Sad news arrived today that the Post Playhouse at Fort Robinson State Park has cancelled performances for the entire 2020 summer season.  Below is the message received today from the Producing Artistic Director at Post Playhouse, Tom Ossowski:

After deep consideration, the Board of Directors and I have decided to cancel the Post Playhouse’s 2020 Summer Season due to the Coronavirus Global Pandemic. Our primary concern is for the health and safety of our production team, our local audiences, and our visitors to the area. 

We plan to pick up next year with our 2021 season and be stronger than ever. Post Playhouse is not the only theatre cancelling performances through the summer of 2020. Sadly, nearly all professional theatres across the country have had to take similar measures. 

The government recommendations for cancellations of public events have very extreme consequences for theatres and theatre artists across the country. Just like with all industries nationwide, thousands of theatre professionals’ jobs are at stake not only this year, but for years to come as many theatres will close permanently. We are not planning on closing forever. We are taking every step possible to ensure that we deliver a vibrant and exciting 2021 season next year. Now more than ever, we need you, our faithful supporters, to help make sure that we can open our doors again next season. 

You can make an incredible impact by transferring your ticket purchases to next year’s season or donating your tickets back to the Post Playhouse. During this unprecedented time, these ticket transfers and donations can help ensure that we have funds to continue operating in the future. 

Without a summer season this year, we will not have as many production expenses, but we also will not be able to count on any further ticket revenue to cover our non-production related expenses (utilities, internet, box office, etc.) that we pay every month of the year, regardless of when shows are being produced. 

 For those who have already purchased tickets for our cancelled 2020 Summer Season, we are offering the following options: You may make a fully tax-deductible donation of the value of your ticket back to the Post Playhouse. The Post Playhouse is a 501 ©(3) nonprofit organization. Please consider this option if you can. You may transfer your ticket value to a gift certificate in your name. You will then be able to use this gift certificate on any new ticket purchases made for our 2021 Summer Season. This option will also help us keep the lights on in preparation for 2021. 2020 Season Subscriptions can also be transferred to our 2021 Season. If you prefer to receive a refund for your tickets for our 2020 Season, we will honor that request. 

Whichever choice you make regarding your 2020 ticket purchases, we thank you for being a supporter of the Post Playhouse. We will be personally reaching out to everyone who bought tickets for this season and discussing the options available. This will take time, so we thank you in advance for your graciousness. 

 We are also asking our annual donors, show sponsors, and program advertisers to allow us to transfer contributions to our 2021 Summer Season. We hope that you will consider helping us to keep our doors open so that we can continue to bring joy to our community members, visitors, and audiences through live theatrical experiences for years to come.

For further information visit the Post Playhouse website  at www.postplayhouse.com

Chadron State football standout from 1950s dies

Guido Santero - Circa 1990
An all-star football player at Chadron State College during the late 1950s, Guido Santero, died Sunday, March 22 at his home in Kansas City.  He was 84.

A native of Lewellen, Santero was the leading rusher on the Eagles’ undefeated team coached by Bill Baker in 1958. As the tailback on the single wing formation, he usually took a direct snap from center. He carried the ball 117 times for 807 yards, an average of 6.9 yards, and scored 13 touchdowns in eight games.

It was 1980 before another Chadron State player scored that many touchdowns and 1990 before a CSC back scored 14. His rushing average also was unmatched until 1989.   

At the end of the 1958 season, Santero was named to the Nebraska College Conference first-team as well as to the all-state college teams selected by both the Lincoln Journal and the Omaha World-Herald.

Chadron State had another excellent team in 1959, going 6-2. Santero was again the team’s leading rusher with 485 yards and also completed 20 of 40 passes for 360 yards and seven touchdowns.  He was a co-captain of that team and lettered in basketball in 1958-59He also was a Student Senate officer, a member of Blue Key National Honorary Fraternity, was selected to Who’s Who Among American College and University Students and graduated with honors in 1961.  

He was inducted into the Chadron State Athletic Hall of Fame in 1984.

After teaching and coaching for a year at Sioux County High School, Santero became a successful insurance agent and financial planner, ultimately in the Kansas City area. His health reportedly had been failing after he had a stroke about two years ago.

The youngest of 12 children, he is survived by his wife Janice, two daughters, two sisters and numerous nephews and nieces. 


~~~~~~~~~~~


Editor's note:  Thanks to Con Marshall for sending us this photo and story. 

Thursday, March 5, 2020

Golden Age Courier Produced 'On the Farm"

(Editor's NoteWe only recently came across this story written last June by Cindy Peters for the Northwest Public Power District newsletter.  We've been reading the Dawes County Historical Society's "Golden Age Courier" for years and always look forward to receiving it.  Thanks to Cindy Peters for allowing us to reprint her story!) 


By Cindy Peters

It’s pretty common to find a copy of the Golden Age Courier lying around in waiting rooms, restaurants and at various businesses every month.  This popular free tabloid began nearly 33 years ago on Sept. 30, 1987.

Ginger Campbell of rural Chadron has returned
 to desktop publishing and laying out the
Golden Age Courier in the comfort of her home.
“The Courier is a product of the Dawes County Historical Society,” noted current editor Ginger Campbell.  Campbell, of rural Chadron, has compiled the Courier for nearly 15 years.

“I worked at The Chadron Record three different times for a total of 14 and a half years altogether and always did the Courier layout,” explained Campbell. “I first worked on the Courier with my aunt, Lucille Redfern, then Belle Lecher and then Ron Wineteer.  I retired from the Record in 2015.”

“My first job in printing was at B&B Printing working for Warren Brooks,” said Campbell.  The couple relocated to Colorado, where the Chadron native’s experience in newspaper production began in Brighton, where she typeset and worked on the legals.  Campbell returned back to the family farm, where she has lived her entire life, with the exception of a few years in Colorado, a year in Montana and a year in Washington.

“I graduated from Chadron High in 1968, then graduated from the National College of Business in Rapid City, which no longer exists. Then went to work at the CNW railroad as a clerk in the Supt's office until I got married,” she explained.  Late last Summer, she was approached by her cousin, Sharon Rickenbach, President of the Board for Dawes County Historical Society, asking her about taking over the Courier, when the late Ron Wineteer stepped down.

“My first issue was in September 2018. I started doing the layout myself at home in October,” said Campbell. This required her to get set up with a graphic design program, called QuarkExpress. It didn’t take her long to get it set up and since then she is happy to report the Courier’s first color issue was in April. “I was familiar with it so it was easy to take on. I sometimes had to find filler for Ron. I just wish I was a journalist so I could write stories, but I'm clueless when it comes to that,” said Campbell.

The Courier has several contributors. She receives articles from several people. “I'm always looking for ideas. Anyone can send me something they'd like to see in it. I don't want to put in too much silly stuff, but that's the most fun. If I see something I think is interesting, either in an email or on facebook or anywhere else, I put it in. I try to stay away from politics. I search through old issues and reprint some things from years ago,” explained Campbell. Campbell said she doesn’t keep track of the time she spends on it.

“It doesn't seem like very much, but it's probably more than I think. It's all volunteer so I guess I don't worry about keeping track,” she explained.  “Ron always had things lined up for three months in advance.  I end up getting it done at the last minute,” she chuckled. Once the pages are complete, she sends them to The Chadron Record and it is forwarded to the Rapid City Journal where it is printed. They have recently increased their circulation.  “We have gone up to 1200 copies and it is distributed around Chadron, Crawford and Hay Springs,” noted Campbell.

The first edition of the Golden Age Courier - September 1987
“There are a few subscribers that I send it out to.  People who have moved away and still want to see it. It is a free publication thanks to the advertisers.  Subscribers pay for the postage to send it,” said Campbell. The original editorial board included Don Huls, retired publisher of The Chadron Record, Lucille Redfern, Ed Davenport, Woody and Audrey Woodward, Mary Kuhnel, Alice Faulk, Jo Fox, and Herb Place. “In looking through old issues I see that Goldie Dawkins and Lloy Chamberlain were editors for a while,” said Campbell.

Pam Littrel currently sells the advertising. Campbell gets some of them sent to her and she sets up part of them. Campbell’s favorite part of her volunteer project is finding fun things to put in it. Although she does most of it herself, her daughter, Jenifer Tidman, and husband Stan helps her with it when he is not working.

“He is a veteran and enjoys talking to veterans for those articles and he helps me distribute it, but Pam does most of the delivery. My grandkids help when they can,” said Campbell.”

She enjoys the fact she can work on it when she gets the chance while staying in her home. She and Stan have been married 46 years. He works at Bomgaars part-time and is in the process of trying to retire. They no longer raise crops or livestock, they rent out their pasture. The couple have two children, and 10 grandchildren, ranging in age from 3 to 20.

“Our daughter, Jenifer and her husband Tim Tidyman moved here four years ago from Hayes Center. They have five children, two in college and three in Chadron Public Schools. Our son, Russ and his wife Gina and their 5 children live in Scottsbluff.” In Campbell’s spare time she enjoys a lot of sewing and crafts. The Campbells live east of Chadron on Redfern Road.