The Richardson County Arts and Humanities Council has scored one of the biggest coups that any arts council if its size will ever score.  The Vienna Boys Choir is coming to Falls City, Nebraska.  Yes, THAT Vienna Boys Choir.

The concert is confirmed, and the contract has been signed.  The choir is coming for a 4:00 p.m. concert on Sunday, October 31st. According to June Bowers, performing arts chairperson or the council, member Rita Seid received an email that the choir would be in the Midwest during the last part of October.  Long story short–June contacted the concert promoters, and the rest will go down in history–The Vienna Boys Choir is coming to Falls City!  According to the choir’s press packet, the group’s origin can be traced back to 1498,  when Maximilian I moved from Innsbruck to Vienna, and ordered six boys to be among his court musicians.

The Vienna Boys Choir now operates its own school for 250 youngsters, (some of whom are girls), where each child receives a thorough musical and general education.  From its student body, the most talented boys between the ages of 10 and 14 are chosen for the prestigious touring choir of 100.  Those 100 are broken into four small groups, and those groups tour the world for 11 weeks per year, performing 300 concerts in front of about 500,000 people.  One or two groups generally perform approximately 80 concerts in the United States each year.  Oct. 31 has been reserved for Falls City.  One never knows, but the group that performs in Falls City could be the same group that performs in Carnegie Hall or Vienna, or for the president, or the pope.

“This event, without a doubt, will go down in Falls City’s history as one of the biggest musical performances to ever happen here,” Bowers said.  “This is huge.  the performance here will be an exclusive concert in our area.  The choir is not performing in Kansas City, Omaha or Lincoln on this tour, so tickets will go fast.”  Tickets, which go on sale Sept. 1, are $25 for the floor, and $20 for the balcony.  Students 12 and under can see the concert for $10 for balcony seats only.  Any student who wants to sit on the floor must buy a $25 ticket.  Every person who enters the door, must have a ticket.

“We want this to be a family event, for people to remember for generations,” Bowers said.  “And we will make it special.”  The Council is currently working on an online credit-card purchasing system, but for now, tickets can be purchased through council member Jo Schock by calling 402.245.4296, by sending an email to joscott@sentco.net, or by sending a check to:  Jo Schock, 2504 Hiland Ave., Falls City NE  68355 (a self-addressed, stamped envelope will insure a quicker response).

SNC President Dorothy Towle noted, “It’s important to understand these are funds that were made available through a very competitive process to interested companies across the U.S. with qualifying projects, and if the award hadn’t been made to our region, it would have gone to some other community.  We are thrilled to have secured this investment for southeast Nebraska, the only project approved in the state of Nebraska this funding round.”  According t0 Beth Sickel, Vice President and General Manager, “This $11.3 million USDA award, a combination loan and grant, will help provide investment to extend FTTH technology to residents in the villages of Salem, Shubert, Stella, Rulo, Verdon, Barada and Preston along with ALL of the surrounding rural areas.”  SNC is currently in the process of installing FTTH technology to all homes and businesses in Falls City, where upon completion, it will be the largest community in Nebraska to be completely upgraded using this state-of-the-art fiber optic network.  Once FTTH technology is extended to rural villages and areas, SNC’s service territory will be 100% optic.  Although all subscribers in SNC’s serving territory currently have access to high speed broadband internet via SNC’s existing copper-based network, this particular technology limits the average customer speeds and is distance sensitive, with most rural subscribers having access to less speed than those closer to town.

Ray Joy, SNC Operations Manager, explained:  “Fiber optic lines are hair-thin strands of glass than can carry massive amounts of digital information, called bandwidth, over long distances without degradation.  Arranged in bundles or cables, they use light instead of electricity to transmit signals.”  Sickel also said that “SNC’s progressive vision for the future of providing all households and businesses in its service territory with FTTH technology will help toward stabilizing shrinking population and providing economic growth through innovation, collaboration, and professional development.  Now that vision will be a reality!”

The addition of FTTH, considered a “future-proof” solution with virtually unlimited bandwidth capacity, to the most rural areas of southeast Nebraska can enable the area to compete and provide jobs not typically associated with smaller rural communities.  Bringing FTTH broadband access to rural areas also strengthens businesses, schools, hospitals and law enforcement.  As with the current Falls City FTTH project, rural customers will see no rate increases as a result of this project.

Wind towers should begin to be erected in early September, Sefried said.  At $3 million each, the 40 towers will represent a $120 million investment.  If the weather is favorable, the project could be completed and on line by mid-December.  OPPD has agreed to purchase all of the power produced by the 60 megawatt wind farm.  The annual energy yield is expected to be approxiamately 220 kilowatt hours, enough to serve 20,000 households.  The estimated savings in carbon dioxide emissions will be about 130,000 tons per year.

Mooney said the GE turbines should begin arriving from South Carolina and Florida by truck the week of Aug. 23.  He said the overall construction costs are estimated at $145 million, with the vast majority of that invested in the turbines.  Concrete foundations, each reinforced with massive amounts of rebar, have been poured and require a month to cure.  After the curing process, the turbines can be erected, Mooney said.  Each tower and turbine will weigh approximately 202 tons.  The 140-foot blades are made of carbon fiber and fiberglass and can withstand an F-1 tornado.  The turbines can turn 360 degrees to take advantage of all wind directions and the blades can be “feathered” if winds exceed 60 mph.

Mooney said a GE team will be at the site to oversee turbine installation.  He said Gallop has found an adequate local work force to assist with the project (about 70 jobs worth).  Sefried noted that with GE turbines, the project is virtually all U.S. supplied and built, thus “creating American jobs”.

Among those attending the briefing were Falls City Mayor Rod Vandeberg and Southeast Nebraska Communications General Manager Beth Sickel.  Mrs. Sickel provided an update on the fiber to the home award and loan that will bring state-of-the-art broadband capability throughout the SNC service area.  Both Sefried and Vandeberg commended all who played a part in bringing the wind farm project to Richardson County, including EDGE.  With the wind farm, the new Community Medical Center, the Falls City Library and Art Center, the Falls City Aquatic Park, fiber to the home, a new Rulo Bridge and other developments, “we’ve turned the corner, no question,” Sefried said.

The website will be under continuous development, and in the future will include a public forum, photo galleries, online subscriptions and many other unique extras.  The Journal will also be adding opinion columns and a Cornhuskers blog for all Big Red fans.  The new website is user-friendly, interactive and includes something for everyone.  We would like to encourage you to visit fcjournal.net, create a profile, catch up on news and get involved.

A trial period is being offered at no charge.

By Jason Schock

Ground was broken on the 17-room wing, and office/breakfast area, of the Vision Inn motel last September with a projection of opening in the spring of 2010.  Despite one of the harshest winters in memory, that vision was, in fact, a perfect 20/20.

The new rooms opened for business last Friday and though there was little fanfare or advertising, 15 of the 17 rooms were occupied Saturday.

“We were off-the-wall surprised,” majority investor Jerry McKim, of Falls City, said.  “I think we had two reservations-the rest were walkins.  It’s just fabulous.  We’re almost booked now every weekend until fall, too.”  McKim is one of 11 investors who make up the motel’s Vision 20/20 group, which also includes Allan Clark, Leon Wilhelm, Jim Jones, Brian Palmer, Phil Bletscher, Rich Witt, Gary Jones, Dr. David Borg, Madaline Wilhelm and the late Dr. Duane Stehlik.

McKim, Clark, Jones and Leon Wilhelm kicked things off in 2007 by purchasing the Stephenson Motel at 26th and Harlan Sts.  Since the original investment, the other seven were added.  McKim said “99 percent” of all goods and services used in the project were purchased in Falls City.

The motel offers continental breakfast, wireless internet, two adjoining rooms, microwaves, refrigerators, smoke-free rooms, some pet-friendly rooms, security cameras and a picnic area.  Two-guest rates include:  Single and double queen ($69.95); kitchenette suite, with two queen beds and hide-a-bed ($129.95).  A 10 percent senior discount is offered and weekly rates are available.  The motel is open from 5 a.m. – midnight.

Plans now call for the demolition of the remaining old motel wing, and addition of another new wing, housing 12 more rooms.  The facility is managed by Julie Marteny and employs seven people.  The facility can be viewed online at www.visioninnmotel.com.

In a TIF project, TIF bonds are issued.  The property tax increased generated from the redeveloped site are applied to the TIF bonds until they are repaid, or for 15 years, after which the (tax) increases revert to the local government taxing jurisdictions.  No public funds (other than the TIF benefit) are involved.  The TIF bonds are not backed by the City or its Community Redevelopment Authority.

For Vision 20-20, the amount of TIF benefit will be about $100,000 over the 15-year period.  The Vision corporation is in the midst of building a 17-unit motel in the 2600 block of Harlan Street.  Charlie Radatz, chairman of the Community Redevelopment Authority (CRA), lauded Vision 20-20 investors who have demonstrated “confidence in the community’s future” with this significant improvement.  He said financial assistance through TIF projects will “benefit the community for many years to come.”  Radatz noted that many Nebraska communities have implemented TIF for years to realize redevelopment.  He described TIF as “another tool in the war chest” as EDGE and its Executive Director, Beckie Cromer, strive to “make a better Falls City.”……Investor Jerry McKim said the motel project “might have been impossible” without Tax Increment Financing.

Agriculture is far and away Richardson County’s No. 1 industry.  And many farmers will tell you that 2009 was one of the best, if not the best, year they have ever had.

…Sharing the headlines with the ag scene was the dedication of the new state-of-the-art Community Medical Center on the north edge of Falls City on Nov. 22.  It was a cold day, but the large tent which had been erected for the dedication was filled to overflowing by persons hailing the accomplishment.  The Med Center was open to patients the following day.

…In January, the Nebraska Highway Commission, on which Falls City Mayor Rod Vandeberg serves, unanimously approved the construction of a new highway bridge over the Missouri River at Rulo.  In March, the paved Fiedler Trail around Stanton Lake was dedicated and during the summer and fall many people had taken advantage of it.  In June, a big crowd attended the ribbon cutting of the Grand Weaver Hotel at which Gov. Dave Heineman spoke.  The future wind energy project in southwest Richardson County was more or less assured in July when OPPD approved the renewable purchase for a 60-megawatt facility.  At the Nebraska State Fair in late August, the Ben and Paula Steffen family of rural Humboldt was honored as the “Ag Family of the Year”.  In September, Gov. Heineman presented the “2009 Community of the Year Award” to Falls City Mayor Rod Vandeberg.  …Ground was broken for the new $1 million Vision Inn at 26th and Harlan Streets.