A delegation from Hot Springs fighting the proposed closure of the VA Medical Center met with Department of Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki and other top department officials for about 90 minutes yesterday in Washington and came away encouraged about their chances of killing the plan.

Rich Gross of the Save the VA Committee told the Rapid City Journal the meet ran twice as long as scheduled with Shinseki giving the presentation close attention. Four other Save the VA members…Pat Russell, Bob Nelson, Amanda Campbell and Don Ackerman…joined Gross in the presentation.

The VA Black Hills Health Care System wants to close the Hot Spring Center and replace it with an outpatient clinic and dialysis center, a new long-term treatment program in Rapid City, and expanded contracting with health care providers around the region…saying it would be cheaper and more efficient that upgrading the existing center.

Save the VA developed a counter-proposal, rejected by the VA, that would keep the Hot Spring center open through a combination of cost-cutting moves, innovative Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder treatment programs, job-training, and national demonstration project for a commercial manufacturing venture using VA patients and others.

The presentation on the counter-proposal included a video from Oglala Sioux President Bryan Brewer opposing the VA closure plan because of its potential impact on Native American veterans. Brewer is continuing to recover from injuries suffered in a car accident last month, and couldn’t make it to Washington.

Gross told the Journal that after yesterday’s meeting that Secretary Shinseki promised “due deliberation” in considering both the VA plan and the Save the VA counter-proposal, indicating he would probably be talking or meeting with backers of the Hot Springs center before making a final decision.

The meeting was set up by South Dakota’s congressional delegation and was held in Senator Tim Johnson’s office with Senator John Thune, Congresswoman Kristi Noem, and Governor Dennis Daugaard also taking part.

They issued a joint news release afterward saying they were pleased with the meeting. Daugaard praised the Hot Springs group for a “strong, succinct presentation,” and was pleased that Shinseki allowed the meeting to run so much longer than scheduled.

Johnson, the lone Democrat and the one who set up the meeting after Shinseki turned down their initial request to come to Hot Springs for a meeting and a follow-up request for a meeting in Washington, said he still wants to “make sure the VA takes the Save the VA group’s concerns and proposals into account when considering changes to the Black Hills Health Care System.”

Senator Thune said he was confident the meeting conveyed to the Secretary “the significant obstacles” that closing Hot Springs  poses to providing area veterans with the “highest-quality health care,” while Noem said she believed the presentation had an impact on Shinseki and believed him when he said he had not made a decision but would like to make one sooner rather than later.”

The annual Alliance Volunteer Fire Department Honorary Membership Drive is is underway.

Donations may be sent to the fire department at 315 Cheyenne Avenue.

“Any amount entitles the donor to be an honorary member of our department,” said Fire Chief Troy Shoemaker.

“This is our major fund raising event and provides us with the means to make it easier to serve our community,” he added.

This past year, members of the AVFD responded to 789 calls. Training and education exceeded 3,000 man-hours.

The volunteers also can be seen giving fire prevention talks and demonstrations to business groups, schools, and service organizations. Firefighters have also taught first aid and CPR classes, and do extensive work in schools during fire prevention week in October. They also are on stand-by service at football games, motocross races, the July fireworks display at Laing Park, rodeos, and wrestling tournaments.

Currently, there are 47 members on the squad.

“Volunteers would not be able to assist the community if it were not for their boss’s care and concern to allow them time away from their jobs to respond to fire and rescue calls,” Shoemaker explained.

Employers, firefighters and honorary members are invited to the fire department’s annual dinner on Friday, February 1 at the Fire Hall. Social hour at 6 pm, with dinner to be served at 7 pm. You are invited to bring your spouse, or a friend or two.

Three awards will also be presented: Boss of the Year, Rookie of the Year, and Veteran of the Year.

     The Chadron city council last night gave the unofficial go-ahead to sending a renewal of the city’s half-cent LB-840 economic development sales tax to the voters on April 9th. The bulk of the revenue would go to go to pay off bonds for major improvements to the city’s storm sewer system.

During a workshop that included a presentation by the city’s LB-840 advisory committee, a council consensus told City Manager Wayne Anderson and the committee to prepare a full proposal with ballot language for the council’s meeting next Monday, with the council to approve it two weeks later.

Council members expressed appreciation to the LB-840 panel for its work, and Anderson was happy to have others at the workshop show support for the storm sewer project.

The current LB-840 tax, which expires next year, brings in about $400,000 annually with 75% going to Chadron Community Hospital to help pay for the new hospital.

The tentative renewal proposal calls for a 15-year old with 80% going for the storm sewer project. The remaining 20% would go to community development and betterment projects, just as at present.

The city council also heard strong support last night for a joint project with Chadron State College to enclose the city’s outdoor swimming pool as a replacement for the college’s Armstrong pool.

The council has delayed action on a contract for a consultant to design the project and funding mechanisms for a public vote…some members citing concerns about contract language and others questioning the level of public support, especially with the LB-840 vote coming up.

Anderson and the pool backers last night emphasized that all the council is being asked to do now is let the consultant put together the package so everyone will know what’s actually being proposed and what it will cost. Anderson thinks the supporters made a strong case while recognizing the priority of the storm sewer project.

Anderson plans to work with the consultant…Burbach Aquatics…to add clarifying language to the proposed contract while council members continue to seek public input on the pool idea. The contract is now scheduled to come back for approval February 18th at the same meeting the council is expected to set the LB-840 election.

Last night’s 2-plus hour workshop on 4 issues came 2 weeks after a 4-1/2 workshop on a dozen topics. Despite the length of the sessions, Anderson thinks they’re proving to be a great addition to the city council session because all the members can get in-depth briefings at the same time.

Several council members have expressed interest in having workshop sessions on a regular basis, although not every two weeks.

The Nebraska FFA Alumni State Convention was held in Alliance over the weekend.

Over 75 participants took numerous tours of Alliance facilities, held meetings, and presented several awards.

Alliance High FFA parents and Alumni members Amy Shrewsbury and Charlie Wright were honored by the State FFA Alumni for Outstanding FFA Alumni Achievement.

Amy Shrewsbury:  Has been involved with the FFA and FFA Alumni for the past four years.  Amy’s daughter, Ashtyn, has served as the Alliance FFA president that past two years.  Amy has assisted in critiquing students at contest practice nights.   She has worked on committees and currently serves as Alliance FFA Alumni Secretary.  Amy was instrumental in assisting in making the meal for the tailgate party and new members picnic this past fall.   Her family has assisted the FFA in the past by providing materials for floats, and by serving as an activity chaperone.    Amy has also assisted with raising money through the Alumni for students to attend State FFA Conventions in Lincoln.  She also assisted the FFA in raising money to that the FFA donated to help build a new livestock barn at the Box Butte County Fair.  Last October, Amy attended the National FFA Convention and watched her daughter compete for the Alliance FFA Food Science Team.  She also represented Alliance and Nebraska as she picked up the silver rating award for the Alliance Chapter.   

Charlie Wright:  Mr. Wright has been involved with the FFA and FFA Alumni for the past two years.   Charlie’s sons have both been members and officers of the Alliance FFA.  Charlie has assisted in judging parliamentary  procedure teams at districts.  He has also worked on scheduling activities at meetings, participating on committees and willing to work as needed.   He has also assisted in judging local awards.   This past year, Charlie was instrumental in having the Alliance Agricultural Program/FFA receive a $1,000 grant from WESTCO.   His family has assisted the FFA in the past by providing materials for floats, and serving as chaperones for FFA activities.   Charlie has assisted the Alumni with raising money to help pay for students to attend the State FFA Convention in Lincoln.  In October, 2012, Charlie attended the National FFA Convention in Indianapolis to watch his son, Connor, participate in the Food Science Team competition.