Getting back on track

I'd like to apologize for letting the Rickett's Blog lay fallow for so long. It's been a very busy school year and I haven't had much spare time. However, especially with Christmas break coming up, I should start having a little more free time.

Please send me any pictures or stories you'd like me to post and I will get on it right away.

http://mal-com.blogspot.com • Free estimates!
http://tedstoons.blogspot.com • Cartoons for cartooning sake

Hope you had a wonderful reunion

Thank you to Ruth Lil for these pictures from the 2009 Ricketts Reunion

Bethany & and I had a nice visit with Nancy Landon and Steve Clausen out at Marge & Allan Neddermeyer's with Marge's mom, Laura Langholdt tonight. Steve is back visiting (he teaches English in China).

Sounds like the plans for the new library in the Community Center are on track with lots of book and monetary donations. They even have computers. Now they just need to build some more bookshelves. I told them they needed leather chairs and a cappuccino machine like Barnes & Noble, but I don't thin Nancy took me too seriously.

I swear some day I'm going to write a hilarious tell-all book about your town and you'll all hate me. What fun stories and memories you all have. Why don't some of you email me and I'll post them here for you. You can even send pictures. I promise, just tell me and I won't use them in any book if you don't want me to.

If you missed the Ricketts Kids' Reunion this summer, be sure to make plans for next year.

Your Neighbor,
Ted the WWWeb-head

It's Coming! This Summer!

Alva & Ruth Lill 50th Wedding Anniversary

June 28th 2009 at the Ricketts Community Center, Ruth & Alva Lill gathered with their bridal party from their 1958 Wedding at St. John's Lutheran, Charter Oak and their family- including their three children, Melvin of Ute, IA, Melanie Mogensen of Harlan, IA and Markie and Pat Welch of Souix City, IA as well as their nine grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren.

Block telemarketers from your cell phone

REMINDER.... all cell phone numbers are being released to telemarketing companies and you will start to receive sales calls.

........ YOU WILL BE CHARGED FOR THESE CALLS
Even if the message is saved on your phone, you will be charged for the minutes to listen to it.

To prevent this, call the following number from your cell phone:
1-888-382-1222 .

It is the National DO NOT CALL list. It will only take a minute of your time. It blocks your number for five (5) years. You must call from the cell phone number you want to have blocked. You cannot call from a different phone number.

HELP OTHERS BY PASSING THIS ON TO ALL YOUR FRIENDS.. It takes about 20 seconds.

Charter Oak Achievment Day Ads

Local friends and business owners,

We're putting together our annual Charter Oak Achievement Days edition which will be published on July 23.
I will be making phone calls to area businesses and regular supporters of the Achievement Days edition this week. So don't be surprised if you hear from me.

Our sizes include:
3x3 $84.50
2x2 $52
Sig $27

I hope you'll consider showing your support for the 4-H/FFA Achievement Days again this year. Please let me know as soon as you can.

Give me a call at the PRESS office at 712-881-1101


Thank you,!

Charter Oak will be featured in the "Our Hometown" segment of the KTIV

Charter Oak will be featured in the "Our Hometown" segment of the KTIV evening news broadcast at 10 p.m. on June 14th and again on the morning show between 5-7 a.m.on June 15th. Citizens taking part were Don and Nadine Friedrichs, Ernie Poggensee, Janice Throckmorton, Nancy Rosburg, Chris Dale and Allen Staley.

If you miss it, next week (after June 14th) you can check out www.KTIV.com

and click on Hometown tab for a replay of the presentation regarding Charter Oak. It will be short, but always interesting to see what the TV people choose to use or edit out. The promo segments have been great - the arboritum was at the top of its glory.

Ricketts Vets prominent at Charter Oak Memorial Day observation

Veterans of Foreign Wars and American Legion Post #66 Homer Hall) 2nd Vice Commander B.H. Meyer plays Taps at the post's Memorial Day observances held at Charter Oak-Ute High School this morning, Monday May 25, 2009.

Ricketts resident Lt. Dan Coder, USN retired, gave the keynote address, speaking about the sacrifices made by members of the military and their families for the sake of our freedoms.

Sgt. Derek Meyer, B.H.'s son, read the roll call.

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY

Contributed by Doris Schreiber
Author unkonwn

Before I was a Mom,
I never tripped over toys
or forgot words to a lullaby.
I didn't worry whether or not
my plants were poisonous.
I never thought about immunizations.

Before I was a Mom,
I had never been puked on.
Pooped on.
Chewed on.
Peed on.
I had complete control of my mind
and my thoughts.
I slept all night.

Before I was a Mom,
I never held down a screaming child
so doctors could do tests.
Or give shots.
I never looked into teary eyes and cried.
I never got gloriously happy over a simple grin.
I never sat up late hours at night
watching a baby sleep.

Before I was a Mom,
I never held a sleeping baby just because
I didn't want to put her down.
I never felt my heart break into a million pieces
when I couldn't stop the hurt.
I never knew that something so small
could affect my life so much.
I never knew that I could love someone so much.
I never knew I would love being a Mom.

Before I was a Mom,
I didn't know the feeling of
having my heart outside my body..
I didn't know how special it could feel
to feed a hungry baby.
I didn't know that bond
between a mother and her child.
I didn't know that something so small
could make me feel so important and happy.

Before I was a Mom,
I had never gotten up in the middle of the night
every 10 minutes to make sure all was okay.
I had never known the warmth,
the joy,
the love,
the heartache,
the wonderment
or the satisfaction of being a Mom.
I didn't know I was capable of feeling so much,
before I was a Mom ...

Send this to someone who you think is an awesome Mom.

May you always be overwhelmed by the Grace of God rather than by the cares of life

Ricketts' egg hunt growing since last year

Ricketts had 19 kids and two babies attend their Easter egg hunt this year, Saturday, April 11. Last year, only eleven children had attended, so the Ricketts Community Club was very encouraged by the turn out. Each child was able to hunt for three bags of candy filled plastic easter eggs hidden around the playground and under the water tower. Then, they were treated to cookies inside the Ricketts Community Center.

Send me your news tips!

It's that time of year again. I'm talking with Brad Swenson, the Publisher of the Mapleton PRESS about how I can help as a community correspondent for the Charter Oak and Ricketts areas. You can help. Have you got any ideas for feature stories or personality interviews? Have you got an even on your calendar that you'd like me to cover or at least get some pictures of? Please send me an email and let me know ted.mallory-at-gmail.com

Remember that Charter Oak Achievement Days are coming up July 12-15. The PRESS is planning on runing their annual special edition July 23. Why not show your support by advertising in the Achievement Days Edition? Give me a call, or call the PRESS office and reserve your space today!

Brad tells me that they've got Joleen Schultz signed on to help cover our area too- especially once I go back to school next Fall. When in doubt, call Michelle Kane at the office in Mapleton :

Phone 712-881-1101
Fax 712 881 1330
mpress@longlines.com

While you're at it- you might have noticed that there hasn't been much new on this blog for a while. Some of that has had to do with how busy I've been- but a lot of it is because no one has sent me any news, stories, memories or pictures to post. This blog is Ricketts' very own news source. Please take advantage of it by sending me your ideas. Make it YOUR community website.

4-H Cookbook

Were you a Charter Oak Achiever? How about a 'Merry Maiden?' Maybe you were in the 'Wee Oaks?' Maybe you just like to cook. Then YOU definitely want a copy of this 60th anniversary cookbook that my daughter Grace is selling for just $10.

This cookbook is dedicated to all the children and adults who know the true meaning of 4-H and live by the 4-H motto: "Making the Best Better."

Interested? Let me know.

Not the same Ricketts #23

Dr. Matthew Oliver Ricketts was the generally acknowledged political leader of Omaha’s African Americans at the turn of the 20th century. Ricketts was born to an enslaved couple near New Castle, Kentucky in 1858. He later received a degree from Lincoln Institute at Jefferson City, Missouri, and three years later moved to Omaha. When he arrived in Omaha in 1880, despite scarce resources, he was admitted to Omaha Medical College, where he worked as a janitor to pay his tuition. Elected to the state legislature for the sessions of 1892 and 1894, he became the first Nebraskan of African descent to sit in that body.

You're right, even though Omaha is just an hour and a half away from here, Doc Ricketts has pretty much nothing whatsoever to do with the TOWN of Ricketts, but MOST of the rest of this website does!

If you grew up in Ricketts, be sure to plan on coming to our annual reunion, the third Saturday in July.

If you have memories or pictures of Ricketts to share, email them to our webmaster: ted.mallory -at- gmail.comIf you have other funny, kitsch, or corny "Not the same Ricketts" ideas, send them too. Help put Ricketts on the map!