Contact information:
E-mail: Arnett Services
Greetings to my new neighbors in Oshkosh, Nebraska
Arnett Services, located in Oshkosh, Nebraska, offers a wide variety of services.
We are the family that bought the house by the tracks. The ones with the santa on the roof. We just moved to Oshkosh in November.
Part of you may know me as "the lady that made the menus for Becky at R&D's Restaurant. I also create custom wedding and graduation cards. Drop by and take a look at some of my samples sometime soon.
I am looking forward to meeting more of our neighbors.
I feel as if I almost have a right to say I have native ties to Nebraska. My maternal Grandmother was born and raised in the Arapaho, Indianola area. I made a few trips from Wyoming with her to visit while she was still with us. I believe that my maternal Grandfather was also from Nebraska, but unsure of the exact local. (he died while I was quite young) As for the paternal grandparents, they were a wonderful German family in the Seneca Kansas area. I have a picture of my husbands relation standing with Teddy Roosevelt in front of a sod-roofed cabin in the Dakota's. And I was born and raised in Wyoming. We have lived in Colorado for about 6 years. Almost 6 years too many.
So even though we have not actually resided in the state, we have all been close neighbors for at least 3 generations.
I find this area very refreshing. After spending the last few years within spitting distance of Denver, Colorado, it is wonderful to find a town where the churches outnumber the bars. Where if kids don't show up at home on time, you suspect they were invited to stay for a bite to eat at a friends , not worry they were kidnapped or worse. (a note needs inserted here... when they have been over a couple of hours past due, you cant HELP but to worry, anyway)
A place where you can go out and look at the stars, and they all stay in the sky, not fly east of town and land (we also were quite close to Denver International Airport) Additionally, the stars actually are there to be seen, not obscured by miles and miles of city lights and smog! The local newspaper does not headline Bill Clintons latest escapades, rather, it focuses on community events.
I dont need to tell those of the community that this is a REAL COMMUNITY, they already know that. I just wonder if they all realize just how wonderful the community really is! The neighbors come out and say "hi". They comment on whats going on. No one "turns the other way" when they see a need in the community. All who can pitches in when they are able.
Neighbors still send a tub of salad when they see you moving in, and a plate of cookies for a special occasion. Waving as a means of greeting and meeting is still a commodity here.
The school faculty know all the children by name, not just the trouble makers and the scholars. The classroom sizes are geared toward teaching the children, not providing unsupervised daycare.
The "nooner" whistle took me by surprise the first time I heard it, but I rather like the idea of an emergency signal being utilized in such daily events as "announcing lunch hour" and the occasional fire signal, not being held in reserve for tornadoes and nuclear attacks. It makes it a better neighbor.
The church bells play music at 8 in the morning, at noon, and again at 8 in the evening. Announcing that the work day is beginning, school is in session, take a break and relax at lunch, and it's time to spend the evening enjoying your family.
In short, this community is like stepping back in time in neighborliness, values, and concern for one another. Yet it is still in today's world with its internet connections, satellite dishes, and technology.
The folk in this area seem to be just finding the web. (and not all seem to be too sure just what they should do with it)
For instance, I just did a search for internet service providers for Oshkosh, and came up with 0 hits. This does not really surprise me, as it has taken me 3 months to find a list of 3 ISP's that service the Oshkosh area with local dial-up service. (lakemac.net, prairieweb.com, and panhandle.net)
I have continuously conducted searches on various engines for the last 6 months for Oshkosh, Ne. 6 months ago, I got 13 hits. Tonight, with the aid of Copernic2000, I got a list of over 200 pages where Oshkosh is mentioned somewhere (many pages were repeated numerous times)
In closing, I want to say I am hoping to make this site a continuing community meeting place. I have been pondering the information I want to put in it. Photos of the two museums (the old school house, and the old opera house), history of the town, info on recreation in the area, lists and links to services available in the area, possibly a column for interviewing the locals and reviewing the local businesses and crafts. A place to post local events, announce meetings... that sort of thing. I will try to provide a local Chat area, and message boards.
Since I want this to be a community page, I am VERY open to suggestions for content.