Listen closely to the Montgomery Gentry song “Where I Come From” and you’ll hear about the virtues of a rural lifestyle.

          From unlocked doors to a man who made millions without an advanced degree to a crowded Sunday morning church, the country duo paints a clear portrait of some of the same elements that many Nebraskans value.

          But one element seems to be missing: the decline in rural numbers.

          It’s causing plenty of problems, too.

          What’s the number one economic threaten facing rural Nebraska?

          Population decline.

          Nebraska Sen. Galen Hadley wants to do something about it.  He introduced LB850 this session, and last week, the Revenue Committee conducted a hearing about the bill.

          No action was taken at this time.

          LB850 addresses the issue of counties experiencing a decrease in population. A county with a net loss of five percent in population during the last Census (2000 and 2010) would qualify.

          As proposed, a resident would receive a tax credit of $1,500 for each year he or she lives within one of the designated counties. Residents would not be required to reapply for the credit each year.

          To qualify for the credit, an individual must have lived outside Nebraska for five years before establishing residency in a designated county and received less than $10,000 in income from a Nebraska source during each of those five years.

          The credit would continue until the end of 2017.

          There’s a tinge of irony in play that we need a legislative bill to encourage people to move to our great state and its outlying areas.

          Those of us who live here appreciate the values afforded by a small-town, rural lifestyle.

          Yet, a problem exists and this bill merits consideration for several reasons.

          Nebraska has one of the lowest unemployment rates in the nation. Nebraska’s Department of Labor estimates the December 2011 rate was 4.1 percent.

          Truth be told, many Nebraska counties face a workforce shortage. Our small towns need both professional and skilled labor.

          And let’s face it, each Nebraska county’s economy will fail to thrive without additional workers.  

          Consider the impact this could have on our area. By offering incentives, we may experience an influx of new people to the area. This should potentially increase our school enrollment and tax rolls.

          It would also increase the demand for adequate housing, a concern facing a multitude of rural communities.

          The Population Reference Bureau reports that approximately half of Nebraska’s 93 counties have lost population since 1990.

          Based on the 2010 Census, Nebraska experienced a 6.7 percent population increase from 2000.

          But in this region, Holt County experienced a 9.7 percent decrease in the 10-year span. Antelope County numbers indicate a 10.3 percent drop; Knox, a 7.2 percent decrease; Pierce, a 7.5 decrease.

          Census data also shows that Nebraska ranks #10 as the most heavily out-migrated state for young, single, college-educated people.

          That’s not a top 10 statistic we should be proud of.

          It’s clear that rural Nebraska needs a booster shot. LB850 may be the best medicine.

          A silent killer may be stalking Nebraskans, attacking where least expected.

          Our homes may be under siege.

          The culprit: Radon. A colorless, odorless, tasteless, radioactive gas, radon is produced from decay of uranium found in nearly all soils. Radon naturally occurs in soil, entering through cracks and openings on the lowest level of a home.

          Occasionally, radon will enter a home through well water.

          Radon is the main cause of lung cancer among non-smokers, claiming close to 20,000 lives per year, including 2,900 deaths among people who have never smoked.

          Lung cancer now exceeds breast cancer as the leading cause of death among women, and lung cancer has one of the lowest survival rates of any cancer.

          Unfortunately, radon levels are at their highest during winter months.

          The Environmental Protection Agency estimates one in every 15 homes nationwide has elevated radon levels.

          Sections of Nebraska are at greater risk, though. One out of ever two radon tests conducted shows elevated rates.

          Outside, radon is diluted in the air. Inside, it can become a deadly force, waiting to attack.

          Homes with an annual average radon level at or about 4 picocuries per liter need to take action.

          The EPA established three risk zones. Zone one means highest risk, zone two indicates moderate risk, and zone three specifies low risk.

          Look at a map of Nebraska and you’ll discover three distinct zones geographically, as well. But regardless of geographic location, high levels in homes have been tested in all three zones.

          Sixty-three of Nebraska counties fall in zone 1. The eastern third of the state, as well as all but two counties along the southern border, and a handful of panhandle counties fit here. Knox County falls in this category.

          Those ranked in the second zone are scattered throughout Nebraska. Some are in the panhandle, and the center of Nebraska. Antelope Counties fit this category.

          Counties with low risk are primarily located in the Sandhills, running from Holt to Sheridan County, and as far south as the St. Paul area.

          How can you determine if your home is falling prey to this dangerous killer?

          Conducting a home test is the only way to determine the radon level in a residence. Test kits cost between $5 and $20.

          The Nebraska Radon Program offers kits for home testing.

          The Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services suggests homeowners conduct tests using a do-it-yourself kit. Start by running a short-term test, lasting from two days to one week.

          If the test results show a rate higher than 4, a follow-up test should be conducted. This second test should run at least three months, and in some instances, up to a year to determine the average exposure to the gas.

          More serious cases may require a mitigation specialist, with costs of repairs ranging from $800 to $2,500. Many new homes include a passive radon system during construction.

          Since mid-winter’s chill is keeping most of us indoors, now is the best time to check for this silent killer.

          It may save your life.

From my view in the Sandhills…

Sure, the day I write about the proposed sexual assault law that includes kissing, Sen. Avery pulls it from consideration. While Avery’s original intentions were spot on, the inability to enforce the proposed bill made it a legal nightmare.

* **

To run or not to run? That is the question former Nebraska governor and senator Bob Kerrey faces. His contemplation seems to be stirring the political pot, with frantic whispers of ‘carpetbagger’ ricocheting among certain circles.

 For the past 11 years, the Lincoln native has resided in New York City, where he served as president of The New School for nine years.

Kerrey still owns two businesses here; he pays property taxes here. And, as the former Navy SEAL pointed out when meeting with citizens during the past week, he will always consider himself a Nebraskan.

The “should he, shouldn’t-he” discussion reminds me of Hillary Clinton’s move to New York a dozen years ago and her subsequent Senate run. I lived in NY when the Clintons moved to Westchester and Hillary started courting voters. Many with opposing viewpoints uttered the same Civil War phrase about her relocation.

Kerrey has referred to the possibility of a victory as a longshot, but he must have potential opponents worried. Attack ads began airing on TV, radio, and social media networks last week.

Should make for an interesting campaign.

***

Nebraska made a decent showing at this year’s Golden Globe Awards on Sunday evening. Nebraska, meaning Omaha native and Creighton Prep graduate Alexander Payne. His film, “The Descendants,” won the Best Motion Picture, Drama.

Even if you don’t know who Payne is (where have you been?), you may have seen a number of movies he has directed, produced, or written. His bio includes “Citizen Ruth,” “Election,” “About Schmidt,” and “Sideways.” Several of these titles were filmed in the Cornhusker State.

His next project is simply titled, “Nebraska.”

***

A new Nebraska-made product is causing quite a stir.

Move over, celery, a new drink condiment/swizzle stick arrived in town, and it’s manufactured in Diller, in the southeastern part of the state.

The next time you sip a spicy Bloody Mary, the straw you use may not be constructed of white plastic. Instead, it may be a beef straw, which resembles a hollowed-out beef stick.

I’ll stick with the celery.

***

470,000 affected women worldwide. 253,000 annual deaths.

Each day in the U.S., at least 10 women die from cervical cancer, the second most common cancer among women. Last year, over 11,000 new cases were diagnosed.

Scary statistics.

If cervical cancer is the easiest female cancer to prevent, why did over 3700 women lose the battle last year?

It’s about early prevention. A Pap test can detect abnormal changes.

Nebraska’s Every Woman Matters program helps pay for the annual checkup for women between ages 40 and 74 who meet income guidelines. Consult with your physician for when regular testing should begin.

January is Cervical Cancer Screening Month. Encourage loved ones to have a checkup. It could be a life-saving decision.

“We’ll talk about it tomorrow…”

But what happens when tomorrow never comes for one of the parties in that discussion? Ella’s husband, Joe, dies in a freak accident, leaving her to raise her two stepchildren. Who shows up at the funeral? Paige, Joe’s ex-wife, who abandoned her family a few short years earlier. Paige insinuates herself back into her children’s lives, threatening to take custody of Annie and Zach, leaving Ella with an empty nest and heart.

As Ella discovers a mountain of debt and a handful of half-truths, she questions her marriage and the motives of the man she loved. Can she save the family business? Will she lose the children she loves as her own? Will Ella forgive her husband?

As I began reading, I could not believe many of the parallels between the book and my life. I, too, lost my husband when he died of complications from a stroke. We, too, had a floundering business. We amassed nearly $250,000 in business and personal debt. And we were a blended family, each bringing three children to the marriage. His kids lived with his ex-wife; mine, with us.

I understand what it’s like to be a mother and a stepmother, trying to find balance between being the parent figure and the other mother. It’s a fine line, a tightrope that stretches until you teeter off, maybe never finding your way back.

While I appreciate Halverson’s resolution, I’m not sure real life works that way. Sure, in my life, the animosity from the insecure ex was present, but she never would have admitted her failings, nor would she have let me raise her – and his - children.

I’m not sure I would have wanted to.

Beautifully written, with fantastic descriptions of setting. Imagine looking at a photograph and stepping into it. You can, when reading this.

Want to join in the discussion? Visit BlogHer Book Club!

I received a copy of this book, as well as payment, for participating in this review as part of BHBC.

                They’re back.

                State senators returned to the Capital last Wednesday, as Nebraska’s 60-day legislative session kicked off. On opening day, 77 bills and a constitutional amendment were presented. Several proposed bills caught my attention.

                Two bills deal with cell phone use and driving.

                LB724 would make texting while driving a primary offense for commercial truck and bus drivers. Introduced by Senator Deb Fischer of Valentine, this law would put the state in compliance with federal rule.

                I’ll admit, I’ve dashed off a quick ‘yes’ or ‘no’ response via text while driving. And whether or not you admit your culpability, many of you have probably jotted a quick text while behind the wheel, too.

                Generally, I don’t text while driving. If something is so urgent that I need to call or text, I pull over and call. I’ve witnessed friends and family members suffer from consequences associated with distracted driving. I would not wish that agony on anyone.  

                So, I cannot imagine sponsoring a busload of speech kids and watching the bus driver text while maneuvering the bus.

                Omaha Sen. Gwen Howard introduced LB875, making it a primary offense for provisional operator’s permit holders to use a cell phone while driving through a construction or school zone. Currently, if a provisional license holder is caught using a cell phone while driving anywhere, it’s a secondary offense. Offenders can only receive a ticket for the infraction if they are pulled over for a primary offense, like speeding. 

                While LB724 falls in line with federal law and LB875 deals with cell phone use in specified areas, shouldn’t common sense tell you that distracted driving of any kind can, and will, eventually lead to more serious consequences?

                My concern is this: how difficult will it be to enforce these bills, if passed?

                Speaking of difficult to enforce laws, another proposal became the punchline for a couple late-night hosts.

                When is a kiss a just a kiss and when does it cross criminal lines?

                Sen. Bill Avery’s LB797 would make a lip plant on the mouth without consent of the recipient a form of criminal sexual contact. Avery, who serves Lincoln, proposed the legislation after an incident in his district. A young woman was mowing her yard when a man approached her, proffered a drink of water, and then clutched at her and kissed her.

                When the young woman’s family decided to press charges, they discovered the man, a registered sex offender, could not be indicted on sexual assault charges; however, he could face disturbing the peace charges.

                Again, this bill makes sense and helps clearly define another act that can be considered sexual assault.

                But what happens when an overzealous kindergarten boy (or girl) plants a smacker on his/her first-love crush? Can this child be punished, by law?

                In addition to pipeline regulations, health insurance guidelines, Sunday liquor sales, the renovation of Centennial Mall, and the tax battle in the soda vs. obesity debate  , this year’s legislative session is gearing up for creatively interesting and lawful discussion.

A New Year’s resolution is something that goes in one year and out the other.

I’ll admit it, like 40 to 45 percent of our population, I have rung in January 1 with a “to do” list filled with declarations that tend to be broken or forgotten or perhaps not even embarked on by January 15.

Maybe Mark Twain was right when he wrote, “New Years Day: Now is the accepted time to make your regular annual good resolutions. Next week, you can begin paving hell with them as usual. “

Oh, sure, some have lasted for half a year. That’s fairly typical for 40 to 46 percent of us who make resolutions. Only 12 percent of the good intentions are actually met by year’s end.

The idea of establishing promises for the New Year isn’t exactly new. It dates back to around 153 B.C. when Janus, the Roman god of gates, doors, and beginnings, became the head of the calendar. In 46 B.C., when Julius Caesar came up with the idea of a solar, or Julian, calendar, the Romans donned the first month after Janus.

The mythical Roman king had two faces, one looking back at the past, the other looking forward to the future. He became a symbol of forgiveness and new beginnings.

So, the traditional reflecting on bygone days, shaking our heads and thinking ‘wow, I can do better next year’ trickled through time. Today, the majority of resolution-making individuals still see the introduction of the New Year as a way to reinvest in the future, or in some situations, reinvent themselves.

Most resolutions can be broken down into four categories: health, wealth, work, and personal goals. Many of us say we’re going to battle the bulge, put down the potato chips and pick up an orange, or get out of the chair and exercise. Some say they want to save for a vacation or take a class, improve relationships or manage their stress level.

And then, reality sets in. We become too busy to get to the gym every day. Overbooked schedules lead to another night of take-out. Instead of saving for a rainy day, we’re flooded in debt.

Why do we only make resolutions in the days leading up to the first day of January? Shouldn’t we be reevaluating personal goals, work, wealth and health on a monthly basis? Weekly?  In some cases, daily?

Why do we allow ourselves a new start on old habits?

Or as my husband says, “Why set yourself up for failure?”

I may stumble, but I am not going to fail. My plan is uncomplicated. I’ve established personal and career goals for the year, devised an action plan, and now, I’m ready for change.

Is goal-setting an individual thing or should the state also consider resolutions for the upcoming year? Multiple issues – state budget cuts, a proposed pipeline route, flood damage recovery – continue to face our state’s decision makers.  Hopefully, they will listen with both ears.

What resolutions have you set for 2012?

I made a list and checked it twice. Now, one last wish remains: a Husker bowl victory. Let’s remind Steve Spurrier what happened the last time Nebraska met one of his teams.

Okay, I hear you. I’ll settle for a victory. No need to win by 40. Again.

Yes, let’s go bowling. I’m not talking heave-a-14-pound-ball-down-the-lane bowling. I’m talking about the road trippin’, Christmas vaca away from home kind of bowling, where trips to Dallas or Miami or San Diego or, yes, even El Paso are part of the fabric of my football fanatic life.

From the third weekend in December until the national championship game, I’m in football heaven.  Between bowl games and the NFL season wind-down to the playoffs, my football fix is satiated until Super Bowl weekend.

Once satisfied, the countdown to spring and fall conditioning, opening kickoff, and what I call “empty Saturday syndrome” begins.

The Husker holiday tradition stems from a 1941 Rose Bowl trip, where the scarlet and cream fell to Stanford 21-13. Since then, the Huskers have accumulated an impressive bowl record and rank fifth nationally with 47 all-time bowl appearances. And, if it hadn’t been for that coach who shall remain nameless (because I refuse to utter it aloud), the team would have increased its streak of consecutive bowl appearances.

Will anyone beat 35 consecutive bowl trips?

By the numbers, the ‘Skers have a 24-23 bowl game record. They’ve played in 14 different bowls, appearing in the Orange Bowl 17 times, Fiesta Bowl 6 times, and both the Sugar and Cotton Bowls four times apiece.

The Huskers have met 29 different teams, squaring off against Miami five times, LSU and Florida State four times each, and we’ve battled ‘Bama three times.

My first bowl experience was the 1974 Cotton Bowl. It was cold, but the atmosphere and adrenaline hooked me. I remember lots of funny (meaning ironic) signs spattered amongst the crowd. Unfortunately, I can’t repeat them here. I remember attending a pre-game concert by the UNL marching band before the game and singing along to “The Band Song.” Cue the trumpets. Dave Humm and company pounded the Texas Longhorns, 19-3.

There have been others, too, some with tough losses and some in places I don’t care to return to, but that first trip will always be my favorite.

If you are a football fan and you haven’t been to a bowl game, consider adding it to your bucket list. A bowl trip is about so much more than the game. Parades, great tailgate parties, and bowl-related events are just a few examples of the offerings associated with a bowl and its respective city.

My dad figures that 1974 trip cost our family about $500 to attend, including fuel, food, hotel, and events. Today, airfare may cost that much, and tickets for our family of four equaled the price of one Capital One Bowl ticket.

Unfortunately, I won’t be in Orlando for this year’s game, but I’ll be watching and getting my football fix.

Go Big Red!

            Out of curiosity, I Googled “top Christmas gifts 2011.”

            With a single mouse click, I remembered why this most wonderful time of the year doesn’t always bring enjoyment.

Overpriced electronic devices. Spikasaurus back packs. A drum-banging Elmo.

            Cheap. Impractical.

            Definitely not the reason for the season.

            I’m not saying “Bah, humbug” to the holidays. It’s just that I want Christmas to get its true groove back.

When airwaves and advertisements bombard us with a stocking full of unnecessary “must-haves” and prey on our psyches, making people feel like inadequate parents or grandparents or siblings or significant others because we didn’t go to “that” jewelry store or a certain major electronics outlet,  I draw the line in the yellowing Christmas snow.

            I dare you to show how the revolutionary, got-to-own-it item will make my holiday merry and bright.    

            No, this time of year, my mind drifts to writer Lawrence Ferlinghetti, who wrote a beautiful, truthful poem – “Christ Climbed Down” – about the holiday and how for many people, Christmas has lost significance because of the commercialization associated with the season that begins as early as July in some retail stores.

            Shoot, daughter Cassie made it on a CNBC report about early Christmas sales back in September because she snapped a photo of Christmas decorations in Grand Island’s Hobby Lobby in early August.

            Look at Christmas by the numbers supplied by the U.S. Census Bureau. Last year, retail sales for December totaled $27.2 billion, with five retail areas noting major increases: clothing stores, 33 percent; electronics, 44 percent; sporting goods, 58 percent; book stores, 92 percent; and jewelry, 113 percent.

            Online shopping and mail-order retail totals hit $34 billion dollars.

            What about decorations? Tree ornament imports – primarily from China – reached $983 million. And those tinseled or artificial Christmas trees, also shipped from China, had sales reaching $79.7 million.

            Staggering figures. Are you willing to bankrupt your bank account or max out credit cards so those you love have a holly jolly Christmas?

            If you think about some of your happiest holiday moments, I imagine it’s not the pile of presents you’ll remember most.

            No, I imagine for many of you, some of your fondest moments involve hope, faith and family.

            And, probably food. Definitely the traditional Christmas Eve pot of chili or oyster soup served at our annual get-together.

            All of us cousins may have begged our grandparents to let us open a present prior to Christmas Day, but it never happened. Nope. Instead, we’d put on our Christmas best, load up in cars and pickups, and follow the bright star to town for Christmas Eve service. We’d sing “O Holy Night” and listen to the Nativity story. When the lights would dim and only candlelight glowed through the church, we’d stare with wonder and delight at the promise of hope and love surrounding us.

            Suddenly, the premise of a pretty package paled in comparison.

            From the Schindler house, we wish you a Merry Christmas and joyful holiday season, filled with family and renewed hope.