News from Neighbors
War in Ukraine hits close to home for area families
GRANT TRIBUNE-SENTINEL, March 2 — While almost everyone is following the news of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, no one is watching more intently than the Kulibaba family of rural Brandon, Nebraska, as they left Ukraine, their homeland, and their family there several years ago to make a living in the United States.
Six years ago, Iurii Kulibaba came to America with the intention of finding temporary work and returning after making some money to help out his family who lived in Poltava, a village approximately 100-150 miles from the Russian border.
He worked for one harvest cycle for Briggs Harvesting of Imperial, Nebraska, and was invited to return the following season. He declined, saying that he had a family in Ukraine.
Briggs then extended the invitation to the whole family, which at the time included Iurii’s wife Ruslana, and their young son, Max. The Kulibabas decided to return to work and make western Nebraska their home.
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‘Just be Yuma’: No mascot for now
YUMA PIONEER, March 3 — “Just be Yuma.” That was the motion made by Yuma School District-1 board member Thomas Holtorf and unanimously approved by the board during its regular monthly meeting Monday night.
Simply put, Yuma just will not have a mascot for at least the next school year.
There are many layers to this whole situation in having to eradicate the “Indians” mascot by the end of the school year — dictated by Senate Bill 21-116 approved by the Colorado Legislature and signed into law by Gov. Jared Polis last year.
That includes the family memorials of lost loved ones located along the east side of Yuma High School.
“I can’t apologize to them enough, it’s so emotional,” Yuma-1 Superintendent Dianna Chrisman told the Pioneer late last week. “It’s so heartbreaking and frustrating to have so little say on something that impacts these families so directly.”
The fabulous granite and brick “Welcome to Yuma High School” edifice in front of the former main entrance to YHS will be coming down by April 29. It was put up in memory of YHS graduate Brent Flaming, who died in a car accident while returning home from college in the late 1980s. Unfortunately, it includes the Yuma Indians logo as well as the words “Home of the Indians.”
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Yuma-1 adopts 4-day week
YUMA PIONEER, March 3 — Going to a four-day school week coupled with a significant pay raise should help Yuma School District-1 remain an attractive option for educators and classified staff well into the future.
Both issues were discussed and approved during the Yuma-1 Board of Education’s monthly meeting Monday night.
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Julesburg breaks ground on new school
JULESBURG ADVOCATE, March 4 — A big and bold dream that began four years ago took one more step to reality Tuesday afternoon when community members, business leaders, school administration, faculty, parents and students gathered together for the purpose of breaking ground for the new 80,000 square foot PK-12 Julesburg School.
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