Click to see this week's specials at the North Bend Mini Mart!

The North Bend Eagle


 

Soukups move library fund over goal

by Mary Le Arneal
Published 12/22/10

Cheryl Kavan announced at the Dec. 14 North Bend Library Foundation meeting that Don and Diane Soukup and Dr. LeMoyne and Darlene (Soukup) Johnson have extended a challenge pledge for the library fund. The community will need to raise $40,000 with the Soukups/Johnsons donating two dollars for every dollar raised, up to $80,000.

“We are doing this to honor our grandfather, Charles Beranek, Sr.,” Darlene Johnson said. “He was a self-educated man because of reading. He made sure all of his grandchildren who wanted an education got one. With this we are passing down his legacy to his great-great-grandchildren.”

Don and Darlene, two of seven children of Alvin and Matilda Soukup, grew up on a farm near Morse Bluff. He is a 1962 graduate of North Bend High School. Don and his wife, Diane, live in Nevada. Darlene, a 1965 graduate of NBHS, and her husband, LeMoyne Johnson, live in Florida.

“This helps the entire community, kids and older people,” Don Soukup said. “Since we came from the community, it’s our way of giving back.”

When the full amount is raised it will put the library fund over the original $1.2 million goal. The additional money will go for expenses that have arisen since the original goal was set more than two years ago.

“We’d like to have geothermal heating and cooling, but that was not in the initial budget,” Kavan said. “A parking lot, sprinklers, landscaping, were also not in the original budget. Additional funds will be needed for these items.”

As of Dec. 14, $78,125.76 was needed to reach the Foundation’s $1.2 million goal.
Johnson said she hopes their challenge will encourage others to donate to the local library fund.

The Library Foundation urges the North Bend community to remember the new library and all that it will add to the community when it does ites end-of-year donations. The present library was built in 1913 and though the staff and Library Board do a good job keeping up with technology, space and steps are large deterrents to its usefulness. Dirt work has already begun at the new library site on the north east corner of Main and 14th streets, but funding needs to be completed as some grants received are contingent upon all funds being raised and to avoid having to make a loan which would incur additional interest cost.

Tax deductible donations can be sent to the North Bend Library Foundation, P.O. Box 56, North Bend, NE 68649.

<<Back to the archives page