I moved to Sarpy County in 2010 and have entered my 7th year as Executive Director of the Sarpy County Museum. Time has gone by quick. I was not around to see or be a part of Sarpy County prior to that. As a transplant, it has for better or worse shaped my views on Sarpy County history. Some people lived it. They are able to remember details of the past. I can only read about it in the local newspaper. Perhaps that is why I value our historic local Sarpy County newspapers, whether they are the Bellevue Leader highlighting local connections to the Iranian Hostage Crisis, the Gretna Breeze displaying turn of the century ads from Langdon’s General Store, or the Papillion Times featuring the news of La Vista in their effort to establish their city in the backdrop of the 1960s. This is our history. This is our chance to preserve it.
I am deeply appreciative of the Bellevue Community Foundation, Gretna Community Foundation, and the Midlands Community Foundation for supporting the effort to save the history newspapers and seeing the value in keeping our local print history alive for not just future generations but those many transplants like myself who have seen the great communities of Sarpy County.
There are a few more pending grants and a few that unfortunately outright were not interested in their local history. We’re about halfway to completing our goal of $42,000 and I hope to start this spring to save the historic newspapers in the communities that have assisted with the project. I hope you will consider lending your support to help us finish the job of saving the historic newspapers.
See you at the museum,
Ben Justman
Executive Director