Cambridge (Valley, Phillips, Johnson: how much, new house, unemployment)

[Dakotan]

Can anyone help me out with information about Cambridge? What kind of town is it? Would you recommend raising a family there? What are the schools like?

[roots'nbulbs]

I do not live in Cambridge, but live in the area and have some reasons for business in Cambridge. As small towns go, it is very impressive.

If I have my facts correct, the Perkins family(that would be Kool-Aid fortune) donated funds to spruce up the town. So, Main Street buildings were painted and cleaned as well as a nice park and ball field were created.

There is a really good golf course surrounded by new houses. I was just reading that, if you build a new home on the golf course, the city will give you a tax advantage?????????????????

The town has 5 or 6 lovely, old victorians that color it nicely. One is a graceful B and B. And, the town has attracted some artists like Sondra Johnson who has made quite a mark in the sculpture world.

The school is very good. I have known quite a few kids who were well prepared for advanced degrees at UNL and UNK as well as the medical profession.

And, finally, there is an excellent Medical system there with about 3 MDs on staff.

[tpabes]

Roots had a good description. Look for a member named Off Pavement, they aren't on much but live near Cambridge.

Its a nice small town. It has a small hospital and nice little downtown. The school is good, have good sports programs if that is important. There is a nice lake outside of town too.

[tpabes]

Saw on the news last night, thier ethanol plant closed.

[roots'nbulbs]

I saw that, too. But, in the beginning, I suspected Ethanol would be a bust because it just used too much water.

I respected the towns that went ahead and pursued the industry and the plants because no one had clear information about where it was going. Unless you're dead in the saddle, you gotta' keep riding. These little towns stuck out their necks and tried.

I also think that it's possible those plants could still be converted to a more efficient way of producing fuel, in the future. I think Phillipsburg, KS, is set up to make ethanol from the stalks????????????/Maybe that's a stupid thing to say. I would be interested to know and to know why the KS plant is still thriving and I hear of others closing.

[Dakotan]

What does this meaan for cambridge? i have never been there and do not know how much the ethanol plant meant to the town in terms of jobs, economy, etc. please elaborate....thanks

[roots'nbulbs]

I don't know what impact it will have on Cambridge. I heard that it cut 20 jobs. That could be 20 families moving or it could be 20 singles who were just there for a short time, living away from the general economy. ?????

We have laughed at ourselves, out here, about the economy. There are so few mfg. plants in this area that when our stellar unemployment figures pop up on the TV news, we know there were no jobs to be had, in the first place. That's not always a bad thing because it does keep us out of a depressed state when things go badly. On the other hand, we'd like to know that when someone passes through town, they had a little money to leave behind.

[Off Pavement]

Wow... here's a question about my town and I'm late to the party!

First off, we don't live in Cambridge, but are just 4 miles from town. We're not farmers, just retired folks that spent several years looking for the perfect place for us and we ended up here. We've been here just over a year so I have several opinions from a newcomers perspective.

As mentioned above, the ethanol plant is currently closed. It operated for under a year, and did well until gas prices dropped from $4 to $2. This is bad news for any small town to lose 20 or so jobs, and no guarantee that they will be replaced. On the other hand, I heard some folks grump about the smell from the plant now and then, so some folks are happy I know.

Job opportunities are likely similar to other small towns I'd imagine. Cambridge is a communication hub for high speed internet and Pinpoint is a major employer. There is a hospital and health care is pretty easy to come by with Tri-Valley Health in several towns in the area. Farms are of course the big business outside town, and there are ads for ag help in the paper often.

Depending on your idea of fun, Cambridge has it or not. If you like hunting and fishing, this is a great location! Medicine Creek State Rec Area is 10 miles from town, and is called the states "most beautiful lake". I dunno about that, but it is nice and they put tons of fish in that lake every year. Big game hunting is availabe as well as plenty of upland bird hunting opportunities. Town doesn't have a theater. It has a great restaurant plus some other food availability through the bar, bowling alley, pizza place, and the senior center, a couple car dealerships, no traffic lights, a library, nice museum, town park of course and city sponsored activities all summer. No fast food here! If you golf, our towns course is one of the longest in the country and seldom is it very busy.

High school and especially Nebraska Cornhusker sports is king around this part of the world. I'm a Denver Broncos fan, but I have few folks to talk to about my team here as if you ain't red (Cornhusker red that is) you ain't worth much to most folks. Good think I love the Huskers too!

The town is making every effort to stay viable and have some unique things going for it. For some reason, Cambridge has attracted several quality artists and their work is on display not just in town, but across SW Nebraska. The town has an economic development board that works at keeping the town thriving.

So... We've got a lot of things going for us here. If you decide to make Cambridge your home, just watch out for the Big Black Jeep... I hear the guy that drives it is nuts!

[Dakotan]

Thank you so much, I am applying for a teaching position. I am hoping if I get the job, that my husband will be able to find employment. I have two high school kids who are really into sports and have been pretty successful. I am hoping that Cambridge would welcome them with open arms. What do you think? Does the school sports program like newcomers? Please share your thoughts. Thanks

[Off Pavement]

Since I don't have kids in school, I can't really comment about how your kids would be accepted. If our experience is typical however, you should have no trouble fitting right in. The folks around here are among the best you will find anywhere, and the town totally supports high school sports! We hold town pep rallys and block off the streets for the really big games with bands and street dancing... town loves the kids teams!

Good luck with your job quest!