Shakers West Set to Open; The Community's Outraged

I was there tonight. It was the best time I have had sober.

What, are people afraid that it is going to bring in a bad element? Newsflash: Lexington is a bad element, and I am not talking about the influx of people that began, 15 years ago (and the natives still aren't over it...well maybe now you know how the Indians felt...karma's a b**** isn't it!). People, I have been told, in the surrounding towns as far back as many can remember were told, as teenagers, not to go to Lexington. Too many wild people, and not in a good way either. In the 1970's, Lexington was one of the spookiest places around--it was crime-ridden, and out of the way too--people could get away with quite a bit out there. No matter what the statistics say, you all know it. Corruption and sin has always been the order of the day in Lexington--which is not too much different from anyplace else, actually. If you choose to keep your hands out of the dirt, then you do, and live a happy life. Don't worry about what everyone else is doing, unless it really is affecting you. I don't think a strip bar is where the problem lies. What the people in that town that are going to rise up and protest the strip bar don't realize is that the social problems in Lexington don't really lie with the people who have drinking and drug problems, and indulge in unsavory behavior. The problem lies with you, and the need to escape from the society you work so hard to maintain for yourself...and only yourself...and your kind. The racism (and general ethnocentrism)in Lexington is very insidious. Noone comes right out and says anything, and some people act so gracious...but their actions say something different. The immense drug problem in the community of Lexington's roots can be found on the corners of 12th and Washington, 13th and Adams, and on north Washington street inside the old hospital building, and 4 other places....yes, right in that awful old school system that I have heard is even worse than when I was there, if that is even remotely possible. So before you start protesting the strip bar, maybe you might think of getting at the root of the problem rather than a symptom...it's like trying to cure pneumonia with a Kleenex.

Maybe if they had more of this type of good business such as Shakers it would grow in size even faster. Great adult fun with no alcohol or drugs. Some thing that honest 18 year old can be a part of. Good for Cozad. Population increase by adding returnees shows the strength of the community, say Cozad residents
Cozad gained 2.3 percent in population in the past seven years, according to U.S. Census estimates. Each of Dawson County’s towns has increased in population since 2000.
COZAD — Brian and Tim Davis and their families returned to Cozad after leaving town following high school.
Employment opportunities combined with amenities and proximity to Interstate 80 may be some of the factors fueling population growth in Dawson County, despite a decline in other counties.
Population estimates released by the U.S. Census Bureau indicate an estimated 24,744 residents in Dawson County in 2007, compared with 24,365 in 2000, or a 1.5 percent increase.
Cozad and Gothenburg had the greatest gains at 2.3 and 2.4 percent growth respectively, although each Dawson County town’s population increased. Cozad gained 94 people and Gothenburg gained 87 in the past seven years.
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Robyn Geiser, executive director of Cozad Development Corp., wasn’t surprised to hear that Cozad is growing and thinks growth will continue despite the present economy.
“We have a very strong manufacturing sector that employs greater than 30 percent,” Geiser said. That diversification within a predominately agriculture area means Cozad is not struggling. People have options for employment to remain in the area.
In addition, Cozad has young people returning to establish themselves in a career and to raise a family. Geiser said proximity to family is especially important.
“I think people are starting to more and more appreciate being closer to family,” she said.
Many Cozad school graduates want to return to the town that gave them a great start in life, Geiser said.
Brian and his wife, Aimee, originally from Brady, moved to Cozad four years ago and have since added 10-month-old Ollie, their first child, to their family. Aimee works at Cozad Medical Clinic as a records encoder.
Brian Davis said living in a small town has advantages such as low cost of living, good schools and the opportunity to get to know people. These aren’t the only benefits.
Living near I-80 provides an added convenience, the brothers said.
“It’s not hard to get anywhere,” Brian Davis said. Cozad’s close to Omaha or Denver, and shopping centers such as North Platte and Kearney are convenient, Tim Davis said.
“It’s no further for us to get to a mall than the distance people will travel within a large city,” Geiser said.“With I-80, we have easy access to things not available.”
Brian Davis, an attorney, appreciates a diverse caseload in a relaxed atmosphere.
“(Cozad) is a younger community, and it is growing,” Tim said of the main reason he moved back.
He and his wife, TaraLea, who grew up in Cozad, returned two years ago. Tim works as a dentist, and TaraLea takes care of their children, ages 4 and 2.
Tim Davis said he likes the better opportunities for building doctor-patient trust because people in a small town gets to know each other so well.
The Davises’ reasons for returning mesh with the reasons of others.
“We are a great little small town with a lot of amenities similar to those of a large city, with the added benefit of safety and peace of mind,” Geiser said.