Speaking of neighbors, Tim Preece told that back in the homesteading days, people who pioneered in the area, knew the land and where section lines were located, would serve as "spotters" for people looking for land to file on. John Hughes, though a very young man, was old enough to know the country, so that when people of the Catholic faith came out they would be sent to John for help. One day two men came out from Iowa and found Mr. Hughes, telling him their wants. One said "I would like to get into a neighborhood of good people, because 'back home' I had some of the nicest neighbors." Mr. Hughes said "You will find them here too, you'll find them here too." Then the other said "I want to get a good neighborhood too, because where I came from I had some of the meanest neighbors." John answered, "You'll find them here too."

Which brings us to the story of good neighbors working together as has been done in the Battle Creek Improvement Club and the combined effort of the people in the Community Betterment Contest when Battle Creek topped 79 other communities to win the grand championship as well as first place in towns under one thousand population division in the first annual Nebraska Community Betterment Contest in 1963.

To quote a newsman: Fancy bricks and mortar don't make a town.

"It's the people, and the people have become interested in making their home town a better place to live. Battle Creek is a wonderful place not because of all the improvements one can see, but because of those invisible intangible things in the hearts of its people." That was the answer Mrs. Francis Zimmerman, chairman of the Battle Creek Betterment Committee gave when asked what made her community tick.

Only 12 miles from Norfolk, this was declared Nebraska's most progressive community, its progressive industry, its fine school system, its churches and its homes. With good paved highways now only a 12 to 15 minute drive from Norfolk hospitals and its industries for employment.

The one thousand dollars prize money was, by choice of the majority of all citizens, placed in a special fund to some day help build a medical clinic for the community.

Among the community projects reported and for which the award was made were:

Plans (now completed) for a concrete multiple use area in the city park for such sports as tennis, ice skating and badminton, as part of the expanded recreation program, a new all season

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