BEEMER, Neb. (AP) – Unlocking the northwest door to the entrance to the Beemer School gym and fitness center is a bit like unlocking the fervent memories of the Bobcat ghost.
The Bobcat ghost is a reference to the old high school. For decades, Beemer competed as the Bobcats before joining the West Point district.
“It’s so cool to give tours when part of this heart returns in a flood of memories,” said Dana Steffensmeier. “Teachers remember their classrooms. Caretakers say: ‘That used to be a caretaker’s closet.’ ”
The school has now been converted into the Beemer School’s 24-hour fitness center.
The pride and loyalty of the city and the old school live on. It never dies under Bobcats.
The Norfolk Daily News reports that friends Sam Steffensmeier and Jared Lierman had Bobcat connections that drew them back to their Beemer roots after graduating from college.
Steffensmeier was a Bobcat student until the school closed. He graduated from Wisner Pilgrim High and then Creighton University.
After getting married in Omaha in 2018, Sam and his wife Dana responded to the temptation to raise children in a small town and be closer to working with the family business. They moved back to Beemer.
Jared Lierman has a great connection with Beemer since he was born here.
“I went from K to eighth grade in Norfolk, where our family had an active YMCA membership. When the Beemer School closed, I graduated from West Point-Beemer High. When I graduated from UNL in 2009, I decided to go into agriculture.
“My childhood here was pretty great. I really loved being a kid. You can be a kid in a small town like Beemer, ”Lierman said.
Steffensmeier joined the Beemer volunteer fire department. At a meeting, Steffensmeier brought up the idea of a city fitness center. The free school gym was available. The firefighters gave overwhelming support for this.
With the consent of the city, Steffensmeier joined his friend Lierman. Lierman studied again the YMCA of the Norfolk Family, came on board with Steffensmeier and converted the gym into a fitness center.
Lierman said they thought it would be easy, but they accepted obstacle after obstacle. They opened after a year and a half.
“Basically we did it for the city,” says Dana Steffensmeier. “It is set up to serve the community.”
Bobcat Fitness offers affordable community rates for monthly memberships. Monthly memberships are best for seasonal workers such as farmers and teachers. There are no contracts. They use a 24/7 key lock FOB card on the front door and in the gym.
“This is an original idea that works well and can be copied in many cities where school gyms are empty,” Lierman said. “Every day we have people aged 10 to over 80. It’s a win-win situation for everyone. I am really happy. It’s a safe place to work on sports. “
The glossy high-gloss floor of the gym has just been prepared for volleyball. The locker room hallway is immaculate. The weight room is located exactly where the school’s weight room was many years ago.
Fitness equipment is located where the primary school classrooms were. The walls are painted in dynamic designs in purple, white and black.
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