BEATRICE - The Beatrice Educational Foundation has added three members to of the hall of fame at Beatrice High School. The recipients are Julie Hagemeier, Verdella Vetrovsky, and Dennis Dodge.

Julie Hagemeier developed her love for theatre in high school and carried her love for theatre into her lifelong professional career. Hagemeier has spent the last few decades at the Johnny Carson School of Theatre and Film.

"I would love to talk to you in five, six, seven years to find out if everything you had dreamed of when you were off to college, had come true. Or, if things change, because that can happen to. You make new choices and create new goals. Always keep that goal in mind. Don't ever give up, even if things are not working out quite the way you wanted them to."

She recently retired from her position as the General Manager, a position she held since 1995. Hagemeier graduated from Beatrice High School in 1973.

Verdella Vetrovsky started off in the bookkeeping department at First National Bank and Trust in 1971 and became branch president in 2016. She was President of the Beatrice Mrs. Jaycees chapter as well as State President for Nebraska Jaycee Women in 1984..

Verdella Vetrovsky
Verdella Vetrovsky  

 "Each of you have powers you have never dreamed of. There are things you can do, that you never thought possible. The only limitations on what you can do, are the limitations in your own mind...as to what you cannot do. Don't think you cannot. Think you can."

Vetrovsky served as the president of the local Rotary Club and was co-chair for the Veteran’s Memorial Park and helped raise over $500,000 for the plaques, benches, statues, and pedestals currently on display at the park. The park was dedicated in 2005 and currently has over 1,855 inscriptions. Vetrovsky graduated from Beatrice High School in 1969.

Dennis Dodge is a founding member of the Beatrice Girls Softball Association, where he serves as President. He organized and was tournament director for summer softball tournaments for 40 plus years, often bringing over 60 teams to Beatrice in a weekend. He has 3,000 wins and 34 state championships in the 50 years as a summer softball coach.

Dennis Dodge
Dennis Dodge  

 
During his high school coaching career he logged 350 wins including 11 state tournament appearances and his teams were the state runner up three times. Dodge has coached 35 all-state players including 11 who played at Division 1 colleges.

"This town is small, but it's big in a lot of ways. It has so much support, especially in sports...all the different sports. Steve Hartmann and I formed a girl's basketball association and a girl's softball association. We wanted the kids to have something to do and build some success. It does build teamwork and leadership. I'm really proud of being an educator. I'll get phone calls from kids from twenty years before, saying you taught me to play the drums...I'm a professional drummer now...or, I was going to quit school, but you kept me in school. It really makes it worthwhile."

Dodge is a Youth Recreation Incorporated board member for 37 years and is the current president…helping raise funds and grants for new ball diamonds and improvements. He continues to substitute teach for Beatrice. Dennis Dodge graduated from Beatrice High School in 1973.

The B-E-F's Friend of Education recipient is Brenda Carnes. Women’s sports were just getting started in the 1970s Carnes was an advocate for women participating in athletics at Beatrice High School…at a time Title Nine went into effect.

Brenda Carnes
Brenda Carnes  

 "August 30th, a team of college women will be playing a volleyball game inside of Memorial Stadium, with over 80,000-plus people watching. Memorial Stadium was designed, built and added onto, for people to watch male competition. Thank you Title Nine....it worked."

After teaching for 10 years with Beatrice Public Schools Carnes taught for 20 years at St. Paul’s Lutheran School but she continued to support public education.
She was involved in the three bond issue attempts to get the present high school built and helped form another group to raise money for what is now the Hevelone Fine Arts Center, at BHS.