OUR VIEW: Today we celebrate risk takers

Within every community you’ll find risk takers - those who stake their name, ideas and money with hopes of a better tomorrow.

Risk takers are the backbone of any community. They create jobs, organize civic groups, establish social service agencies and build the foundations for the future.

On Friday, the Fremont Area Chamber of Commerce honored four risk takers - Bernard Paden, Lucius Richards, Rudolph Schneider and Richard Wikert by inducting them into the Fremont Business Hall of Fame. While they lived in different eras, each were responsible for making Fremont what it is today.

Mr. Richards and Mr. Schneider were among the city’s earliest residents. A job with the railroad brought Mr. Richards to Fremont in 1869 and he led the efforts to complete the rail line from Fremont to Wisner. While he also surveyed and platted Scribner, Hooper and Nickerson, he left a bigger mark on Fremont through the building of the Fremont Creamery and the foundation of the Fremont Commercial Club, now the Chamber of Commerce. Mr. Schneider first traveled to Fremont as a teenager and worked for W.R. Wilson, a grocer. He later formed a partnership with Mr. Wilson that became W.R. Wilson and Company, which was later known as the Nye, Schneider Company. He also was a stockholder in First National Bank, Fremont National Bank and Fremont Street Railway as well as being chairman of the Dodge County Board of Supervisors.

Mr. Paden and Mr. Wikert are more recent residents of Fremont, but their contributions have had an impact, too. Mr. Paden founded Paden Construction and Paden Enterprises and handled many land the commercial developments through Fremont. His efforts helped preserve the historic Post Office, which is now home to the Chamber and many other civic groups. Mr. Wikert’s connection to Fremont began in 1974 when he became part owner of Taylor and Martin Inc. He helped guide the company into the nation’s largest transportation equipment auction company. Mr. Wikert has been involved with American National Bank as a director.

At some point in each of these men’s lives, they had to take a risk.

Too often people complain about business leaders, suggesting they are driven only by greed and care little about anything else. We disagree.

While successful risk takers typically benefit financially, so do a multitude of others. Without these risk takers, who would supply the jobs that help others create wealth? Without these risk takers, how would our economy sustain itself?

This country was built upon the dreams of dreamers. Those who dared to risk everything to make life better for themselves and others. Let’s celebrate that spirit and challenge future generations to take a risk.

Speaking of risk takers

Micheal Dwyer is a successful photographer, leads a successful contemporary Christian band and now is branching out into promoting concerts. It’s a risk, but one Mr. Dwyer is willing to take.

Thanks to Mr. Dwyer’s efforts, Sanctus Real, a Grammy nominated Christian band, will perform March 1 at the Midland Lutheran College Event Center. The concert, much like the Steven Curtis Chapman event of last summer, has more to do with spreading the message of God’s love than any potential profit.

The Fremont area needs people like Mr. Dwyer to take a chance on bringing entertainment to the area. With the Event Center and Christensen Field, Fremont can host a variety of events geared toward smaller venues.

One way to encourage others to take the risk is to support those concerts and events that do come to town. We wish Mr. Dwyer well in his latest endeavor.