After 30 years, Lenten fish fries in Kearney still reel in happy customers MARY JANE SKALA Mar 17, 2026 Mar 17, 2026 0 × Facebook Twitter Bluesky WhatsApp SMS Email Print Copy article link Save Thirty years and counting. That’s how long the Knights of Columbus Council 1728 has been serving its annual Friday night Lenten fish fry.kAmp?5 2D E96J’G6 5@?6 7@C b_ J62CD[ A6@A=6 3682? DEC62>:?8 :?E@ E96 ~=5 %@H? w2== =2DE uC:52J 2D D@@? 2D 5@@CD @A6?65 2E d A]>] %96J A2DD65 E23=6D @7 >@FE9\H2E6C:?8 9@>6\32<65 56DD6CED 2D E96J 962565 324< E@ E96 D6CG:?8 =:?6]k^AmkAm%96:C 7:CDE DE@A H2D z @7 r >6>36C y:> q@8?6C[ H9@ H2D E2<:?8 >@?6J] q6D:56 9:>[ %:> uC2?4@ 82G6 6249 5:?6C 2 A=2E6[ 6:E96C 2 A2A6C A=2E6 7@C E9@D6 H9@ 2E6 @? D:E6[ @C 2 42CCJ\@FE 4@?E2:?6C]k^Am Keith and Lisa Paitz head to the table after filling their plates. They are from Pleasanton. MARY JANE SKALA, KEARNEY HUB kAm“w:] w@H 2C6 J@Fn” q@8?6C 2D<65[ 8C66E:?8 6249 A6CD@?]k^Am People are also reading… Police identify 46-year-old man found dead near Oak Creek; foul play not suspected Positive direction, no finger pointing sought in reopening of Nebraska’s Underground Railroad site NFL free agency: Panthers, 49ers, Patriots, Jets and Rams are early winners State Patrol IDs mother found dead in Kearney County; 3 children injured in shooting Lincoln City Council weighs winery rule changes, approves addition at The Mill 'That boy fast': How QB Anthony Colandrea's legs are helping Nebraska receivers, defenders Man killed in sewer accident was 'urban exploring' days before birthday Kearney Indivisible urges local law enforcement not to make deals with ICE Lincoln woman accused of embezzling from civil engineering firm Google proposes Nebraska data center requiring more power than all of Lincoln Jury finds Lincoln father guilty of child abuse resulting in death of 4-month-old daughter Governor says Nebraska grandmother died in Morrill Fire trying to escape Concordia student from Seward killed in head-on crash in Missouri Former U.S. Marshal Mark Martinez runs for Douglas County sheriff Biz buzz: A new coffee stop; a Gateway boutique; longtime Lincoln favorite gets an upgrade kAm“s@ H6 ?665 2 E:4<6En” D@>6@?6 2D<65]k^AmkAm“*@FC A=2E6 :D J@FC E:4<6E[” q@8?6C D2:5]k^AmkAm%92E’D 9@H :E 8@6D 7C@> d E@ f A]>] uC:52JD 5FC:?8 {6?E 2E E96 ~=5 %@H? w2== 2E `h__ r6?EC2= pG6] %96 6G6?E D6CG6D C@F89=J ad_ A6@A=6 6249 H66<]k^Am Kodiak Kjar came to his very first fish fry with his grandfather, who lives in Shelton. MARY JANE SKALA, KEARNEY HUB kAmu@C S`d[ 5:?6CD 86E 2 A=2E6 @7 7C:65 D9C:>A 2?5 7C:65 4@5[ 2 32<65 A@E2E@[ 4@=6 D=2H 2?5 2 36G6C286] %96C6’D 2=D@ >24 2?5 4966D6 7@C <:5Dj E96 AC:46 7@C 286D e\`a :D Se]k^Am kAmq66C H2D 2G2:=23=6 7@C 2? 6IEC2 492C86]k^Am kAm%96 >6? @? 5FEJ 925 2CC:G65 2E E96 ~=5 %@H? w2== 2E b A]>] E@ 368:? D6EE:?8 FA E23=6D 2?5 AC6A2C:?8 E96 7@@5] p7E6C b_ J62CD[ E96 z?:89ED 2C6 G6E6C2?D 2E E9:D]k^AmkAm%96 D6CG:?8 =:?6 H2D >2??65 3J |:<6 r@F89=:?[ v6@C86 y2??:?8 2?5 v6?6 $G64[ 2== 7C@> $E] y2>6D[ 2== 5@??65 :? C65 z?:89ED @7 r@=F>3FD 2AC@?D]k^AmkAm“s@ J@F H2?E 2 H9@=6 @C 2 92=7 32<65 A@E2E@n” r@F89=:? 2D<65 6249 A6CD@? H9@ 42>6 3J]k^Am Don Blasko offers finishing touches to the dinners, with butter, sour cream and tartar sauce. MARY JANE SKALA, KEARNEY HUB kAmr9F4< 2?5 y62? z2DD@? @7 p>96CDE A2DD65 E9C@F89[ 6J6:?8 E96 7@@5 9F?8C:=J 2?5 92AA:=J 9F?E:?8 7@C D62ED 27E6C 7:==:?8 E96:C A=2E6D] “(6 5@ E9:D @?6 H66< @FE @7 6249 J62C[” E96J D2:5]k^Am kAmq69:?5 E96>[ :? E96 <:E496?[ !6E6 {F5@H6D6 H2D 3FDJ 7CJ:?8] p >6>36C @7 !C:?46 @7 !6246 r2E9@=:4 r9FC49[ 96 92D >:DD65 ;FDE @?6 7:D9 7CJ :? E96 A2DE `g J62CD] %92E J62C[ 96 H2D @FE @7 E@H?]k^AmkAm%:> uC:656= 7C@> $E] y2>6D H2D 7CJ:?8 7:D9[ E@@[ =@H6C:?8 A:646D @7 7:D9 :?E@ 9@E @:= 2?5 D6EE:?8 E96 E:>6C] w6 7C:65 D9C:>A 7@C EH@ >:?FE6D 2?5 c_ D64@?5D]k^Am Tim Friedel is an old hand at frying fish. He has been doing it at fish fries for 30 years, both in Kearney and in O'Neill, where he used to live. MARY JANE SKALA, KEARNEY HUB kAmuC:656= :D 2? @=5 92?5 2E E9:D] w6 92D 366? 2DD:DE:?8 2E E96 7:D9 7C:6D 7@C b_ J62CD 3@E9 96C6 2?5 :? ~’}6:==[ H96C6 96 FD65 E@ =:G6]k^AmkAm“%:> 6?;@JD H@C<:?8 H:E9 >6[” {F5@H6D6 ;@<65]k^Am kAmr9F4< %C@:2[ 2 >6>36C @7 $E] y2>6D r2E9@=:4 r9FC49[ H2D 3FDJ :? E96 <:E496?] w6 H2D >2<:?8 DFC6 E96 7:D9 2?5 A@E2E@6D 36:?8 @776C65 E@ A2EC@?D C6>2:?65 9@E] “x’G6 366? 5@:?8 E9:D 7@C a_ J62CD] x 6?;@J E96 4@>>F?:EJ 2?5 G:D:E:?8 H:E9 A6@A=6[” 96 D2:5]k^Am kAm%96 36DE\5C6DD65 >2? :? E96 4C@H5 H2D $E] y2>6D >6>36C #@? $G24:?2[ H9@ H@C6 2 92E H:E9 2 7:D9 A@<:?8 @FE @7 6249 6?5] $G24:?2 H2D 369:?5 3:8 4@@=6CD D6CG:?8 :465 E62[ =6>@?256 2?5 H2E6C H:E9 {J?@? #6:DD 2?5 |:<6 ~’}6:==]k^Am K of C member Ron Svacina showed up in a hat with a fish poking out the front and back. He wears novelty fish hats every year. MARY JANE SKALA, KEARNEY HUB kAmx? E96 46?E6C @7 E96 92==[ s@? q=2D<@ DE@@5 369:?5 2 E23=6 @776C:?8 <6E49FA[ E2CE2C D2F46[ D@FC 4C62> 2?5 3FEE6C]k^AmkAm%96 9@>6\32<65 42<6D[ A:6D[ 4@@<:6D 2?5 @E96C :CC6D:DE:3=6 EC62ED H6C6 @776C65 7@C 2? 6IEC2 5@?2E:@?] %92E >@?6J H6?E E@ r2E9@=:4 s2F89E6CD] $6CG:?8 H6C6 {@C: |2CD92== 7C@> $E] y2>6Dj 96C >@E96C[ pD9=6J q@DEC@?j 2?5 q@DEC@?’D 8C2?5D@?[ t]}] q@DEC@?[ 2 7C6D9>2? 2E z62C?6J r2E9@=:4 w:89 $49@@= H9@ H2D E96C6 E@ 62C? 4@>>F?:EJ D6CG:46 9@FCD]k^Am kAm|62?H9:=6[ p?5J s@?@G2?[ 492:C @7 E96 7:D9 7C:6D[ H2?56C65 E9C@F89 E96 =@?8 E23=6D :? E96 92==] “w@H’D :E 8@:?8n” 96’5 2D< E9@D6 5:88:?8 :?E@ E96 7@@5] w6 962C5 ?@ 4@>A=2:?ED]k^AmkAmrC@H5D H@F=5 <66A 4@>:?8 F?E:= ei`d @C eib_[ q@8?6C D2:5] %96 6G6?E CF?D F?E:= f A]>] z?:89ED E96? C6>2:? :? E96 92== 4=62?:?8 FA 7@C 2?@E96C b_ >:?FE6D @C D@]k^Am kAmxE’D 2 AC@7:E23=6 G6?EFC6[ C2:D:?8 2? 2G6C286 @7 Sg[___ @G6C D:I H66<D[ H9:49 E96 z?:89ED FD6 7@C ?@?AC@7:ED 2?5 D@4:2= 42FD6D]k^Am kAm%96 7:D9 7C:6D H:== 4@?E:?F6 7C@> d E@ f A]>] 7@C EH@ >@C6 uC:52JD[ |2C49 a_ 2?5 |2C49 af] u@C >@C6 :?7@C>2E:@?[ 42== b_g\abf\cadd]k^Am maryjane.skala@kearneyhub.com 0 Comments Satisfy your cravings With our weekly newsletter packed with the latest in everything food. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Related to this story Lenten fish fry
