The other day someone asked:
"Can anyone attend a meeting of the Nebraska City Board of Education?"
You bet your fashion boots anyone can, sweetheart. School board meetings are open to the general public and Bill Berger, president of the Nebraska City board, never fails but what he offers all visitors a chance to speak.
Ironically, few patrons attend school board meetings. Taxpayers spend more money on schools than on City government, but too few people take the time to attend meetings.
Nebraska City's school board used to meet in the old high school where Safeway is now located. On occasion during the hot summer months board meetings were held on the east steps. Frank Erwin will remember those days.
There was talk at one time of the school district renting property downtown and locating the board and superintendent's offices in the business district.
However, the board decided to spend its money elsewhere and moved into the basement of the old Greggsport school.
Meetings are held regularly the second Monday of each month at 7:30 p.m. Often the meeting times change during the summer months because of daylight savings time.
We hestitate to admit it, but we enjoyed those long-winded smoke-filled room meetings of the board in the old high school.
One of our favorite people, the late Edgar Lightbody, was superintendent in those years. Edgar and I used to go to the Transport Inn for a cup of coffee after the board meetings. That was generally pretty near midnight.
Edgar was an accommodating man. I often leaned on him quite heavily to keep me abreast of school business that I just plain didn't understand.
Those were also the years before Clemmy Holmes provided the superintendent with a sparkling new Mercury to drive. Edgar had a 1939 or 1940 Chrysler. It was some car.
There was a narrow brick drive from the school west to South Tenth Street. Edgar was an expert at backing that old Chrysler down that narrow drive during the pitch black night.
I often wondered how he did it without banging into trash cans stored along the building.
I also miss the old "school beat" when I used to call on Edgar every morning. Rose Gilson, the school cook, murdered any attempt at dieting with the aroma of her rolls sweeping up the steps to Edgar's office.
That was almost an every-morning stop to check in with the school superintendent. Mrs. John (Mary Ritterbusch) Freeman, was Edgar's secretary, office manager, bookkeeper, bellringer, public address announcer and righthand gal.
Edgar fussed because of the cost of night sports. He told me often that high school sports are for the parents, not for the kids. "We could hold them in the afternoon for the kids," he said.
He had one theory that always "got me" — measles and what to do.
Edgar was in favor of letting the kids stay in school. "They're all going to get them anyway; we just as well get it over with."
Oh, he was a dilly. He was also a truant officer. And it wasn't unusual to see him around places during the day where hooky-players might be hiding.
There are a number of things coming up this week that deserve your attention.
Ruben Rathe is all fired up over the movie on drugs that will be screened Sunday night at Senior High. There is no admission. The film lasts about an hour.
Ruben has viewed the film. He suggests adult attendance.
Congratulations: To Les Carr on his 25th year with Bankers Life Company of Nebraska. We know a little about Les since we did a story on him as one of the few survivors of the Bataan Death March of WWII.
Congratulations: To Terry McElroy, son of Mrs. Wilma McElroy, who will receive his Eagle Scout badge Sunday at a program at 3 p.m., at the Methodist church.
Verne Jones of Otoe County National Bank, said he was very pleased with the 60 reservations for the bank's farm program set for Tuesday at the Pioneer Theater.
And, Tuesday night the Elks will host law enforcement officers from this area at a dinner. This is the second annual appreciation dinner. It was such a success last year that Exalted Ruler Ron Eiserman asked Bill Gangel and Mike McCartan to take chairmanship again.
Also, on Tuesday night, a special program on drugs will be offered at Senior High. Nebraska City school parents can feel pretty proud of their youngsters as a result of s survey on drugs taken at the schools.
This program is sponsored by the school administration. "We wish that every parent in the district would attend," Principal Carl Fielder said.