Jeff Kinney, the greatest!
Husker star Jeff Kinney didn't give a long-winded speech to his listeners at the Knights of Columbus awards banquet. Instead, he signed and signed and signed autographs for his young admirers.
Kinney told a couple of jokes involving sports then screened a film on Big 8 football games during the past season. That seemed to be just right for the younger set and for many parents.
There were a number, however, who had wished the famous college football player would have left the youngsters with a message about sports, or at least something that that effect.
But that's not like our Mr. Jezz Jeff. He powered his way to stardom in Husker football and his hulking frame at the head table was probably more than enough to satisfy many fans.
He apparently hasn't had any complaints on his appearances. He's been the "program" at 10 other events in recent weeks.
The guy is so modest that he never mentioned he brought his wife and two young sons with him. And, if Mrs. Leonard Kaiser hadn't helped, we probably wouldn't have been able to make that announcement.
We pulled a dirty trick on Jeff. After he told us that he did not have a prepared speech, we thought we'd give him a workout and suggested that the youngsters line up to have the football player autograph their programs.
And they did. He must have signed 200 or 300 programs. He was a pure gentleman all the way, looking up at youngsters smiling and saying hello to them. If he felt he may have been lacking in a special message, he sure won the hearts of the youngsters by his attention as they asked for his autograph.
We invite all to attend the Arbor Day Centennial events during the weekend April 21-22-23.
A special Centennial section will appear in Monday's News-Press with pictures and stories about J. Sterling Morton and the beautiful mansion.
We started out with plans for a definite number of pages, then the interest began to swell and more pages were added. The section has already been printed. It has 44 pages. More and more news stories seemed to come up as each of us dug a little deeper on an assignment.
Probably one of the persons we bothered the most was Ira Glasser who has been like a right arm for all of us. Thanks to him we were able to take notes and pictures time and again inside the Morton mansion and at the other facilities. Probably, the man was so busy getting things ready for the Centennial that he didn't have the time to "do it again." But he did and we are grateful for the assistance and help from Mr. and Mrs. Glasser. Thank you!
The biggest unanswered question we have heard about the Centennial is:
"How many people will be in town?"
Well, no one seems certain enough to pin down a projection. "Several thousand," was the closest answer we have been able to get.
Just for the heck of it, I'd like to mess up all the unspoken thoughts about attendance with this.
In 1905 former President and Mrs. Grover Cleveland were in Nebraska City for the unveiling of the Morton monument. The newspaper estimated attendance at a conservative 18,000. Won't be that big this week, but like one Arbor Day committee member said, "Omigosh! What would we do with that many people?"
That is a little catchy, isn't it, Vern and Gen?
Little Bucks . . .
Harold and Rose Halm are getting ready for a big luncheon crowd in Nebraska City during the Arbor Day weekend.
Joe's Cafe will be open until 2 p.m., Harold said. "We've got plenty of extra help. I just hope we don't run out of food."
Harold is not being over-cautious . . . He's had more hungry customers than food before.
And he's some waiter, too. I don't know if Harold or Dean Duncan of Dean's cafe is the "ugliest" waiter in town, but they're sure great food hustlers and how they ever manage to keep track of food orders by memory is beyond me.
Harry Adams, Lincoln, son of Mr. and Mrs. Willard White, 1423 North Tenth Street, will move his family to Waukeegan, Ill., this weekend where he has been promoted from a Cushman position to the parent company, Outboard Marine.
Harry is a graduate of Hamburg, Ia., high school, was a meat cutter during school and got into an IBM career. His new position will be as program analyst.
His wife is the former Judie Youssi of Lincoln. The couple has two children (and that means the Whites have two fine grandchildren) Mark and Cathy.
Congratulations to the Adams family. I got off to a pretty good start at Waukeegan. Millie and I were married there while I was in the service.
And then, there's just one more Little Buck for today.
Mrs. Joe Steiner has her left arm in a sling. No, she didn't take a swing at Joe. She was swinging, however, at Skateland and bumped against a brick wall, breaking the left elbow.
She didn't realize she had a fracture and skated with a "sore" elbow for about an hour. The next morning she sure knew she had it!
The Steiners are skating fans and have taken church groups on skating parties. Skateland is something to see, Mrs. Steiner said. There are dress code rules and a no-no means you just don't get to skate. One youngster told the manager if he had scissors, cut his hair the way he wanted it to permit him to skate. The manager obliged. The boy skated.
And here's a note from the ole' War Hoss, Allan Holmes of Des Moines, who writes that the WWI Company B guardsmen will hold their reunion, Saturday May 20 in Nebraska City.
"We will be meeting after 55 years, a fact utterly incredible to the writer and I'm sure to the other remaining members who recall the day we 'set sail' at the foot of Central Avenue."
The guardsmen will meet at Memorial Building, but have not planned a banquet-type luncheon.
And as always, the ever-faithful commander, Col. Jay "Ducky" Holmes of San Antonio, Tex., plans to be in Nebraska City for the reunion. Colonel Holmes comes by way of the Kentucky Derby, one of his favorite events.