Rod Cushing, the University student who handled the picture jobs for the News-Press last football season, called the other day and offered to do it again.
We worked closely with Rod last season and brought our readers lots of action pictures of the home games of the Huskers.
So with a little planning and some luck, we'll have the NU student back on the sideline with camera in hand this fall. Rod was also our cameraman at the Shrine Bowl. He is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Don Cushing.
And speaking of football, the time is near.
Jim Brockhaus, NCHS athletic director, has scheduled physical exams Monday for school sports and football practice will begin later this month.
Coaches have been having special meetings with boys and girls making plans for the sporting season and conducting clinics inviting athlets and other coaches to meet with the athletes.
It sounds like a busy sports year coming up.
One of the biggest events you're going to have a chance to see is the Applejack Festival and the Apple Bowl game scheduled for Saturday, September 18, in Nebraska City.
Ron Jay, general chairman, has his work cut out for him and has held several meetings to get the planning under way. There will be many, many bands from the area competing in the contest Saturday afternoon. For the spectators, that will mean a whopper of a parade on Central Avenue.
Other highlights are a king and queen contest, cross-country run, and a water fight under the direction of the NC Volunteer Fire Department.
The big show will be the football game that night at Hayward park pitting Peru State and Tarkio.
Gilbert Wilson of the music department at Peru State says the 'early band contest is good. Dr. Wilson has judged the contest in previous years. He said the early contest gives the bandsmen and the band director a chance to get the students going in competition so they'll be better prepared for later contests.
Ron's other committee members include Neil Hayhurst, Marv Eaton, Steve Harvey and the DECA club at NCHS.
The Big Thompson river
I had heard about the Big Thompson river and Estes Park, Colo., when I was a grade schooler in Kansas. Someday, I thought, I'll go there to see what in the devil people were talking about.
It was some years later that our family of four drove the 1959 Rambler up the winding highway along the river. Our two daughters were old enough to appreciate the beauty of the rushing waters.
The village of Estes was pure delight for tourists. There was just about every shop imaginable with trinkets and toys for little boys and girls and plenty for the moms and dads.
Millie chickened out and wouldn't ride the tram, but No. 1 son and 2 daughters were rarin' to go.
Later that day a sudden rainstorm whipped through the village. It was a little more than we "flatland" people were accustomed to, but we shrugged it off when the townspeople went about their work. Some swept water out of their store doorways.
Several inches fell in that few moments, but then the sun came out and it was a beautiful and bright afternoon.
So what the heck . . . just another rain. Later we drove down that now non-existent highway marveling several times at the lodging and cabins along the way. Wow, we thought . . . what a place for a whole summer.
The tragedy that occurred last week can't help but affect anyone who has visited that beautiful area.
Tree City USA
The announcement in the News-Press last week that the U.S. Forest Service joined in the Tree City USA program is a real boost to the program.
Ellsworth Merkel, a member of the executive committee of the Arbor Day Foundation, said the agreement will give the project much encouragement.
Under terms of the agreement, the U.S. Forest Service will provide technical assistance to further Tree City USA and will assist in coordinating with state foresters in helping them to implement the program.
Mayor Edith Fenstermacher and the city commissioners have acted on the program and a tree board is already working on it. That tree board and the town as a whole need to work on this project.
When they give the Arbor Day Foundation awards next year the logical town to receive the top honor is Nebraska City, the town that gave the world a great idea — plant trees.
Congratulations to Roger Kennell who was selected to receive the Ed Harshbarger Memorial trophy as the No. 1 ball player in the Jaycee league. The selection is always difficult because there are so many good players.
Roger is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Dennis Kennell. The trophy was presented to him by Charlie Doeden, Jaycee baseball commissioner.
The one statistic that stuck with me when I read that story was his success at batting. He struck out only twice in 15 ball games.
You might be interested. Scott Simms received the award in 1973 and last year he pitched the Legion team to the state championship.
August bargains
The current issue of the Elks magazine points out to readers that the month of August is a good time to watch out for bargains.
Boy, have we got 'em in Nebraska City.
The annual Sidewalk Bazaar will be Wednesday on Central Avenue. Several streets will be blocked off so merchants can display items for a mall sale.
The Sidewalk Bazaar in Nebraska City was started many years ago and its success has resulted in an annual event. If you've never shopped Nebraska City during the big sale, you will want to take advantage of the event this year. Bill Dammast is the general chairman.
The Sidney rodeo
The Sidney, Ia., rodeo opens Tuesday and could well be one of the most successful rodeos in many years. The rodeo talent has always been good and the livestock outstanding, but the super event this year is Pat Boone. People like him.
We think you will find many people going to the rodeo this year for the first time. They will be going to see Pat Boone and undoubtedly they will get "hooked" like most of us and be rodeo fans.
Boone became known to many as the young singer on the Arthur Godfrey show. His wife and daughters add brilliance to his career. They're a Christian family and they all sing.
The Sidney Argus-Herald reported a rush on advance ticket sales. A total of $30,000 in tickets were sold by July 26. Boone is the big attraction.
Meanwhile there's a lot of other things going on, among them a honey of a queen contest. There's more about that elsewhere in today's paper.