Robbie Starr, 22, son of Mr. and Mrs. Murrell Starr, 1023 Twelfth Avenue, is unable to get around with a broken leg, but he's got a smile and ambition that caught the attention of Paul Brust.
Mr. Brust, one of Assessor Howard Zimmers' deputies, was working on a property tax assessment with Mr. Starr when he got sidetracked.
Robbie caught his attention.
Perhaps you will recall a story about Robbie several months ago. The School for Visually Handicapped graduate slipped as he was leaving the hospital at Rochester, Minn., and broke a leg.
"Robbie is blind, but you've never seen such a cheerful person," Mr. Brust said. The young man who said he was making money lying in bed, is making key chains for $1.25 each.
Mrs. Starr said the chains have a doll and poodle design. Robbie's aunt, Mrs. Donna Bouchard, a former Nebraska City resident, has been selling the key chains to her co-workers in the Soil Conservation Service office in Lincoln.
"If anyone is entitled to a medal, the honor should go to Robbie," Mr. Brust said. He said his visit with Robbie "made me a little ashamed of complaining of my troubles."
Probably the most interesting reading these days are stories about the murders of the Hoyts of Culbertson, Nebraska.
You will recall the early stories about the missing farm couple, how a fisherman found parts of a leg or arm in Strunk lake.
According to a Kansas City newspaper story (Rich Logan picked up a copy of the paper) the most unusual thing about the murders and cutting of the bodies and dumping them in to the lake, is that people in town find it hard to believe. Many people know Harold Nokes and his wife and can't visualize them as murderers.
Nokes and his wife have lived in McCook for 20 years. Their neighbor for 18 of those years is a former fire chief and presently a member of the City council. They find it hard to believe.
There are others skeptical — they believe in some wild, drug operation with weirdos dancing on graves, hippies, and a cult.
The rulings on the earlier death of a young girl and a suicide haven't satisfied some of the other townspeople.
Did you hear about the new carburetor that's supposed to end all woes of pollution and give you speed and 30 miles per gallon?
We received an unsolicited note the other day that was a photo copy of an article printed in the Glendale, Calif., paper.
The Kendig carburetor is made of 105 parts (the standard carburetor has 318) and according to the inventor, Willard Z. Kendig, it has automatic compensation for altitude, eliminates the need for a choke, accelerator pump, circuits, needle valves and jets. (One expert tells us that means no float).
In California, you can't buy one and put it on your own car because they are against the law. The newspaper reported, however, that something's wrong because the Kendig meets the anti-smog requirements.
Meanwhile, boxes and crates of Kendigs are being stored "ready to end smog and ready for better mileage."
Ed Behrns of Automotive, Inc., said "a lot of carburetors" have come out of California, but as yet nothing big.
He said a number of the speed shops stocked some of the carbs, but had little success with them. Ed has read about them, have has some questions he'd like answered.
Automotive has never stocked the "new" carburetors.
Notice to shoppers.
Check the meat counter at Hoss Hoskins market for choice bull . . . er . . . beef.
On one of those miserable cold days we went to an accident scene near Hoskins market. No one was injured in the accident and the three drivers and shivering spectators were in a pretty good mood.
One of the drivers is a personal friend of Hoss Hoskins . . . check the meat counter for a full report.
Yours truly, JOHNNY DOLLAR.
From my mother-in-law.
Why aren't men as patient with their wives as they are while waiting for the fish to bite?
Clarence Monahan of Palmyra, stopped in the other day to renew his subscription to the News-Press and visit for a moment.
We talked about the extremely cold weather we had a couple weeks ago. He said Palmyra had 32 degrees below zero and had it not been for the snow covering, there could have been a lot of trouble with broken mains and or some other line trouble.
The snow cover served like a blanket of insulation . . . and you have to live in Nebraska to understand that, sweetheart, according to Clarence.
Notice to Mrs. John Scharp.
The News-Press will publish a series of stories in coming weeks on "Cut Your Own Taxes."
The 21-part series was written by Ray De Crane of the Newspaper Enterprise Association. We've published the tax stories in previous years and again this year, they will be available in book form.
So, watch the paper, we'll print a notice when the series starts.
And — thanks for your call. It's good to hear from our readers.
Mrs. Arnold Wirthele.
So, you lost your recipe for sour cream chocolate cake? Well, you came to the right place, gal. Under separate cover I am mailing you the August 5, 1973 News-Press and on Page 13 you'll find the details.
As a matter of fact, I was thinking about you (or anyone who doesn't have sour cream chocolate cake) at breakfast his morning.
Mrs. Wirthele writes.
"The cake was so easy to prepare and we all just loved it. If possible I sure would like to get the recipe again. This time I'll make two copies — one to lose and one to use)."
W-e-e-l-l . . . bless you, dear heart.