The Grand Old Party has a grand person who has been active in its ranks for many years as a volunteer.
Mrs. Emma Nutzman, Nehawka, commands attention when she enters a room of the party faithful, because she's been one of those volunteers you can always count on.
Mrs. Nutzman, 75 years young, made an appearance at the Rep. Charles Thone meeting at the Otoe county courthouse.
She visited a few moments with the congressman and chatted with Mrs. (Ruthie) Thone and with Mrs. Herb Pickerill, Syracuse, Otoe county GOP chairman.
We visited with her a moment:
"I enjoyed reading about the boys and girls who went to Germany. That was interesting," she said.
"Well, they had a fine time and everyone returned fit and healthy," we answered.
"That was some experience for high school youngsters," she added.
Well, Mrs. Nutzman, it was some experience for the pocketbooks of the dads and moms, too. In fact No. 2 daughter, Clarissa, left something behind . . . her Indian head necklace. She found the coin in the lawn of a house we rented from Myrtle Taylor about 1959 or 1960. Mrs. Clyde Nutsch, Sr., inserted the coin into a ring and attached a chain for a necklace.
She also left something else in Germany in cafes, stations and at stores — business cards that identify the News-Press as the first newspaper in Nebraska and the first daily to be offset printed.
Did you happen to read that story in the World-Herald last week about Christy Sutton, 20, the head cook at M's Pub in Omaha?
Mrs. Sutton is the former Christy Gaddis, who attended school at Nebraska City Senior High. She is a sister of Mrs. Larry Schreiner.
Mrs. Sutton is a vegetarian, but she says she doesn't let working with meat bother her. She likes her work, especially preparing meals her own way and using spices to make everything "just right."
M's Pub is in the Old Market area in Omaha.
We remember Mrs. Sutton's father, Charlie, when he was superintendent of the brickyard here. He gave us one of the first brick to come off the line of the new kiln put in by Abel Investment.
Miss American Honey Queen.
State Sen. Calvin Carsten, Avoca, is looking forward to Tuesday's regular session of the Nebraska legislature.
Senator Carsten will have a special guest — Cheryl Burkhart, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Ralph Burkhart.
Cheryl was crowned Miss American Honey Queen at the America Beekeeping Federation convention in Hot Springs, Arkansas.
The senator said he hopes Miss Burkhart's parents and grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. Henry Puppe, also of Nebraska City, will attend so he can introduce them.
Cheryl was an active young miss in school and 4-H and graced the Arbor Day Centennial when she was selected as the queen. Senator Carsten was there that evening on the lawn next to Arbor Lodge mansion when Cheryl was revealed as the queen.
Jim Carney, the assistant superintendent of Arbor Lodge State park, called the other day to ask for some help on a rush picture order.
Mr. Carney said he needed pictures of the Porter property in connection with the Arbor Day Foundation's efforts to get a national research-resource center established here.
We agreed to take the pictures right after church services.
Mr. Carney had a map with certain designations of where he wanted pictures, but he stopped short.
"We had better go see the Porters to get permission to stomp through their land."
And this is where the king, master and wise owl spoke:
"Jim, my friend, you and I can walk all over that land, whistle, shout or sing and Mort Porter could care less . . . because it was announced today that his son, Budge, was offered a football letter of intent at Nebraska and ole' dad is floating on cloud 9."
Well, that took care of that question, so we went about the assignment. I used one of the roll cameras from the News-Press. Mr. Carney used his 35 mm he bought while in Vietnam.
That's when I should have caught on. When he said Vietnam, that meant he was an ex-GI used to clumpety-clumping through fields and brush.
I was wearing my Sunday-go-to-meetin' suit and slipped on a pair of old boots, old coat and a favorite bright orange cap, the type worn by the Scouts who usher at the Husker football games.
Mr. Carney was wearing jeans, heavy boots and an old army coat. (No hat or gloves).
We got separated several times and I was waiting for him in the car when he came out of a draw with camera in an ungloved hand and the coat slung across a shoulder.
After that first trip, he left the coat in the car and we crossed fields, orchards and went through brush getting the assigned pictures . . . he had on a light "Ike" jacket, no hat and not gloves. I was still bundled.
"Golly," he said, "I'm glad we're through. I was getting warm."
I didn't answer, 'cause I knew it was about 30 degrees and the wind was gusting to 40 m.p.h. I turned the heater up high while driving home.
Welcome to the Peru campus.
Bob Riley, football coach at Peru State college, has moved his family to the community and amid the problems that arise in moving (from Montana), and recruiting time, the coach has dropped all activities and is staying home.
He's got the chicken pox.
The English and journalism teacher at Tecumseh has been leaving his desk early for another assignment — assistant wrestling coach.
Richard Elmore, son of Mr. and Mrs. Dale Elmore, laughs about the English teacher as the assistant coach, but he's dedicated to helping his students.
Richard, a graduate of Senior High and Peru State, has a large journalism class at Tecumseh which writes the school news that is published in the Chieftan.
"It's good experience, but it's a lot of work," the teacher said.
The conversation (during a wrestling match) was interrupted by a student. Richard had double duty that night. He had students covering the matches and another person getting color pictures for the yearbook.
He was all smiles when the matches were over — Tecumseh won.