The fire at Riverview Terrace last week startled not only the residents, but many relatives and friends of those who occupy spaces in the high rise structure.
The fire started in a plastic waste container in a storage room on the lower level of the building. Fire Chief Bill Berger estimated damage at $5,000 . . . peanuts compared to what it could have been if Earl Stivers hadn't gotten there as soon as he did.
Mr. Stivers is the maintenance engineer at the housing complex. He and his son, Donald, contained the fire with an extinguisher and a fire hose from the boiler room. Firemen snuffed it out in short order.
Smoke was the big problem. Mr. Stivers, his son and a number of residents were administered oxygen by rescue squadsmen. The fire and rescue crews went through apartments in the high rise structure checking on residents and later accompanied them to their homes, assured them there was no danger and opened windows to get rid of the heavy smoke.
Telephones in apartments rang and it was not uncommon for the caller to hear a fireman's or rescue squadsman's voice on the other end assuring the caller the resident had been evacuated.
The volunteers discovered as they went through the six floors that, for the most part, all doors were closed. That alone, firefighters know, can save lives and a building in a major fire.
It was the first fire at the housing complex but not the first time residents had left their rooms in a hurry. Fire drills are held regularly so when the fire occurred last week, residents knew what to do.
Chief Berger of the fire department and Harold Rowe of the rescue squad, said they were pleased with the response of the volunteers to the call and for their work. Squadsmen instituted much of their emergency action established during Riverview Terrace training in the tornado alert.
Mrs. Ross (Roberta) Gerber who manages the complex, said fire drills are held every two months. There are about 65 people residing in the high rise structure. Two residents on each floor are assigned as "monitors" in emergencies. They make sure all residents are out of their rooms. The monitors are the best for the job; they know everyone on the floors and know when someone is going away on a trip, shopping or visiting.
Fire and rescue crews who were unable to get responses at locked doors, were assured by the monitors that those residents were gone.
A 10-year-old girl sounded the fire alarm. Dawn Annette is the granddaughter of Mr. and Mrs. Earl Stivers.
Back to newspapering.
John Schmidt, owner and operator of the Front Page bar and restaurant in Peru, is selling his business and has already returned to newspaperwork. He's a reporter for the Lincoln Star.
John was editor of the Peru newspaper, active in community events in Peru, capable of good writing and reporting and getting lost and stuck in snowstorms.
He has a lot of friends who wish him and his wife, Pam, the best of luck. John told the Auburn Newspapers that he just had the urge to get back into newspaper work. At present he is pecking out pronouns at Lincoln weekdays and drawing draft at the Front Page on weekends.
The Upper Room.
We've used prayers from The Upper Room on the editorial page of the News-Press for many years and thanks to Mrs. Ted Hoyle we got our regular mailing from Nashville. Mrs. Hoyle called Nashville to tell the publisher that the First United Methodist church did not have the books or the regular list normally sent to the newspaper. She supplied us with prayers from a copy of a 1971 Upper Room until we got our regular mailing a few days later.
Stolen from Bob McKissick.
If you attended the Chamber banquet you heard this story from Bob McKissick. It's the first half; he wouldn't tell the second half . . . we will . . . from the beginning.
The story illustrates the abilities and fast thinking of an enterprising young man.
He worked as a sales clerk in a grocery story and was approached by a customer who asked for half a head of lettuce.
The clerk replied that he couldn't sell half a head of lettuce. The customer said he was a bachelor and that a whole head of lettuce would go to waste and suggested the young man ask the store manager.
The clerk whisked down the aisle to the manager's station and said:
"Mr. Tanking, there's an idiot here who wants to buy half a head of lettuce." And as he spoke he looked around and the customer was standing right behind him . . . "and," the clerk continued, "this gentleman here wants to buy the other half."
Here's the rest of the story:
The company president got wind of the fast thinking clerk and called him into his office:
"George," the executive said, "we're pleased with the way you've been working for the company and we're going to reward you. Canada is yours."
"What?" the clerk asked.
"Canada," the president answered. "We're giving you all our stores in Canada. You'll have complete charge."
"Oh, no," George answered. "I'd never take a job there. No way. Forget it. I'll split."
"Hold on there, young man," the boss said. "I'm offering you a big promotion. What's the kick?"
"Canada," George replied.
"What do you mean?" questioned the president.
"I'd never move to Canada. There ain't nothing there but prostitutes and hockey players."
The president exploded:
"My wife is from Canada!"
"So what hockey team did she play on?" George answered.
Jaws . . . y-u-c-k . . . or y-i-k-e-s!
Sid Metcalf, owner of the Pioneer Theater, has been waiting for a long time for a super smash hit. He's apparently got it in Jaws. We went to the Pioneer theater 20 minutes before show time, were unable to get a box of popcorn because of the heavy business activity at that counter, so we seated ourselves for the evening entertainment.
Wow! Some entertainment, heads, eyeballs, hands, legs, blood and guts. That's Jaws.
The monster shark kills a young woman in the opening night scene, but the horror of it comes to you when he also gulps a small boy floating on a plastic life raft.
Sid and me agree . . . Jaws has probably received more free publicity than any film since Gone With the Wind.
The language? Oh, about the same you'd hear if you didn't use a dip net and let the big one get away.
Despite the bloody thrills, the popcorn sales seemed to be pretty good but I didn't see anyone leave his seat to get a second box.
If there are any of you ladies who would be interested in joining a singing group, then Mrs. Ken Caldwell of Lake Wa-Con-Da would like to meet you.
She is director for the Sweet Adelines being organized in the Nebraska City, Lake Wa-Con-Da and Plattsmouth areas. The women meet each Monday at 7:30 p.m. at the Plattsmouth Manor.
She is hoping to get 30 or 35 women together for the barbershop chorus.
W. C. Fields — "If at first you don't succeed, try, try again. Then quit, no use being a damn fool about it."