Mary Ellen Slack, girls physical education director in the City schools, said she has been very pleased with the interest of young girls in the track competition at Hayward park.
"It just shows that girls can do well in athletic competition," Miss Slack says.
The competition which lasted most of the day, Saturday, showed for example that Cathy Vollmann, 10, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Herman Vollmann Jr., outsprinted her other competitions in the 220 yard dash in a recorded time of 35.7 seconds. The Class B state track meet time was 22.5.
Melinda Buchanan, a sixth grader, heaved a six-pound shotput 23 feet 10 inches, much to the awe of the other boys and girls (and a few adult spectators).
The real test in the girls track will come soon at the Junior Olympics at Falls City. "We ought to have had the Olympics here at Hayward park," Miss Slack said. "We've got the finest track facilities in this part of the state."
The school board over the past few years has directed a well laid-out development of Hayward park, including the new stadium and asphalt track. And as was witnessed by a lot of sports fans, Hayward park this year has been the site of many area and district public and parochial school track meets.
As one school board member said, "We've got the facilities and they are being used. That's doing the job for the taxpayers."
Clarence Rankin said signups will be getting under way soon for the summer jobs for boys and girls in the orchards and on farms.
Mr. Rankin said he has been very pleased over the years with the number of boys and girls who take the jobs including picking cherries and detasseling corn at 5 a.m.
Actually, Nebraska City and area youths are pretty fortunate. I don't know of another community where so many jobs are available in the summer for so many teenagers.
"It would be interesting to know how much money is earned by the youths sometime," Mr. Rankin said. We agreed; the young workers are putting their labors and earning back into the economy of the community, surely part of the reason for the prosperity enjoyed in this section of the state.
It will be a time for tears for many mothers, but come Wednesday night there will be a lot of happy and bright-eyed young men and women who will receive their diplomas.
Nebraska City Senior High and Lourdes commencements are Wednesday night at Hayward park and the Lourdes gymtorium at 8 p.m.
There is always the possibility of rain to foul up the Hayward ceremony, but as one senior said quoting the famous General LeMay, "it wouldn't dare!"
Saturday, May 30, will be the day for the annual Memorial Day ceremony at Wyuka cemetery. It's a time to salute those heroes of wars who died defending the principles in which we all put so much trust.
This area has been hit pretty hard with numbers of war dead in the now nine-year-old Vietnam war.
Here are the young men from our area:
— Cpl. Robert L. Kempkes, Palmyra.
— First Lt. Robert Wiesneth, Louisville.
— First Lt. Larry Stark, Lincoln.
— First Lt. James Poggemeyer, Nebraska City.
— CWO Richard Lange, Chesterton, Indiana.
— WO Larry Stoner, Unadilla.
— Staff Sgt. Guy Abbott, Hamburg, Iowa.
— T-Sgt. Richard Glittinger, Talmage.
— Sp-5 Ronnie Moore, Plattsmouth.
— Lt. Larry Betts, Nebraska City.
— Sp-4 Robert Harris, Percival, Iowa.
— Sgt. Charles Hein, Sidney, Iowa.
My high school Class of '48 will hold its reunion Saturday night at Washington, Kansas, in the new high school. Millie and I are looking forward to attending the banquet.
Up on the North 40.
The onions, radishes and potatoes have been doing fine, but moisture is needed for the sweet corn, tomatoes and pepper plants in Al Gibbs' neighboring lot which we "farm" each year.
The Willard Whites are settled in their new home on North Tenth street and always seem to be working evenings in their well-groomed yard.
The Merle Lindseys and Gary Grays have planted a number of shrubs around their homes and I understand another one of those gas barbecue grills is being installed in the neighborhood, and that ought to please Bill Brockley of Utilities.
Many of us were saddened with the death of Cindy Mabie, 18, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Ted Mabie, who live in the former Hammond home south of town.
Cindy died Saturday of injuries sustained in a car-truck accident May 20 in Nebraska City.
She was a talented and well-liked young person.
We enjoyed her voice in church choir and were pleased when she was accepted for audition with the Spurrlows, the nationwide singing group of teenagers who appeared at Senior High recently.
Cindy is missed by her friends.