Tony Piccolo . . . picture was taken a number of years ago when Mr. Piccolo directed the Medicare signup for area residents at Memorial Building.
Tony Piccolo, Lincoln, the Social Security representative who served this area for many years, will retire June 29.
Mr. Piccolo serviced this area and directed the first signup when Medicare went into effect. Tony asked for help on that big project and The News-Press sponsored a special signup and information day at the Memorial Building. By the day's end, over 800 area residents took advantage of the program.
Tony was transferred a few years ago to the Lincoln area and Larry Wheeler was assigned to this area.
Meanwhile, we have been in occasional touch with him. He likes the Nebraska City community and often brought his family here.
Tony (his real name is Anthony) has quite a WWII record. He was a navigator on the famous Ploesti bombing run made by Americans over Romania. A lot of those on the bombing run never made it back. Among the survivors, five received the Medal of Honor.
In fact, the bombing run to destroy Hitler's fuel depot was so famous that it was put into book form. I have a copy of that book autographed by Carroll Stewart, Lincoln, who was an intelligence officer for the mission and co-author.
Tony said he has been with the Social Security division for 30 years and feels it's time to step down. "There are so many new programs that it's time for a younger man," he said.
The Piccolos have a daughter at home. She has another semester at the University and will graduate with an education major.
The Piccolos have no definite retirement plans. "I'm going to do a lot of fishing, but I suppose that will get old, too," he said.
Tony promises to stop in Nebraska City occasionally to visit. "We haven't been to Brownville for a long time, so we'll be coming down some day."
Ahoy, thar ye blarsted landlubbers.
Shiver me timbers and a ho, ho, ho and a bottle of rum (yuk).
The Landing is under construction and will open about the first of July in the former Elks building at Fifth Street and First Avenue.
Deryle Seefus, owner, said most of the interior removing has been completed. "Now, we've got to go back in and start putting things together, paneling and painting."
The restaurant-lounge will have a Pirate's Den (pizza and bar); The Patio (main dining room) and Crow's Nest (bar and dancing on the second floor).
Mr. Seefus said the exterior of the building has been designed with a paddlewheel and bow. Mr. Seefus has a state liquor license which permits liquor by the drink.
The new doctor at the Medical Group will be among friends when he opens his practice here with Doctors Burbridge and Fenstermacher July 9.
Dr. Rodney Koerber is a nephew of the late Ray Koerber who many of us remember as the long, tall Safety Patrolman with the big smile.
Mrs. Don (Candy Koerber) Haneline of Nebraska City is a cousin.
Mrs. Koerber is a grand niece of Mrs. Emma Haussener, a resident of St. Mary's hospital. The Haussener family operated what is now Wenzl Hardware store for many years.
We have another new doctor coming to town in August -Dr. Gary Rademacher wo is interning at Bryan Memorial in Lincoln, will join Doctors A. H. Bonebrake and R. C. Weldon.
Dr. Paul Madison, Columbus, who is in family practice residency at the University, plans to move to Nebraska City with his wife to join the doctors in a year or so.
The airport story.
The proposed municipal airport for Nebraska City has stirred up a lot of interest and it appears that the climax is the recall petition campaign.
We haven't seen any of the petitions. No one has offered us one. We've been told by responsible people the petitions do exist and the names of the people circulating them are on the papers.
We still have the old pilot's log book in a desk drawer with a few duo hours logged, so we have sat in the bucket of a J-3 and played around with a stick at 2,000 feet. But that was a long time ago and times have changed.
We have a friend who holds a private pilot's license with 300 or more hours who had some unusual, but maybe pretty good reasoning.
He said the present two airports are fine for him and if there is to be any development it should be with local funds on existing strips.
But then he added you can always say that if you want a municipal airport, go to Omaha, or Auburn or Tecumseh. And in the same breath, he said, the same could apply for the swimming pool, golf course and tennis courts, go to Omaha, Auburn or Tecumseh.
My friend and I don't always agree, but on this issue we're solid. We won't sign a recall petition. No way. It's not our bag to boost the establishment over a public controversy. That comes at election time.
Besides, when you get down to the nitty gritty, the people on both sides are my friends. And I like people and I prefer to divorce my friendship over something really serious like who used the last of the toilet paper, who left the bait at home or who drank the last can of beer.
It's what you call living dangerously, snicker, snicker.