Bv Ivan D.E. Beaumont.
Be An Otoe County '76er.
The Otoe County Bicentennial committee has come up with a unique program to get more people actively involved in the Bicentennial. The Fun Score Sheet has 300 points and if you are a "winner" your name will be on a Plywood Liberty Bell in the Otoe County Museum Annex.
The Fun Sheet and scoring.
Dinner with friends — barbecued beef (five points), Virginia style ham (5), leg of lamb (5), leg of lamb (5), roast turkey (5) TOTAL ——
Staff of life — Boston Brown Bread (2), gingerbread (2), host cross buns (3), blueberry muffins (3) TOTAL ——.
Berries, berries — Cranberries (2), gooseberries (2), strawberries (2), raspberries (2) TOTAL ——.
Have a piece of pie — Apple (2), cherry (3), pumpkin (2), mince (3) TOTAL ——.
Drink a cup — Coffee (2), tea (3), cider (3), milk (2) TOTAL — ——
Try a shore dinner — Oysters (5), clam (5), lobster (5), shrimp (5) TOTAL ——
Try old hunter's special — Rabbit (3), wild duck (4), partridge (4), venison (4) TOTAL ——
Old fisherman's special — Cod (3), halibut (3), mackerel (3), herring (3) TOTAL ——
Some puritanism — Read a Psalm (10), hum a hymn (10), go to church (10), tithe a bit (10) TOTAL ——.
Be a regular — Walk a mile (16 city blocks) (10), visit a neighbor, (5), speak to some strangers (10), share surpluses (10) TOTAL ——.
Community spirit — Join an organization (10), participant (10), contributor (10), spokesman (10) TOTAL ——.
An old time party — Taffy pullers (10), popcorn ballers (10), apple dunkers (10), story tellers (10) TOTAL ——.
Spirit of '76 — Clap dance the Virginia Reel (10), sing or whistle Yankee Doodle (5), read the Declaration of Independence (20), give pledge to the flag (5) TOTAL ——
And . . . if you display the American flag outside on July 4 you can add 25 points.
GRAND TOTAL ——.
W. R. McClary distributed brochures at a dinner meeting the other night. He is co-chairman of the Bicentennial committee at Syracuse.
The county committee is Everett Reimers and Mrs. Allen Dose, co-chairmen; Mrs. Bob McKone, Nebraska City chairman, Arlin Auer, co-chairman at Syracuse, Arnold Kreimer, Talmage; and Robert Fey and Colleen Irland, co-chairmen at Palmyra.
A flag salute
Bill Berger, past commander of Adam Schellinger Post No. 8 and the post's finance officer, is hopeful of a special flag display prior to the July 4 celebration in Nebraska City.
He hopes to see a solid banner display perhaps stretched from his store, Nebraska City Furniture, across the street to the Legion club of all the known flags that waved over this country.
Legionnaires across the nation are pressing the importance of flag display and it seems appropriate that the banner display be revealed for the Fourth.
And speaking of July 4
Is the Free Fourth celebration in Nebraska City going to die?
Yes, it appears so unless some group besides the Legion wants to take over the job.
In case you've forgotten, it did die for one year, was revived and is planned again this year. "The touble is," one Legionnaire told us, "we're getting older. The job is getting harder. We're getting tired."
The Legion doesn't finance the whole show. Much of the money comes from businesses in town. The Legion runs the celebration and directs the free fireworks display.
Visitors to Nebraska City like it. The count has been reported at 8,000 people or higher during the peak of the celebration.
If anything is ever to peak then the Bicentennial year is it. Next year . . . is something else.
The disaster drill
The planned disaster drill in Nebraska City was cancelled last week on the advice of the County Civil Defense. Sheriff Russ Seals said the Weather Bureau reported stormy weather conditions and he decided the timing was not right for the drill.
A lot of people were involved in the drill from the volunteers who were doing the make up to the "victims" themselves. In addition, law enforcement offers were briefed as were hospital personnel.
In fact, some squadsmen felt that the training effect might not have been so successful anyway because too many people knew there was going to be a "disaster."
It's pretty hard to keep a secret, but that's what the volunteers are trying to do in the programs. Squadsmen said the other night that another drill will be planned some time in the fall. If there was a date set, the volunteers were not told.
This year the volunteers were given a hint; they were told to turn their rescue radios on 24 hours a day over a five-day period regardless of whether they were off duty.
Dandelion control
Dig dandelions? Forget it. You're wasting your time.
The spring issue of Lawn Care published by Scotts tells the story of getting rid of dandelions the easy and sure way — with a dandelion control.
You can dig, cut and pull, but chances are you won't finish off the weed. The reason is most of us leave some part of the long root in the earth. A dandelion control makes the leaves look droopy then, zippo — the entire plant will gradually disintegrate. The best time to go after dandelions is when they are in bloom.
The Union Reunion
A celebration will be held in Union June 5-6 as part of the annual class reunion program. The annual banquet will be at the Legion hall followed by a street dance, according to Mrs. Frank Strough, general chairman.
On Sunday there will be church services, special music and at noon food stands and historical booths. Other events include an awards program, parade, horseshoe tournament, baseball games, barbecue and then the winner of the Bicentennial quilt will be named.
That quilt has been on display at Frazier's in Nebraska City.
It sounds like a lot of fun and it is the result of a lot of work.
Among the other volunteers are Olin Morris, banquet chairman, and Clarence Beccard, hayrack ride chairman.
Our former neighbors, Jim and Carol Attebery, won't be "home" for the reunion, but they will be back for a vacation in July, according to Jim's mother, Mrs. Strough.