Stick it to ’em
First let me say how much I enjoy Ron Petak’s stick figure drawings.  He is a person after my own heart. Say what you will about their simplicity, at least when you look at them, you know what you are seeing.
I also enjoyed Jason Glenn’s article on his adventure with the K9 unit.  I always read his column and especially like the articles about his son, but the K9 article won the prize. I think he was very brave to undertake such a thing, but also found much humor in the recounting of his time in the bite suit. Surely, this will be something he can share with his grandchildren.
Keep up the good work!

Lynn M. Richardson

A volunteer by any other name
Bellevue gained recognition from the American Rose Society as Bellevue American Rose City on May 24. Shortly after that, a good portion of the showcase became submerged.
As of July 9, a row of roses at the Bellevue Marina still remains submerged. The 126 roses at the Marina look like a moonscape. All are dead minus a crazily blooming pink Polar Joy and about four other plants that are still blooming.
Plans for replacements have already begun. Omaha Tree is giving the City of Bellevue mulch. Easy Elegance and Papio Valley Nursery have been inquiring about replacement roses. Douglas/Sarpy County horticulturist Kathleen Cue is designing a berm for the trellis.
The flooding did not appreciably damage the roses at the trellis, and 264 roses in the high ground are still blooming and are ready to have donated plants from Bellevue ShopKo planted in the demonstration areas.
The Douglas/Sarpy County Master Gardeners have special permission to pass the police tape. Haworth Park is closed until further notice.
If you are not an extreme gardener, and if you don’t belong to a group who understands the problems of this rather hazardous cleanup, you should not volunteer. All volunteer work needs to be cleared with the Parks Department. Despite this cautionary word, Offutt’s Fightin’ 55th has already said they are willing to work on this disaster.
Four years of work may be washed away, but you have offered help before being asked. Please contact Mike Eckley at 291-9651 if you are interested in making a monetary donation to the cleanup. Or make a donation through Omaha Rose Society by going to www.omaharose
society.com.
Rose society members will be available to discuss the situation at this Friday’s Green Speak: Chautauqua event.

Anita Eckley

Thank you, Bellevue
On June 30, a team of University of Nebraska Medical Center senior leaders visited Bellevue as part of a two-day, six-community visit to east and southeast Nebraska. The trip included other stops in La Vista, Lincoln, Beatrice, Nebraska City and South Omaha. During the two days, our team spoke at events hosted by local organizations.
We would like to thank the Bellevue Chamber of Commerce for hosting us during their State of the Chamber quarterly luncheon and Hillcrest Homecare for sponsoring the luncheon. Thanks to Megan Lucas, chamber president and CEO, for her hospitality. We are impressed with the vision and vitality of the chamber.
Thanks also to Marty Carmody, CEO of Bellevue Medical Center, for providing a tour of the magnificent new medical center. Bellevue is fortunate to have such an impressive facility that fulfills the health care needs of the community.
The visit gave us an opportunity to meet with community leaders to share exciting new initiatives and provide an update about UNMC’s progress toward its goal of becoming a world-class academic health sciences center. It also gave people a chance to ask questions and share ideas on how UNMC can better serve the needs of the community.
UNMC has seen tremendous success in education, research and patient care. About 85 percent of our students come from Nebraska. We are grateful for what the community does for our students and residents while they are learning in your community.
We are committed to making sure the world-class resources we have here are available no matter where in Nebraska one lives. Everything we do is done on behalf of Nebraska.
Thank you for your support.

Harold M. Maurer, M.D.
University of Nebraska
Medical Center chancellor

Donations led to great trip
Girl Scout Troop 1549 would like to thank the Bellevue community for helping to support our troop by donating soda cans, soda bottles and scrap metal to fund our trip to Mount Rushmore, S.D.
We exceeded our monetary goal. Our trip was magnificent. Thank you.
Girl Scout Troop 1549

Don’t forget those left behind
It took Officer Kolbe with the Bellevue Police Department, on filling out my third lost POW flag report since 1973, to mention June 14th as Flag Day.
I called a number of places seeking a new one but they were out. Flags, Etc., 84th and Cass, had one. His father had served in Vietnam and after we talked at length, he said, “I have a delivery at the ball field for the College World Series, I’ll bring it down to you,” and did.
I wanted to fly it the following Monday, but it being a large flag, I had to get a four-foot extension. It’ll be up today when I get a new cord to draw it up on.
I have five feet of dirt in the top of my half whiskey barrel that holds the now 21-foot pole and I must warn any further lover of my flags, I have Snap Dragon flowers in the barrel, and if the pole is moved even slightly, you’re level with the barrel and you are gonna get bit.
Seriously, the funding to maintain the Defense POW/MIA Personnel Office was to be nearly cut, but survived. Rather than take an R&R twice, I signed on at Base Ops Ton Son Nhut Air Base Saigon to act as escort for large containers with caskets within. Twenty of us escorted to the ZI; some like myself, some on emergency leave and a couple of lucky ones on final return from their tours.
My last trip was, and none of us knew it, the first day of Woodstock. We tend to waste a lot of money, but I, for one taxpayer, feel any money we expend toward those not back honors them and all of our active duty military.
Gordon Johnson

SID officers playing favorites
During the recent heavy rains and flooding along the Platte River, residents of Sarpy SID 101 (Hanson Lakes) have felt the impact. One neighborhood in the SID has felt the impact harder than others.
Specifically, homeowners on Hanson Lake 1 are taking action to abate the raising lake level almost independently of the SID.
Among Hanson Lake 1 residents, there is a sense, a perception, that some officers of the SID concentrate their efforts on properties of wealthier homeowners’ properties on Hanson Lakes 2, 3, and Chris Lake. In evidence, SID officials only began taking action to abate river water entering the lakes only after they recognized an adverse impact on Hanson Lake 2.
As point of fact, the SID owns the property constituting the flood dike separating the Platte River from Hanson Lake 1, and the SID owns Hanson Lake 1. Yet, it appears officers of the SID shirk their legal and moral responsibilities to Lake 1 homeowners.
Recently, SID officers tried to convince Sarpy County officials that floodwaters breached the dike on the west end of Platte River Drive forcing flood waters into the Lake 1 region.
However, it appears a poorly constructed or poorly maintained flood control gate east of Park Circle is where floodwaters entered. Several Hanson Lake 1 homeowners were present and risking injury to sand bag that flood control gate. There has been no sand bagging on the west end of Platte River Drive.
Paul Hoffman