Globe-Post, 17 Mar 1955
Olla Podrida
“We’re satisfied if we please just a few, while our city colleagues get ulcers for fear they aren’t pleasing hundreds of thousands.” ~Byron Hess on the small-town columnist in Sioux Center News, Sioux Center, Iowa.
-o.p.-
So often during the week I remind myself that come Saturday I’ll be writing a piece for publication. And you have no idea what a strange feeling it is to look forward to the self-imposed assignment when I haven’t a single idea stored up for use as subject matter. On the other hand, when it happens to be my good fortune to experience contacts with interesting person whom I consider newsworthy, you can just bet I look forward to the week end with considerable satisfaction. The past week has been of that sort, and I am happy to pass on to readers a number of items. I trust will be of general interest.
-o.p.-
Answering the telephone that evening, the voice was so clear, and the caller’s opening words so unhurried, I assumed it to be a local call. Recovering from my pleasant surprise at being told it was Sylvester Kale, I asked where he could be reached in Los Angeles. He was not in Los Angeles, he told me, but was calling from Burlingame, in the San Francisco area, 500 miles away.
-o.p.-
Mr. and Mrs. Kale were at the home of their son, Adrian, and all had just returned after a round-trip flight to Mexico. While in Mexico, they learned of the inclement weather here and had hoped for a postponement of the Iowa picnic, at least for one week, in order that they might enjoy attending it during a stopover here on the return flight. However, former Iowans had already done their stuff and the Kales missed the picnic. By now, very likely, they have arrived back home and I take this opportunity to again tell them how much I appreciated their kindness in giving me a buzz.
-o.p.-
As I neared the checker’s stand at end of the cafeteria counter, a woman jolted me a little too severely to have been purely accidental. Giving my jostler what started out to be a hard look, I found her to be Marie Bennisen Wall, former Le Mars gal. Living at a downtown hotel, Marie tells me she has often seen me at these coffee breaks and that I often pass close by her table without any sign of recognition. Marie plied me with inquiries regarding the home-folks and also told me she plans a return trip to LeMars in early summer.
-o.p.-
Several years ago, former Plymouth countyans out here had a county organization having for its object a couple of annual get-to-gethers, somewhat on the order of the larger Iowa picnic. A number of happy and successful picnic meetings were held, and then for some reason the program was discontinued. At the director’s annual meeting of the Iowa Association of Southern California this year, the plan of a county organization for each of the 99 counties of the state came in for a lot of favorable comment. The newly elected officers decided to carry on with the plan.
-o.p.-
Not to be outdone by any of her sister counties, Plymouth County will be among the first to get going. Serving as chairman of the Plymouth County group will be J. B. Bunkers. Assisting him as vice chairman will be Robert Blackburn. Both were enthusiastic workers in the earlier organization and are of the opinion the idea will take hold. In the near future I’ll be able to give readers further details, but in the meantime those interested might postcard me their suggestions.
-o.p.-
Much to my embarrassment, I did not immediately recognize Nick Thoma when he stopped in to see me early in the week. Accompanied by his son-in-law, John Boden of Sioux City, the pair had flown out following receipt of news that Henry N. Kass, Mrs. Thoma’s brother, had been fatally injured when struck by an alleged drunken driver on a Hollywood street. As is customary, the victim had been taken in charge by the Coroner awaiting positive identification. That and other sad duties pertaining to the unfortunate man’s estate did not permit Nick’s return flight until Saturday.
