Editorial

Old Settlers letting good times roll

Friday, August 13, 2004

You might think that the committee members in charge of Indianola's 102nd annual Old Settler's Picnic would be prim and proper people, conducting themselves with dignity and decorum. Well, after hearing what the committee is going to be doing Saturday, you may want to change that opinion.

Because, you see, the Old Settler's organizers are going to be scooping poop. How's that for dignified?

The committee will be on the job most of the day Saturday for the many-splendored Indianola celebration, but the members' moment in the spotlight will come during the parade down Main Street. During the procession, the committee will be easy to spot. The "ladies" and "gentlemen" will be walking alongside their chauffeur-driven limousines in formals and suits. That's appropriate attire, as it turns out, to carry shovels to scoop up the piles of manure left by the parade's horse entries.

Indianola's Commercial Club president Ann Teel said this will be a fun way to cap a year-long organizational effort by the committee, which consists of Travis Herrman, Rod and Brenda Sheets, Shawn and Michelle Malleck, Sean and Tara Fries, Roxanne Malleck, Tom Sughroue, Mark and Kim McConville, Kenny Dow, Donna Behnke and Ann Teel.

The committee held its first meeting two weeks after last year's celebration, and has been meeting weekly since then. The effort has been worth it, as Indianola is once again expecting large crowds for the flurry of activities tonight, all day Saturday and Sunday afternoon.

As always, the parade, starting at 10 a.m. will be the highlight. The Kids Parade will lead the way for the Main Street procession, which this year has an appropriate theme: "Let the Good Times Roll."

But there will be much, much more at this year's Old Settler's Celebration, including a Pancake Feed ... Classic Car & Custom Show ... Kiddle Carnival ... Nail-Driving Contest ... Soap Box Derby ...Beer Garden ... Horseshoes ... Rolling Pin Throwing Contest ... Med Star Helicopter Fly-In ... Pitch Tournament ... Horse Rides ... Open Swim ... Old Tyme Music ... Old Settlers Meeting ... Bingo ... Frog Jumping Contest ... Lip Sync Event ... and the Street Dance featuring Blackberry Winter.

Look for lots of people at the ever-popular Old Settler's event. Doug Shadley was up late Thursday night and early this morning taking entrants into the car show. "It's shaping up as a record turnout," he said. "We're planning for 150 cars, and there could be more."

That's typical at Old Settler's, the grandaddy of celebrations in Southwest Nebraska. There's a reason, as the committee says, because in Indianola the committee members "Let the Good Times Roll," even if that includes scooping a little poop.

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