Heritage Days honorees, royalty especially fitting

We have to admit a little bias, but it was great to see the honorees named at Wednesday night's Heritage Days kickoff mixer at the McCook National Bank.

You will have to go a long way to find a nicer couple than Jack and Norma Stevens, the 2011 Honor Family.

We remember when they operated Stevens' Furs "North of A Street" on Norris Avenue, and we are used to seeing Jack's photography and Norma's painting on display around town and at the arts and crafts fair in Norris Park -- where they will be again this weekend.

But how many of the younger folks knew that Jack once studied with Frank Sinatra's voice coach, and performed on the Bob Hope Christmas Tour, Ed Sullivan Show, Steve Allen's Tonight Show, Arthur Godfrey Show and Horace Heidt Television Talent Show? Or for Richard and Pat Nixon at the White House when Nixon was vice president?

We're amazed perhaps, but not really surprised that Jack has that kind of talent.

It's also great to see a celebrity with McCook ties, Mickey Stubblefield, come back to help us remember the days of the McCook Cats, and Stubblefield's role as the first African American in the old Kitty League in Kentucky, Illinois and Tennessee. We know there will be old friendships renewed and new ones kindled while he and his family are here for the celebration.

But as a matter of full disclosure, we're especially happy to see our former boss, Gene O. Morris, named the 2011 Heritage Days Parade Marshal.

The newspaper and community it serves benefitted from his vision and enthusiasm when he was an editor and later publisher, and he's now applied that same energy to promoting new causes such as the Fox Theatre and a representative for Heritage Nebraska, an historic preservation group.

That enthusiasm has spread to the crew of Fox volunteers who have applied innovative programming to supporting the renovation project and re-establishing the historic old theater's role in vibrant downtown.

As is the case with many "retirees," Morris is busier than ever, and we're thankful he has chosen to use his energy to make our community a better place to live.

Of course, it wasn't all nostalgia, with Jacqueline Carfield, daughter of Kevin and Lori Carfield named the 2011 Heritage Days Princess and Mattie Uerling, a Southwest High School student and daughter of Mark and Sherri Uerling, as 2011 Heritage Days Queen.

It is their generation that will carry our community into the future, and judging from the royalty and other candidates, that future will be in good hands.