November Forum to Feature Rudy Smith's Photos
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Fellowship • Scholarship • Education And the Best View in Town SEE PAGE 5 SEE PAGE 6 A message from the president A message from the Your club needs you in 2021 executive director By Steve Villamonte By Tom Shatel It’s a place OPC Executive Director OPC Prsesident that should always be part of he Omaha Press Club has been a fter a recent OPC board meeting, I Omaha, always passion for many volunteers ever took a stroll around the club. be preserved. since the doors opened back in 1971. Past the fireplace, down the steps T A And that’s where Many have experienced the club, its offer- by the booths. Went into the back room you come in. ings, including ambiance, food and staff, and gazed out the window at the sprawling We want you Creighton campus. and wanted to be more than a member. back in 2021. We They wanted to be a part of the club and Went to the south corner and looked need you back. for so many that became reality through down at Dodge Street and then out toward It’s been a Tom Shatel volunteering. My passionate role as the ex- South O. Then finished by walking around very trying year. the bar. The Press Club is hanging in there. The ecutive director has positioned me to work All the while, I took in all the “Face on pandemic wiped out most of our events. closely with these volunteers who are board the Barroom Floor” portraits. There were The First National building is all but closed. and committee members and to develop leaders, newsmakers, personalities from all Visitors to the Press Club are allowed, friendships along the way. generations and eras of Omaha. pressing a buzzer and announcing their I had the opportunity to develop There’s so much history here. The Press presence to a security guard who lets them a friendship with Past President Scott Club is an Omaha gem. It’s got an old- in. Darling, who recently lost his battle with school charm with a new-school appeal. Steve and Christine Villamonte have cancer. Scott was a calming force during There’s nothing else like it. My teen-age a turbulent time at the club. He led the daughters love it. Continue on Page 2 board with his dedicated, confident de- meanor that made all involved comfortable with his sound decision-making. November Forum to feature After Scott’s term as president, he continued to support the club and to at- Rudy Smith's photos tend events over the years. Whenever I saw Scott, he would tell me how he missed his escheduled from last March, "The how Rudy's leadership activities and how he needed to Black Experience Through the Lens of photographs get up to the club more often. Scott once RRudy Smith," a book that highlights were invited the entire board to his house for the late Rudy Smith's photojournalism compiled. cocktails and hors d'oeuvres as an effort to experience in North Omaha, will be The OPC THE BLACK create unity. My best memory of Scott was displayed and discussed at the Noon Forum Forum will EXPERIENCE not club related, but what he shared of his THROUGH THE LENS on Thursday, Nov. 19. run from OF RUDY SMITH love for his family. Smith, a longtime photographer with noon until And now another longtime OPC sup- the Omaha World-Herald, died Dec. 5, 1 p.m. with porter, former Sen. David Karnes, has 2019 after a short illness at the age of 74. lunch service passed. David first became a club sup- Photo selections for the long-planned beginning at porter when he did a skit for the annual book were completed while Rudy was in 11:30 a.m. Press Club Show. David had a favorite table hospice. His wife, Llana, assisted him in The cost is $17 and non-OPC members are at the club, which he frequented for lunch. the selections as he gave her a thumbs-up welcome. Dining options or down on his choices. After his death, Books will be available for purchase at Management and board members are World-Herald staff completed the book the forum. "The Black Experience" is also working to provide as many options as with the help of Smith's family. available from owhstore.com and at the possible for members to utilize the club Llana Smith and Kristine Gerber, book World-Herald building. editor, will take the Noon Forum audience on a journey through the years explaining Continue on Page 7 Shatel lunch returns as football season looms Shatel, continued from Page 1 He’s what we need during these times. October and Noon Forums in September Next year will be a very important year and October. A Rudy Smith photo book done a wonderful job keeping the Press for the Press Club. We need to get some event and another Winemaker’s Dinner Club going. We’ve had a light-to-steady events back. We need to get the people event are planned for November. lunch crowd. And Steve introduced a Friday back. A terrific idea we are kicking around is take-out dinner feature, which has quickly We had a strong lineup of events to have regular Omaha Press Club Show become a popular staple. planned for 2020. I believe we can stage events, where a video from one of the old Steve and I have been in constant some of those next year, with modifications shows is played. It could become a fun contact with Brenda Dooley of First for health. reunion for former show performers! National. Brenda and the staff at FNB have We can see the return of the “Face on Also, I would like to have a Member’s been fantastic. We cherish our relationship The Floor” events. The room doesn’t have to Appreciation Night, which would include with them. be full. We can allow for a limited number an opportunity for members to get their There’s no telling when FNB will be of seats. own “Face on the Floor” portraits drawn. able to reopen the building and bring their Masks and social distancing, of course, I'll get with Roger on that. employees back downtown. It seems the are part of the deal. I’m not sure how many events we can virus will be with us into 2021. We can try to relaunch our First stage or when. That will be up to Roger and As a Press Club, we have to assume that. Amendment Night, again with a limited the board. And we have to make plans accordingly. crowd. Perhaps these events can be live- Yes, chances are we will be dealing with In a couple of months, I will hand the streamed for those who want to stay at Covid-19 for a while. But as we’ve seen gavel over to Roger Humphries, a longtime home. bars and restaurants around the city move OPC member and officer with a strong The Press Club has already hosted some forward with masks and social distancing, passion for the club. Roger will be terrific. events, like the Winemaker’s Dinner in so, too, can the Press Club. Barmettler was unsung OPC hero By Tom O'Connor single DVD, design a case cover featuring generous, Communications Committee the Face honoree, then make several copies and positive of the DVD for the honoree as well as the spirit, and he Omaha Press Club lost one of OPC. his desire its unsung heroes this month with “It was absolutely tremendous,” to be Tthe death of Mike Barmettler. For Villamonte said. “We can’t thank Mike protective many years, Barmettler was the OPC’s enough for all he did for the club. He was of those videographer for “Face on the Barroom a great man. Our deepest sympathies go around Floor” events. He died on Oct. 6 due to out to his family.” him,” said congestive heart failure at the age of 88. The third of 11 children, Barmettler was his wife of “Mike was an amazing contributor an Omaha native. In 1956, he started a 38 years, to the Omaha Press Club,” said Steve residential security patrol company which Mary Mike Barmettler Villamonte, executive director of the later expanded into Security International, Beth. “He OPC. “He never sought the limelight. In Inc., a multi-faceted security company was a trail master who loved to lead Jeep fact, most OPC members wouldn’t even operating in 22 states. expeditions through remote Colorado recognize his name. In 1985, Security International, Inc., towns and challenging mountain passes. “I would guess that Mike and his was sold to Baker Industries. At the time He was always seeking out new paths to sidekick, Bob Drake, videotaped at least of the sale, it was the largest privately explore.” 30 Face events over the years. For many owned security company in the Midwest. A memorial service was held on Oct. of these events, they did it at no charge. Barmettler, who started his career as a 10. Memorials can be sent to: Finally, as their commitment and expenses night patrolman, became a leading expert • Texas A&M Foundation, 401 George mounted, they basically charged us the in security services including fire and Bush Drive, College Station, TX 77840. bare minimum for their time.” burglar alarms, armored car, time-sensitive Please designate the gift in memory of For each Face event, Barmettler and courier, night patrol and guards. Michael Barmettler, account 05-53019. Drake would set up their cameras in two Later he expanded into computerized The gift supports the neurology research of locations and capture comments from the energy management systems.