Fellowship • Scholarship • Education And the Best View in Town VOLUME 44 • NUMBER5 MAY 2015 WWW.OMAHAPRESSCLUB.COM SEE PAGE 2 SEE PAGE 3 Gallup executive to speak at Hall of Fame dinner By Judy Horan Clifton manages Gallup’s global gov- ernment work and the Gallup World Poll, OPC Committee Co-Chair an ongoing study conducted in more than 160 countries, representing 98 percent of the special night is planned for the seven world’s adult population. His topic will be: Journalists of Excellence who will be “How people are doing around the world, in Ainducted into the OPC Hall of Fame the United States and in Nebraska.” on June 6. The ceremony begins with speaker The following will be honored for their con- Jon Clifton, managing director of the Gallup tributions to journalism: Rev. Don Doll S.J. , World Poll, who lives and works in Washing- Robert “Bob” Hoig, Steve Jordon, John ‘Jack” ton, D.C. McBride, Arnold Peterson, Chuck Roberts, Gary Sadlemyer. Jon Clifton Boxing champ Crawford will be next Face on the Barroom Floor May 7 erence “Bud” Crawford lives and trains in On July 28, 2014, Crawford retained his Crawford returned to his hometown for anoth- Omaha. But he boxes around the world. lightweight title in a fight so exciting that the er HBO televised fight in front of more than TCrawford won the world lightweight ti- World Boxing Organization presented him the 11,000 Omaha fans and again retained his title. tle in Glasgow, Scotland, in March 2014. Af- Fight of the Year award for 2014. At the time, ter he won the title, the Omaha City Council the fight on HBO held in front of 10,000 Oma- On April 18th in Arlington, Texas, HBO proclaimed March 4, 2014, as Terence “Bud” ha fans at the CenturyLink Center had the third viewers saw Crawford win a second title as world Crawford Day. highest Nielson ranking of all 2014 fights, with junior welterweight champion. He joined a list about 1.3 million viewers. On Nov. 29, 2014, of all-time greats in sports in April when the On May 7, the Omaha Press Club will Boxing Writers Association of America named proclaim Crawford – now the holder of two Crawford Fighter of the Year in a ceremony in world titles -- the 145th Face on the Barroom New York. Floor. Roasters will include Houston Alexan- der, an Ultimate Fighting Championship/mixed Crawford, with Brian McIntyre, founded martial arts participant; amateur boxer Treven a youth program called B&B Boxing Academy. Coleman, and Desmond Wilford, Crawford’s Young men and women interested in boxing strength and conditioning coach. In addition, also find academic and social development com- Mayor Jean Stothert will present the key to the ponents. With Michael Carter, Crawford also city to Crawford. launched a citywide anti-bullying tour to tell students how they can “bully-proof” themselves. Terence “Bud” Crawford TERENCE “BUD” CRAWFORD FIREWORKS BUFFETS Face on the Barroom Floor Thursday, May 7, 2015 Friday, June 12: View of college baseball Opening Ceremonies 5:30 p.m. Thursday, July 2: Home Run Derby reception and cash bar 6:30 p.m. 7 to 9:30 p.m. Buffet dinner followed by roast and unveiling of the Face. $18 Adults $10 Children $30 nonmembers $25 members RSVP 402-345-8008 RSVP 402-345-8008 WHERE ARE THEY NOW? An OPC feature reporting on a past Face on the Barroom Floor John Ritums was Face No. 5 in 1972 Over the years a wide variety of notables have been honored by having their likenesses displayed on the floor of the Omaha Press Club. In this occasional series, we revisit some of those individuals. rom Latvia to Omaha and back – By Don Summerside Ritums and his wife live in the capital with several stops in between. A OPC News Copy Editor city of Riga, where he still has cousins Fman who endured both Nazi and and childhood friends. Riga is about the Communist rule, and then enjoyed the same size as Omaha, he said, but with ups and downs of a free society. “crazy politics.” Latvia regained its in- That’s the remarkable life’s journey dependence in 1991 after the breakup of of John Ritums, the Press Club’s fifth the Soviet Union. Face on the Barroom Floor when he was Ritums returned to Riga in April after honored in November of 1972. an extended stay in Omaha to visit his Only Ron Stander, boxing’s “Bluffs daughter, Selga Noel; son-in-law, Don Butcher” and Face No. 3 in June of Noel, and their sons, Derek and Justin. 1972, predates the 86-year-old Ritums Ritums also has daughters in California on the list of living “Faces.” (The late and Florida. Mayor Gene Leahy, Coach Bob Devaney The Florida daughter manages a Ri- and Vice President Spiro Agnew were tums real estate office in Tampa. “I may Faces 1, 2 and 4.) be the oldest active Realtor in America,” Ritums, a builder and still-active Real- said Ritums, who has maintained a real tor, was an Omaha City Council member After growing up in a Latvia ruled estate license since 1954. from 1969 to 1973 and active in river- by German and then Soviet invaders, Quoting Ernest Hemingway, Ritums front and Old Market development. “We Ritums embraced the democracy of the added: “Retirement is the ugliest word in had a lot of fun in those days,” Ritums United States when he immigrated to the language.” South Dakota in 1950. And after arriving said during a visit to Omaha. “I made a He stayed active in Omaha during his lot of noise!” in Omaha a few months later, he thrived under capitalism. winter and spring visit by swimming and With his long sideburns, rugged facial walking at a local health club. And while features and flamboyant personality, Ri- Ritums was Omaha’s biggest apart- here and in Latvia, Ritums continues to tums was, as artist Jim Horan recalled, “a ment developer in the late 1960s, with the pursue his longtime painting hobby. Latvian Village apartments being named caricaturist’s dream.” Horan’s 1972 Face “Oils and acrylics, flowers and land- for his native land. But he filed for on the Floor pictures Ritums at the wheel scapes,” Ritums said. “And bright colors!” of a convertible. (On his way to the Press bankruptcy after business reversals during Club one day, Ritums was clocked over the 1973 recession. He left Omaha for the speed limit. Police trailed him to the Chicago in 1980 and later lived in Cali- club to issue the ticket.) fornia and Florida. He moved back to his Latvian homeland in 2008. THE OMAHA PRESS CLUB EDUCATIONAL FORUM SERIES presents FORMER STATE SENATOR MIKE FLOOD THURSDAY MAY 21, 2015 Noon to 1 p.m. CALL (402) 345-8008 for RESERVATIONS Former State Senator Mike Flood owns six radio stations in Norfolk, Nebraska City, and Omaha. The Omaha station, Radio Lobo (97.7 FM) has filled the void for the Hispanic Community in our area. Please join us as Mike discusses the huge potential market that the community should be tapping into with the increasing presence of Hispanics in Nebraska. Mike was elected in 2004 to represent the 19th Nebraska legislative district and served as Speaker of the Legislature from 2007 to 2013. In 2010, Time Magazine online named him as one of their “40 Under 40” rising stars in American politics. Flood left the Nebraska Legislature in 2013 due to term limits. (Must be accompanied by member number or credit card 24-hour cancellation policy, no refund) or email Jeanie at [email protected] Non-Press Club members are welcome Validated parking in the DoubleTree Hotel garage for members. Bring your ticket.The Omaha Press Club • 22nd Floor-First National Center • 1620 Dodge Street • Omaha, NE Page 2 MAY 2015 Foolish fun raises funds for OPC scholarships Don Summerside the Internet, receiving tens of thousands of executive director, lamenting that “Poor OPC News Copy Editor “hits.” Bo Is Fired” (“Poor Jud Is Daid” from The other emcees did extra duty, too. Match- “Oklahoma!). “We at Boys Town really ools Rushed In” and the laughs poured ing bald head for bald head, Baker paired up liked Bo,” Boes said. “He kind of out at the Holland Center on April 1. with Pete Ricketts to play the governor’s “to- reminded us of one of our kids.” From the opening bars of “Hal’s in the F tally irresponsible” alter ego. McCartney con- Hokey Pokey” to the “We Don’t Coast” fina- verted “Chattanooga Choo” into “Channel • Connie Lee’s down-and-dirty “Smoke le, the crowd at the 58th Omaha Press Club 7 Newsroom” and sang about KETV’s new Gets Ostracized” (the Platters’ “Smoke Show was treated to a lively mixture of music home at the Burlington Station. Gets in Your Eyes”). and mirth. From then on, the cast of 30 directed by The benefit for Omaha Press Club Foun- Bridget Robbins treated the audience of 300 • Jeff Shields summing up the Blue Cross- dation journalism scholarships got an extra to a raucous review of the news and a roasting CHI Health dispute (“There are no good boost from former mayor Daub’s stint in of the newsmakers. guys; you both are bad guys”) with “You the OPC Pokey. Donations accompanying Guys Can’t Agree” (Dave Mason’s “We the votes to “Keep him in” or “Let him out” Just Disagree”) raised $3,007. • Glenn Prettyman as Brad Ashford, the “One Democrat” (Eric Carmen’s “All by Myself ”) in Nebraska’s congressional delegation.