Still time to put in your two bits worth

Two bits, four bits, six bits, a dollar. If you don't like the ideas for Nebraska's quarter design, there's not much time left to stand up and holler. In fact, only a few hours.

According to the schedule announced months ago, the public has until 11:59 p.m. tonight (Wednesday, Sept. 1, 2004) to express their quarter design preferences. To register an opinion, the best remaining option is to get to a computer, log on to the Internet, and hook up with www.sos.state.ne.us. That gets you into the Secretary of State's office, which has been collecting quarter preferences in an online poll.

The Nebraska Secretary of State, John Gale, released preliminary results Monday on the nonbinding public vote on 25 designs for the quarter.

As of 3 p.m. Monday, the leading quarter design vote-getter was a covered wagon heading west with Chimney Rock in the background and the shining sun overhead.

Other concepts represented in the top ten designs include Sandhill Cranes, the Sower, Standing Bear, the state outline, agriculture, the State Capitol, frontier travel, transportation, communication and homesteading.

Not so fast. That was the reaction of editorial writers from the Omaha World-Herald, who warned in this morning's lead editorial: "Don't try to do too much," and "Don't settle for too little."

The editorial goes on to exclaim, "In the 25 designs in the public's straw vote, a considerable amount of sameness prevails." Therefore, the World-Herald urges the selection committee for the commemorative Nebraska quarter to look beyond the straw poll to consider other ideas.

Several of the Omaha newspaper's suggestions have appeal to this region. One of their ideas is to feature the buffalo, heralded in Southwest Nebraska -- particularly in McCook, Hayes Center and North Platte because of the history of Buffalo Jones, the Grand Duke Alexis Buffalo Hunt and Buffalo Bill.

Another World-Herald idea -- the center pivot irrigation system -- also is intriguing locally because of the presence in McCook of one of the world's most technologically advanced center pivot manufacturing facilities.

Other ideas with local appeal are ones featuring the railroad, which was the prime reason for McCook's founding, and the Great Platte River Road Archway in Kearney, inspired by the late Gov. Frank Morrison, who lived in McCook during the middle and later stages of his life.

The quarter design debate goes on, and will probably not subside, even after five designs are submitted to the U.S. Mint, and Gov. Mike Johanns makes the final decision. It may be just a two-bit question. But it's important to Nebraskans -- present and future -- because the state's image is at stake.