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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 24, 1985)
ll y S if" M - I r?.' i ! " i r i s Jt i - A. Thursday, Jznuzry 24, 1CC5 Univcrsity of N:brcska-Llnco!n Vol. 84 No. G3 VCwth-f! Sunny and warm again today with a high of 23 (wC). Tonight cjesr end cold with a low of 0 (-1SC). Friday, partly cloudy end turning cloudy with a high of 23 (-5C)., A 1 1 r T i o ' 7 lil TIlQ LjiQfl-.-Pago 8 Li & tj b U J J 5a Wi li 3 3 CJ W W BU'Ja!GG...Page14 ! ill f ( i t i it i S , i i M , 1 e. 4 4 y nsr O Ti 1 i MM ii.-j III ' . 1 .- - ! J I i O TI Jin at:nit frcn scratch h a wsy cf Ufa far Fred T. Witt Ks ' A lor-iins Lincoln Jcvelcr, Witt Etsrt'3d cvsr in ES3 when hs mcved to th3 lillkt & Fsiri3 Jiwclsy dcpatr.er.t to his cn fccs'ncss, Fred T. Witt Jcwskrs. Witt's stsro in Gd-ia Gslkrla downtosm festcresjeweby made fey the owner himselt Witt designs and meet cftfca jvslry la his iters. Ills speddty is dia--r.cnd Jcvclry, tut ha sdd ha has recently bean cr . requests for colosed stcr.3 pieces ss well. "Ws'rs !sys cxpdisg our Ideas to build mora tad different products," Witt Witt kzs spent S3 yass building Ms rep utation as a ski'kd crcrr.m. When ha left the U.S. Army Sijr.d Cterps sX the end cf Worid zs ll. he hci nc&u.cr rcpt2'.cn nor a skill, "When I CK33 out of the tray, I wss 0, cr.d I tzdhzi I hid no education. I decided to learn a skill." Acturily, Witt did hsve seme educdien. He graduated tern Dst.t.s, Ean., Eli . School in 133. But a hih school education in 1833 wasn't what it is today, he said. "We got Just the basics," Witt ssid. ' Witt said he locked for a job for several months before landing en apprenticeship at a Email jewelry repair shop in Wichita, Kan. Witt repaired cissy rlr s at the jewelry shop before dsddir.i he would like to : design Kid Kales jo'veky hiraself. Ee rr.oved to LiEcoln Sn 1047. Alter starthj a shop in ; the Stuart Euildir.3; Witt went to work at Gold's Department Store in lt'3. In his . shop, the Gcld,sjs7.'!ry departeent, Witt fashior.ed his desigrj. When Gold's became' Erodeis, 7iit stayed on until the store closed in 1S78. He moved to the l!i!!er&' Faine jewelry dapartrier.t the saaie year. . Witt laid his ja7;dry-nakk$ skills are seif-tstight. He e -tsrts with thin gold bars, th erJ thicsTX-as ci a -nan s rkg. lie molds, hammers and Ehir.es the gold into ikz bracelets, earrir-;:;, neckla ces and ether Jr.velry, adding whatever pre cious stores the customer orders. "It's inportant to pay close atttr.tion to the most rainute detail," Witt zz'A. "The customer does know what you've dona, and does pay attention to the little thirds." . Witt said ha erjcp his profession because he gats to sae people when theyra happy. Euj4r4 a dioond ring is a happy occasion for his cuatemers, he said. "Many times, a diamond ring will be the possession a person values the nest," ha said. Witt has mada and sold many vriuaUa pieces cf jewelry, including a ring that went . for UC3,CCQ. His career has yielded a com fortable livir. Witt was able to send his three children to colleje, and he gives time and money to several community organiza tions. Witt is a benefactor cf the Lincoln - -Foundation, an organization which pants money to Reec people and causes in Lincoln. "Fred's a very good asset to the com munity," said Henry Wulf, a state airport eraser who has we&ed.wilh Witt in the , Capital diyKfrards Club. .. .. ;, -.. "He decs o a?.fal lot for the community, and it's r.avc? &zi$z$s given," Wulf said ; of Witt. "He al'ys locks at the positive side ', . of things. If you're at a committee meeting and start wringing your hands and being negative about a project, he. gets nervous. Ee says Try it, ?e can make it work'. He's pushed a lot of our projects through." . . Witt said ha thinks Ms optimistic atti tude has helped him in business and in life. "It's been a great thrill to do as well as I ' have, and to crjey the thirds I have," hs said. "I think outlook and desire is important Always look up.rard and better. Never look downhill. You don't go downhill long until you hit the bottom." . At 3, Witt still walks six' miles a day to . keep In shape. He's showing no signs cf slowfegdawn.'. f X 1 V . as " " " J Kerrey 's Cmtmonwealih plan I asks stem for $20. 5 'million . S f :4 I- ByBradGlf&rd Eerier Esporter Commonwealth Savings Co. deposi tors and Lincoln a:;J Lsic-aster Ceiuity ctlcials should fdt until a plan to reimburse depositors is completed,, before reacting to it, Gov. Bob Kerrey' said Wednesday. Kerrey said at his weekly press con ference that his plan is a starting point derived to form' a middle ground between the Legislature and deposi tors. He ur.vJlsd the plan to the Legis lature (Jan. 22), and said that he would like to sea senators introduce a rssola-. tien cf intent" even if it contains dMarut Srturss by Tccsdr. He plan calls far a $23.5 million state's $35 million reserve fund. That interest, about $3.5 to $4 million annu ally, usually goes to the general fond. Kerrey's plan drew fire from city and county officials 'Tuesday, and deposi tors might balk because the plan would return cr.Iy 50 percent of their money. He urged those people and the senators to keep open minds and to prepare for compromise. If all goes Kerrey's way, the Legisla ture will debate his plan and make a dollar cfTcrlo the depositors.. Deposi tors then will consider that figare and accept or reject it. Eighty percent of the depositors must approve any prcp osai before it can be enacted. Kerrey said that asking the city and county to forgive past taxes may cause DeCamp of Neligh. Under that provi sion, 10 states in the region could buy Nebraska banks if they adopted sirrdlar legislation. If tha bill becomes law, a bank in another state could reduce the amount required of the Legislature and local government by buying part cf In ether matters: Kerrey knocked Agrkullur Secretary Clock's latest version cf tha Esaan Administration's farm bill, csi Knglt "irresponsible." lis said that the failure cf tha Psyraent-in-Kind program doss not s!jair that the entire existir.g t:m d for $5.5 le?J ccniplicsiions, hut I t2s-:s let Cc ramenwacith. The plan would net caus3 income and sales tax rates to bare a: a to raiee :t3i'ri'3fen- nfb b4 v. , -taw reasv to ro to court to resolve tnem. Kerrey said $5.5 million was not too much to ask from the city and county, ir.g a it-: He ssid "seme cestui should be made O Kerrey said h8 b "dosa" to Cnd- .I.J41. .;; . 1 1 z, l lit V: z ar,cur.t to ta r.peld by htcrtat cused by tha cn the Iced level" to coax support far tils ztv- '-XjT3 fl cm c Lit s c r Kerrey's whcla p!aa could be changed by the t assays cf a regional interstate Ka said he will Lire a rerlactanent fen to ice at T;araht director cf tha Dtpart- red by Sen. Jchn meat cfcar,craia Dj " i , ) . , ';
