[Mansion construction looms
■ Diane Nelson says the
renovation is progressing,
but a lot of work remains
to be done.
By Ted Taylor
Senior Reporter
The basement needs paint and has
no carpet. The first-floor kitchen is a
mess, and the living room ceiling has
very large holes in it.
No, it’s not the inside of a fraterni
ty house on campus, it’s the
Governor’s Mansion. And help is on
the way.
Nebraska first lady Diane Nelson
said in a news conference Wednesday
the mansion’s renovation project,
which began in March, was moving
along splendidly.
New windows have been installed
throughout “Nebraska’s House,”
work on Gov. Ben Nelson’s office has
been completed, and the lower-level
kitchen is ready for use.
“But basically the whole house is
under construction right now,” she
said.
The big holes in the living room
ceiling are waiting for a sprinkler sys
tem, and construction workers were
sanding and sawing in the basement
Wednesday morning.
Already, she said, two-thirds of
the $1.3 million goal to help with the
renovations has been raised through
private funds. Nelson announced
Wednesday that efforts to raise the
rest of the money have been stepped
up, thanks to the Nebraska Banker’s
Association.
The NBA, a statewide organiza
tion that represents 323 of Nebraska’s
326 community banks and four of the
state’s 14 savings and loan institu
tions, will be handing out literature to
customers as well as filling more than
250,000 bank statements with infor
mation on how to donate.
George Beattie, NBA executive
director, said the renovation project
was something with which all
Nebraskans could get involved.
“Now, as many Nebraskans as
possible will have the opportunity to
restore a piece of Nebraska history,”
he said. “Once again we will have a
first home that we can be proud of.”
Bill Orr, the husband of former
Nebraska Gov. Kay Orr, was actually
one of the first to begin raising
money for renovating the mansion by
publishing a cookbook in 1989.
Proceeds went to the renovation pro
ject.
During the news conference, he
took a moment to plug “The First
Gentlemen’s Cookbook,” saying
there were 2,500 left to sell, and to
applaud the efforts of the first lady.
“With her enthusiasm and hard work,
the project is moving along,” he said.
“She has certainly led the team. And
if it’s going to be a winning team, it
will be largely because of the great
work of Diane Nelson.”
Amputee trains for competition
HEIM from page 1"
jumping, third in the 200, and had to
drop out of the 100 because of
fatigue.
The competition was classified
by disability. Heim competed against
other athletes who had lost a leg
below the knee.
“That meet was awesome,” Heim
said. “I got to compete against the
fastest guys in the world.”
At the competition Heim was a
big hit with local news and the fans.
“The local news wanted to see
how my leg worked, so I did a back
flip on camera,” Heim said. “The next
day people were asking for my auto
graph.”
As a result of his performance at
the meet Heim qualified for the
ParaOlympics and picked up three
corporate sponsors - Novacare,
Mayflower Transit Agency and World
Gym - that provide Heim witlrfree
legs, clothes and any other help he
needs. A new prosthetic leg costs
about $12,000.
“When people say that something
cost an arm and a leg, they don’t
know what they are saying,” Heim
said.
The accident
The afternoon of the accident,
Heim skipped football practice to go
water-skiing. While he was in the
water, the driver of the boat circled
around to pick Heim up and acciden
tally ran him over, causing the pro
peller to hit his leg.
The propeller cut through Heim’s
leg almost entirely, leaving the foot
just barely attached.
“As I lay there bleeding to death I
just kept thinking, ‘I haven’t done
much yet. I want to live,”’ Heim said.
In the hospital, Heim struggled to
deal with the reality of losing a leg.
“I cried for hours in that room
with my mom,” Heim said,
x Then Heim received some inspi
ration from a few visitors. U.S. Sen.
Bob Kerrey, former Cornhusker
Johnny Mitchell and someone Heim’s
age with a prosthesis all came to visit.
“I saw'what they could do and it
inspired me,” Heim said. “I had
Kerrey show me how he could hop up
and down on his leg.”
I ' _ . . 1 -
66
I love to run past someone and see the
look of disbelief on their faces when I go by
... I worked hard\ and now I can sprint
faster than anyoneyvith two legs”
Shane Heim
UNL special education major
Heim also had strong support
from his friends and family during
the 28 days he spent in the hospital.
Both feet on the ground
Heim spent his first week out of
the hospital at home playing Super
Nintendo video games and feeling
sorry for himself, he said.
“Then I realized that I just had to
keep going and have fun, not feel
sorry for myself,” Heim said.
While he was stuck at home,
Heim began to teach himself how to
play the piano. He never used printed
music, preferring to play his own
compositions.
wnen 1 piay my own {music; i
go off into my own world and play for
hours,” Heim said.
Less than a month after he left the
hospital, Heim was walking without
crutches and returning to his active
lifestyle.
He started lifting weights again,
and that winter Heim tried out for the
wrestling team. In the spring he,
played on the golf team.
Heim continued to wrestle and
golf in high school as well as compete
in tae kwon do and weightlifting.
He had always been active, but the
accident just made him want to work
harder.
“When I lost my leg I just goLon
this kick to work out even harder,”
Heim said. “The more I worked out
the more addictive it got because I
started getting results.”
Going to the gym is never a chore
for Heim because he enjoys working
out so much.
“The gym is my party,” Heim
said. “I’d rather work out than go
drinking.”
Working out and competing give
Heim a chance to show others what
he can do.
“I love to run past someone and
see the look of disbelief on their faces
when I go by,” Heim said.
His love of working out eventual
ly spread to jogging and then sprint
ing.
“I worked hard, ana now I can
sprint faster than anyone with two
legs,” Heim said.
In everything he does, Heim
never lets his disability affect his per
formance or attitude.
“He is outgoing about every
thing,” junior exercise science major
Matt Kataoka said.
Kataoka has been friends with
Heim for the past three years and
lives on the same floor as Heim in
Selleck Hall.
People may not even notice
Heim’s leg at first because of his atti
tude.
“I lived (on the floor) for three
weeks before I knew,” sophomore
English major Neil Bernier said.
“Then one day I saw him hopping
down the hall to the shower, and I
wondered what happened.”
Heim is intense and determined,
friends said.
“He moves at the speed of light
and is always full of energy” Kataoka
said.
Heim decided to become a high
school special education teacher after
he had an opportunity to see a class
room in action.
His experiences have taught him
how to make the best out of the worst
in his life. -
“You hlave to do whatever makes
you happy,” Heim said.
Another way
to find us...
http://www.unI.edu/DaiIyNeb/
I .
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What's happenin' at UPC 0
PH I SOW FT
MOftmiMS
Ross Film Theater
Sunday, October 5
3pm, 5pm, 7pm, 9pm
Admission:
$4 Students • $6 Non-Students
I mi ilium ...
"My So Called Lifestyle"
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So Called Life
October 6,1997 .. .
8 p.m., FREE! October 9,1997
Centennial Room 9 p.m., FREE!
Nebraska Union The Crib, Nebraska Union
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from the books
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Join him and his friends Piglet, Tigger,
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Oct. 2-5*. 9-12,16-19
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‘Interpreted for our hearing impaired
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Tickets: Adults $13; Students $9
For Tickets
Call 489-7529
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