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Friday-Kotsiopulos' big day
By LORI
POTTER
Hub Staff Writer
KEARNEY — Mayor Pete Kotsiopulos
looked drained Friday at noon as he stood in the lobby of the Great
Platte River Road Memorial Archway Monument visiting with
re-enactors dressed in pioneer clothing.
The presidential motorcade had
departed for Kearney Municipal Airport about 15 minutes earlier and
the mayor was just starting to cope with a mix of
emotions.
"It was an incredible experience," he
said about President Bill Clinton's visit to Kearney. "Overwhelming.
Very emotional for me."
The most emotional point came as the
motorcade traveled 39th Street from the airport to the University of
Nebraska at Kearney. Kotsiopulos knew some of the industrial plants
and other businesses in east Kearney planned to let their workers
watch the motorcade.
But he simply wasn't prepared for the
pride he would feel at seeing the crowds of people lining the street
waving flags. "He (Clinton) stopped the entourage at Casey's and I
saw all those people. I almost lost it ... Once we got close to the
fairgrounds, all those streets were packed ...I lost it. I started
crying at Casey's."
He had composed himself by the time
the motorcade reached the UNK Health and Sports Center. And then
Pina Mozzani, assistant professor of music, sang the national
anthem. "I lost it again," Kotsiopulos said. "I was a
mess."
He was impressed by Clinton's speech,
especially that the message was understandable. Kotsiopulos said
that when the media first reported that the president's topic would
be foreign policy: "I thought this will be over my head ... He put a
lot of things into perspective."
Kotsiopulos said a member of
Clinton's staff told him the president had continued to write notes
and retool the speech during the flight from Washington,
D.C.
The mayor got more one-on-one time
with the president than any of the other dignitaries in the
motorcade. Clinton spoke to Kotsiopulos on the airport tarmac for
about 45 seconds, commenting on friend of his who, like Kotsiopulos,
has Greek heritage.
"I was in awe," the mayor said, "so
much that I almost didn't know what to say."
Kotsiopulos' morning had started
routinely, although about an hour earlier than usual. He had a few
minutes to stop at his business, Liberty Cleaners, before heading to
the Museum of Nebraska Art a little after 7. It was there that he
met members of the Kearney City Council, City Manager Allen Johnson,
members of the Buffalo County Board of Supervisors, and state Sens.
Doug Kristensen and Jim Cudaback to go to the airport.
Kotsiopulos said he was fascinated by
the security measures. At one time, everyone waiting at Air Midway
had to leave the building so security personnel with dogs could
check it from top to bottom.
Kotsiopulos said Air Force One
arrived on time, "according to their time."
Contacts with Secret Service staff
and other security experts the past two weeks were left to other
city officials, he said, but he talked every day with two White
House staffers assigned to answer his questions. He met them face to
face Friday morning.
When asked how the presidential visit
rated in the events of his life, Kotsiopulos recalled that he was so
nervous on his wedding day that he had to be propped against a wall
at the reception. As he leaned against a pillar in the archway
lobby, he said Friday also was a very emotional day because of the
community's reaction.
Riding in the 11th vehicle of the
motorcade, Kotsiopulos said he saw a few protest signs. But they
paled in comparison to the signs of welcome and the flag-waving
citizens.
"It should make everybody really
proud of how they conducted themselves ...," he said. "I could point
to a few signs I didn't agree with. But, golly, this is
America."
"I tend to be very optimistic about
everything. But it was in somebody else's hands today (Friday). I
didn't know what to expect, so why worry about it?" Kotsiopulos
asked.
"I'm sure there will be 'pinch me'
things come up tomorrow and the next few days."
After he called Friday's presidential
visit "a less-than-once-in-a-lifetime opportunity" for most people,
he was asked if he'd like to do it again.
"Not today," he said with a smile.
"We'd rise to the occasion. Maybe tomorrow."
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