Photo by Ben Schwartz Governor Dave Heineman presents the 2009 Governor's Award for Parental Involvement to the Sutherland school board.

Sutherland welcomed Governor Dave Heineman Friday morning as he honored the community for exemplary parental involvement in its schools.

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Sutherland and Cozad were the 2009 winners of the Governor’s Award for Parental Involvement, a program Heineman started three years ago.

The governor and first lady were expected to arrive in Sutherland around 10 a.m. but showed up about 20 minutes late.

Heineman told the students and teachers at the award presentation that it was a challenge making the trip with all the fog.

Before presenting the Sutherland school board with a plaque, Heineman spoke to the students about leadership and education in a small town.

Heineman graduated from high school in Wahoo, and he said that small schools provide advantages over larger ones.

Specifically, Heineman said, a small school gives students the opportunity to be involved in everything.

Heineman recalled playing the national anthem with the band in his football uniform at Wahoo before going and playing the game.

He also told students that, even coming from a small town, they can be anything they want to be.

“I didn’t come from Omaha or Lincoln,” he said.

Changing topics to the reason Sutherland was recognized, Heineman praised the school’s programs like Family Literacy Night. He also highlighted the school district’s near perfect attendance at parent teacher conferences.

Heineman said that one of the best parts of his job is that he always gets to see Nebraska at its best.

“I always get invited to events like this. Nobody invites the governor for the bad stuff,” he joked.

Following the presentation, Heineman fielded questions from Sutherland students.

One of the first questions dealt with losing Nebraska soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan. Heineman said that he makes a point to attend the ceremony whenever an Nebraska National Guard unit is deployed or comes home. If he can’t attend, he said, Lt. Governor Rick Sheehy goes in his place.

Heineman also said he’s attended the funeral of each Nebraska service man and woman lost in battle.

A student asked Heineman to address the health care reform, which drew a chuckle from the crowd.

He said Americans should recognize that we have a very good healthcare system, but it could be made better.

In reference to the now deleted “Cornhusker Kickback,” Heineman said that if the reform is to be passed, it should be passed on its merits, not because of special deals.

Heineman and the first lady traveled to Cozad in the afternoon.