Monday, August 22, 2011
 
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Volunteers, including LCHS honor society, keep downtown flower baskets looking good

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[August 22, 2011]  Friday afternoon Wanda Lee Rohlfs, the director of Main Street Lincoln, sat at the large work table in the back part of her office, happily working on a craft project.

InsuranceUsing little wooden paddles, barbecue skewer sticks and craft foam, she was making two-sided balloons that will be placed in each of the hanging planters that adorn the downtown square, in celebration of the Lincoln Art & Balloon Festival.

During the festival, there will be dozens of activities going on in the downtown area, including the Main Street Art of Wine tent, the Kansas City Barbeque Society-sanctioned cook-off sponsored by the chamber, a sidewalk chalk art exposition sponsored jointly by the Lincoln Park District and city of Lincoln, and much more.

It is expected that the number of visitors to the Lincoln area during the balloon fest weekend will reach into the thousands, and it is at times like this in particular that the city wants to put its best face forward for those who come.

This year a portion of the beautification of the downtown area came in the form of new hanging baskets scattered around the square on both the merchants' side and the courthouse side of the streets. The baskets are a part of the work that is done by the Main Street organization.

Main Street organizations all over the country work within a few common goals. They are to help preserve local history through historic structures and landmarks in their downtown areas. They are to encourage downtown business retention as well as encouraging new businesses. They strive to come up with new ways to attract shoppers to the downtown merchants, and they are dedicated to keeping the heart of their city appealing to the eye.

The hangers for the baskets feature busts of Abraham Lincoln in two versions. They were manufactured by the Lincoln Community High School industrial arts class. The city of Lincoln assisted in getting them mounted to light poles around the square, and the Logan County Master Gardeners filled the planters with flowering plants.

Once all of that was done, the daunting task of watering the plants became the next issue. A method of getting the water to the plants was quickly resolved when Big R of Lincoln pitched in with a water tank that could be pulled in a small wagon around the city square.

With all the arrangements made to get the baskets in place, the only thing left was to find people to pull the wagon and work the water wand.

And according to Rohlfs, she had more than enough volunteers for the project even before they were needed. What may surprise some folks is who those volunteers were. They were eight members of the National Honor Society at LCHS.

Rohlfs said that when the kids contacted her, they were really excited about getting to take care of the plants, and once their services were needed, they were very dedicated to it.

At the same time, Mary Kelley, the Logan County circuit clerk, was thinking about getting involved as well.

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Kelley said, "I had read about the need for volunteers and was thinking, why not. I'm here every day. I could come early and help out."

Rohlfs also took up that offer of help and asked Kelley to be the adult who would accompany the kids around the square and look out for them in the early morning hours of the day.

Kelley said it was especially nice for her because her daughter Angela was one of the volunteers. "I really enjoyed spending time with her, and I really enjoyed getting to know the rest of the kids," she said.

Kelley also admired the dedication the kids had to the project. She explained that they divided themselves into groups of two and took turns arriving daily at the Main Street office. Taking the water wagon across the street to the courthouse to fill with water, they then worked all the way around the square, watering the hanging baskets as well as the half-barrel planters on the sidewalks.

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"They never missed a day," Kelley said. "On the really hot days they were there at 7:15 every morning to do the job. On cooler days, we waited until 7:30."

The students began doing the daily chore as soon as the baskets were hung on June 11 and continued through the end of July. Rohlfs and Kelley both explained that many of the kids involved, in addition to being honor students, are in other school activities such as sports. By the first of August, some of them were getting back into those activities, so they had to stop with the watering.

Rohlfs said that as soon as they stopped, several area merchants and business people were ready to take over. She noted that they also divided up into pairs and take turns so no one group has to do it every day.

Right now the watering is being done by Andy and Melody Anderson, Judy Conzo, April Doolin, Jill Douglas, Melissa Fleshmann, Seth Goodman, Gary and Melinda Lessen, Ed Malkowski, Natalie Marquez, Roger Matson, Barb Reinwald, and Rohlfs.

The members of the National Honor Society who provided the services were Ethan Anderson, Clarissa Bess, Victoria Haferkamp, Ben Hauter, Angela Kelley, Anna Maxwell, Abi Ray and Elaine Tiffany.

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Rohlfs said all the plants around the square this year were very nice, and she certainly appreciated everyone who contributed to the project from beginning to end.

She also noted that next year, she wants to try some new plants in the baskets so that they will once again be something fresh and interesting.

Before returning to her balloon project, Rohlfs commented: "This year has been a learning experience for all of us. We have enjoyed it and truly enjoyed the people who have been working on the project.

"When you look at the younger people from the National Honor Society, they were very enthusiastic about it. They were here every morning bright and early to do it.

"Then, when the students went back to their high school activities and the adults took it over, we have a whole group of good volunteers; they are all so great.

"One of the things they talk about is that people stop by and talk to them and tell them, 'Good job,' and 'Keep up the good work.'

"I really do thank all of them," she concluded.

[By NILA SMITH]

Album posted June 13:
Main Street dedicates flower baskets

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