 This year the Christmas season will kick off with an open house
weekend, beginning the evening of Friday, Nov. 11, and going through
Sunday, Nov. 13. This year the holiday theme for the city will be
"Songs of Christmas." This theme will be reflected in window
displays in the downtown area and will also carry through to the
annual Christmas parade.
Rohlfs said something new this year will be live windows. Several
of the businesses plan to have living displays throughout the
Christmas season. She said the displays may not be constant, but all
the businesses plan to have their windows ready, living or
otherwise, for the open house weekend.
Included in the events of that weekend will be the lighting of
the tree on the courthouse lawn. Rohlfs said that in addition to the
large live tree and Santa's sleigh, there will also be a Santa hut
on the lawn this year.
The National Honor Society at Lincoln Community High School is
going to paint the hut, and it will be decorated with lights, making
for a nice stopover for Santa when he is in town.
Rohlfs also shared that the National Honor Society is seeking
permission to use the windows of a vacant storefront downtown for
their own display window.
On the holiday kickoff weekend, the YMCA will offer children's
activities, so parents can drop their little ones off in a safe
environment and go shopping. The Y will offer age-appropriate
activities for all children.
Rohlfs has also asked merchants to put red ribbons on the parking
posts and poles in front of their businesses, and at the meeting
Monday night, she asked Tracy Jackson of the city street and alley
department if he could have the wreaths hung around the square
before Nov. 11. He assured her he would.
[to top of second column] |
This year the subject of the city ornament, which is chosen by
the Main Street organization, will be the Lincoln Theater. Rohlfs
asked for a resolution to be placed on the agenda for the next
voting meeting, to make the Lincoln Theater ornament the official
city ornament.
The construction of the Lincoln Theater began in February of
1922. On Feb. 13, 1923, the theater opened with the showing of
"Quincy Adams Sawyer." The theater was owned by Steve Bennis.
Today the theater stands much as it did the day it was opened. It
recently came under threat of being closed down but was revived by
local businessman David Lanterman and a group of investors.
The three-dimensional ornament will show the front of the theater
and its marquee. Rohlfs commented on the spelling of the word
"theater," saying there are two appropriate spellings, "theater" and
"theatre." In the ornament both spellings are being used, one on the
outside ring of the ornament and the other on the marquee post.
Ornaments are expected to arrive by Nov. 7 and will be on sale at
various locations during the holiday kickoff on Nov. 11. Rohlfs said
the cost this year will be the same as last: $16 each.
[By NILA SMITH]
 |
