The Harvest Fest will be Saturday, Sept. 23, in Scully Park, downtown Lincoln. Information is provided below for those who want to participate in contests at the Harvest Fest.

Sidewalk "Art in the Park" Contest

Prizes will be awarded in three age divisions: kindergarten through fourth grade, fifth grade through eighth grade, and ninth grade through adult. First place in the children’s categories will receive a $25 gift certificate to Abe’s; second place, a $15 gift certificate; and third place, a $10 certificate. First, second and third place in the adult division will receive Chamber Bucks in the same denomination as children’s winners. All participants will receive a ribbon. Those wishing to participate may sign up between 10 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. Entry fee is $5 to defray the cost of supplies. Each participant will be given six colors of tempera paint and two brushes and will be assigned a four-foot square on the sidewalk. Pictures should portray the theme "Fall Fun." Participants should complete their picture by 2:30 p.m. Judging will begin at 3 p.m. Announcement of winners will be at 3:30 p.m.

Pumpkin Decorating Contest

Participants should sign in and bring their decorated pumpkin to the children’s area between 10 a.m. and noon. Pumpkins can be any size, and any material may be used to decorate the pumpkin. There is no entry fee, but participants must be 14 years of age or younger. Judging will take place at 2:30 p.m. Announcement of winners will be at 3:30 p.m., with first, second and third places awarded. Pumpkins may be picked up after the awards announcement. Main Street Lincoln will not be responsible for any pumpkins left after 4 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 23.

Kid’s Pedal Pull

Those wishing to participate may sign up before the starting time of 11 a.m. There is no entry fee. Entries will be divided into three weight divisions between zero and 80 pounds, and each participant will be weighed when signing in. Participants will pedal a toy tractor pulling a weighted trailer on Clinton Street. The object of the contest is to pull the most amount of weight the farthest distance. Trophies will be awarded to first, second and third place in each division.

Back-seat Driving Contest

Teams of two can sign up before the 1 p.m. starting time for this unique display of skill. There is no entry fee, but drivers must have a valid driver’s license or be at least 21 years of age; pilots can be any age. Drivers will be blindfolded. Under the direction of the pilot, who will be perched on a trailer pulled behind, each driver will maneuver a riding lawnmower through a course on Clinton Street. Teams will be timed, and one-tenth of a second will be deducted for each orange cone knocked over during the race. The team with the fastest time after penalty deductions wins a trophy and prize package. Prizes will be awarded for second and third place as well.

Horseshoe Pitching Contest

Contest will begin at noon at the horseshoe pits on the west side of Scully Park. Participants of all ages can sign up before the start time. Contest will be governed by the National Horseshoe Pitchers Association of America’s rules. Copies of the rules will be available at the site. First-place winner will receive a trophy and $25 gift certificate; second place, a $15 certificate; and third place, a $10 certificate.

(Click here for more information about the Harvest Fest)

The Breastfeeding Support Group will meet at Logan County Health Department on Thursday, Sept. 21, at 12:30 p.m. This support group will meet monthly on the third Thursday from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. and is open to any woman, pregnant or breastfeeding, who wants to receive information, support and encouragement with breastfeeding. Logan County Health Department nurse Sue Estes has been trained as a Certified Lactation Counselor and will lead this support group to encourage and support breastfeeding mothers. Women are invited to bring baby and lunch to this support group. For more information, contact Logan County Health Department at (217) 735-2317.

The Lincoln Public Library District announces that the Prime Time Learning Center will begin on Sept. 25 for grades three through eight. Tutoring center sessions are scheduled by appointment on Monday through Thursday from 3:30 to 6 p.m. This is a free service provided by the library and is available to all area students in grades three through eight. For more information on tutoring sessions or volunteering as a tutor contact the library’s Youth Services Department at 732-5732.

A Community First Aid and Safety Class which covers all CPR plus first aid will be on Sept. 27 and 28 at the Logan County Red Cross office, 125 S. Kickapoo St. in Lincoln. Hours will be 6 to 10 p.m. the first evening and 5 to 10 p.m. on the second evening. Preregistration is required. You may call 732-2134 for further information. Office hours are noon until 4 p.m. weekdays.

New Holland welcomes anniversary parade entries 

New Holland’s 125th anniversary celebration will be the last weekend in September. There are still openings for the parade. Entries may be bicycles, vans, floats, children and so on. If you have any questions, or would like to enter the parade, please call Susie Aper at 445-2418.

As New Holland prepares for its 125th anniversary, 1875 - 2000, New Holland pictorial history books are now available. Only 100 books remain to be sold. The book will not be reprinted. If you are interested in a book, you can reserve one by sending $25 (plus $3.50 for shipping if you want it mailed) to Lila Conklen, 100th Avenue, New Holland, IL 62671.

The Jessie C. Eury Library on the campus of Lincoln Christian College and Seminary is pleased to announce the debut of "Hymnals of the Stone-Campbell Movement: Enos E. Dowling Hymnal Collection" on their website at www.lccs.edu/library/hymnals. This online collection of more than 9,000 hymns from selected rare 19^th-century hymnals features works by Alexander Campbell, J. T. Johnson, Walter Scott, and Illinois residents such as Barton W. Stone, Silas W. Leonard and the Fillmore Brothers. The Office of the Illinois Secretary of State and State Librarian Jesse White funded this project with a $34,000 digitalization grant.

Online viewers may browse through the pages of 19 selected hymnals, view a scanned image of the actual page from the hymnal, and access more than 300 tune-related audio files. The title, first line, lyrics or composer of each hymn can be searched. Information such as the hymn's meter and tune is also available. The website also offers a background sketch of the Stone-Campbell Movement in Illinois, a timeline of the Stone-Campbell Movement hymnals and information about pivotal hymnals, writers, publishers and compilers.

Enos Dowling, former academic dean at LCS, gathered some 2,000 hymnals throughout his lifetime, including nearly 200 affiliated with the Restoration Movement that arose from the 19^th century Stone-Campbell religious heritage on the American frontier. His collection is one of the largest-known compilations of hymnals representing this religious movement and serves to illustrate changing religious musical styles. Nancy J. Olson, project director and library director for the Jessie C. Eury Library, considers this website a "technical tribute" to Dowling and his desire to preserve the heritage of religious music.

The project has received similar praise from across the country for its part in the preservation of historical music and the history of the Stone-Campbell Movement. Prior to their Internet availability, access to the rare hymnals was limited to patrons of the Jessie C. Eury Library, which owns the collection. Bonnie Travers, University of Arizona special collections librarian, says the site provides a way for Stone-Campbell Movement history to be accessible "worldwide through the Internet." "I was very impressed," she adds. Marsha Harper, Abilene Christian University library director, agrees: "I haven’t seen anything to equal it."