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The committee,
chaired by Lincoln Mayor Beth Davis, is planning 11 days of
activities Aug. 21-31, 2003, to celebrate the city’s 150th birthday.
Twenty subcommittees report to the full committee.
The Ground Squirrels,
a baseball team who dress and play in the style of the 1860s, will
step up to the plate on Tuesday, Aug. 26. Opposing them will be a
team composed of Lincoln greats — players who have starred on local
teams over the years. Sesquicentennial planners hope to secure Ralph
Gale field at Lincoln Junior High for the contest. The cost of the
contract with the Ground Squirrels is $200.
Re-enactment chair
Ron Keller was allotted $600 to secure the 33rd Volunteer Regiment
Infantry Band to play for the sesquicentennial parade and a period
ball on Saturday, Aug. 30. Musicians in the band come from
throughout central Illinois. They play music of the Civil War era.
Keller said the band might also be interested in re-enacting an
encampment.
At the request of
Underground Railroad chair Nancy Rollings Saul, committee members
voted to pay Clarice Boswell of Plainfield $300 plus mileage to
speak on pre-Civil War quilts and their use as signals to slaves
escaping on the Underground Railroad. Boswell is a retired
administrator and teacher from Joliet Township High School and the
University of St. Francis in Joliet. She will speak in conjunction
with the opening of an Underground Railroad quilt show in the
courthouse rotunda. Saul said her committee is currently leaning
toward having the quilt show juried.
The main stage for
sesquicentennial activities will be located on McLean Street near
the intersection with Pulaski, facing north toward the courthouse.
Technical systems co-chair Greg Pelc was authorized to spend $500
for a retainer on a stage. Expected cost of the stage for three days
is $5,000.
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Though the committee
on Wednesday authorized expenditures totaling about $6,200, the
sesquicentennial treasury currently holds just under $3,100,
according to treasurer Paul Short. That includes $1,000 recently
received from the city. Fortunately, most of the bills do not become
due for some time. Sponsorships, souvenir sales and the city are
expected to provide additional funding.
President George Bush
and Vice President Dick Cheney have both responded to their
invitations to the city’s birthday party. Neither gave a definite
answer, but both said the invitation will be considered as their
staffers work on scheduling.
Mary Buckles Roberts,
1953 centennial queen, will be asked to participate in the parade on
Saturday, Aug. 30, along with the newly crowned sesquicentennial
queen. According to Alice Paulus of rural Lincoln, judging in the
1953 contest was based on sales of ice cream social tickets.
Parade co-chair Roger
Matson said he hopes to include groups from various ethnic
backgrounds important in the history of Lincoln, such as Scottish,
Irish, German and African-American.
Organizers are
looking for people who closely resemble the characters in Lloyd
Ostendorf’s painting of the christening of Lincoln to participate in
a re-enactment. Committee members are also asking for souvenirs,
photos and movies from the city’s centennial celebration in 1953.
All can be taken to the mayor’s office in City Hall.
Plans for Sunday, Aug. 31, the final day
of the 11-day celebration, include a chicken dinner,
nondenominational church service, John Schlitt of PETRA entertaining
with Christian rock music, an orchestra comparable to the Illinois
Symphony and a finale with fireworks display.
[Lynn
Shearer Spellman]
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After dropping off
his wife and son, the man parked his van. When he opened the van
door, he saw the little bird, which looked like someone’s pet,
trying to eat the seeds on some weeds.
After the game, the
family returned to the vehicle. The bird was still there, was quite
hungry and trying to pick some weed seeds, and, actually, in some
danger of being run over.
They could get within
2 to 3 feet before the bird flew away from them. So this is a tame
bird, the man thought.
They tried to capture
the bird. Each time, for nine tries, the bird flew away, circled and
came back. The 10th time they captured the bird in a towel and put
him in a sack.
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Back in Bloomington,
they put the bird in a cage with some food and water. It promptly
fell asleep, an exhausted little bird.
So, somewhere in
Lincoln, perhaps near the high school, the man suspects there is a
family missing a bird.
For now they’ll keep
the poor little bird until an owner is found. If no owner is found,
they’re thinking about taking it to the Bloomington zoo.
If you have lost your bird, please call
or e-mail LDN at (217) 732-7443 or
ldneditor@lincolndailynews.com.
[Jan
Youngquist
and Henry Hanson]
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