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Friday, Oct. 25

United for the Harvest

[OCT. 25, 2002] The Harvest of Talents for World Hunger, which began in 1984 as part of the ministry of a Lincoln church, has evolved into a community event, traditionally scheduled for the fourth Saturday in October. This year’s Harvest of Talents, which again raises funds to meet international hunger needs, will be hosted in the Fellowship Center of Lincoln Christian Church on Saturday, Oct. 26.

Members of both Lincoln Christian and Jefferson Street Christian Church lead out in preparations for the family-oriented day. Thirty days of unified prayer have preceded the 19th annual Harvest, as prayer calendars written by four members of the Lincoln Christian Church family were distributed Sept. 22, offering daily devotional and directed prayer thoughts leading up to the Harvest. The call to unity in prayer was in keeping with this year’s theme, "United for the Harvest."

One of the trademarks of the Harvest festivities are the caramel pecan and cinnamon rolls baked on-site. It is anticipated that 2,000 of these Harvest specialties will be served to breakfast patrons, beginning at 7 a.m. At this same hour the sale of hundreds of handmade crafts will begin in two locations, the Fellowship Center of Lincoln Christian Church and the Woman’s Club Building, located near the church.

Runners will take to the streets of downtown Lincoln at 8 a.m. as the local YMCA unites with the Harvest of Talents for World Hunger to stage the 5K Harvest Run. Morning activities are also planned for children from kindergarten through fourth grade. Outside musical entertainment will also be provided.

The aroma of vegetable soup wafting through the crisp fall air from large black kettles will herald the coming of lunchtime, when the soup will be served up along with a variety of homemade pies and barbecue sandwiches.

Tasty snacks, marking the changing seasons, will include caramel apple sundaes, river and curly fries, smoked pork sandwiches, walking tacos, popcorn, yogurt, and other snacks. An addition to this year’s snacks will be small bags of South Dakota potato chips in a variety of popular flavors.

Another Harvest tradition, the sale of 50-pound bags of South Dakota potatoes, will take place throughout the day. Potatoes may be purchased and donated to one of several area missions or purchased for personal use.

The climax of each Harvest is the 2 p.m. auction, which features some 100 handmade and unique handcrafted items. Several pieces of furniture, including a walnut grandfather clock and a walnut hall table with mirror, will be on the auction bill. Also included will be a variety of quality stitchery items.

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The Harvest auction enjoys a reputation for quality quilts made by local quilters as well as from surrounding areas and around the world. In 2001 a quilt made for the Harvest by Indonesian women sold for a record $5,400. This year’s auction will offer two Indonesian quilts as well as several stitched by local quilters.

Veteran Harvest coordinator Pat Snyder points out that the event is designed to be a family day. It is unique in that all items sold must represent a talent or skill of the maker. Most Harvest items, unlike many at traditional "craft shows," are one of a kind, often heirloom quality.

Snyder points out that two first-time areas at this year’s Harvest, "Cottage Collectables" and "Kitchen Cubby," will offer practical items suitable for the home or for Christmas and family gifts. If you are looking for something unique, something handcrafted with love, the Harvest is the place to come, says Snyder. Where else, she points out, can you purchase quality, handmade items and provide food for the hungry at the same time?

All funds received from the Harvest are channeled through International Disaster Emergency Service, a Christian organization based in Kempton, Ind., to various mission fields. In the past 18 years the Harvest has raised a total of $795,608, with every penny of this amount earmarked for hunger needs. Harvest funds in recent years have funded hunger programs in villages and orphanages in areas of the world suffering from floods, fires, drought and famine.

Proceeds from a September golf play day and a recent Musical Offering for World Hunger, as well as from a Harvest Home Tour scheduled for early December, will be included in the 2002 Harvest proceeds.

Lincoln Christian Church will not have services at the church building this week. Instead, all services will be combined and held at Lincoln Christian Chapel at 10 a.m.

Total sales from Saturday’s Harvest will have been tallied and will be announced. A check will be presented during the service to visiting IDES officials.

[News release]

EMC ownership change
won’t affect Lincoln operation

[OCT. 25, 2002] The recent change in ownership of Environmental Management Corporation, the company that manages Lincoln’s sewer plant, will not affect the day-to-day operation of the city’s facility, a spokesperson for the new owner says.

"The change of ownership shouldn’t have any impact on the wastewater treatment facilities we operate," said Kristina Schurr of BOC Group companies. "It will remain business as usual for all EMC customers and employees."

The privately held EMC firm was purchased Oct. 17 by BOC Group, Inc., a publicly held international industrial gases company.

EMC operates and maintains Lincoln’s wastewater treatment plant and collection systems, which includes sewers, drains and lift stations.

The move isn’t about consolidating or cost-cutting, it’s about growth," Schurr told the Lincoln Daily News. "We are growing our own business. We can now use EMC’s expertise in water services to offer these services to other customers in other areas. Managing an industrial customer’s water cycle is a natural extension of our existing capabilities."

Mark Mathon, city engineer and an EMC employee, also said he did not anticipate any changes in the management of the Lincoln wastewater treatment plant. The present contract EMC has with the city of Lincoln extends until 2004, he said.

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According to Lincoln City Clerk Juanita Josserand, any company that buys EMC also buys the franchise agreement and has to abide by the current contract.

The Lincoln wastewater treatment plant is beginning a $9.8 million upgrade, which is necessary to meet new state Environmental Protection Agency requirements and allow industrial and residential growth in the city. The city has received a low-interest loan from EPA to finance the upgrade.

Mathon said he expects construction to start in mid- to late November on projects that are not weather dependent.

St. Louis-based EMC, which had revenues of $30 million in 2001, manages water, wastewater and public works for both industrial and municipal customers in Illinois, Indiana and Missouri.

The BOC Group, a British company, is a worldwide industrial gases, vacuum technologies and distribution services company that serves two million customers in more than 50 countries, according to Schurr. It employs 43,000 people and had annual sales over $6 billion in 2001.

[Joan Crabb]

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