Thursday, Sept. 19

 

Two bands to perform
at weekend street dance

[SEPT. 19, 2002]  Final plans were set Wednesday night for Saturday’s street dance, which is the first fund-raiser for Lincoln’s 2003 sesquicentennial.

McLean Street in front of the courthouse will be blocked off most of the day so that workers can erect two stages at either end of the block. They will provide the setting for six hours of dance music. Greg Pelc is in charge of music and technical systems.

From 6 to 9 p.m. Bobby Remack performs from the stage in front of the post office. The Bobby Remack Band specializes in ballroom, swing, polka and ’50s and ’60s music.

At 9 p.m. the focus shifts to the corner of Pulaski and McLean, where Imagine That will entertain with music of the ’60s, ’70s and ’80s, classic rock and Top 40 tunes. The performance continues until midnight.

Cover charge for the evening is $3 per person, with children under 12 admitted free. Jodi Duncan heads the committee to provide games and prizes for the younger crowd. Lincoln Public Library District is supplying the arcade-like games, such as ring toss. Children’s activities run from 5 to 8 p.m.

Refreshments are available starting at 5 p.m. Drinks for sale include beer, soda pop and bottled water. Designer water sporting the sesquicentennial logo will premiere at the fund-raiser. Bottled by Gold Springs Water in Hartsburg, it sells for $1 per bottle. Other sesquicentennial souvenirs for sale include T-shirts, red polo shirts, soft-brimmed caps and locally made small wooden watermelons.

 

Sharon Awe is in charge of souvenir offerings from now through Aug. 21-31, 2003, the time set for the celebration of the city’s 150th birthday. She thanked Zonta Club for choosing to help sell sesquicentennial souvenirs as one of its projects for the year.

In other business at the monthly meeting of the sesquicentennial planners, treasurer Paul Short reported a current balance of $3,152, not counting approximately $1,000 realized from shirt sales at the Lincoln Art & Balloon Festival and the Railsplitter Festival. Short’s committee is preparing brochures and letters to be used to solicit corporate as well as individual contributions. The brochures will emphasize some of the main events planned for the sesquicentennial, including a Civil War re-enactment and ball, a display of historical artifacts, a Lincoln Community Theatre play on Mary Todd Lincoln, a display highlighting Underground Railroad activities in Logan County, and an interdenominational church service.

 

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Organizers of the church service are investigating engaging a circuit rider-style preacher who arrives on horseback. Wallace Reifsteck and Glenn Shelton are co-chairmen of the committee. Local clergy will participate in the service, and Jodi Duncan and Ruth Freesmeier will conduct youth and adult choirs.

Roger Matson, who co-chairs the committee to plan the sesquicentennial parade, has his eye on an earlier parade. "We need to splash this Christmas parade," he said, calling for a banner advertising the sesquicentennial to be carried at the Dec. 5 downtown event.

Mayors and bands from the 27 American towns and cities with Lincoln in their name have been invited to participate in the sesquicentennial parade. President George Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney head the list of invitees.

Ethnic foods chair Marshall Jacobs reported progress in securing the main course for scheduled feasts, including chicken, pork and corn dinners and an evening ethnic festival. German and Italian cuisine will be included in the ethnic offerings. Jacobs is looking for local groups interested in preparing the meals.

Charles Ott chairs the beard contest committee. He is seeking Abraham Lincoln impersonators. Ott reported on a beard contest held in conjunction with the recent celebration in Ottawa of the Lincoln-Douglas debate there. Trophies were awarded to Lincoln presenters in both bearded and unbearded classes.

Lincoln Mayor Beth Davis heads the committee to plan the city’s 10-day birthday party. Committee members noted that Atlanta will also reach 150 years in 2003 and will be asked to join the celebration.

[Lynn Shearer Spellman]

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