Mayor speaks on Constitution By Adam T. Branting Staff Reporter The U.S. Constitution requires Americans to stay informed about the government so the best decisions can be made for the future, Lincoln Mayor Bill Harris told a crowd of about 30 at the County-City Building Thursday. “It has changed our history and will shape our future,” Harris said. “Its lasting nature gives usour flexibility.” In conjunction with other celebra tions around the nation, Harris and University of Nebraska-Lincoln po litical-science professor A.B. Winter gave the presentation celebrating the bicentennial of the signing of the Constitution. Winter said the founding fathers were asked to simply amend the Ar ticles of Confederation, but found them “too ambiguous.” He said the Constitution has not only been changed by amendments, but by “custom and usage,” meaning that presidents, Congress and the Supreme Court all have their hand in writing the “unwritten constitution.” In the early development of political parties, Winter said, many of the founding fathers opposed their use. “Washington was vigorously op posed, saying that they were a sedi tious element,” said Winter. At the end of the ceremony, the official Constitution commemorative flag was raised in front of the Coutity City Building, designating Lincoln as a bicentennial community. Shorts City police plan ‘extensive ’security Lincoln Police will provide “fairly extensive” security for the FarmAid III celebrities this weekend, said Lin coln Police Chief Dean Lightncr. Lightncr said about 20 celebrities have requested escorts to the concert. Most stars will arrive at the Omaha airport and then drive to Lincoln in limousines or vans, Lightncr said. Lincoln Police will meet the stars on r".. the outskirts of Lincoln and escort them into the city, or transfer them to police vehicles. Lincoln Police will also provide security at the Haymarkel Harvest Festival and the FarmAid concert, Lightncr said. Businessman gives UNL $100,000 gift Uses of a S100,000gi ft gi ven to the University of Nebraska-Lincoln by Omaha businessman Willy Theisen will be announced Saturday at the benefit concert. Theiscn offered the gift to UNL when negotiations between the uni versity and FarmAid officials broke down in June. In earlier statements Theiscn re ported that he and UNL Chancellor Martin Masscngalc had narrowed the potential uses to a scholarship fund or developing a program through the Collcgcof Business Administration to offer franchising courses. Prairies celebrated By Michael Hooper Senior Editor Nine- Mile Prairie—once a part of the endless sea of tall grass that shaped Nebraska culture during the 1800s — will part its grasses Sunday for a festival celebrating Prairie Appreciation Week. Located on West Fletcher Road, about two miles off Route 34, the 230-acre prairie is one of a few patches of tall grass that have never been plowed, said Kathleen Kee ler, associate professor of biologi cal sciences at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Sunday’s festival, which runs from 10a.m. to4p.m., will include exhibits, music, muzzleloaders, blacksmiths, woodcarvers and readings of Nebraska author Willa Cathcr’s work. This is the fifth consecutive year a festival has been scheduled to celebrate Prairie Appreciation Week, said an organizer, Ernest Rousck, a member of the Washiska Audubon Society, which is spon soring the event. The festival also includes ex hibits of the natural history of Nebraska’s tail-grass prairies, walking tours and buggy and wagon rides on the prairie. The prairie’s grass — now as high as six feel in places — in cludes big blue stem, Indian and little blue stem grasses. Pocket gophers, coyotes, deer, badgers, owls and hawks live on or near the prairie. Their presence can be seen in the gopher holes, nests and deer beds in the tall grass. John Janovy Jr., UNL professor of biological sciences, said the most unique aspect of Nine-Mile Prairie is that it has never been plowed. “This means it’s a symbol of the way prairies were before agricul ture moved in,” Janovy said. “It’s an important symbol that reminds us that we in this region are inex plicitly tied to the prairie ecosys tem.” Nine-Mile Prairie was pre served in 1982 after an act of the Nebraska Legislature that allowed its previous owner, the Lincoln Municipal Airport, to sell it to the University of Nebraska at a re duced price, Rousek said. The NU Foundation purchased the land for $6(X) an acre, Rousek said. Interest in the prairie began in the 1920s, Rousek said, when the late UNL Professor John E. Weaver and his students studied plant ecology there. v 'eaver con ducted field trips on the prairie, In the early ’50s, however, Nine-Mile Prairie was shut off from the university because the federal government took over the land and had the Strategic Air Command build bunkers and store bombs there, Rousek said. In 1968, the airport authority bought the land as surplus govern ment property, Rousek said. Environmentalists and biolo gists continued to study the prairie, but many of them, hke Rousek, wanted the area preserved. Be tween 1920 and 1979, more than 500 acres of surrounding virgin prairie was transformed into culti vated land, Rousek said. Rousek said the Wachiska Audubon Society leased the land in 1979 for $4,600 a year, which was raised by cutting the hay on the land. After a long struggle and both legislative and university ap proval, the prairie was purchased for $138,000, Rousek said. Research continues on the prai rie, home to about 395 kinds of plants, Keeler said. Also, more than 80 kinds of birds have been spotted there. Keeler said the 300 or more insects there are most prevalent as adults this time of ye.'ir. Tickets for Sunday’s festival are $1 in advance and $ 1.50 at the gate. Children under 12 will be admitted free. Residences ‘batten down hatches’ By Lee Rood Staff Reporter University of Nebraska-Lincoln residence halls, fraternities and so rorities will be secured all weekend to prevent trouble from any of the thou sands of visitors expected in Lincoln this weekend for the Farm Aid 111 concert. Douglas Zatechka, director of uni versity housing, said the halls will be locked Friday at 5:45 p.m. until Sun day morning after the concert. Resi dents will be allowed to enter only if they have their room keys with them. Entrance will be restricted to resi dents and their registered guests, Zat echka said. Extra staff and security personnel will be provided to make sure every thing runs smoothly, he said. Rick Gestring, Interfraternity Council president, said IFC recom mended that fraternities lock their doors, monitor whom they let in this weekend and make sure all guests enter with a house member. Council members also advised fraternities to have no parties or social luneuons mis wecitenu members will most likely be partici pating in FarmAid,Gcsiring said. The precaution could prevent strangers from entering the houses, he said. Doreen Davis, president of the Panhellcnic Association, said mem bers suggested that UNL sororities set up rotation monitor systems at their doors to prevent strangers from enter ing houses. Zatechka also suggested that all students lock their doors this week end. An unlocked door “is just inviting trouble,” he said. Hispanic heritage at Haymarket By Joeth Zucco Staff Reporter Although Mexican Independence day was Wednesday, Mcxican Amcrican students will celebrate their culture Saturday during the Lincoln Hispanic Center’s Heritage Festival at the Haymarkct Heritage Festival. Dan Pae/., public relations official at the Culture Center, sai> I members of the Mexican American Student Asso ciation are volunteering at the festi val. Mexico won its independence Sept. 16,1810, at the hands of Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla, known to his people as the ‘‘Father of Mexican Independence,” Paez said. Ana Gonzales of the Hispanic Ccnlcr said Hispanic Heritage Week, Sept. 14 to 21, was proclaimed by former Mayor Roland Lucdlkc last year. Other countries celebrating their independence are Chile, Brazil, Gua temala and Costa Rica. This is the Haymarket Heritage Festival’s first year. The center hopes to make it an annual event. Events include singing, dancing, poetry readings, displays and infor mation booths. Food from Argentina, Costa Rica, Cuba, El Salvador, Mexico, Peru, Puerto Rico and Spain will be served. Other countries that will be repre sented include Chile, Colombia, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Gua temala and Venezuela. A mariachi band, America of Jesus Diaz, originally from Mexico, will perform from noon to 6 p.m. A presentation of the Patriot Queen, a traditional event, will begin with a parade of the contestants, who have been chosen to represent every community. The festival will be on Eighth Street between O and Q streets from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. The displays will start at 10a.m.,and the bands and food will start at noon. --------“*v THE LOOSE $ NO COVER CHARGE $ Friday & Saturday 1/2 Price Drinks Until 9 PM Doors open at 8 PM theROYAL GROVE ^^^^^Uncoln^^ntertelnmen^asi^34^W^omhuskei^77-202^^^^ ' '