Image provided by: University of Nebraska-Lincoln Libraries, Lincoln, NE
About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (July 5, 1990)
Some like it Top left: For the tropical birds at Cool Crest Garden Golfing, 98 degrees was just another hot Sunday. For Katie Boner, 1733 Sumner St., the shaded miniature golf course provided a welcome break. Bottom left: Wiring the neon sign for the University Square 14th Street entrance kept Phoenix Sign Company employee Dennis Hardin of Omaha in the shade. As the high temperature sizzled at 108 degrees, it was just another workday. Right: Getting ready for the heat! University of Nebraska-Lincoln sopho more Byron Bennett, 19, primed himself Sunday for the Texas version of a July heatwave. He headed for his Dallas home yesterday. With this week’s afternoon tempera tures hovering at 108 degrees, a heat index approaching 115 degrees and overnight lows in the high 70s, life in Lincoln goes on amazingly as usual, justa little slower. How do folks get through this wretched heat? They aren’t standing in line to catch the matinee, said Dean Zitlow, who manages four United Art ists’ theaters in town. More homes have air lumuuuiicrs unan in years past, Zitlow said, and people don’t venture out in the heat to beat the heat. They don’t pay money to work up a sweat on the bowling lanes either, ac cording to Tom Madsen, co owner of Mad sen’s Bowling & Billiard Center. But some lovers of the summer heat, grit and grime, like the softball play ers from Mad sen s icur teams, 1111 ms lounge wun an enrnu siasm that should make local beer distributors happy. Beachcombers Nebraska-style are keeping the area lakes hopping with summertime zeal late into the evenings, said Marv Kunze, super intendent for the Salt Valley lakes. Almost too much fun for some, as the wild days of summer turned into a 3 a.m. melee at Pawnee Lake Sunday morning. Six Lancaster County Sheriff’s deputies and two Nebraska Game and Parks Commission officers were required to break up a ruckus-tutncd-fight. They sent 30 to 40 campers home for the night. The year-round climate control at the Shel don Memorial Art Gallery, the University of Nebraska State Museum and the State Museum of History seems to be one of Lincoln’s best kept secrets. Museum officials report that attendance is average to slightly down at the art gallery, about the same as this time last year at the history museum, but booming at the UNL State Museum, especially in the Encounter Center. Surprisingly, afternoon bar crowds arc busi ness as usual, according to several downtown tavern owners. But the evenings arc booming, as people head for a game of pool and a cold pitcher. Not surprisingly, the downtown streets this week weren’t filled with the usual bustle ol shoppers, skateboarders and pcoplcwatchcrs. But a steady stream of office workers on break along Centennial Mall or in the Foundation Gardens on N Street between 14th and 15th streets. They displayed about as much energy as a cat asleep on an air vent, just not as satiated. So, while many folks find their heat relief indoors with a good (or not so good) book and a tall iced-tea, some hearty, or foolhardy, sun worshipers can be stumbled upon as they bask in the sun’s violent intensity, fish undcra shade tree or mow the lawn at 2:00 in the afternoon. Then again, many of us find ourselves work ing on the payroll, just like any other day. Story and photos by Robin Trimarchi