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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 10, 1995)
TUESDAY WEATHER: Today - Sunny and warm. Southwest wind 10 to 20 mph. Tonight - Mostly clear. Low ««:,».««:.. near 40. October 10, 1995 Pumpkin vendors push slim pickins By Paula Lavigne Senior Reporter If you’re short a jack o’lantern this Hal loween, blame Jack Frost. Adverse weather conditions created a pumpkin shortage that is starting to become obvious in grocery stores, pumpkin patches and customers’ wallets. And for some Halloween shoppers, the search for the Great Pumpkin is turning into a scavenger hunt. Jan and Tim Vala, owners of Vala’s Pump kin Patch cast of Gretna, said irrigation sal vaged 25 of their 45 pumpkin acres. Jan Vala said a wet spring pushed back planting, a hot summer triggered wilting and an early frost cut the growing season short. Because of the early frost, pumpkin hunt ers will find more green pumpkins in the patch, Vala said, but will be left with less green in their wallets. Last year, Vala’s charged 28 cents per pound, she said; this year pumpkins are 35 cents per pound. The average pumpkin weighs 10 pounds. But the Halloween shortage will haunt consumers most in the grocery stores, Vala said. In the past, pumpkins have sold for as little as 4 cents per pound. Scott Karg, produce manager at Hy-Vee, 14th and Superior streets, said pumpkins that sold for 12 to 15 cents a pound last year were selling for 20 to 25 cents a pound this year. Orange pumpkins of all sizes Were piled up in Super Saver at 48th and 0 streets for about 20 cents a pound Monday. An assistant produce manager said it was hard to find pumpkin suppliers because of the shortage. And people would see a crunch come Oct. 31. People are buying them now, he said, and are buying as many as they can. Super Saver sells about seven bins a week, with about 700 pounds of pumpkins in each bin. If the Great Pumpkin eludes the Lincoln consumer at the grocery store, he may be found on the haunted hay ride at Roca Berry Farm. Beverly Shaefer, owner of Roca Berry Farm 10 miles south of Lincoln, said irriga tion helped 15 of her 20 pumpkin acres flourish. Although prices are slightly higher this year, she said, she has plenty of pump kins. Vala also said her pumpkin patch would not be affected by the shortage because it relied on entertainment and seasonal mer chandise sales, as well as pumpkins. The pumpkin shortage did prevent Vala’s from donating pumpkins to hospitals and nonprofit organizations as it has done in the past, she said. Stolen Husker helmet returns in good shape By Jeff Zeleny Senior Reporter It’s a good thing the Nebraska Comhuskers were idle Saturday be cause it could have been an especially rough game for Tyrone Williams. A white, Husker football helmet checked out to Williams was stolen Saturday afternoon from the team’s locker room in the South Stadium. Williams is a starting senior comerback from Palmetto, Fla. University police officers found the helmet—painted with Williams’No. 8 — in a paper bag north of Avery Hall. A community service officer witnessed a 10-year-old boy drop the bag into a thicket of bushes about 3:31 p.m. Williams’ helmet, valued at $175, was the only one missing from the locker room. “I don’t know if there was any reason behind taking that number,” said UNL Police Sgt. Mylo Bushing, “or ifit was just the first one they came across.” It was unknown how the helmet was stolen from the locker room, Bush ing said, because all doors to the build ing were locked. Police were unable to identify or locate the boy. Will iamsr helmet was not damaged, police said. After its weekend off, undefeated No. 2 Nebraska will play Missouri on Saturday at Memorial Stadium. See FEDERALISM on 3 Success after sports stressed By Paula Lavigne Senior Reporter Student athletes are learning how to cope with challenges off the field, or ofT the court, through a program sponsored by the NU Athletic Depart ment, Nebraska’s Five Star Life Skills program, “More than winning,” teaches student athletes how to win the game of life. Life Skills is a five-part program that instructs student athletes in com munity service, personal relations, ath letics, academics and career goals. Director Keith Zimmer said it was turning idealists into realists. In a 1988 survey, 40 percent of Nebraska football players said they wanted to make professional football their careers, Zimmer said. “Knowing that less than 1 percent advance to the pros told us that we have a lot of unrealistic student ath letes,” he said. “Career counseling needed to be a priority.” The University of Nebraska-Lin coln had started a career program, Zimmer said. And then the NCAA asked Zimmer to come to Kansas City to build the career branch of its new Life Skills program. Topics include study skills, job searching, diversity and sensitivity, manners and etiquette, nutrition, life after sports, agents and professional sports, alcohol and drug education, and dealing with authority and anger control. NU senior basketball player Kate Galligan, a member of the Life Skills advisory committee, said students fa vored the programs. “For a lot of student athletes, you have your academic part and you have your sports,” Galligan said, “and you’re missing out on learning about life.” This year, Galligan has been to one workshop, which addressed domestic violence. “We got a lot of valuable informa tion in light of everything that’s been happening,” she said. The first year of Life Skills at UNL required all student athletes to come to spring and fall comprehensive work shops. Zimmer said that because of schedulingconflicts, coaches thisyear can choose five workshops for their teams. Galligan said the new system worked better with student athletes’ full schedules. Zimmer said coaches had been re ceptive to the new program. See PROGRAM on 3 Jeff Haller/DN Trent Haun of Lincoln hoists a pumpkin while looking around thepumpkin patch at Roca Berry Farms with family and friends Monday afternoon. Weather conditions this year have caused a pumpkin shortage this fall. Prices have risen since selection has been slim. Legislators to discuss federalism By Mike Kiuck Staff Reporter The balance of power between the federal government and the states has tipped away from the states, Gov, Ben Nelson said Monday, and state leaders will meet soon to discuss how to regain that power. Leaders of five organizations will meet in Cincinnati Oct. 22-24 for the National Summit on Federalism. “This meeting is the first of its kind,” Nelson said. “Governors and state legislators will get together on a bipartisan basis to talk about the imbalance of power between the states and the federal government and to explore options for restoring balance to our system.” Nelson’s remarks came during his weekly teleconference. The organizations will try to find ways to return authority back to the states, he said, and will consider budget issues that may impact state programs and finances. Those involved in the meeting include the National Governors’ Association, the Council of State Governments, the National Conference of State Legislatures, the American Legislative Exchange Council and the State Legislative Leaders Foundation. Nelson is the co-chairman of the National Governors’ Association and past chairman of the Council of State Governments. Nelson said the summit would look at why power has shifted from the states to federal government. The summit won’t focus on any single issue, he said, but will emphasize two areas. “First, we’ll look at the status of federalism and the reasons it has eroded in recent years,” Nelson said. “We’ll look at the impact of court cases, the implications of congressional budget action and the challenges facing the states. “Secondly we’ll look at our options for re storing the balance of power.” Nelson said summit members would attempt to reach an accord and then look at ways to advance the proposals they develop. He said he had spoken with House Speaker Newt Gingrich about the summit and that Gingrich was interested in the possible resolu tions. Members of the summit also will listen to federalism scholars, who have been meeting at the request of the five organizations. The scholars have discussed options such as state reconsideration of federal actions, limit ing the conditions of federal aid to states and