50 years ago: Council considers repealing several ordinances

50 years ago Population 3,179 (U.S. Census 1960 and 1970) City Council: Did you know it's against city law to sell a book or magazine predominantly featuring an account of a crime to a child under 18 years of age? This law is included among 148 ordinances being considered for repealing by the City Council. Many of the ordinances cover routine matters such as fees, abatement of weeds, animal control, right-of-way and other routine matters conducted by the city. The ordinances have become antiquated since the city's incorporation on July 31, 1890. The ordinances are being repealed by Ordinance 305B which was up for its first reading before the council Tuesday night. Many of the ordinances listed have already been repealed and the council action will confirm this fact. Until the repealing process is complete there are several unusual ordinances still "in effect." They include number 106 which is an "Ordinance prohibiting the sale to children under the age of 18 years of age any book or magazine or other publication in which there is predominantly featured an account of crimes and depicts, by use of drawings or photographs, the commission or attempted commission of certain crimes of force, violence or bloodshed." Ordinance 3B is also up for repealing. It provides for a $5 per day license fee to be taxed on any "aeroplane" parked on the ground within the city limits. The ordinance was passed in 1925, 50 years prior to the airport's annexation to the city and nearly 20 years before an airport existed. Also being repealed is the first business license fee rate of the incorporated city. It had a provision that exempted any "Honorably or discharged soldier, sailor or marine of the United States or Confederate States who served in the Civil War, any Indian War, Spanish American War, and Philippines excursions, the Chinese Relief Expedition or the World War of 1914, who is physically unable to physically work" from paying fees. An Ordinance setting the town clerk's salary in 1925 is also being repealed. Not only does it have a provision to pay the Town Clerk $15 per month for normal duties but also allowed the clerk to retain 10 percent of all property taxes collected within the Town of Lincoln. The clerk also received .25 cents for each license issued. Under the same Ordinance, the town treasurer is to be paid 1 percent of all money received and paid out by the Town of Lincoln. The town recorder received $5 per month. Also slated to be repealed is Ordinance 6B, which prohibited "Any horses, mules, jacks, jennies, hogs, pigs, sheep, goats or horned cattle to roam at large or be herded or pastured in the limits of the town except at owner's own risk when permitted by the Board of Trustees." An anti-slot machine Ordinance is also scheduled to be repealed. It provides for a $300 fine or three-month sentence for any person owning or operating "Any vending machine or device which does not give the same identical return on each operation thereof." The train speed Ordinance 26B is also marked for possible repealing. It established the train speed through the City of Lincon at 35 miles per hour and stipulated no railroad crossing may be blocked for more than five minutes. An employee or owner of a locomotive would be fined a minimum of $100 or a maximum of $300 for each offense. In 1969, Ordinance 240B was proposed. Though it wasn't adopted, a note that reads as follows appears in the City Ordinance Book: "Setting speed limit of trains not passed due to Southern Pacific Company planning a self-imposed speed limit of 35 mph on all trains passing through the City of Lincoln." Though it wasn't adopted by the council it is on the list to be repealed. Anyone who wishes to have guidelines to develop and operate a miniature golf course in Lincoln better hurry up and do so. An Ordinance governing such construction is covered in a 1930 Ordinance that is on the list before the Council. Council members will also be tangling with the issue of prohibition. On the list is 42B which repeals township Ordinance 131 which "Enforces the provisions of Article XVIII of the Constitution of the United States prohibiting the manufacture, sale, storage, consumption, gift, transportation, importation or exportation of intoxicating liquors for beverage purposes is hereby repealed." The language of 42B repealed 131 which enforced prohibition locally. The Ordinance before the Council now calls for 42B also to be repealed. Also to be repealed is Ordinance 66B which established an hour parking limit in alleys and Ordinance 91B that states "It shall be unlawful for any property owner to plant trees or shrubs between the sidewalk and curb of any street in the City of Lincoln." Three ordinances that deal with the problem of curfew are also on the list to be repealed. If repealed it will no longer be unlawful for "Anyone under 18 years of age to be on any public street between the time of 10 p.m. and daylight of the following day" without being in the company of a parent, legal guardian or returning from a scheduled school event to "his or her place of abode." For those who've also wanted to venture into "merry-go-rounds, flying horses, freaks, slight-of-hand performances, fakirs, magicians, juggle games of ring or Ferris wheel" will not have to worry about Ordinance 98 if the council acts positively. That Ordinance establishes the license fee for the operation of any of the above at $15 for the first day and $7.50 for each subsequent day. If you feel you're being slighted there's no need to worry. The City Council has no intention of repealing 72B. What is 72B? The 1947 ordinance sets down the following: "For the business of conducting clairvoyancy and fortune telling, the license shall be $100 per week." 75 years ago Population 2,410 (U.S. Census 1940 and 1950) Potters: The Lincoln Potters will launch out this Sunday in a bid for their second consecutive Placer-Nevada League Championship when they play the Colfax Fireballs in a game here. The Potters, under a new manager, Charles Perry, will be favorites to take the game and begin a repeat of their performance last year when they won the championship in a series of playoff games with Roseville. The high school band is to be on hand for pre-game music and to play the national anthem. Lincoln merchants have gone all out to make the opening game a success. Several of them have listed prizes which will be awarded to the various Potters getting the first hit, first double, first home run, etc. Based to an extent on their pre-league game record, the Lincoln Potters are being picked by observers throughout the league as the beam to beat. Playing a practice schedule without any soft touches, the Potters have won two out of four games this spring. They boast victories over Rio Linda and Oroville, while they have dropped close matches to strong Yuba City and Wakefield of Sacramento. 100 years ago Population 1,324 (U.S. Census 1900, 1910 and 1920) Last Saturday, a number of Lincoln Rotary members, with their wives, motored up to Chico to be the guests of the Chico club. The occasion was the fifth birthday celebration of the Chico club, and to say that all had their money's worth is putting it mildly, for all came home very noisy in their praise of Chico's hospitality. One of the features of the evening's entertainment was the singing contest for the various clubs of Northern California. In this contest Lincoln carried away the honors, for they sang "and sung" to words composed by a Lincoln author, and it was all about Lincoln. It is useless to buck up against the Lincoln Rotary Club when it comes to making a noisy demonstration with their melodious voices. They brought home the bacon in the form of a beautiful silver cup on which was engraved the compliments of the Chico Rotary club. Thank you for reading! MBO