It’s the 50th year of the festival in Nebraska City. The festival begins Friday with a street carnival, antiques and quilt shows and a food court. Saturday will bring in a 5K race, pancake breakfast, arts and crafts fairs, parade and apple picking. The festival wraps up Sept. 23.

Between 60,000 and 80,000 people are expected to descend on the city of nearly 7,300 for the festival.

Nebraska City is the apple capital of the state, with its many orchards attracting day-trippers. It’s also the home of Arbor Day and Arbor Lodge State Historical Park.

The marked area in the front parking lot of the building is intended to be a neutral location to conduct e-commerce transactions, child custody exchanges and other types of lawful transactions.

The area has video cameras recording all transactions. But Sheriff Tim Dunning says it’s still important to use good judgment when meeting others in the exchange area. He recommends conduct meetings in daylight hours, bringing a friend or relative when meeting strangers, and having a cellphone readily available to call 911 if necessary. He also says the public should be aware of recent or ongoing scams and should conduct transactions with cash when possible, not personal checks.

Efforts are underway to place a term limit on the Lincoln mayoral office after Democratic Lincoln Mayor Chris Beutler announced that he plans to seek a fourth term. The push is being led by the Political Renewal Association, which is backed by J.L. Spray, a Republican National Committeeman.

“We don’t think anybody should be able to serve a lifetime in public office,” said Matt Innis, spokesman for the association. “The Founding Fathers, when setting up everything, never intended for people to become kings or emperors.”

Organizers have gathered more than 4,300 valid signatures, enough to put the Lincoln term limit issue on the November ballot, said the Lancaster County Election Commissioner’s Office.

It would only be fair to apply the term limit to both cities, said Jane Kleeb, chairwoman of the Nebraska Democratic Party.

But Republican Omaha Mayor Jean Stothert, who may run for a third term, said term limits should be placed on an office in general, not aimed at an individual.

“What Jane Kleeb is trying to do is directed at me,” Stothert said. “It’s because I’m a Republican, and that’s unfortunate.”

But Kleeb countered that the Democratic party wouldn’t stand by as efforts move forward to limit the Lincoln mayor’s term.

“You can’t put term limits on a mayor in Lincoln because you can’t beat him and then expect that the (Nebraska Democratic) party is just going to sit there and say ‘oh well,'” Kleeb said.

The state GOP isn’t behind the Lincoln petition, said Kenny Zoeller, executive director of the Nebraska Republican Party. The party does support the concept of term limits, he said.

Nebraska’s governor and members of the state Legislature are limited to two, four-year terms.