Multimedia Reporting (Fred-Musser)

This holiday season you might be surprised to find a growing number of college students cutting down Christmas trees along side the families with young children. According to the National Christmas Tree Association (NCTA), people in their twenties are helping revive what was once a depleting industry.

Rick Dungey, Director of Media Relation for the National Christmas Tree Association, says that over the last three years, younger buyers have resurrected the real Christmas tree industry. He says that college-aged students enjoy getting their first experience with having a real tree.

“We have learned that students enjoy that sense of tradition and they make it a priority to get a real tree,” Dungey said. “Baby-boomers think the fake tree is economical and that mindframe hurts the real tree business.”

Studies by the NCTA show that Dungey should not have to worry since last year alone 32.8 million real trees were sold, compared to only 9.3 million fake ones. Along with that, findings showed real Christmas tree sales to exceed 1.37 billion. These figures were another welcomed sign since 2002, when only 22.2 million trees were sold. For local businesses like Strawberry Hill Christmas Tree Farm of Lawrence, these numbers are promising.

Each year Strawberry Hill plants nearly 1,000 trees to replace the 700 to 800 they sell each year. Eric Walter has owned the Christmas tree farm since 1978 and he says he has seen a rise in college-aged individuals frequenting his farm over the last five years.

The scotch tree pictured above illustrates one of the seven varities of trees offered at Strawberry Hill Christmas Tree Farm.
Photo: Eric Walter

“You can always tell it’s their first time, sometimes students are just as excited as the youngsters coming in with their parents,” Walther said. “Some college kids visiting us probably didn’t have a real Christmas tree as a kid, so they are extra eager to experience the real thing.”

With Strawberry Hill Christmas Tree Farm being one of only two farms around the area, they provide a unique experience during the holiday season. The NCTA says that unlike Strawberry Hill, 88% of real trees are pre-cut and sent to stores across the nation. Dungey says that while the ‘baby-boomer’ generation is content to pick up either a fake tree or possibly snag a real tree, students get as much out of the amenities that farms offer as they do purchasing their own tree.
Dane Hanson, Overland Park graduate student, says there is nothing better than selecting a tree each year. He says that you can’t replace the atmosphere of a Christmas tree farm with a fake tree from a store.

“I love the experience of cutting down my own tree,” Hanson said. “Each year I hope for snow to be falling, but lately it seems like Kansas hasn’t been too good for much of that.”

Whether it snows or not remains to be seen, but the market for real trees around the area has been proven through the years. Walther’s wife, Lyn says the Lawrence community has left many lasting impressions in their minds. She fondly remembers the child who picked out the ugliest tree in the lot because she felt bad for it and the college students who hauled off a large tree in a tiny hatchback car.

For tips on how to find the perfect tree and how to maintain it once purchased, please visit: http://www.faszl.com/Tree_Facts.htm

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Since opening on September 14, 2005 with a 50,000 loan Hilary Brown, owner of the restaurant Local Burger, has seen an increase in health-conscious customers.

Brown, who is a KU graduate, had the idea to open up a restaurant that offered health-conscious organic food from local suppliers. The response customers have come from all over Lawrence, Kansas City and even Hollywood according to Brown. Actress Ashley Judd and the band Sonic Youth among others have eaten at Local Burger. Brown says that with more advertising and education the consumer demand of her restaurant will continue to grow.

“People visiting find out about us from the website,” Brown said. “City people get it, it’s hip and they appreciate it.”

One customer from California said to Brown, if this store opened up in California it would be a big hit. Dealing with the difficulties of the customer base in Lawrence is something that Brown says has been a challenge. She estimates that a good chunk of her business comes from outside Lawrence.

“20 to 30 percent of the business drives from Kansas City or Topeka,” Brown said.

According to Brown because of the larger market in Kansas City she would eventually like to open up a store out there. Before she can expand she her business in Lawrence must grow by educating and informing Lawrence residents of the advantages of eating organic food . When putting together her business plan, research showed the market for organic food was growing by 25 percent per year according to Brown.

This is a trend that David Smith, Marketing Director at the Merc said exists. The Merc is an organic grocery store that has been in Lawrence for about 30 years. Smith said he has seen a steady increase in business.

“The organic segment of the grocery industry is the only one that is growing,” Smith said.

Smith also said that many of the employees at the Merc, including himself, eat at Local Burger. The trend in shopping organic and dining organic are closely tied. Richard Heckler, a customer at Local Burger, said he shops exclusively at the Merc and was excited when he heard an organic restaurant was opening.

“I heard about it before it opened,” Heckler said. “It’s good because it’s supports local products and organic products.”

The goal of Local Burger is not only to provide organic food but to cater to the needs of those with food allergies. Brown said she found out she was allergic to many common ingredients like dairy, egg and corn and that impacted her menu.

If a customer cannot eat an ingredient in one of the dishes, Brown and her employees adjust for them. Casey Dupere, a Local Burger employee, said she has adjusted ingredients to meet customers’ needs before.

“If you’re allergic to coconut oil we will use olive oil” Dupere said.

Her location in Lawrence also affects the business she has done. Local Burger is located at 7th St. and Vermont St. near the Lawrence Public Library. To attract customers Brown not only advertises and educates but also offers a unique deal. If customers show their library card on Saturday they receive a discount.

Brown says business has been steadily increasing with her sales totaling, on average, 1000 dollars a day. This number could be larger if she were on Massachusetts St. Brown said.

“It is about 1000 dollars cheaper a month to rent on Vermont,” Brown said. “But I think I would make that back.”

According to Jason Franklin, owner of Jefferson’s Restaurant located at 7th and Mass St., there are advantages of being on Mass St. Jefferson’s not only benefits from a good location and a good reputation.

“The two keys are location and making a name for yourself,” Franklin said. “When we opened in 2000 location was the key from the start.”

The growing trend of health-conscious food has not made its way into many Lawrence restaurants. Craig Miller, owner of Bucky’s Restaurant located 9th St. and Iowa St., says he has not thought about offering organic foods.

“College kids like things either free or cheap,” Miller said. “They want to get a bang for their buck.”

Brown recognizes the problem she faces with her food being more expensive than other restaurants, but said it is a misconception that Local burger is an expensive restaurant. In order to make good profits Brown said she tries to keep food costs less than 30 percent.

However, it is tough to compete with low costs that other restaurants benefit from by not serving organic food. The cost of grass fed beef is double that of grain fed, according to Debbie Yarnell owner of Homespun Hill Farm, who provides beef to Local Burger.

“Grass-fed beef takes twice as long to raise so the cost is double” Yarnell said.

The advantages of grass-fed beef and other organic foods are well worth the money according to Brown. Brown said eating organic not only tastes better but makes you feel better too.
In the near future, Brown is going to begin an experiment she is calling “Localize me” playing off the popular movie Super Size Me which highlighted the health risks associated with eating too much fast food.

“For thirty days some one will eat for free exactly what we give them and then take some health tests.”

Brown hopes this experiment will help continue the education on and popularity of organic foods.

Pictures from Homespun Hill Farm Provided by Hilary Brown

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As she approaches a pen housing about a dozen 7-month-old emus, she begins whistling erratically, and all hell breaks loose.

Some of the emus jump several feet in the air, clapping their three-toed feet together; Others stamp alternating feet, undulating their necks while stretching to their full six-foot height; others just stampede in circles, swiping their claws at the others. On their best days, Merkel said, their feathery flurry will even stay in rhythm.

“They dance really well,” she said. “They'll almost get to the time that you're whistling.”

Merkel owns Sundance Emu Ranch, a farm northeast of Lawrence where she currently raises about 50 of the birds. Emus, which are similar to ostriches, are prized for their lean, nutritious meat and a therapeutic oil that is refined from their fat.

Samson, an emu kept for breeding, is one of Merkel's favorites. Emus can pinch humans with their beaks, but the bites do not injure.

“In the beginning it was a speculator market,” Merkel said of the mid-1990's emu-boom, adding that much of the hype has since vanished. “When the market got overloaded with breeder birds, then a lot of them went out of business because they couldn't make a quick buck.”

The emu market is now controlled by people like Merkel and a small number of entrepreneurs who specialize in refining and marketing emu products. Though Merkel said those who remain in the business have been forced to adopt a do-it-yourself attitude about retailing, there is a definite advantage to farm-direct sales.

“For most of us that are in it now we see that as a blessing in disguise,” Merkel said. “We are going straight from raising our babies clear through to our customers and we don't have a middleman — and the middleman is the one makes the profit."

It takes about 16 months from the time an emu hatches for it to be ready for processing, at which time, Merkel said, a well raised emu will make about $1,000 worth of products. Merkel has developed a loyal following of customers, and also sells her products at the Lawrence Farmer's Market.

Sundance Emu Ranch produces an array of emu products, ranging from toenails to eggshells. Because emu eggs are so large -- one of them equals about 14 chicken eggs -- the shells make good material for artwork.

Merkel sells bottles of emu oil in five different sizes; a 1-ounce bottle costs $10, a 16-ounce bottle costs $82. Her biggest customers are burn patients, who cherish the oil for its anti-inflammatory, anti-scarring moisturizing properties. Emu oil deeply penetrates the skin and is particularly well suited to transporting medication into lower levels of skin tissue, Merkel said.

“It doesn't cure anything, but it enhances an awful lot of things,” she said. “It enhances the rejuvenation of tissues.”

But besides the oil, emus can produce a wide array of products, not the least of which is their meat. Merkel said the list of products created by emus continued to grow.

“There's one man in Oklahoma who even takes the tendon down the back of the leg and makes bow strings with them,” she said.

Emu meat, which is one of the leanest and most nutritious in the world, has even caught the attention of haute cuisine.

Merkel sends her emu meat to McPherson for processing. At 16 months, an emu carries about 40 pounds of meat.

Sieber suspects it's a matter of taste more psychological than culinary.

“They see the ostrich growing up in the zoo and they think, 'I don't want to eat that...,'” he said.

But unlike ostriches, Merkel said emus are quite docile, which was a major reason she chose to raise them.

“You can't even gather eggs with an ostrich by yourself, you have to have two people, because that male ostrich will kill you for an egg,” Merkel said. “The emus, they just, ah, almost have tears in their eyes. It's like, 'Oh, why? You're taking my egg again?'”

Fully grown emus weigh 90-150 pounds. They carry a deposit of 25-30 pounds of fat on the top of their back. The males use the fat stores while incubating the eggs, during which they sit for 50 days without eating or drinking.

“The hard part is unloading them, because then I get all weepy because I'm attached to them,” Merkel said. “I hug them all — they're all my babies. But, you know, it's not the quantity of life, it's the quality of life, and that's the main thing.”

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But the numbers the payday loan business is swallowing up are anything but small. Based on the sheer rise of outlets offering such loans, it’s clear the new industry is making a sizable impact crater on the surface of Lawrence economics.

“Payday loans generally came into existence in the early ‘90s,” said Tom Linafelt, director of corporate communications for the Quick Cash store chain. “The reason for that was a need among consumers for small denomination, short-term loans that banks weren’t lending.”

Two years ago, the Southwestern Bell Yellow Pages did not have an individual entry for “Payday Loans.” Now it has three. Performing a Google search for “payday loans Lawrence, KS” will find 10 different locations.

Once the customer repays, the business shreds the check. But if a customer doesn’t pay, the business will cash the check, and if it is returned, the business will begin calling the customer, their work references and eventually creditors.

“We try every chance we have for 55 days,” said Rhonda Nicanor, assistant manager of Check ‘N Go, 2540 Iowa St.

For a growing industry, a $15 service fee is a promising profit.

Check ‘N Go averages 140 new loans each month, Nicanor said. If that number were averaged out for all 10 payday loan businesses in Lawrence at 100 loans per month, and each loan was for the industry average $300, the gross total profits for the industry in Lawrence for one year would be $540,000 based on the $45 interest fee.

Expenses are low and include only paper goods, employee wages, franchise fees and the cost of renting out office space.

According to a fact sheet provided by Quick Cash, the industry as a whole generates $6 billion in fees a year and feeds roughly 23,000 locations nationwide.

Quick Cash alone has 558 locations in 25 states, adding a boom of 185 new stores in 2005, and made $152.9 million in revenue in 2005. That’s a lot of emergency car repairs, doctor visits and rent payments .

Every company listed varied customer demographical statistics. Linafelt said 25 percent of Quick Cash customers have annual incomes of more than $50,000 while 77 percent make at least $25,000 or more a year.

“Our customer demographic is different than what people think; it’s more affluent,” Linafelt said.

Nicanor said unlike Quick Cash, the majority of Check ‘N Go customers are working class people who have families and people living off of Social Security. She said there is a reason why the majority of her customers are repeat business.

“Such a large percentage of the population is below the poverty level,” she said. “None of us are really middle class if you do the math.”

Nicanor estimated that less than one percent of her customer base was students .

That’s a stark difference from the 30 percent the manager of the Lawrence Quick Cash, who asked not to be identified in this story, estimated.

Former University of Kansas student Matt Stambaugh said he has twice taken out payday loans, both times to attend out-of-town concerts. Both loans were for $150 and the interest he paid on both was about $30 a piece.

He said the national economy is driving the rise of the payday loan industry.

“Unless they’re rich, everybody is pretty much poor and they need to buy diapers or they don’t have health insurance for prescriptions,” he said.

Neal Becker, assistant professor of economics at KU, agreed that a weaker economy was one reason behind the influx of payday loans businesses.

“(These statistics) suggest that there are more people living close to the edge,” Becker said. “They don’t have a cushion of savings to fall back on.”

He said that people who don’t have a bank but were able to get loans from relatives 10 years ago may no longer have that option because of the shape of the economy, and must resort to payday loans.

“This is not your first place if you need to take out a loan,” Becker said. “It’s people’s second or third choice.”

Linafelt likens payday loans to taxi rides.

“It makes sense to take one to the airport but not across the country,” he said.

One other option has always been pawning merchandise for a small, quick loan.

Doug Wahl, owner of Lawrence Pawn and Jewelry, 944 E.23rd, said his business holds customers’ goods as collateral for a loan, which the consumers must then pay a 10 percent interest fee on to retrieve.

“Banks would hold papers or titles, and we hold the physical item,” he said.

He said his customers range from pastors to students, and most have full-time steady jobs.

“They’re not a bunch of losers coming in to get money to drink or buy drugs,” Wahl said.

But the economy also affects the pawn industry, he said.

“We saw an increase in $10 and $15 loans when gas prices went up,” he said.

For him, the biggest advantage of pawn shops over payday loans is that his business will only resell a customer’s items if they don’t repay their loans, whereas not paying at a payday loan business will hurt a customer’s credit.

Nicanor said just the opposite.

“I personally would rather have somewhere to borrow money where I didn’t have to leave my personal belongings,” she said. “It’s something that means something to you versus money just from work.”

All of these businesses said they do little advertising because customers typically search them out.

Wahl said he is in competition with every retailer because he is simply reselling merchandise that can be purchased all over.

The payday loans representatives said they do compete with each other, but because their interest rates are regulated by the state, most of their competition is a result of overlapping locations.

Because these businesses are increasing, their markets are beginning to overlap like Venn Diagrams being piled one on top of another.

“They’ve probably tripled since we’ve owned this,” Wahl said.

Payday loan businesses continue to increase in Lawrence as long as there is that special need.

“When a customer is paid off they say, ‘I’ll never have to come back here again,’” Nicanor said. “Two weeks later, guess who’s back?”

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For many this holiday season, piles of gifts under a tree will inevitably turn into piles of clutter in closets, floors and garages. So instead of more stuff, some shoppers might get a different kind of gift this year.

“I’ve been a Christmas present by a husband for his wife,” said Lawrence-based professional organizer Barbara Norris.

“There’s more to organize than ever before,” Izsak said.

Izsak said the association, founded in 1985, had doubled its membership from 2,000 organizers in 2003 to about 4,000 in 2006.

Professional organizing is a growing industry. National Association of Professional Organizers membership doubled between 2003 and 2006.

He said the association’s members, who specialize in home and office organization, feng shui, and other orderly arts, had served well over 100,000 clients this year.

“The growth we are seeing now is just the tip of the iceberg,” Izsak said.

Norris, who has been a member of the association since February, agreed.

“You know how they have Merry Maids?” Norris said. They’ll have Merry Organizers.”

Norris, a pastor at Community United Church of Christ in Carbondale, Kan., organizes as a part-time job. She said she charges between $30 and $40 per hour for her services and made about $7,000 last year. She said organizing was a good job for her because she likes working for herself and having time for her children.

“My son loves it, and the kids have tried to hire me,” Norris said. "'How much would it cost to pay you to do this?’”

Norris said a large part of her job was purging, that is, getting people to part with their things.

Before, left, and after, right, pictures of a professionally organized basement. Many organizers say the first step toward order is to purge an area of things it does not need.
Photos: Provided by Barbara Norris

She said she first helps clients decide what they want to keep or purge, and then tells them how to organize and maintain what is left.

“I’ve had a lot of clients who love to shop and they end up buying too much,” Norris said. “It’s hard when you have a lot of things, and you don’t want to purge.”

Norris said entering into a stranger’s home and going through their things was a very personal and intimate experience. She sometimes deals with sensitive personal material, but said she doesn’t judge her clients.

“One job was of a KU professor who had beau coups of books and pornography,” Norris said. “I think he had AIDS; there were needles around.”

According to Katie Bolt-Goeke, owner of Go Get Organized in Lawrence, confidentiality is a big part of the organizing business.

“Most people are pretty embarrassed about their state of affairs,” Bolt-Goeke said.

Bolt-Goeke, a KU graduate in social welfare, said it was demeaning for some clients to call a professional to deal with their problems. She said she has served clients that have hoarding issues and one couple on the verge of divorce.

Bolt-Goeke, executive director at Actions for Adoptions, Inc. is an organizer on the side. She charges $30 per hour and subcontracts work to another organizer. She said she would probably take a business loss this year due too advertising costs. Many people are not aware organizers exist.

“I think it’s in an infancy stage at this point,” Bolt-Goeke said. She later added, “I think it’s a potential for other people.”

Kristin Long, owner of Organizational Specialists, Inc. in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. doesn’t worry about advertising costs. Her appearances on HGTV’s Mission: Organization provides publicity enough.

“Hopefully Oprah will call one of these days,” Long said.

Long employs another organizer and sometimes an administrative assistant to help run her business. She charges $75 per hour for residential organizing, and $100 per hour for businesses. She would not say how much she makes in a year, but did say it was good enough for someone to live on.

“For me this is a full-time job,” Long, a former chemist, said. She added, “November and December are a little bit busier, because people are preparing for the holidays.”

Becky Lawler, Lawrence senior, once gave the gift of organization to an aunt for Christmas.

“It was piled high with stuff,” Lawler said, referring to the aunt’s basement. “Now it’s a usable room.”

Last year Lawler hired Bolt-Goeke to teach her how to organize for her parents, too. Lawler said she went through boxes of her mother’s documents and bills with Bolt-Goeke in an effort to learn organizational skills. She wanted to pass them on to her parents.

“The reason I called a professional organizer is because I wanted to do it also,” Lawler said.

Lawler said she thought she was able to help solve her parents’ paper problem. She said they now have a better idea of what they should throw away.

“With organization, I think it tends to skip a generation,” Lawler said.

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Geneva Diamond, in her mid-40s, has three tattoos of medieval artwork, the focus of her Ph.D studies. She received her first tattoo when she was 25 and plans to get more in the next few years. While she works in an academic setting, her tattoos suit her style.

Reilly Pharo, a 20-year-old college student, has one tattoo of an elephant that commemorates her grandmother. Pharo is a polite college girl from an upper-class family. She has no plans to get another tattoo or tell her father.

“There is this idea that tattoos are for the criminal element. I do a lot of tattoos for doctors, attorneys, police officers, firefighters and a surprising number of women. People are getting tattoos for themselves,” Tuck said.

While Big Daddy Cadillac’s tattoo shop focuses more on the traditional tattoo crowd, Tucks said about one-third of his business has become college students. As he filled in a large black tattoo on a gentleman with a shaved head and clad in army boots, black pants and a tight white undershirt, Tuck said he gets most of his business by word of mouth.

“I can do seven to eight a day, or I might take almost all day to just do one. It all depends,” Tuck said.

Big Daddy Cadillac’s charges $100 an hour to tattoo. Tuck said it is difficult to predict how long a tattoo will take. He tries to work with clients to get done what they want. Skin Illustrations, another tattoo shop in Lawrence, tends to create charges more by the size of the work and the detail involved. Diamond said price plays a big part in the timing of her tattoos. She said she likes to wait a long time between tattoos and think about them a lot before committing.

“For me, I get them when I have the money, because tattoos are expensive.” Diamond said. “I like to wait a long time between tattoos because they are permanent, so I want to get it right.”

Tattooing has made great progress in safety over the past years. Today only New Mexico, South Dakota and Washington D.C. do not regulate tattooing. Tuck insisted that anyone looking into a tattoo artist should check for a state issued license for tattooing.

The primary risk of a tattoo lies in infection. If clients do not take proper care of a newly acquired tattoo, it can become infected. Tuck said maintenance of a tattoo in the first seven to 10 days is critical to good health.

“Generally, you don’t have to do much. Just keep lotion or ointment on it for a few days. After the ink establishes itself in the tissue and binds to the collagen, you’re set,” Tuck said.

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Many publications claim tattooing has influenced the HIV outbreak or contributes to the spread of hepatitis, but the CDC reports that statistics do not uphold these claims. Less than one percent of persons with hepatitis C reported having a tattoo according to the CDC.

The artists at Big Daddy Cadillac’s did warn of sun exposure. Intense sun exposure to tattoos, especially black tattoos, can damage the genetic material beneath the skin. The skin acts as a barrier between the harmful rays of the sun and this genetic material, but if the ink in the skin heats up in sun exposure, it can be harmful. One gentleman showed the green discoloration of his once black tattoo and claimed the sun had damaged not only his tattoo but also the genetic material beneath his skin.

While tattooing involves some risks, the biggest problem comes in the form of regret. Even the FDA reports on the problem of dissatisfaction of tattoos.

Pharo said she knows several girls with tattoos, including some with a “tramp stamp,” referring to the tattoos on the lower backs of women. She said some friends regret their tattoos now, but she still feels very comfortable with her choice.

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While the number of diaper services plummeted over the last two decades, one Lawrence couple says their service, while small, is going well.

“People that want to do something that’s environmentally friendly and healthy for their child, but don’t want to wash diapers, love the service,” Amber said.

The industry has moved away from large services that can serve thousands to smaller, home-based businesses that may only have a few dozen customers, said Jack Shiffert of the National Association of Diaper Services.

Express Diapers serves about 10 customers and has two or three more on the way, said Amber. They could serve 25 without needing to expand.

In the 1980s, the diaper association had more 300 members, Shiffert said. Now it has only 20. He said there may be a hundred services in the country, but the smaller ones are hard to find and track.

“I spend half my time telling people there are no diaper services in their city,” he said.

Do-It-Yourself Diapering

While diaper services have shrunk in size and numbers, the variety and choice available to parents willing to wash their own has exploded.

“It’s the Internet that has really aided the resurgence in cloth diapering,” said Harold Agnew, owner of clothdaddy.com. He runs the Web site from his home in Lawrence, which lets him stay at home with his two children. He sells cloth diapers and accessories.

On hundreds of Web sites, parents can find cloth diapers ranging from factory produced diapers to hand-made ones that cross into art.

Agnew said some cloth diaper users had turned a mundane chore into a competitive collection. They seek out unique, rare and custom made diapers. They’re called “diaper hyenas" (scroll down for full definition) because they swarm Web sites, buying out the newest design, he said.

“I’ve heard of people with 80 diapers or more,” he said.

Agnew sells two types of diapers and periodically makes custom absorbent inserts for them.

A prefold diaper, similar in size to a dish cloth, is the less expensive option. Most services use them, including Express Diapers. The cloth diaper fits into a cover that holds in leaks. The cover uses Velcro or snaps to keep it on a baby. The diapers cost $18 to $30 per dozen plus $8 to $10 per cover. Covers can be used several times before washing, so fewer are needed.

Agnew also sells pocket diapers. These diapers include a cover with a fleece liner sewn into them. The liner creates a pocket that holds inserts that increases absorbency.

His pocket diapers cost $17.95 per diaper and insert combo, but he said many customers felt they were easier to use.

The cost comparison

For most parents with one child in diapers, a diaper service would cost about $60 or $70 a month, an average of about 25 cents per diaper change.

For disposables, costs can range from 16 cents to more than 30 cents per diaper depending on brand, style and size. Disposables don’t always need changed as often because chemical absorbers let babies go longer between changes. At an average of 24 cents per diaper, disposables would cost between $50 and $60 per month.

Costs for diapers can vary based on quantity purchased, type, usage and brand. The above chart estimates costs for two years of diapers. Figures are based on prices gathered from Express Diapers, clothdaddy.com and the cost of Huggies and Pampers at local retail stores.

Agnew said he suggest parents buy a small number of cloth diapers to discover if they will like them before spending very much money.

‘We live in a disposable world’

Terry and Lesa Erisman started as customers of Express Diapers this spring. Shortley thereafter, Terry started helping them design their Web site too. He said it made sense to help out a company whose service he believed in.

Terry and Lesa said environmental and health concerns made them interested in cloth diapers for their daughter, Anna. More than 3.4 million tons of disposable diapers were thrown away in 2001, according to Environmental Protection Agency estimates.

The Erismans said they also use disposables at times for convenience. On vacation or when their daughter is staying with grandparents, they said it was easier to use disposables. Then they don’t have to worry about storing soiled diapers.

Lesa said she saw a difference in diaper rash between using disposables and cloth diapers.

“She’ll get really red, really quickly” in disposables, she said. “We don’t have any of those issues when she’s in cloth.”

Terry Erisman said it’s hard to completely do without disposables.

“We live in a disposable world,” he said.

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The start of the college basketball season at the University of Kansas means the start of a crucial period for many Lawrence retailers.

During this time, business owners may find that what happens in their stores is closely linked to what happens on the basketball court – whether or not they planned such a relationship with KU sports.

Ryan Owens, manager of the two Jock’s Nitch Sporting Goods stores in Lawrence, said the beginning of the basketball season signaled the beginning of a busy stretch for his stores.

“It is a great time of year,” Owens said. “Holidays are starting, football is still going on and, with the addition of a highly anticipated basketball season, we will be very busy.”

Owens estimated that 30 different stores in Lawrence sold KU merchandise.

Greg Guenther, owner of Palace Cards & Gifts at Eighth and Massachusetts Streets, is a less willing participant in the grab for KU gear.

Guenther said the demand for all things KU has sparked changes in his sales numbers and in his store’s product lineup since he opened the store 16 years ago.

Though Guenther originally envisioned his store as a novelty greeting card and gift shop offering products from outside-the-mainstream suppliers, he has watched as KU paraphernalia has accounted for bigger chunks of revenue each year.

“The collegiate business has really grown in the last 15 years – lots of people getting into it with lots of different stuff,” Guenther said.

Guenther said he at least tries to stock his shelves with some unique KU-related items. A window display facing Massachusetts Street features KU cutting boards, KU baby bibs and KU barbecue sauce, among other KU paraphernalia.

Guenther said he would go where the market would take him, though he’s less than enthusiastic about supplying more KU-related items and fewer novelty gifts.

“Maybe it’s a little snobbish for me to say this, but it’s a little mundane to do Wizard of Oz souvenirs and University of Kansas paraphernalia,” Guenther said. “It’s a blow to my ego that I wasn’t able to make it work as I had planned it.”

Guenther said KU-related items accounted for 13 percent of the store’s sales last year.

Numbers relating to the national and local licensed college and university products industries.

Janet Muggy, co-owner of the Jayhawk Bookstore, said, “We just found out from Time Warner: Sports Illustrated is ranking KU number one this year, and we’ll be on the cover.”

The bookstore doesn’t usually sell magazines, but it accepted Sports Illustrated’s offer to sell next week’s issue with the KU cover. Muggy said the store would try to use the promotion of the magazine to increase sales of other KU-related items.

Because of high expectations like Sports Ilustrated's, this year’s basketball season is especially significant for stores selling KU apparel, Owens said.

“Last year we were not sure who would start or who would be the leaders,” he said. “Now we do. People have favorites and in turn know whose jersey they want to wear.”

Owens said the two Lawrence Jock's Nitch stores will hold a major sale on hooded sweatshirts and other cold-weather items later this month to coincide with the changing weather as well as the current overlap of the football and basketball seasons.

The University and the athletics department generally have no problem with businesses that sell KU-related merchandise for big portions of their profits, said associate athletics director Jim Marchiony.

“We hope all legitimate businesses in Lawrence enjoy success because it makes our city stronger and more viable,” Marchiony said. “We’re sure that helps KU as well.”

However, Marchiony said the University does take issue when it feels that businesses use the University’s image improperly.

In fact, the University is suing one downtown store, Joe-College.com, for selling products it said infringed on the University’s license and degraded its image.

The store sells clothing that bears the words “Kansas” and “Hawks,” which Erin Adams, manager, said didn’t break any rules.

She said that, though the store’s sales tend to be related to the performance of the University’s sports teams, the store’s unlicensed shirts could easily be referring to the state, not the University.

“We do have a good selection of shirts that are just funny shirts and some shirts related to the state of Kansas, and it says that clearly on the sign,” Adams said, referring to a sign posted throughout the store stating that the clothes had nothing to do with the University or its sports teams.

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The Web site bouncingbearbontanicals.com and its home store, Persephone’s Journey, located at 1103 Massachusetts St., specialize in selling rare plants to customers all over the world. The store features plants and spices from all seven continents, many of which are highly sought after for their medicinal or agricultural value. However, two of the store’s most popular items, salvia divinorum and amanita muscaria, are very controversial psychedelic drugs that can both be legally found online and at the store.

Salvia divinorum, commonly referred to as salvia, is a psychedelic plant currently legal in all states except Delaware, Louisiana and Missouri. Saliva can be ingested by either eating the leaves of the plant or by crushing them up and smoking them.

Amanita muscaria is a type of mushroom more commonly known as a fly agaric. Fly agarics are the mushrooms commonly scene in popular culture. The mushrooms, which have a red and white spotted appearance, are seen in both Alice in Wonderland and Super Mario Brothers.

Fly agarics are illegal if sold for human consumption but Jon Sloan, Bouncing Bear Botanicals president, is quick to point out that his’ store sells the mushrooms for other reasons.

“It could be used for consumption, but of course, that’s not what we sell it for. It’s also a natural pesticide used in organic farming. Fly agarics do have a lot of interest in them, they are an intriguing mushroom,” Sloan said.

Persephone’s Journey clearly labels all of their fly agaric mushrooms as not for human consumption and by making a purchase online users are agreeing to a disclaimer saying they will not consume the product.

“We don’t advocate eating it,” Brad Miller, co-owner, said. “People ask but we don’t even go there. I know some of the stuff can be poisonous but I’m not a doctor and I’m not going to tell people what it will do. I’m just a merchant.”

Despite the product warnings many customers still use the products to get high. Jeff, a KU student, who asked that his real name not be used, has bought fly agaric mushrooms from Persephone’s Journey and said that his experience with the mushrooms was very different from any other experience with psychedelic drugs.

“When you trip on the mushrooms, you make them into a tea and then about 45 minutes to an hour later you get really tired and you pass out and go to sleep. While you’re sleeping you totally go into a tripped-out, crazy dream state and you emerge from it about two hours later but you are still semi in the dream world. It’s like you’re flying and you can do anything. I think that they are still legal and under the radar because you really can’t do anything on them, like drive. You can’t go anywhere, there is no way.” Jeff said.

The Lawrence Police department is aware of possible effects of fly agaric mushrooms but since it is not illegal they cannot stop the sale of the mushrooms.

Many people believe the sale of the fly agaric mushrooms should not be regulated, even the sale for human consumption. The effects of the mushrooms are usually small and not life threatening.

Research from North Carolina State University about the mushrooms said, “patient appears to be intoxicated, hallucinations, drowsiness, vomiting, nausea, stomach pains, diarrhea, muscle spasms, hypotension, agitation. Some symptoms may appear in a few minutes to several hours following ingestion. Most symptoms are gone in 24 hours. The few deaths reported are in very young, old chronically ill individuals who were severely poisoned.”

Amanita muscaria in their natural state are often the mushroom seen in popular culture.
Photo: treesforlife.org

Miller wishes the focus on his business wasn’t always about the psychedelic plants he sells.

“It’s part of my business and I’m certainly interested in the effects of plants. That’s why I’m in this business. Its what I love. But we sell lots of other things as well,” Miller said.

Miller and Sloan started their website six years ago in Miller’s apartment in Wichita. Sloan said they started the business as a hobby and never envisioned it growing to what it is today. In addition to the plants from around the world the store also sells jewelry made by hand from indigenous tribes in South America. Sloan credits the growth of the business to nothing more than luck.

“Once we started the Web site many of our customers and the people who sell to us just found us. In Argentina we work with villages and basically our business single-handedly supports these 10 families just by buying little things from them. I think it’s the coolest part of our business,” Sloan said.

The global market of business has many benefits for the company.

“We have shipped to at least 15 different countries and we do about 40 to 50 shipments every day. On our biggest day we did around 250 shipments,” Sloan said. “On average we make about $2,500 a day in gross sales.”

The money does not always come in easily. Many of the products are from other countries and they must go through U.S. Customs before being available for sale.

“Shipping is difficult with any herb business, but we have had problems with them destroying stuff. Stuff isn’t always marked correctly because of the tribes we get it from and all the languages,” Sloan said.

We had an $8,000 shipment that they even admitted afterwards was a mistake. We filled out all of their paperwork and called up a month later and they said ‘Oh, that got incinerated, sorry.’ There’s no repercussion. There’s nothing we can do. We’re just out that money. It’s real annoying. In the last few years we’ve been out of about $30,000.”

Despite these bumps in the road Persephone’s Journey continues to grow. The business is always looking at new products to bring in for customers.

“We take suggestions from customers who come in but mainly it’s just anything I like or interests me. I just bring it in and assume somebody else will be interested as well,” Sloan said.

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If you’ve written a check in northeast Kansas, Bob Featherston has probably handled one of them in his warehouse.

Featherston, chief executive officer of Jayhawk File Express, said banks are among the many businesses that rent file storage by the cubic foot at the record management company’s Topeka-based warehouse. The facility, a block-long metropolis of boxes stacked 16 feet tall, contains files from businesses in the Lawrence and Topeka areas. According to Featherston, Lawrence could be the home of Jayhawk File Express’ newest warehouse within the next three years.

Documents are stored and scanned using real-time tracking technology by O'Neil. Image courtesy Jayhawk File Express, used with permission.

“A lot of it depends on growth. We wouldn’t have made the commitment if we didn’t think there was an opportunity,” Featherston said. Jayhawk File Express, a 10-year-old company that provides records storage, media storage, document shredding, document delivery and document imaging has a five-acre lot in Franklin Business Park south of Kansas Highway 10 east of Lawrence specified for construction of a 50,000-square-foot warehouse, which will cost over $1.2 million according to Jayhawk File Express’ Web site.

Jayhawk File Express, owned by seven Topeka investors, also announced in late October the appointment of Cheryl Creviston as company president. Creviston said her role will replicate that of an orchestra conductor.

“We have a lot of tight deadlines, and we really have to be in sync to deliver a lot of those deadlines,” she said.

A number of records management companies exist in the area, including international companies such as Iron Mountain and National Records Centers, both located in Kansas City. Several shredding companies are also in the area, including Shred-Pro, a national shredding service and the international shredding company Shred-it. Featherston, who has been with Jayhawk File Express for two and a half years, says being an agile community business with state-of-the-art technology helps his company compete.

“With technology, there’s a lot of opportunities to grow and change and be able to capitalize on that,” he said. Jayhawk File Express’ main warehouse uses wireless barcode scanning devices; Featherston says total technology for the warehouse cost about $80,000 to $100,000.

Some small businesses choose to keep their own offsite storage.

Valerie Tarbutton, office assistant for Vold & Morris, a Leawood-based law firm, said her company has a makeshift file storage facility located in Lee’s Summit. Nicknamed “Fireproof,” the garage-sized storage facility contains several fireproof cabinets of documents.

“The benefit of it is you have 100% assurance that it’s getting done how you want it to be done. You control every aspect of it,” Tarbutton said.

The University of Kansas keeps many of its records in the University Archives on the fourth floor of the Spencer Research Library.

Rebecca Schulte, University archivist, said that the Spencer Research Library has about 20,000 square feet of records in it. Sports memorabilia, student records and over a million photos sit calmly in 30-foot-long isles; rows and rows of isles stretch nearly a football field in length.

Shredding barrels and cabinets are provided by Jayhawk File Express to customers and emptied on a regular basis by the records management service. Images courtesy Jayhawk File Express, used with permission.

“We’re very limited in space. Anytime we have to move something, we have to move something else,” Schulte said.

According to Featherston, Jayhawk File Express first began simply as a warehouse storage facility, evolving then to box storage and file shredding. A large conveyer-belt driven shredding machine and compacter can cost about $300,000, Featherston said.

“A lot of them can be one-time purchases, but when you’re growing, you have many one-time purchases,” he said.

More recently, Jayhawk File Express created a climate-controlled media vault, containing customers’ backup computer files and microfiche. Document imaging is also a new and expanding field for the company, Featherston said.

Featherston said that these integrated record management features have helped the company grow 30% to 40% in the last couple of years. He said the company had about a million dollars in annual revenue last year, and thinks the company will grow and additional 40% in the next year.

Both Featherston and Creviston attribute much of their success to their staff.

“I think the growth happens when you have good people out there,” Creviston said.

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Hoping to take advantage of this trend, Topeka Harley-Davidson owner Mike Patterson will soon open a new Harley Davidson dealership in North Lawrence.

As baby boomers have grown up, Harley-Davidson’s business has rapidly grown with them. In fifteen years, the company’s net income has grown from $38 million to nearly $1 billion dollars.

Patterson's new store, which will be a subsidiary of his Topeka dealership, joins a growing community of motorcycle-friendly businesses on and around N. Second St.

But how long can the Harley-Davidson Co. continue the kind of growth and success it has had over the past fifteen years? And what will they do after baby boomers are no longer a market?

At least one analyst says that Harley will have to change strategy within the next several years.

“The market Harley’s been used to is temporary,” said Donald J. Brown, an independent analyst based in Irvine, Ca. “The baby boomer market is no longer growing, in fact, it is in decline.”

This could be troubling news for a company whose average customer’s age is 46.7 (compared to 34.7 in 1987).

A graph describing the increase in median age of Harley riders over the past decade.

Harley riders have been growing increasingly wealthier, too. In 1987, the median household income of a Harley rider was roughly $38,000. Today, that number has ballooned to close to $83,000.

Patterson has seen the demographics of his customers change for the past several years too. He said, though, that his average Topeka store customer was a little younger than the national Harley median age.

“Ten years ago, I knew the names of every single one of my customers,” said Patterson.

Today, he said, that’s just not possible.

All of this success has allowed Patterson to funnel over $1 million into the purchase and renovation of properties on 608 N. Second St.

Patterson's dealership will open in December where Free State Furniture Factory was once located, on 608 N. Second St.

His new store, to be called Riverfront Harley-Davidson, will be a full-service dealership, selling bikes, parts, service, and accessories.

Patterson said that the company’s success directly contributed to his decision to open a store in Lawrence.

“Before, there weren’t enough bikes to justify it, really,” Patterson said. “Now with upped production, we actually have some extra bikes, and we can justify the investment.”

Harley has increased production routinely over the past fifteen years. However, that changed last year. In the company’s annual income report (pdf) issued to stockholders, CEO James Ziemer said that Harley actually reduced production by 10,000 units in 2005.

“We took this precautionary step in the second quarter to maintain demand in excess of supply…we know that this action was absolutely the right thing to do,” Ziemer said.

Brown said that Harley would have to do more than just cut production in order to maintain growth.

“If I were running Harley-Davidson, I’d be talking to the design team about designing a bike aimed a younger market,” Brown said.

Harley-Davidson is most famous for its large, touring bikes, most of which do not appeal to younger riders who prioritize power over comfort.

KU senior and motorcycle owner Micah Thomas said he could not see himself buying a Harley any time soon.

“Harley makes some bikes that college kids ride, but I think the Honda, Suzuki, and Yamaha sport bikes are more geared toward young people,” said Thomas, who owns a 1981 Honda CM 400. “They look awesome and perform better than Harleys.”

Lawrence resident Joe Tindall, 50, owns a Harley-Davidson. He has a 21-year-old son who he says isn't that interested in his bike.

“Remember those ads, ‘this is not your father’s oldsmobile’?” Tindall said. “I think the biggest issue for Harley is going to be attracting the younger generation.”

Two bikers head into the Slow Ride Roadhouse for lunch.

Patterson said that Harley has already started marketing existing bikes towards the younger generation.

Also, a new class called Rider’s Edge is now offered in Topeka and at roughly 200 of the country’s 667 Harley dealerships. The class is aimed at teaching people of all ages how to ride, and to create brand loyalty.

Patterson said that Harley started the program in large part to attract a younger audience.

“The marketing is very youth-oriented,” Patterson said.

Patterson is not worried about Harley’s success. He said that Harley has something that will never fade.

“They’ve always been cool, and that’s what has maintained them,” Patterson said. “There’s a mystique there that’s hard to understand.”

Patterson said that because of the changing perception of the Harley rider, he had not met any resistance from North Lawrence businesses and residents.

North Lawrence Improvement Association president Ted Boyle said he hoped the addition of the Harley dealership would encourage other businesses to develop along N. Second St.

“The only thing we would’ve rather had besides a Harley dealership is a grocery store,” said Boyle, who restores antique Harley-Davidsons in his garage.

Even competing businesses have expressed hope that Patterson’s business will bring in more money and people to North Lawrence.

Rick Combs, owner of Combs custom cycle, will be competing with Harley-Davidson for parts and accessories sales.

“Even though we’ll be competing, his store will hopefully mean more bikes for us to repair,” Combs said.

Patterson estimates that roughly 10% of his Topeka store's business came from Lawrence last year. He plans to open the 9,000 sq. ft. store with the help of 12 employees in time for holiday season shopping.

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Ramon Lara, IHOP manager, said customers that skip out on the check prompted the restaurant to employ temporary security.

"We feel that our newly hired on-site security personnel should prevent people from not paying," Law said.

IHOP and Perkins are two competing franchises in the 24-hour dine-in restaurant market that deal with customer walkouts.

Waddah Ghosheh, Perkins manager, said most weekends are pretty calm but he is aware of the dine and dash problem.

"For the most part everyone really behaves well," Ghosheh said. "They're not rowdy but every now and then we have a dine and dash that we try to guard against."

He said it is difficult to keep tabs on large parties because there aren't enough employees to watch everyone.

Ghosheh said he doesn't shy away from a customer's request to split up multiple checks.

"Particularly on the late night we make sure nothing gets lost in the shuffle, "he said. "If you have 10 checks for a group of 8 to 10 people, unless you're keeping track, it's hard to divide who is paying for what."

Max Weis, Wichita junior, said he's seen people not pay in Lawrence before because employees don't seem threatening to college students.

During last month's late night experience at IHOP, Weis said a uniformed officer on duty detoured the likelihood of somebody skipping out on the check.

"Even if he is just a rent-a-cop people might be afraid to run out," Weis said.

To prevent against people from not paying for their meals, Perkins installed surveillance cameras at the register and front entrance.

Shannon Blasé, Perkins manager, said security procedures are in place to help prevent against those that skip out on the bill.

"I know in the past we had security, but those were on nights in years past that we were really busy, " Blasé said.

Blasé said some hostesses follow customers out into the parking lot if they don't pay for their particular bill.

However, she said many schemes to dine and dash usually come during crowded situations at the register.

"If someone is going to dine and dash they're probably going to come up with a thought that they're going to dine and dash," Blasé said. "They'll just sit there and wait for the opportune moment when there are 20 people up front and they'll go."

This fall, IHOP no longer splits checks for weekend customers after 11:00 p.m.

Weis' late night experience at the Lawrence IHOP last month displayed his concern for splitting checks.

"We basically sat there for about three hours waiting for our food," Weis said. "I was okay with it because, honestly, I was drunk, so I didn't really care."

Ghosheh said that Perkins doesn't have a problem with splitting checks.

Perkins employees encourage a speedy process for customers at the register but remain strict on those who choose to dine and dash.

"Sometimes it is on purpose and sometimes they thought their friend took care of it," Ghosheh said. "A lot of times we catch it before it's too late, before they make it to the car or we get a license plate, " he said. "When it is intentional we do take it very seriously, we prosecute."

Blasé said customers under the influence of alcohol make it difficult for Perkins' employees.

However, she said in some instances the problem is resolved peacefully.

"I think a lot of it is either spur of the moment or just someone who is too drunk to remember," Blasé said. "We have actually had people who leave and then they'll come back the next day because they just didn't remember."

Despite IHOP's decision to no longer split checks during late-night hours, Perkins plans on honoring customers' request to divide checks.

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But Peterson, Overland Park senior, and his fiancée, Heather Williams, are finding that planning for the big day is more than just icing on the cake.

“We have a lot to think about and so much to do,” Peterson said.

But one of the most over-looked aspects of planning a wedding, said Beaucoup.com, is finding the wedding photographer. Many couples get caught up with planning obvious details of their wedding, such as the cake, wedding decorations, the gown and gifts for their bridesmaids and groomsmen. Engaged couples often neglect the importance of selecting the perfect person to capture lasting memories.

For Peterson and Williams, narrowing their choices down to 10 or 12 photographers was a big problem.

“There are so many professional photographers out there, we didn’t know who to start with or who to look at,” he said.

Doug Hasse photographer at Black Dog Imageworks in Kansas City said that perhaps the reason is because the business of wedding photography is not about business, but marketing instead.

“It is our job to make the bride emotional and let the image speak for itself,” he said. “We want them to look at the picture and realize that could be their wedding day.”

Hesse said he does not see typical business schemes in the industry, because wedding photography is the art of what photographers do.

David McKinney of DFM photography in Lawrence agrees that wedding photography is more artistic, rather than business related. He said as a photojournalist, he is supposed to be impartial. But, when he photographs weddings, a level of interpretation is added.

“My work is where magic and skill come in,” he said. “There is the difference of a sixtieth of a second that makes a great photo better than the average photo.”

Both Hesse and McKinney did not start out as aspiring wedding photographers. Hesse said he originally planned on working for a newspaper, but switched to free-lance photography when the work was unpredictable. He said that photographing weddings was something he could plan and it would guarantee work in the future.

Tim Janicke, KU professor of photography said that most of his advanced students plan to work as photojournalists in news-related work.

“Not a lot are planning to be artists,” he said.

But Hesse said that most photographers, like himself and the student photographers, just stumble upon wedding photography. He said most people realize they have talent with a camera and create a business out of it.

McKinney, who started his photography career working for KU, stressed that while someone may have the ability to photograph weddings, not everyone is meant to. He said that if people really want to do it, they will figure out how to do it. But he said if it is not something that is enjoyed, the person should think about a career change.

Many wedding photographers, said Dwight Hilpman of Creative Images, make a name for themselves by being personable. He said the more enjoyable the photographer is, the more likely the client will like the work with respect to personality of the photographer.

“I try to listen to my customers actively so that I have a good understanding of what they want,” he said.

He said that as a photographer, his job is to set the mood for the big day and create lasting memories of a celebration of connection.

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The Christmas season is up and running and for many retailers it has been since before Halloween. Lawrence stores stocked their shelves with Christmas merchandise in the weeks before Halloween, much sooner than the traditional post-Thanksgiving shopping rush. And retailers say consumer demand began earlier than that.

According to the National Retail Federation, 40 percent of holiday shopping occurs before Halloween. A survey by Shop.org, a branch of NRF, shows that internet retail sites also plan for earlier consumer demand with one in five shoppers saying they will start their shopping earlier this year.

Target stores are required to have their Christmas stock out by the day after Halloween, a deadline that hasn’t changed from past years. But the superstore said it has noticed a change in holiday shopping. "What’s different is that the consumers are actually looking for merchandise earlier and earlier." Manager Jennie McCart said. "They’ll ask questions like ‘when are your ornaments coming out?"

Most stores will have a deadline to get their Christmas decorations and merchandise on display, but retailers say that the reason Christmas is coming earlier and earlier is because consumers are looking for it. Everything from gift-wrap to Christmas trees are off the shelves and in consumers hands before summer has ended.

Earl May Garden Center employee Sarah Toole has noticed Christmas tree sales happening earlier and earlier each year. "We have a woman who dropped off her tree stand about a week ago and she’s waiting for a live Christmas tree," Toole said. "She was calling us in August to get this tree."

Michael’s arts and craft supply store has had their Christmas merchandise out since July in accordance with a national company policy. "There is a consumer demand for these things and we will sell things as early as July." Store Manager Marc Keim said. "In fact, if you get here by December first, most of our things will be gone."

Retailers send out holiday catalogs and provide gift boxes as early as September, pushing holiday sales back-to-back with school shopping in the fall. The purpose of bringing Christmas out so early is to increase sales, officials say. NRF reports there has been a 4.6 percent increase in holiday sales over the last 10 years.

While the Christmas season grows, the Thanksgiving holiday is shrinking into just another shopping day.

"It’s almost like Thanksgiving is a non-holiday now because Halloween is set up and as they’re setting up Halloween they’re also setting up Christmas," Toole said. However, in terms of consumer statistics, Christmas is the season to shop.

Christmas shopping accounts for one-fifth of the retail industries sales each year. Overall, holiday sales are expected to increase 5 percent over last year.

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Over the river and through the woods to your local grocery store? It may not sound right but over 53 percent of Americans ordered out at least part of their Thanksgiving meal in 2005 according to the National Restaurant Association. It’s not the way your Grandma did Thanksgiving but today consumers have a cornucopia of options when it comes to ordering out Thanksgiving dinner.

The Thanksgiving dinner business is not a new concept but recently the market has grown rapidly. “I’ve been in food service for over 25 years and have been in some one else’s kitchen on every Thanksgiving,” Norma Farrell of the National Turkey Federation said. “But there is no doubt that people today aren’t as keen on making their own meal as the generation before them.”

Lawrence is no exception to the trend of take out Thanksgiving meals. The Hy-Vee Supermarket on 6th street sold the second most pre made Thanksgiving dinners out of the Kansas City market which includes the Missouri and Kansas sides. The store sold over 150 dinners last year and is expecting a steady increase this year Ken Warren, kitchen manager said. The National Restaurant Association is predicting a 5 to 6 percent increase in the purchase of pre-made dinners this holiday season.

With the market growing, pre made holiday dinners are offered in many different packages. This is a roasted turkey with cranberry fruit dressing offered by the National Turkey Federation. Prices for holiday dinners usually range between 50 and 100 dollars.

Hy-Vee isn’t the only store offering pre made dinners, Dillons also offers several options as well. “Besides people who decided to make their own meals I would say Dillons is our biggest competition on a local basis,” Warren said. The Hy-Vee traditional turkey dinner which costs $55.95 and features a 12lbs turkey and four side dishes feeds up to eight people and the Dillons 12lbs turkey is $39.95 but doesn’t feature any sides.

Experts say the pre made dinner market is just an extension of the convenience trend in American business. “The reason for this trend is that time is more valuable than ever before,” Jeff Lenard, Director of Communications for the national Association of Convenience Stores said. “People are working longer hours, in more traffic, doing more things, and if you simplify their lives they will reward you with their business.”

The largest demographic in the pre made dinner market is young adults ages 25 to 35. The people buying these dinners are a generation raised on the food network idea that every meal can be done in 15 minutes Farrell said. “Each generation the meal preparation time gets cut in half,” Farrell said. “My mom made everything from scratch, I make things using some mixes, and my daughter just picks hers up from the store.”
Another reason for the popularity of pre made meals is that people’s cooking knowledge has decreased over the years. “This younger demographic isn’t as experienced in the kitchen but that still doesn’t change the fact that people still expect certain things on the table come Thanksgiving,” Warren said. “That’s where pre made meals come in a lot of times.”

Ordering a pre made meal will inevitably cut down heavily on the time that a host or hostess has to spend preparing for the holiday. Cooking everything on your own takes at least eight hours and will only save you about $20, Warren said. Pre made dinners only take two hours maximum to heat. “We ordered a dinner three years ago because me and my wife both had to work on the holiday and it was good so we have continued to order one every year since,” Jimmy Wong, Hy-Vee customer said.

At what cost do pre made dinners come to a holiday rich in tradition and based solely on the meal? Not much according to the consumer and the vendor. “It just gives us more time as family and friends and less to worry about,” Wong said. Warren said “Thanksgiving is all about honoring our American lifestyle and tradition which includes us being a capitalist society based on business.”

It might be alarming to some people that Thanksgiving dinner wasn’t made by Grandma but more than 50 percent of money spent on food is spent on eating out Warren said. Some people won’t be alarmed at all though, according to a survey done by the National Restaurant Association one out of five people take credit for their pre made meal as their own.

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With increased home heating prices and winter on its way, chimney sweeps are busy safe-guarding many Lawrence residents’ fireplaces and chimneys from potential dangers.

Dale Jones, owner of Soot & Ashes Chimney Sweeping in Carbondale, cleans, inspects and repairs chimneys in Lawrence, Topeka and the surrounding areas, and works on anywhere from one to five chimneys a day.

“The cooler it gets outside the busier I get because more people realize they need to get their chimney cleaned,” Jones said.

Chimney-related fire incidents occur more often in the winter months than any other time. To prevent chimney-related fire incidents from happening to you, have a chimney professional inspect and clean your chimney before using it this winter.
Source: U.S. Fire Adminstration

One of the more serious issues Jones encounters is a build up of the hazardous chemical, creosote.

“Creosote is a byproduct of burning wood and the smoke that goes up the flue turns to creosote as it cools. When it sticks to the walls of the chimney, it gets to be real dangerous,” Jones said.

Jones said when a fire is started in chimney with a large accumulation of creosote, it can spark chimney fires, which in turn can cause a house fire.

Fire officials recommend professional chimney inspections because people who don’t have their chimney cleaned run the risk of a fire.

“The key to chimney fire prevention is cleaning it annually. Inspections keep creosote build up down and the chimney intact without damages,” said Russell Brickell, fire prevention officer of the Lawrence-Douglas County Fire Medical.

The Lawrence-Douglas County Fire Medical reported 51 chimney-related fires since 1998.

The number of chimney-related incidents in Lawrence have been low in recents years. Fire officals say that is because Lawrence residents are more aware of the importance of chimney safety.
Source:Lawrence-Douglas County Fire Medical

“Chimney fires happen a bit and mostly in the winter. Even though they don’t happen often, it is still important to have your chimney inspected,” Brickell said.

In a report by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, it states that home-heating equipment is one of the most common causes of residential fires and account for about 21,600, or 60 percent, of 36,000 estimated fires a year.

Fireplace and chimneys are the leading source of home heating fires, according to the report. In 2005, it was reported that 74 percent of home fire deaths resulted from homes with no smoke alarms or no working smoke alarms.

Another danger of improperly cared for chimneys is carbon monoxide poisoning. Melissa Heeke, director of communications and marketing for the National Chimney Sweep Guild and the Chimney Safety Institute of America, said that when a chimney isn’t regularly maintained, carbon monoxide intrusion is more likely.

“The chimney is a way for carbon monoxide and other gases to escape,” she said. “If there is an obstruction, such as a bird’s nest, creosote build up, etc., it is more difficult for the CO to leave the home. When there are cracks in a chimney or the chimney is deteriorating, it is also more difficult for the gases to leave the house.”

To avoid carbon monoxide poisoning, the Chimney Safety Institute of America recommends having a chimney professional check for ventilation problems and installing carbon monoxide detectors to warn of harmful gases entering the home.

Jones said cracks are the most common problem he sees. He said that while it is possible for homeowners to clean their fireplaces and chimneys, trained chimney professionals know what problems to look for.

“They do it the proper way and look for any obvious problems-cracks, deterioration, etc. The homeowner doesn’t necessarily have that knowledge to know what they are looking for,” Jones said.

Jones charges $125 for a clean and an inspection together, however, the cost for repairs varies because it depends on the type of repair and what needs to be done to repair it.

Heeke compared having a professional inspecting your chimney to taking your car to a mechanic.

“It’s possible to work on your own car, but do you really know what you’re doing? Some things are better left to a qualified professional. Chimney maintenance is one of those,” Heeke said.

Kim Teichmann, customer of Soot & Ashes, said he considered cleaning his chimney, but opted to have a professional do it for him.

“My chimney was dirty and I know it can be a fire hazard,” he said. “Plus, I hadn’t used it in a few years.”

Heeke said the Chimney Safety Institute of America recommends fireplaces be cleaned when there is one-fourth inch of creosote present or sooner if there is any black glaze in the chimney system, and that it is important to get your chimney inspected before lighting the first fire.

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According to Ann Chapman, Coordinator of Nutritional Health at the Wellness Resource Center, the high caffeine content in energy drinks can be dangerous. Caffeine is a stimulant, and can cause an increase to both blood pressure and heart rate. Some energy drinks even combine multiple stimulants.

“There is a substance called guarana which acts just like caffeine, and it’s like a double whammy with both,” Chapman said.

Mixing alcohol with energy drinks can be the biggest danger. According to Chapman, the body receives mixed messages when a stimulant such as caffeine is consumed with a depressant such as alcohol. When drunk, the body attempts to fall asleep, or ‘pass out’. The body does this to slow the amount of alcohol being ingested and absorbed into the bloodstream. Drinking a caffeinated energy drink prevents sleep and increases alcohol levels in the body.

‘It really can be dangerous,” Chapman said.

These health risks haven’t slowed the explosive growth of energy drinks in the U.S. According to John Sicher, Editor and Publisher of Beverage Digest, the energy drink market has experienced growth of 80 percent since last year. It is a $3.5 billion industry, with the leading brand being Red Bull, the drink that started the energy craze in the U.S. in 1997. According to Forbes.com, over 1.9 billion cans of Red Bull were sold in 2004, with 700 million cans sold in the U.S. alone. Monster Energy, made by Hansen Natural, is the nations second leading brand. Hansen Natural posted record financial results in the first quarter of 2006, with net sales doubling the same period from last year. Profit more than doubled from $8.8 million a year ago to $21.1 million. The third leading brand is Rockstar Energy, which is distributed by Coca-Cola. According to Beverage Digest, Rockstar’s 2005 sales were estimated at $180 million.

Pimp Juice is one of 500 new energy drinks released this year. It hopes to attract a young audience with it's controversial name Image source: www.letitloose.com

Success in the energy drink business has led to expansion.
Cnn.com reports that over 500 new energy drinks were launched worldwide this year. With so much competition, companies will do anything they can to stand out to a youthful audience. New energy drinks carry by controversial names such as Cocaine and Pimp Juice.

Due to the University’s contract with Coca-Cola, Rockstar is sold on campus alongside Coca-Cola’s other energy drink, Full Throttle. There are vending machines on campus that contain nothing but energy drinks, and campus convenience stores are currently having a sale promoting the drinks to students. Some students are already hooked.

“I know I’m addicted to caffeine, so that’s my biggest issue,” says Vanessa Pierson, Clinton Missouri Senior. “I usually just drink the diet variety of Rockstar energy drinks, they’re readily available on campus.”

Cocaine is another new energy drink released this year. The top of the can reads: "The Legal Alternative" Image source: www.amazon.com

Pierson knows that there are health risks involved (warning, PDF), but she doesn’t let them get in the way of her studying.

“I just ignore the risk, because college demands that some nights I have to stay awake to get things done,” Pierson said.

David Mucci, Director of KU Memorial Unions, says that students like having the option to buy energy drinks on campus.

“We really look at this as an issue of choice, we don’t look at it as a health issue,” Mucci said.
Mucci recognizes the health concerns with energy drinks, but he maintains that most dangers occur when energy drinks are used in an environment with alcohol. He also says the drinks do not seem to be abused by students.

“Sales for us are not the kind of mass consumption that studies seem to show concern about. We’re selling, primarily, students one can at a time,” Mucci said.

As energy drinks continue to grow in popularity, health concerns will likely grow as well. Chapman recommends that students limit their caffeine intake to 300 milligrams a day. A regular 16 ounce can of Rockstar Energy drink contains 160 milligrams of caffeine, though Chapman still recommends that students get caffeine from alternate sources such as soft drinks or coffee. A 12 ounce can of Coca-Cola contains only 34 milligrams of caffeine.

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Treat America Food Services owns the 40 snack machines on the Lawrence campus. Rita Zuniga, purchasing employee, said that some company sites do receive dark chocolate, but older products are involved in selection.

“The best-selling candies in the market are standard,” Zuniga said. “Nestle and M&M/Mars always provide the basics.”

The lack of dark chocolate at the University comes at a time when national sales are booming because of studies that have come out in the last few years touting the health benefits of the dark candy.

Chuck Teater, vice president of quality at Russell Stover corporate headquarters in Kansas City, Mo., said their company’s dark chocolate sales have seen a significant growth, especially in the last year.

“The trend started a couple of years ago, but as the benefits have received more publicity, we have noticed a bigger growth in the past year,” Teater said.

Dark chocolate sales are surpassing those of milk chocolate in some locations. One Russell Stover store in Kansas City, Mo., has seen greater sales of different dark chocolate varieties so far this year.

Dark chocolate has become popular because flavanoids, a group of compounds in cocoa plants, help reduce cholesterol and blood clotting problems.

Cheryl Wetherington, owner of Riverfront Chocolates in Lawrence, said the higher the percentage of pure chocolate, the healthier it is.

“Our newest chocolate is 72 percent pure chocolate,” Wetherington said. “Milk chocolate only has 38 percent.”

Because there is more pure chocolate in each treat, dark chocolate is more expensive to make than milk chocolate. Wetherington estimated that it cost her company about $1 more per pound of dark chocolate than milk chocolate. However, Riverfront Chocolates, which is located in the SpringHill Suites lobby, sells both varieties at the same price.

Sharry Bowden, vice president of vending at Treat America, said the major reason for the absence of dark chocolate on campus is not price-based.

“Right now, there aren’t a great number of products available,” Bowden said. “As companies begin to promote dark chocolate, we’ll begin to promote it.”

The rise in popularity of dark chocolate has led some businesses to create new strategies. Riverfront Chocolates is devoting a section of their store solely to the dark confections. Currently, between 20 percent and 25 percent of the business’ sales come from dark chocolate, whereas the industry average is about 15 percent, Wetherington said.

Teater said Russell Stover is also looking to capitalize on the national trend.

“In about six months, we will be releasing a new line of dark chocolates,” Teater said. He said there would be at least 20 new products.

The chocolate industry has also taken advantage of reports of increased heart health and circulation from dark chocolate by adding labels to products or verbally raising awareness of benefits. Hershey’s dark chocolate packages contain a special “natural source of flavanol antioxidants” label that alerts consumers to the advantages of the extra cocoa in their product.

Ann Chapman, coordinator of nutritional services at Watkins Memorial Health Center, said that labels like this carry a risk of consumer abuse.

“You’re always going to have a potential for abuse or misuse when foods, all of a sudden, have health benefits,” Chapman said. “I would recommend dark chocolate in very small amounts.”

Chapman said a bar of Hershey’s Special Dark chocolate has 531 calories, so servings should be cut in small portions to avoid overeating.

Treat America has a “Right Choice” campaign that helps vending machine customers discern which items meet certain health requirements. Zuniga said that dark chocolate probably would not make the grade.

“We look for items that are low in fat, calories and sugar,” Zuniga said.

Delaina Lenard, Riverfront Chocolates customer, said that the health benefits don’t sway her to buy dark chocolate; she just likes good chocolate.

“I am not very choosy when it comes to chocolates,” Lenard said. She said she especially likes Riverfront Chocolates and refers them to her corporate office for holiday packages.

With the holiday season approaching quickly, Wetherington said the weather and the spirit of giving bring more business to the industry, and dark chocolate, in particular.

“Around Christmas, business increases 20 to 25 percent,” Wetherington said. “This is actually fairly low for the industry, which sees a 50 percent increase normally.”

Treat America’s vending business is consistent with the academic calendar at KU.

Bowden said the company may be stocking machines with some dark chocolate in the future.

“We will definitely start rotating in more dark chocolate as more products become available. For example, I know that Mars Co. just introduced new dark chocolate M&M’s.”
Click to check out the nutritional information for some dark chocolate products.
Photos: Gretchen Wieland