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Ric Brown has always considered himself an environmentally aware individual. Simply ask him a question regarding any of the country's multiple environmental policies and he won't hesitate to rattle off governmental programs, studies and films concerning the issue.

Brown, a Coffeyville, Kansas, senior originally chose to major in environmental studies at the University. However, after some convincing by others, Brown was able to overcome his biggest fear, calculus, and switch his major to environmental engineering.

"I talked to a friend of my dad and he convinced me to go into environmental engineering," Brown said. "He said the calculus wasn't as bad as people say. And it wasn't. I got a tutor and got through it alright."

Brown chose the right time to get over his calculus phobia and crossover to the field of environmental engineering. National and local environmental efforts, such as Lawrence Mayor Michael Dever's new emission reduction goal, could help boost the green job market in Lawrence by increasing the number of new jobs for both current workers and students going into a wide variety of related fields.

In February 2007, the mayor established a Climate Protection Task Force to deal with the environmental threats facing the city. The task force consists of different members of the community, ranging from engineers and architects to members of larger local companies such as Hallmark and Westar Energy.

In the September 23 meeting, the task force agreed on a new emission reduction goal for the year 2050. The task force plans to lower emissions 80 percent from what they were in 2000 by the year 2050.
Karl Brooks, Associate Professor of History and Environmental Studies at the University, has had plenty of experience dealing with the connection between the environment and the economy.

Brooks, a Boise Idaho native, has seen both sides of the issue. Before arriving at the University, he served the Idaho Senate for three terms as well as worked for the Idaho Conservation League, Idaho's largest citizens' environmental group.
At first glance, Brooks said he thought the city would have a difficult time reaching the goals proposed by the mayor.

"I'd say that it's one of those stretch goals, where we set ourselves a task that's probably a little bit ambitious, but we do it because we want to get the momentum going towards making substantial change," Brooks said.

However, Brooks said he did believe the plan would have a positive affect on the city's environmental mindset and awareness level.

 "It doesn't all have to be hammered about by the President or the United Nations in some big global treaty. Yeah, that's helpful, but you and I will never sit in a room and negotiate with Vladimir Putin over a climate change treaty. But we turn the lights on, we drive cars and we choose where we get our energy from. So I'd say it's important even for a little city like Lawrence to show people it matters at home what they do."

Local environmental efforts are very important to one Lawrencian and his business. Asa Collier owns and operates Blue Sky Wind, Solar and Home, a company that sells and installs environmentally friendly building material. Roughly 18 months after he first opened shop, Collier says his business is already witnessing a boost from a more green-minded mentality that is picking up across the country. While a slump in construction has hit the country and Lawrence, Blue Sky remains a member of the successful minority. 

In Lawrence, construction has been on a decline for several years according to the City of Lawrence, Building Inspection Division. The division's statistics show that from 2003 to 2007 the total number of construction permits granted has continued to decline every year. While 2,786 grants were allotted in 2003, only 2,398 were given out in 2007.

An interesting trend is emerging with local business projects. New commercial business projects are on the decline, but remodels and additions are on the rise. In 2005, there were 33 new commercial business permits granted, but by 2007 the amount had shrunk to 13. On the flip side, the amount of additions and remodeling projects has risen in Lawrence from 126 in 2004 to 171 in 2007.

"New construction has come to a stand still and people want to know, 'what can I do in my existing home?' But the other question is, 'what can I do in my existing home that's not going to hurt the environment?" Collier said. "Guys that are into building efficient homes, guys that are interested in clean building practices, their businesses are doing well now."

Collier said more and more people are looking to remodel homes and businesses in an environmental manner because of the current trends developing in society.

"We had this explosion of people getting hip to whole foods. That crosses all social boundaries. I think now we're seeing a shift to the other things that we use in our life.

Conservation of the automobiles that we drive and the homes we live in. The energy crisis is absolutely the next crisis that we have," Collier said.

While Lawrence's answer to the potential energy crisis is just beginning to rev up, some other cities across the Unites States have had lofty goals in place for some time now. San Francisco is one city that has been on the forefront in raising the bar for better emission standards. In 2004, the Municipal Transportation Agency Board of Directors in the city agreed to establish a framework that would result in having zero-waste released by public transportation vehicles by the year 2020.

Raquel Pinderhughes, a professor of urban studies and planning at San Francisco State University, can attest that an increase in environmental interest has boosted "green-collar" jobs, which in turn, have helped boost the job market in Berkley, California and its surrounding bay area. Pinderhughes conducted research from 2006-2007 on the green job market and its impact.

For the study, Pinderhughes talked with 20 green business owners from the Berkley area and found that 86 percent of the businesses had experience substantial growth. She also found that all of the bay area's job sectors involving green collar workers were expected to grow during the upcoming decade.

Pinderhughes said there's no doubt that a major effort to reduce emissions here in Lawrence would lead to new jobs through the creation of various services and needs.
"If you move towards a reduction in green house gas emissions, an 80 percent goal by 2050, you will increase the amount of services and products that are needed by the city to reach that goal," Pinderhughes said.

Her study showed many reasons exist as to why jobs increase within the green economy. She found that people working within the green industry have an increased feeling of accomplishment for helping the community that they live in.

"They understood that it was meaningful work that contributed to their community," Pinderhughes said.

While Pinderhughes' study shows that green initiatives have already helped increase employment in the San Francisco bay area, another report recently completed shows the potential employment growth Kansas could potentially see if the United States government were to invest in a green economic recovery plan.

In September, the Political Economy Research Institute at the University of Massachusetts Amherst released a national report outlining a green economic investment plan that would help boost the country's economy by creating two million new jobs over the next two years. The plan would require $100 billion in government spending to be set into motion.

In the report, PERI breaks down the plan on a national level, as well as on an individual level for each state. It says that Kansas would receive $881 million of the $100 billion invested into the plan. The amount of money each state would receive is based off its population and gross domestic product. The report estimates that Kansas would see 19,412 new jobs created over two years. The increased growth in work would bring Kansas' unemployment levels down dramatically. It says the state unemployment level would fall from the 4.4 percent level it reached in June to 3.2 percent.

Brooks said he believed a plan, similar to the one proposed by PERI, would really benefit the country if the United States politicians took on the challenge.

"This is where we are going to see what our politicians are made of. I mean if they really have the guts to rise to a challenge, because we're in a pretty challenging time. I'm a historian and I agree when both McCain and Obama say this is the most serious economic crisis we face since our grandparents were our age," Brooks said.

Brooks thought the upcoming changes would have a large impact on the future of students at the University as well and believed that majority of the student body is aware of an upcoming shift and want to see themselves on the right side of history.

"I think there is the potential here to link together environment, economy, energy in the 21st century, let's say the year 2010 going forward, the way that we linked electrical engineering, computing, and decision making back in the 70's and 80's to create the IT boom that just changed everyone's life," Brooks said.

Recent figures show current students, like Brown, have noticed a shift towards green jobs and are preparing for a change in the engineering job market.

An occupations outlook report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics revealed that environmental engineering is on the rise. The reports shows that environmental engineering is one of the leading growth disciplines for engineers today and that there is a 25 percent growth projection for it in the upcoming decade - well above the other engineering disciplines.

"They (students) are very interested in pursuing careers that pursue the kinds of issues that environmental engineers would work with," Jill Hummels, Public Director for the KU school of Engineering, said. "One of the things to look at is that a lot of green engineering deals with infrastructure and when you are talking about infrastructure, quite often it's recession proof."

When students and citizens look at the currently unpredictable climate of the country's economy. Recession proof is word that many individuals like to hear.  

The Farmers Almanac is predicting record lows coming this winter, which may mean turning up the heat to keep warm is going to put dents in wallets.

"We are predicting gas prices will be about 20 percent higher," Aquila Communications Manager Kurt Floerchinger said. He suggested an alternative to keep warm and spending a reasonable amount: weatherizing your home.

Weatherization Program with Project Specialist Tony Hoch

The Lawrence area is known to have debilitated houses and some of those may have low to moderate income households residing within. According to census data, nearly all of the east half of Lawrence are low to moderate income households. These households may have a hard time affording raised heating bills or weatherization.

However, cities do have programs to reach these low to moderate income households and provide support.

The city of Lawrence with their Community Development Weatherization Program annually helps low to moderate income households weatherize the resident's respective homes to prepare for the woes of the winter season.

The process begins with residents submitting an application. Then the city goes from the amount of income the households make and the number of the household to determine who is the most eligible with other requirements pending.

The program is weatherizing 46 homes this year with an estimation of $40,000. They only denied 11 homes. The improvements the city makes are attic insulations, storm windows, and weather-stripping doors. 

Eligibility requirements for this assistance are:

1. The home must not have received this service previously.
2. The home must be owner occupied with no more than two dwelling units. Home ownership will be verified.
3. Annual gross family income cannot exceed the following guidelines:
   
   

   Family Size	Maximum Income
   1	$36,250
   2	$41,400
   3	$46,600
   4	$51,750
   5	$55,900
   6	$60,050
   7	$64,150
   8+	$68,300



4. Application forms are available at the office of Planning and Development Services Department located at 1 Riverfront Plaza, Level 1, Suite 110, P.O. Box 708, Lawrence, Kansas, 66044. For more information, call 832-7700 or check out our website at www.lawrenceks.org.
5. Submit the completed forms to the City's Development Service Division. Enclose evidence of family gross income for the preceding year. (Income tax return, Social Security letter of benefits, etc.)

Information from the city of Lawrence's official website: www.lawrenceks.org.

The program began because of an energy crisis in the late 1970s. Since 1977, 1,075 homes have been weatherized, over $977,000 has been spent, and an average of $909 went to each household.

Fellow Grant Review Board Member Sandra Unfred is one of those citizens to have had their home weatherized back in 2005.

"I have good reason to believe that my bills are reasonable," Unfred said. While being a board member, she adds that everything she has heard about the program were good results.

The failing economy has no effect on the budget either, assures Tony Hoch, project specialist of Lawrence's Planning and Development Services .

"The city of Lawrence is an entitlement city and the money is federal dollars that come through a Community Development Block Grant," Hoch said. "The money is decided a year in advance, so there's no effect really."

The Community Development Weatherization Program is only one of Lawrence's housing programs. The city also has the Comprehensive Housing Rehabilitation and the Emergency Furnace Loans to help out its local residents with their housing problems.

Tanner Benson and Jake Rivers sit cross legged on Massachusetts street between 8^th and 9^th streets.  The two wear tattered, dirty clothing and smell like a mixture of cigarettes and body odder. Rivers hums away on his harmonica, while Benson asks people passing by for any change they can spare. Most walk briskly by, not turning towards the two. Others drop a few coins or even a dollar into a military style hat in front of them, to which Benson replies, "God bless you man."

Benson and Rivers are panhandlers and a topic of concern to some downtown Lawrence businesses. Jane Pennington, Director of Downtown Lawrence Incorporated, a membership organization of local downtown businesses, said that panhandling has been an issue for years, but many members and visitors have commented that the problem is getting worse.

"I'm not forcing people to give me money," Benson said. "I just want to buy some smokes."

The city of Lawrence is currently investigating possible ways to regulate panhandling. Mike Dever, mayor of Lawrence, said that the issue will be addressed soon by the city council as many local business owners have voiced their discontent with the problem. However, views about what to do and the severity of the problem are mixed.

Panhandling, as defined in city code 14-418. means "any request for or solicitation of an immediate donation" or "a request or solicitation to purchase an item far exceeding its value, in circumstances where a reasonable person would understand that the purchase is in substance a donation."  The city code also includes what is not panhandling, which includes "standing, sitting, or engaging in musical performance or other street performance with a sign or other indication that donations are being sought, without any verbal request for donation other than in response to an inquiry by another person."

In and of itself, panhandling is not illegal. However, Lawrence has deemed it unlawful to aggressively panhandle. This includes threatening, following a person after they have refused solicitation or walked away, blocking a person's path, or touching the person being solicited without consent. It is also illegal to panhandle at a bus stop, on private property, within 20 feet of a bank or ATM, in a public transport vehicle or facility.

Even with these regulations, some local business owners still think the problem needs to be addressed further. Whin Campbell, owner of Winfields, said panhandling has affected his business.

"Customers come in and tell me they are uncomfortable traveling store to store," said Campbell. "We have a venue that we have worked hard to make. When people become uncomfortable, then it becomes a problem."

 Walt Houk, owner of Travellers Inc., wants to see the city address the problem as well.

 "It's always been a problem. Panhandling is not good for retail merchants," said Houk. "Would you be comfortable having to walk over people asking you for money when you just spent $4000 on a cruise?"

"A majority of members would like to see panhandling banned downtown," said Pennington.

However, panhandling cannot be outlawed city wide. Panhandling has constitutional protection under the first amendment. Albuquerque, N.M, tried banning panhandling city wide in 2004, but was deemed unconstitutional after the American Civil Liberties Union filed a lawsuit against the bill.

There are some other options to regulate panhandling. Scott Miller, a staff attorney for the city of Lawrence, said that city staff is currently studying the problem. Miller outlined ways the city is considering to deal with the problem.

One solution would be to post collection boxes downtown where people could donate and the money would then be redistributed by social services. Organizations such as the Salvation Army and the Lawrence Community Shelter would give the money to those in need.

Licenses to panhandle would be another way to deal with the problem. The licenses would not cost any money, but would require that the person panhandling wear the license around their neck. This would defer panhandlers from being aggressive. The idea is that if someone has their license around their neck with a picture and name they would be less likely to hassle people on the street and could easily be reported to authorities.

Fraudulent statements could also be outlawed. If a panhandler uses a bogus line about collecting money for an animal shelter, for example, they could then be arrested.

The most likely option is to ban panhandling in certain areas, such as downtown. Cities such as Kansas City have declared places like the Plaza "prohibited locations" which ban street vendors, including panhandlers.

"If I need to eat I can go to a shelter, but sometimes it's nice to have some little things you know," said Benson.

Kimberly Bedient, a Lawrence panhandler, said she only makes around five dollars a day and is her only source of income. Bedient said that if she was required to get a license she would take the oppurtunity.

Still there are those shop owners downtown that worry about whether the new laws will really solve the problem.

"I don't like the idea of police being able to harass people downtown because they don't have permits," said Rod Smith, owner of White Chocolate. "Homelessness is the real issue. It's not going to vanish from the city because they pass a law."

Smith said that he is not bothered by the average panhandler, but some can be out of hand. "One day a guy actually came inside and started bothering customers," said Smith. "I knew exactly what he was going to do when I saw him, but I was busy helping other customers, so I didn't have a chance to say anything."

 Ernie Cummings, owner of Kizer Cummings Jewelry, said the problem is that it depends on the type of panhandler.

"It's hard to tell who is the problem. You can't just tell by looks," said Cummings.

Cummings agrees that panhandling does not help the ambiance of downtown, but feels that efforts should be made to help those in need. After the state has closed mental hospitals, Cummings thinks the community should do something more constructive.

"It's what the community is willing to do, they should be helping people," said Cummings.

Cummings points out that Massachusetts street is located between the Salvation Army and the Lawrence Community Shelter and that is why it is a popular hangout for vagrants. Cummings has doubts whether the new law will really change anything.

By Taylor Bern

 

Almost 5,000 miles away from Lawrence, in northern Germany, is a place that feels like home.

That is the location of Eutin, Germany, one of Lawrence's two sister cities - along with Hiratsuka, Japan - in the Sister Cities International program.

Maintaining a relationship with cities across the world is one of the most overlooked jobs of the Lawrence city government. Still, City Commissioner Dennis "Boog" Highberger said it can also be one of the most rewarding parts of his job.

"You realize that we're not so different," Highberger said. "And when that happens, the world gets a little smaller and people feel more comfortable in it."

In 1989, Eutin officially became Lawrence's first sister city. Since then, Lawrence has started sistering relationships with Hiratsuka in 1990 and with El Papaturro, El Salvador, through the US-Salvador Sister Cities program, in 1994.

The University of Kansas plays a major role in the burgeoning relationships between Lawrence and all three of these cities. The University has created a strong relationship with Eutin through its study abroad program, and that support has helped the communities keep in touch through the current economic crisis.

While other towns have lost touch with their abroad sister cities, Highberger said he's proud to say that the title still means something in Lawrence.

"It means a lot to us that Lawrence knows it has something in common with people from all over the world," Highberger said.

In June 2007, nearly 50 residents - including students, delegates and citizens - helped Eutin celebrate its 750^th.

That kind of bond is rare for sister cities, but it's just one of the fun things for the Lawrence government.

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"We have a special relationship with our sisters, and it's something that has continued to persevere," City Commissioner Sue Hack said.

In September 2007, Highberger missed a council meeting because he was representing the city in Eutin. Highberger said it was one of many goodwill trips that city delegates from both towns have made throughout the years.

The only problem with that is now there are fewer funds available for such journeys. That's where the University's study abroad program has helped out, keeping the bridge of communication open.

It has required a little more work and fundraising, but Kansas' study abroad program is still doing well. That's helped to keep a strong sister relationship between the two cities, which isn't the case everywhere.

The town of Waverly, Iowa, has a sister city relationship through Sister Cities International with Eisenbach, Germany. The difference is that representatives from Waverly and Eisenbach have almost no involvement with each other and are sisters in name only.

"We realize how lucky we are to still have such a bond with cities that are so far away," Hack said. "With the economy the way it is, I know that some towns just lose touch because they have more pressing issues."

For example, Waverly's Wartburg College doesn't offer study abroad in Eisenbach. On the other hand, KU students can spend six weeks in Eutin, and people there actually know about Lawrence.

"I met a lot of Jayhawk fans," said junior Peyton Marek, who spent last semester in Eutin. "It's pretty cool to go that far away and still feel like you're at home."

Adam McGonigle, Wichita junior, understands the value of good communication.

As Student Senate President, McGonigle communicates with many individuals and special interest groups on a daily basis, but he has never worked with the University Student Issues Advisory Board.

"I honestly had never even heard of it until you brought it to my attention just recently," McGonigle said.

The University Student Issues Advisory Board has not met since the 2006 academic year. The committee was created to discuss city issues that affect students at the University of Kansas and Haskell Indian Nations University, as well as the Lawrence community. Communication between the groups has been infrequent since the last time the board met.

City Commissioner Sue Hack, who was part of the board the last time it met, said there was a lack of desire on all parts to see it continue. City Manager David Corliss speculated that scheduling conflicts also prevented the group from establishing a regular meeting time.

The city does work with Student Senate from time to time on specific issues. The Oread Inn and the proposed changes to the transit system are the most recent examples.

"We are meeting with KU student transportation board representatives on a weekly and monthly basis as we discuss possible cooperation opportunities for transit," said Corliss.

McGonigle said that it is important to create planning committees for specific issues, such as the transit system. However, he thinks it would be more beneficial to have an ongoing dialogue with the city.

"I would agree that it would be helpful to do so," he said. "To be able to sit down formally on some sort of regular basis would be great. It's important to keep an ongoing conversation between the city, KU and Haskell."

Right now, there is very little conversation between those organizations. Community Affairs Director Ryan Lawler, Bolingbrook, Ill. senior, attends city commission meetings weekly, but it isn't often that he speaks in front of the commission. Lawler's predecessor, Rachel Barnes, left notes that mentioned the advisory board, but that was the extent of Lawler's knowledge of the University Student Issues board.

The mayor's office sent congratulatory letters to McGonigle and Vice President Michael Gillaspie after they were elected into their offices in April, but the city didn't receive any response.

"I'm not pointing fingers," he said, "but that is just an example of how communication has been almost nonexistent. The good thing is that it's something that can and should be easily fixed."

McGonigle said that there could also be better communication between KU Student Senate and the Haskell Student Senate. However, he has not met Haskell's Student Senate President. McGonigle said that the only current group that directly interacts with Haskell students is the First Nations Students Association.

"The two schools are in very close proximity to each other, so they have a lot of the same community needs," he said. "Also, it's always a benefit when students from different universities can meet and work together."

McGonigle and Corliss expressed interest in bringing back the advisory board in some form. Lawler said he would look further into the advisory board, and plan to contact the city after he has gathered sufficient information. If all parties express some interest in the committee, McGonigle and Lawler will start the process, which would include getting approval from both the Student Senate and the city commission. McGonigle said other issues, such as off-campus housing laws, are concerns that students sometimes have, but can't be voiced to the city in an effective manner. He believes an advisory board could resolve such problems.

Hack said some changes must be made to eliminate problems that inhibited the group in the past. In her experience with the board, she said most of the discussion was directed toward homecoming planning and to touch base with Student Senate.

"If it were to be reorganized, I think there needs to be a clear direction for the group with specific goals and objectives," she said.

Click here to contact your City of Lawrence commissioners 

To contact your Student Senate officers, click here

Shannon Coleman stands in a small, cramped room with two other parents at the East Lawrence Recreation Center and watches his 4-year-old daughter Breana participate in a tumbling class, one of many classes offered by the Lawrence Parks and Recreation Department.  This is Breana's second tumbling class and Coleman says she loves the instructors.  Coleman, a Lawrence resident, says he thinks the instruction is fantastic and that he is very pleased that his daughter has the chance to meet people for so little a price.

"The price is a non-issue for what they get out of it," Coleman said.  "I would probably pay twice as much if offered."

With the nation's economy in a decline, Lawrence residents like Coleman have turned to such local services as Lawrence Parks and Recreation to fulfill their recreational needs. As a result revenue for the department has increased.  The department has seen an increase in revenue generated by Eagle Bend Golf Course and has also seen a significant increase in the numbers of participants in recreational classes and an increase in adult sports enrollment.

Ernie Shaw, the interim director and recreation and operations superintendent for Lawrence Parks and Recreation, said there had been in increase in all of the department's recreational activities over the past two or three years.

"History has shown us that when there is a downturn in the economy, people want to stay in," Shaw said.  "They like their quality of life and they want to continue that at an affordable rate."

Shaw attributed some of the department's success to its ability to keep prices low and affordable for Lawrence residents.  The recreational side of Lawrence Parks and Recreation is in a revenue fund that receives aid from sales tax.  Shaw said that the recreation side has a $3.4 million to $5 million budget and that the department usually brings in about 55 percent to 60 percent of that in total revenue.  The rest is then covered by the 1994 sales tax referendum that gave about $1.4 million to help support recreational facilities and activities in order to keep prices down and affordable to the public.  Shaw said that if the department were a private organization then it would have to charge people more in order to pay all the bills.

"By the city putting money back into the department we can keep those fees for the public at reasonable rates and not expect a 100-percent return," Shaw said.

Shaw said that the department's current projections for total revenue from all its sources show the department either meeting or exceeding its projected revenues for this year. According to Shaw, the department usually makes around $2.5 million in total revenue.

Eagle Bend Golf Course, owned and operated by the Lawrence Parks and Recreation Department, is currently up $10,000 in revenue compared with September 2007, Shaw said.  Shaw expects total revenue for the course this year to be in the $950,000 range.  The course made $924,000 in 2007.

Shaw attributed some of Eagle Bend's success to the economy.

"People don't travel as much when the economy is down," he said.  "The golfers probably want to stay closer to home by not driving to Kansas City or Topeka.  All that's doing is costing you more money to drive."

John Morris, the golf operations supervisor and head pro of Eagle Bend Golf Course, reports twice a month to the city to discuss budget issues.  Morris said that the course has a $1-million budget and that it tries to make that through its pro shop, snack bar and the course itself.  The course also offers lessons for kids and adults.

Morris said that he and his staff take what they're given and try and make as much money as possible.  Morris said that the course has been steadily busy over the past three or four years.  According to Morris this makes watching the budget even more crucial because most of the budget is devoted to personnel and staff.

"When you are busy you have got to have staff," Morris said.  "That's been the biggest thing we've done this year. We're staffed so we can always provide good customer service."

Lawrence Parks and Recreation also offers a variety of recreational classes ranging from aerobics and tennis to karate and art classes.  Jo Ellis, the recreation programs supervisor for Lawrence Parks and Recreation, manages everything in the department that deals with instruction.  According to Ellis, revenue for the department's recreation classes has increased every year along with participation.  Ellis said that in 2007, 6,502 people participated in recreational classes.  She said the number of participants in recreational classes in 2008 grew by 12 percent to 7,390. Ellis added that the current figures do not include the months of November or December.

Ellis said that gas prices have caused revenue to go up because people are staying at home.  People who used to be on traveling gymnastic teams are now staying in Lawrence and using the gymnastic classes offered by the department, Ellis said.

Ellis also said that the increase in revenue and participation is due to the quality of instructors hired by her and the department.

"We hire very good instructors," Ellis said.  "The people we hire are just as good as people in Kansas City.  People think cost is everything but they are finding out that we have good, organized and professional instructors for a cheaper price."

Adult sports has also seen increased enrollment. According to Bob Stanclift, the adult sports supervisor for Lawrence Parks and Recreation, this is the first year that he has seen an increase in the total team registration and participation in every sport.

The Lawrence Parks and Recreation Department offers kickball and softball in the spring, summer and fall, volleyball and basketball all year long and dodgeball during the winter.  Stanclift said that the enrollment in softball is as high as it has ever been in the past four to five years.   According to Stanclift, from April to July, 3,600 people played softball each week.  From August to October, 2,500 people are playing softball each week.

Stanclift said the increases in enrollment could be the economy and that people are choosing to spend recreation money locally.

Of the 318 individuals listed as homeless in a 2008 Lawrence survey, only 50 are listed as chronically homeless.

            Outside of the Lawrence Community Shelter and the Salvation Army, no system of emergency temporary housing is available to individuals and families who have suddenly fallen on hard times and into homelessness.

            "It's a real sort of juggling game that a homeless person has to play to get a space each night," said Loring Henderson, director of the Lawrence Community Shelter.

            The Housing Connection, an online database to track housing units available in Lawrence, is being implemented by Lawrence-Douglas County Housing Authority (LDCHA) to help qualified homeless individuals and families find the temporary housing they need.

            The LDCHA agreed to operate the program based on a proposal by The Community Commission on Homelessness (CCH).  

            "It's one of those experiments where we have no idea," said Barbara Huppee, executive director of the LDCHA.  "We could do a good job in operating it, but it doesn't mean anything if they don't come.  It's speculative; totally speculative."

            The online database is expected to be operational by Jan. 2009.  The cost to operate the database for one year--outside of the salary of the coordinator--is estimated at $57,192, which will not be covered by the LDCHA.

            The Housing Connection is aimed primarily to individuals and families who have fallen suddenly on hard financial times.

            "These are people who are used to keeping their house; and buying their groceries; and sending their kids to school; and driving their cars to work," said Margene Swarts, assistant director of Planning and Development Services in Lawrence. "They're not used to bumming around the street, or living in the car, or living in the park."

            The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development defines a "chronically homeless" individual as meeting either one of two criteria.  The individual must be unaccompanied with a disabling condition and continuously homeless for at least a year, or unaccompanied and disabled who has had four episodes of homelessness in the past three years.

             "The longer a person is homeless, the more difficult it is for them to keep and maintain housing," Swarts said.  "A lot of totally legitimate things happen, and people can become homeless."

            Swarts is confident that the LDCHA will be able to raise the $57,192 through private means or grants to jump-start the one-year pilot project beginning in January.

            Having been in development for the past five years, the Housing Connection has coincided well with the current economic crisis.

            "None of us had the crystal ball to see the bottom fall out of the market," Swarts said.  "Although there have been foreclosures, I think our rate has been down compared to the state and the nation as a whole."

            Swarts attributes the low rate of foreclosures to the overall "conservativeness" of lenders in Lawrence.

            Whether it was a foreclosure or other means that forced the individual or family into the brink of homelessness, case managers will work closely with each case in order to ensure they find housing under their own support in 3 to 6 months.  Only agencies, such as the LDCHA, that are part of the Housing Connection will be able to access the database.  Without the case management and selective access, problems could arise.

            "People can't maintain their housing for a variety of reasons," Swarts said.  "Many times, it's that they don't know how to live within the rules of their lease.  The case management will help with that."

            Despite the statistics, many view the general homeless population in the light of the minority who are chronically homeless.

            "There is a vast percent of the homeless population that is one check away from homelessness," Swarts said.  "I think the general picture is that people think the homeless are just a bunch of dead-beat bums, and that's just not true."

In 2002 city hall decided to make the jump to a web-based city commission.

 

Six years later, the program has been a huge success.

 

"It runs pretty smoothly," said City Commissioner Sue Hack.

 

The program has succeeded in meeting its primary goal of increasing transparency and accessibility, but has also created a number of secondary benefits. The two largest benefits have been the reduction in paper consumption and the increased efficiency of city hall staff.

 

According to the EPA, the average office worker in America uses 10,000 sheets of paper annually, which translates to two pounds of paper every day.

 

City hall hasn't historically been much better.

 

City Commissioner Mike Amyx remembers serving on the commission 20 years ago. "When I was a member of the commission back in the early to mid-eighties, we would get six inches of paper a night before the weekend for a Tuesday meeting," said Amyx

But now with all the necessary documents on the city's website, officials and citizens can pick and choose which documents are relevant to them.

 

Instead of printing out pounds of paper in preparation of each weekly meeting, only a single sheet of paper with a brief outline of the meeting is presented to the commissioners, and a couple of extra agendas are laid out for the others in attendance. 

The rest of the agenda's items are accessed on one of 11 computer monitors installed in the meeting room's panel last January

 

The original implementation of the infrastructure necessary to support the project was a one-time investment of $20,958, roughly $730 more than originally proposed.

 

Since then, city hall estimates that the cost of maintenance has been less than $3,000 annually and the system is working to perfection.

"I think we've done a lot of the change at the city commission to pretty well say that we are paperless," said Amyx.

 

Unfortunately city hall hasn't calculated how much the switch has saved them in paper and printing supplies, but City Manager Dave Corliss says the web-based format is saving Lawrence more money in staff-hours than in office products.

 

Before items were posted online for everyone to see and/or access, city hall was spending a lot of time printing, copying, stapling, and distributing the necessary documents.

 

"We don't have to go to a photocopier, we don't have to mail something. If you want a document, chances are we've got it on our website and I can just send you an e-mail with a website link and there you go," said Corliss of the new way things are done.

That savings in staff-time and paper supplies have been compounded since the planning commission followed suit and switched to web-based three years later in 2005.

 

"It has saved the planning department so much time," said Interim Director of Information Services Jim Wisdom. "If you saw the stacks of paper for just one (planning) commission agenda, literally, it was just crazy."

 

The idea has also started reaching the smaller city hall commissions and committees.

 

The Historic Resource Commission and Traffic Safety Commission have already completed the changeover, and the Neighborhood Resources Advisory Committee will be finished by the end of the year.

 

However, city hall won't get to the point where every entity is web-based. "I don't know that we will go to the bother of posting some plumbing code amendment, because there's maybe a dozen people in the town that are interested in it and they're all at the meeting," said Corliss.

 

Kansas City, Wichita, Olathe, Overland Park, and Topeka have all put their own web-based agendas into effect as well.

By Adam Samson

Before moving into a retirement home, 80-year-old Ruth Kintigh wanted to sell some furniture and other antiques worth several thousand dollars. Kintigh contacted a local consignment shop in Baldwin City and a man, who appeared very professional, took the items she was looking to sell.

Three weeks later and Ruth hadn't heard back from the man. He didn't return her phone calls either. At this point, Kintigh decided to call the district attorney's office to file a complaint against the man from the consignment shop through the Consumer Protection Unit. The man did respond to the call from the district attorney's office. He apologized to Kintigh and returned the items he had not sold and reimbursed her for most of what he had already sold.

Kintigh, now lives in the retirement home with her husband, where she can feel more at ease and doesn't have to worry about more potential consumer protection issues.

"I'm in a pretty protected situation now, but I can see a lot of elderly people and others being taken advantage of with the economic slump," Kintigh said.

Douglas County District Attorney Charles Branson created the Consumer Protection Unit (CPU) to address consumer needs and handle issues that a private practice attorney may not take. Since the inception in October 2006, the CPU expanded its outreach and has affected the community like Branson hoped. The CPU is also looking to make significant strides with consumer protection in the near future because of difficult economic conditions.

Branson initiated the CPU at the time he was running for office because Douglas County is large enough to have its own agency to help with consumer needs. Before becoming the district attorney, Branson worked in private practice for nine years in Douglas County.

Working in private practice, he realized there was a need for consumers to report impropriety. For instance, if there is a dispute because it may cost $500 to go to a private practice attorney in a situation over something as little as $100. Before Branson started the CPU, the closest agency for consumer help was located in Topeka.

"Knowing that the district attorney office's prior policy was to refer people to Topeka, I thought that was pretty unsatisfying," Branson said. "To me it became a matter of the right thing to do for Douglas County."

Nationally, according to the Federal Trade Commission, the number of consumer protection complaints have gradually increased since the year 2000. In 2000, the number of miscellaneous fraud complaints rested at 75,000.  Seven years later in 2007, the number rose to about 325,000. With the national number increasing, it helps to focus in on the local needs as well.

A specific group that the CPU has had a particular success in helping out is the elderly.

In Douglas County, which has a population of about 110,000, nearly 10 percent of the population are 65 years old and over. Essentially, the CPU keeps businesses honest and protects consumers and people who might be susceptible to consumer fraud.

For the elderly that aren't as aware of new technology and products, it becomes an issue as to whether businesses are honest about products and services. In Kintigh's case, she didn't have the resources to research if the local consignment shop was dependable.

"Consumers rely generally on the suppliers to tell them the truth about products and there's usually not a lot of ways to verify that," Branson said. "The CPU is designed to be a buffer in there to say if you take advantage of folks, then there's going to be some repercussions."

Lawrence resident Katherine Keene, 85, took a small, hand-made, 5x6 rug into Pride Cleaners on Iowa Street to get cleaned. The beige and black rug made from wool yarn with a gold rose woven into it, was given to Keene by her grandmother so the rug had sentimental value. It was the first time she had taken the rug to the cleaners in years, and as the young woman working pulled the rug out after the cycle, the rug was broken up into pieces.

The employee told the manager, but the manager said Pride Cleaners didn't do anything wrong.

"I couldn't write a nasty letter in a lady-like manner so that's when I went to the district attorney's office," Keene said.

Within a month, Keene got a letter from the CPU that said they resolved the complaint with Pride Cleaners and she received a reimbursement check soon after.

"The Consumer Protection Unit is such a great tool because we do need some place like that when we've been taken advantage of," Keene said.

Sometimes all it takes is a notification letter to the supplier asking to resolve the issue immediately or further action will be taken. Sometimes there ends up being factual disputes and the CPU decides how they want to proceed. Typically, the CPU makes the decision that is appropriate to remedy the situation whether it's a refund of money to the consumer, a penalty to the supplier, or a referral to another agency. Unresolved cases can wind up in court.

There was immediate response from the public when Douglas County launched its CPU.

On average, the CPU takes about 10 complaints per month. In 2006, in just three months, there were 45 complaints. Then in 2007, the number of complaints reached 115 and so far for this year, there are 88 complaints.

Since the beginning, the CPU has assisted consumers in recognizing and recovering over $38,000 to date.

"If someone is taking you for $100, that's two or three tanks of gas and I don't know anybody that will say I just won't fill up," Branson said.

With the way the economic times are right now, Branson thinks we will see more consumer protection cases.

"We're going to see more people willing to make a buck off of somebody else," Branson said. "People will try to take advantage of people because the cost of doing business is pretty high and if somebody can make a buck without having to put in the full cost of business, they'll do it."

Branson said that the CPU is going to have to identify how to cope with increased demand. To some extent, the CPU levies some fines and collects some investigative fees that help the office fund the CPU activities. There are no full-time staff members that work solely with the CPU.

One of the ways that the CPU puts out information to consumers is with its Community Alert Network. Branson targeted social service agencies where preventative information on scams and other consumer issues can be distributed. Some of these social service agencies in Douglas County include schools, churches, civic organizations, and neighborhood organizations.

Right now if the CPU sends an alert to everybody in the Community Alert Network, it goes to about 300 different organizations.

"Those 300 organizations reach thousands of people, so it's kind of the old tell five friends principle," Branson said. "If we can do that, we can reach a lot of people."

Right now, the Community Alert Network is a paper network, but Branson did say he wanted to turn it into an electronic network to speed up the process.

In addition to the information that the CPU provides for the networks, its Web site also provides detailed information on scams and how to fill out a complaint form.

Retextured graphics and internal LED light-bars assist in making the Lawrence Police Department's newest addition to its patrol cars significant.

Imagine getting pulled over while not even realizing that the car behind yours was a patrol car.  The new low-profile car may deceive you.

        "The traffic division went to the different style for multiple reasons.  When people see a marked patrol unit they are always on their best behavior.  One of the roles of the traffic division is to enforce traffic laws.  This car assists them with that task," Sergeant Bill Cory, said.

              The new car has been introduced to enhance safety.  Most people don't realize that it's a patrol car so they continue breaking the law without a second glance.  The car also poses a problem: at times, there is probable disbelief that the car is an actual police patrol car.

The more people who are pulled over or see people get pulled over by this car - the more awareness people will have at all times.  This is the main reason for the new design of the car.  After Lawrence adds another five low-profile cars, its goal is to have all of its residents abiding by the law at all times.

 

 

"I like the idea, don't get me wrong.  People should be more aware of the way they drive - especially in a college town," Lauren Fournier, Lenexa sophomore, said.  "It's just going to be a rude awakening for the people who regularly speed."

But is this new patrol car only so that people will be careful at all times?  Or is it so that police can catch more people who don't abide by the law?  Cory said that the Lawrence Police Department encourages everyone to abide by the traffic laws and that they are there to keep everyone safe while driving.

"I don't like the idea of these low-profile cars.  It's not like they're (police) cheating, it just seems like an unfair way for the police to catch more people," Ross Wilke, Hiawatha senior, said.

 

        Aside from keeping people aware and safe at all times, the car also poses as an issue of sorts.  Imagine seeing this car [which looks similar to a regular car] and suddenly its lights and sirens go on.  Do you move out of the way for this car?  It doesn't have the light bar on the top and there are no markings visible to you.  What do you do?

             According to Autotrader.com, an ugly tactic employed by some sexual predators has been to acquire a police-type vehicle (e.g., a Ford Crown Victoria or Chevrolet Caprice), obtain police-type flashing lights of the style used by unmarked patrol cars (readily available at police supply stores) and then use this gear to stage phony traffic stops for the purpose of assaulting female motorists.

             Most people will immediately pull over when they see a flashing blue or red light - and predators use this law-abiding instinct to their advantage. However, the fact that a blue or red light is flashing does not necessarily mean it's a cop behind you.

             This is the problem that the officers have to deal with.  If they are pulling someone over, they can only hope that people see the lights, hear the sirens, and pull to the side of the road.  If there is an emergency that they need to get to they can only hope that people move out of their way.

             "At night the markings on the car are highly reflective.  This aids people in seeing the car better when it is used at night," Cory, said.

             The low-profile car has become a more popular look for police cars across the United States.  Although there is possibility of slight disbelief that this car is a patrol car at first glance, the car has been successful in aiding with enhanced public safety and by making more people aware of what they are doing while on the road.