Multimedia Reporting (Kuhr-Musser)

On Saturday, Feb. 25 University of Kansas student Aaron Bazata reported the theft of his motor vehicle. Officers were dispatched to 501 Maple St. at 1:30 PM. The theft of his white 1996 4-door Nissan Altima occured on the 600 block of Massachusetts Street in front of Free State Brewery between 1:15AM and 12:30 PM. Victim said he had the only set of keys and nothing of value was inside the car. Value of the car was estimated at $3000 and it has not yet been located.

Battery was reported on Sat., Feb. 25 occurring between 2:00 and 2:05 AM at Quinton's Bar & Deli, 615 Massachusetts Street. Christopher Proctor, KU Student, was the victim. He was approached near closing time and was told that it was "time to leave" by an unidentified white male. Proctor responded that he did not need help leaving and the suspect grabbed the victim's shirt, threw him to the ground and escorted him out of the bar.

Battery was reported on Fri, Feb. 24 occurring between 1:15 and 1:30 AM on the 1100 Block of Tennessee Street involving KU Students Anthony Coluces and Alyssa Stern and reporting party Zachary Friedlander, Neosho County Community College student. Victims got out of the car and unidentified suspects jumped out of nearby bushes, attacked victims, and quickly left..

Posted by Nicholas Nelson at 12:03 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Cal Santos, or “Haunted Cal”, is livid about a recent scary surprise. For over a year the house he rents at 1900 19th Street, ‘Haunted Kitchen,’ has hosted art, political and music events, and he is suddenly facing the possibility that those days may be over soon. “I feel like I’m in ‘The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy’”, he said, referring to the opening lines of the Douglas Adams novel when the hero wakes up to a bulldozer preparing to demolish his home. “Oh well,” he said, shrugging, “We’re gonna party ‘til they tear it down.”

The 19th and Louisiana intersection is the most dangerous in Lawrence, says David Woosley, Lawrence’s Director of Traffic Engineering. 31 crashes were reported between 2002 and 2004, five involving injuries. This is far above average and is near the critical rate of wrecks. If you imagine that many of these are because of young drivers peeling away from Lawrence High School, think again. Only five of these crashes, Woosley added, involved drivers under the age of 18.

During peak hours, traffic at the intersection backs up all the way to Massachusetts Street, said Terece Gorman, the City Engineer. Most of the accidents are left-turn related, and roundabouts solve this type of traffic problem, Gorman explained. The safest and best solution from an engineering standpoint, she said, was the roundabout proposal.

The City Comission rejected the $1.49 Million roundabout proposal in December because a roundabout would not continue to control rapidly growing Lawrence traffic for more than 15 years. The commissioners believed the plan was too expensive for the short-term remedy it provided.

BG Consultants, a regional engineering group paid $37,000 last month to work on this project, drafted another proposal. This proposal, centered around geometric improvements to the intersection, would cost an estimated $2.24 Million and as much as $3 Million according to a Memorandum by the Public Works Department. However, it would continue to handle traffic for years to come. Gorman doesn’t like it. “Capacity improvements don’t affect the safety issue,” Gorman said.

A public meeting to discuss the proposal gathered about twenty residents together last week. Unfortunately, those the proposal affects weren’t there.

If this proposal is accepted by the City Commisison and put on the capital improvements plan, Haunted Cal might need a new nickname, because the city will be paving over the Haunted Kitchen. Seventeen other properties would be affected, and four homeowners would have to sell their homes to the city. The intersection will also be closed for up to a year.

Todd Giles has owned his home at 1900 Ohio for two years. Giles is pursuing his Ph.D while teaching at KU. He enjoys walking to his office every day. His neighbors across the street, Yoon and Laurenza Soung, bought their home last September. Laurenza gave birth to the Soung’s first child in October.

Neither knew about this proposal, although the city will buy Giles’ home and will take almost $10,000 of the Soung’s land if the City Comission approves it. Yoon and Laurenza swear they never got a postcard about the public meeting. Giles doesn’t think he did either.

However, Giles believes the project is justified. “I could bitch and moan and say it’s stupid, but the city could really use this, and there are only four homes…the proposal certainly seems to make sense.” Somewhat sarcastically, Giles added, “It would have been nice if they would have informed the residents a little more clearly than they did.”

When asked why those who might be asked to remit property were not specifically told about the plan, David Hanby of BG Consultants explained that the draft proposal is “only a project, only drawings on paper, until it’s funded.” He said he saw no reason to tell those people specifically, and thought postcards sent to residents about the public meeting were sufficient.

While the city hasn’t funded a complete plan yet, City Commissioner Mike Amyx says that the intersection ranks as a very high priority because it is such a dangerous intersection. Because there are so few East-West thoroughfares, he said, 19th and Louisiana must be addressed.

As he surveyed the geometric improvements draft proposal for the first time, Amyx said that the Commission will look at this as they do any other project: it’ll go on the capital improvements list while the city looks for ways to fund it. Regarding the eminent domain issue, Amyx said that the city makes ‘a big-time concerted effort’ to avoid eminent domain.

Chuck Soules, the Director of Public Works, agreed. “We’ll try to negotiate anywhere we can,” he said. “We really want to avoid eminent domain.”

Shocked residents will barely have time to double-take as they prepare to comment at a City Commission meeting to discuss this proposal, which will likely happen next month.

Posted by Carrie Wallace at 01:58 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Douglas County officials are tired of waiting. By now, they say, they should not have to pay for students attending community colleges.

In 2005 the county spent $361,177 on community college out-district tuition, said Craig Weinaug, Douglas County administrator. Even though that’s only one percent of the counties’ budget, it should have been phased out by 2003, said Weinaug.

“We are not responsible to maintain the community colleges,” said Weinaug. “We have no control or responsibility for universities or community colleges, nor do we want it.”

Higher Education Coordination ActThe Higher Education Coordination Act was passed in 1999 that was supposed to eliminate the out-district tuition counties had to pay by 2003.

Out-district tuition is defined by Tom Sloan, State Rep. 45th District, as the money paid by counties not having a community college to the community college that is educating students from the paying counties.

That phase out has not happened.

According to Sheila Frahm, Executive Director of the Kansas Association of Community College Trustees Kansas Association of Community College Trustees (KACCT), the plan was supposed to take four years to complete. After two years the plan was frozen due to a shortage of state revenue, said Frahm.

Judy Moler, General Counsel for the Kansas Association of CountiesKansas Association of Counties, is frustrated.

“It (out-district tuition phase out) was a promise made by the legislature to be in place by 2003, now it is 2006 and it is still here,” said Moler.

In Douglas County, out-district tuition is the only expenditure that the county has no control over within their budget, said Weinaug. In 2000 Douglas County was paying 24 dollars for every credit hour that a Douglas County resident enrolled at a community college. At this time, the county was paying almost $6-700,000 in out-district tuition to community colleges, said Weinaug.

Now, the out-district tuition is down to six dollars a credit-hour with 2006 “supposed” to be the last year of the phase-out, said Frahm. Rep. Sloan also echoed these thoughts.

According to Rep. Sloan, the state spent $191.1 million in total higher education in FY 2006, with $91.1 million going to community colleges. In the end of 2004, all of the 19 community colleges compiled $6,46,300 of out-district tuition at six dollars a credit hour said Frahm.

Most Douglas County residents that attended a community college went to Johnson County Community College in 2005, according to Weinaug. Of the $361,177 spent on out-district tuition to community colleges, $248, 052 went to JCCC, said Weinaug. The total out-district tuition billed to all 15 counties by JCCC in 2005 was $500,000, according to Frahm. MargE Shelley, Director of Enrollment Management at JCCC, said that currently there are 1,276 students this spring enrolled from Douglas County and the county has been billed $189,000 at six dollars a credit-hour.

Frahm said that the KACCT is supportive of the phase out of out-district tuition as long as everything goes as planned.

“If the state makes up the money than we should be fine,” said Frahm.

Frahm and the KACCT, a not-for-profit organization, watch out for everything involved with the 19 community colleges. The Higher Education Coordination Act just changed the fact that the money now comes from the Board of Regents as opposed to the Board of Education, according to Frahm. The community colleges have dealt with the loss of out-district tuition by an off-set of state aid, but the state aid has not been as much as promised due to a tight state budget, said Frahm.

The lack of state revenue has caused counties, such as Douglas County, to continue to pay out-district tuition. With this in mind, county officials are still not happy paying for something they have no control over, but one thing is certain according to Weinaug.

“We don’t think we are the appropriate way to fund community colleges,” said Weinaug.

Posted by James Pinick at 05:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Lawrence City Commissioners were divided over Delaware Street Commons request that the City pay for 90 percent of the project's public improvement costs. linktext

"This is a lot of money, it's not gonna happen," Commissioner Mike Amyx said at the city commission meeting on Tuesday.

The Public Works Department estimated the project's public improvements to total $168,000, making the request from the city $151,200. Rich Minder, Delaware Street Commons Treasurer, presented the request to the city commission. linktext

"We are pioneers of community development asking for financing and participation," Minder said, "It is a bold project and a bold request."

The Delaware Street Commons project will be the first cohousing community in the Midwest. Cohousing communities center around the idea of a collaborative living environment. They first came to the U.S. from Denmark in the early 1980s through the support of American architects, Kathryn McCamant and Charles Durrett. The physical layout of the community is designed by future residents of the neighborhood so that it promotes sustainable and cooperative living space. The Lawrence cohousing members purchased 2.2 acres on Delaware Street, between 12th and 13th streets, and are in the process of obtaining financing for construction. linktext

Mayor Dennis "Boog" Highberger questioned the precedence that might be created if the City were to grant the Delaware Street Commons request.

"What is the policy justification for this project, and not others?" Highberger said, "I can't find reason to spend that much money for years and years."

Minder supported his request by emphasizing how the cohousing project is so unique that it would put Kansas on a national map.

"This is an alternative model of how to do community development and urban design," Minder said, "Supporting this kind of development shows that Lawrence is open to diversity."

According to Minder, the 2.2 acres is valued at $455,000 as it stands today. After construction of the cohousing community is completed, its appraisal value climbs to $3.35 million. If the property is fully developed, Minder anticipates its value will actually exceed $3.35 million.

"We need to look at the value added to the community," Commissioner Sue Hack said, "Is it better for us to help or not help?"

While Minder's request departs from the City's development policy, the City has varied from its development policy to help with residential development in existing neighborhoods, such as the recent construction of 4th Street, east of Maine Street. According to Kansas state law, the City could pay up to 95 percent of the public improvement costs.

"My main concern are future projects of a similar nature," Amyx said, "We need to be very careful about it."

Although Highberger and Amyx voiced concern about the precedence the Delaware Street Commons request might set, Commissioners David Schauner and Mike Rundle asked if the Delaware Street Commons could be a Neighborhood Revitalization Project.

"This strikes me as a the kind of individual initiative that would inspire others," Schauner said, "These folks have got guts; they are investing their own money. We need to give them serious consideration."

Minder and the other Delaware Street Commons members hope to secure financing so that they can begin construction in the next month, whether or not they receive support from the City. While the commissioners expressed mixed feelings about the City's role in the Delaware Street Commons project, Minder is optimistic for the upcoming hearing. At the hearing, City staff will report how much tax will be generated on the property when it is fully developed as opposed to its current state.

"We will have some figures to work with that might indicate that we could participate at something like 20 to 25 percent," Hack said, "I would be comfortable with that."

According to Dave Corliss, assistant city manager, no date has been set for the hearing.

Posted by Michelle Tran at 04:29 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

A city department and a nonprofit music academy are competing to use the vacant Carnegie Library at Ninth and Vermont.

Each group argues it would use the space for cultural and recreational opportunities that will enrich downtown Lawrence.

“Between the Carnegie building, the Arts Center, Liberty Hall, and Watkins’ Museum, we are going to have a cultural mecca that is unique to this city,” said Thom Alexander, executive director of Americana Music Academy.

“We turn away upwards 100 inquiries for the gazebo space in South Park for weddings and receptions. This facility could help accommodate those needs. It would be a great place for receptions,” said Fred DeVictor, director of Lawrence Parks and Recreation Department.

The Lawrence Parks and Recreation Department and Americana Music Academy are the two remaining groups being considered to use the building.

The city commission is considering a design for the expansion of the Carnegie Library, vacant since the Lawrence Arts Center relocated in 2002. A proposed addition would add about 1,600 square feet onto the north side of the 10,000 square foot structure. The addition of an elevator and upgraded rest rooms are necessary for compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act. City officials expect the project to cost about $700,000. A portion of the city budget will pay for the renovations.

Fred DeVictor, director of Lawrence Parks and Recreation Department, said the city commission should consider those public funds when selecting the future occupant.

“The city will be spending tax dollars to bring this facility back to useful space. Part of our argument is that if tax dollars are going to pay for this project, we feel that it should stay in the public arena,” DeVictor said.

The department currently has offices in the Community Building, the East Lawrence Center, Holcomb, and Prairie Park. Although the building would not be large enough to house all of the department’s operations, DeVictor said the extra space would relieve demands in other facilities around town.

Among other potential users, DeVictor recently met with a square dance group interested in the space.

The city has agreed to pay for the building’s expansion, but the occupant will be required to cover the operationg costs. Mayor Dennis “Boog” Highberger said each group’s finances are a key criteria for the city commission’s decision.

“One thing we are concerned about is their financial stability and having the resources to keep up on maintenance and operating costs,” Highberger said.

DeVictor said the city would include operating costs, such as staffing and furnishing the structure, into the Parks and Recreation Department’s budget.

“We are part of the city. From our point of view, we would request a budget from the city commission to pay for the operations,” DeVictor said.

He predicted the department could rent space to outside groups to recoup some operating costs.

DeVictor said Park and Recreation’s presence downtown would help Lawrence by bringing people into the area.

Thom Alexander believes his organization—Kansas’ only nonprofit roots music school—would help downtown in much the same way.

“Right now, I could imagine bringing 200-400 people per week downtown who don’t go down there,” Alexander said.

The academy has a staff of 39 professional musicians who teach music lessons to about 1,300 students from Lawrence and the surrounding areas. Alexander expects that number to exceed 1,500 at the end of this year.

The academy has outgrown its current location on the 1400 block of Massachusetts St. Inadequate space limits the amount of programs the academy is able to offer, Alexander said.

“We’ve had to severely cut-back on our percussion classes,” he said.

Their current location does not provide well-insulated rooms to contain the sound, which disrupts the other lessons. The academy lacks space to relocate the percussion classes, Alexander said

Despite limited space, Americana does not turn away students—enrollment has nearly tripled since Alexander founded the organization in 2002. The group has found creative, if inconvenient, ways to accommodate growing student demands. For example, instructors conduct lessons out of their homes. Alexander said his organization needs the Carnegie Library facility to add new programs and offer better services to its students.

If awarded the facility, Alexander said the academy would be able to consolidate all of its classes into one building and provide proper rehearsal space for its various music courses.

Alexander hopes to receive the building rent-free.

“In return, the city wouldn’t be required to pay for the monthly upkeep of the building,” Alexander said.

But Mayor Highberger said he would prefer that the group pay the city rent, although he did not specify a price.

Alexander plans to finance operating costs primarily through student fees, donations and grants. In 2004, the academy collected about $68,000 in student program fees. In addition, the organization has received nearly $25,000 in grants over the last four years.

Alexander said he would consider occasionally renting space to public and other nonprofit organizations that can’t afford the rental prices in private buildings such as Liberty Hall.

Mayor Dennis “Boog” Highberger is undecided about who should receive the Carnegie Library space. He said it makes sense for the city-owned building to remain public, although the public vs. private issue is not his main concern.

“Parks and Rec has identified several needs. We might be able to accommodate their needs elsewhere,” Highberger said.

The mayor said both groups would benefit the community and downtown Lawrence.

“Certainly both are strong proposals,” Highberger said.

Mike Wildgen, city manager, expects the expansion project to begin next June. It should be complete sometime next year, Wildgen said.

The Lawrence Parks and Recreation Department and Americana Music Academy will defend their proposals before the city commission at a study session March 9.

Posted by Derek Korte at 04:25 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Everyday, children get lost in the fun of playing at Hobbs Park. Tony Doria, Lawrence sophomore, can remember Hobbs Park being the place to play in elementary school. “Our school’s playground got boring fast. During recess we’d run over to Hobbs Park for the better playground” Doria said. While Doria’s enthusiasm for better swings and slides may have slowed down as time passed, other local residents’ passions continue to keep running.

James Grauerholz, Burroughs Creek Area Plan (BCAP) study committee member, has filed his passion for playgrounds with Lawrence City Commission. As one of the leaders of the east side neighborhoods, Grauerholz hopes to add more green space to Hobbs Park. How? With the addition of Sale Barn site at 911 East 11th St.

Lawrence’s Sale Barn site found it’s beginnings through John Speer, an abolitionist, and a founder of Lawrence. Speer established a farmstead shortly after arriving to Lawrence in 1854 and soon began publishing one of the first newspapers of Kansas, which led to today’s Lawrence Journal-World.

Speer was an avid abolitionist, and suffered greatly for his beliefs. On August 21, 1863 Speer lost two teenage sons and his entire publishing office during Quantrill’s infamous raid. Though narrowly escaping assassination, Speer’s abolitionism continued through the Civil War.

Once the Civil War ended, Speer formed a railroad partnership that became known as the Leavenworth, Lawrence and Galveston Rail Road. The tracks were built along the eastern edge of Speer’s land in 1868 and south to Ottawa. Eventually, the railroad endeavor failed and bankrupted Speer. In 1883, Speer left Lawrence and head west, spending his final years in Denver, Col.

Speer’s land was divided and subdivided after his bankruptcy. In the late 1930s, the Lawrence Livestock Sale Barn opened. The three-acre site served Lawrence-area livestock producers for 50 years before the changing market conditions caused its collapse in the spring of 1995.

The Sale Barn site became under new ownership in 1995. Mastercraft, Inc., owned by the Schwada family, purchased the land for industrial zoning. The new owners removed large amounts of soil for their company’s other construction projects. In 1996, the Schwada’s received a permit to demolish the rundown old sale barn. Currently the site is vacant.

For over three years, Mastercraft, Inc. has renewed its industrial zoning site plan. According to Grauerholz, Mastercraft, Inc “had approval for building, but they never broke ground, they just kept renewing.”

According to Michelle Leininger, Area/Neighborhood Planner for Lawrence Douglas Country Metropolitan Planning Office, continuous renewals may be a thing of the past. For now there are no statutory permits to stop owners from constant renewing, but there is a New Land Development Code coming to Douglas County. This code will provide an 18 month site plan, allowing only one six month extension. For companies like Mastercraft, Inc. this means that without breaking ground, the paper trail will have to start all over again.

The Burroughs Creek Area Plan study committee has already stopped the Schwada family from another industrial zoning extension. In Feburary of 2005, BCAP opposed Mastercraft, Inc.’s late request for a belated extension of the Sale Barn site. City commissioners sided with BCAP, finding Mastercraft, Inc. extension request past the due date. The extension was denied and is now up for sale for anyone will to pay a hefty chunk of change.

Grauerholz is hoping that Hobbs Park’s recent qualification as a historic site will influence the city to purchase the Sale Barn site. Since Hobbs Park was granted a city level historical site listing, then 250 square feet of land is allowed to be qualified. This means the Sale Barn site is well within the distance to also be apart of the historical site listing.

In May, Kansas Department of Transportation will announce the winner of the TE Grant. Many eastern Lawrence residents are hoping the Hobbs Park Expansion project will be titled the winner. With the financial help of the TE Grant, the city of Lawrence will have a higher chance of purchasing the Sale Barn site.

The TE Grant will help out Mastercraft, Inc. as well. In 2000, Mastercraft, Inc. was approved for industrial zoning, and had plans to make a warehouse. Over five years later, the Sale Barn site is nothing more than a pile of dirt. Neighborhoods took over the area instead of factories, which makes it difficult to sell the idea of a factory, office spaces, or warehouses. The TE Grant will give the city enough resources to take the industrially zoned land out of Mastercraft, Inc.’s hands and turn it into park property.

Almost a quarter of a million dollars will be granted to the winning project. For Hobbs Park, this means more than just slides and swings. The Sale Barn site could become part of Hobbs Park, adding even more history to the area. The added land is more than a playground for the children of Lawrence, it's history in the making.

Posted by Marla Keown at 03:48 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Libraries across Kansas are upset with a proposed state law that would prohibit the viewing of pornographic websites and circulation of R-rated movies to minors.

The bill, which won first round approval in the Kansas House of Representatives on February 8, would take the authority to make the decision on the circulation of these materials away from the local Library Boards.

“State statute in Kansas defines the local Library Board of Trustees as the governing body for the local library,” Bruce Flanders, Director of the Lawrence Public Library, said. “The Board is charged with setting policy for the local library, which is always done to meet local expectations for service.”

Flanders added that what may be a good decision in some parts of the state might not be seen the same way in a place like Lawrence or Kansas City.

“That's my philosophical problem with the proposed legislation,” Flanders said.

The penalty for violating the proposed law would be a withdrawal of state funding for the violating library. In Lawrence’s case, this would amount to about $60,000, a relatively small portion of the library’s funding, but one that Flanders said was still important.

“The restrictions would not be accepted by some public libraries, probably, who would choose to live without state funding rather than give up their local authority,” Flanders said. He did not think this would be the case in Lawrence, but had not yet spoken with the Library Board about that possibility.

The bill was first intended to deal with levies for property valuation of regional libraries, but was amended by Rep. Becky Hutchins, R-Holton, to include the restrictions.

Rep. Jene Vickrey, R-Louisburg, introduced the original bill and, although he would have preferred his bill be passed without controversy, agrees with the spirit of the amendment.

“If inappropriate material is there, we need to make sure children are protected from that material,” Vickrey said. He noted that the amendment was prompted by concerns in other Representatives’ districts which he agreed would necessitate some sort of policy.

Vickrey said that he would generally support the local Library Board’s authority and would hope that any problems could be solved without state intervention. But, he said, the law is necessary “if this is the only remedy for that situation.”

Hutchins introduced a similar proposal in 2004. That legislation was approved by the House but was not passed by the Senate. Vickrey is currently in negotiations to get the bill on the agenda of a Senate committee, but he knows that would not be enough to guarantee its passage.

“It wouldn’t surprise me if didn’t get past the Senate again,” Vickrey said.

One issue libraries have with the legislation is that they believe they are already doing enough to limit inappropriate materials.

“We basically focus on limiting access to explicit material on the Internet, since there is the equivalent of X or NC-17 rated material on the Internet,” Flanders said. “Beyond our own efforts, it is really up to parents to control the viewing and reading habits of their children.”

Flanders is also concerned with the logistics of implementing the R-rated movie policy and identifying minors at a library large enough to have automated circulation.

Flanders said that despite his understanding that the legislation is motivated by genuine concern rather than politics, he is worried about the message that would be sent if the law was passed.

“I think it has the potential to be a slippery slope,” Flanders said. “I would hate to see this legislation succeed, because it might embolden people to try to ban books."

Posted by Daniel Luppino at 03:26 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

A proposed increase in rental rates for buildings at the Douglas County 4-H Fairgrounds is set to be finalized March 8 at the county commissioner’s meeting.

Bill Bell, Maintenance Director for Douglas County, says there are a few reasons for the proposed increase in rental rates. Some of these reasons include higher demand for renting the buildings and higher utilities.

One example of the increase in demand for renting buildings is the arena.

In 2000, the county took a gamble on building a new arena in the fairgrounds. The general feeling was that the arena would either become a white elephant, or would be a major success, Bell said.

As it turned out, the arena became a huge success. As a result the arena was quickly booked up.

“It’s very rare you won’t see an event going on in the arena on the weekends,” Bell said.

Since the arena can be booked months in advance, the building is limited in use to people who wait to schedule an event. The proposed fee restructuring is partially in response to this problem.

The deposit was increased on the arena to make people think twice before making a reservation way in advance, Bell said.

In addition, the deposit is also non-refundable if a group or individual decides to cancel their reservation.

However, if there were extenuating circumstances, such as a massive snowstorm, the deposit would be refunded, Bell said.

With the current rates, the county is getting back 25 percent of the operating and maintenance costs of the buildings. The proposed rate increases would recover 50 percent of the costs of operating and maintaining the fairground buildings.

In addition to the increased demand for the buildings, the price of utilities has skyrocketed. The utilities for the fairgrounds cost a little over $100,000 a year, Bell said.

Even with the increase in the rental rates it is still a losing business, Bell said.

Bob Johnson, Douglas County Commissioner, had a slightly different take on the proposed increases for renting the fair buildings.

The main concern of the county commissioners was that public money covers whatever costs the rental fees do not. When a commercial group such as the Swap Meet, rents the buildings, it is being used for something other than public service. In consequence, there is an extremely high subsidized rate.

The goal of the commission is to get 50 percent of the cost back of operating and maintaining the buildings that ensures that taxpayers are not too heavily subsidizing the fairgrounds, Johnson said.

After the goal of getting back 50 percent of the costs of operating the buildings is met, minor corrections might have to be made to the rental fees if utilities were to increase or other costs associated with the buildings increased.

The goal is not to cause people not to rent, but to make sure that they are certain they need the building and will not cancel their reservation, Johnson said.

Since the article about the proposed rental increases was published in the Lawrence Journal-World on Tuesday, Johnson has not heard from the public concerning the increases.

The implementation of rental fees for the fairground buildings is a fairly recent occurrence.

“It was only about four or five years ago that the county started to charge rental fees for the buildings,” Bell said.

Before the county charged rental fees, only a small deposit was required for the use of the buildings. However, since people weren’t paying they did not have as much of an incentive to take care of the buildings and clean-up properly.

When the rental fees were implemented there was a three-month period where people were upset at the new fees and did not rent much, Bell said.

Eventually, though people started to rent again.

Even with the new proposed rates, renting the fairgrounds, “Is still the best deal in town,” Bell said.

Although both Bell and Johnson tout the benefits of increasing the rental fees for the buildings, some renters of the buildings will be affected negatively.

One such person is Rosalee Rainbolt. Recently she and other individuals created a new square dance club called Happy Time Squares Dance Club. They currently meet in Building 21.

"It is a very big problem for us," Rainbolt said of the proposed increases for renting Building 21.

Currently the club is looking into other possibilities for meeting and dancing.

Since the fees will not increase for the rest of the year if put into effect, Rainbolt and her square dancing club will continue to rent Building 21.

If the club cannot find a new location, either membership fees will be increased or fundraisers will be utilized, Rainbolt said.

Posted by Kimberly Lynch at 03:05 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Douglas County will continue to use lightweight mineral fragments for road repairs this year despite a significant rise in the cost of this material.

The county switched to using lightweight shale fragments instead of heavier limestone rocks for sealant about eight years ago. It never looked back on that decision until Monday, when a 31.7 percent increase in the price of the lightweight fragments forced the commission to consider reverting back to the cheaper limestone alternative.

Escalated gas prices caused the sharp increase in lightweight fragment costs. The fragments are manufactured using natural gas and must be transported from Marquette, Kans., and New Market, Mo., which requires even more gas, Doug Stephens, chief of inspections for Douglas County Public Works said.

“It’s a cost you have to pass along,” Ron Vance, sales manager at Vance Bros. Inc., said. His company supplies asphalt to the county.

Limestone rocks, which the commission discussed using as a more affordable alternative, cost half as much as the lightweight shale minerals because they are mined in Douglas County rather than manufactured elsewhere. Stephens estimated the difference in price totals for one year's worth of road repair is about $9,800. Limestone is far more cost efficient, but it cannot compare to the lightweight material’s durability and use.

“There’s a world of difference between the two rocks,” Stephens said. “The limestone works fine, but the other is just better.”

The most important difference between limestone fragments and lightweight fragments is degree of safety. Lightweight fragments create much safer roads. They are approximately half the weight of limestone, according to Keith Browning, county engineer. This is significant because the fragments blow off the road. They aren’t picked up and carried by the wind like limestone rocks, which have caused damage to windshields before. Lightweight fragments are darker and create a more visible contrast with road markings. As they wear, it causes the road surface to become porous. Voids open in the asphalt which allows friction to remain high. Limestone fragments produce the opposite effect over time: street surfaces become polished, making the surface slippery and less skid-resistant. Limestone is also problematic because it produces a significant amount of dust when it is being put down on the road. Several accidents occurred during street sweeping operations when limestone was used in the past.

One drawback for using the lightweight material is that the county might be forced to cut back on repairs in the future if high prices persist. The county has reserved $483,000 of budget money for road sealing in 2006. Using the lightweight shale minerals, which cost $13,810 per mile, it will be able to seal about 35 miles of road. That is eight miles less than the limestone rock, priced at $11,293, would allow for. But County Commissioner Bob Johnson does not anticipate the shortcoming will be a problem this year. He said there is probably enough money in the budget to do what the county has planned. If prices are this high next year, the commission will need to allocate more money for road maintenance. The road segments and total mileage that will be sealed this year will be determined later in the spring.

Ultimately, Johnson said the committee voted in favor of the lightweight material because it performs better and it is safer. Also, he said the county prefers it.

Lawrence resident Amanda Harlan approves of the committee’s decision to use the safer material rather than the cheaper one. Baldwin resident Channette Kirby agrees.

“Safety is definitely more important,” she said.

Posted by Darla Slipke at 03:05 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

When architect Ieoh Ming Pei constructed the glass pyramid in the frontcourt at the Louvre Museum in Paris, he faced a large number of cultural protestors. A group of French elites as well as concerned citizens thought that the glass structure, which is about 70 feet high, took away from the historical integrity of the famous building. The pyramid opened to the public in 1989 and is now one of the most famous structures in the world.

If we fast forward almost two decades, we have a similar situation in the making in Lawrence. Although it's on a much smaller scale and less world renown, the Carnegie Library matter creates the same problem: How do you expand on a historic building without threatening its integrity?

Historic Resources Administrator, Lynne Zollner, said her job is to make sure that every governing factor of the project is well informed of every proposal. She said architect David Dunfield's proposed two-story glass structure could cause public debate.

"I don't think everyone's happy with it," Zollner said. "And I think that there will be a lot of public discussion over it."

One person who is not happy with the design is ecology architect Sven Alstrom, member of the Historic Resources Commission. He said the city commission could do better.

"It needs to look like a public building instead of a commercial building," Alstrom said. "This [the design] doesn't blend in with the original building at all."

The Carnegie Library building, which is on the National Register of Historic Places, was constructed in 1904. In 1937, during the Great Depression, an expansion made from different material was added to the back of the building. The building already has a contrast in appearance.

Altrom said he suggests a remodeling of the 1937 addition instead of adding a new section to the back and creating more contrast. All of the handicapped accessibility updates, necessary in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, could be added to that portion.

"Do we need to leave it [the 1937 expansion] alone?" Alstrom said. "If we're going to spend the money, why not remodel the contrasting addition?

Alstrom said that if the only solution is to expand, the city should use this as an opportunity to add more to the cultural history of the building. He said the expansion should be even more modernized and artistic to reflect the new millennium, not just an updated entrance.

"The building tells the history of this city," he said. "So let's tell it."

However, like the Louvre pyramid situation, some people are embracing the idea of a modern facelift.

Ann Evans, executive director of the Lawrence Arts Center, the previous tenant of the currently unoccupied building, said that she doesn't mind the concept of a modern extension. Her main concern is the accessibility issue.

"The building has to be accessible," she said. "I want it to be used in the best possible way. I would like to see it modernized."

City Commissioner Mike Amyx commended Dunfield on his design.

"I think he's done a good job to make an addition that meets requirements," Amyx said.

Amyx likes the way Dunfield's plan lines the proposed windows up with the old. The brick foundation would also extend under the proposed expansion to maintain continuity.

Amyx and the other city commissioners met in a study session on Feb. 22 in order to examine the situation more. The final decision, as Amyx said, is still about "a year down the road."

Administrator Zollner said Lawrence citizens need to receive just as much information as the city government in order to make a good decision. She said the building belongs to the Lawrence community, so citizens should have a say in its fate.

"It's very important for the community to speak up," she said. "Everyone should express their opinion."

Getting the community involved in the decision, Zollner said, will keep the commission from making a hasty decision that will cause more grumbling throughout the community.

Posted by Matthew Doubrava at 02:57 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

A 27-year-old Eudora man couldn’t believe Lawrence Police simply seized his MAK-90 semiautomatic rifle from the trunk of his car. He thought the Second Amendment would have protected against such seizure.

The man had been trying to sell his gun at a pawnshop last Friday evening when police received a call about his rifle. It lay in the open trunk of the man's car, which was parked in a city lot at 825 New Hampshire. Police seized the weapon and cited the man for having a gun within 200 feet of a bar.

The citation came under the recent revision to city ordinance 7976. At the Lawrence Journal-World's website, the man posted his frustration anonymously on a message board.

“I would like to give my apologies to all of those people who live on Mass. Street . . . because all of their Second Amendment rights have been violated with the passing of this law,” he wrote. "I think that the comissioners, once again, passed a hasty, ineffectual law instead of the right law."

He declined to be identified for this story, citing his lawyer’s advice.

Guns, frustration, and a lack of consensus muddy the future of downtown safety. Lawrence residents, downtown business owners, and city management offer different views on increasing safety downtown and controlling weapons near nightlife spots.

Police, city managers: limit guns

On Feb. 14, City Commissions revised ordinance 7976, an amendment to city code 14-408 which prohibits possession of dangerous knives and firearms near alcohol-serving establishments. The ordinance was unclear about how close a weapon could be to a bar before it violated the code.

Scott Miller, a Lawrence city attorney, told Commissioners police had been hesitant about seizing fewer than 10 guns they had spotted downtown because they weren’t sure the weapons were in “close proximity” to drinking venues. The revision to ordinance 7976 now prohibits possession of a gun within 200 feet of a bar.

Kansas state senators passed Senate bill 418 earlier this month, which allows the state to issue licenses for citizens to carry concealed weapons. Governor Kathleen Sebelius has vetoed previous concealed-carry bills, but the Senate passed this most recent version with enough votes to override a veto. The bill is currently pending before the Federal and State Affairs committee in the Kansas House.

Rep. Barbara Ballard (D-Lawrence) flatly opposes the bill.

“Kansas has some of the most lenient gun laws in the nation,” Ballard said. “My constituents overwhelmingly are not in favor of concealed-carry.”

City Commissioner David Schauner said he doesn’t want to play catch-up when it comes to guns downtown. He also opposes concealed-carry laws.

“I think it’s a negative, period,” Schauner said.

Schauner also worries about self defense bills that allow a person to “shoot first and ask questions later.” House bill 2577, also pending before the House Federal and State Affairs committee, states that, without attempting to flee first, a person can use deadly force against to prevent “great bodily harm” or to stop someone from breaking into a house.

Some Lawrence residents favor such concealed-carry and self defense laws. Lisa Day, who lives in eastern Lawrence, has spent most of her life in northeastern Kansas. She said law-abiding citizens want to protect themselves.

“If criminals are afraid that their intended victims might be armed, they will think twice about committing those crimes," Day said. "Jail and prison don't scare them anymore. But death will.”

City Manager Mike Wildgen has invited business owners to a March 6 public meeting to generate ideas for keeping downtown safe.

“We’d like to know what their security issues are, and how downtown can be kept safe,” Wildgen said.

Business owners: don’t concentrate on isolated incidents

Eileen Strong, the owner of Strong’s Antiques and Aimee’s Coffee Shop, hopes the meeting can create common goals for increasing downtown safety.

“What I’d like to see the planners of Lawrence do is to take a non-partisan approach to improving Lawrence,” Strong said. “I think in the past we’ve seen a lot of individual agendas being pushed through.”

Commissioner Schauner has questioned continuing to approve liquor licenses for downtown bars, but Strong sees little progress on such ideas and she hopes lawmakers don’t focus merely on isolated crimes like the Granada shooting.

“I heard five years ago the City Commission isn’t issuing any more liquor licenses,” Strong said. “We constantly say we’re not going to do something, and then we do it. We don’t need Band-Aid solutions.”

At the Feb. 14 meeting, City Commissioners briefly mentioned possibly mandating closing times for bars. Jerry Neverve, co-owner of Red Lyon Tavern, said such ideas are ignorant.

“I think everybody downtown would fight that,” Neverve said. “This is a college town. If we try to curtail activity, it’s going to have a significant economic impact.”

Neverve also characterized the Granada shooting as an isolated incident.

“You have one unfortunate incident downtown, and people tend to overreact,” Neverve said. “The vast majority of places down here take care of their customers.”

Posted by David Linhardt at 02:45 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

The Lawrence-Douglas County Metropolitan Planning Commission voted unanimously Wednesday night to allow The Woods on 19th LLC housing developer, John McGrew, to withdraw a haunting development stipulation.
McGrew went through all the hoops and gained Kansas state permission to start development on his land located at 19th and Delaware in the spring of 2002. McGrew no longer owns the property; the forty-nine single-family homeowners do.
McGrew didn’t expect to appear before or the Metropolitan Planning Commission or the Kansas State Water Resources four years after he gained Kansas state approval and his development had been built.
His approval included one lingering catch: A state stipulation said that $75,000 would be set into an escrow account to build a bridge in the housing development.
The planned bridge would serve as a pedestrian path over the creek and as an access point to Rails-to-Trails.
Because of flood planes in the specified area for the bridge, the area has caused problems in development and has made the original stipulation to build a bridge impossible. McGrew has been wondering what that means for the $75,000.
He stood before nine Planning Commissioners Wednesday and said, “All I have to say is that I have the money to build the bridge, and the state won’t let me advance.”
McGrew must have said something right, because the Planning Commission unanimously voted, with one abstention, to remove the problematic bridge stipulation at the northeast corner of 19th and Delaware.
McGrew hopes that the Planning Commissioners decision can allow him to finally wash his hands of this haunting problem.
Sandra Day, Lawrence staff planner, has worked with McGrew and other planners since 2002 to settle the case.
“This is an unusual and unique piece of ground. It is long and skinny—irregular shaped. A creek and tributary run through it and it is encumbered by flood planes,” Day said. “It has been very challenging to develop.”
The Planning Commissioners deferred this item from a February 16 meeting because they needed to talk to an attorney before making any decisions. Planning Commissioner Dennis Lawson said, “We know what we want to do, but is it legal?”
Director of Legal Services and Associate City Manager, David Corliss, attended the Wednesday meeting to answer questions of legality. Corliss said although the state has declared the money in the escrow account be used for a bridge, an alternate use may be legal. “Something that serves the same function as a bridge, like a path, would be okay,” Corliss said.
The proposal of the bridge was most appealing because it would serve as a Rails-to-Trails access point. The Planning Commissioners had a tough time passing the item because they wanted to see the neighborhood linked to Rails-to-Trails.
According to www.railstrails.org, Rails-to-Trails is a conservancy using former rail roads and turning them into public walking, biking, or jogging paths.
In the spring of 1991, the Haskell railroad was vacated and Rails-to-Trails became an operating path. It was the first of eight Kansas rail roads to be made into a trail.
Director of Parks and Recreation of Lawrence, Fred DeVictor, said any kind of neighborhood public service is beneficial, but the debated access point is not crucial to Rails-to-Trails functioning.
“A lot of bikers would use it and neighborhood families. It is a great atmosphere to push a baby stroller. It is pretty important to have access,” DeVictor said. “We have been working with the rail road and have applied for a grant to extend the trial by two miles. We anticipate hearing an answer in May.”
DeVictor said that if the grant is approved, there would be at least four new access points.

Posted by Bethany Bunch at 02:03 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Inmate population at the Douglas County Jail has quadrupled in the last 10 years. With more growth anticipated, consultants from the National Institute for Corrections will visit in the first part of March.

Kenneth Massey, Douglas County Undersheriff, said the NIC has two goals: to evaluate the over-crowding situation and to evaluate programs within the facility.

“Overpopulation is a problem now that is affecting every jail and every prison in the country. Since 1999 when the jail opened, to today, there has been an eight percent per year increase in population. This year’s average estimate is 180, but it fluctuates.”

Massey said the jail is overpopulated right now. Maximum capacity is 196 beds. If growth continues as expected, the average population in 2007 will be 194. This does not leave much breathing room.

$360,000 was spent less than a year ago for a slight expansion to handle the growing inmate population. BA Green Construction Co. was hired for the project. Tracy Green, company president, said the addition was a 32 foot by 32 foot enclosed exercise area used for work-release inmates. He also said some interior remodeling was done.

Massey said three beds were lost because of internal renovation. He also said factors figure in to the maximum capacity equation that don’t allow all of the beds to be used. With 56 work-release beds and 25 women’s beds, that leaves 115 workable beds for males. Some inmates stay in the work-release area under strict criteria.

“A growing population of inmates has led to problems with where to place them because of security areas,” said Dan Rowe, principal at Treanor Architects. “We have been talking with the county about assisting with expansion needs.”

Treanor Architects built the jail six and a half years ago, but no new plans have been made.

“I am confident that many other avenues will be explored to decrease population, such as probation, parole, sentencing in courts and house arrest,” Massey said.

Reentry of inmates into society is a means of population control the jail is working to improve. The NIC will evaluate AA, NA, religious programs and others to see how or if they fit with successful reentry.

“Reentry is very important to keep inmates from re-offending,” Massey said.

Craig Weinaug, County Administrator, said that each inmate must have a physical exam when admitted. Massey said as the jail continues to grow, it may need to get another nurse.

On February 8, 2006, the Douglas County Commission approved a $61,472 nursing staff increase at the jail to alleviate staff overwhelmed by its population.

Douglas County Visiting Nurses Association provides nursing services to the jail through a contract with Douglas County. The approved contract increase pays for the addition of two Certified Medication Aides and extended hours.

Judy Bellome, executive director of VNA, said that at least a third of inmates receive medication four times a day. Under the old contract, nurses did physicals and gave medications but the job became too large for the staff. The fact that uncertified guards had to distribute medications at night was considered a liability issue by the county commission during approval.

The contract VNA proposed to the commission included another, more expensive option to increase the nursing staff, but was never considered. This option would fund for even more CMAs to free up corrections staff and nurses as the inmate population grows.

Both Bellome and Massey said the current contract option provides an “adequate” staff. Guards still distribute medications past 10 p.m. and seldom, if ever while the nursing staff is on duty.

“This plan will benefit inmates by having a certified, knowledgeable person distributing medications and available for help,” Bellome said. “It was a business decision.”

Weinaug said the price increase will be covered by savings from cutting transportation and food costs.

“We have to be good stewards of taxpayer’s money,” Massey said.

As the inmate population continues to swell, the current space and staff may not suffice, regardless of thousands spent in the last year.

Posted by Katherine Loeck at 01:50 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

At a County Commission meeting on February 8, 2006, the Douglas County Commission approved a new plan that will add two more certified medication assistants to the medical staff at the Douglas County Jail. As a result of this change, there is now a larger medical staff, and longer hours.
the Visiting Nurses Association, and the Under Sheriff of Douglas County, Kenneth Massey. “I did not want my guards having to pass medications while the nurses were off duty because there is risk involved,” said Massey.
Before the contract change went into affect, when many members of the VNA (Voluntary Nurses Association) were off duty, prison guards would give out prescribed medications to the inmates. “The jail staff would pass the meds in the evening, and they were given an orientation and an in-service on how to pass meds safely. However, as anybody knows, today there is new medications that come out everyday that run the risk of interacting and causing side affects,” said Judy Bellome, director of the Visiting Nurses Association. She said that she feels much more comfortable now that certified or licensed persons are now more available to pass the medications.
Along with the addition of two more certified medical assistants, nurse hours have also been altered. The nursing staff now works forty-hour weeks and weekend hours have increased. “We start at 6:30 in the morning on weekends because if you have 40 to 50 medications to set up, it may take sometimes an hour or more just to prepare the medicines,” said Bellome.
This contract change caused a significant budget increase for Douglas County. “There is an approximate $60,000 increase as a result of this contract change, this is because of the costs of more paid hours and employee additions to payroll,” said Craig Weinaug, County Administrator.
While it was a rather large county budget increase, the VNA believes that it will save money in the long run and protect inmate’s health and well being. “To me it is a matter of risk management because it would be much more costly to the jail and citizens of Douglas County if there were some kind of law suit over a medication given incorrectly,” said Bellome.
However, Douglas County Commissioners also believe that it is a matter of doing the right thing. “Let’s say we did make a mistake and somebody’s health was damaged, we have a responsibility to provide health care to people who are incarcerated,” said Weinaug.
The Douglas County Jail, established in 1999, housed about 100 inmates when the medical clinic was first assigned, and it now houses over 200. “This was something that needed to happen and Ken Massey and I have been talking to the Sheriff about it for a few months,” said Bellome. “I am glad that a change is in progress,” she said.
In both Shawnee and Wyandotte County, jails are ahead of Douglas County when it comes to these issues. In both counties, a medical jail staff is on duty for 24 hours each day, seven days a week. “I know we don’t have a full time medical staff, but I wouldn’t say that the Douglas County Jail is understaffed,” said County Commissioner Bob Johnson.
However, change may still be on the brink for Douglas County. “I think a 24 hour, seven days a week staff is a possibility for Douglas County when the inmate population increases,” said Bellome.

Posted by Beth Breitenstein at 12:03 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Mauro Nobre has 300 kids. He used to have about 400, but he just didn’t have room for all of them so he had to let a few go. He would have loved to keep all of them, even have more, but he had no choice. These are the decisions you have to make when you run a youth soccer league and are working with a limited playing area.

Nobre is the Club League director for the Kaw Valley Soccer Association and coaches four teams in its Premier League. He is also a staff coach for the Olympic Developmental Program and runs a Futsal league, a private indoor soccer league in Lawrence.

He had up to 40 teams in his league before the closing of Sport2Sport late last year. This forced a cut back to 30 teams now that he splits time at the East Lawrence Center and Holcom Park Recreation Center. With around 10 kids per team, about 100 had to find somewhere else to play.

He said the city’s lack of indoor sports facilities is resulting in stiff competition off of the soccer field.

“There’s a lot of animosity and hard feelings about this because there are taxpayers who can’t play,” Nobre said. “You can sense the frustration…in parents. It’s really cutthroat. Imagine a pack of wolves fighting for one little scrap of meat.”

He says that the kids who do have the opportunity to play can never practice because of the limited space. Parents often double as team managers, and if they want their team to practice then they are responsible for finding the area to do so.

“It’s impossible to find a place to practice,” said Lawrence resident Kathy Neet, who has managed her child’s team for three years, begins her search well before the season starts. Despite indoor leagues starting around November, when it gets too cold to play outside, the fight for a place to play heats up as early as May.

“The school board and the city control so much of the open gym space that it’s almost a monopoly. They get to pick who plays, and any program that isn’t parks and rec gets what’s left,” he said. He hopes more space will result in the city not having to cut kids’ opportunities for playing field use.

The City of Lawrence, Douglas County and USD 497 hope to come to the rescue of Lawrence youth coaches not only for soccer, but other sports as well. Officials are working together to bring a new recreational sports complex to Lawrence. Partners for Lawrence Athletics and Youth (PLAY) was recently formed by Lawrence citizens to help the city and county evaluate sports facility needs and then develop an action plan for a first-class sports and recreation complex. They have proposed a feasibility study to assess the city’s need for a complex, and, so far, the first steps toward more playing fields are going well. The school board has agreed to fund 40 percent, up to $25,000, and the City of Lawrence agreed to fund 40 percent of the study’s cost as well. The Lawrence Chamber of Commerce will pay for 10 percent, up to $6000, and the Douglas County Commission has agreed in principle to cover 10 percent.

Not everyone supports the plan. Commissioners Mike Amyx and David Schauner both voted “nay” on the proposal. Amyx said the city has already tied enough of its money up in other projects for the time being, but a facility might be on the priority list somewhere along the way.

“With sewers, utilities, streets and the library we’ve made commitments to, there’s a pretty substantial list. It could be 15 or 20 years before we can consider it,” Amyx said.
Bonnie Lowe, who heads PLAY, hopes to get the project off the ground as soon as possible, that is, if the study finds it feasible.

“We believe we are very much behind,” Lowe said. She said the study was originally going to focus on grades kindergarten through seven, but was expanded to look at the entire community.

Once funds are officially allocated and a “request for proposal” is issued, consultants will bid for the opportunity to put the study together. Lowe expects the study to cost anywhere from $50,000 to $70,000. If it finds that there is a need for a complex, a committee will be formed and a consultant will be hired to specify size, location and cost. Lowe added that this project also has the potential of enhancing the economic development of Lawrence by bringing in more recreational teams from out of town.

Nobre agreed, and said that bringing in large youth events would be a boost to Lawrence's economy. Topeka's Governer's Cup brings 300 teams twice a year. While that is exclusively Topeka's tournament, the State Cup and the Olympic Development State Camp, held by the Kansas State Youth Soccer Association, can be held at a different city in the state each year, he said. The Kaw Valley Soccer Association holds two yearly tournaments in Lawrence; the Kansas Cup, a girls premier tournament held in the fall, and the Kaw Valley Cup, a boys premier tournament held in the spring.

"These two tournaments," Nobre said, "can grow beyond their current size, if we had more and better quality fields." He does have concerns about how the study will be done. For the study to be accurate, it’s critical to talk to coaches who have been turned away, and not just those who already have programs in place, he said.

Soccer is not the only indoor sport in need of a home. Carol McGarity, gym manager at the Lawrence Gymnast Academy, said she even had a person call her looking for a place for pole vaulting. She suggested that the potential facility not only be used for recreational sports, but other activities as well.

“The need…is for junior high and high school kids. There’s just not a lot of things for them to do,” she said. For example, kids who perform gymnastics at her facility used to go to Sport2Sport to hold roller-skating parties.

Fred DeVictor, director of the Lawrence Parks and Recreation Department, has been appointed as the project manager for the study.

DeVictor agreed that indoor facilities now come at a premium.

“We’d love to have a field house type facility,” he said.

Parks and Recreation Facilities currently in use include the downtown Community Building, the Holcom Complex, the Indoor Aquatic Center and Broken Arrow Park.

Posted by Nicholas Nelson at 10:57 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

On February 13 The Lawrence Board of Education unanimously approved the permanent use of a trimester system for elementary students.
The new calendar will take effect during the 2006-07 school year and affect about 5,000 elementary students in 15 schools.
Lawrence USD 497 joins Hutchison USD 308 as the only other school district in Kansas to use the trimester system.
Many schools nationwide in states such as California, Colorado and Massachusetts have adopted similar schedules for students.
Dr. Tom Christie, Executive Director of Educational Programming, solicited input from several teachers before submitting a proposal to the school board and surprisingly received little opposition from teachers.
Christie said teachers welcomed the idea because it allowed them to “focus extra time on working with students” and it better allows them to address strengths and weaknesses of individual students.
Under the old quarter system, elementary teachers would be forced to grade students after only 8 weeks instruction. With the new trimester system, teachers grade students after 11 weeks of instruction.
Dr. Sandee Crowther, Executive Director of Planning and Program Improvement and head of the Calendar Committee in charge of the switch said many teachers she spoke with “felt like they didn’t know the students” because thety had to grade them so quickly into the school year.
Besides longer grading periods, other advantages of the program are a reduction in paperwork and less recording and reporting time for teachers.
The approval of the new schedule was the result of two years work solving challenges presented by the new plan.
In September 2004 a committee was commissioned to study the possible implementation of trimesters for elementary students.
After seven months deliberation, the committee gave its recommendations to a calendar committee who then attempted to fit the trimester program into the yearly schedule.
Because only elementary schools are effected by the change, the calendar committee had to be sure the elementary schedule coincided with middle and high school calendars to accommodate vacation times.
Initially, the calendar committee found it would cost an additional $32,000 to operate buses for the elementary schools because days did not correlate enough with middle or high school days.
Crowther said this initial finding made the changes impossible.
For the past seven years, declining enrollment in the Lawrence Public School District has caused budget cuts across the board. There was simply no money to pay for the additional bus service required.
Because of this, the calendar committee forced to redesign the schedule to better coincide with middle and high school schedules and avoid the extra $32,000 bussing cost.
Crowther says under the new schedule, elementary students will still attend school for the 186 six hour days mandated by state law.
With the schedule firmly in place, one problem still needed to be addressed.
Evaluations given by the district now have to be adapted to fit into the new schedule.
Christie says the district is evaluating how they are currently evaluating students, and will have to figure out how to institute the required stated, local, and normed assessment the district is required to administer.
Chrisite says the district is reworking its method for evaluating elementary students and is currently working to solve the problem in time for the 2006-07 school year.

Posted by Nathan McGinnis at 10:30 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

After discussing possible collaborative efforts between the City of Lawrence and the University of Kansas transportation systems, a feasibility study will be conducted beginning in April.

The study will outline a series of recommendations for operating public transportation in Lawrence and the University in the future.

The city’s public transportation system, the "T", is run by the city and financed by taxes, while a nonprofit board of KU students operates KU on Wheels, which is financed through student fees and fares. The study will provide a recommendation for governance of the system based on the willingness of the two parties to cooperate and the costs of coordination or consolidation, including an estimate of ridership, cash flow and capital expenditures, such as vehicles, parts, facilities and preventative maintenance, analysis, plus a five-year budget outline.

It will also provide potential operational models, identify the efficiencies and performance standards of the transit system, and identify possible fare structures and staffing levels.

“There will be public meetings to obtain feedback from the public, which includes students from the University, to make sure everyone's needs and concerns are taken into consideration and evaluated,” Cliff Galante, Public Transit administrator said.

Consultants will complete the work with guidance from the city and University’s Study Management Team made up of 10 individuals, five city representatives plus five University representatives.

“We anticipate it will take a consultant approximately six and a half to seven months to complete the scope of work,” Galante said, which means the study will not be completed until November or December.

However, the City is currently working with the University on acquiring vehicles to provide service to the new Park and Ride facility being built on West Campus for August 2006, but the service will be operated through the University.

Although the consultants will identify and quantify all the benefits, Galante said some immediate benefits are improved levels of service, such as service frequency, for riders and the city and University could share one maintenance facility to save money, as opposed to operating two separate facilities.

Other possibilities for users include joint bus passes that could be used on both systems, a reworking of routes to reduce duplication, and operational changes that could allow both systems to take advantage of economies of scale. The collaboration also might accommodate faculty and staff members better and address an ever-growing campus parking deficit.

Danny Kaiser, chairman of the Public Transit Advisory Committee, said, “If we are able to access federal funds for buses prior to the completion of the study, the city will be the official recipient of the funds and will collaborate on their use.”

City leaders have been interested in a merger since the T began in 2001, when the average daily ridership was 507 people. In 2004, the average was up to 1,061 people. On the other hand, KU on Wheels carries about 9,000 riders per day. For the T, the increase in ridership would reduce the approximately $950,000 in property tax revenue the city uses to subsidize the transit system.

Melissa Dimoush, a Lawrence resident, said, “I would want to make sure there was an equitable distribution of funds. I don’t want the kids to subsidize the bus system. If the costs were justified, I think it would be okay.”

This study is an ongoing effort between the City and the University. Community members and commissioners alike have wondered if Lawrence really needs two bus systems like the T and KU on Wheels, so in October 2005 city commissioners heard from KU officials and the Lawrence public transit administrator about ways the two systems could work together.

In 2004, the "T" started marketing to local and Haskell Indian Nations University students by allowing them to ride for half the normal 50-cent fare. For KU students who already own a KU on Wheels bus pass, they may purchase an addition "T" pass for $25.

Oswaldo Bravo, Lima, Peru, sophomore, does not have his own transportation at the University and would like to see a unified system that would help him navigate the city.

“It would be nice to have one system that could take students anywhere without having to worry about additional passes or fares,” Bravo said.

In the past, there was concern among KU officials that the University would lose too much control over how a new system would operate, but interest remains in a unified system because the University could gain money from the Federal Transit Authority to buy new buses for the campus system. The city already receives about $1 million a year from FTA, and it is unlikely they would fund two separate systems in Lawrence.

For now, Jessica Mortinger, transportation coordinator for KU on Wheels, says, “KU on Wheels will continue to operate a transportation system with the goal to get students to class on time.”

Posted by Jennifer Denny at 12:34 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

One KU student does not want to be identified. He wishes to be recorded simply as M.H.G. At the beginning of the semester, he trusted the local police. Two weeks ago, after being pulled over by a police officer for what he believes to be racial profiling, he is afraid he will be tracked down.
M.H.G. feels that the police stopped him for no reason other than the color of his skin. M.H.G. is from Saudi Arabia.
“He stopped me without my making any mistakes,” M.H.G. said.
Although he paid more than $200 in fines, M.H.G. is not concerned about money.
“It’s not about paying the money,” he said. “It’s about being afraid of driving the car.”
A newly formed Lawrence Citizen Advisory Board aims to educate police officers in order to keep racial profiling from occurring in Lawrence.
The main goal of the Lawrence Citizen Advisory Board is to advise the Lawrence police department. The board will help raise community awareness of race issues as well.
“The primary function of an advisory board is to act as a resource to the agency, lending expertise and support,” Kim Murphree, Lawrence police department spokesperson, said. “Most advisory boards assist agencies in building community understanding and awareness.”
Senate Bill 77 established the formation of the Lawrence Citizen Advisory Board. The bill states: “The purpose of the Lawrence Citizen Advisory Board is to advise and assist the city of Lawrence and its police department in policy development, education, community outreach and communications related to racial profiling.”
Required board duties include reviewing police department policies regarding racial profiling and making suggestions to the police chief about revisions to those policies. The board will also review police department’s racial profiling training, work with the police department on community awareness programs for racial profiling and advise the police department on community concerns about racial profiling.
The board was established not only to benefit the police department, but also the Lawrence community.
“The possible benefits for the community will depend upon the members of the advisory board,” Murphree said, “but these possibilities certainly could include an increased understanding of law enforcement procedures within the community.”
The Lawrence police department already offers Citizens Academy, a 36-hour course designed to bridge the gap between the police department and community members. The Lawrence Citizen Advisory Board will provide another link between police officers and citizens.
“The Lawrence police department supports community involvement and has long offered a Citizens Academy to foster education and understanding with Lawrence citizens,” Murphree said. “This advisory board is an extension of that commitment, and the department welcomes the association.”
Lawrence officials approved Senate Bill 77 last summer on July 1, 2005. The board was established as a preventative measure to keep racial profiling from occurring in Lawrence. There are no confirmed instances of this problem.
The bill defines racial profiling as, “the practice of a law enforcement officer or agency relying, as the sole factor, on race, ethnicity, national origin, gender, or religious dress in selecting which individuals to subject to routine investigatory activities, or in deciding upon the scope and substance of law enforcement activity following the initial routine investigatory activity.”
The Lawrence Citizen Advisory Board will assist the Lawrence police department, which includes male and female employees of various ethnic groups, in operating without discrimination.
“The police department is concerned with conducting operations legally,” Scott Miller, city attorney, said.
Other Lawrence organizations, such as the Lawrence Municipal Airport and the Chamber of Commerce Leadership Lawrence program, have citizen advisory boards. These boards give an outside perspective to departmental issues.
“I think we need some mechanism outside the direct control of the police department to give citizens assurances about our police department,” Boog Highberger, Lawrence mayor, said in the Lawrence Journal-World last August.
Six members of the seven-member volunteer board were selected at the Feb. 2 city commission meeting. Miller said that meetings would likely begin as soon as the final board member is selected, although an exact date has not been set.
While M.H.G. believes that the new board will be effective preventing racial profiling, he is left afraid of the current police department.
“Saudis feel like the United States is the best country in the world,” he said. “It is the safest country in the world. Now I do not feel safe here, because of this situation.”

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