Multimedia Reporting (Adler-Noland-Utsler)

Lt. Dave Sherman described Station 1’s new fire truck as if it were the best present he had ever unwrapped on his birthday.

Station 1 was the first and only fire station in Lawrence to receive a new fire truck last year because of the city’s new fire apparatus replacement program. The program intends to replace all of Lawrence’s aging fire trucks with newer, safer models.

Fire trucks serve an important purpose in Lawrence. It is important to replace the trucks and take advantage of the new safety additions they offer, Sherman said.

Administrative chief Bill Stark is heading up the fire apparatus replacement program for the fire department.

Lawrence’s fire trucks are becoming outdated and need to be replaced within the next few years, Stark said. All of Lawrence's fire trucks were put through a ratings test to see if they qualified for replacement, and all of them did.

The money for the new trucks will come from the City of Lawrence. A new fire truck, depending on the type, can cost between $600,000 and $1 million, Stark said.

Assistant city manager Cynthia Boecker said the city saw the need to replace the trucks, but the program would not replace all of them immediately.

“We have to look into various funds to find the money to replace the trucks,” Boecker said. “We are looking to replace two fire trucks for the department this year, and we are looking into the equipment reserve fund or possibly Lawrence’s general fund for the money.”

The fire apparatus replacement program most likely will not cause an increase in taxes for citizens of Lawrence or effect other departments funding this year, Boecker said.

Buying new trucks may be a better way to spend the city's money.

The old trucks are in need of repair and the cost of maintenance may actually be causing the city to spend more.

“They break down and then when you need parts, they are expensive and hard to get,” Stark said. “It isn’t like taking your Ford into the shop. These trucks have special parts and a lot of times we have to have them special ordered and made somewhere else.”

Newer fire trucks come with safety equipment for both the firefighters and citizens of Lawrence.

Sherman said that, like cars, fire trucks have safety upgrade requirements and additions made to new models. Lawrence’s old fire trucks do not have the newer safety systems. Station 1’s new truck has safety additions. Sherman said the new equipment was necessary and appreciated.

“Our new truck has a foam system built into it so we can deliver fire fighting-foam, spraying it directly from the truck without having to mix it separately,” Sherman said. “It also has side-curtain airbags for the passengers and better restraint systems for our air packs.”

The new truck also protects the public, Sherman said whereas old trucks have equipment that sits directly on the apparatus without being tied down, the new trucks have straps that hold the equipment so that nothing flies off while the firefighters are driving to an emergency.

Lawrence fire chief Mark Bradford confirmed that the fire apparatus replacement program was an important issue for the Lawrence Fire Department. Both the City of Lawrence and the fire department are looking into the issue of replacing aging fire trucks as the budget allows. But, the city cannot specifically set a date as to when all of the trucks will be replaced.

For now, Sherman and the rest of the firefighters at Station 1 in Lawrence will remain the only firehouse that has a new, better-equipped truck to make their jobs easier and safer.

Next year in Kansas there will be 400 open secondary teaching positions in the areas of math and science with limited education graduates in Kansas to fill them. Thirty-six percent of Kansas teachers are able to retire. And with 42 percent of teachers leaving the field within seven years, it is clear that the state needs a solution to the math and science teacher shortage.
In November of 2007, The University of Kansas received $2.4 million in grant money to start a new program in the education department called UKanTeach. This program would help to alleviate some of the problems in education that are stemming from a lack of graduates each year in the areas of math and science. Many other universities across the country were vying for these grants. Jan Lariviere, program coordinator for UKanTeach, believes that the University was awarded the grant because KU had everything that the National Math and Science Initiative was looking for. The Arts and Sciences college was willing to get involved, the administration wanted to meet the state and national need, and Kansas school districts were interested in receiving help.

The program is now up and running. In February 2008, all courses in the program were approved through the school’s assembly. “Each semester we are getting more and more students.” Lariviere said. “This is great news, as last year there were only 25 graduates combined in math and science education. ”
In Lawrence there is somewhat of a teacher shortage, but because of the University’s proximity, this problem has been easier to manage. “With more teachers retiring and fewer individuals choosing teaching as a profession, the shortages are predicted to increase in the very near future,” Linda Robinson, president of the Lawrence school board, said.
The high schools in Lawrence have some difficulty when it comes to finding quality teachers in math and science. “We seldom have more than four or five candidates for a math or science position,” Steve Nilhas, principal at Lawrence High School, said. “We've been hearing for years about the coming teacher shortage, and it has come to pass. Even places like Lawrence, Kansas have to work hard to recruit and retain quality teachers in areas of shortage.” Across town at Lawrence Free State High School, principal Joe Snyder agrees. “Math, Science, Family and Consumer Science, and Special Education have been difficult areas to fill at Free State, as with almost all schools, because of shortages.”
Programs like UKanTeach are not a new concept. Beginning in 1997, The University of Texas at Austin was the first ever to start a program like this. Since then 13 other universities, including the University of Kansas, have been accepted to have some form of UTeach, although they all have their own unique names for the program.
The UKanTeach program at the University has many goals that it would like to accomplish. Most importantly, the program would allow students to get a math or science degree in four years, as well as receive their teaching license. UKanTeach plans to double the number of graduates in these areas from 25 to 50. This is well on its way to being accomplished, as there are currently more than 40 individuals in the program. The program will prepare teachers who are ready and willing to teach in rural and urban school districts, because this is where the need is the highest. Students will be encouraged to become teacher leaders and get involved in their school districts. The program strives for life long learners and will support their graduates in attaining their master’s degrees. UKanTeach would also like to produce teachers who would help their students learn to problem solve rather than memorize.
Solving the teacher shortage in Kansas seems like a tall order, but UKanTeach is certainly a step in the right direction. The commitment that the National Math and Science Initiative made to the University of Kansas will be realized in the fall of 2009 when the first graduates will enter the teaching work force.

The Lawrence Public Library is following a national trend to increase technology by replacing out-dated formats and expanding Internet services despite having a limited budget.

The library is working to phase out VHS and cassette tapes by the end of the year. Charlee Glinka, collection development coordinator, said keeping collections current when technology is constantly evolving could be a challenge.

“With a limited budget you don’t want to be trying to collect every format,” Glinka said. “We look and see what is happening with other libraries and other businesses.”

Director Bruce Flanders said that some of the VHS and cassette tapes would be thrown out after being removed from the shelves because of their condition. The remaining materials will be sold over the course of the next three Friends of the Library book sales.

According to Flanders, the library’s budget for 2008 is about $3.3 million. Only 15 percent of the budget goes toward books and other materials with $350,000 spent on print and $150,000 on audio-visual collections.

Although the materials budget generally increases from $5,000 to $20,000 each year, Flanders said there is speculation that it will not increase at all for 2009. If that is true, the library will face new problems.

“It will not allow us to expand services or staffing or technology in any significant way,” Flanders said.

Providing Internet access to patrons has also been a challenge because the library has space for only 35 computers. During the last week of February, however, Sunflower Broadband’s Geek Squad increased the number of wireless access points in the building from two to four. The project included running new cabling to both the children’s and adult’s side of the library.

According to Ashley Seeger, business services support supervisor for Sunflower Broadband, that increase made it so that patrons could access the Internet from anywhere in the library, including the lower level.

Jan Sanders, president of the Public Library Association, said 95 percent of people without Internet service at their home access it at a library. Out of the 55 wireless hot spots Sunflower Broadband supports throughout Lawrence, Seeger said the library was the most frequently used.

“It’s good to be able to provide more services to something we knew the community was using a lot,” Seeger said.

The library’s decision to update its audio-visual collections and expand wireless service throughout the building is an example of how libraries are changing to meet a new demand.

“The need for a traditional library is going to continue to decline from year to year,” Flanders said. “I think in the next decade we’re going to see some significant changes.”

In recent years, circulation of audio-visual materials at the Lawrence Public Library has been increasing while circulation of print materials has remained relatively stable, Flanders said.

Shauna Leslie, Wichita sophomore, visits the library about once a week to check out DVDs but has only checked out three books since signing up for a library card in January.

“I like checking out DVDs at the library mainly because they are free, but they also have a great selection,” Leslie said. “They have a lot of older classics that you can’t find at places like Family Video or Blockbuster.”

According to Flanders, changing trends are providing the library with the opportunity to become a different kind of facility. He said he would like to see more of a coffee shop, study group atmosphere in the future.

Flanders said he wants the library to be able to offer individual study rooms, meeting spaces for the community and free access to technology.

“It will be more of an intellectual center for the community,” Flanders said. “Even though our budget is probably limited we have the ability to do some innovative things.”

One of the biggest changes with technology is the role of reference services, Sanders said. Patrons now come to the reference desk with more in-depth questions because they are able to do their own initial research online.

Sanders said she thinks libraries will be able to adapt to new technology just as they have adapted to other changes such as the introduction of paperbacks. Ultimately, however, the goals of public libraries will remain the same.

“We’re still about putting people and information together,” Sanders said.

Lisa Spangler thought her 17-year-old daughter Kimmi was overreacting when she didn’t want to go to school because of another student teasing her. When Kimmi came home a week later crying because this student had slapped her, Lisa felt bad for questioning her daughter.

The day after the slapping incident at school Kimmi wanted to stay home again and this time Spangler let her.

“ This girl just walked up to her in the middle of a passing period and slapped Kimmi across the face in front of everyone; Kimmi was embarrassed and I would be too,” Spangler said.

A recent studied showed 58 percent of students have stayed home from school at least once because they were victims of bullying, which proved Kimmi was not alone. Kansas law K.S.A. 72-8256, which passed last year, will make Lawrence schools adopt and implement a plan to address bullying on school property, in a school vehicle or at a school-sponsored event or activity.

At the Feb. 25 Lawrence school board meeting Chris Squier and the Bullying Prevention Implementation committee presented the framework of a plan for the district schools to work off of. Squier said the framework was provided because of the mandated law, which addressed nine different areas of bullying. “ The plan is being put into place because it’s a state statue, but also because we continue to see studies such as one in seven children have been a victim of bullying,” Squier said. President of the Lawrence school board, Linda Robinson, agrees with Squiers’s plan. She said all of the schools in Lawrence have some sort of bullying plan or consequences already, but will have to change them based on the recent regulations. She said all of the plans must include an educational program for students and possibly parents. The school board planned to let each school’s faculty come up with their own plan, but have to be approved by next fall. “There are a variety of plans within the different schools now,” Robinson said, “ Four of our elementary schools already have a plan that fits all of the guidelines.” Langston Hughes, Woodlawn, Prairie Park and Sunflower elementary schools have all adopted the Olweus bullying prevention program. The Olweus program has been used in schools across the country and has been backed by 35 years of research. Olweus has continued to be the only bullying prevention program in the United States to receive a blue print rating from the Center for the Study and Prevention of Violence. Randy Wiler, director of Stop Bullying in Kansas, has trained more than 50 schools in Kansas using the Olweus method. “The Olweus program usually shows a 30 to 70 percent reduction rate within two years, but Langston Hughes had a 75 percent reduction rate within the first year, which is one of the best performing schools I have seen in the state,” Wiler said. Wiler said the program consisted of two on site training days with at least 10 hours of follow up consultation. Schools typically coordinate a team to help consisting of an administrator, a mental health professional, a teacher from each grade level and a parent. Wiler said in the past most schools paid for the Olweus program with Federal Safe and Drug Free schools money, but now has seen parents paying because the grant funds are almost gone. While the school board has not made all schools adopt the Olweus program, it has provided them with the success rates and resources to do so if they choose. Parents like Spangler hopes that they do.

“ Its sad to think that my child is too afraid to go to school so I’m glad we are now forced to fix things,” She said.

After Bruce Archambault served a year in Iraq in the Army, he returned home to Leavenworth, Kan. and picked up a few odds and ends jobs. He delivered pizza, changed oil and picked up trash. Right before the Fall 2005 semester began, Archambault saw a sign for school and decided he wanted a change.

“God, you know, I said, ‘That’d be really nice,’” Archambault said. “‘I’m tired of getting other people’s trash and maggots and human feces on me, basically, from when we go pick up the dumpsters at the water treatment plant, so I don’t want to do that for the rest of my life…I think it’s time for me to go to school.’”

On Feb.28, 2008, Sens. Jim Webb, D-Va., John Warner, R-Va., Frank Lautenberg, D-N.J., and Chuck Hagel, R-Neb., introduced to the Senate a revised version of the “Post-9/11 Veterans Educational Assistance Act”. This bill is a modern version of the Montgomery GI Bill and could make school more affordable for veterans like Archambault.

A primary improvement to the revised bill is it could provide veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan with full in-state-tuition equivalent to the most expensive public university in the state where they wish to study. It would also give veterans a monthly stipend that covers “housing costs in their area,” according to a press release on Sen. Webb’s Website.

Assistant Registrar Joan Hahn helps veterans receive their benefits from the GI Bill and said extra money made available to veterans would be helpful.

The current GI Bill can be used for thirty-six months of school and must be used within 10 years of leaving service.

“I know for a lot of students it still doesn’t cover the full of amount of their tuition and fees, and then they still have to get a job or take out a student loan because they still don’t have enough money for them to live on,” Hahn said.

According to a press release from Sen. Webb’s Website, the revised bill is meant to give veterans benefits comparable to the aid that World War II veterans received when the original GI Bill of 1944 was in use.

During the Spring 2004 semester, a year after the war started, 268 veterans were receiving benefits from the GI Bill at the Lawrence campus, according to the Registrar’s Senior Administrative Representative and VA Certifying Official Betty Childers. This semester 231 veterans are registered, she said. That’s almost 14 percent decrease.

Recruiting Operations Officer for the KU Army ROTC department Major Ted Culbertson said the decrease in veteran registration might be for different reasons, such as veterans have graduated, started a full time career or they could currently be deployed.

Culbertson said if KU can offer full paid tuition and a monthly stipend because of this bill, then “that would definitely encourage a lot more soldiers to take advantage” of their education benefits.

Tom Ferry, Saint Michael, Minn. junior, is a cadet in Army ROTC. Even though he hasn’t served in Iraq or Afghanistan, he still receives aid from the GI Bill. Ferry joined the National Guard, and in order to receive benefits from the GI Bill he had to complete Basic Training and Advanced Individual Training.

“I think a lot of the reason people join the military is to gain their educational benefits. It’s a big part of why I did it,” Ferry said. “I wanted to come out of school debt free.”

According to the Army Times, the Bush administration is against this revised bill because they are worried soldiers would leave the military to use the improved benefits.

Army ROTC Cadet Fran Glass who receives benefits from the GI Bill said, “You have the potential to give up your life for the nation, the least they can do is pay for your education.”

Thirty-eight senators and ninety-six representatives are cosponsoring the revised bill.

Jeremy Stohs, a legislative aide for first district Congressman Jerry Moran, R-Kan., said Moran is not a sponsor of the bill, but that he is concerned with improving benefits for the National Guard and Reserves, because some have been deployed multiple times since Sept. 11.

Press Secretary Thomas Seay for second district Congresswoman Nancy Boyda, D-Kan., said Boyda “supports the principles of the bill,” but isn’t a sponsor of it.

Aside from the benefits the revised bill could offer, Archambault said he would also like to see an extension on the thirty-six month time limit the bill covers. Archambault doesn’t have to take out loans because of benefits he receives from the bill.

“That’s kind of what allows me to go to school, is that extra money,” said Archambault. “Otherwise, I probably couldn’t afford it.”

If the bill passes, Archambault, who is a junior, probably won’t see the benefits that future veterans could gain.

“I didn’t even start getting my GI Bill until the second semester I’d been in school, because it really wasn’t a big deal to me until I found out we get 700 bucks a month,” Archambault said.

Only time will tell if veterans will receive benefits from the revised bill. For now, though, Archambault still receives his GI Bill check in the mail when he is enrolled in school.

“That’s my mortgage payment every month,” he said.

For Lawrence resident Pat Karlin, the four seasons of the year are football, basketball, baseball and soccer.

In the course of a year, Karlin’s three children, Cooper, 11, Tori, 10, and Camden, 6, play all four sports in leagues set up by the Lawrence Parks and Recreation Department. Karlin, a firefighter, coaches for Cooper and Camden’s football, basketball and baseball teams. As baseball season approaches, scheduling practices can be a challenge when the weather turns bad or facilities are in high demand. Baseball teams will often practice inside barns or in old baseball fields west of town.

“The team will try to find whatever they can,” Karlin said. “You are often at the mercy of going and trying to find a place or field to practice.”

Coaches like Karlin constantly face the problem of inadequate recreational facilities in Lawrence. As the city grows without the addition of newer facilities, the fields that served Lawrence citizens 30 years ago are no longer sufficient. The closure of local indoor gymnasiums has placed Lawrence at a loss to other cities. Even though the city and school district are developing plans and seeking funding for new recreational facilities, citizens are forced to deal with the city’s lack of facilities every sports season.

Although no national or state regulations for city parks and recreational facilities exist, the city has a responsibility to plan ahead and set regulations according to its needs and budget, said Doug Vance, the Executive Director of the Kansas Parks and Recreation Association. Lawrence Youth Sports Supervisor Lee Ice said the city has not set adequate regulations or met the needs of its citizens

“The unfortunate thing is that 30 years ago, we didn’t plan for what we needed down the road,” Ice said. “These needs aren’t going to go away; they are going to magnify over the next five or 10 years.”

Lawrence’s recreational needs increased in 2006, when the Sport 2 Sport facility on 23rd Street closed. Ernie Shaw, the interim director for the Lawrence Parks and Recreation Department, said that with the closure of the facility, the city lost six indoor basketball courts and valuable gymnasium space.

In October 2006, under the leadership of Bonnie Lowe, several members of the community formed the Partners for Lawrence Athletics and Youth to encourage the city to take action. PLAY worked with the city, school district, Chamber of Commerce and Douglas County to conduct a May 2007 feasibility study regarding Lawrence parks and facilities.

The study concluded that the city needed an indoor multi-use recreational facility and that the school district needed a football stadium, soccer stadium and two baseball fields. This has prompted the school district to look at upgrading its practice facilities and the city is beginning to plan an indoor fieldhouse.

“We need to have something that is a multi-use facility where everyone could have ownership in their own facility,” Lowe said. “We could bring tournaments to town. Families will stay in hotels, shop downtown and eat in our restaurants and they will bring outside dollars to Lawrence, which will help our community’s economy.”

Building an indoor fieldhouse would not come without expenses. The executive summary from the PLAY study said that a 100,266 square foot facility could cost more than $21 million, not including the cost of the land.

“We are hoping to have private money for construction and land acquisition, but also an endowment for annual upkeep and maintenance,” Lowe said. “We’re not just asking for taxpayer and city dollars, but also for private donations.”

Finances are a problem for both PLAY and the Parks and Recreation Department, as the organizations struggle to share city government money with departments such as the police and fire departments.

“There are priorities,” Shaw said. “Of course you’d like to be at the top of their list every year, but that just can’t happen.”

Shaw said Lawrence does not have adequate facilities when compared with nearby cities, such as Topeka or Olathe. Both cities have competitive sports facilities owned by the school district. Topeka has the Hummer Sports Park, which contains a football and track stadium, in addition to soccer and baseball fields. The Olathe District Activity Center has a football field, two soccer fields and two baseball fields. Lawrence does not have a competitive sports complex, but athletic events take place at smaller facilities throughout the city, such as the Clinton Lake Softball Complex or Holcom Park.

“We can’t hold any tournaments in this community,” Ice said. “This is a great basketball town, but we don’t hold any basketball tournaments because we don’t have facilities for it.”

Ice said it can be challenging to schedule youth athletic games and events because multiple city-sponsored programs use the same facilities. Sometimes children have to play basketball games as late as 9 p.m. on weeknights because space is limited.

“We compete against each other for gym space,” Ice said. “We can’t have basketball games sometimes because the gym space is being used for aerobics classes.”

As the city and school district work together to improve Lawrence facilities, residents like Karlin remain optimistic for youth recreational programs.

“You just want to keep up and offer the best to the kids in our community,” he said.

Meanwhile, Karlin prepares to coach for the upcoming baseball season, even if it means practicing in barns or old fields.

When Jamie Womack was 17 years old she gave birth to her first child and dropped out of high school to begin working to support her new family. Now, more than ten years later, she is back at school working to achieve her high school diploma. This time around she decided to do things her own way. Through the Lawrence Diploma Completion Program Womack sets her own attendance hours and takes just one class at
a time. The Lawrence Diploma Completion Program allows students of any age to take classes to work towards a real diploma, an alternative to the GED program which requires students to study for lengthy exams.

“This program is just about opening doors for students to be able to do other things with their lives,” Sharen Steele, project coordinator for the LDCP said. “There aren’t many employers accepting people without a high school diploma today.”
However, the new graduation standards set by the Kansas State Department of Education in 2004 will go into effect this June and many of Steele’s students are scrambling to catch up.
The Kansas State Department of Education decided to redistribute the number of credits required for students to receive a diploma. The overall number of required credits stayed the same, but elective credits, which are generally easier to fill, were converted into core credit requirements. In place of some electives, the state now requires students to fill two math, two science, one fine arts and one world history credit in addition to the current core requirements. These requirements go into effect beginning with the class of 2009 next school year.
For students at the Lawrence Diploma Completion Program these new standards may mean having to go back and retake six of their completed credit hours.
Most students who walk through the doors of the LDCP have completed some high school and have more elective credits on their transcripts than anything else, Steele said. If they can’t complete the program by June when the new requirements take effect, she says many of her students will lose some of those elective credits and will be forced to take more classes from the core curriculum.
“Last year I kind of slacked off a lot,” said Shianne Young, a student with the completion program. “Then they told me that they’re changing the requirements and now I come in almost every day. I’m concentrating on getting done by then.”
Young isn’t the only student who has been motivated by the additional requirements. Steele said she has seen a drastic increase in the number of students that come into the office to work every day.
“Usually we see things slow down around vacation times,” Steele said. “Right after Christmas and around spring break there aren’t usually very many people here, but this year right after Christmas up until now we’ve just been very busy and it hasn’t slowed down at all. I think attendance has been so steady because of the new credit change.”
Womack, who began work on her final English credit this week, said that although she is not worried about graduating before the requirement change, she has noticed the change in motivation among her peers.
“I’m so close to finishing; I only have one English credit left,” Womack said. “The new requirements won’t really affect me, but it’s been a motivation to get here every day.”
While some students are taking the opportunity to work harder, Steele said that it is simply a reality that some people will not be able to complete the program before the requirements change. She says many of her students will have to retake credits they have already completed.
“We’ve been trying to let our students know ever since we found out about the changes,” Steele said. “We sent out postcards and have it listed in our newsletter. If I know it might be a problem for people I get on the phone and email and do everything I can to get them motivated.”
Even though some students may have to adhere to the stricter standards set by the state, many local educators still tout the benefits of the LDCP as an alternative method of achieving a high school diploma.
“One size does not fit all,” Randy Weseman, Superintendent of Schools said. “Individuals and families deal with a variety of situations that may cause a disturbance in the traditional path towards a high school diploma. Having alternative programs offer other methods for students to complete requirements. The community also benefits by having an educated population.”

When Michael Headrick starts his sophomore year in the Lawrence public school district next fall, he won’t step into Lawrence Free State or Lawrence High. He’ll do his work from his home in Leawood.
Headrick attends the Lawrence district’s Virtual School, where he takes courses in English and Chinese. After attending both public and virtual schools, he preferred virtual school.
“I think that it pushed me academically, whereas in public school I was held back by people who were not so smart,” Headrick said.
Lawrence’s Virtual School posted large growth between the 2006-07 and 2007-08 school years. The district had an overall growth in K-8 of 216 students, but of this gain, 172 students were strictly within the Virtual School. Six of Lawrence’s 15 elementary schools posted enrollment losses, as did three of its five junior high schools and both high schools. According to the Virtual School, 723 students in Kansas are enrolled in grades K-8.
Amanda Gorman teaches English and Spanish with Lawrence’s Virtual School. Headrick is one of her students. She said that the growth in virtual school enrollment was because of a demand for more flexibility, and was indicative of a need for more educational options. Gorman’s job allowed her more flexibility as well.
“I had been teaching before I had children, knew I wanted to go back to work, and was kind of looking for something different.”
Gorman has taught with the Virtual School since its creation four years ago. The school began with K-8 education, and expanded to high school two years ago. She met with Gary Lewis, the Virtual School’s principal, and decided to take the job. Gorman intended for her work there to be temporary, but has decided to stay with it for the long term.
The district hired Lewis to lead a team of teachers in writing a curriculum for the Virtual School . The curriculum for primary and middle school is designed for parental use, while the high school curriculum affords students more one-on-one access with full-time teachers. Students submit work over the Internet and receive feedback from their teachers.
Gorman said that Lawrence’s curriculum at the primary level was directed toward parents who wanted to home-school their children, but weren’t sure how to get started or find a solid curriculum. At the high school level, students may be continuing their home-schooling or having scheduling conflicts at their usual schools.
After giving a presentation at Park Hill defending virtual schooling, Gorman discovered that some traditional teachers had negative perceptions.
“Someone said that I wasn’t a real teacher,” she said.
Lawrence’s virtual schooling teachers are full-time, whereas others in Kansas, such as the Basehor and Shawnee Mission districts, teach virtual school on top of their regular classes. They are also limited in their enrollment. Shawnee Mission can only accept students within its district boundaries, while Lawrence accepts any student with Kansas residency. This is how Headrick is able to enroll.
Headrick said that he didn’t think his learning suffered because of separation from his teacher.
“I have a great relationship with Mrs. Gorman,” he said. “We e-mail at least once a day and talk on the phone or computer conference at least once a week.”
The Lawrence Virtual School’s success is mirrored across the country. The U.S. Department of Education’s National Education Technology Plan was designed in conjunction with No Child Left Behind to increase technological access in schools and to further explore the possibilities of what it calls e-education.
Louisiana, Florida, Massachusetts and South Dakota are some of the states that the Department of Education lauds for increased technological access to students. In Louisiana, for example, virtual school helps connect rural students to solid curriculums that they otherwise wouldn’t have access to.
The Lawrence Virtual School offers field trips and activities to its students to provide socialization that they might miss.
“I’m involved with a year-round swim team,” Headrick said. “I also do theater and singing, so I’m constantly with people.”
Headrick’s last public school experience, at Leawood Middle School, was disappointing.
“I think I most disliked Leawood because the teachers were not challenging, the kids didn't care about their school work, and the school decided to put me in "slower" classes because I was labeled a "home-schooler’,” Headrick said. He said he made all A’s and scored better on tests than students in accelerated programs.
The variety of students involved in the Virtual School keeps the job interesting for Gorman. She said that her students had been performers in Branson, Mo., and Los Angeles, business owners, farm kids and world travelers. One of her students took lessons online from Greece.
“I just don’t believe that traditional learning is the only way to learn,” Gorman said.
With the Department of Education actively researching online education, the Lawrence Virtual School may be among the first of many virtual school programs across the country.

As vice president of the Oread Neighborhood Association, there are many things that make Candice Davis proud to call this unique area home. But these days, Davis and other Oread residents are upset about one unwelcome thing that seems to be finding its’ way into their neighborhood at an alarming rate: trash.
“I walked up Mississippi from 9th all the way past Memorial Stadium,” Davis said “And there was trash almost all the way up the sidewalk. Blue and red cups, beer bottles, beer cans. It’s just all over.”
Davis and other ONA members recently voiced their concerns to city officials about the appearance of their neighborhood during a discussion with the Lawrence City Commission. The City Commission has since researched the current trash ordinance and is considering modifications to the code which could include a shorter period to correct violations and a more proactive enforcement strategy.
And for citizens like Davis, who are concerned about the buildup of trash, any change to the existing ordinance that could help clean up their neighborhoods is welcome.
“It really lowers the expectations of the entire neighborhood when people see that there is already trash everywhere,” Davis said “So then they aren’t as worried about their personal contributions and the trash just begins to accumulate.”

THE ORDINANCE

Currently, any Lawrence residents believed to be in violation of the trash ordinance are first sent a courtesy letter notification. If the violation is not corrected after 15 days, a violation notice is sent by certified mail outlining the violations and notifying them that they have an additional “15 days from the date of the mailing of the notice to alleviate the exterior yard conditions.” Any violations involving large structures are given a longer compliance period of 30 days.
During this time, the owner is allowed to appeal the violation to the Neighborhood Resources Advisory Committee. If a citizen fails to correct the violations within the 15 day abatement period, the city will then correct the mistake and assess all charges to the person in violation.
The ONA, citing numerous complaints regarding excessive trash, recently asked the Lawrence City Commission to consider shortening the time period allowed for correction and implementing a more pro-active enforcement.
City officials told them that the city would re-initiate review of the existing trash ordinance and asked its’ staff to being researching any alternatives to the current ordinance.
Brian Jimenez, Code Enforcement Manager in Lawrence, prepared a report on the subject of trash ordinances for the City Commission. In this report, Jimenez reiterated the citizen’s concerns regarding trash, saying that “Dilapidated structures and exterior yard violations have negative effects on neighboring property values and the integrity of the neighborhood.”
He goes on to recommend that the trash ordinance be reconsidered “To determine if the city would like to become more proactive through a shorter compliance deadline and more aggressive abatement enforcement.”
He recommends that the City Commission eliminate the courtesy letter notification, saying “By sending this letter we extend the period 15 days. Sending this letter is not required but is a department policy.”
Jimenez notes that a change in the ordinance would likely require an increase in the $5,000 budget for abatement enforcement but concluded that “A compliance time frame of 5 to 10 days would be much more effective in addressing all exterior yard violations including trash and refuse.”
One city that has an effective trash ordinance is Overland Park, and Jimenez recommends adding language to the code similar to that of their ordinance.
Overland Park, which is about 40 miles east of Lawrence, has a far different ordinance regarding trash. Citizens of Overland Parks are given only 24-48 hours to correct violations depending on whether they reside on the property or not. Violations regarding structures are given a longer 5 day abatement period.
Another difference between the ordinances involves the compliance time extensions and fines. Shannon McGuire, an Enforcement Specialist for the Overland Park Community and Development Services Department said that their judge very rarely gives extension to compliance times and that most citizens in Overland Park choose to correct their violations within the first 48 hours because the cost of the abatement is clearly indentified on the violation notice.
Jimenez noted that this is quite different than common procedures in Lawrence, where “our judge more often than not suspends part of the fine and often gives owners extensions that have lasted more than 6 months.”
He went on to add that “In these situations, it is very frustrating to staff and even more frustrating for the citizens who are waiting to see the violation corrected,” and said that a shorter abatement period would eliminate these situations in which cases slowly progress through court.

KEEPING LAWRENCE CLEAN

For the citizens like Davis who are hoping to see a revised trash ordinance, exactly how the code changes is not all that important just as long as it positively contributes to the appearance and cleanliness of their neighborhoods.
In addition to pursuing a revised ordinance, concerned residents participate in “Oread Neighborhood Cleanup Days” and are planning to begin a campaign to post reminder signage asking citizens to take their own trash as they pass through.
But without a revised ordinance, many citizens feel the trash problems in their neighborhood will only continue to grow.
“I don’t know what it is about young people but they seem to throw their trash everywhere,” Davis said “There are trash receptacles all over the community. I know they wouldn’t do this in their parent’s neighborhoods so I don’t know why they choose to do it here.”
But any possible changes to the ordinance will have to eventually come from the City Commission, and Jimenez has said that since he prepared the report on the ordinance there has been only brief discussions..
“It is real early in the process right now” he said, adding that further discussion will take place in time and that “Right now it is under review with our legal department to make sure that the options discussed regarding possible changes could reasonably be applied to our city.”
David Corliss, Lawrence City Manager, confirmed this in a memo which discusses the ordinance and said that there were plans to “continue a review of these neighborhood integrity issues and present possible amendments to City Code provisions as they are further considered and drafted.”
So for now, Oread residents will just have to keep trying their best in the battle against the trash, and hope that city officials will eventually agree with them and decide to revise the city trash ordinance.

Jill Cavender, an employee of Arizona Trading Company at 736 Massachusetts St. says that she has probably paid at least $800 in parking tickets since she has been employed at various locations in downtown Lawrence over a span of two years. Cavender says that the parking inconveniences employees more than it does customers.

“I don’t think it hinders this business in any way,” Cavender said. “But I don’t really think it helps either.”

Students and residents alike know what it’s like to deal with parking and parking tickets anywhere in Lawrence. From on campus to downtown, tickets and meters are everywhere. Employees and owners of downtown Lawrence shops have differing opinions on the parking system and whether or not they think it helps or hinders their businesses. Although it’s not considered a profit setter, parking itself brings in money for specific areas of the city.
Geri Riekhof, owner of The Bayleaf Culinary Center at 717 Massachusetts St. said meters hinder her business.

“I think the lots and meters inhibit people from staying downtown and shopping longer. Lots should allow more time,” Riekhof said. “Think about it like this, if you are going to lunch and want to shop for a little bit, you can’t do that in two hours.”

In 2007 the yearly revenue for parking meters was $376,771.00, this amount does not include the New Hampshire street garage revenue, the Riverfront garage revenue, long term parking sales or parking ticket revenue. Part of that amount, $104,961.74, goes to pay for the salaries of the five parking control officers employed. According to Dave Corliss, city manager, some of the money from meters goes to a few police officers and some to employees at the municipal court at 1006 New Hampshire St.

Although many people have to consider parking meters when they plan on visiting downtown Lawrence, the city doesn’t give the meters a second thought. Sergeant Paul Fellers of the Lawrence Police Department, who handles all of the internal affairs and media relations, said that the cost for repairing meters is not kept track of. Fellers also stated that the meters are old and have probably long been paid off. Lindsay White, employee at Arizona Trading Company agrees that the meters are old and problematic.

“Parking is very inconvenient,” said White. “The meters take my money and it’s just so frustrating.”

Fellers also stated that there are no records for maintenance, how much meters make on a monthly or daily basis and when the meters are actually repaired.

“I look at it like light bulbs,” Corliss said. “I don’t know when the last time we put in a light bulb and I don’t know when we’ll need to put in a new one. Parking meters are just like that.”
According to Corliss, the city gets more laughs than complaints about the $2 parking tickets. Although the goal of the meters is not to make money, Lawrence won’t be acquiring a free parking system anytime soon. “Meters don’t generate enough turnovers for free parking,” Corliss said.

Mike Amyx, city commissioner, agrees. Amyx said when it comes to parking control there isn’t enough turnovers within the city to switch to an entirely free parking system. However, parking isn’t bothersome for all.

Shannon Jones, manager of The Dusty Bookshelf at 708 Massachusetts St., says she loves downtown Lawrence, so she doesn’t mind walking. In congruence with her position as a bookstore manager Jones said, “It’s sort of like ‘Catch-22.’ Some people don’t want to pay money for meters and we have free lots for those people. If you go to any big city they all have meters, why should Lawrence be any different.”

According to court manager, Vicki Stanwix’s 2007 annual report, the annual net revenue for the city was $2,616,240.00, down from $2,830,807.00 in 2005. A 7.5 percent decrease. There were 94,890 meter tickets issued during 2007, also decreasing from 2006. Parking at an expired meter ranked number one in the top five public offenses in 2007 with 702 offenses. However, the number one offense out of the three categories of traffic, parking and public offenses was speeding with 7,168 citations.

The money generated from parking tickets does not make enough to pay for parking costs.
“It doesn’t pay for that million dollar parking garage downtown and it doesn’t pay for the Riverfront complex next to city hall,” Corliss said. Besides the salaries of a select few employees of the city, the money produced from tickets goes to the beautification of downtown and a few maintenance issues. Corliss added that the city is fortunate enough to have Massachusetts street because it acts like a moving parking lot.

“People come in, spend money and move on,” Corliss said.

Riekhof at The Bayleaf doesn’t see it that way as a business owner. She says it’s not conducive for customers who want to stay and spend money and can’t because of the parking.
“The only good thing about it is that tickets are only $2,” Riekhof said.

For now the students and residents of the city will continue to pay their parking meter contributions. And if they happen to be paying a $2 ticket at the municipal court will see a quote tapped to the payment window that reads: “A real patriot is the fellow who gets a parking ticket and rejoices that the system works.”

On a calm lake on a spring like March evening, fisherman Sean Self sits in his small metal boat. Throwing his pole out and slowly reeling in the line, he feels a fish biting the lure. Quickly he reels in a small bass. Once the fish is in the boat, he takes it off the hook and gently releases it back into the water.

This is just another fishing trip for Self. Self likes to fish with a rod and reel, but others prefer a more unconventional way of fishing. One unconventional way of fishing is jug fishing. No one in the state of Kansas should be doing this though, it is illegal in the state of Kansas. Jug fishing employs a free floating floatation device, such as an empty milk jug, with fishing line and hooks suspended below. Jug fishing is legal in three of the four states neighboring Kansas, including Oklahoma, Colorado and Missouri, with differing rules in each state.

The Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks has thought about changing this law. In December 2007, on its’ blog site the KDWP asks anglers “Should Kansas allow jug fishing?”

“Not having very big lakes and if you get a lot of people jugging they would be floating all over the lake and creating trash and making it hard for people to ski and things,” Self said.

The KDWP meets periodically to decide if any changes will be made to the current regulations. Public input is important to the KDWP and often ask Kansans their opinions. The KDWP blog states views on jug fishing, but as of now, no formal proposal has been made.

Two types of similar fishing, legal in Kansas, are trotlines and limb lines. A trotline is a length of cord with several hooks attached to a tree, stump, or another object in the water. A limb line is a piece of cord with a weight attached to the bottom, and an inter tube at the top with hooks in-between. In Kansas these are legal if tagged with the person’s name and checked frequently.

“Jug fishing sounds like it would be free floating, and that does not sound like it would be easy to monitor or even find at times,” Kipp J. Walters, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Park Ranger at Clinton Lake, said.

The KDWP decides what policies and regulation changes can be made. An internal committee of KDWP fisheries biologists meets periodically to discuss some fishing related topics and suggestions. In certain cases Kansas citizens suggest changes that they would like to see. In recent years Kansas anglers have voiced their opinion about making jug fishing legal.

“We routinely ask for public input before we make a significant change in policies or regulations. The opinions and preferences of our customers are important considerations in any department initiative,” Bob Mathews, KDWP Chief of Information and Education, said.

Jug fishing is illegal in Kansas because the KDWP has never approved this method of fishing. Today Kansas has more acres of publicly accessible fishing waters than ever before, more lakes exist now that did not a generation ago Mathews said. Over the years, fish cultures and fisheries management expertise has improved. This expertise enhanced the KDWP’s ability to stock and manage fish populations. In return has enhanced the variety and quality of Kansas fishing.

“As our fish and fish habitat resources increase, anglers and department staff consider new fishing methods to enhance the variety of fishing opportunities available, provided those new fishing methods do not threaten the stability of our fisheries resources,” Mathews said.

The KDWP proposed the jug fishing topic on its’ blog to get the publics’ support or opposition. Mathews said the blog is not a good measure of public support or opposition, but instead allows a variety of opinions to be expressed.

“Anyone who reads the blog can read a variety of opinions, for and against the idea, to help form their own opinion on the matter,” Mathews said.

The next step, if the KDWP decides if jug fishing is good for Kansas is to propose the change to the KDWP commissioners. The commission is a seven-member group of citizens, appointed by the governor, which conducts public hearings and listens to public input before deciding on department proposals. Right now jug fishing has not been formally proposed to the commission.

“I do not know whether or when the jug fishing idea will be proposed to the Kansas Wildlife and Parks Commission. I have not heard of any specific plans to introduce the jug fishing proposal to the commission,” Mathews said.

Until the KDWP agrees on a jug fishing solution, anglers will have to continue fishing like they do now. Self has no problem with this.

“I like fishing with a rod because it takes more skill and is more exciting that jugging,” Self said.

It’s often said that you can’t fight City Hall, but you may be able to get around it. Case in point, the Student Senate may have found a way to dodge the Lawrence City Commission's tall tower of hierarchy.

The Student Senate’s Campus Safety Advisory Board (CSAB) recently proposed the construction of a crosswalk in front of Naismith Hall to the Traffic Safety Commission in a novel way. The CSAB decided to improve its chance of approval by offering to finance the construction from the campus safety fee reserve.

Jim Modig, Director of Design & Construction Management and ex-officio of the CSAB, said the $2.00 fee is the only student fee that the University matches on a 50-50 basis for facilities improvements such as campus lighting and safer crosswalks. What makes this project unique is that Senate’s proposed usage of KU students’ money to improve public streets.

The crosswalk would dissect the median on Naismith between 18th Street and 19th Street, providing a safer route for pedestrians through the busy traffic of Naismith Drive. The traffic is a particular concern for residents of Naismith Hall and Oliver Hall. Many residents of these halls cross Naismith Drive by jaywalking across the median to the bus stop because it is the shortest and most convenient route. Very few students walk south to the 19th Street stoplight or north to the crosswalk at 18th Street where there are designated crosswalks.

Former Naismith Hall resident Meghan Proehl, San Diego, California, sophomore, knows this problem all too well. Last year, Proehl was hit by a careless driver and knocked to the ground, hitting her head. A member of KU’s diving team, Proehl suffered aggravations to an existing back injury.

“I had to deal with lawyers, insurance companies, physical therapy, and animosity from the girl who hit me because she was charged with a hit-and-run,” Proehl said.

Proehl isn’t the only one who worried about traffic every day. Allison Ho, Topeka sophomore, who lived in Naismith last year, said she absolutely agrees that a crosswalk is necessary.

“Sometimes the bus would protect you from oncoming traffic, but you have no idea who is barreling down on the other side,” Ho said.

Funding for the construction of the crosswalk has been an issue from the start. Modig said he thinks that the initial approval of the request by the Traffic Safety Commission was largely due to the fact that the Senate offered to pay for it. He said that per city rules and regulations, the City Commission would not normally approve a crosswalk at a mid-portion of the block, which explains the difficulty in securing funding.

“If it is approved it will go onto a long, backlogged list of needed improvements. Once it goes onto that list, we could end up waiting several years before we would ever get considered for funding,” Modig said.

Public Works Traffic Engineer David Woosley said that although the Traffic Safety Commission did not take funding into consideration when they approved the request, the City Commission would.

“I would expect that the city would approve it particularly because KU is willing to pay for it. That’s a big point in KU’s favor,” Woosley said.

Although the Senate is willing to fund the project in order to speed its approval process, many students disagree with paying for safety improvements to city streets.

“It’s like mowing your own lawn and the park,” said Ho. “It sucks that we have to do it but if the city isn’t willing to then we need to step in and take care of it.”

The old adage comes to mind: If you want something done right, do it yourself. Unfortunately, doing it yourself can get pricey. If the City Commission approves the proposal, Modig said he had hoped to utilize KU’s facilities operations to keep costs low, but they are already overcommitted to construction on academic facilities.

The city’s street division is equally as busy. Tim Cast, field supervisor for the street division, said he had an endless amount of work to do and that the city would have to move the crosswalk forwards on the agenda to get it built in a reasonable amount of time. If KU has to hire a private contractor, construction costs will dip deep into the pockets of the Student Senate’s fee reserve.

“[The city] would charge approximately $3,000 for a project of this magnitude, but a private contractor could charge upwards of $6,000,” Cast said.

It seems absurd to put a price on student safety. Ho said she thinks pedestrian safety on a college campus should be placed as top priority because kids are walking to class. Proehl strongly agrees, saying her accident last year might have been prevented with a crosswalk.

“When I was hit, the police officer let me know it was not uncommon for students to get hit on campus. If Lawrence wants to keep its citizen base, which includes students at KU, it needs to consider our safety,” Proehl said.

The Kansas State House of Representatives is currently considering a bill to lower the compulsory age for school attendance from seven-years-old to six-years-old. This move has drawn opposition from home school organizations.

The bill was passed by the Kansas Senate on February 29th. The House Education Committee is now considering the bill for vote.

Several home school organizations are concerned with the bill possibly restricting the rights of parents.

There is concern that this furthers control after the Kansas Legislature raised the compulsory age from 16 to 18, a few years ago.

Home School Legal Defense Association (HSLDA), an national organization concerned with the protecting home-schooling, stands opposed to the bill on its website.

According to a recent article in the Topeka Capital-Journal the bill was created by Senator Laura Kelly. It was created for the purpose of keeping kids with irresponsible parents from falling through the cracks and making kindergarten attendance mandatory.

Those opposed to the bill think the change is too much for a small problem.

“It’s like taking off a cancerous mole with a chainsaw,” Kent Vincent, attorney and Legislative liaison for the Christian Home Educators Confederation of Kansas (CHECK), said.

Todd Kangas, the president of Midwest Parent Educators, an organization helping home-schoolers in the area, is also opposed to the bill.

“When the state starts reducing the compulsory age,” Kangas said. “Then where does it stop, at age five or four?”

Kangas and other home-schoolers are very concerned with the possibility of the law giving government further control over their children, and supplanting parents as decision makers in their children’s education.

Kangas says the bill should be all parents’ concern not just parents teaching their children at home.
“It’s a frightening thing to give the state more control over my children,” Kangas said.

Kangas also said there is concern over exposing children to things like disease and peer pressure often associated with schools, another year earlier.

Public schools simply see it as a way to make regular attendance for those going into kindergarten mandatory.

“Mandatory kindergarten may give schools more options in encouraging regular attendance for those children whose parents choose to send them to kindergarten,” Julie Boyle, communications director for Lawrence Public Schools, said.

Boyle says that the Lawrence public schools encourage early education opportunities, and parental rights to determine when children are ready for school. Boyle also said that the school district has not heard any concern voiced over the bill.

“My understanding is that the current bill would allow parents to write a letter to the school board to exempt their child from kindergarten,” Boyle said.

Vincent says that the exception that parents can request is misleading.

“The bill says that no shall be required to attend kindergarten,” Vincent said. “But at six-years-old, the child has to go to school.”

Instead of going to kindergarten, parents can opt to put their children directly into first grade. Vincent says the opt-out does nothing to relieve fears of further state control.

There are questions about whether all children are ready for school at six-years-old. According to HSLDA, a study by the Durham University shows that early childhood education initiatives show no benefit.

“I can see no benefit to the child, to go into school earlier,” Kangas said. “The decision of whether the child is ready is the parent’s decision.

Vincent says without the benefits to the children the bill is simply a way to further state control over children.

Vincent said that the bill will not make it out of the house committee unless it is amended or attached as part of another bill.

When Ken Erickson, Crystal Lake, Ill., junior, drives on Lawrence roads, he sometimes finds himself cursing aloud. The bumps and potholes in the pavement turn a normally smooth ride into a jolty, sometimes uncomfortable one. He has to focus more than usual just to make sure he keeps his car going straight on the narrow back-roads around the University of Kansas campus. At times, Erickson says he thinks the conditions make driving more dangerous.

The problem is that the road construction process is a tricky one. The City of Lawrence wages a yearlong battle with avenues and boulevards, but often it does not seem to be enough.

“It’s difficult because often I can’t even see the lines,” Erickson said. “It’s especially bad at night; it makes me worry.”

Road maintenance is not an issue that goes unnoticed. Each year the city budgets for projects aimed at improving the driving conditions in Lawrence. The process of city planning in regards to construction is a complex issue. Perhaps the most complicated aspect of this planning is finding project funding.

Construction and Maintenance Bureau Chief, Roy Rissky, of the Kansas Department of Transportation, said budgeting for road construction projects in the state is hard. He said that the cost could range from less than $100,000 to more than several million, depending on the size of the project proposed. According to the Lawrence Journal-World, the summer road construction season is about to begin. The city is looking at several road-related projects, all of which will consume state and local tax dollars. Lawrence City Commissioner Mike Amyx said the state usually covers about 80 percent of the cost, leaving the city to pay for the remaining 20 percent. He said that the numbers often fluctuate, depending on the nature of each project.

“If we do anything other than what the original plan calls for, then our percent goes up,” Amyx said. “The problem is you don’t really know what you’re going to find under the ground when you starting digging.”

Despite the ever-changing nature of construction projects, the city does everything it can to make sure everything goes according to plan. Amyx said most road construction projects finish on time, though he admitted some do not. He attributed the delays to “unforeseen problems,” the biggest of which was fuel costs. To try to combat this issue, he said the city offers incentive packages to contractors. The standard package provides an extra $100,000 from the city for projects that are completed ahead of schedule. The city is more able to afford the bonuses this year than it was last year.

Lawrence assistant director of public works, Dena Mezger, said that the extra money available to the city is in part due to the costs of projects planned for this year.

“We are spending a little less this year on road projects than last year,” Mezger said. “It is just the way the project schedules worked out. The projects are not as expensive as they were last year.”
Amyx said that even with the improved accuracy available for project funding, sometimes the city still comes up short on funds. When this happens, Lawrence has to find additional money. Often the city can look to federal and state grants and loans to help pay for projects. Because of the cash basis law, which states that a governing body cannot spend more money than it can collect, taxes are not raised during construction seasons to help aid in funding. Amyx said that there are other methods for getting the funding the city needs.

“There are all sorts of ways to do it,” Amyx said. “You have to be pretty careful how you go about it.”

Lawrence residents do pay for project funding though. Amyx said that sometimes, when the city has to borrow a lot of money, taxes are increased the following year to make up for it. In the upcoming summer road project season, the total estimated cost is $4.8 million. The 20 percent that comes from local taxes will total nearly $1 million. Erickson said he does not agree with having to pay the fees.

“I don’t think we should have to pay more taxes,“ Erickson said. “It’s one of the basic funds of a city and a main priority. I shouldn’t have to pay for it.”

Ken Erickson may not see the benefits of tax dollars in his time here in Lawrence, but he can find comfort in the fact that future generations of drivers will be safer on the roads because of them.

Chris Mensch enjoys riding her horse on the levee at Riverfront Park in north Lawrence, but not all park users welcome Mensch – or her horse. Once while riding through the area, a mountain biker accosted Mensch and her friends about bringing horses on the trail. She was surprised.

“If you’re courteous, everyone else should be courteous,” she said. “We have no complaints about hikers and bikers.”

Local mountain bikers have recently complained about horseback riders using the trails in Riverfront Park. They worry about the safety of trail users and resent the damage the horses do to the trail. Both the mountain bikers and the horseback riders plan to work with city to develop more trails and prevent further problems.

Mountain bikers worry most about the safety hazards horses create. Chad Lamer, Vice President of the Lawrence Mountain Bike Club, said he doesn’t think the two groups are compatible for the trails at Riverfront. “The main concern is what’s going to happen when somebody gets hurts down there,” Lamer said. “We have patrollers trained in CPR and first aid, but we don’t want to use that.”

The trails, which are only several feet wide, don’t have enough space for different groups to simultaneously use them. Lamer said the trails have directional arrows that tell runners to go one way and bikers another so the two groups can see each other. He also said that bikers can stop for pedestrians and dogs, but horses cause a problem.

“The problem with the horses is even if I make visual contact with you and your horse, I don’t know how the horse is going to react,” Lamer said. “You don’t know how your horse is going to react because, more than likely, your horse has never encountered someone coming at them at twenty miles an hour on a bicycle. Instinctively, the horse is going to perceive that as a threat, and their job is to flee.”

The damage the horses cause to the trail also frustrates the mountain bikers. Lisa Hallberg, Secretary of the Lawrence Mountain Bike Club, said the horses leave two-inch deep holes in the trail turning it from a smooth path to an area that looks like it was hit with land mines. The holes pack the soil, affect the drainage of the trail, and hold water, creating hazards for other users.

“The trails aren’t intended for horse riding; they’re for running and biking,” Hallberg said. “Trails are something that are maintained and built. They’re not just cow paths or deer paths.”

Although Riverfront is a public park, the Lawrence Mountain Bike Club maintains and patrols the trails. Art King, Trail Maintenance Coordinator for the club, said trail maintenance crews put in about 700 hours of work in 2007. Horse damage to the trails causes more work. King says the last time a horse damaged the trail, he could see every footprint for a mile. He spent 40 hours on that one mile of trail, having to fill every hole twice.

“If they damage one mile of trail, it’s going to take $500 worth of labor not to restore it but just to get it back to where it can be used again,” King said

Mensch, co-owner of Fox Eye Ranch and member of the Kansas Horse Council Board of Directors, occasionally rides her horse on the trails at Riverfront Park and doesn’t see any problems. Mensch said if she sees a pedestrian or a cyclist approaching, she pulls her horse off the trail.

“Our horses are very well-mannered,” she said.

Mensch said she wanted to make the trails horse friendly, so she contacted the Parks and Recreation Department and talked to Mark Hecker, Parks and Maintenance Superintendent.

Hecker said the conflicting use of the trails has potential to be a problem. He will work with the two groups to develop equestrian trails throughout the Riverfront Park area. He also said the horseback riders would have a similar use-agreement with the city as the mountain bikers have. Under that agreement the horseback riders and not the city would maintain the trails.

Although the double use of the trails causes tension between the two groups, arguments and confrontations rarely occur. Mensch said the mountain biker who accosted her and her friends on the trail came back later.

“At that point he apologized for being abrasive,” she said. “He came back and said he had overreacted and was willing to work with us.”

The mountain bikers have also said they are willing to work with the horseback riders on developing trails. Chad Lamer said, “We would not be opposed to some bridle trail that wasn’t exactly on that location, and in fact we would love to work with these people and teach them about trail building.”

Both groups plan to work this spring with the Parks and Recreation Department on the trails.

Every school has one, but you might overlook them because you have never had to work with them. Maybe you missed them because you were too busy going from class to class to notice the special education teachers helping their students. Now, though, it is hard not to notice, because according to Chriss Walther-Thomas, chair of the special education department at the University of Kansas, the number of special education teachers has been decreasing in the past five years.

Walther-Thomas said in some states, such as Texas, the lack of special education teachers is so bad that they merely have a testing program for special education teachers. Walther-Thomas said anybody with a bachelor’s degree can take the test and become certified as a special education teacher.

“I knew a student who told me she knew nothing about special education. She got the best textbook on the market, she spent a week studying it, and she passed with more than a 90% rating,” Walther-Thomas said.

Walther-Thomas said the schools in Kansas are trying to prevent this by taking many different measures to try and increase the number of certified special education teachers in schools. She said that schools in smaller cities may provide housing plans for special education teachers, while larger areas will set up mentoring programs for new teachers in the school district and some schools are even trying to entice more teachers to become certified by helping to pay for their degree in special education.

According to Kevin Harrell, division director of student intervention services in the Lawrence school district, Lawrence has been no stranger when having problems to fill special education positions. Harrell said the Lawrence school district has roughly 75 to 80 special education positions and it had seven openings at the beginning of this year. Harrell said that they had to fill some of those openings with teachers on waiver and substitute teachers.

Wynne Begun, director of special education in the Blue Valley school district, also said that her school district had trouble filling special education positions. Begun said that the Blue Valley school district needed to hire teachers on waiver and provisional teachers to fill some special education positions.

Begun said that teachers on waiver and provisional teachers are both working on becoming fully certified special education teachers, but they are not fully qualified at the time they are hired.

Harrell said the Lawrence school district has taken one of the measures stated by Walther-Thomas to help fill the vacant special education positions. Harrell said the Lawrence school district is trying to attract more teachers to fill those special education positions by proposing to help pay for their special education degree.
“We will help supplement tuition payments,” Harrell said.

That is not the only thing the Lawrence school district is doing. Harrell said they also try to recruit teachers out of colleges, and he sees KU as a big asset.
Debra Griswold, project coordinator in the KU special education department, said that none of the students in the program right now were receiving any financial aid from the schools they were coming from.

Griswold said the lack of special education teachers was coming from a growing retirement rate of current teachers and Griswold, Harrell, and Jenna Beahm, a graduate student in the KU special education program, all agreed that the tremendous amount of paper work drives some people away from the profession.

Harrell said that over this growing drought of special education teachers, the number of special education students has stayed about the same. So, there is still the same number of students who need special education, but there are fewer certified teachers that can help them.

Griswold said that typically the KU special education program has 34 students in practicum, or student teaching, during the spring semester, but this year they have 54. That number can only help so much though as the disparity of special education teachers grows. Schools may need to take a more active approach like the Lawrence school district in filling those special education vacancies.

The Kansas Department of Social and Rehabilitation Services awarded grants to six non-profit organizations to solicit application for the Food Stamp Outreach Program.

The SRS presented the proposal in August 2007, requesting funding for the pilot program. The outreach program is designed to connect potentially eligible citizens with food stamp benefits.

“The reason we promote is to help prevent hunger in Kansas,” said Susan Craig, Nutrition Education Outreach and Program Marketing.

A recent report estimated 65 percent of eligible citizens participated in the nutrition program. Craig said the funding would allow organization to market to more people.

Craig said the SRS based recipients’ qualifications on participation rates less than 70 percent.

The grant recipients include organizations in Barber County, Stevens County, Johnson County and Rice County. Other non-profit organizations consist of Harvest of America, of Western Kansas, and East Central Kansas Economic Opportunity Corporation (ECKAN), which conducts an outreach program in Douglas County.

ECKAN Chief Executive Richard Jackson said that in the Kansas City-Metro region, Douglas County participation rated a low of 36.5 percent, while Johnson County rated at 39.7 percent.

The state awarded the SRS $150,000 in food stamp bonus money for being in top accuracy. The SRS awarded the grants to the counties. Each county receiving no more
than $30,000.

Craig said the organizations thought of innovative ways to reach the public. She said they used different approaches such as brochures, schools and booths to get the information out.

“We try to go to places where the people who need help go to,” Craig said.

Jackson said they attended different events and handed out commodities to attract potential applicants.

“Our goal is to increase the number of people who participate in the program,” Jackson said.

Jackson said that elderly and Hispanics citizens showed less interested in the program. He said because senior citizens income is higher, they don’t get much money in food stamps.

“They don’t think it’s worth their time,” Jackson said.

He said the communication between Hispanic and other ethnic groups presented a problem because they don’t speak English. He said they often got interpreters to help translate the information.

Craig said the different counties and organizations also developed collaborations with companies to help promote the food stamp nutrition program.

The SRS collaborated with publication “Family Matters” and non-profit group, Inner Fate Ministries. The SRS also joined forces with H&R Block in 2007, to help promote the nutrition program.

“It’s proven to be really beneficial,” Craig said.

Though partnerships with companies and non-profit organizations seem to be making progress, Craig said they still struggled to get the word out. She said the SRS downsized on employees and agencies, which limited the staff.

“Man power dictates how much outreach we can do,” Craig said.

The application process often causes a problem. Susan Jacob, Food Stamp Policy Director said that sometimes people struggled with applying because they don’t understand. She said now on-line applications are available and more convenient.

Craig said the regions tried to make the process easier through the pilot program. She said they trained people to be more hands on and offered application assistance.

Jacob said the lack of knowledge about the program is sometimes a boundary.

“Some people don’t know they qualify for assistance,” Jacob said.

Jackson, who oversees the outreach program in Lawrence and Johnson County, said that the lack of understanding posed as a problem.

“People think you have to be on welfare to get assistance,” Jackson said. “That’s not the case.”

Craig said that food stamp assistance program is not welfare but a part of U.S. Department of Agriculture food assistance program.

Jacob said embarrassment caused people to refuse the assistance. She said that pride created a major obstacle.

Jackson said that with improved technology and paperless food stamps, he thought the terms of embarrassment should be minimal. He said a goal of the program would be to try and identify the reasons most people don’t participate.

“We want to try to see if some of the myths are actually factual,” Jackson said.

SRS Susan Johnson, human services supervisor in Lawrence, said that the program really progressed, yet still too new to see results.

Jackson said June 2008 would be ideal to see how much the success the program experienced.

Craig said the outreach program is ongoing and the organization continued to provide assistance to eligible citizens.

Lawrence Parks and Recreation has surpassed revenue expectations for the past two years. One possible explanation is that people are spending more money locally because of a slowing economy, Parks Superintendent Mark Hecker said.

Parks and Rec. revenue was 7 percent higher than projected last year. In 2006, revenues were 6 percent higher than projected. Prairie Park Nature Center has doubled its revenue since 2004, when it earned $17,162. Revenues were $37,699 last year.

“We had the highest revenue we’ve ever had last year,” said Marty Birrell, nature interpretive supervisor.

Hecker said when the economy goes down, people were more likely to stay in town and sign up for Park and Rec. programs than to take vacations. However, a slowing economy and high gas prices also decreases the sales tax revenue the city brings in that help pay for recreation programs. “People are not out buying clothes and other things that they could put off,” Lawrence Finance Director Ed Mullins said. Parks and Recreation gets some of its budget from sales tax revenue.

The nature center hasn’t seen an increase in the budget because the city is losing sales tax dollars, Birrell said. The nature center’s operating budget is about $140,000.

Each year, projected revenue is factored into the budget of the Recreation Fund, which finances recreation programs. Extra revenue generated stays in the Recreation Fund to help finance the next year’s budget, Hecker said.

Projected revenue from recreation programs was $1,442,350. The actual revenue generated was $1,540,824.63. The projected revenue for 2008 is $1,555,350.

Parks and Recreation also keeps up their revenues by paying attention to the success of the programs they offer. “Classes are filled,” Hecker said, “and if they’re not filled, we offer something different.”

The nature center generates revenue from program fees. Visiting the nature center is free. Birrell said the nature center loses money like most other nature centers. The center could generate more money if people were charged to visit, but the city didn’t want to do that. “This was going to be a city resource,” she said.

The nature center offers programs year round. They have programs for boy and girl scouts, and programs for the public that include those for children and adults. They also have programs for schools on field trips. The nature center charges $3.50 per visiting student and $2 per parent for school field trips, with a $75 minimum charge. The center tries to fulfill state science requirements with its school programs, Birrell said.

Christine Wesley, a second grade teacher at Prairie Park elementary, said she takes her classes to the nature center twice per year. They go in the fall to learn about monarch butterflies, and in the spring to learn about reptiles and amphibians.

“Usually we ask the parents to pay for their own child but if for some reason they can’t, our PTA helps those who are not able to bring money,” Wesley said.

Prairie Park elementary students are able to walk to the nature center for field trips because the school is near the center.

“We can walk so we don’t have a bus expense. A lot of the schools have that bus expense that can hinder how often they can go,” said Lori Greenfield, a fourth grade teacher at Prairie Park elementary. Greenfield said teachers were only allowed one field trip with a bus per year.
Birthday parties have also increased revenue for the nature center and Parks and Recreation. A few years ago Parks and Recreation started marketing birthday parties. At the nature center, a birthday party costs $75.

“It’s good revenue and it’s fun for the kids,” Birrell said. The nature center usually has one or two birthday parties each weekend, filling most time spots.

Perry land surveyor Fred Rogers has worked with land allotment within Douglas County for more than 20 years, experiencing firsthand the effects of the constantly changing Subdivision Regulations. Rogers, owner of Rogers Surveying, said that the recent revisions made last year have slowed the surveying process down with administrative paperwork to anywhere from six weeks to six months.

“We were spitting out a lot of five or ten-acre tracts but it’s a longer process now,” Rogers said.

The Douglas County Subdivision Regulations were created to ensure that the division of land (parcels) will serve the public interest and general welfare. Being an essential step in urbanization, it’s important that the creation and arrangement of these parcels of land for both private and public uses benefits Lawrence and the Unincorporated Area of Douglas County. However, the latest revision of these regulations has gone under several subtle changes in the past year since its approval by the Douglas County Commission, and redefining how the land development business.

The reasoning behind the new additions to the Subdivision Regulations was so that the
County could have some control of the land development going on outside of the city in the urban growth area. The suburban sprawl expanding in the area was going on without boundaries. The companies were able to take five acres, divide it into parcels and sell it off for housing development. Now the requirement is at 20 acres before dividing it into a maximum of two parcels. Douglas County Commissioner Charles Jones said this is a means to better manage growth outside the county.

“It has to ultimately to do with the cost and sustainability of (suburban) sprawl,” Jones said. “We thought that too much sprawl would strain the budget.”

Rogers isn't the only one in the land development game questioning the regulations. Last Wednesday night at the Douglas County Courthouse, Aaron Gaspers of Peridian Group, Inc., submitted an appeal to allow his company the right to divide a property they own into three parcels instead of two. The three commissioners listened in and afterwards decided to stand by their previous interpretation of local roads to not include arterial, or main, roads. The issue in question came out of a small gap in the in the year-old updated version of the Subdivision Regulations concerning the definition of local roads.

Typically these certificates of survey do not have to go in front of the county commission unless they are trying to go against the code. Gaspers’s client came to him with 40 acres to see the maximum amount of parcels that could be created to sell for housing development. The property was bordering two arterial county roads that Gaspers claimed were local county roads and thus his client was eligible to make the land divisions. They needed to get a judgment call to see if they could still get five total parcels, with the code being silent on this particular issue.

“I think generally when you bring in something new like these certificates, there’s going to be a rough period in the beginning for everybody,” Gaspers.

The original incarnation of the Subdivision Regulations was passed in September 23, 1966, under the Kansas Zoning Regulations for Unincorporated Territory. Since then, the Subdivision Regulations have gone onto form their own body under Article 8 under the Zoning & Codes regulations. Its latest incarnation was adopted at the beginning of January 2007, with a primary emphasis on the creation of a review and certification process for landowners applying for building permits.

City Planning Director Linda Finger said, “We found a lot of the properties were not eligible for development because there wasn’t enough acreage to meet the regulations.”

The Douglas County Commission has made 18 amendments to this new edition of Subdivision Regulations since adopting it last year. Within the next two weeks there will be another amendment added on to provide further clarity to the web of regulations and ensuring land development is kept in check.

Despite reducing the pace of his business, Rogers said he thinks that this review process is actually for the better. He said before there was no sort of control and it was causing problems. They weren’t taking into consideration the road entry ways for each tract of land, and now there are regulations for this and acreage requirements amongst other limitations.

“The entire surveying business has changed completely,” Rogers said. “However, I still don’t agree with it a hundred percent.”

When Danielle Littman, Chicago junior, moved into her two bedroom loft apartment with her roommate on the corner of 10th and Massachusetts it came with hardwood floors, 11 inch ceilings, stainless steel appliances and a security coded entry for $1195 per month.

With the downtown location they also got loud music blaring from guitar amps one floor below at the Jackpot Saloon and the occasional loud screams heard from the Lawrence Community Shelter located behind their apartment.

“I love the location,” Littman said. “I can sleep through it, but I know there are some tenants in the building that the noise does bother.”

Nick Carroll, owner of the Jackpot Saloon and the Replay Lounge, knows well that some people just can’t handle downtown living. A tension began brewing in August 2007 when the newly renovated Ten Ten lofts opened above the Jackpot Saloon.

“I have received 30 or more warnings from the police since the lofts opened,” Carroll said.

The conflict does not begin with the bar owners who have the right to run their businesses late at night or the loft renters who want their apartment to remain quiet for studying, but rather with a vague Lawrence noise ordinance that does not define reasonable noise.