Multimedia Reporting (Bradford)

The summer months mean an increase in downtown shoppers on Massachusetts Street. With the escalating number of pedestrians and motorists downtown, Lawrence Law Enforcement has also increased the number of bicycle officers patrolling the downtown district and surrounding neighborhoods to enhance public safety.

Although the Lawrence Police Department first initiated bicycle patrols in May of 1989, officers are more noticeable in the months when pedestrian traffic is heavy. In 2005, an estimated 752,446 people visited downtown, according to the Lawrence Kansas Visitors Bureau. Such traffic has created the need for more officers downtown, especially in the summer.

Technical Service Manager Kim Murphree said that with the added traffic downtown, bicycle officers keep the public safer because of the increased accessibility a bike allows an officer over a patrol car.

According to Murphree, officers on bicycles offer a closer personal contact with citizens and increased mobility. An officer on a bicycle can move through alleys, parking lots, and even wooded areas of parks, if necessary.

“Bicycle officers are utilized in times and places where personal interaction between law enforcement and the public is an effective tool for public safety,” Murphree said. “They get places cars can’t go which is sometimes where an officer needs to be.”

The bicycles are also used an environment-friendly means of transportation for the police department. Bicycles emit no fumes and keep the air cleaner for downtown residents.

Bicycle patrols are utilized on any given shift, day or night, and during any season. However, patrols are generally not used during the colder winter months because of the decrease in downtown visitors.

“There are just so many people around town that we want to protect,” Murphree. “It [seeing a bicycle officer] is also a psychological safety factor.”

Bicycle patrol officers must complete eight hours of training. They are taught how to start, stop, ride and quickly dismount on any type of terrain and in any type of situation.

Bicycle officers have the same abilities as those who patrol in cars. Most citations that bicycle officers issue with are traffic and parking violations. Although the city does not keep a record of separate citations handled out between bicycle patrol and vehicle patrol, bicycle police often deal with battery calls, public intoxication and pedestrian traffic control. During the days with heavy volumes of customers, the bike patrol offers their help to businesses with problems as shoplifting and theft.

Bicycles are equipped with lights and officers can use whistles to signal an individual or individuals that they need to stop. Officers always wear helmets and are equipped with basic tire kits in case of emergency. Trek Bikes are currently used by the Department.

Not all residents see the benefit in the increase in bicycle officers. Lawrence resident Kathrine Bogart was recently ticketed for failing to yield to a pedestrian and questioned the city’s decision to use bicycle police over patrol cars.

“I was really surprised with I got pulled over,” Bogart said. “I don’t think this is an effective means of law enforcement because the officer was too hard to hear and see. What if I hadn’t seen her, kept driving and got into more trouble?”

Derek Branham, a Lawrence resident who also was cited with a failure to yield violation, said that it is strange to be pulled over by a bike when someone is driving a car.

“I understand that they have a job to do,” Branham said. “I just can’t believe that they can issue tickets like that.”

At any given time, 20 to 25 officers are designated as bicycle patrol officers. Officers are deployed by a shift supervisor. The maximum sent out on patrol at one time is four, and the officers generally patrol in pairs.

Muprhree said most of the bicycle patrol officers really enjoy the patrol and will volunteer to be on bicycle patrol.

“Officers have reported citizens thanking them for patrolling on bicycles,” Murphree said. It’s all about people and making them feel safe.”

Bicycle Officers increase downtown public safety

Click here to view a slideshow with helpful hints on getting your security deposit back.

A majority of leases end this next Tuesday, July 31, and many students are preparing to move out of their current apartments. Although it sounds simple, the process entails packing, unpacking, extensive cleaning and a pile of paperwork.

Perhaps the biggest issue concerning moving out of an apartment is getting the security deposit back. Once students find out that they will not be getting their deposits back, some of them seek legal counsel. The University’s Legal Services for Students sees a lot of landlord versus tenant cases in the fall.

“In Lawrence, it seems like students expect that they won’t get all of their deposit back and many of them expect that they won’t get any of it back,” Michele Kessler, associate director of LSS, said. “It’s just that expectation of, ‘Well, they always keep something.’ It’s almost like they think it’s a cost of renting.”

How much of the deposit students will get back, if they get their deposit back at all, depends on the condition of the apartment when they check out with the leasing office. Some apartment complexes provide handouts that list the costs to repair any damages to the apartment. The smallest problems, such as a burnt-out light bulb, can turn into major expenses.

“What’s happening is people are getting, we think, ripped off through this little system,” Jo Hardesty, director and managing attorney for LSS, said. “I mean, let’s face it, the landlord buys light bulbs by the case. You cannot tell me that they cost $5 each, and even if you have to have someone screw the light bulb in, that won’t even cost $5.”

Many students devote an entire day to cleaning their apartments before moving out. However, one resident at Campus Court at Naismith, 1301 W. 24th, was dissatisfied with the way management treated its residents. Every unit at Campus Court underwent renovations while residents were still living in the apartment. Because of this, Aubry Peters, Sioux City, Iowa sophomore, won’t be too concerned about cleaning his apartment.

“I am planning on doing some light cleaning, like vacuuming and cleaning off the counter tops and stove top, but I am definitely not going to do too much,” Peters said.

To make up for the inconvenience the renovations have caused, Campus Court will refund residents’ security deposits in their entirety, pending no major damages to the apartment.

There are a few tips that Kessler provides to her clients to get security deposits at the end of the lease. To begin with, leave the apartment in the same shape as it was in on move-in day. Other measures Kessler recommends also protect students’ from landlords who may falsely accuse them of wrecking the apartment.

“If you have a camera, take pictures of the place so if they say that you left it trashed and you didn’t, you have some photos that show that,” Kessler said. “People that help you move out can also give testimonial evidence to the state of the place when you moved out.”

Finally, use the list that the landlord gives out that provides the cost to repair various damages that may have been done to the premises. Not only will this prevent any surprise charges from the landlord, but it will also help provide a guideline of what needs to be cleaned.

Students who feel that their landlords withheld too much money from their security deposits can make an appointment with LSS by calling (785) 864-5665. Legal fees for the counsel are already covered in the required student fees.

Is it the start of a new era for soccer?

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David Beckham's American debut on July 21 drew a record of 1.5 million viewers to the TV broadcast despite playing for only 13 minutes, according to Nielson Media. The number of viewers could indicate a change of wind for soccer in the United States.

Ironically. the world's most popular sport, soccer, is not the most popular one in the world's biggest sporting nation, the United States. However, the development of soccer popularity is still ongoing by those who care about the abandoned sports.

Gerrit de Boer, president of Lawrence Adult Soccer League, has been devoting his life to increase the popularity of soccer in Lawrence. He organizes the adult league for Lawrence soccer community as well as running the Kaw Valley Soccer Association.
Kaw Valley Soccer Association provides organized soccer for children age 4 to 18 at three different levels. There are 36 members registered in Lawrence Adult Soccer League while more than 50 children play for the Kaw Valley Soccer Association.

"The facilities in town limit the growth of soccer," De Boer said. "But we still try to promote soccer by providing programs for youth and adult soccer players."

De Boer said that the parks and recreation centers in Lawrence didn't provide proper condition and space. The lawn condition and the minimized field-size are the main problem he saw.

De Boer expressed his concern about soccer popularity. He said that the American society is into sports spectaculars, sports statistics, high-scoring games and entertainment during the games.

"If the sport does not provide these elements, the public is turned off. Soccer is a sport that has minimal stoppage times during the games, and does not stimulate any of those factors," De Boer said.

Rebekah Berkeley, who was all-time scoring leader when she played soccer for Free State High School varsity team, agreed that soccer failed to provide what she called the "American elements."

"Soccer is low scoring, so nothing keeps the attention of the viewers. Besides, there is no time for replays, food and discussions," Berkeley said.

The Unique Status of Soccer in the United States

The history of soccer in the United States helps understand why soccer has not been popular. The history is too short to make soccer as the major sports. The professional soccer debuted in 1996 while other major U.S. sports leagues have each existed many decades longer. Major League Soccer only has 13 teams while MLB, NFL and NBA has each more than 20 teams.

"Soccer teams that people can follow are just now developing in the U.S. and they have been around forever in other countries," Berkeley said.

Although the professional soccer has not been popular, it has been popular as pre-teen and youth sports. Soccer is one of the major autumn sports programs for most middle and high schools. In recent decades, soccer is becoming an alternative school sports for football because of economic and safety reason.

"I'd rather see my kids play soccer than football," Margaret Jenkins, a mother of two high school children, said. "Soccer costs less money and provides better protection."

Three high schools in Lawrence all provide soccer as autumn sports. Lawrence High School has three soccer teams: sophomore, junior varsity and varsity team. The varsity team consists of 22 players while sophomore and junior varsity team each has more than 15 players.

The increasing popularity of soccer as teenagers' sports even created a new term in late 1990s: soccer mom. The term is used to represent typical type of mother in a single income family.

Soccer as popular teen sports has another good reason.

"Soccer is quite popular among school children because little equipment is needed to play and because the game itself is fun for all type of players, strong, tall, short, quick, and slow," De Boer said.

Soccer has another unique status in the United States. Women's soccer in the United States is prominent compared to the rest of the world. The U.S. women's national soccer team has won the Women's World Cup three times since the birth of the competition in 1991 and won three Olympic gold medals.

De Boer claimed that the strength of women's soccer team came from the positive image associated with women playing soccer.

"There was no negative image of women playing soccer in the USA as is in the rest of the world. There women have been discouraged from playing soccer because it is considered a men's game," De Boer said.

Bright Future or Another Failure?

The future for soccer in the United States seems optimistic than ever. The arrival of the famous soccer star David Beckham has given hope for many U.S. soccer fans.

"I still can't believe Beckham plays for the MLS now," Jun Park, Lawrence junior, who described himself as "die-hard soccer fan," said. "His right foot will definitely make difference."

Beckham signed a five-year contract with L.A. Galaxy for $250 million, the biggest amount in world soccer. Beckham recently said on USA Today that he hoped to channel the Americans' passion for basketball, football and baseball to the world's biggest sport, soccer. He also said he wanted to kick away the stereotype of soccer, such as boring and dry, to build up a new soccer image.

Some people, however, still doubts about the influence Beckham would bring to the American sports society.

"I think soccer is gaining some popularity for a while now that Beckham is here, but I don't think it will ever be the most popular sport like in other countries," Berkeley said.

Statistics show that the soccer viewership is steadily increasing in the United States. According to the New York Times, the 2006 World Cup final match attracted 16.9 million American viewers even though such number is hard to achieve in afternoon sports event. The viewership is 152 increase from the last world cup in 2002. The number is not far behind compared to the 2006 World Series, 17.1 million, and the 2006 NCAA men's basketball championship game, 17.5 million.

De Boer hopes that arrival of Beckham is just a beginning for the new future for his favorite sport.

"I am very optimistic about the future of soccer in the USA. It will find a major place in the society, perhaps equaling basketball." De Boer said.

click here to see the slide show of Beckham's influence on soccer and what Gerrit de Boer, president of Lawrence Adult Soccer League, thinks about the future for American soccer.

Click here to view an audio slideshow about the KU Survivor: Engineering Outback summer camp.

The connection between s’mores and aerospace engineering may not seem obvious at first, but participants of the KU Survivor: Engineering Outback summer camp soon saw the relationship between the two when they got to make s’mores using the engine of a small jet.

According to Dr. Ron Barrett-Gonzales, associate professor of aerospace engineering, the jet engine reached a temperature of approximately 3600 degrees Fahrenheit within seconds. Students were able to roast marshmallows even while standing at a distance from the engine. Everyone in the area was required to wear earmuffs to protect themselves from the loud noises emitted by the engine.

“This is probably the loudest sound that these young people will hear until they get to the likes of a Zeppelin concert and stand in the seat next to the speaker bank,” Barrett-Gonzalez said. “This is 128 decibels.”

Activities like making s’mores, field trips and hands-on projects are the main components of the weeklong camp. Although three hours of their mornings are dedicated to lectures, the rest of the afternoon involves working on projects.

Dawnelle Prince-Parks, director of recruitment for the School of Engineering, said that the interactive approach contributes to the enrollment of future students. Last year was the camp’s first year, and over 50 percent of the senior men who participated in the camp applied to the School of Engineering, Prince-Parks said.

“With the guys, we try to make it very project-intensive,” Prince-Parks said. “More so than just lecture time in a classroom, we want them to be very interactive. With over a 50 percent application rate, that makes the camp extremely successful for us.”

Participants completed projects based on which engineering discipline they chose to study. The ten disciplines offered by the University are: aerospace, architectural, chemical, civil, computer, computer science, electrical, physics, mechanical and petroleum. For example, the mechanical students worked on an SAE Formula One race car, while the aerospace students built rockets and launched them at Clinton Lake, Prince-Parks said.

“For computer science, we’re doing a graphic model,” Steffan Counts, a high school senior from Kansas City, Mo., said. “So far we’re still in the planning stages, I’m not sure what exactly the graphic model will be, but it’s pretty exciting. It’s very invigorating.”

In addition to the projects, participants went on a field trip and visited various companies to expose themselves to the 10 disciplines of engineering offered by the University. One night, the students looked at small propeller planes at the University’s hangar. The next day, they toured a Harley-Davidson factory and Perceptive Software, a software company based out of Shawnee, Kan. These activities allowed the students to consider a different track in engineering that they may not have had a previous interest in.

“I want to expand my horizons, see all the different types of engineering,” Counts said. “Even though I’m in electrical engineering/computer science, I might drift into another one. You n ever know.”

According to Prince-Parks, the camp has a 50-man maximum. However, only 27 students participated in the camp this summer, including two returning campers. While Prince-Parks said that this is a good-sized, manageable group, Barrett-Gonzalez said that the camp has the potential to reach out to more students.

“There are so many cool things that go on with this camp and it’s like, this is one of the least discovered secrets in the Midwest,” Barrett-Gonzalez said. “If kids in Sedalia or out in Salina knew about this thing they’d be here in droves. There are a lot of people who just need to find out about it.”

New computers installed
Photo: Daniel Reyes

Click here for a slide show about the recent installation of computers at Watson Library

With few students on campus during the summer, academic computing services has had the opportunity to install 120 new computers in Watson, Anschutz, Spahr and Thomas Gorton Music and Dance libraries.

The computers in these libraries were entering their fourth and final year under warranty,
Thomas Roderick, student technology coordinator, said. However, the older computers will still be useful.

Once a warranty expires the computers are put into a “recycle” cycle, Roderick said.

“When we recycle machines out of another library or lab on campus we take the machines and put them on the fourth floor of Watson,” Roderick said.

Once transferred, the computers will stay there for one year before being cycled out. This practice gets additional use of the computers and prevents the University from needlessly spending money to replace a large number of computers at once. The new computers were purchased on two separate orders and cost between $800 and $900, but the University did receive a discount for buying them in bulk, Roderick said.

Students visiting Watson Library may notice the 35 new Dell computers on the third floor. Roderick said computing services changed from Gateway personal computers to Dell PC’s, but that the model will remain similar. Like its predecessors the new Dells are all-in-one PC’s, which means that the LCD (liquid crystal display) monitors are attached to the computer, forming a single box.

“With these types of computer and monitor stand you have a lot more space on the desk,” Roderick said.

According to Roderick the Gateway computers began to cause problems two years ago.

“The LCD monitors and the hard drives were burning out,” Roderick said. “We went through 70 of the hard drives and 30 of the LCD screens.”

Roderick said the reason they went with Dell was because a large portion of the University’s computer were already Dell.

Even with new computers in Watson there is one thing that Kent Miller, assistant dean of libraries, does not think will change quickly.

“Occasionally there is a problem in Watson with computer availability,” Miller said. “However, the problem in Watson pales in significance to the competition for equipment in Anschutz Library. Money and space have been the major limiting factors.”

In order to ease the strain on students frantically searching for computers, Miller said the Clark Instruction Center, with its 30 computers was opened to students.

The lab on the fourth floor of Watson also arose from the need for a large number of computers on the eastern side of campus Roderick said. Two years ago computing services was approached by Watson officials about opening up the fourth floor for a lab. Since then Roderick said out-of-warranty computers have been cycled into the fourth floor.

“Every year those computers will get replaced,” Roderick said. “But it won’t be with the newest technology.”

With the replacement of the 120 computers nearly complete, Roderick said they can now focus on meeting additional computer needs in the Clark Instruction Center, located on the third floor of Watson, and room 419, located on the fourth floor of Watson.

The CIC recently got new furniture which has increased the computer capacity in the room from 16 to 32 and they will all be brand new, Roderick said. The computers from the CIC will be moved into 419 where older Gateways are currently used.

Once these replacements are made Roderick said the next thing to work on will be a software upgrade that is slated to be done sometime over winter break. A need for more computers will arise with the completion of a new computer lab, which will be situated in the Burge Union. Construction is scheduled to begin Sept.1.

Click here to see a slide show of a basketball camp for boys and girls

Girls and Boys play together on the same court at KU summer basketball camp. Well, at least they play on the same court at the Junior Jayhawk Camp for girls and boys entering grades 1-5. At the camps for older kids, separation by gender is done for the obvious reason that males have natural biological advantages in size and muscle mass. In fact, boys past the fifth grade would attend the Bill Self Kansas Summer Basketball Camp, and the older girls would attend the Bonnie Henrickson.

At the grade school level, the coaches of the Junior Jayhawk camp don’t feel that it is necessary to shelter the female players from the male players. Jamie Boyd, a senior on the KU women’s basketball team and an instructor at the Junior Jayhawk camp, doesn’t think that the girl players are at all outmatched by the boys. “Nobody’s physically developed yet, so it doesn’t matter much,” Boyd said.

It is quite true that the skill level of an eight-year-old leaves something to be desired in the basketball arena. Girls and boys alike frequently commit traveling and double-dribbling violations during scrimmages. Most of the time, the coaches let it slide without blowing the whistle. They say the main purpose of the camp is to have fun, which would be harder to do if the coaches were stopping the game every time some kid took more than two steps after picking up his dribble.

Mike Wetzel, a Chicago resident who showed up at camp on Thursday to watch his younger cousin Brianne play, agrees with Boyd about gender differences on the court. “I even saw a couple of girls dominate some of the boys,” Wetzel said. Wetzel likes the idea of boys and girls playing on the same court. He said that basketball is great for facilitating healthy interaction between the two genders.

Boyd’s and Wetzel’s quotes may have painted a picture of total gender equality at the Junior Jayhawk camp, but that’s not exactly the case. The physical differences between boys and girls are taken into account when organizing scrimmage teams. Katie O’Connor, a coach on the KU women’s basketball team as well as at the Bonnie Henrickson camp, said they try not to put too many boys on a team. The boys are faster and stronger than the girls, even if both lack stellar b-ball skills.

Katie O’Connor coached women’s basketball at Virginia Tech with Bonnie Henrickson before they both came to KU. Needless to say, it requires some patience to coach at the college level and then attempt to teach grade-schoolers the same skills. When asked how well she likes the contrast, O’Connor said, “Kids are cute. I think it’s a lot of fun.”

When Midge Grinstead, director of the Lawrence Humane Society, entered Ernest Martin's garage 10 years ago, nothing could have prepared her for the horror inside.

A dead pit bull lay decaying on the garage floor. The animal was covered with garbage and its throat was ripped open from a fight. Five dogs tied up in the backyard suffered infected wounds, cropped ears, filed teeth, and other signs of the gruesome sport of dog fighting. Officials seized all 16 of Martin's pit bulls, including 11 puppies.

Authorities charged Martin with dog fighting, but the prosecutor could not build a strong enough case. In order to convict someone of dog fighting under Kansas law in 1997, the individual needed to be caught in the act. Instead, the court convicted Martin of animal cruelty and the judge sentenced him to a year in prison. He was released in six months.

Recent accusations against Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick and several others have once again shed light on the illegal sport.

Dog fighting in Lawrence has declined significantly since the Martin incident. Grinstead said the number of physically abused pit bulls brought to the Lawrence Humane Society dropped from 600 to two in the past 10 years.

"Dog fighting is not a problem in Lawrence," said Grinstead. "But that doesn't mean it doesn't exist."

Click HERE to watch a video about the decrease in local dog fighting.

Ten years ago, the Lawrence Humane Society took in mistreated pit bulls on an almost-daily basis. Grinstead said she received dogs with bones protruding through their skin, muscle tendons hanging from their limbs, and infected wounds covered in pus.

"It was obvious they were victims of dog fights," said Grinstead.

Before the year 2000, there wasn't much the City of Lawrence could do to stop dog fighting, according to Anthony Barnett, owner of Home Sweet Home Dog Resort, 2140 Haskell Avenue, who specializes in raising pit bulls. Barnett said the sport was much more organized than it is today and almost impossible to access.

"It used to be like infiltrating a drug cartel," said Barnett. "Dog fighting organizations are extremely close-knit groups."

The number of injured pit bulls dropped the year after Lawrence officials enacted the Dangerous Dog Ordinance in 2000. The ordinance requires that if the public perceives a dog as a threat to society, the owner must keep it heavily restrained. When an owner does not comply with the ordinance, officials can confiscate the dog and take the case to court. If the owner is found guilty, the dog is euthanized.

Since the 2000 ordinance was enacted, Grinstead said it has helped to bring about 30 cases of animal cruelty involving dog fighting to civil court.

Even though the 2000 ordinance helped identify dozens of dangerous animals and their owners, the Lawrence Humane Society still received more than 100 injured pit bulls in 2001.

Douglas County took a bigger bite out of the local dog fighting industry with the passage of its Vicious Dog Ordinance in 2003. The ordinance outlawed equipment that could be used to train dogs to fight, including jump cords, tread mills, weight harnesses, and injection steroids. The ordinance also allowed the search of property belonging to those possessing such equipment and permitted the houses of suspected dog fighters to be inspected.

"The Vicious Dog Ordinance gave us a way to get in the door," said Grinstead. "Before, it was almost impossible to investigate people we suspected of dog fighting."

The 2003 ordinance proved to be successful. Grinstead and her staff took in less than 25 battle-weary pit bulls in 2005.

The animals received another victory in July 2006, when she hired a lobbyist and pushed the Kansas Legislature to increase the crime of animal cruelty from a misdemeanor to a felony.

Grinstead said she accomplished this by demonstrating the positive correlation between people who beat their dogs and people convicted of violent crimes. After receiving thousands of e-mails from across the state and hearing hundreds of witnesses testify to that claim, the Senate voted unanimously to increase the severity of the law.

Today, those convicted of animal cruelty in Kansas must serve at least 30 days in jail and pay a fine ranging from $500 to $5,000. Since the tougher penalties were enacted, the Lawrence Humane Society has received only three injured pit bulls.

Stacy Hendricks, director of operations at the Topeka Helping Hands Humane Society, 2625 Rochester Road, said she was also very pleased with the new, tougher punishment for dog fighting in Kansas.

"Before it was just a slap on the wrist," said Hendricks. "Now we're hoping to see harsher punishments for these crimes."

In early July, President George Bush signed a bill that made dog fighting a federal crime. Wyoming and Idaho are now the only states in which dog fighting remains a misdemeanor.

Click here to view a slide show on the difficulties of obtaining a concealed carry license

If you’re looking to blow $300, you might consider investing in a concealed carry handgun license from the state of Kansas. The problem (not that there’s only one) is that you may not see a return on that investment. To get the license, you must pay a hefty application processing fee that goes to cover the cost of an extensive background check, and God only knows what else. If you don’t pass the background check, you will not get your money back. You have just paid for a license you will never have.

Here’s how it works: Suppose a Kansas resident wishes to apply for a concealed carry handgun (CCH) license. First, the resident must obtain an application from either the county sheriff’s office or the Attorney General’s website. Before the application can be submitted, the resident must successfully complete an 8-hour training program approved by the Attorney General. These are privately run and usually cost more than $100. Upon completion of the class, the resident may now submit his application to his county’s sheriff’s office. The application fee costs a total of $150. $40 goes to the sheriff’s office, and the other $110 goes to the Attorney General’s office. The county sheriff’s office takes fingerprints and photographs of the applicant, and also does a preliminary background check. The information, fingerprints, and photos are then sent to the office of the Attorney General. According to Charles Sexson, an employee in the Attorney General’s office, their office then conducts a far more extensive and time consuming background check. Theoretically, that explains why the sheriff’s office keeps less than one-third of the application fee.

You’ll probably pay a minimum of $250 dollars, assuming you can find a class instructor who only charges $100 (one popular instructor charges $125). The price is a bit steep for some. John Wagner, a 22-year-old resident of Leawood, Kan., was ready to run right out and get his CCH license until he looked into it more deeply. “I’m paying for my own apartment and trying save money for college in the spring. I can’t afford to throw away $300 on a license that tells me I’m now allowed to carry my pistol I already own,” Wagner said.

Probably also on Wagner’s mind is the fact that the Attorney General’s office is not required to inform applicants whether or not they have been approved for the CCH license for 90 days after the application has been turned in to the sheriff’s department. Before July, 2007, the Attorney General had a whopping 180 days to inform applicants of their status. Even now, the office directly states on their website that applicants will not be told whether or not they qualify sooner than 45 days after the application has been turned in. And again, the applicant will receive no refund of any kind should the license be denied.

The Attorney General’s office does not do free or discount background checks. It advises those unsure of whether or not they meet the qualifications for a CCH license to seek the advice of a private attorney. By regulating which citizens can carry what in public, the state government is telling people what they can and can’t do. It’s ironic that it simultaneously refuses to tell people what they can and can’t do. Just give us $150, and we’ll tell you what you’re allowed to do with your own property three months from now, Kansas says.

Things that could disqualify an applicant from receiving a license include: Ever being convicted of a felony, a misdemeanor conviction less than five years ago, conviction of a violent misdemeanor at any time, or being involuntarily committed to a mental hospital or drug rehabilitation facility. To the credit of the office of the Attorney General, they do a pretty good job of answering general questions about which convictions might disqualify applicants from receiving a CCH license. Contact Charles Sexson. His area of expertise is CCH, and he is friendly and knowledgeable.

Much of what would disqualify an applicant from carrying a pistola would seem pretty common sense to most. Most people probably don’t think that felons or the mentally ill should be walking around downtown with concealed handguns in their trousers. But, the rules do have their critics. Jeff Newmann, manager of The Bullet Hole, an Overland Park gun shop and indoor shooting range, has his complaints. The way the law is written, an adult who was convicted of a “misdemeanor crime of domestic violence” as a juvenile would be turned down for a CCH license. “What if someone used to get into fights as a kid and got into trouble for it?” Newmann said. “Why would they reach back and bring that up?”

Part of what ticks Newmann off is the fact that a misdemeanor charge for fighting as a juvenile does not disqualify one from owning a handgun once they come of age. He wonders why someone should be allowed to legally purchase a handgun, and then be forbidden to carry it. As of yet, Newmann has not applied for his own CCH license. Until he does, Newmann will be $300 richer than 9,345 other Kansans; 70 of whom were denied licenses.

Campers prepared to say goodbye on Friday as they presented their final projects for fellow campers participating in the second annual KU Survivor: Engineering Outback Camp, held July 22-27. The camp gave high school students interested in pursuing engineering careers the opportunity to sample the academic programs offered by the KU School of Engineering.

They could choose from five engineering disciplines, including mechanical, aerospace, electrical and computer science, civil, and architectural engineering.

Twenty-seven campers attended the six-day camp, which was down from the 34 students who participated last summer. Camp director Dawnelle Prince said approximately 50 percent of past campers have since applied to attend the KU School of Engineering.

"We want students to get an overview of the engineering department," said Dawnelle Prince, director of recruitment for the KU School of Engineering. "Our goal is to get them interested in the school itself."

Campers divided into their respective fields of interest to participate in one of four academic sessions offered during the week. Four faculty instructors led the lab sessions which focused on projects relating to their engineering areas.

Mechanical engineering students built a class race car. Aerospace students constructed individual rockets and one giant class rocket. EECS students designed video game graphics and learned to write software code for video game development. Civil engineering and architectural engineering students combined efforts to build model houses, measure their indoor temperatures, and experiment with changes in the interior climate controls.

"The projects are similar to the ones real college students are doing here at the university," said Dr. Mario A. Medina, an associate professor in the Civil, Environmental, and Architectural Engineering Department. "We want students to get a feel for the college so they aren't so overwhelmed when they get here."

While lab sessions took up a large portion of the camp, Prince said much of the week was designed to be fun.

On Monday, students took part in the GPS-guided "Amazing Race." Equipped with hand-held global positioning devices, they ventured across campus for a scavenger hunt. Prince said the purpose of the activity was to familiarize the students with the KU campus. The Navy ROTC sponsored a Frisbee tournament in the afternoon.

Following Tuesday's lab sessions, campers gathered in a hangar at the KU Garrison Flight Research Center in north Lawrence. Dr. Ronald M. Barrett-Gonzalez, an associate professor in the KU Aerospace Engineering Department, gave them a guided tour of the hangar and allowed them to examine its inventory of airplanes and remote-controlled helicopters. Later that evening, campers made s'mores by roasting marshmallows over a roaring jet engine.

Photo: Andy Greenhaw

"My favorite part of camp was the jet engine marshmallow roasting extravaganza," said Vince Ciaramitaro, a camper interested in aerospace engineering. "It was really cool to see the engine change colors like that."

Campers traveled to the Kansas City area on Wednesday morning for a tour of the 358,000-square-foot Harley-Davidson Vehicle and Powertrain Operations. Following an industry luncheon, they toured Perceptive Software, Inc., located in Lenexa, and spoke with professional engineers involved in software design. The road trip concluded with a dodge ball tournament held in the basement of the software engineering complex.

Upon returning to Lawrence Wednesday afternoon, campers attempted the "Rock Climbing Challenge" on the 42-foot climbing wall at the KU Student Recreation Center.

The group traveled to Clinton Lake on Thursday to watch the aerospace engineering students launch their rockets into the morning sky.

Campers gathered in the parking lot of the KU Student Recreation Center on Thursday afternoon for the "Race Car Exhibition" and watched the mechanical engineering students showcase their newly-constructed machine.

The group will attend their final lecture sessions Friday morning and the camp will conclude with group presentations in the afternoon, after which students will check out of Oliver Hall and head for home.

"I think this is a very successful program," said Prince. "We hope to see many of the campers return as KU engineering students in the future."

Bright colors and shiny motors attracted the attention of Lawrence shoppers when the Kansas City chapter of the Ferrari Club of America rolled into town on Sunday June 15. . To many members in the club, cars are not just a way to get around; they are a way of life.

Jerry Shapiro has been a member of the Kansas City chapter since 1988. He owns two Ferraris and still drives both of them. Maria Martin invited Shapiro to the show. He showed off his 328 Ferrari, which is listed as $59,455, on Sunday. Shapiro has been interested in cars since he was three-years-old. He folded doughnut boxes for 10 years so he could buy his first car, a 1955 Chevy Bellaire Convertible.

“I had the Chevy picked out, but my dad said he would pay the difference and get me a Corvette, which was about $1,700 more expensive,” Shapiro said. Shapiro declined his father’s offer because he claimed he couldn’t pick up girls with his friend in a Corvette, which only seats two people.

From 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. around 20 cars were shown on Seventh St. between Vermont and Massachusetts Street. The street was closed for the event. Spectators were able to talk with club members and pose for pictures in front of the sports cars, which were mostly red Ferraris. Southwest and More, 727 Massachusetts, along with The Eldridge Hotel, 701 Massachusetts, sponsored the event. Club members had brunch at the Eldridge Hotel before presenting their cars. The group wanted to show off the cars, raise awareness for the club and bring people downtown to enjoy Lawrence.

“This chapter loves to travel,” said Maria Martin, member of the Kansas City chapter and co-owner of Southwest and More, who also helped organized the event. The group drove to Lawrence Sunday morning. Around 25 of the 50 members of the Kansas City chapter of the Ferrari Club of America traveled to the Lawrence for the car showcase. Some of the cars in the club are newer models, while some of them are from the 1960s. The majority of cars in the chapter are Ferraris, but some members have Lamborghinis or Dodge Vipers. Martin said Ferraris always draw a lot of attention

Tom Pestinger, Salina, showed his 1986 Ferrari. He is considering joining the Kansas City chapter. Pestinger has owned his car for three years and it is one of two Ferraris in Salina.

Mike Nelson, Topeka Senior, happened to be walking downtown during the car show. “I thought a lot of them were really red, which to me is how Ferraris should be,” said Nelson. While Nelson drives and supports Volvo, he likes the idea of a Ferrari car show. “It’s nice to see a car show on a Sunday afternoon. It draws people and probably helps business.”

“The show reminded me of old shows like Miami Vice and Magnum P.I.,” said Lon Amick, 2006 alumna. Amick would like to see bigger car shows in Lawrence. He remembers being downtown for a Funky Car Show. “They had an accordion car, which was really cool,” said Amick.

While the showcase let Lawrence shoppers glance into the world of Ferraris, it also illustrated a lesson.

“If you work hard, you can reach any goal,” Shapiro said. “If you want a Ferrari, start saving up and eventually you will get there. It’s not impossible.”

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