Multimedia Reporting (Bradford)

When driving or taking a stroll through East Lawrence, one might notice that many of its residents are rather lax when it comes to lawn maintenance. It is quite common to see yards that could have used some mowing weeks ago; and it appears that few people in the area have heard of a weed eater. Jeremy Yoho, a 28-year-old resident of East Lawrence, mowed his yard for the first time in a month on Monday evening. “It’s just not a high priority,” Yoho said. Yoho works full time at the Jayhawk Pawn and Jewelry store on 6th Street, and is trying to pay his own way through college. “I think a lot of the people around here are like me. This is a lower-income housing area with a lot of young people and college students who have other things to worry about,” Yoho said.

While Yoho’s lawn may have been well overdue by the time he got around to cutting it, he may not have been in violation of any city ordinances. The City of Lawrence codes state that no weeds shall be allowed to exceed 12 inches in height (or length, if they are matted down). Multiple houses in East Lawrence have weeds that clearly put the property in violation. According to the city codes, the property owner could receive a notice in the mail which demands that he either remove the “noxious” weeds within 10 days, or be assessed a fee after the city comes out and does it for him.

Chapter 18, article 3 of the codes states that the above measures exist to remove conditions that might cause fire to spread, be a home to snakes, rodents and other pests, restrict vehicle visibility, and decrease property value. Before outsiders begin to think that it’s just a big jungle over there in East Lawrence, it is necessary to point out that over half of its residents do have lawns that have been well maintained. In fact, Codes Enforcement Division employee Brian Jimenez does not believe that East Lawrence residents receive more citations for “noxious” weeds than residents of other neighborhoods. “It happens on the West side just as easily as on the East side,” Jimenez said.

John Swift, ex-president of the East Lawrence Neighborhood Association, has personally received a visit from the Codes Enforcement Division. Swift hadn’t trimmed his back yard any time recently, so the city did it for him and stuck Swift with the bill. “I think they were trying to make an example out of me because I was the president of the neighborhood association,” Swift said. That was some time ago, and Swift hasn’t heard of many people being cited for having long weeds lately. While the Codes Enforcement Division is admittedly pro-active in its enforcement of noxious weed regulations, Swift believes that it is mainly complaint driven. His theory is: the residents of East Lawrence don’t complain.

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.

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.”