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2018 Q4
Publisher: Lawrence Business Magazine, LLC Ann Frame Hertzog & Steven Hertzog Editor-in-Chief: Ann Frame Hertzog Chief Photographer: Steven Hertzog
Left to Right: Lee Tuan, Dana Lynn Niemack, Ted Boyle, Cathy Pine, Rick Renfro, Jennifer Roth-Rupp Photo by: Steven Hertzog
Featured Writers: Anne Brockhoff Dr. Mike Anderson Julie Dunlap Bob Luder Emily Mulligan Patricia A. Michaelis, Ph.D. Tara Trenary Liz Weslander Copy Editor: Tara Trenary Contributing Writers: Courtney Bernard Jackie Hedeman Derek Johnson
Contributing Photographers: Patrick Connor, Fally Afani, Jenn Hawk INQUIRIES & ADVERTISING INFORMATION CONTACT:
info@LawrenceBusinessMagazine.com
www.LawrenceBusinessMagazine.com Lawrence Business Magazine, LLC 3514 Clinton Parkway, Suite A-113 Lawrence, KS 66047 Lawrence Business Magazine, is published quarterly by Lawrence Business Magazine, LLC and is distributed by direct mail to businesses in the Lawrence & Douglas County Community. It is also distributed at key retail locations throughout the area and mailed to individual subscribers. All rights reserved. No part of this publication can be reprinted or reproduced without the publisher’s permission. Lawrence Business Magazine, LLC assumes no responsibility for unsolicited materials. Statements and opinions printed in the Lawrence Business Magazine are the those of the author or advertiser and are not necessarily the opinion of Lawrence Business Magazine.
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2018 Q4
Contents Features: 9
Lawrence in Perspective:
16
Non-Profit: Visiting Nurses
by Julie Dunlap
20
The Voice of NoLaw by Dr. Mike Anderson
24
Commerce on the Kaw
by Tara Trenary
34
Taking Care of Its Own
40
Downtown North Lawrence
46
Sand Rat Playground
52
At the Junction
66
Functional and Practical
Just Over the River by Patricia Michaelis, Ph.D.
by Bob Luder
by Liz Weslander
by Anne Brockhoff
by Bob Luder
by Emily Mulligan
Departments: 12
Health
14
Professional Spotlight George Grieb
68 KLWN: The Heartbeat of the Community 70
Arts
73
Local Scene
From North Lawrence to Times Square
76 Newsmakers Mission:
Lawrence Business Magazine: Telling the stories of people and businesses making a postive impact on Lawrence & Douglas County. /lawrencebusinessmagazine
@LawrenceBizMag
SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION: LawrenceBusinessMagazine.com/SUBSCRIPTIONS
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LAWRENCE & DOUGLAS CO [IN PERSPECTIVE] by Patricia A. Michaelis, Ph.D., Historical Research & Archival Consulting Photos from the Kansas State Historical Society, kansasmemory.org
Just Over the River North Lawrence has changed greatly throughout the years, beginning as it’s own incorporated city.
North Lawrence isn’t just that area across the Kansas River from the city of Lawrence. In the 1860s, it was an incorporated city. In 1854, the land on the north side of the river was part of Delaware Diminished Reserve lands, which had been established by treaty in 1829. Like most of the land in eastern Kansas, the United States government “gave” land in the west to Native American tribe members who had lived in parts of what became Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio and other states. Sometimes the grant of land was accompanied by cash payments, but these tribes were systematically “relocated” to land west of white settlements. With the passage of the Kansas-Nebraska Act in 1854, forming the territories of Kansas and Nebraska, and opening them up to settlement, the Native American tribes were forced to relocate once more to Indian Territory. As the Delaware land rights were being renegotiated, easterners began settling the land, and a town was established on former American Indian lands. Originally called Jefferson, because that land was in Jefferson County, it was renamed North Lawrence as county boundaries were redrawn, and the area became part of Douglas County. The first settlers included G. J. Tallman, John Morehead, a Mr. Tibbets, M. Berry, Thomas McCage, W. H. H. Whitney, T. S. Murray and T. Laptab. Jefferson, and then North Lawrence, had a post office beginning in 1865. The first postmaster of Jefferson was Charles F. Saum; G. J. Tallman was the first postmaster for North Lawrence.
Living conditions, whether in North Lawrence or Lawrence, were less than ideal. The following description is from the spring 1954 issue of the Kansas Historical Quarterly: “Several log cabins are springing into existence. People are busily employed on hewing timber for frame houses. … The term frame house was used loosely in this instance and not in the professional architectural sense. Possibly, if not probably, some of the first of these frames had been hand-hewn with the intention of covering the frame with rough sawed lumber, but the failure of the sawmill to materialize and the compulsion of cold weather forced the substitution of other material … the framing timbers were hand-hewn poles, to which horizontal cross pieces were nailed, and to them in turn, split oak shakes about four feet in length were nailed. The first cabins of shakes, but on the hen-coop plan similar to the thatched houses built by the company, only smaller, were erected supposedly about the time of the Lum house, or just a little earlier. Instead of being covered with thatch, the sloping walls were covered with shakes. Doors were made of pole frames covered with cotton cloth. In some cases the roofs were made of cotton cloth, sometimes coated with tar.” Since the road from Leavenworth that brought supplies to the area was on the north side of the Kansas River, there was a need for a way to cross the river. The first was a ferry owned by John Baldwin and C. W. Babcock. Baldwin erect-
ed a log building in North Lawrence and operated a ropedrawn flatboat ferry across the Kansas River beginning in 1855. The starting point for the ferry was located near the foot of North Third Street. C. W. Babcock, in his midthirties and single, partnered with Baldwin for two years. A more efficient means of crossing the river was needed, and the Lawrence Bridge Company was charted by the territorial legislature in 1859. The bridge was not completed until 1863, but it was an impressive structure for its time. Descriptions of the details of the bridge vary, but it was built on the Howe Truss pattern. There were four or five wooden spans about 30 feet above the low-water mark of the river. The spans rested on solid stone piers. In one account, it was 690 feet long and cost $47,000. The ferry was closed after the completion of the bridge. The most important means of transportation for North Lawrence was a railroad. It began in 1855 as the Leavenworth, Pawnee and Western Railroad, but was reorganized in 1863 as the Union Pacific, Eastern Division. The company began construction on its main line westward from Kansas City in September 1863. In December 1864, the first 40 miles of the line to Lawrence was in operation, but the tracks and depot were actually located in North Lawrence. The depot was used for both passengers and freight, and was a onestory building, 100 x 26 feet, located near the intersection of Locust and North Fifth streets. It also housed the offices of railroad officials. Some of the earliest photos of North Lawrence were part of Alexander Gardner’s series, “Across the Continent on the Union Pacific Railway, Eastern Division.” A number of businesses were established in North Lawrence in the 1850s and 1860s, and the main business district was located along Bridge (opposite Massachusetts Street, in Downtown Lawrence) and Locust streets. One of the earliest businesses was a sawmill and lumber business operated by Charles Bruce, who emigrated to Kansas territory from Niles, Michigan, in 1856. These businesses were
located on the northeast corner of North Third and Locust streets, but were later relocated. John Moorehead operated a trader’s store in North Lawrence in these early years, as well. Other North Lawrence residents included Dr. G. J. Tallman; Charles F. Saum, a carpenter; Thomas McCage, a merchant; O. H. Mitchell, a carpenter; M H. Berry, who operated a bowling alley; and Isaac Tibbets, a grocer. By the 1860s, North Lawrence had a general store, which sold anything from groceries to harnesses. There were a number of grocery stores, a barbershop, a meat market, a bakery, a saloon and a drug store. The first newspaper in the community was the North Lawrence Courier, whose first edition was distributed on July 28, 1866. It’s name was changed several times: Kaw Valley Courier,the Clarion and the North Lawrence Journal. Woodland and Lincoln schools were established in North Lawrence but were originally named First Ward and Second Ward schools.The Pilgrim Congregational Church was established in 1865, with the church building and parsonage located at the northwest corner of Elm and North Third streets. The Centenary Methodist Episcopal Church was organized in 1865, but its church was not built until 1866. North Lawrence was incorporated as a city of the second class by the Kansas Legislature in 1867. The results of its first election as a city included G. H. Tallman, mayor; N. Hoystradt, clerk; A. R. Smith, treasurer; Thomas Beasley, marshal; and H. H. Howard, police judge. The existence of North Lawrence as an independent city was short-lived. As early as 1867, residents were petitioning the Lawrence city government for annexation. In March 1870, in separate elections, the citizens of North Lawrence and Lawrence approved the annexation. April 4, 1870, was set as the day to elect new city officials for the newly consolidated community. These events established the area of North Lawrence as a formal part of the city of Lawrence, which is just “over the river.” p
Changes Continue
LMH Endowment Association marks 50 years with a new name and an expanding purpose. by Courtney Bernard
The Lawrence Memorial Hospital Endowment Association (LMHEA) will celebrate its 50th anniversary in 2019 with a renewed purpose and a new name: the LMH Health Foundation. This board-directed transition follows Lawrence Memorial Hospital’s (LMH) overall corporate identity shift to LMH Health in August. LMH Endowment simultaneously changed its brand identity to mirror LMH Health and will continue with the formal name change on Jan. 1, 2019. “Lawrence Memorial Hospital’s shift to LMH Health is a change meant to recognize the ever-expanding role this organization plays in creating a healthy community in Lawrence and beyond,” explains Jason Hoover, LMHEA board president. “Just as LMH Health has grown to serve a much larger purpose, to be your partner for lifelong health, so must LMH Endowment.” Since its inception in 1969, the LMH Endowment Association has played a vital role in ensuring exceptional health care in the Lawrence community and beyond. LMHEA provides nearly $2 million of donor support to LMH Health each year. Donor contributions have contributed to major projects, including the heart catheterization lab renovations and the LMH Health West Campus. 2018 was a record year for LMH Endowment gift transfers to LMH Health. “From its original founders to its most recent board of directors, the organization has helped donors connect with LMH Health in new, meaningful and evolving ways. We believe that our new name, LMH Health Foundation, better reflects our renewed purpose under LMH Health,” says Rebecca Smith, LMHEA executive director. “The new direction will help us support and shape LMH Health and the greater Lawrence community for the next 50 years.” LMHEA’s 50th anniversary celebration will begin with its annual meeting on Feb. 28, 2019, and continue with a 50th-anniversary celebration on June 22, 2019. More details will follow at lmhendowment.org. 12
LMH Health LMH Health, formerly Lawrence Memorial Hospital, was founded in 1921 and includes a 174-bed hospital located in Lawrence, Kansas, as well as a number of primary and specialty-care clinics throughout Lawrence, Douglas County, Jefferson County and Leavenworth County. LMH Health is a community-owned, not-for-profit hospital that serves the health-care needs of the community regardless of an individual’s ability to pay. LMH Health receives no tax support from the City of Lawrence or Douglas County. Dedicated to serving as a partner for lifelong health, LMH invests all excess revenues in services, equipment and facilities, which further that mission.
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LMH Endowment Association LMH Endowment Association, a 501 (c) (3), leverages more than $13 million in philanthropic assets to provide average annual donor support of more than $1.8 million to LMH Health. The organization is governed by a board of directors, which guides programs to grow investments in patient care, community education, charitable care, wellness and more. In January 2019, the organization will celebrate its 50th anniversary with a new name: LMH Health Foundation. p Clockwise from Left: Dr. Tapas Ghose, an LMH Health cardiologist, and Russ Johnson, LMH Health President and CEO, break ground for the renovated heart catheterization lab renovations. The Unity Hip Hop KU dance group performing “Thriller” at Rock the Block – Kick Cancer on Oct. 26, 2018. The 2017 LMHEA Board Holiday Soiree. Gary Sollars, 2016-2017 LMHEA President; Rebecca Smith, Executive Director; Jason Hoover, 2018 LMHEA President
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PROFESSIONAL [ SPOTLIGHT ] What have been some of the most important aspects of your success? I think without a doubt the most important aspect of our success has been our relationship with long-term customers—customers who have been using our services both on the construction side and the service side. We are also fortunate to have a leadership team in place that has an average of over 20 years of employment with Lynn Electric and combined industry experience of over 149 years.
GEORGE GRIEB LYNN ELECTRIC What is your company’s most important commodity or service? By far our most important commodity is how we treat our customers. In a service business, there is no competitive advantage. Especially in today’s world, the smallest company has access to the same technology as a Fortune 500 company. The only competitive advantage we have is our customer’s experience with Lynn Electric. From the moment we first interact with a customer all the way to when they pay the bill, how we make them feel is our only advantage. Warren Buffett once said in an interview with Savannah Guthrie that, “I have never seen a business fail that has delighted customers. Don’t settle for having satisfied customers. Have delighted customers. Long after you purchase a car, you forget about how much you paid, but you never forget about how they made you feel when you bought the car.”
What is your company’s most important priority? Our most important priority is providing our employees with the proper training, resources and support so that our daily interactions with our customers reflect the values and priorities of Lynn Electric as a company. We commit to understanding our customer’s business and solving their problems; we commit to delivering on time what we promise; and mostly, we commit to making it easy to do business with Lynn Electric. We spend a lot of time and resources to reinforce this ideal to our employees. 14
How many people does Lynn Electric employ? Serve, interact with on a daily basis, and are responsible to? Lynn Electric has 45 employees. We have a large and diverse customer base. Our electrical service business is mostly comprised of residential, commercial and industrial customers in Douglas County. Our electrical construction and underground divisions perform 95% of our work in the Kansas City metro area on both the Kansas and Missouri sides.
How do you and Lynn Electric, make a positive impact on the Lawrence community? I think the biggest impact we make is that we help support 45 families, of which 90% live in Douglas County.
What do you see as your personal responsibility and your company’s responsibility to the community? I think as a small business owner, my responsibility to the community is to support the smallbusiness community by not only buying local as much as possible but also supporting the organizations that support small business, such as the Chamber of Commerce. From a company perspective, we like to support a variety of nonprofits each year in a small but impactful way. Some of our favorites are the North Lawrence Improvement Fund, the Old-Fashioned Christmas Parade, the St. Patrick’s Day Parade, among others.
Why did you become involved? or What inspires you? Is there a specific thing, person or incident? I think I became involved because I like to meet and help people, and I also like to be part of a solution rather than standing on the sidelines and complaining.
What is the biggest challenge you feel Lynn Electric faces? Like any business that hires people, Lynn Electric is faced with two overwhelming challenges besides the normal challenges of running a small business. First, there is a large gap in skilled labor that every businessperson talks about despite his or her industry. Every industry, blue collar or white collar, has a labor gap. But in my personal opinion, the largest challenge that faces small business is how we, as leaders, are adapting and changing our business models and business thinking to accommodate the needs and desires of millennials? Fifty percent of the workforce will be millennials by 2020, and 75 percent of the workforce will be millennials by 2025. That’s only seven years! Whoever is the most creative at developing millennial leaders will have a competitive advantage in their industry, a happier workforce.
What do you foresee as being the biggest challenge for the future of your industry? And how are you addressing or preparing for it? As I mentioned earlier, skilled-labor shortage is our biggest challenge. Lynn Electric is actively recruiting high school graduates and individuals who want to make a career change interested in the electrical field. We put them to work and pay for their four-year apprenticeship program in partner with Associated Builders & Contractors Heart of America Chapter in Kansas City. The apprentices work during the daytime and take night classes and online classes for their electrical training. In return, the apprentice agrees to work for Lynn Electric for a certain amount of time after graduating from the apprenticeship program. We are also providing our workforce with leadership training, software training and project-management training. All of our project managers have graduated from the Purdue University School of Construction Management Technology Project Management Institute. p
NON- [ PROFIT ]
Cynthia Lewis CEO of Douglas County Visiting Nurses
Visiting Nurses Association Celebrates 50 Years
With nearly 40,000 residents having received care and more than a million home visits on the books, Douglas County VNA is proud of its legacy. by Julie Dunlap, photos by Steven Hertzog
The Douglas County Visiting Nurses Association (VNA) has much to celebrate during its upcoming golden anniversary. More than 38,000 Lawrence-area residents have been graced with the care of a VNA health professional in the 1.5plus million home visits tallied so far in its 50-year history. VNA’s history dates back to the late 1800s, when community health workers instituted networks of health-care professionals to provide care within the home. Based on the British district nurse model, still part of the United Kingdom’s National Health Service today, patients are able to recover from illnesses, injuries or surgeries from home, both saving money and improving morale. While several VNAs popped up in the New England, Douglas County VNA’s model traces back to 1893, when Lillian Wald implemented the Visiting Nurse Service of New York (VNSNY) in the Lower East Side of New York City, teaching classes on home nursing and health care to poor immigrants in an effort to create a healthier community. As the population expanded westward, so did the need for health care. By 1968, the population of Lawrence was nearing 45,000. Lawrence Memorial Hospital (LMH) was in the process of expanding, and the average life expectancy for Kansans was seeing a slight rise. Lynn Rothwell, who had moved to Lawrence from Vermont with her husband, recognized the need for in-home health care in the community and decided to bring Wald’s model to Douglas County. 16
Lawrence Outlook, a weekly news publication, described the intangible need for home health care in 1968, as Rothwell began the process of bringing this service to the homebound of Douglas County: “VNA will serve the physical needs of the (bedridden and their caregivers), but perhaps more importantly, by showing the unfortunate that the world has not passed them by, it will provide a measure of spiritual comfort as well.” Rothwell did not have to look far for support. Dr. Ralph Reed, of the Reed Medical Group, in Lawrence (now Reed Internal Medicine), served as the first board president and assisted Rothwell in both garnering support from the physician community and raising the necessary funds. Through the generosity and backing of Lawrence United Fund (now the United Way), Douglas County Medical Society and the Medical Auxiliary, Lawrence Jayhawk Kennel Club, the Kaw Valley Heart Association and other individuals, Rothwell raised $5500 in funds, which was matched by a grant from the Kansas Department of Health in early 1969. The U.S. Department of Health, Education and Welfare provided a $22,000 grant soon after, and LMH and the Douglas County Health Board donated office space at 342 Missouri St. Rothwell opened the doors in February 1969 with four nurses, four home health aides, one physical therapist and a bright future ahead. “Visiting Nurses Association is breathing new pride and compassion—and that most fragile of all gifts, hope—into
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the Lawrence community,” wrote supporter Hilda and Jacob Enoch to founder Lyn Rothwell in 1969. Cynthia Lewis, CEO of Douglas County VNA since 2013, carries on this 50-year history of proactively providing that fragile gift of hope to the area, emphasizing, “I spend a lot of time making sure we are involved in the initiatives going on the community … so we can be a part of that.” Douglas County VNA board members are connected to the health-care community, with physicians and LMH administrators serving and providing direction to VNA’s growth. LMH has supported Douglas County VNA with partnerships, equipment and funds over the past 50 years. Private donors, physician practices and area organizations have all contributed to the success and growth of VNA for patients in Douglas County, as well. Each VNA across the country is independently founded, financed and operated, with funding generated from patient fees and charitable donations. While initial home health-care fees ranged from $2 per hour to $6 per call, depending on the need and the ability for the patient to pay, VNA now typically bills through Medicare, Medicaid and private insurance, while still providing charity care to roughly 4% of its home-health patients. VNA began providing hospice care in 1981, allowing terminal patients to live out their final days and say goodbye to their loved ones in the comfort of their own homes. This service is most often paid through Medicare. VNA added another vital piece of home health in May 2009 with a program called Help at Home. This program, typically financed through private pay though available at all levels of ability to pay, provides nonmedical services to homebound patients such as companionship, meal preparation and feeding, transportation to appointments, bathing and grooming, medication setup and overnight care. The program also provides much-needed respite care for caregivers, allowing them to recharge before resuming caring for loved ones. Today, these services are the product of the labor and love of 95 employees, including nurses, rehab therapists, social workers, aides, chaplains and administrators, and 48 volunteers, most of whom work in hospice care. Lewis beams with admiration for these providers, explaining, “We stay true to our roots and provide quality staff.” p
Top left to bottom: Social worker (LBSW) Mickey Dick visits and consults with patient Russ Best Licensed Practical Nurse Amy Wilkes takes blood pressure for Gaile Stephens at Brandon Woods Hospice Volunteer Coordinator and Massage Therapist Sarah Rooney tends to the soreness in the feet and legs of Russ Best by applying massage Certified Nursing Assistant and Certified Home Health Aide Ashley Causer plays a few hands of cards with Linda Davis
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Janice White, HR Manager for 48 years: “When I first started working for VNA, we were in the basement of the house at 342 Missouri.” One patient needed to be seen who was living in a room in his church. We received a call one Sunday morning that the gentleman needed assistance. The only way to reach the room was through the sanctuary during a church service. Care was provided to the sounds of the choir, the organ and lots of hallelujahs.
Debbie Ahlert-Caffey, 27 years with VNA: “I feel a part of their family.” VNA was the only home-health agency that would serve the pediatric-care needs of an area 7-year-old boy with interstitial lung disease. Home care allowed him to be a regular boy, attend school and maintain a quality of life he wouldn’t have had otherwise. He’s now a 20-year-old college student.
Pat Deaver, 24 years with VNA: “My career at VNA has been more than a ‘job,’ it’s a family.” Caring for a teenage girl with cerebral palsy, one of her greatest joys was helping her bathe in the Jacuzzi tub her family purchased especially for her. The smile on her face during those visits lit up my world, as well.
Lani Rothwell, 25 years with VNA: “It allows us to see the patients in their environment.” I followed a stroke patient during both his inpatient time in the hospital and at home. When in the hospital, he displayed very challenging behaviors, but at home, his demeanor was completely different. He was very kind and grateful.
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The Voice of The unofficial mayor of North Lawrence, Ted Boyle advocates for his neighborhood every chance he gets.
Back in July, a Lawrencian named Chris Flowers got up before the Lawrence City Commission to advocate that genital massages should be legal in Lawrence. The video of his speech soon went viral. The video was featured on the Reddit and Vice sites, in zzThe Kansas City Starzz and even on “Jimmy Kimmel Live.” What stands out in this video isn’t just Chris’s use of colorful language; it’s the man sitting in the background with the grin on his face. As one commenter on Reddit put it, “I can’t stop looking at the old man in the back with the world’s best poker face.” That “old man” is Ted Boyle, president of the North Lawrence Improvement Association (NLIA). That Tuesday City Commission meeting certainly sticks out in his mind. “I’m thinking to myself, ‘Oh shit. Are you kidding me?’ If the camera would have been on the commission, it would have been more entertaining. All their jaws dropped to the table,” Boyle says. Since he doesn’t stay up to late or watch latenight television, he first learned he was on “Jimmy Kimmel Live” from his daughter, who lives in Cincinnati. “She calls me and goes, ‘Tell Dad he was on ‘Jimmy Kimmel’ ’. And I said, ‘What?’ ” Boyle doesn’t seem too fazed or even impressed by any of it. Since it aired, he can’t go to a meeting without someone telling him they saw him on national TV, to which he just replies, “Hey man. I know. Whatever.” But Boyle isn’t difficult to find on local television. He is actually a consistent fixture at every City Commission meeting, advocating for his North Lawrence neighborhood. Since 1996, Boyle has served as its unofficial mayor. His improvement association is the oldest watchdog in the city. He serves on four different North Lawrence committees. “You got to keep your thumb on what’s happening,” he explains. “What I know will benefit my neighborhood.” 20
by Dr. Mike Anderson, photos by Steven Hertzog
Boyle is quick to point out how North Lawrence was here first. He can show you remnants of gas stations from the ’20s and ’30s. He can show you where the first governor of Kansas lived right behind the airport. He can explain how North Lawrence has the largest quantities of Type 1 and Type 2 soil in the state. He is an ASE (Automotive Service Excellence) master mechanic. For 30 years, he owned an auto repair shop in North Lawrence. Now, he helps neighbors with engine repairs in his garage. According to Boyle, he still works on anything that burns gas. Currently, he’s rebuilding a 1947 Indian Chief motorcycle. Boyle has five kids, nine grandchildren and seven greatgrandchildren, some of whom still live in North Lawrence. He’s been married to his wife, Patricia, for 45 years. “It’s a partnership, give and take things, whether you like it or not,” explains Boyle when asked about the keys to a successful marriage. He first heard of NLIA in 1989. He wanted to build a new shop for his business, but he was told by the city to contact his neighborhood association. Then a couple of years later, he became invested in the water pump on Second Street that he felt didn’t do much for the residential buildings, only businesses. Three years after that, he was the president of the association. “Supposedly, the older you get, the wiser you get, and you start to appreciate things more,” Boyle explains. “It’s like if you told me 40 years ago that I was gonna do what I do today, I’d told you that you’re full of crap.” The unofficial mayor of North Lawrence doesn’t let up. “When I took over, we were looked at as a slum and blighted category; we got that tag removed to low mod now.”
NoLaw Boyle says that 56% of North Lawrence is low and moderate income, and 78% of the homes are owner occupied. Because of this distinction, he is able to apply for federal grants through the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program. These federal dollars help NLIA with operating expenses, capital improvement and quality of life. Boyle uses most of the money for traffic-calming devices, which, he argues, is why North Lawrence has the highest rating for sidewalks. One five-year period, Boyle was able to get $55,000 in federal grants. The city has installed five traffic-calming devices on Lyon Street alone. Boyle has been applying for these grants for 20 years and is extremely successful. The most he’s ever gotten in one year from CDBG grants is $7,000. The federal government gave Lawrence about $1.5 million in 1996, but this year, the amount the federal government gave the city was $800,000. “The same institutions are applying for the same money. So, it’s a fight,” Boyle says. And a fight he has been winning for his neighborhood. NLIA still has close to $50,000 from federal grants. Boyle’s vision of North Lawrence is for the area to, “stay the same, but better.” He likes the rural atmosphere of North Lawrence and wants the residential areas to stay residential. “We are very serious about our quiet neighborhood,”
Ted Boyle, unofficial mayor of NoLaw poses by the train tracks
Boyle explains. He is comfortable with commercial or industrial development in North Lawrence, as long as it’s west of North Second Street. In fact, he has helped developers for 12 years with plans to build a riverside living and business development. Part of this development includes building multiple buildings tall enough to see over the river levee. Boyle is currently working with two developers on Phase 1 of this project and is comfortable with the plan as long as the buildings don’t go above four stories, are consistent with the current architecture of the depot and have their own independent storm drainage system. Besides this riverfront development, Boyle’s current projects include: 1) quite zone with the railroads (something he started five years ago; 2) a push-button pedestrian crossing button at Fourth and Locust streets; 3) more traffic-calming devices; and 4) stormwater plans. 21
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This final project is the one ongoing project Boyle puts the most effort into. He believes stormwater is North Lawrence’s No. 1 priority. “Everything built in North Lawrence has to go along with our stormwater plan,” he says. “Development happening west of Mass is OK as long as they use their own stormwater system. Every drop of water in North Lawrence has to be pumped out.” Boyle reminds the city about realigning the ditches to get the water to flow to the pumps. “Every year, I’m on them,” he says. He would like to see the city allocate more funds to bringing in outside consultants, and his wife often serves as his editor and proofreader for his letters on this subject. “She takes the profanity and frustration out of my letters,” he jokes. Any morning at Aimee’s Coffeehouse, you might find Boyle meeting with one of the city commissioners. He says he keeps a great relationship with them and City Stormwater Engineer Matt Bond, with whom he works closely. One elected official who has had the pleasure of a coffee talk with Boyle is two-term City Commissioner Matthew Herbert. “My experience in working with Ted on North Lawrence neighborhood issues is that, for better or for worse, he is probably the most brutally honest person in Lawrence; he will show no hesitation in telling you exactly what he believes, which, by the way, is more often than not good policy,” Herbert explains. What is Boyle talking with these commissioners about? He consistently advocates for stormwater studies. Because of his efforts, the city has spent $16 million on stormwater infrastructure since 2003. This spending has included a completed pump on Maple Street, storm drainage under the bypass, and new drainage pipes. What started as 9-foot pipes have now been replaced by 54 to 60-foot pipes. “Patience and persistence is what you need to have,” Boyle says. “Ninety-four percent of the time, things don’t happen quickly when dealing with the city, county or state.” So Boyle keeps at it, looking for opportunities to make his neighborhood better. He believes people move to North Lawrence for the rural atmosphere and/or the Woodlawn School. And he wants to make sure both are taken care of. As the official mayor of Lawrence, Stuart Boley says, “It’s obvious that Ted really cares about North Lawrence. But as you get to know him, you find out that there’s a lot more to Ted than that, and it’s great to get to know him.” While being the only president of a Lawrence neighborhood association to appear on national television might give him bragging rights, the unofficial mayor of North Lawrence sees other benefits for all of his years of work. “My reward is seeing the trees and community. I like the way it is when I look out my front porch.” p
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Commerce on theKaw by Tara Trenary, photos by Steven Hertzog
North Lawrence businesses have changed dramatically throughout the years, but one constant has remained: the Kansas River.
Jake Washington, born in 1849 in Missouri and a former slave, fought for his right to live and work on the Kaw River. Dolly Graeber, who lived about the same time as Washington, owned a rental-boat fleet and ice-skating business on the Kaw. Richard Higgins, born in 1910, owned a North Lawrence fish market and sold the carp he caught from the Kaw door to door. Orval Gulley, also born in the 1900s, owned and operated a restaurant on the Kaw. All very different men, to be sure. But they were alike, too. All were Kansas “Riverkings,” and their history teaches community members today what it means to be true Lawrencians.
The River Today
Commerce on the river is much different today than it was in the days of the Riverkings. The river is no longer navigable like it was in the 1850s, with ferries and freights coming in, an active commercial fishing presence providing the community its food, and people using the Kaw for leisure activities. The river has been dammed and commercial fishing stopped, but leisure activities such as rowing, hiking and biking remain, and businesses continue to thrive along its banks and nearby.
“The Kansas Riverkings fought for what they believed in,” explains Barbara Higgins-Dover, founder and director of the Kansas Riverkings Museum and granddaughter of Richard Higgins. “They wanted to be able to provide for their own community with food from easily accessible natural resources. They rescued drowning victims when others couldn’t and assisted with some of our greatest floods. The Kansas Riverkings were instrumental in building commerce after the Civil War and after Quantrill burned the town.”
“I think that the Kansas River is one of the most important resources that we have for all of Kansas, and we are lucky to have it so close in vicinity to us,” says Jason Woolery, Sunflower Outdoor & Bike outreach and event coordinator who volunteers with Friends of the Kaw and The Riverkeeper, and who, in 2017, paddled the entire distance of the Kansas River in five days. “It is from these experiences that I love to share my knowledge and passion for the Kansas River with as many people as possible.”
Just like community members today, the Riverkings wanted their community to thrive and grow, and wanted to be an integral part of what makes Lawrence a great place to live, work and own businesses. “The Riverkings make our community unique because they teach us, through their history, lessons in perseverance, determination and the will to succeed,” she says. “They also teach us about cultural differences and the role each person or profession has to play in a community.”
Sunflower, which has an in-house kayak shop, hosts monthly on-water demo days every summer to help get people out in and test kayaks, as well as giving instructional advice for paddling. It also hosts in-store clinics about the logistics and planning for river trips, and what it takes to begin paddling on a waterway such as the Kansas River. “We help promote awareness of the recreational use and advantages of having a resource such as the Kansas River right in our backyard,” he explains.
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The Kaw River looking North at the Bowersock Damn, the grain elevators and trail along the levee. Artifacts hanging on the wall at the Riverking Museum
A Historic Figure
One of the earliest and longest-lasting businesses in Lawrence is Bowersock Mills and Power Co., operating since 1874. It is the only operating hydroelectric plant in Kansas, comprised of 11 hydroelectric turbines and capable of producing 7 megawatts of environmentally friendly energy. In its 130-plus years, it has been a flour and paper mill (it produced the first ready-made gingerbread cake mix), hosted a radio station, made barbed wire and produced both electrical and mechanical power. And Bowersock also provided energy to the City of Lawrence at an important time in its history, ensuring its place as a viable community in Kansas.
Lawrence Area Trails and the City of Lawrence Sustainability Advisory Board. “We have been very glad to see that the fishing deck we put in for the community below the North Powerhouse has been popular,” she continues. “Since the North Powerhouse was built, the north side of the river is safer and more aesthetically appealing. We just recently completed a portage path around the Bowersock Dam on the north side of the river. By the end of the year, we hope to have installed two different educational kiosks that will provide relevant cultural, historical and environmental information about the site.”
Today, Bowersock sells all of its energy to the Kansas City Board of Public Utilities to be used in Kansas City, Kansas, and Wyandotte County. Though it does not provide energy to Lawrence, it does participate in and give back to the community in which is resides through service work.
And being environmentally conscious and “green” is important to Bowersock, especially when talking about the Kaw River that is so important to its success. “Producing hydroelectric energy does not put carbon dioxide into the atmosphere or any other polluting substances like it does with the production of coal or gas-fired energy,” Hill-Nelson explains. “We don’t consume the water, we only borrow its weight to drive our turbines as it passes through the plant, so there is no particulate or CO2 pollution associated with it.” Because of its location and the fish species in the Kansas River (e.g., no salmon), Bowersock does not disrupt the life cycle of significant species as can happen with larger hydroelectric plants.
“We run tours all the time for school kids, boy and girl scout troops, and any other groups that would like to tour,” explains Sarah Hill-Nelson, Bowersock CEO. “We give quite a bit of time and labor to Friends of the Kaw, which is the river protection group for the Kansas River.” Bowersock’s management is also committed to serving on nonprofit boards such as Friends of the Kaw, Friends of
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Customers dine outdoors on the patio at the Levee Café Below-Barbara Higgins Dover looks out over the Kaw from the balcony next to her Riverkings Museum
that someone is watching the river and protecting it, and this is a valuable contribution to the community.” Friends of the Kaw has become very important in the state of Kansas, doing really important work all along the 173-mile-long river. Members work from Junction City to Kansas City and every place in between. While its roots are in North Lawrence, it has taken its work to the entire watershed, still working to stop dredging in the River while also working on water quality, pollution, river trail access, recreation and education.
A Clean River
The Kansas River “touches the lives of more than forty percent of the people in Kansas,” explains Dawn Buehler, Kansas Riverkeeper and executive director of Friends of the Kaw, a nonprofit organization started by a group of concerned citizens in 1991 in a North Lawrence home. The early group was concerned about dredging and how it initially would impact where they walked and hiked; then it became more about how dredging impacts the entire Kansas River. “The river generates electricity, gives us water to drink, nourishes our gardens and provides recreational use,” she continues. “No one wants to use a dirty river. The river also provides drinking water to over 800,000 Kansans.” Now in her fifth year as Riverkeeper, Buehler is the “eyes, ears and voice” for the Kansas River and holds the community accountable for its health. “The community can feel good knowing 26
A new project called “Protecting the Watershed of Douglas County through History, Education and Action” is financed by a 2018 Douglas County Natural and Cultural Heritage Grant, and partners with Courtney Masterson, botanist and ecologist with Native Lands LLC, City of Lawrence Parks and Recreation, Lawrence Mountain Bike Club, Westar Energy’s Green Team and the Kansas Forest Service. Buehler explains that improvements will include removing invasive plants and planting natives using history as a guide on Kansas Riverfront property. Tree saplings will be provided by Kansas Forest Service, and the project will include a kiosk to be designed by Westar Energy’s Green Team to educate about the effectiveness of native plants and their benefit to water quality in the Kansas River. “The North Lawrence businesses are an important part of the Kansas River landscape,” Buehler says. “From the long-term businesses … that have served many a river paddler to the newer Levee Café that has quickly become a river enthusiast hot spot.
The Levee Café and Mary Holt, owner of the Café with one of her employees.
Dining on the Water
Open since August 2016, The Levee Café utilizes the unique location with its business, as well, but not in the way some others close to the river do. “We provide good, quick, reasonably priced food. And a nice place to congregate,” owner Mary Holt explains. “I grew up in Old West Lawrence and remember grocery shopping at Rusty’s IGA, where Happy Shirts is now. I love the river and the trails. The North Lawrence community is very welcoming, and I appreciate being a part of it.” Holt and her husband, Evan, also from Lawrence, traveled the world for 21 years while Evan was in the marines but knew they wanted to settle back in Lawrence and open a business, but not in the hustle and bustle of downtown. “I knew I wanted to do something small, and I stayed away from downtown because of all the great competition,” she says. “When we found this building right across from the levee and on a corner, I was sold.” Bringing simple, fresh, healthy food to North Lawrence residents and river trail enthusiasts was the goal, and a unique and fun environment in their renovated, industrial-style restaurant at 239 Elm St. was the outcome. “We wouldn’t be anything without the NoLaw people,” Holt explains. “This community takes care of itself and cares deeply for their neighbors.” 28
Cycling and Re-Cyclying
Speaking of neighbors, next door to The Levee Café sits The Lawrence Re-Cyclery. Owner Brian Shay raced BMX bikes as a kid and says he has always been into biking. In 2005, he started buying and selling bikes on the internet, which led to him opening a retail store in East Lawrence in 2007. Shay moved The Re-Cyclery across the river to North Lawrence out of necessity two years ago and found it to be a great location for convenience to the river trail and to the people who use the levee for exercise. “We rent a lot of bikes to people for the river trails and levee riding,” Shay says. “Bike rentals have been really good in this location.” The Re-Cyclery offers full service on all styles and makes of bikes. It offers tune-ups, flat repairs and cable replace-
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Brian Shay owner of ReCyclery inside his store Bottom-Bicycles line the front entrance to the ReCyclery store
ments, and carries new and used bikes for sale. People also frequent The Re-Cyclery to save money and find obsolete parts for vintage bikes or to fix up bikes for resale. This spring, Shay plans to donate bikes to the shelter and bikes and services to those who can’t afford them. “North Lawrence has always been my kinda place,” Shay says. “My shop is special because we sell used bikes and used parts, often giving parts away for free.”
Up a River With a Paddle
Not simply alongside the river like many of the Kaw businesses, Up a Creek does its work on the river. The only livery-styled company that rents kayaks, canoes and paddleboards for day and overnight rentals in North Lawrence, paddlers must choose to pick up equipment on their own or use Up a Creek transportation options. The company offers day and overnight float trips on the Kansas River, as well as transportation from the get-out location to the get-in location. “Without Mother Kaw, we would not have a business,” owner Craig Pruett says. “We closely monitor the flow rates to keep paddlers safe. We always talk to paddlers about keeping the river clean. What you take in you bring out.” Up a Creek doesn’t just offer a trip along the river, it offers an experience that customers take with them. “The connection to the river is like a friendship. Once you have lived by it, paddled on it or played on the sandbars, you become kin to its draw,” Pruett explains. “Mother Kaw can call you with her mild, gentle pull of sandbars and bank lines that edge out her path downstream.”
He says Up a Creek works with Friends of the Kaw and Dirty Girl Adventures to educate people about the “wonderful playground in our own backyard.” They also work with the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks management and its enforcement officers to protect and promote the Kansas River. Currently, the company is working with the Corps of Engineers to moderate the flows during paddling season. “Flow rates are driven by the needs of the Mississippi and the Missouri [rivers],” Pruett says. “By encouraging more mild flow rates during the summer months, we could put more paddlers on the river.” Ultimately, Pruett hopes his customers leave having had an experience and “a connection that goes beyond the day, the fun that you may have had or the activity that you did.” And he’s glad he’s able to provide this experience from a place with “its own vibe, its own people.” North Lawrence is “like a small town of its own adjacent to a large community,” he says. “If it were a feeling, it would be like wearing blue jeans and a flannel shirt on the first fall day. It just feels right.” 31
What’s Next
Riverkeeper Buehler explains that Friends of the Kaw is always working to improve public access to the river. The group has presented a potential project to the City of Lawrence to develop river access around Bowersock, while completing a portion of the Lawrence Loop, making repairs to the dam and retaining walls, and creating a way for people to really connect to the river. “Our proposal looks at using already-budgeted dollars to complete this all at one time, saving money while also utilizing other funding sources to add to the Lawrence Loop. We would like to see both North Lawrence and Downtown Lawrence connect back to the river and use the riverfront for access to the public.” The potential project includes partners from Friends of the Kaw, Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism, Friends of Lawrence Area Trails and Sunflower Outdoor & Bike. “We have great grassroots support and hope that we can find a way to bring this great amenity to the Lawrence community,” Buehler says.
Distinctly NoLaw
The Kansas River is an important historical piece of the North Lawrence community. “The community has a real tie to the river … the neighborhoods have their very own distinct feel and presence ...,” Buehler says. “North Lawrence is a community in and of itself.” She believes NoLaw offers its residents a little bit of back in time, where people sit on their porches, walk their dogs, grow their gardens and enjoy the river scene. Sean Ingram, NoLaw resident and owner of Blue Collar Press, who has paddled the entire distance of the Kaw solo just to prove he “could still do something cool,” agrees. “As part of the North Lawrence community as a resident, I’m all about paddling from Riverfront Park down to the dam and back,” he says. “It’s the best-kept secret in town. Nature, fresh air, a little adventure for little dollars. My opinion is that developers have not even started to uncover the river’s financial potential.” p
The Shay family riding bikes on the Levee Trail
Taking Care of Its Own
Kids are a central focus for some of North Lawrence’s businesses. by Bob Luder, photos by Steven Hertzog
Sept. 16, 2016, is a day Becky Price will never forget. It was her first day on the job as executive director of the Elizabeth Ballard Community Center. It also was the first day of a new school term for the center’s preschool. Price had been told by the center’s board of directors that, if she hadn’t accepted the offer to fill the executive director’s role, the center was to be closed. Nothing like a little pressure to succeed. Except, there was an immediate crisis afoot. “The first day I came in, the health department came in for an inspection,” Price says, chuckling to herself at the still-fresh memory. “They told me a piece of old playground equipment needed to be taken out, and ceiling tiles needed to be changed out in the women’s bathroom. This needed to be done before we could open, and school was starting that day.” So, Price did what any executive director desperate to get things done—and, done immediately—would do: She drove straight down the street to the neighborhood resident gentlemen’s club, walked in and started looking for contractors. She succeeded in finding those contractors, got the issues resolved that day, and school started uninterrupted. Today, more 34
Ballard Center Thanksgiving Dinner for their young kids and staff
than two years later, Price oversees a Ballard Community Center that not only offers early childhood education but an array of civic services—food bank, mobile pantry and emergency services such as home-based family therapy and financial assistance—all designed to get families out of poverty. The Ballard Center is one of a handful of North Lawrence entities that services children. Emmalee Schaumburg, Schaumburg Photography, located in a beautiful, old stone building on Locust Street, captures lifelong memories with her artful portraits of children, ranging from newborns to high school seniors, and families. And G-Force Athletics, on Second Street, has been training competitive cheer teams and tumbling and trampoline teams since 2004. But back to Price and her first day at the Ballard Center. She says it was that day she realized she had chosen the right place to come to work and exercise her passion of helping those less fortunate. “I had lived in Lawrence since 1980 but hadn’t had much exposure to North Lawrence,” she says. “Since I took this job two years ago, I’ve just fallen in love with it. It’s more of a community than any other place in town. Neighbors look out for each other. “North Lawrence takes care of its own,” she continues.
Building Ballard
The building that houses the Ballard Community Center has been in its location at 708 Elm St. for 104 years. It served as an all-black school before desegregation in 1955. In 1964, the center was purchased by Anna “Petey” Cerf, who dedicated it to the memory of her mother, Elizabeth B. Ballard, and donated it to the Community Children’s Center Inc. for use as a community center to benefit the citizens of Lawrence. 35
Three years later, a library opened at the center with 1,000 books. It’s reported in the library’s first 5½ weeks that more than 600 books were checked out, mostly by eager young children who never before had the opportunity to use a library. As the years went by, Ballard continued to grow and host more programs for children, teens and adults fallen on hard times. The center served as a drop-in center for black teens from 1969 to 1975, a period that coincided with social unrest in Lawrence. In 1975, after-school and youth summer programs were developed, and the next year, academics were added to the program. In 2003, Ballard acquired the Emergency Service Council and began operating the only emergency rent and utility assistance program in all of Douglas County. That commitment continued two years later when the center acquired Penn House, a nonprofit human services agency that just recently moved into the main building on Elm Street. Today, the Ballard Center, which is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, operates on a $700,000 annual budget and is probably best known for its affordable preschool, which cares for up to 48 students ages 2 to kindergarten. “Our mission is to get families out of poverty,” Price says. “We see the main way of doing that is through our preschool.”
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But the Ballard Community Center does so much more. Not only is the mission to provide affordable, high-quality early
education but also essential basic life assistance for low-income families and individuals in need. It does so through a variety of programs. The food bank not only ensures that the preschool’s children are fed breakfast, lunch and two healthy snacks daily, but also serves the Douglas County community. There is a basic needs pantry which provides items such as diapers for young children and personal hygiene items such as soap, shampoo and deodorant for adults. It provides low-income families information and guidance to local resources. A Holiday Bureau provides holiday gifts for 180 low-income households with children. The mobile pantry travels with personal supplies to areas in need. And, Price says, none of it would be possible without the largesse and sense of community that is North Lawrence. Whether it’s reaching out to Ted Boyle, a 45-year resident and president of the North Lawrence Improvements Association, searching for help on social media or marching down to the local gentlemen’s club, Price knows help in the area is readily available. “Because our building is 104 years old, it’s always falling apart,” she says. “But you can always find a good handyman in the neighborhood. North Lawrence has its own Facebook page, its own newsletter. If any of us needs anything, all we have to do is post it there.
headshots for hospital and doctor groups, and she also is getting into architectural photography. “I’ll do maybe 5 to 6 weddings a year,” she says. “And lately, I like fashion and beauty work.” She settled on North Lawrence as home for her business for the same reason many do—cheaper rent—but says there’s much more to like about the area. “I always enjoy going to the antique stores (in the area),” she says. “It always seems like a quaint area.” While she says her involvement with North Lawrence has been limited thus far, she was involved in getting the area’s businesses involved in the greater Lawrence area’s monthly Final Fridays celebrations and has done some work for the aforementioned antique stores. She says she’s open to more community endeavors moving forward. “I do everything with the business—invoicing, marketing—so I just try to stay focused,” she says. “The industry is always evolving, so just staying relevant is important. Also, staying inspired is a big thing for any artist.” That might be an area where the charm of North Lawrence can help serve Schaumburg well in the future. Emmalee Schaumburg working a photo session in her photo studio at 500 Locust street with Dr. Steve Segebrecht
“If our night lights outside the building aren’t on, I’ll get a call from one of the neighbors,” Price continues. “Tim and Kalene Sanders, of Sanders Software (Consulting Inc.), put our new phone system in for free and updated our internet. There’s no place in the Lawrence area I’d rather be.”
Capturing Lifelong Memories
Emmalee Schaumburg housed her photography studio in a space on North Second Street for 2½ years before moving to her current location four years ago, when she was eight months pregnant with her daughter, Lily. The beautiful, late-1800s structure, with huge windows covering the front side, served as the post office long ago, when North Lawrence was its own entity. The postmaster lived upstairs. “I love it here,” Schaumburg says. “The north-facing lighting is great.” On a rainy fall Friday in October, Schaumburg photographs a sleeping newborn while the baby’s parents watch anxiously over her shoulder. In addition to photographing babies and high school seniors, Schaumburg says she photographs a lot of 37
Flipping Over—and in— North Lawrence
Hallie Godfrey, who co-owns G-Force Athletics with husband Jimmy, says she’s always liked North Lawrence, because the tight community has always reminded her of her small-town roots. The Godfreys originally staked their business on the city’s south side, on 23rd Street near Haskell Indian Nations University, in 2004 but moved north across the river when the economy sunk into recession in 2008. “In 2009, the economy wasn’t good, and the rent at our old place got too high,” Godfrey says. “(North Lawrence) was a more affordable area to be in. It was really a blessing to find this place. It has great highway access. We have kids come here from Topeka, Kansas City, Tonganoxie. It’s worked out real well for us.” Godfrey says in the beginning, she could tell people were a bit apprehensive about coming into North Lawrence. “They simply didn’t know about it,” she says. “But my kids are 9 and 13. They’ve grown up in North Lawrence. I’ve always felt they’re safe here. “The community-mindedness in North Lawrence makes a big difference,” Godfrey continues. “Anytime we’re looking for a service provider, we look in North Lawrence. And anytime there’s a new business that opens here, we try to give them new business.” G-Force Athletics isn’t a typical cheer and tumbling academy. It offers competitive cheer programs—cheerleading is a power sport here—and athletes can travel with competitive All-Star cheer teams and compete at high levels. G-Force also offers recreational tumbling and trampoline programs. At any given time, it has 60 to 75 competitive athletes and another 50 to 100 recreational students. “Because parents stay close by when their kids are here, whether that’s getting gas or going somewhere to get a snack … ,” Godfrey says. “That’s where we’re contributing to (the North Lawrence) economy.” She says G-Force also has participated in civic events, whether having a presence at summer festivals or opening the gymnasium to the public on Monday evenings or Saturday mornings. The Godfreys held a tip-off party for the public when the business moved in in 2009. They also host a petting zoo annually for children in the area. “Whether it’s blood drives or bone marrow registry during summers, we’re pretty consistent in being out in the community,” Godfrey says. “When we moved into this area, there wasn’t much around us. It’s been great seeing all the new business come in. “I think North Lawrence had been a well-kept secret in this area in the past, but not anymore,” she says. p 38
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Downtown Nor LOCUST STREET A HIDDEN GEM IN
by Liz Weslander, photos by Steven Hertzog
It’s easy to miss, but just past the North Lawrence Bridge, at the intersection of Second and Locust streets, is a sign that points drivers east on Locust Street to the North Lawrence Historical Business District. The often-overlooked designation is a nod to the historic stretch of Locust between Second and Seventh streets that predates North Lawrence itself. “Before it was annexed by the city of Lawrence in 1870, North Lawrence was the town of Jefferson,” says Ted Boyle, president of the North Lawrence Improvement Association. “Jefferson had a little downtown, and that was Locust.” Thanks to creative business owners, a local contractor and the enduring hard work of a longtime Lawrence family, the five-block section of Locust continues to bustle today. A cluster of antique and home-furnishing stores at Seventh and Locust streets anchors the historic area at one end, 40
while long-standing Mexican restaurants and a neighborhood tavern ensure a steady flow of people near the other end. Here, we take a closer look at what has kept this historical piece of North Lawrence ticking.
SEVENTH AND LOCUST If you were heading to the corner of Seventh and Locust streets during the 1870s, it was likely to visit Dicker’s Grocery Store, which occupied the still-standing building at 646 Locust. Head to Seventh and Locust on a Friday or Saturday today, and you’ll find people looking for that perfect piece for their home in one of the five antique and homefurnishing stores clustered around the intersection. But if you passed through the intersection 20 years ago, you would have seen empty, neglected buildings. That is certainly what Amy Ballinger saw when she bought a home a few blocks from the corner in 1997. However Ballinger,
rth Lawrence A BOOMING BUSINESS CORRIDOR former owner of Amy’s Attic, 700 Locust St., also saw potential. “One day, I drove past the old and greasy empty building there, and then went home and told my husband that we were going to rent it,” she says. “I didn’t know what it would be yet, but it was calling to me.” Ballinger and her husband had been collecting old pieces of furniture at auctions for many years, and as they fixed up the building at 700 Locust (which is on the southeast corner of the intersection), it became clear that it would become a space for them to sell refurbished items from the auctions. Within a few weeks, they opened Amy’s Attic, which would become the pioneering antique store at that corner. Ballinger says the business was immediately successful. The Ballinger family decided to take a short break from the business in 2004, which was right around the time local de-
veloper Jon Davis bought the Amy’s Attic building, as well as the historical buildings on the southwest corner of the intersection at 642, 644 and 646 Locust, where the old Dicker’s Grocery used to be. Davis says when Ballinger came to him and expressed an interest in getting her business up and going again, it gave him a good reason to fix up the Amy’s Attic property as well as the historical buildings across the street. Davis says the buildings at 642-646 Locust, which were built in 1863, were fairly neglected and needed some significant investment. In 2005, Davis finished the complete restoration of the 642-646 Locust properties, turning them into three viable storefronts and four apartments. Ballinger says other antique businesses starting showing interest in and moving to the corner following Davis’s restoration. Getting the historic designation for the area furthered the corner’ visibility, Boyle explains. 41
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Center-Hollie Blakeney owner of Hoopla Top-Dana Lynn Niemack, owner of Tooter and Tillayes Bottom-The Art House
“Jon put a couple million into that corner and put those buildings back to their original state inside and out,” he continues. “We’re pretty proud of them. When we went and got the designation six or seven years ago, it helped put that corridor on tourist maps and helped out the businesses there.” Although Ballinger sold Amy’s Attic in 2014, she says she loves that the area she saw as a diamond in the rough many years ago is flourishing today. “I had the foresight that it would be something eventually, but I did didn’t know it would become this shopping mecca,” Ballinger says. Dana Niemack owns Tooter & Tillaye’s Home Goods, 644 Locust St., one of the shops currently operating in the restored buildings at Seventh and Locust streets. Niemack says when she opened her store in 2012, she and Ballinger were the only ones there. Now there are five stores, all open on Fridays and Saturdays, and business is steady, Niemack says.
“Their brains go over to Mass, but we always mention places like La Tropicana and El Matador that are not on Mass but are still great,” she says. “It’s nice that customers can shop on our corner and still have a drink and lunch without leaving North Lawrence.”
LA TROPICANA & THE DEL CAMPO FAMILY
“It’s become a popular weekend destination. It’s easy parking, and people really like the vibe of North Lawrence. They love the trains,” she continues. “I like the corner because it’s supportive. We are all women business owners, and every shop has its own distinct flavor.”
La Tropicana Mexican Restaurant, 434 Locust St., is one of the longest-running restaurants in Lawrence and the perfect place to get a firsthand taste of the rich history of North Lawrence Historical Business District. On a recent Tuesday afternoon at the restaurant, 82 year-old Severina del Campo, La Tropicana’s matriarch, sat at a table talking with a group of friends. Her daughters, Catalina Martin del Campo, who runs the front of the house, and Laura Martin del Campo, who runs the kitchen, were there, as well, tending to business and sipping coffee as the last of the lunch crowd finished eating.
Niemack says she makes an effort to suggest bars and restaurants in North Lawrence to her customers as an alternative to going back over the bridge to Downtown Lawrence.
“Mom is still here every day doing prep work,” Catalina says. “That’s what she likes. It keeps her going. Sometimes I’ll want to try do something a little different, but we always go back to her way, because she’s the boss, and she knows best.” 43
Left to Right: Kathy Del Campo mixing a margarita at La Tropicana on Locust street; Frank’s Tavern on Locust Street
La Tropicana has been in Severina’s family for many years. Severina is Kansas-born and lived in Lecompton as a young child in the 1940s. At that time, her grandfather, Thomas Garcia, owned La Tropicana, which he operated as a bar. While still a young child, Severina moved to Mexico City with her parents and some of her siblings, and it was there that she met her late husband, Jessie Martin del Campo Sr. The couple married and had four of seven kids while still living in Mexico but moved back to Lawrence in 1965 and took over La Tropicana, which was still owned by Severina’s family. They changed it from a bar to a restaurant in 1967 and set up house in the upper level of the building. Despite being a little out of the way, location has not been a big challenge for La Tropicana during the years. “We don’t do a lot of advertising,” daughter Martin says. “My parents always believed in the old way, which is word of mouth. We have a lot of loyal local customers. This is their little oasis away from everything else. A lot of them have known me since I was a little girl, and sometimes their children or grandchildren are working here now.” The Del Campo family also owns the building a few doors to the east at 508 Locust St. Prior to their ownership, the space operated as the Shamrock Tavern in the 1950s and the Gold Band Tavern in the 1960s. During the years, some of Catalina and Laura’s siblings have operated bars and clubs out of the building; but now, the family is content to rent the space. The building currently houses Frank’s North Star Tavern, which has been there since 2012. Martin del Campo says she’s been pleased to see the improvements occurring in the area during the past last 10 years. “The antique stores down the street are great,” she says. “It’s so good because I know them really well. They come here, they tell people about us, and I tell people about them.” While La Tropicana is part of the family fabric, Martin says it is also lot of work. If their mother, Severina, ever decides to retire, she says the sisters might consider retiring along with her. 44
“Mom believes in having a place for the family to come and eat when they’re hungry,” Martin explains. “I don’t think my great-nieces and nephews, who are all under 5, realize this is a restaurant; they think this is a home. It’s hard to say about retirement, but being here day in and day out, I think we would all like to enjoy some family time, not just on our one day off but whenever we feel like it.” p
North Lawrence Historical BusinesS District Businesses Amy’s Attic Interiors & Antiques: 700 Locust St. The Art House: 700 Locust St. Hoopla: 646 Locust St., Suite B Tooter & Tillaye’s Home Goods: 644 Locust St. Topiary Tree: 642 Locust St. Frank’s North Star Tavern: 508 Locust St. Schaumburg Photography: 500 Locust St. El Matador Cafe: 446 Locust St. La Tropicana: 434 Locust St.
Left to Right: Johnny’s Tavern, operating at Second and Locust Streets since 1953; A motorcycle parked in front of the Slow Ride Roadhouse
Sand Rat Playground by Anne Brockhoff, photos by Steven Hertzog
NoLaw bars and eateries boast a long history, a passion for food and fun, and a tradition of giving back to their unique community. It’s easy to drive by a bar and assume you know what it’s like inside. Beer bar, topless bar, biker bar—they’re all exactly what you’d expect. Except when they aren’t. In North Lawrence, Johnny’s Tavern has indeed long served beer and burgers, the Flamingo Club offers adult entertainment and the Slow Ride Roadhouse is a motorcycle magnet. But each is also an enduring establishment that focuses as much on helping the community as it does generating revenue. That makes the neighborhood a great place to do business, even if not everyone in Lawrence recognizes its potential.
to appreciate its independent character, and he’s proud of his tavern’s long history. John Wilson opened Johnny’s in 1953, two years after a historic flood swept through the tractor dealership his family had owned at the corner of North Second and Locust streets. That makes Johnny’s Lawrence’s oldest bar, at least when judging by how long an establishment’s operated at the same location under a single name.
“I think one of the big things is perception,” says Johnny’s owner Rick Renfro. “They don’t know because they don’t live there.”
Renfro first met Wilson while tending bar at the Eagle’s Club, and Wilson soon lobbied him to take over Johnny’s. It made sense—Renfro had come to Lawrence to attend the University of Kansas but quickly learned he preferred rugby to studying. He needed a job that would keep him in town and enable him to play rugby, so he bought the bar in 1978.
Renfro doesn’t either; his home is on Lawrence’s south side. But Renfro’s has owned a business there long enough
“I was looking for a quick fix, but it turned into a 40-year gig,” Renfro explains.
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& Plenty has changed over those decades. The two modern bridges spanning the Kansas River were completed in 1980. Other improvements followed, including the restoration of the Lawrence Union Pacific Depot in 1996, and additional infrastructure, road and beautification projects. “Little by little, lots of things have been added on, and (the city and county) have made it nice,” Renfro says. Attitudes have shifted, too. North Lawrence residents were once derided as “sand rats,” a term that literally referred to the rats living on the river’s edge. Over the years, that phrase has become a mark of pride and has been applied to reunions and running trails; there was even an effort to erect a sand rat memorial. A new wave of residents has moved in, drawn by proximity to downtown, bigger residential lots, a strong neighborhood association and the eclectic feel, Renfro says.
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Johnny’s has also evolved. Back in the late 1970s, there were only about 10 bars in Lawrence, he says. Johnny’s sold a lot of beer back then, and the crowd for more than a decade was mostly college students. But Kansas laws eventually eased, making it easier for businesses to sell alcohol. Lawrence in November 2018 had 129 bars and restaurants with on-premise drinking-establishment licenses, according to the Kansas Department of Revenue’s online database. 47
Inside Johnny’s Tavern on a Friday night Women from Ranjibar Orthodontics unwind at Johnny’s after a long week of work Owner Rick Renfro mingles with his customers on a busy Friday night inside Johnny’s
Competition drove Johnny’s to expand its menu to include 10 burger options, appetizers, salads, sandwiches and pizza, and food these days accounts for about 70 percent of sales, Renfro explains. Johnny’s has expanded to 10 locations, including Johnny’s West, near Sixth and Wakarusa streets, and eight others in the greater Kansas City area.
Renfro enjoys the hospitality industry, but he’s also been one of the prime movers behind the North Massachusetts Street project. He and his partners have worked since 2007 to create a mixed-use development with apartments, retail and amenities alongside the Kansas River off of North Second Street.
Renfro and his three partners own a majority stake in the newer restaurants, but about 15 people also each own a small percentage in different locations. That might not sound like a lot, but it makes a huge difference to Renfro.
Development Still Developing
“I’ve always felt owner-operators in our establishments have a stake in it and care more about what’s happening,” he says. The business’s structure allows for both consistency between locations and the opportunity to tweak the menu and tailor the atmosphere. Renfro likens the flagship Johnny’s to a pair of old, broken-in house shoes, while Johnny’s West and the Kansas City locations have a new running-shoe feel, he says. And then there’s J. Wilson’s, which Renfro and his wife, Nancy, bought when it was still Mariscos and rebranded in 2016. They created a New American-style restaurant that feels more like “either loafers or dress shoes, whatever you want,” Renfro quips. 48
Early efforts focused on acquiring private property in the area, and the partners currently either own or have a contract to purchase the 16-acre site. Financing has proved challenging, though. Early interest dried up when the 2008 recession hit, and Renfro is hopeful the project is now placed to attract investors. In the meantime, the group continues discussions with the city on issues like utilities and access, and with the Corps of Engineers about how to build so close to the river. “This will be a good partnership,” Renfro believes. “They’re as excited as we are.” One thing Renfro isn’t excited about discussing? His support of the North Lawrence Improvement Association, Woodlawn Elementary School, Ballard Community Center and other groups and organizations.
“We do all those things I assume every small business in town does,” Renfro says. “We’ll give a $25 gift certificate here or there, or write a check. I don’t need kudos for that.” He’d rather point to the work of folks like Wesley Kabler, who owns the Flamingo Club at the corner of North Ninth and Walnut streets, just over the city’s eastern limit. “Wesley’s one of my mentors,” Renfro explains. Not only in how to run a business and operate in the bar industry, but, “the thing I’ve learned from him and how he gives his time helping people out is that you have to be a team player and a community guy.” Kabler, who is originally from Kansas City, Kansas, moved to Lawrence in 1962 after buying a bar called the Purple Pig. He acquired the Flamingo Supper Club in 1967, which had for decades operated as a dance hall under various names, including the Golden Arrow. Bands played every Friday and Saturday night, and the place was packed with college students until its 3 a.m. closing time, Kabler says. Other days were quieter, though, a problem Kabler solved after visiting a topless bar in Kansas City, Kansas, that was owned by a friend. “It was crowded every day of the week,” he says. “I thought, ‘This is the way to go.’ ” That was around 1970, Kabler explains, and the change not only filled the bar but also cut back on headaches like
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fights between patrons. His is a large space, with capacity of about 200, and the food menu includes a buffet with fried chicken, pork chops, barbecue and the like, a regular steak night and an all-you-can-eat lunch on Fridays. The staff holds steady at about five or six, Kabler says, not including the dancers, who are independent contractors. Most employees stay for years, a rarity in an industry known for turnover. “My rule has been, find somebody good and make your deal better than anyone else’s to keep them,” explains Kabler, who also owns an excavation business in North Lawrence. “That makes sense in any business.”
Building a Community at the Flamingo Just as important is supporting his hometown. Kabler helped found the Lawrence St. Patrick’s Day Parade in 1988, which originally ran from the Flamingo to what was once the Jet Lag Lounge, at Sixth and Florida streets. The parade later shifted to its current downtown route and added a fun run, auction and activities that have, together, generated more than $1 million for local children’s charities during its 31year history. Kabler was also instrumental in starting another Lawrence tradition: the Community Christmas Dinner. It began in 1983 when Kabler and some friends decided to cook dinner for “anybody who didn’t have something to do on Christmas,” he says. Food-service industry contacts gave him a good deal on turkeys, while volunteers cooked and served food at the Flamingo, and made deliveries. The event grew every year, eventually reaching the 500meal mark and outgrowing the space. 50
“It was great,” Lawrence resident and volunteer Deb Engstrom says of the event. “The Flamingo was transformed a little, so you didn’t think of it as a bar, especially a strip bar, and it was really nice. But, of course, it was getting too small.” Engstrom began overseeing the meal in 1993 and moved the event to the First United Methodist Church downtown. More than 1,200 Lawrence residents now either come to the church for a free Christmas dinner or have one delivered to them. That spirit isn’t unique to the Flamingo. The Slow Ride Roadhouse, on North Third Street, north of the Kansas Turnpike exit, is known for hosting charity events and otherwise helping the community.
Celebrating the Del Campo Legacy Jesse del Campo Jr., whose family’s La Tropicana restaurant has long been a North Lawrence fixture, opened the bar and grill in 2005. He’d run bars including Club 508 before his love of motorcycles spurred him to create a place where anyone who liked bikes could gather. “He decided to build this for his friends, and he made friends from all over the place,” explains Jesse’s sister, Maggie del Campo. Jesse del Campo renovated and expanded the former Fifi’s Banquet Connection building, decking out the booths and pool tables in Harley-Davidson orange. There’s a large main bar, stage and dance floor inside, and a patio bar that wraps around the outside wall and opens onto a stage made from a converted bus. Slow Ride was known throughout the region as a biker destination, so that entire community grieved when Jesse del
Campo was killed in a motorcycle accident in July 2017. The Slow Ride closed, and its future remained in limbo for almost a year, until Maggie del Campo offered to reopen it. Severina del Campo, Jesse and Maggie’s mother, and the Slow Ride’s owner, said yes. It’s proven a challenge. Shortly after reopening in May 2018, one of the coolers broke, then an air-conditioner, then the other cooler and then the point-of-sale system. “The place was closed for nine months,” Maggie del Campo says. “When you close something and reopen, everything starts breaking.”
North Lawrence is a good place to do business, del Campo says, and she’s determined to contribute in many of the ways her brother did. She welcomes the poker runs that come through Lawrence and, in October, hosted Jesse’s Memorial Birthday BBQ Bash, following the pattern of a party Jesse threw for himself every year to raise money to help families in need at Christmas. This year’s event included a barbecue competition, car and motorcycle show, silent auction, vendors and bands. “People are so giving,” del Campo says. And that’s what makes it all worth it.p
One thing that remained the same: a loyal clientele. The parking lot was packed on the first day, she explains, and the bar is still usually lined with Jesse’s friends. “The bar was the best thing I ever did,” del Campo says. “I’m happy to see all the customers and how happy they are.” Slow Ride is open Thursday through Sunday, with seating for 300-plus including the patio and 20 employees to keep it all going. Del Campo oversees the kitchen, which serves a breakfast menu filled with American and Mexican options on Saturday and Sunday, sandwiches and burgers at lunch and dinner, and from-scratch specials such as tacos, meat loaf, enchiladas and chicken fried steak.
Left: The Flamingo Club in North Lawrence Right: Kathy Del Campo at the bar of Slow Ride Roadhouse
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At the
Juncti
Longtime Native American landmark serves as focal point for a vibrant corner of North Lawrence. by Bob Luder, photos by Steven Hertzog
For 90 years, it’s stood as a sentry of sorts, watching over the northern edge of North Lawrence and the greater Lawrence community, a vestige of another time and place. At 50 feet tall, the concrete teepee that sits on an otherwise nondescript piece of earth a couple hundred yards east of Second Street and U.S. Highway 59, off U.S. Highway 40, is hard to miss. When it was built in 1928, it was part of a larger American Indian village, complete with gas station and curio shops. “The idea back then was that Highway 40 was going to be a major east-to-west highway, like what Interstate 70 is today,” says Richard Osburn, who lives in the teepee and manages the property. “Cars back then could only go 300 miles on a tank of gas, so the thought was it was a perfect spot for travelers to stop, gas up and maybe buy a few souvenirs before heading on.” When Highway 40 failed to materialize as a major traffic artery, the gas station and village eventually went out of 52
business. But the teepee remains a prominent landmark in the North Lawrence area. Vehicles full of travelers hailing from across the country stop to take photos of themselves standing next to the structure, especially alongside the two painted-on straight lines that serve as a stark record of the water levels during two major floods, in 1935 and 1951. “Saturday evenings, there are always people out there shooting pictures,” Osburn says. “If I catch people out there, I’ll pop out and offer to take their pictures for them.” The teepee is such a well-known landmark for North Lawrence that the corner of Highways 59 and 40, and surrounding area has long been tabbed “Teepee Junction” where there are a handful of longstanding North Lawrence businesses. White Schoolhouse A venerable landmark of the area is the White Schoolhouse, built one year after the teepee in 1929, which has served as a school, college bar and, today, an event space that, among other things, serves as host to concerts put on by local and national independent bands.
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Lawrence Municipal Airport Of utmost importance to the entire Lawrence community is the Lawrence Municipal Airport, which, like the White Schoolhouse, will commemorate its 90th anniversary in 2019 and is the oldest continuously operating airport in the state. Pine Landscape Center Pine Landscape Center recently underwent a rebranding and hosted upwards of 200 people at a celebration of the event, began as a traditional farm but, today, provides top-quality landscape materials including rock, sod, soil and mulch. The Teepee The Teepee, or rather, the building adjacent to the original teepee (which has two smaller teepees on each side), serves as an events space that’s a popular spot for fraternity and sorority parties. All are stalwart businesses that bring people and money into North Lawrence as well as contribute to the unique character of the area, enhancing its reputation as a section of the greater Lawrence community that’s on the rise.
Lawrence Municipal Airport
A plaque on the wall in the lobby of the main terminal at Lawrence Municipal Airport commemorates the 1986 dedication of the building, but the history of the airport itself dates back far earlier. In fact, the original airport was dedicated in October 1929, which included the local newspaper’s estimated crowd of 6,000 people. But Rick Bryant, an aviation consultant with Airport Development Group Inc. and unofficial historian for the airport, with more than 20 years of service to the airfield, says actual aviation activity to the community dates back as far as 1910. According to the June 2, 1976, zzLawrence Journal-Worldzz article “1910 Aviator’s Last Takeoff Attempt Recalled,” an aviator named Jay Mars made an emergency landing near Midland Junction during a flight from Topeka to Kansas City. After hauling the disassembled plane into Lawrence for repairs, he departed two days later from a hayfield known as the Metcalf Pasture, at 20th and Massachusetts streets in south Lawrence, to complete his flight. “In March 1911, the zzLawrence Journal-Worldzz wagered $500 on a 2½-hour flight from Lawrence to Kansas City,” Bryant says. “Upon taking off from the old Haskell pasture, strong winds pushed the plane into a fenceline, and the flight was never completed.” The airport originally was constructed on 436 acres of Kaw River floodplain with four runways of compacted soil and cinder. During World War II, more than 300 individuals earned pilots’ wings at the airport prior to entering military flight instruction. The Civil Aeronautics Authority, forerunner of the Federal Aviation Administration, rated it as one of the better instruction programs of its time.
Top-Transmit Air Ambulance Service (formerly Life Star) preparing to take off for a pick up and a transport Bottom-Corey Huber, mechanic for Hetrick Air Services repairs a plane inside a hangar at the Lawrence Airport
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That floodplain became a major detriment in 1951, when the banks of the Kaw overflowed, and the airport found itself under 8 feet of water. The facility persevered and, over the years, has provided service to many celebrities, including racecar drivers Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Ricky Rudd, country singer Dwight Yoakam, former President Gerald Ford and former Kansas Senator Bob Dole. Former Kansas University basketball coach Larry Brown signed his contract in a meeting room of the terminal building. And last year, the president of Colombia, Juan Santos (a KU graduate), landed the largest plane to ever touch down on the airport’s runway, a Boeing 737.
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“That runway typically takes 60,000 to 70,000 pounds,” Bryant says. “That plane was 131,000 pounds empty. But, the runway held up just fine.” There are several other businesses that sit on the airport’s grounds. Hetrick Air Services, which offers everything from hangaring of aircraft to flight instruction, has operated on the property since 1983. KU houses its flight services and aerospace engineering class space there. Don’s Diesel sells high-performance auto parts. Al Stuber Research builds aircraft. GUT Works LLC is a multifaceted aviation support services firm that has customers from around the globe. And perhaps most important, Life Star of Kansas Air Medical Service headquarters there. The City of Lawrence owns 30 T-Hangars to rent for individual aircraft storage.
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Since 2000, the City of Lawrence, which owns the airport, has invested more than $9 million in facilities improvements. The return on investment generates an annual economic impact of approximately $15 million to the city, county and region, according to the aviation division of the Kansas Department of Transportation. Today, Lawrence Municipal Airport houses 49 aircraft and averages 33,000 annual flight operations, including more than 2,000 business jet operations annually, and a limited number of international operations. “It’s said the airport is the front door to the city,” Bryant says. “A mile of road will take you 1 mile down the road. But a mile of runway will take you wherever you want to go.”
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Sign for a night of music at the White Schoolhouse photo by Fally Afani Right - top to bottom:
White Schoolhouse Almost as widely recognized as a historical landmark as the teepee is the White Schoolhouse, located just around the corner on Second Street. What many don’t know is that the current structure on the property is the fourth incarnation of the school, which originally opened on March 12, 1868. Not much is known of the first building. The second structure was destroyed by floodwaters, and the third was decimated by a fire. Building No. 4 remained a school, teaching upwards of 50 students during a given term, until the 1960-61 school term, which proved to be the last for White School District No. 61. After that, the small, white wood-paneled building served as a private home for a few years and then was an event/gathering place until 1975, when it was purchased and converted into Ichabod’s, a college, .32 beer bar. Ichabod’s closed in 1991, and the space reverted to private event rental space through the rest of the 1990s until 2011. It was in November of that year that Greg Rupp called his dad, Tom, and talked him into joining him at a public auction for the property. For $70,000, split evenly between father and son, the Rupps walked away owners of the White Schoolhouse. “The land alone is worth $90,000,” says Jennifer Rupp, Greg’s wife and manager of the property. 56
Punk Rock band performing downstairs at the White Schoolhouse photo by Fally Afani Yoga Class at the White Schoolhouse photo by Steven Hertzog Upstairs at the White Schoolhouse decorated for a wedding photo by Jenn Hawks/In a Flash by Jenn
Much of the history of the place resides in stories Jennifer has been told since assuming her management role. “People came by earlier this year who told me they lived here in the ’60s and early ’70s,” she says. “A woman brought a group of people here because her mother had gone to school here in the 1920s. There have been weddings here, and I’ve been told it was at one time a commune.” The Rupps have snazzed the old building up, breaking out the back wall to install huge windows that look back into the wooded area out back. The front entryway has been opened up. Fittingly, the word “gather” has been painted above the main archway inside. That’s what the building is, as far as Rupp’s concerned—a place to gather. It has hosted kids’ puppet shows, funeral luncheons, weddings, receptions, graduation parties and business meetings and retreats. Katie Harpstrite, who owns Vast Yoga, holds yoga classes there, sometimes twice per day, seven days a week. In the last year, the property has hosted several concerts, including local and national up-and-coming indie rock acts such as Diet Cig and Waxahatchee. Rupp says she wants to put on a special event in 2019 commemorating the building’s 90th anniversary. “It’s a very chill vibe out here,” she says. “With the land and outdoor space, it really lends itself to retreat-type events. I feel like we fill a do-it-yourself niche in the area.”
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Pine Landscape Center
Pine Landscape Center is the quintessential family business. Brian Pine, who co-owns the business with wife, Kathy, is the sixth-generation Pine to live and operate a business in North Lawrence, just south of Highway 40, on East 1500 Road. He originally went into business there with his dad, mom and sister in what then was known as Pine Family Farms. Today, Brian and Kathy run the business, dad, Roger, continues to work there in outside operations, and the couple’s three children, Hayden, Jordan and Carson, all work there during summers when not in school. Even Brian’s first cousin, Lindsay Erhart, serves as the company’s ROCK-It Scientist. “The people that aren’t family by name (who work for the business) are family just the same,” Kathy says. The business started as a traditional farm, growing corn, soybeans, wheat and specialty crops such as potatoes, the latter of which ended in 1995 after a flood in ’93 and potato blight two years later killed off the crop. In 1997, the Pines went into the sod business and grew and sold sod for 15 years while still maintaining the family farm. “As we were selling sod, we started getting questions from customers about getting topsoil,” Kathy says. “So, we started selling dirt in the late ’90s.” As they entered the new millennium, times were changing for the Pines and their family business. Farming became more difficult. Growing and selling sod was labor and cost intensive. Then, recession hit in 2008. “The economy in 2008 was more than the business could handle at that time,” Kathy says. Brian took over managing the business in 2008. Kathy, whose background was in education and taught business and computer classes in DeSoto and then, later, at Veritas Christian School, in Lawrence, left teaching to join her husband, and the couple bought the business from the family in 2013. Together, they converted Pine Family Farms to Pine Landscape Center. The business sells landscape supplies that include wide varieties of rock, soil, sod and mulch. She says the company is moving into adding manufactured and natural stone veneers for exterior and interior use in all forms of building construction. “We’re a unique business in this area because we supply products to landscapers and DIYers alike,” Kathy says. “It’s great being here in the thick of things. We really love helping people create fun outdoor spaces.” 58
The Tee pee The original teepee was the brainchild of Frank McDonald, who worked as a coach and athletic director at Haskell Indian Nations University in the early 1900s and raised money to build the school’s football stadium in 1926, which stands to this day. His idea to create an American Indian Village on the northern edge of town, in addition to business interests, was to promote American Indian traditions. The adjacent dance hall and beer garden, which were added in 1935, today are a rustic, bare-bones private rental space. There is no potable water available. No tables or chairs. Just a concrete floor that can hold about 300 people. The building does have one distinct advantage, however, Osburn explains: “Parties can go late into the night, because we don’t have any neighbors or curfews,” he says. “It was rented almost exclusively for fraternity and sorority parties up until a few years ago. But now, I’d say 50 percent of our business is DJ and rap parties.” Whether it’s rental spaces for events, professional landscape supply specialists or a major transportation hub for the city, county and surrounding area, the sector known as Teepee Junction is a significant driver in North Lawrence’s growing vitality. No longer is it a quick glance during drives on I-70 to Topeka or Kansas City. “I think it’s the best-kept secret,” Kathy Pine says. “It has nice neighborhoods, affordable houses and great businesses. It’s been a great home for our family and business.” p
The Tee Pees of Tee Pee Junction Left: Top to Bottom Pine Landscape holds a party for their rebranding celebration Kathy and Brian Pine pose with their guests in the background Kathy Pine in her Pine Landscape yard speaking with customer Chris Teefey of Teefey Turf.
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Lee Tuan, owner of Extreme Builders with some of his creations for customers
Functional& Practical
Industrial businesses gravitate to North Lawrence for many reasons, including affordability, abundant space, parking and good visibility.
Business industrial space has been hard to come by in Lawrence for the better part of the past two decades. As such, many locally based industrial businesses have landed in North Lawrence, which provides ample space along with many intangibles, business owners agree. Printing Solutions moved to North Lawrence in 2011 to expand its footprint and business operation, after starting in southeastern Lawrence for its first 11 years. Happy Shirt opened in North Lawrence in 2010 in a garage and moved to its current North Lawrence location in 2013 for more space and a visible location. Extreme Bus Builders began in a large North Lawrence commercial garage in 2010 to have adequate work and parking space for large vehicles. 60
When it made the move to North Lawrence, Printing Solutions wanted to expand its offset printing operations and incorporate digital printing, screen printing and embroidery. Owner Terry Jacobsen says he did not think the company could afford the industrial spaces in town at the time until his bank steered him to the small industrial complex on the north side of town at 725 N. Second St. “This was a spec office complex, and the building was a shell, so it lent itself to both office and industrial space, both of which we needed,” he explains. “We built the truck dock out in the back, which we share with everyone in the building now, and we finished the rest of the space for ourselves. We own some space in the building that we don’t occupy, over 50 percent of the complex.”
by Emily Mulligan, photos by Steven Hertzog
Lynn Electric, Kansas City Sailing, G-Force Athletics and Midwest Management are some of the businesses housed in the same shell of the industrial complex. Happy Shirt needed space for its three presses and dryers, plus storage for bulk orders of shirts, bags and other inventory. The company also wanted to be able to have a retail presence for its locally designed and printed goods, to which owner Justin Shiney will add a skateboard shop in the near future. The space, at 608 N. Second St., is freestanding with a small parking lot and was previously a motorcycle dealership. “We fill this building up,” manager Dana Mullis says.
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Extreme Bus Builders does custom outfitting of commercial vehicles such as party buses, limousines and food trucks. Owner Lee Tuan’s indoor and outdoor spaces at 619 N. Second St. include a high-clearance garage, traditional wood shop, metal fabrication space and parking for vehicles awaiting their turn at transformation. Because he handles every aspect of the customization himself, from interior framing, flooring and upholstery to the exterior design wraps, Tuan’s requirements for work space were rather unique. “People want to be able to call a place that can do it all. I close the deal, I design it, I build it and I deliver it. I needed a shop big enough,” Tuan explains. Jacobsen, Mullis and Tuan all say that being located in North Lawrence has a lot of practical advantages for their individual businesses. Jacobsen employs 48 people, so he says having plenty of parking—and free parking, to boot—is a nice perq for his employees. “North Lawrence used to be less desirable, but now, this part of town is really nice. People have built new buildings for their businesses and new homes, “ Jacobsen says. Mullis says about 34,000 cars drive by Happy Shirt’s location every day, because it is between I-70 and Downtown Lawrence. That means when people decide they need shirts for their company or for their sports team, they remember where they can go to order them. “A lot of people come in and say they’ve driven by here every day, and now they’re here to get shirts,” Mullis explains. “Being close to Downtown Lawrence is nice, but we’re also far enough away that it’s not too crowded, and parking is easy for our customers.” Interestingly, all three businesses conduct large portions, if not most, of their business with clients outside of Kansas, a great deal of them on the coasts. Printing Solutions started off as a subcontracting printer for other printers, doing business cards for Macy’s. Now, it does direct contracting, as well, and a lot of its business comes from health-care organizations and large hospital associations. Happy Shirt has launched a step-by-step, robust online store for customers to order screen printed items. Customers can upload their own artwork and designs, and choose fabrics and colors online. Add to that the company’s full-service art department, and Happy Shirt has clients all across the U.S., including a regular customer in Hawaii, and it recently sent a shipment to the Netherlands. “People love T-shirts. They always have an event, or they have a team to outfit or a group to identify, employees to match up,” Mullis says. Although Tuan does all of his work on-site in his shops and garage, Extreme Bus Builder’s geographic location within Lawrence is still important for a unique reason. 62
Designs by Lee Tuan and Extreme Builders
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When they talk about being located in North Lawrence, all three businesspeople list off neighboring businesses and business owners as if they’re talking about their friendly neighbors in a residential subdivision. They all say they make it a priority to connect and do business with their fellow North Lawrencians. “Our building is technically a condo association,” Jacobsen says. “We each own our own space, but the condo association is responsible for the shell, parking lot and other common spaces. So we meet regularly and agree on how to best address those spaces. This complex is all owneroccupied except two businesses, so the owners are all here every day.” Happy Shirt has a particularly close connection with one of its across-the-street neighbors, Combs Custom Cycle, because Happy Shirt’s art director creates custom designs for airbrushing on motorcycles. Their other interactions with business neighbors are more typical. “We do shirts for the Levee Café and Combs, and we have done shirt business with a lot of customers who are our neighbors,” Mullis says. Tuan says that his two biggest subcontractors happen to be his North Lawrence neighbors: Geoff Abegg, of Commercial Vehicle Services, and Ben Koehn, of Sign Up. Abegg does any necessary mechanical repairs on Tuan’s buses and trucks, and Koehn produces the exterior wraps for the vehicles, as well as some interior design elements. “I see Geoff and Ben daily. If it weren’t for those guys, I might be in Kansas City,” Tuan says.
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The production area inside Happy Shirt Justin Shiney sits at his desk inside Happy Shirt in front of their newly designed skateboards
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He is also a regular at O’Reilly Auto Parts and grabs lunch in North Lawrence when he can. “There isn’t a single person in North Lawrence that I haven’t worked with,” he continues. All three businesspeople say they would recommend industrial businesses look to locate in North Lawrence, because of the variety of spaces and land available, and, of course, because of the camaraderie. “Affordable, available space is tough to find in this town. Industrial space is not overflowing, it’s expensive; and Lawrence has a complicated and almost unachievable tax abatement process that is out of reach for most of us,” Jacobsen explains. Tuan says he continues to be impressed with the businesses, especially the industrial businesses, located in North Lawrence. “There are a lot of hidden gems in North Lawrence. I can get almost anything done here,” he says. “A lot of businesses in North Lawrence are just one guy who is doing amazing stuff.” Jacobsen explains he appreciates the way North Lawrence is just a bit different than Lawrence as a whole. “Being here definitely makes us our own little community. We have a number of employees who were born and raised in North Lawrence. They refer to themselves as ‘sand rats,’ and it’s a point of pride as an identity,” he says. p
The outside of the main entrance to Printing Solutions and inside the production rooms at Printing Solutions
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David Lawrence hosts High School Sports Weekly at Hy-Vee Market grill with Derek Johnson Right: Nick Schwerdt and Derek Johnson on air with KLWN’s Rock Chalk Sports with Nick Schwerdt
The Heartbeat of the Community Local radio covers high school sports putting a spotlight on young athletes in Lawrence. by Derek Johnson , photos by Steven Hertzog
In the current season, it’s all about those Friday nights in the crisp, fall air. The leaves changing and talented youngsters in the area displaying their athleticism and camaraderie. Pretty soon, the spotlight will be indoors on the basketball court. Plenty of other sports fill their respected fields and arenas, as well. Some say local radio can be the heartbeat of a community. Nothing is more intertwined with a local community than high school sports. That’s why Great Plains Media, and specifically KLWN (FM 101.7/AM 1320) and 92.9 The Bull (FM 92.9), are bringing extended local coverage of the high school athletics’ realm. Every Friday during fall, the radio airwaves are filled with broadcasts of Lawrence Free State High School and Lawrence High School (LHS) football teams in action. Nick Schwerdt and Craig Hershiser carry Free State games on 92.9 The Bull, with the occasional switch to KLWN, while Hank Booth and Matt Llewellyn attend to LHS on KLWN. Booth has provided 50 years of coverage on the high school football play-by-play front and has seen the importance of its value in Lawrence. “It provided a spotlight for young men and women in our community,” Booth says. “Many of today’s community leaders and businesspeople still speak to me about being on KLWN in high school. Same thing for their family members.” 68
The action continues during basketball season, with a game of the week broadcasted for either Free State or Lawrence High on KLWN. Schwerdt and Hershiser continue their presence on the air there. The past two years, Derek Johnson and Hershiser were sent down to Wichita for the Kansas Class 6A State Basketball Tournament, in which the Chesty Lions were the runner-up in 2017, and the Firebirds came in second back in spring 2018. There’s nothing better for a parent than hearing his or her child’s name on the radio making a big play, and that’s exactly what covering these games can provide. It further links KLWN and Great Plains Media to the community and allows anyone, from fans of the schools to alumni to family members, to feel involved in the action even if they cannot be in attendance. Beyond just calling the game action, David Lawrence and Johnson look beyond the stat sheet and the box scores in getting to know some of the bright young stars in the community. On Thursday nights, with the occasional Tuesday sprinkled in, KLWN hosts High School Sports Weekly, at Hy-Vee Market Grille. The show varies from either 6 to 7 p.m. or 7 to 8 p.m., depending on other events (the latter is more prevalent at this time of year). Already for the 2018-2019 edition, the show has welcomed
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the Lawrence High and Free State football, volleyball, cross-country and gymnastics teams, along with golf for the Firebirds. The reach goes beyond just the two big local schools, with a litany of sports gracing the show, including Veritas Christian, Bishop Seabury, Eudora, Tonganoxie and Baldwin. The intent of the show is to get to know more about the young adults who are both entertaining and inspiring us with their performances in athletics. It also gives a chance to get underneath the football helmet or baseball hat, and make personal connections with the skilled youth who make up the current and future community. From feeling inspired to cracking a laugh, High School Sports Weekly is meant to entertain while also showing off what Lawrence and its nearby surrounding areas have to offer. Covering the on-field action has a similar effect in that it entertains and shares the pride parents have in the excellence of their children in athletics.
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“A local radio station’s primary responsibilities are entertaining and telling the story about the people who are listening,” Booth adds. “Local high school sports are an important element in education, and education of their children to young adults is a community’s most important responsibility.” And so, in a town like Lawrence, where high school sports are some of the best in the state of Kansas, KLWN and Great Plains Media continue to be the heartbeat of that portion of the community by capturing the ears of local listeners and beyond. p
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Kris Kuksi working in his studio in North Lawrence
From North Lawrence to Times Square This NoLaw artist’s definition of success is knowing others are copying his work. by Jackie Hedeman, Lawrence Arts Center, photos by Steven Hertzog
I sometimes envy artists their studios. True, I don’t have to budget for rent or maintenance of the various coffee shop tables where I write, but I also miss out on the experience of allowing my brain its natural expansiveness. I don’t need a studio, but I wouldn’t mind plotting across four walls. Kris Kuksi needs his studio, the former home of the St. James African Methodist Episcopal Church, located at Seventh and Maple streets, in North Lawrence. Built in 1897, the church has undergone renovations. Gone are the stained glass windows, which were broken prior to when Kuksi moved into the space. There is a choir loft, which is used for storage. The rest of the space is painted a bright, inviting white, a blank canvas for Kuksi’s work. 70
The space is gently cluttered, with pieces in various stages of completion arrayed on walls, against measurement grids, on tables and, in the case of one in the very early stages, spread out across the floor. Kuksi works in a variety of mediums and draws from a range of artistic and nonartistic influences, such as rococo and “human psychology.” Most striking are his assemblages: massive, intricate installations built from found and collected objects. One wall near the entry is dedicated to housing these objects, toy soldiers and picture frames, and tiny Doric columns. The assemblages come together one element at a time, storytelling piece by piece. Sometimes, the thing Kuksi had in mind when he begins a piece will become something completely different at the end. “I’m having that currently with this one,” he explains. He directs my attention to a mostly completed piece behind me. “I went to put that face down there on it. And I put it on there, and I loved it.” But the gallerist thought it was “a little aggressive,” that it might reduce the number of clients willing to make a purchase. He explains, “I tried other things, because I want to feel good about the piece. But I felt good with that face on there.” The demands of creative expression and of the market are never easy forces to balance, least of all when your outlook comes with a sharp streak of realism, as Kris Kuksi’s does. “I hate that collision, because it’s compromise,” he says. Nonetheless, there is an element of adventure in creation with constraints. There’s the new T.I. album, for instance. “What? Like, T.I., T.I.?” one might ask. Yes. Kris Kuksi was commissioned to create the album artwork of Atlanta rapper T.I.’s 10th studio album “Dime Trap.” It’s plastered all over Times Square and was the first piece Kuksi built in 3-D software, “because of the time constraint,” he explains. “And now I have to build it for real, to go into his trap music museum.” This seems like a far cry from the Lawrence Arts Center galleries, where I first saw Kuksi’s art. But then again, his work is featured in conventional and unconventional spaces. “I want to be where I’m not supposed to be. I’m not supposed to do rap covers,” he explains. “I did a big commission for the Marine Corps as part of a new recruitment program last year. It’s just all about visibility.” Nonetheless, there is an ideal exhibition space: “I have a gallerist in New York who shows my work—it’s been about six or so solo shows—and he’s got a ground level huge space. That’s where an artist wants to be.” What about audience? “The young goths just love it. That’s evident on social media, with the likes. Then I have Mark Parker, the Nike CEO, he’s my biggest collector. Then I have some actors, comedians, musicians. They’re all over the board.” 71
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This impresses me, though it doesn’t surprise me. Kris Kuksi’s work is incredibly specific, both in its detail and in its fidelity to his interests and vision. But like all good art, it also reflects back something of the viewer. That, to me, seems like success. “My whole collector base is less than 100 people. It’s a really bizarre thing, because popularity doesn’t equate to success. I tell people that the definition of success is when people copy you. That’s when you know you’ve made your mark, you’re a trendsetter, you’ve done something right … But then, doing something with T.I., with a giant billboard in Times Square, that seems like I’ve made it.” Working as a full-time artist for 11 years feels both stable and “as though the art market could come crashing down at any moment. “For 11 years, I haven’t known how much money I’m going to get or when I’m going to get it, but I seem to be able to keep going.” This forward momentum is everywhere evident in this old North Lawrence church. There’s something contagious about Kuksi’s studio, with all its evidence of creation in progress despite, or perhaps because of, the fact that he doesn’t own any of his own art. (“It just feels selfish,” he says. “It’s not for me. It should be somewhere else. It’s for humanity.”) Because of this, or perhaps alongside this, there is heartbreak involved with endings, with declaring a piece done: “You don’t want to finish because this is living. This is it,” he says. p 72
CHANUKAH MENORAH LIGHTING
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JUNIOR ACHIEVEMENT 2018 HALL OF FAME CLASS 73
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LMH HEALTH PENNY JONES
photos by Jeff Burkhead, Backstory Photography
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NEWS [MAKERS] PEOPLE ON THE MOVE Michelle Fales Joins Envista as Commercial & Mortgage Services Officer Envista Credit Union announced that Michelle Fales has joined Envista as their Commercial & Mortgage Services Officer in Lawrence, Kansas. Prior to working for Envista, Fales worked for the Office of the State Bank Commissioner. She has a strong background in banking serving as the Vice-President/Business Development Officer for Silver Lake Bank in Lawrence. Fales currently serves as the Treasurer of the City of Lawrence Sister City Advisory Board, the Vice Chair of the City of Lawrence Public Incentive Review Committee and a Board Member of the Kansas Real Estate Appraisal Board. She is a 2007 graduate of Leadership Lawrence and a 2016 graduate of Leadership Kansas.
Good Energy - Recognition Michael Schumann, VP/Solar Consultant has earned the solar industry’s leading recognition of technical sales expertise and is now a NABCEP Certified PV Technical Sales Professional. Getting NABCEP certified is a big deal in the solar industry. We are fortunate to now have 7 folks that hold their NABCEP certification work with Good Energy Solutions, which appears to be the highest number of certifications at a company in the midwest.
Pine Landscape Center to Present Inaugural Outdoor Connections Expo for Industry Professionals The inaugural Outdoor Connections Expo (OCE) is slated to kick off on January 15, 2019 at Abe & Jake’s Landing in Lawrence, Kansas. The OCE will bring together landscape, hardscape, construction, and building professionals throughout the region, and provide them with an opportunity to connect, learn, share, and network with those from a variety of specialties. Pine Landscape Center will present the event with the support of various sponsors to be named at a later date. The Expo will feature booths and informational presentations from industryspecific vendors, product suppliers, financial consultants, communications and marketing experts, and workforce representatives. Attendees at this free event will be able to delve into the inner workings of their own business operations, increase network connections, and discover ways to grow through the experiences of others who have made a great impact within the industry. As details are finalized, updates will be posted at www.pinelandscape.com.
University of Kansas Press names Director Conrad Roberts has been named the Director of the University Press of Kansas (UPK). Based at the University of Kansas, UPK represents a consortium of six state universities: Emporia State University, Fort Hays State University, Kansas State University, Pittsburg State University, Wichita State University and KU. UPK publishes scholarly books in several genres, but stands out for its books in American history, environmental studies, Native American studies, politics and law. It also has an extensive collection of offerings in military history, including the renowned series called Modern War Studies.
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WHOSE DESK ? Be the first to correctly guess which local business figure works behind this desk. Winner receives a $50 gift card to 23rd Street Brewery. facebook.com/lawrencebusinessmagazine
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