Lawrence Journal-World 09-03-11

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Plea made to put county in a single district By Scott Rothschild srothschild@ljworld.com

ONLINE: See the video at LJWorld.com

Douglas County is getting the short end of the redistricting stick in two ways, local officials on Friday told key legislators who will be redrawing political district maps.

First, Douglas County was split between two congressional districts in 2002, and, secondly, the county suffers by losing population in a census adjustment that is unlike any in the United States. “We would like to be made whole,” Douglas County Commissioner Nancy Thellman said to the Special Committee on Redistricting.

The public hearing at the Dole Institute of Politics was not far from the dividing line in Lawrence between the 2nd and 3rd U.S. House districts. Prior to 2002, Douglas County was in the 3rd District, which also includes Johnson and Wyandotte counties. But Republicans in charge of the Legislature split Douglas

REP PAUL DAVIS, D-Lawrence, discusses redistricting Friday at the Dole Institute of Politics in Lawrence.

County with the western part going to the 2nd and the eastern part remaining in the 3rd. Democrats claim the split was done to reduce the number of Democratic voters in the 3rd, which then was represented by a Democrat. But on Friday, Republicans joined Democrats, saying it

Richard Gwin/ Journal World-Photo

Please see DISTRICT, page 2A

Theatre Lawrence asks city for $100K

Vintage autos roll into town

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Group is trying to meet Sept. 30 fundraising deadline; goal is $6.2M By Chad Lawhorn clawhorn@ljworld.com

Richard Gwin/Journal-World Photos

THIRTY VINTAGE CARS CAME TO LAWRENCE FRIDAY and stopped at the parking lot at 10th and Vermont streets. William Schott noticed the old cars in the parking and walked over from Vermont Towers to get a closer look. The antique automobile tour was sponsored by Horseless Carriage Club from Wichita.

Lawrence city commissioners are being asked to provide $100,000 in public funding to help a Lawrence community theater group complete a multimillion-dollar campaign to build a new theater in west Lawrence. Leaders with Theatre Lawrence — formerly known as the Lawrence Community Theatre — are asking that the city provide the group $20,000 per year for the next five years to build a 300-seat theater northeast of Sixth and Wakarusa in an area in front of Free State High School. “The cultural and economic benefits will be immense and will create a new cultural destination within our community,” Mary Doveton, executive director of Theatre Lawrence wrote in a letter to CITY commissioners. COMMISSION City commissioners have been told the funding request is urgent because the group has to secure a handful of new pledges by the end of September in order to keep $1.5 million in “challenge” grants that the project has been awarded from out-of-state agencies. In total, the theater group is seeking to raise $6.2 million to build the new theater. In July, the group confirmed it was about $1 million short of its goal. Attempts to reach Doveton on Friday afternoon for a fundraising update were not successful. The idea of a city contribution has some support on the commission. City Commissioner Bob Schumm said he could see the value of placing public money in the Please see THEATRE, page 2A

This is a stick up! (Or at least a re-enactment of one) By Chad Lawhorn clawhorn@ljworld.com

A bank robbery’s pending in downtown Lawrence. The Eldridge Hotel and Teller’s restaurant are planning an event this month to re-enact the 1932 robbery of the First National Bank. Clyde Barrow of Bonnie-and-Clyde fame led the stick-up, and, of course, Teller’s, 746 Mass., occupies the building that used to house First National Bank. Several accounts say that Barrow and two of his buddies stayed at The

Eldridge Hotel, 701 Mass., for three days to stake out the First National Bank building. And The Eldridge and Teller’s are teaming up to retell the story. The Eldridge will host a cocktail party before the event. Then the re-enactment will begin. Actors with fake guns will walk from The Eldridge to Teller’s, enter the building, give the crowd the what-for, take the fake loot, get into a 1930s vehicle and make their escape. Police will stop traffic in all directions to allow the car to pull out and

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Today’s forecast, page 8A

with Bonnie & Clyde” by Blanche Caldwell Barrow. In today’s terms, about $550,000 was stolen. City commissioners have to approve a permit for the re-enactment. Commissioners are scheduled to discuss it at their Tuesday meeting. If successful, The Eldridge hopes the reenactment will become an annual event. The event is scheduled for about 6:30 p.m. Sept. 30. Library of Congress Photo

— City reporter Chad Lawhorn can be reached at 832-6362. Follow him at Twitter.com/clawhorn_ljw.

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leave, but the car will obey all traffic laws after that point. If you haven’t heard much about this heist, apparently it isn’t a wellknown part of Lawrence history. Folks who have researched it for The Eldridge say that police were never called to the scene because the bank was embarrassed about the robbery, and it was never mentioned in the media, either. But The Eldridge folks say the robbery is mentioned in a couple of books: “Running with Bonnie and Clyde” by John Neal Phillips and “My Life

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BONNIE PARKER and Clyde Barrow, sometime between 1932 and 1934.

COMING SUNDAY We take you to Anthony, Kan., where residents have formed a connection with New York City firefighters.

Vol.153/No.246 24 pages

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