L A W R E NC E
JOURNAL-WORLD ®
75 CENTS
7%$.%3$!9 s 3%04%-"%2 s
Pleasant
High: 76
City officially ‘Runner Friendly’
Low: 52
Today’s forecast, page 8A
INSIDE
LJWorld.com
City agrees to theater’s funding request
Jayhawks run wild on football field
By Chad Lawhorn
The Kansas University football team runs deep on the position of running back. On Saturday, the Jayhawks ran for 301 yards. Page 1B
Plans to build a $6.2 million community theater in northwest Lawrence got a last-minute boost from city commissioners on Tuesday. Commissioners unanimously agreed to pledge $20,000 per year for the next five years to Theatre Lawrence’s efforts to build a new 300-seat theater on property near Sixth Street and Wakarusa Drive, roughly in front of Free State High. Supporters of the organization, formerly called the Lawrence Community Theatre, filled the City Hall meeting room and urged commissioners to view the project as a way of improving the city’s quality of life and attracting visitors from outside the city. CITY “People come from out of town to see our shows,” said Bobby Patton, a COMMISSION member of the theater’s board. “They purchase meals. They stay overnight on occasion. Supporting the arts can result in very tangible gains for the city of Lawrence.” Members of the theater group now have raised all but $484,000 of the $6.2 million. But the fundraising efforts are facing a time crunch. About $1.5 million
clawhorn@ljworld.com
PULSE
Breakfast for dinner has a new twist Breakfast for dinner is cheap, easy, fast and can feed a crowd. We give you some new recipes to add to your old standbys of bacon and eggs and pancakes. Page 8B
“
Please see THEATER, page 2A
QUOTABLE
We do not want taxpayer money. We have got to get our finances in order.” — Postmaster General Patrick Donahoe, who warned on Tuesday that the Postal Service will default on a $5.5 billion payment to the Treasury without congressional action. Page 3A
COMING THURSDAY The school district’s working group begins to debate the future of several elementary schools.
FOLLOW US Facebook.com/LJWorld Twitter.com/LJWorld
INDEX Business Classified Comics Deaths Events listings Food Horoscope Movies Opinion Puzzles Sports Television Vol.153/No.250
6A 1C-8C 10C 2A 8A, 2B 8B 9C 5A 7A 9C 1B-5B 5A, 2B, 9C 26 pages
Energy smart: The Journal-World makes the most of renewable resources. www.b-e-f.org
Mike Yoder/Journal-World Photo
DANIELLE SNIDER, A KU GRADUATE STUDENT from Fishers, Ind., jogs on the South Lawrence Trafficway multisport path Tuesday. A former cross country runner with the Air Force Academy, Snider said that she runs every day and that the 10-mile paved path in west Lawrence is her favorite running trail. The city of Lawrence just received the “Runner Friendly Community” designation from the Road Runners Club of America.
Lawrence nationally recognized as a great place to go for a run By Karrey Britt kbritt@ljworld.com
Lawrence has received a number of designations: “Best Small Art Town,” “Bicycle Friendly Community,” “Tree City USA” and “Best College Town.” Now, it can add “Runner Friendly Community” to its list. It recently received the recognition from the oldest and largest distance running organization in the nation, Road Runners Club of America. This is the first year for the designation; so far, only 14 cities have made the cut, including Carson City, Nev.; Knoxville, Tenn.; and Missoula, Mont. The closest to Lawrence are Dallas and Decatur, Ill. The designees are now in the running to be named “Outstanding Runner Friendly Community.” To receive the five-year designation, cities need to meet criteria in three areas:
! Community infrastructure. ! Community support. ! Local government support. William Dyson, program coordinator of Road Runners Club of America (RRCA), said the goal is to shine a national spotlight on communities that stand out as runner friendly. He said these communities improve the quality of life, increase physical activity for residents and even boost the local economy by attracting runners and running events to town. Lawrence has 35 miles of multi-use recreational paths and trails for runners that are not available to motorized vehicles, and the city works to keep them trashfree, cleared of snow in the winter, and safe. RRCA also noted that Lawrence has:
! Red Dog’s Dog Days, a free community fitness program that includes running. ! Running clubs at most of its middle and elementary schools. ! An RRCA-affiliated club called RunLawrence. ! A number of running events throughout the year that help raise funds for various causes. City Commissioner Mike Amyx was among those who helped submit the application in the spring. “We have a great community that takes great pride in going out and exercising, and running is part of it,” he said. Amyx doesn’t plan to take up running anytime soon — “not with my old bones,” he said with a chuckle. “I was never much of a runner, but I’m glad to see a lot of people that do.” — Health reporter Karrey Britt can be reached at 832-7190. Britt’s health blog can be found at WellCommons.com, and follow her at Twitter.com/WellCommons.
Tax abatement may secure new East Hills tenant Former KU basketball player wants to move company to business park By Chad Lawhorn clawhorn@ljworld.com
Finely-crafted beer and a property tax abatement may end up landing a new business and jobs for Lawrence’s East Hills Business Park. City commissioners at their Tuesday evening meeting agreed to consider a property tax abatement request from Lawrence-based Grandstand Sportswear and Glassware that would allow the company to move into a vacant manufacturing plant and add at least a dozen jobs. Chris Piper, Grandstand president, said the company’s business has been booming thanks to contacts it has made in the growing craft brewery industry. The company is now shipping out about 125,000 customized pint beer glasses per week and serves more than 1,000 brewers. Piper “We have been able to ride that wave, and it has been a huge growth opportunity for us,” said Piper, who also is an announcer for Kansas University’s men’s basketball radio network and was a member of the 1988 National Championship team. The company, currently located in the former Honeywell avionics plant at 2920 Haskell, has 52 employees and has added 16 since January. Piper is projecting that the company will add about 40 jobs over the next Please see BUSINESS, page 2A
Local mental health group concerned about state funding By Scott Rothschild srothschild@ljworld.com
TOPEKA — Leaders of the Recovery and Hope Network in Lawrence have started an online petition urging Gov. Sam Brownback and the Kansas Department of Social and Rehabilitation Services to renew its contracts for mental health consumer-run organizations. “Unfortunately, in less
than 30 days, all The Recovery and Kansas CROs will Hope Network is begin permanently what is called a conshutting down as sumer-run organizatheir contracts with tion, or CRO. CROs, Kansas Social and funded through state Rehabilitative Serand federal grants, HEALTH vices (SRS) run out are nonprofit organiand the promised zations run by adult new funding proposal fails mental health consumers to be made available,” Kend- that provide peer assistance all Simmons, the director of for other people with mental the Recovery and Hope Net- illness. The network prowork, said in the petition. vides support groups, social-
ization activities, education and training. The Lawrence group, at 1009 N.H., serves more than 340 people, and it is one of 22 CROs statewide. Angela de Rocha, a spokeswoman for SRS, told the Lawrence Journal-World that the agency has decided to extend the contracts for CROs through Dec. 31. “The CROs are being sent extension agreements that they need to promptly sign
and return to us,” de Rocha said. “Once returned, SRS will process the extensions quickly to ensure timely payment.” De Rocha added, “SRS is grateful for the work these organizations do for the citizens of Kansas.” But Simmons said SRS had not notified any CROs that the contracts had been extended. Please see HEALTH, page 2A