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WOODLAWN SCHOOL THIRD-GRADE TEACHER LORI SINCLAIR, center, gets a group hug from her students Wednesday after winning the $5,000 Dedication to Education Award.
Woodlawn teacher wins $5,000 Dedication to Education Award By Andy Hyland ahyland@ljworld.com
So if you’re Lori Sinclair, a third-grade teacher at Woodlawn School, and your principal, your superintendent, your husband, board members, parents, a television camera and a whole bunch of other people burst into your room at 8:45 a.m., what’s the first thing that goes through your mind? “Panic,” she said. No need for that, though. It was good news. Very good news. Sinclair was the recipient of a Dedication to Education Award, created by the sons
and daughters of the Bobs, a The award is for a teacher group of residents who shared or para-educator in the Lawthe first name Bob. rence district who goes the As she stood with extra mile to help the the big check she kids who need it most. received from the Her principal, Lawrence Schools Jeanne Fridell, said Foundation and with Sinclair was a “rock Superintendent Rick star” who does all that Doll, she was dabbing extra stuff. When a away tears. student had both of his SCHOOLS “Are you upset?” permanent front teeth one of her pupils broken, she worked asked. with his mother, the school “No, I’m very happy,” she nurse, the social worker and reassured the class. others to ensure the family Sinclair has taught at Wood- had the resources to take care lawn for three years after of him. And she’s got the rest teaching in the Bonner Springs of it, too. school district for three years. “She has teaching down as
an art,” Fridell said. Her students congratulated her with a big group hug before resuming their regularly scheduled lesson on the rainforest. Sinclair credited her coworkers and staff for their support, and said she was “totally and utterly shocked” to receive the award. And right around the holidays isn’t a bad time to have an extra $5,000 around, either. “I have a few uses for it, that’s for sure,” she said. — Higher education reporter Andy Hyland can be reached at 832-6388. Follow him at Twitter.com/LJW_KU.
Event celebrates ‘power of light’ through giving By Aaron Couch acouch@ljworld.com
At 8 feet long and comprising 560 cans of food, it wasn’t your typical menorah. “Tonight we celebrate the power of light,” Rabbi Zalman Tiechtel said Wednesday night, as he led a crowd in front of Lawrence City Hall, 6 E. Sixth St., in a menorah-lighting ceremony. The ceremony marked the second night of Hanukkah. Local businesses donated cans to the cause, and those cans would be donated to local food pantries, said Tiechtel, of the Rohr Chabad Center for Jewish Life. According to Jewish religious tradition, Hanukkah marks a victory from around 168 B.C., in which Jewish fighters known as the Maccabees defeated a militarily stronger Syrian-Greeks to reclaim the holy temple in Jerusalem. After reclaiming the temple, the Maccabees set out to burn oil in the temple’s menorah for eight days in order to purify it. The Maccabees were upset to
of food in the Lawrence menorah would go out into the community and make a difference. “As we think about those in our community who are suffering, tonight we make a decision that we are going to light just one little can, one little good deed, that will change the world forever,” Tiechtel said. Lawrence Mayor Aron Cromwell, City Commissioner Hugh Carter and Police Chief Tarik Khatib were on hand for the lighting. Cromwell had the honor of lighting the flame. “In Lawrence, Kansas, we are what we are because of our tremendous diversity here, and this is a great example,” Cromwell John Young/Journal-World Photo said before lighting the flame. RABBI ZALMAN TIECHTEL ADDRESSES SPECTATORS as he dedicates a After the lighting ceremony, menorah made from cans of food Wednesday outside of City Hall. Tiechtel invited the crowd to About 560 cans of food were collected to be distributed to pantries enjoy some traditional latkes throughout Lawrence. and donuts. “Remember on Hanukkah, discover there was only enough Tiechtel said Hanukkah was there are no calories, and there oil to last one day. But they all about having faith that a tiny are no cholesterol,” he joked. pressed on and lit the menorah thing, such as that one day’s — Reporter Aaron Couch can be reached anyway. Miraculously, it burned worth of oil, could make a big at 832-7217. for the full eight days. difference. He said the 560 cans
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OVERLAND PARK (AP) — A 19-year-old woman reported missing from Kansas University’s Overland Park campus last week has been found safe, and police say she was never abducted. Overland Park police released a statement late Wednesday saying law enforcement officials personally contacted Aisha Khan and verified her identity, safety and that she’d never been taken or held against her will. No details were released about where Khan is now or where she’d been since she was Aisha Khan had reported missing Friday, though been reported the statement said no charges as missing since would be filed. Friday. Police had been looking for the woman since Friday, when she left her sister a voice mail saying she’d slapped a man who tried to kiss her while she was studying outside. When the sister drove to get her, she found only Khan’s book bag and cellphone. Khan, a student at Johnson County Community College, had been studying on the university’s campus that morning. She lived in nearby Olathe. Local police, along with the FBI, had been investigating the case as an abduction and had Please see MISSING, page 2A
Former KU athlete wins Brazil’s version of ‘The Apprentice’ By Andy Hyland ahyland@ljworld.com
When 28-year-old Kansas University graduate Jana Correa won Brazil’s version of the reality television show “The Apprentice,” her friend Erin Sheridan was watching a live feed of the show online from Nebraska. Other friends were watching, too. “We all kept saying, ‘She’s going to win. We know she’s going to win,’” Sheridan said. Talk to those who knew Correa well when she was in Lawrence, and one word comes up again and again. In fact, Sheridan said the host of the TV show, Brazilian entrepreneur João Special to the Journal-World Doria, used it, too, when announcing KANSAS UNIVERSITY graduate that Correa had won. Jana Correa plays volleyball in “The reason they 2006, her senior year at KU. chose Jana,” Sheridan said, “was because Correa recently won Brazil’s version of “The Apprentice.” she’s a fighter.” The native of rural Macapá, Brazil, came to KU to play volleyball, and was on the team from 2003 to 2006. Ray Bechard, KU’s volleyball coach, said the team found out about Correa through Josi Lima, another Brazilian volleyball player who had played on the team Please see BRAZILIAN, page 2A
COMING FRIDAY We’ll bring you coverage of the match-up between the KU men’s basketball team and USC.
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