Federal judge to speak at chamber breakfast

Lawrence resident Deanell Tacha, chief justice of the Denver-based U.S. 10th Circuit Court of Appeals, will be the speaker Thursday for the Lawrence Chamber of Commerce AM Breakfast series.

Tacha will speak on “Community Involvement and Your Return on Investment.”

The breakfast begins at 7:30 a.m., with the program starting at 8 a.m., at the Lawrence Memorial Hospital auditorium. The fee is $5 for chamber members and $8 for nonmembers. Reservations may be made by calling 865-4411 or by visiting the “Programs and Events” portion of the Chamber’s Web site at www.lawrencekansas.org and click on “Programs & Events.”

DeSoto proposes November bond issue

Residents of DeSoto will have another opportunity to pass a bond issue to support its public schools.

At Monday’s Board of Education meeting, members unanimously adopted a resolution to put a $76.75 million bond issue on the November ballot. A similar bond proposal, for $14.45 million more, failed by 125 votes districtwide in April.

The new proposal includes most of the projects from the April bond issue, but it postpones construction of a fourth elementary school to a future bond election. The bond issue eliminates the land purchase for the central district activity complex. A bus transportation facility would be located on 5.3 acres to be purchased by the district.

Also, the grounds maintenance facility included in the last bond issue would become a joint venture with the 3&2 Assn. DeSoto district teams would have full access to the complex during the school year with the 3&2 Assn. using the fields during the summer.

Lawrence resident tapped for compensation panel

Sherry Brown, Lawrence, has been appointed to the state Legislative Compensation Commission.

The commission meets during even-numbered years to study compensation issues affecting legislators. If the commission decides to recommend changes, its proposals are due by Feb. 1, 2003.

Gov. Bill Graves’ office announced Brown’s appointment earlier this week.

Brown served as chief fiscal officer at the state Department of Commerce and Housing from 1993 to 2001. Earlier, she served as assistant secretary at the Department of Administration.

THRIL volunteers wanted

Therapeutic Horse Riding Instruction of Lawrence Inc. (THRIL) needs volunteers to help with its program.

The last volunteer training session for this year will be at 6:30 p.m. Aug. 29 at the Douglas County 4-H Fairgrounds. Leader training will be Sept. 7. Many opportunities are available, and experience working with people with disabilities or horses is not required.

THRIL is a nonprofit organization operated by volunteers and loaned or donated horses that provides equine-oriented activities for children and adults with disabilities. It has been in operation since 1992 and is a member of the North American Riding for the Handicapped Assn. Students pay a modest tuition fee for lessons.

For information or to reserve a spot for volunteer training, call 841-9740 or visit the Web site atwww.thril.org .

Program to teach art to hospitalized children

Kansas City, Kan. A foundation has given $23,000 for a new collaborative program between KU Med and the Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art.

The grant, from the Greater Kansas City Community Foundation Community Arts Fund, will initiate artREACH. The program will provide opportunities for self-expression and communication through visual arts for children who are outpatients at KU Med and children with disabilities.

The Kemper Museum will host six free workshops September through March, each focusing on a different art medium. Workshops will be taught by Kemper Museum docents and KU Institute for Child Development staff.

The workshops are open to children in grades three through six, and applications will be available later this month at the Institute of Child Development and the Kemper Museum. For more information, call (816) 753-5784.