Speaker to discuss Parkinson’s disease

Meg Duggan, executive director of the Parkinson Foundation of the Heartland, will speak at a meeting of the Lawrence Parkinson’s Support Group at 2 p.m. Tuesday at First Presbyterian Church, 2415 Clinton Parkway.

Duggan will discuss new initiatives the foundation is working on: speech, continuum of care certification and a wellness program. Her sibling has early-onset Parkinson’s disease.

The support group hopes to replicate initiatives Duggan discusses in Lawrence as well as across Kansas and Missouri.

Kayaking demonstration scheduled Saturday

Sunflower Outdoor & Bike Shop, 804 Mass., will bring representatives from Perception Kayaks to Lone Star Lake from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday for demonstrations of the latest kayaking gear.

Participants will have the opportunity to try different styles of boats and paddles. Recreational kayaks have more stable handling than the traditional boats and have larger cockpits. Touring kayaks can carry cargo and sit-on-top kayaks allow the user to paddle without ever getting inside the boat. All these styles will be available at the demonstration.

Amnesty International director to speak at KU

The executive director of Amnesty International will speak about the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks and the war in Iraq during a speech at Kansas University.

William Schulz will speak at 7:30 p.m., April 15, in the ballroom of the Kansas Union. The lecture, free and open to the public, is titled “Tainted Legacy: 9/11 and the Ruin of Human Rights.”

Schulz is writing a book by the same title, due out in September. His most recent book is “In Our Own Best Interests: How Defending Human Rights Benefits Us All,” which was published in April 2001.

The speech is sponsored by the Unitarian Fellowship of Lawrence, the Unitarian Universalists Young Adults group and the student chapter of Amnesty International.

Female engineers honored for careers

Kansas University’s chapter of the Society of Women Engineers will celebrate its 30th anniversary by honoring four engineering alumnae who have led distinguished careers.

The event will be at 5 p.m. Saturday in the Kansas Room of the Kansas Union.

A tribute will be paid to Angela Chammas, director of mailing services at Sprint; Linda Ellis, account executive at ExxonMobil; Marjorie Franklin, principal engineer and co-owner of Franklin Associates Ltd., and Jenifer Jill Rivera, senior member of the technical staff at Sandia National Laboratories.

The keynote speaker will be Don Green, Deane E. Ackers distinguished professor of chemical and petroleum engineering. Green was instrumental in the founding and support of a SWE chapter at KU.

Sertoma hands out annual service award

Hilda Enoch has received the Lawrence Sertoma Club’s 2003 Service-To-Mankind Award during a banquet this week at the Lawrence Holidome.

Enoch has helped found or been involved in a number of organizations, including Lawrence Headstart (initially the Children’s Hour), Small World organization, Mother-to-Mother, Citizens for Public Transportation, Coalition on Homeless Concerns, Kaw Valley Chapter of the Older Women’s League, Kaw Valley Living Wage Alliance and Kansas Health Care for All.

The award is given annually to a person who has a long record of service to individuals and to the Lawrence community.

‘Palestinian Truth Tour’ will visit Lawrence

Two Americans who recently returned from the West Bank and Gaza will talk about their experiences tonight at Ecumenical Christian Ministries, 1204 Oread Ave.

Both speakers, Liv Leader and Garrick Ruiz, have demonstrated against the Israeli occupation of the West Bank.

Their presentation will include drawings by children in the Jenin Refugee Camp and a video made in Jenin, Hebron and other West Bank cities.

The event is part of a “Palestinian Truth Tour” and was coordinated locally by the Kansas Committee for a Just Peace in the Middle East.

Fiesta chooses royalty

Topeka — The 2003 Topeka Fiesta Mexicana activities begin with a Fiesta Royalty Contest. Candidates for Fiesta Royalty, Alicia Guerrero and John Valdivia Campos II, will begin selling food and raising money Saturday.

The theme of this year’s fiesta is “Memorias.” The event will be from July 15 to July 19 at Our Lady of Guadalupe Church, 134 NE Lake, Topeka. Fiesta attractions include authentic Mexican food, Grammy award-winning Latino entertainment, carnival rides and crafts. All proceeds go to Our Lady of Guadalupe School. Call 785-232-5088 or visit www.olg-parish.org, for more information.