Rezoning sought for Wal-Mart site

The West Lawrence Neighborhood Assn. on Tuesday asked the Lawrence City Commission to rezone the northwest corner of Sixth Street and Wakarusa Drive to block construction of Wal-Mart or any other store there.

“We feel at this point it would be best to go back to agricultural,” said Alan Cowles, president of the neighborhood association. “Not that we expect it would stay that way.”

Wal-Mart has applied for a city permit to build a 132,000-square-foot store on the site.

Commissioners said they would hear a report on Cowles’ request at their next meeting, 6:35 p.m. Tuesday in City Hall, Sixth and Massachusetts streets.

Couple to receive KU arts award

Two longtime boosters of the Kansas University School of Fine Arts will receive the Fine Arts Distinguished Achievement Award Saturday during the school’s convocation ceremony.

David and Gunda Hiebert, who have played host to recitals and concerts in their home near campus since 1996, also will be the keynote speakers for the event, which begins at 10:30 a.m. at the Lied Center.

The Hieberts also have made financial contributions to the School of Fine Arts, and David Hiebert is on the Spencer Museum of Art Advisory Board, Friends of the Lied Center Board and Fine Arts Campaign Committee for KU First, the Endowment Association’s capital campaign.

KU engineering alumni awarded top honor

The Kansas University School of Engineering has awarded its top honor to three alumni.

Marjorie and William Franklin, Prairie Village, and Jim Patton, Overland Park, received the Distinguished Engineering Service Award during a ceremony Thursday at the Adams Alumni Center.

Marjorie Franklin, a 1956 graduate, was the first woman to graduate from KU’s aerospace engineering program. Her engineering career focuses on municipal solid waste.

Her husband, William Franklin, a 1957 graduate in geological engineering, also focuses on solid waste management.

Patton, a 1969 graduate in environmental health engineering, retired in 2002 as president of the Americas division of engineering firm Black & Veatch.

The KU School of Engineering Advisory Board gives the award to honor engineering alumni, or other engineers with close ties to KU, for their contributions to the field of engineering.