Historian will read, discuss settler’s letters

Lawrence historian Katie Armitage Thursday will read from and discuss “Letters From Kansas,” a first-person interpretation of the early Lawrence settler Julia Louisa Lovejoy.

Armitage will appear at 7 p.m. Thursday at the Lawrence Public Library, 707 Vt. The program is free and open to the public.

Lovejoy arrived in Kansas from New England with her husband and children in 1855. She was a member of the New England Emigrant Aid Co., and she was committed to the anti-slavery cause. She witnessed the sacking of Lawrence first by Missouri Sheriff Sam Jones and later during William Quantrill’s raid.

She shared her experiences of Bleeding Kansas through letters published in several eastern newspapers.

The program is sponsored by the Kansas Humanities Council and is a preview to Kansas Chautauqua: Bleeding Kansas: Where the Civil War Began. It will take place June 25-29 at South Park.

More information about events can be found at www.visitlawrence.com/chautauqua.

Temporary K-TAG centers to open

The Kansas Turnpike Authority is opening two temporary K-TAG customer service centers this summer.

The centers will be at the Towanda Service Area at milepost 65 between Wichita and El Dorado and the turnpike’s eastern terminal at milepost 217 near Kansas City.

K-TAG customer service representatives will be available from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the Towanda service area through July 9, and at the eastern terminal through June 18.

The temporary customer service centers are in addition to the permanent centers at milepost 50 in Wichita and milepost 183 in Topeka.

Applications also are available at toll booths and can be printed from the Turnpike’s Web site at ksturnpike.com.

K-TAG, the turnpike’s electronic toll collection system, began in 1995.

Information available on arthritis

The Arthritis Foundation is offering help on how to minimize the pain of arthritis through a new book, “Guide to Managing your Arthritis,” available at the Lawrence Public Library, 707 Vt.

Some form of arthritis has been diagnosed in about 25 percent of Kansans, according to preliminary 2003 Kansas Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System data. The disease has no cure, but advances in medicine and self-management can help arthritis sufferers improve their quality of life and prevent further disability.

The guide describes the affliction and gives recommendations for managing it, such as physical activity, explanations of medical and surgical alternatives and aids for reducing stress.

Visit www.kdhe.state.ks.us/arthritis for more information about the Kansas Arthritis Program, which has partnered with the foundation for this publication.

Better Business Bureau checks on agencies

The Better Business Bureau of northeast Kansas offers a service for citizens to check on credit counseling agencies before using they choose to use them. Call the BBB at 785-232-0454 or check www.topeka.bbb.org to get a business report on a credit counseling agency.