City commissioners reject road proposal

The Lawrence City Commission on Tuesday night rejected a long-range plan that someday could have resulted in a major road through a wilderness area in the northwest part of the city.

An amendment to Horizon 2020, the city-county comprehensive plan, would have designated three possible major east-west routes through the area — including an extension of Peterson Road west from Folks Road through nearly 100 acres of city parkland designated for preservation as a nature area.

That route was opposed by neighbors, the League of Women Voters and environmentalists.

“I would just hate to see anything come in that would jeopardize that,” Commissioner Sue Hack said.

The commission voted unanimously to reject the proposal.

Youth art program to have open house

Van Go Mobile Arts will have an open house Thursday in conjunction with the fifth anniversary of the national Lights On After School! program. The open house will run from 4 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. at Van Go Studios, 715 N.J.

Van Go is a local nonprofit agency that uses the arts as a means to provide social services and job skills to at-risk youths ages 14 to 21. This fall Van Go hired about 30 youngsters to learn and produce various art forms from glass bowls to photography and poetry.

‘River City Weekly’ examines artist’s work

Artist Paul Hotvedt of Lawrence is a master at capturing the elusive aspects of the natural world, the play of light on leaves and grass, blue sky fingers tugging on a quilt of clouds. See Paul as he paints in this special “River City Weekly” encore.

Then it’s an all-new “Better Health” from Lawrence Memorial Hospital.

“River City Weekly” with host Greg Hurd premieres on Sunflower Broadband Channel 6 at 6:30 p.m. Wednesdays with replays at 9:30 p.m. Wednesdays, 9 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. Thursdays, 9:30 a.m. and 7 p.m. Fridays, 9 a.m. Saturdays, 9:30 a.m. and 7:30 p.m. Mondays, and 10 a.m. and 8:30 p.m. Tuesdays.