Application deadline set for grant money

Neighborhood associations and nonprofit agencies that serve low- to moderate-income residents have until Dec. 1 to submit applications for a piece of the city’s Community Development Block Grant funding.

City officials haven’t been notified by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development of how much money the city will receive in 2005 as part of the program. But Margene Swarts, community development manager for the city, said she expected it to be close to the $963,000 the city received this year.

The city also is expected to receive approximately $700,000 in federal funding as part of the Home Investment Partnership Program. Groups or agencies seeking that money must use it for a project that addresses affordable housing. The application deadline for that program also is Dec. 1.

Applications can be downloaded from the city’s Web site at www.lawrenceneighres.org by clicking on “2005 CDBG Application.” For more information, call the city’s Neighborhood Resources Department at 832-7700.

Helzberg Diamonds’ ex-president to speak

The former president of Helzberg Diamonds will speak this week at Kansas University.

Barnett Helzberg Jr. will speak about his Helzberg Entrepreneurial Mentoring Program at 3:30 p.m. Wednesday in the Spahr Engineering Classroom in Eaton Hall. The nonprofit organization is designed to encourage and support budding entrepreneurs in Kansas City.

Helzberg led the Kansas City-based family jewelry chain from 1963 to 1995, when he sold it to Omaha billionaire Warren Buffett.

The speech is free and open to the public. Visitor parking is available at the parking garage near Allen Fieldhouse.

The lecture is sponsored by the KU Entrepreneurship Thematic Learning Community, a joint effort of the KU School of Engineering and the Office of Technology Transfer and Intellectual Property.

KU phone books delayed

Kansas University phone books are still more than a week away from delivery, a university spokeswoman said Thursday.

A KU staff production error that resulted in some incorrect phone numbers produced the delay, said Lynn Bretz, director of university relations. The directory is being printed by a North Carolina phone directory company.

KU generally likes to have the phone books distributed in October, Bretz said. Now, the expected arrival date is Nov. 8.