Archive for Thursday, December 25, 2008 / LJWorld.com

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On the street

Do you open your presents on Christmas Eve or Christmas morning?

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The Morning Rush: Merry Christmas, but don't forget to recycle your festive foliage

Polls

Have you ever considered volunteering to help build a home through the Habitat for Humanity program?

Poll results

Response	Percent
Yes.		63%
No.		36%
Total	472

Videos

Lead stories

12:00 a.m.

Last-minute shoppers hurry to wrap up holiday gift buying: By Christine Metz; December 24, 2008 in print edition on 3A; In 45 minutes, Leon Hiatt was hoping to check his mom, dad, grandparents, sister and nephew off his shopping list. Doing some last-minute shopping at its finest, Hiatt was shuttling from store to store along Iowa Street on Tuesday afternoon. He hit World Market, TJ Maxx and then Bed, Bath & Beyond looking for the quick stuff: KU clothing, snack foods and movies.

Video: Last-minute shoppers hurry to wrap up holiday gift buying

6:00 a.m.

A glowing gala: Lawrence family opens home to friends for annual Christmas celebration: By Jennifer Oldridge; December 25, 2008 in print edition on 11B; Serina Hearn and Tony Backus, along with their children, Zoey, Timmia, Simon, Alex and Cecelia, cherish this time of year.

10:00 a.m.

Economy takes toll on Habitat for Humanity: By Mike Belt; December 25, 2008 in print edition on 1A; Luis Mendoza used to help an uncle work on houses. He’s also helped Lawrence Habitat for Humanity build some of its houses. Next year he and his wife, Tamara, hope to be building their own home with the help of Habitat. “It’s been awhile. I’m a little rusty,” Luis Mendoza said of his carpentry skills.

Poll: Have you ever considered volunteering to help build a home through the Habitat for Humanity program?

2:00 p.m.

City’s new shoveling ordinance in effect: By Chad Lawhorn; December 25, 2008 in print edition on 3A; Hey neighbor, good buddy, good pal, my favorite guy on the block. Yeah, I’m going to be out of town this week. Could you let the dog out? Great. And oh, by the way, if it snows, could you shovel my sidewalk? Yeah, you might want to start practicing your delivery on that one. In fact, there may be many Lawrence residents who wish they would have had that conversation before they left for their holiday travels this week.

6:00 p.m.

Mothers of slain service members help relieve grief by doing good: By Nicole Kelley; December 25, 2008 in print edition on 3A; Shirley Hemenway felt isolated. The Shawnee resident had just lost her son, Ronald Hemenway, to the terrorist attack on the Pentagon on Sept. 11, 2001. Her life was changed forever, and she wasn’t quite sure how to deal with that. “I felt so detached,” she said. “People start to avoid you. They don’t know what to say, so they avoid you.”

All stories

Breaks finally even out for Chargers: December 25, 2008; Sometimes the breaks even out.
‘Hawks not great at defense, says Self: December 25, 2008; The Kansas University men’s basketball team isn’t great on defense, rebounding or execution, according to Coach Bill Self.
6 Weather Morning Forecast for December 26, 2008: December 25, 2008; Warm, with a chance of showers. High of 57 and a low of 37.
Tonganoxie family shares close bond as kidney transfer nears: December 25, 2008; One Tonganoxie mother is giving her son the gift of a lifetime: Her kidney.
Sen. Sebelius? Rumors take off about governor’s future: December 25, 2008; Speculation is swirling that Gov. Kathleen Sebelius may make a run for U.S. Senate.
‘Hawks get Christmas off before Insight Bowl preps begin again: December 25, 2008; The Kansas University football team departs for Tempe, Arizona, early Friday morning.
DA’s office hopes new program will help property crime victims: December 25, 2008; A new program could soon pay victims of property crimes in Lawrence.
Snow-clearing organization seeks volunteers: December 25, 2008; An organization that helps keep Lawrence’s sidewalks clear is looking for volunteers
December’s Hy-Vee Student-Athlete of the Month: December 25, 2008; The Hy-Vee Student-Athlete of the Month makes baskets on the court and scores high marks in the classroom.
Soldiers’ Santa: Lawrence woman keeps giving to troops: December 25, 2008; A Lawrence woman has helped raise the spirit of troops in Iraq and Afghanistan for five years.
A glowing gala: Lawrence family opens home to friends for annual Christmas celebration: By Jennifer Oldridge; December 25, 2008 in print edition on B11; Serina Hearn and Tony Backus, along with their children, Zoey, Timmia, Simon, Alex and Cecelia, cherish this time of year.
On the record: December 25, 2008 in print edition on A4; Lawrence-Douglas County Fire Medical reported the following responses: • Water evacuation, 11:18 a.m. Tuesday, 1100 Ind. • Water or steam leak, 10:35 a.m. Tuesday, 2000 W. 31st St.
Check out options for reusing wood ashes: By Jennifer Smith; December 25, 2008 in print edition on B11; Warm fires in the fireplace and glowing wood stoves really take the chill out of the air, but it always brings up the question of what to do with the ashes.
Pump patrol: December 25, 2008 in print edition on A3; The Journal-World found gas prices as low as $1.43 at Presto, 602 W. Ninth St.
Holiday season magnifies shoppers’ frugality: By Anne D’Innocenzio - Associated Press Writer; December 25, 2008 in print edition on A7; After limping through a holiday season expected to be the worst in decades, the nation’s stores made it to Christmas with little to celebrate. For many merchants, the winter and beyond are likely to get even bleaker, because Americans are too worried about their jobs and the recession to do much shopping.
Super Bowl appears to be up for grabs: By Charean Williams - McClatchy Newspapers; December 25, 2008 in print edition on B2; Does anyone want to win the Super Bowl, because no team is playing like it? The Tennessee Titans had lost two of their previous four games—to the New York Jets and the Houston Texans—before beating up on the Pittsburgh Steelers. The Steelers had won five in a row before giving up 323 yards and 31 points to Kerry Collins and the Titans. Kerry Collins?!
Looking back at 2008: By Chuck Woodling; December 25, 2008 in print edition on B1; Memories of 2008 (not all of them sports related) …
Artist behind White House card adds sense of history, nature: By Todd Wilkinson - Christian Science Monitor; December 25, 2008 in print edition on A1; Tim Allen Lawson stood alone on the second-floor terrace, waiting for dusk to bathe the nation’s capital city in soft light. Down from Maine for the day, he hurriedly sketched the landscape before him with a 3B graphite pencil, distilling its essence so he could use it as research for an oil painting he would do later in his studio.
Kennedy’s pursuit of seat snared in politics: December 25, 2008 in print edition on A6; Caroline Kennedy’s bid to get appointed to the Senate and extend the Camelot dynasty has run into the bare-knuckle world of New York politics, where a backlash appears to be building against her. Some politics-watchers have accused the 51-year-old daughter of President John F. Kennedy of a series of missteps last week doing an upstate tour, when she evaded questions and in one case was hustled away by an aide after meeting with reporters for all of 30 seconds.
After loss, players get three days off for holiday: By Gary Bedore; December 25, 2008 in print edition on B1; No Scrooge, Bill Self wants his players home for the Christmas holiday. So Kansas University’s sixth-year basketball coach has closed shop for a few days, instructing his players to report back to campus in time for a late Saturday afternoon practice.
Horoscopes: December 25, 2008 in print edition on A9; There is a very special quality to your next year. You finally feel an easing up financially and emotionally. If you are single, you will meet someone, perhaps simply going to the bank. If you are attached, the two of you would benefit from frequent romantic getaways.
Sebelius’ choice to stay spurs talk of Senate run: By John Hanna - Associated Press Writer; December 25, 2008 in print edition on A4; Gov. Kathleen Sebelius’ decision to drop out of consideration for a job in President-elect Barack Obama’s administration is fueling renewed speculation that she’ll run for the Senate in 2010. “I think it’s absolutely back on the table,” said Larry Gates, chairman of the Kansas Democratic Party.
Iranian leader to offer Christmas message: December 25, 2008 in print edition on A2; Iran’s president is offering season’s greetings to Christians in a British TV address and suggests that if Jesus were alive, he would oppose “bullying, ill-tempered and expansionist powers” — an apparent reference to the U.S. and its allies.
Obama’s inaugural will have 10 parties: December 25, 2008 in print edition on A9; President-elect Barack Obama and his wife Michelle will twirl their way through 10 official inaugural balls on Jan. 20. The Presidential Inaugural Committee said Wednesday that the Obamas would attend 10 official balls, one more than President George W. Bush and Laura Bush attended in 2005.
Our town sports: J-W Staff Reports; December 25, 2008 in print edition on B4; KU Men Basketball Clinic: Kansas University men’s basketball will conduct its annual clinic for eighth-grade and under youths at 1 p.m. Sunday in Allen Fieldhouse. Cost is $75. Participants will receive a T-shirt, a calender and a ticket to the Kansas-Albany game on Dec. 30. For information, call 864-3056.
Christmas in Bethlehem festive, Gaza violent: By Dalia Nammari - Associated Press Writer; December 25, 2008 in print edition on A6; Christians celebrated Bethlehem’s merriest Christmas in eight years Wednesday, with hotels booked solid, Manger Square bustling with families and Israeli and Palestinian forces cooperating to make things run smoothly.The festivities in the West Bank town contrasted sharply with Hamas-run Gaza.
Teens’ Christmas cards hide $20 bills: December 25, 2008 in print edition on A4; City bus passengers in Salina thought it was nice of two young strangers to give them each a Christmas card. But they were downright shocked when they found a $20 bill inside each of the cards Tuesday afternoon. CityGo driver James Lucas said the unidentified boy and girl — he guessed they were 17 or 18 years old — probably handed out more than a dozen of the cards to his passengers.
Travelers hunker down for Christmas Eve at airport: By Sophia Tareen - Associated Press Writer; December 25, 2008 in print edition on A2; With airports across the country recovering from a blast of snow and ice storms, some unlucky holiday travelers stranded for the second night in a row prepared to wake up Christmas morning at the nation’s second busiest airport.
Man sues hospital over fall during operation: December 25, 2008 in print edition on A4; A Bonner Springs man has sued a Kansas City-area hospital for injuries he suffered when an operating table malfunctioned. It’s the second such lawsuit Shawnee Mission Medical Center has faced this year. The founder of the huge Deffenbaugh Industries Inc. waste management firm sued earlier after he was dumped from an X-ray table in an accident that left him paralyzed.
Carrie Fisher details exploits in ‘Wishful Drinking’ memoir: By Bob Thomas - Associated Press Writer; December 25, 2008 in print edition on A11; Director Mike Nichols once said of Carrie Fisher: “She has too much personality for one person and not enough for two persons.” That pretty much describes Fisher, daughter of Hollywood stars Debbie Reynolds and Eddie Fisher. She starred in three “Star Wars” movies, has written several best-selling novels — and has been in and out of hospitals for substance abuse and other problems.
Tutu encourages removal of Mugabe: December 25, 2008 in print edition on A2; Desmond Tutu threw the moral weight of his Nobel Peace Prize and war on apartheid into the Zimbabwe struggle Wednesday, suggesting it was time to threaten President Robert Mugabe’s ouster by force. The retired South African archbishop also criticized his own government’s handling of the crisis.
Obama praises military on Christmas Eve: December 25, 2008 in print edition on A6; President-elect Barack Obama offered appreciation to the U.S. military on Christmas Eve in a recorded message and then asked children of uniformed troops if they had their wish lists ready during a visit to Marine Corps Base Hawaii just northeast of Honolulu.
Former resident affected in bombing: December 25, 2008 in print edition on A3; A former Lawrence resident was in the center of a suicide bombing incident Tuesday in China. A man entered Salvador’s coffee shop in Kunming, China, and detonated a bomb that he was carrying. The restaurant is partially owned by Kris Ariel, who lived in Lawrence from 1994 to 2001.
Holiday card says something about sender: By Michael Smerconish - The Philadelphia Inquirer; December 25, 2008 in print edition on A9; As I write this, there are still several days to go before Dec. 25, but I think I can call this contest without concern for any margin of error. After all, the results have been trending this way for several years. More and more holiday cards make no mention of the event celebrated in our home.
Bleak picture emerges from economic data: December 25, 2008 in print edition on A2; A series of gloomy economic reports Wednesday showed consumers holding tight to their wallets with job losses expected to mount in the months ahead. There was one glimmer of good news, however. Lower gas prices and widespread holiday discounts are giving consumers greater buying power. Consumer spending, when adjusted for those price drops, rose last month after five months of declines, the Commerce Department said.
Mothers of slain service members help relieve grief by doing good: By Nicole Kelley; December 25, 2008 in print edition on A3; Shirley Hemenway felt isolated. The Shawnee resident had just lost her son, Ronald Hemenway, to the terrorist attack on the Pentagon on Sept. 11, 2001. Her life was changed forever, and she wasn’t quite sure how to deal with that. “I felt so detached,” she said. “People start to avoid you. They don’t know what to say, so they avoid you.”
Start the holiday with Disney parade: By Kevin McDonough; December 25, 2008 in print edition on A11; A holiday-morning tradition turns 25 today. Regis Philbin, Kelly Ripa and Ryan Seacrest share the hosting duties on the “Walt Disney World Christmas Day Parade” (9 a.m., ABC), broadcast (in high definition) from both the Florida and California branches of the theme-park kingdom. Scheduled performers include Miley Cyrus and her father, Billy Ray Cyrus, the Jonas brothers and the Imagination Movers.
Distinguished Jayhawks get alumni award: By Andy Hyland; December 25, 2008 in print edition on A3; Kansas University’s College of Liberal Arts & Sciences this week recognized four of its distinguished alumni. This year’s winners include the chairwoman of the Federal Deposit Insurance Commission, the director of the New York Library for the Performing Arts, a professor of biochemistry and a federal appellate judge.
Great reads for bird lovers: McClatchy Newspapers; December 25, 2008 in print edition on B11; One way to provide a bit of welcome inspiration and encouragement to gardeners who are already pining for spring is to surprise them with a good read.
Military center tracks Santa’s sleigh ride: December 25, 2008 in print edition on A2; Who says Santa Claus doesn’t exist? The North American Aerospace Defense Command, or NORAD, which monitors air and space threats against the U.S. and Canada, is in charge of the annual Christmas mission to keep children informed of Santa’s worldwide journey to their homes.
KU great Norm Cook dead at 53: Former Jayhawk forward started every game for 1974 Final Four team; J-W Wire Reports; December 25, 2008 in print edition on B2; Former Kansas University basketball player Norm Cook, a first-round draft pick of the Boston Celtics in 1976, died Monday at the age of 53.
K.C. wants to avoid record: The Associated Press; December 25, 2008 in print edition on B3; A good title for a movie about the 2008 Chiefs might be “Sackless in Kansas City.” In addition to having the worst record in team history, the young Chiefs (2-13) go into Sunday’s finale at Cincinnati in jeopardy of entering the record book as the worst pass-rushing team in the history of the league.
Father figure: Former KU football coach now a mentor for youths growing up without dads; By Dugan Arnett; December 25, 2008 in print edition on B1; There is much about Mike Gottfried, a former Kansas University football coach and current ESPN college football analyst, that delineates a fatherly presence.The naturally calming demeanor, the impossible patience and politeness, and the ability, at age 63, to inject a good dose of self-deprecating humor into everyday conversation.
A.G.: Water decision not the final word: By John Hanna - Associated Press Writer; December 25, 2008 in print edition on A12; Attorney General Steve Six’s office is downplaying a recent setback in an ongoing dispute between his state and Nebraska over the Republican River. Six was seeking $72 million in damages from Nebraska over what Kansas contends is Nebraska’s continued overuse of river water in 2005 and 2006. Use of the water by Kansas, Nebraska and Colorado is governed by a 2003 decree from the U.S. Supreme Court.
Old Home Town - 100 years ago: December 25, 2008 in print edition on A9; From the Lawrence Daily World for Dec. 25, 1908: Christmas Day brought the end to one of the most profitable shopping and buying seasons on local record. Many have today off work, others will work only part time, until noon.
Irish roll, 49-21: Notre Dame drubs Hawaii; J-W Staff Reports; December 25, 2008 in print edition on B4; Jimmy Clausen set Notre Dame bowl records with 406 yards passing and five touchdowns to lead the Irish to their first postseason victory in 15 years, 49-21 against Hawaii on Wednesday night in the Hawaii Bowl.
Season of peace: Not every Christmas is perfect, but there’s always reason for hope.; J-W Editorials; December 25, 2008 in print edition on A9; Joy. Hope. Peace. They are words we hear a lot this time of year. Everyone’s wish is that they and the ones they love will feel the warmth of those three words: joy, hope and peace during the Christmas season. Unfortunately, we know that isn’t always the case.
Economy takes toll on Habitat for Humanity: In need of funds, organization reduces number of homes; By Mike Belt; December 25, 2008 in print edition on A1; Luis Mendoza used to help an uncle work on houses. He’s also helped Lawrence Habitat for Humanity build some of its houses. Next year he and his wife, Tamara, hope to be building their own home with the help of Habitat. “It’s been awhile. I’m a little rusty,” Luis Mendoza said of his carpentry skills.
Art project spreads story of America: By George Will; December 25, 2008 in print edition on A9; In Winslow Homer’s 1865 painting “The Veteran in a New Field,” a farmer, bathed in sunshine, his back to the viewer, his Union uniform jacket cast on the ground, harvests wheat with a single-bladed scythe. That tool was out of date, and Homer first depicted the farmer wielding a more modern implement.
Program to mark 20th year in city: By Mike Belt; December 25, 2008 in print edition on A8; It’s been 20 years since the Rev. John Gingerich and his wife, Roberta, launched the Habitat for Humanity program in Lawrence. John Gingerich, now 87 and a semi-retired United Methodist minister, said he got the idea for Habitat after reading the book, “No More Shacks!: The Daring Vision of Habitat for Humanity,” which was published in 1986 about the beginnings of Habitat in Georgia.
Tough nuts: appreciating the virtues of hickories: By Lee Reich - For The Associated Press; December 25, 2008 in print edition on B12; With oil prices high, more and more people are turning to wood heat.
City’s new shoveling ordinance in effect: Vacationing homeowners risk ticket if sidewalks aren’t cleared of snow; By Chad Lawhorn; December 25, 2008 in print edition on A3; Hey neighbor, good buddy, good pal, my favorite guy on the block. Yeah, I’m going to be out of town this week. Could you let the dog out? Great. And oh, by the way, if it snows, could you shovel my sidewalk? Yeah, you might want to start practicing your delivery on that one. In fact, there may be many Lawrence residents who wish they would have had that conversation before they left for their holiday travels this week.
Old Home Town - 40 years ago: December 25, 2008 in print edition on A9; Officials had been hoping that the ice on the Broken Arrow rink would get thick enough for use by people getting skates for Christmas. The weather forecast for the next few days was favorable for the would-be Hans Brinkers and Sonja Henies.
Bush withdraws 1 of 19 pardons he issued Tuesday: By Jennifer Loven - Associated Press Writer; December 25, 2008 in print edition on A2; President George W. Bush on Wednesday revoked a pardon he had granted only a day before — a step unheard of in recent memory — after learning in news reports of political contributions to Republicans by the man’s father and other information.

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