From the Lawrence Daily Journal-World for Aug. 9, 1986:

A new house at 739 New York was on the market for $30,000. The three-bedroom, 1 3/4-bath home, which was worth closer to $40,000 at the time, had been the first major project of TODAY, Inc. (Teenagers of Douglas County and You). Twelve “problem teenagers” in the five-month-old program had been involved in nearly every part of the construction, from the foundation to the roof. The house, which had met all building codes so far, was available to qualified buyers who were willing to live there for at least five years. Lawrence city commissioners had donated the lot and approved a $25,000 loan to pay for materials and organizers’ salaries, but the project initially had met stiff opposition from the East Lawrence Improvement Assn. and from commissioner Mike Amyx. According to TODAY co-organizer Merle Rothwell, however, neighbors on adjacent lots had been quite supportive of the crew once construction had gotten underway.