From the Lawrence Daily Journal-World for Aug. 24, 1986:

• For the sixth consecutive summer, a local man had raised some controversy with his “unorthodox methods of landscaping.” Michael Almon, 1311 Prairie, said that he was only practicing his civil liberties in raising what he called a “meadow lawn” on half of his yard. The plot included large sections of unmowed bluegrass, a wildflower garden, a berry patch, and some fruit and nut trees. Every year since 1981, an anonymous man had filed a complaint at city hall about the tall stand of bluegrass. This year, the city had issued a citation for violation of the city’s weed ordinance but had given Almon an extension for cutting the grass to allow him time to harvest the seeds. Having collected the seed, Almon had sickled the grass to comply with the ordinance.
• Local social service agencies were reporting a number of symptoms of an increase of families in need in the community. Most food banks were having trouble keeping the shelves stocked, while applications for food stamps in Douglas County had increased 20 percent from June to July. Additionally, more than 80 people were lining up each day that the Lawrence Interdenominational Nutrition Kitchen served its free meals. Sue Beers, coordinator of the East Central Kansas Economic Corp. (ECKAN), said that it seemed to be the “working poor” who were particularly hard hit this summer.