The Lawrence Association of Neighborhoods is set to celebrate its 25th anniversary on Sunday.
The community organization that got its start when there was talk of tearing down parts of Downtown Lawrence, building malls and other projects that threatened established neighborhoods also will honor two of its more active members.
Steve Lopes, a longtime neighborhood leader for Old West Lawrence and state Sen. Marci Francisco, who has been a longtime voice for the Oread neighborhood, will receive LAN’s Outstanding Neighborhood Service Award.
The awards will be given as part of a celebration that is open to the public at 6:30 p.m. Sunday at the Lawrence Visitors Center, North Second and Locust streets.
The Lawrence Association of Neighborhoods serves as an umbrella group for more than 20 individual neighborhood associations across the community, helping those associations advocate neighborhood goals at City Hall and other venues.
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Alceste (anonymous) says…
The "Lawrence Association of Neighborhoods" doesn't represent the voice of the people or the vast majority of families and people who reside in the various neighborhoods. Rather, it "represents" a very, very small minority who make up the "vocal minority" of every "neighborhood association" who are the "LAN".
Francisco herself was booted out of the Oread Neighborhood Association, TWICE, in free and democratic elections because, evidently, the Oread Neighborhood residents grew weary of her influence peddling and back door politicing; a better political hack to acquire and be "given" such an award could not be named.
"LAN" has no solid list who who it's members are; represents individuals and not associations; and is headed by a "leader" who is not available to members of the various neighborhoods and who decides, typically, to NOT get involved in any neighborhood issue that does NOT and IS NOT an issue presented by people she personally knows.
The "LAN" is a phantom group who only listens to those people or groups that embrace and agree with their "creed"....whatever that is: A good example of this fact is the "LAN" support of the "Oread Residents Association" which openly states it is a "club" and shall and does pick and choose who might or can be a member of same. This "ORA", nonetheless, seemingly holds sway with "city staff" in the "Planning Dept." which picks and chooses the people and/or groups it takes advice from so as to prostitute and underscore its' own agenda for the City of Lawrence.
Francisco's "award" of this recognition, as well as Lopes, should be viewed as what it is: Much adoo about nothing and a tempest in a teapot: Both individuals have proven they each believe and practice in exclusionary principals within the neighborhoods and each embrace the concept of exclusivity: "Think like me or get out of here."
LAN is a a useless and most un-democratic outfit. Lawrence, Kansas is about progressive principals and inclusionary change operations: "LAN", Francisco, and Lopes have demonstrated time and again their collective contempt of diversity of thought. What a worthless "award". *shrug*
Boston_Corbett (anonymous) says…
I think I would list Alceste in the "not attending" column.