To the editor:

Today marks the 158th birthday of Lawrence. Just eight years ago, our town was bustling with activity as we celebrated our sesquicentennial and presented Sesquicentennial Point as a marker of our 150th birthday.

Next year there will be a commemoration of the Burning of Lawrence, an event that has marked our history forever. I hope that the organizers of this commemoration will see Sesquicentennial Point as a place for noting the sesquicentennial of Quantrill’s Raid in August 1863, almost 150 years ago.

Phase I of The Point is complete. Now we are working to complete Phase II of this beautiful space. Someday the Walk through Time will go the rest of the way down the hill to 2054, so that on the bicentennial of Lawrence there will be a walking history of Lawrence with an amphitheater for outdoor events. In 2054, Lawrence residents will be invited to open the time capsule and see what people valued in 2004.

Happy 158th birthday, Lawrence. There are many groups and organizations that will celebrate their sesquicentennial year between now and 2054. I hope that each one of them will want to sponsor a stone in the Walk through Time.

You can learn more about this beautiful space by visiting the website of Lawrence Parks and Recreation http://www.lawrenceks.org/lprd/parks/sesquicentennialpoint.