I am terribly proud of my hometown Lawrence, Kansas. Proud of the people, Kansas University, downtown, this newspaper, restaurants, Free State beer, Dog Days, schools, our civic leaders — all of the things that make Lawrence a great place to live.

Why is Lawrence such a great place to live? Why do many of us go to great lengths to live here while others can’t wait to get out of their towns? Like other communities with a rich history, the people who created Lawrence built our city to be the best it could be. What makes us different from many cities is that we grow and continue to re-create Lawrence by following the same passion for excellence as those before us. We know how to preserve the past yet build for the future. “Just getting by” is not part of our culture in Lawrence.

For example, when Lawrence creates a recreation center, we think of the future and aim for excellence. No musty hut on abandoned acreage for our future generations. In Lawrence, we team with KU to create Rock Chalk Park — one of the very few facilities of its type in the country with a modern recreation center big enough to address the current and future needs of all of our residents. This beautiful facility proudly displayed at the western gateway to Lawrence will benefit our residents for literally generations to come. “Oh yeah … welcome to Lawrence, Kansas.”