Local Columns

Saturday Column

Governor faced hospital decision with care, compassion
January 30, 2010
Faced with the challenging and emotional situation associated with the state’s responsibility to care for thousands of Kansans with various disabilities, there really wasn’t any way for Kansas Gov. Mark Parkinson to come up with a plan or solution that would please everyone involved. However, the state is fortunate to have a governor such as Parkinson, who made a special effort to examine every facet of the situation before arriving at what he thought was the best way to deal with the matter.

Tom Keegan

Mecham quiet and calm
February 10, 2010
Todd Reesing threw 1,460 passes for 11,194 yards and 90 touchdowns during his record-breaking career at Kansas. The three quarterbacks who will compete for his job during spring practice under new head coach Turner Gill have combined to throw five passes for 22 yards and no touchdowns in Division I football.

Take a Stand

Signs of hope for homeless
January 31, 2010
I was off the grid last week when Loring Henderson, director of the Lawrence Community Shelter, called my home phone to let me know that the shelter had asked the city to drop its special use permit request for the old Don’s Steakhouse site and announced that it will pursue instead purchase of an existing building at the Franklin Business Center, just east of the county jail. I was spending the night as an overnight host with Family Promise, sitting around plates of spaghetti and meatballs, talking with several moms and dads about life, childrearing, job searching and, with some, about time they’d spent at the shelter before being accepted into the Family Promise program.

Boomer Girl Diary

Boomer Girl Diary: Sports Illustrated magazine battle heads into deep waters
January 31, 2010
“Oh, goodie!” I said, sarcastically, while throwing a bunch of my husband’s old Sports Illustrateds into the recycling bin. “It’s almost time for another swimsuit edition.”

Bill Mayer

Phog Allen protege list goes on
February 5, 2010
When a list of basketball coaching proteges of Kansas’ Phog Allen is recited, you’re quick to hear the names of Adoph Rupp (Kentucky), Dean Smith (North Carolina), Ralph Miller (Iowa-Oregon State), Dutch Lonborg (Northwestern) and Dick Harp (Kansas).

Chuck Woodling

Injuries happen, but McCray’s is shocking
February 6, 2010
I thought Danny Manning was immortal. Sure, he was a tremendously talented basketball player, but I’m talking about his durability.

Gary Bedore

Memories from 24 Late Nights
October 16, 2009
Last year at this time, I commented on — OK I bragged about — the fact yours truly is believed to be the only person to have attended all 24 season-opening Late Nights in Allen Fieldhouse.

Ryan Wood

Tracking down team fun, but difficult, task
Google, cell phone indispensible
February 16, 2008
The phone rang for a man I presumed to be Lincoln Minor, the former Kansas University basketball player who played 34 games in the 1987-88 season. “Hello?” the man on the other end answered. “Hi, is this Lincoln?” I asked. “Yes,” he said. “The Lincoln who played basketball for the Kansas Jayhawks?” “No,” the man replied. “This is his father.” Hey, that’s progress.

Cooking Q & A

Set action plan for good health
February 10, 2010
In your column last week, you shared Life’s Simple 7, designed by the American Heart Association with the goal of improved health.

Gwyn Mellinger

Longtime columnist says farewell
May 7, 2008
I always knew this moment would come, eventually, and that I would find myself writing my most difficult column. “Kitchen & Garden” has sprouted from my keyboard every week for more than 12 years - in the neighborhood of 650 columns - but the time has come to till it under and plant something new.

George Gurley

Treading lightly on environment
December 6, 2009
A few years ago, we were in the midst of a typical Kansas summer — infernally hot, unbearably dry. Interpretation of this recurring phenomenon had changed, however, and it was viewed as irrefutable evidence of global warming caused by human activities.

Marsha Henry Goff

Jest for Grins: Valentine’s Day brightens February’s gray days
February 7, 2010
Ah, February, the month of freezing temperatures, gray days, heavy snowfalls … and LOVE.

Mike Hoeflich

Speaker within ethical lines
February 10, 2010
Mike O’Neal is in the news again, this time taking heat for his taking on a lawsuit against the state of Kansas over certain financial maneuvers the state has taken to keep its finances viable. I’ve known Mike for 15 years, and I probably have disagreed with him on most political issues he’s taken positions on. But this time I think he’s getting a raw deal.

Garden Calendar

Pests still active in lawn and garden
January 31, 2010
When the snow melted, several Lawrence and Douglas County residents were left with what some described as looking like bicycle tracks in their lawn. The 1- to 2-inch wide channels are not the work of neighborhood pranksters, though; the paths are runways constructed by prairie voles…

Eileen Roddy

Under her wing: Parent writes book on developmental disabilities
February 8, 2010
Lawrence resident Denise Gossage didn’t initially set out to write a book. Her recently published “Winging It” (available in local bookstores) evolved from years of keeping notes of meetings with doctors, teachers and therapists, and writing a personal journal about rearing a child on the autism spectrum.