Longtime Lawrence couple to lead annual United Way fundraising campaign

Some background for others of us who may not be longtime Lawrence residents....
http://www2.ljworld.com/news/2008/may...
http://www2.ljworld.com/news/2004/mar...

May 2, 2013 at 8:34 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

Lawrence ranked second-worst-performing small metro area, according to new national economic index

The reason that an "80's attitude" may seem to prevai is that succeeding generations did not build the same level of social capital. (We're not doing it here in the Comments section, either.)

April 30, 2013 at 6:20 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

Grand slam: Competition brings together local poets

Here's a suggestion: set up www.lawrence.com/events as a wiki.

April 30, 2013 at 6:02 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

Grand slam: Competition brings together local poets

Though this event was posted at http://www.lawrence.com/events/2013/a... , that web address has long been in need of an overhaul. Even nominal maintenance should have caught listings for venues that closed long ago (Jardines? Really?) and commercial advertisements masquerading as art events (e.g., a certain "Holiday Gallery".)

April 30, 2013 at 5:56 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

Lawrence ranked second-worst-performing small metro area, according to new national economic index

Fine reporting and context from Chad.

Here's another theory.... Thomas Frank's "What's the Matter with Kansas" came out in 2004, creating an indelible meme. The Milken statistics report on the aftermath of that effect. (Luckily, no one thinks that way any more, thanks to the "leadership" exhibited by former and current administrations and a chastened electorate.)

April 30, 2013 at 3:17 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

Local leaders unveil community health plan

The Douglas County Community Health Plan states its outcome measures in terms of percents and proportions. As a matter of record, I hope that they will be holding their programs accountable for improvements of 5 and 10 percentage points (that is, percents of the whole) rather than 5 and 10 percent of current inadequate levels. For example, only about 20% of Douglas County adults report that they get five or more daily servings of fruits and vegetables. The improvement target should be 5 percentage points, not 5% of 20%,

April 23, 2013 at 3:25 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

Roberts, Moran vote against expanded background checks in gun sales

I, too, find Senators Roberts and Moran's votes reprehensible. But demonizing elected officials is a misdirected and useless response. We know "who the heck keeps re-electing these guys." It's our friends and neighbors. The abject failure of community forums such as this, which do nothing to change anyone's minds but rather harden us into primitive tribal allegeances, provides daily evidence of the breakdown of our civic fabric. We need to rebuild from the bottom up. Stop demonizing straw men and start a serious conversation with one another. Find values that you might hold in common. As long as we subscribe to a system of one man(woman)-one-vote, we must earn one another's trust.

April 18, 2013 at 7:29 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

Remembering the Holocaust, to prevent it from repeating

Thanks to LJW for having deleted much offending material.

April 11, 2013 at 9:54 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

Governor forms committee to increase recreational, tourism opportunities on Kansas River

More vision. Less crab bucket syndrome.

April 11, 2013 at 4:52 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

Remembering the Holocaust, to prevent it from repeating

As someone who actually attended the ceremony and actually read this entire article, I wish to register offense and a sense of disgust with the tone of many of the above comments. The ceremony was beautifully conducted and respectfully honored the memories of the victims of numerous genocides, past and present. Those of you who have closed your minds to any but your own opinions and agendas, who are incapable of engaging your neighbors in anything short of an ill-informed harangue, defile those memories and poison the well of our civic discourse. Next, you will find scapegoats whom you can demonize and blame for your unhappiness. After that....

April 11, 2013 at 3:09 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )