Lawrence snowfall under an inch, area highways slick on New Year's Eve

I have at least two inches on the railings of my deck, maybe nearly three. It didn't all fall after this article was written. Where were they measuring?!

January 1, 2013 at 10:40 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

City considering becoming a bigger player in local broadband market

So, if the city goes with this are they going to expand their fiber optics to cover the entire town because right now I'm not more than three blocks away from those boundaries. The minute they do and they go for this, bye bye Knology, hello Dish Network and city broadband!

December 17, 2012 at 2:01 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

Christmas the old-fashioned way on display in parade

Erm, what? Because it's called a Christmas parade? Geez, get a life! I'm not a Christian and yet have no problem with Christmas as a secular holiday. The word certainly doesn't offend me, but maybe if it was called a holiday parade or a winter celebration parade it would be okay with you?

These kind of celebrations, of community gatherings are important to keep a town vital and vibrant. Life would be pretty empty and dull without fun in it!

I don't know how much public money goes to it, but I do know that it brings a lot of visitors in to town to stay in motels, eat and shop. I was shopping downtown today and one store owner said it was crazy busy yesterday and she saw several out of town shoppers that come in once a year for the parade and to buy gifts.

I suppose you also complain about money spent on Santa Claus coming to town due to his originally being a Christian Saint, right?

December 2, 2012 at 6:27 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

Lawhorn's Lawrence: Artist Louis Copt says everyone should pick up a paintbrush

I'm not usually a landscape fan, but his paintings of the prairie on fire are just gorgeous. Everyone should stop by the gallery just to view them.

December 2, 2012 at 6:07 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

After Black Friday, store owners touting Small Business Saturday

We started shopping downtown on Black Friday several years ago rather than go into KC because we have wonderful unique shops and why spend money out of our own community? We did hit Penny's (the only place with long lines), World Market and a few others out south at 7:00 yesterday morning and then went downtown. Hardly anyone was there and we parked in the garage--horrors, had to walk half a block to Mass! Then we shopping all six blocks and a few shops on the side streets. There weren't that many people shopping, no long lines to check out, no wait for lunch. The only complaint was how freezing cold it was with that horrible wind.

I went downtown today as well and picked up a few things I missed yesterday--still not very busy and had no problem parking in two locations. I had brunch with some friends and we'd all spent money downtown. I much prefer spending money there, even if things are a tad more expensive, and the walking is good for me! And today the wind had died down. Nothing at Walmart can compare to shopping at places like Hobbs, Prairie Pond, Calamity Janes and Brits to name a few.

And, as someone mentioned, the decorations are lovely, if you shop downtown often enough, the shopowners get to know you by name (one shop even opened early for us yesterday when they saw us looking in the window), and they're glad for your business. There's also no pushing and shoving to get that last "deal".

November 24, 2012 at 1:54 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

Survey shows cursive writing still taught in most Kansas school districts

You're still going to have to know how to sign your name! And, for those going into higher education, the ability to read cursive is still going to be needed for viewing original documents. Even though most are scanned these days and available digitally, they're still in cursive if they're diaries or hand written letters.

Over the years, due to use of the computer, my cursive has become pretty bad. I've dropped a whole letter from my last name and my writing style is a mash of cursive and print, but I can write if I have to and I can certainly read cursive, from very formal old documents to my boss' scrawl.

November 15, 2012 at 9:23 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

How many trick-or-treaters do you usually get?

I stopped handing out candy about five years ago after several years of decreasing numbers of kids (down from 60-80 to about 20). The neighborhood is full of kids but I guess they all go downtown now. My bestfriend brought her kids from England this week and wanted to trick or treat in my neighborhood and we're going downtown instead because I don't know if anyone even hands out candy anymore here. I've only seen a couple pumpkins on porches in my neighborhood. It's kind of sad--I loved decorating the yard and handing out candy--but I guess good for downtown business.

October 31, 2012 at 4:36 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

Letter: Renter help

I, too, would like a source for this for Kansas (every state is different). A tenant can give a landlord a 14/30 notice citing what they want fixed and, if it's not done in 14 days, they can move out in 30; they can't refuse to pay rent to force a landlord to fix anything.

Landlords aren't required to fix anything unless the City gets involved. Tenants always have the right to file complaints with the City.

October 22, 2012 at 7:40 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

14-year-old Lecompton girl sues Brownback administration over CO2 emissions

Being asked if you've ever been party to a lawsuit has to do with if you've been sued or had criminal charges against you. It has nothing to do with being a Plaintiff bringing suit. We have hundreds of clients who have to sue to collect debts or evict tenants for not paying rent, and for the other party breaking contracts. Do you really think if they apply for a job and get asked that question, they're not going to get the job because they exercised their legal right to use our court system for restitution and collection of debts?

October 19, 2012 at 2:19 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

Town Talk: Proposed roundabout for Ninth and New Hampshire to get hearing; renderings for new multi-story building downtown; Ninth Street improvements planned

I like roundabouts. People here just don't know how to utilize them properly. Spend anytime driving outside of the major cities in Europe and you'll learn pretty quickly.

I do have issues with the ridiculous amount of money spent here beautifying them with bricks and faux gas lamps and plantings. Several of the elaborate roundabouts in Lawrence would be little more than yellow round humps to drive around overseas.

That said, while I don't have a problem with a roundabout at 9th and New Hampshire, an intersection I drive through at least four times a week, the pedestrian crossing idea sounds dangerous. You can't safely cross in a roundabout. In England the crossings are often well back, but the distance between Mass and NH on 9th is so short and so heavily trafficked, this isn't feasible. There are already crossings in the middle of New Hampshire (the one between 10th and 9th being lighted and bricked). Adding another seems burdensome to drivers having to stop twice in a half block stretch.

October 19, 2012 at 2:14 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )