The pieces in this section are generally written by members of the Lawrence community and those who have close ties. In addition, the Times is offering some space for area organizations and organizers to provide updates and attempt to reach other folks who might share their mission.
The Lawrence Times does not publish staff editorials (unsigned opinion columns, usually about the topics we cover, that many news publications run).
Want to submit a letter or column to the Times? Great! Click here to find out how.
OPINION COLUMNS
Max Kautsch: Kansas Legislature’s supermajority makes mockery of open records law over efficiency portal messages (Column)
“This iteration of the Legislature seems to think it is entitled to redact information that could traditionally be found in a phonebook, and that it may do so in a futile attempt to shield the identity of a handful of powerful Kansans but not the rest of us,” Max Kautsch writes in this Kansas Reflector column.
Tom Harper/Lawrence Times
Tom Harper: Son of longtime Liberty Hall owners aims to preserve something ‘beneficial for everyone’ (Column)
Josh Millstein is stepping up to keep Liberty Hall alive and well, aiming to preserve his father’s vision and an iconic piece of downtown Lawrence’s historic district, Tom Harper writes in this column.
Housing advocates and organizers: Lawrence should say no to occupancy restrictions (Column)
“We see daily how families of all kinds — blood-related or chosen — pool groceries, bills and child care to keep one another safe. Occupancy caps effectively criminalize mutual aid, making it harder for people to meet basic needs,” four local housing advocates write in this column.
Nathan Kramer / Lawrence Times
Lawrence school board President Kelly Jones: Schools must be safe, welcoming amid anti-trans onslaught (Column)
“The USD 497 Board of Education resolutely wants transgender students, staff, and their families to feel all love the whole school day and be afforded the right and dignity to show up to school as they are — especially now,” Lawrence school board President Kelly Jones writes in this column.
Tom Harper/Lawrence Times
Tom Harper: What’s old is new again at Liberty Hall (Column)
Repertory movies have made a comeback, cultivating community in downtown Lawrence, and “During these uncertain times, we need Liberty Hall as much as Liberty Hall needs us,” Tom Harper writes in this column.
Shawn Alexander: Black history prevails, despite persistent threats (Column)
“Despite backlash, the Black community has consistently pushed to teach Black history, whether sanctioned or not. … We should all champion their efforts,” Shawn Alexander writes in this column.
LETTERS TO THE TIMES
Letter to the Times: Lawrence’s policies should support business growth
“By supporting the expansion of existing businesses and by attracting new employers, we can create jobs, increase our tax base and ultimately ease the pressure on residential property taxpayers,” Gary Rexroad writes in this letter to the Times.
Letter to the Times: Planning Commission should deny 3rd and Michigan upzoning request
“Please encourage the development interests — public and private — to engage the neighborhood so that the results reflect sensible density that adds value for all concerned,” Phil and Peggi Englehart write in this open letter to the Planning Commission.
Letter to the Times: Occupancy limits are unfair to nontraditional families
“Why should the rest of us have to live with increased housing costs because adults who chose not only to live in a college town, but next to the campus itself, don’t want an increase of students living in the neighborhood?” Chris Flowers writes in this letter to the Times.
ORG CORNER
Watkins Museum of History: Curtis Marsh book talk set to celebrate KU’s 160th anniversary
“Over the course of his 30-plus years of service to the University of Kansas, (Curtis) Marsh has amassed a wealth of knowledge about Jayhawk stats, history, and traditions,” Will Haynes writes in this piece from the Watkins Museum of History.
Letter to the Times: Bail fund overregulation would keep ‘justice’ system in hands of the elite
”The idea that community bail funds should be regulated with insurance requirements is an absurd overregulation of what amounts to voluntary mutual aid within a community,” Douglas County Community Bail Fund directors write in this letter to the Times.
Bert Nash Center: Community Resource Fair to offer food, demos, dozens of agencies (Announcement)
”This will be the third year for the Bert Nash Center’s Community Resource Fair. And this year’s will be the most interactive one yet,” Jeff Burkhead writes in this Org Corner piece from Bert Nash Community Mental Health Center.
FROM THE STACKS
Note: Staff members at the Lawrence Public Library write blog posts about books, bookish things and other media. The Times is reposting some of those blogs in this feature, From the Stacks. Find many other blog posts, titles referenced in these posts and much more on the library’s website, lplks.org.
Contributed image
From the Stacks: What I learned about tardigrades, aka ‘water bears’
Tardigrades “have inched their way into the public imagination in recent years. For one thing, they are cute as heck, especially for a microscopic creature that doesn’t really have a face,” Dan Coleman writes in this piece for the Lawrence Public Library.
From the Stacks: Green spaces of Douglas County
“I thought I would write up and share a few of my favorite off-the-beaten-path corners of Douglas County,” Dan Coleman writes.
Contributed
From the Stacks: Goodbye storytime, hello book club
Angela Hyde writes about the benefits and bonding experience of starting a book club with tweens and teens.
