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‘Weird’ weather breaks record
LJWorld.com
Task force hints at consolidation of school districts
such a negative and scary connotation to everyone,” task force chairman Ken TOPEKA — The chairman Willard said during a joint of Gov. Sam Brownback’s meeting of the two panels. School Efficiency Task “We’re talking about what Force told lawmakers Mon- we want to accomplish, and day that his group carefully that is to reduce the level avoided using the word and the numbers of ad“consolidation” in its ministrations around report. the state and allow But it didn’t take those administrators long for members of to determine which schools need to move, the House and Senchange or whatever.” ate education comThe task force remittees to figure out SCHOOLS port, which was rethat’s what one of the group’s recommendations leased to the public last week, includes a recomwas all about. “We specifically did not mendation to study “adpersonnel say consolidation or use ministration that word because it has
By Peter Hancock
phancock@ljworld.com
Please see TASK FORCE, page 2A
Richard Gwin/Journal-World Photo
CORY WHITE, LEFT, AND RULAND BURD, both of Lawrence, play Frisbee in summer clothes Monday at Watson Park. The temperature on Monday reached 75 degrees, a record for Jan. 28 in Lawrence.
75 and sunny — in January By Matt Erickson merickson@ljworld.com
Stephen Dowdell has lived in Lawrence for all of his 64 years, and he swears he’s never seen a January day as warm as Monday. He’s right. The National Weather Service office in Topeka reported that temperatures reached 75 degrees by early Monday afternoon, eclipsing the record high for the month of January. The previous mark, set originally in 1939 and matched in 2003, was 74 degrees.
Monday’s temps shot far past the previous record for the date, Jan. 28. The old mark of 67 degrees was set back in 1917. Dowdell’s two granddaughters, 4-year-old twins, were among about 15 children running, climbing and sliding on playground equipment at Watson Park about 2:15 p.m. Monday. He said it became clear early in the day that they would no longer need the winter coats they were wearing when they set out in the morning. Monday’s weather was just
— Reporter Shaun Hittle contributed to this story.
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High: 60
“weird,” he said, not that he’s complaining. It’s a far cry from some of the winter days he remembers from his childhood, he said, when the snow would come up to his waist. “If they had water in the swimming pool, I would probably go jump in that,” Dowdell said, eyeing the nearby Lawrence Outdoor Aquatic Center. But the pool remained dry — perhaps the lone reminder on this day that it was still January.
Low: 27
Today’s forecast, page 12B
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Homelessness looms as family struggles to get to Northwest, job By Shaun Hittle sdhittle@ljworld.com
During the Ballard Center’s annual Adopt-a-Family Program, several of Don Quesenberry’s children brought in their own piggy banks to help other needy families. “The moment was so moving, it brought us to tears,” said Kyle Roggenkamp, program director at the Ballard Center. “They needed that money.” Now the Ballard Center is trying to return the favor. Quesenberry, 40, of Lawrence and his wife, Rachel, 37, and their seven children
Don Quesenberry were left scrambling when Don lost his managerial job in Lawrence in September. The family had moved to the area from Colorado two years ago for the job, which was now gone. After a few months of unPlease see FAMILY, page 4A
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Vol.155/No.29 24 pages