Lawrence Journal-World 05-18-12

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L A W R E NC E

JOURNAL-WORLD ®

75 CENTS

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Proposal puts part of Lawrence in 1st District tween two congressional districts; putting the eastern part in the 3rd U.S. House district and the western part in the 2nd. ONLINE: See the map and video at LJWorld.com Now, Republicans are trying to carve up the city again, but in a differTOPEKA — Ten years ago, the Re- ent way. This time they want to put publican-dominated Legislature split the north and east part of Lawrence Democratic-voting Lawrence be- into the vast 1st U.S. House district, By Scott Rothschild

srothschild@ljworld.com

Mostly sunny

which is one of the most conservative districts in the country and runs to the Kansas-Colorado border. The new proposed congressional redistricting map was approved Thursday by Republicans on the House redistricting committee and may be voted

House Minority Leader Paul Davis, D-Lawrence, called the proposal “another ridiculous attempt at gerrymandering to protect the incumbent members of Congress.”

Please see LAWRENCE, page 2A

Visiting students lend a hand Tax-cut

deal falling apart

By Andy Hyland ahyland@ljworld.com

High: 85

Low: 65

Today’s forecast, page 10A

INSIDE Free State wins regional in OT Free State High School’s girls soccer team fought hard through two overtimes for a coveted prize: a Class 6A regional championship trophy. Page 1B

QUOTABLE

They’ve done quite a bit in Lawrence to make it a better place than it would be otherwise.” — Guy Dresser, of the Lawrence Kiwanis Club, which honored Alice Ann Johnston and Chuck Fisher as the 2012 Substantial Citizens of the Year for their volunteer work. Page 3A

COMING SATURDAY We’ll follow local high school athletes at the state swimming and regional track meets.

FOLLOW US Facebook.com/LJWorld Twitter.com/LJWorld

INDEX Business Classified Comics Deaths Events listings Horoscope Movies Opinion Puzzles Sports Television Vol.154/No.139

10A 4B-10B 9A 2A 10A, 2B 9B 4A 8A 9B 1B-3B, 10B 4A, 2B, 9B 40 pages

As 34 students from Japan are in Lawrence practicing their irregular English verbs, they’re also taking time to pull weeds, help out local farmers and sweep behind some bookshelves. Kansas University’s Applied English Center is hosting the students, who are studying English at Kansai University in Osaka, Japan. Aaron Huerter, a program assistant at the center, said the students are required to complete 50 hours of community service while they are in Lawrence in addition to their course work. “Last week, we took them to some small farms so they could learn about sustainable agriculture,” which is an important part of the local community, Huerter said. David Kapusta-Pofahl, a lecturer at the Applied English Center, said the service requirement came from a professor at the students’ home university who got involved in community service while studying abroad in Lawrence. The professor wanted future generations of students to have a similar experience, Kapusta-Pofahl said, and made the service a requirement. “It’s such a part of our culture, volunteering,” Kapusta-Pofahl said. “If you’re not used to this aspect of our culture, it’s kind of like, ‘Where do you start?’” Mei Egawa, 19, a student from Hyogo, Japan, said she learned how hard farm work could be last week when she visited the Wakarusa Valley Farm about seven miles southwest of Lawrence. “I’ve never been on a farm,” she said.

Associated Press

Richard Gwin/Journal-World Photo

MAYA FUJITA, LEFT, AND WAKANA ABE, of Japan, look over some items as they do some cleaning Thursday at the Social Service League Thrift Store, 905 R.I., as part of their service work for their study abroad program. Last week, she helped collect radishes and weeded around onions. But don’t look for her to become a farmer. “No,” she said. “It was very hard.” On Thursday, she and a group of other students were helping to clean up at the Social Service League Thrift Store, 905 R.I. The group swept and dusted, occasionally getting

gentle reminders from Kapusta-Pofahl to stick to practicing their English without slipping back into Japanese. Jean Ann Pike, the thrift store’s manager, said she appreciated the help, and turned the group loose on the kids’ room, which needed a deep cleaning. “This place does not function without volunteers, period,” Pike said.

Egawa said she hadn’t done much volunteer work before. Along with the various other experiences she’s had with American culture and food (macaroni and cheese is her favorite), she said she hoped to take volunteering back home with her to Japan, too. “I enjoy it,” Egawa said. “I want to do more.”

TOPEKA — An agreement among Kansas legislators on cutting income taxes appeared to be unraveling Thursday, even with pressure building on a reluctant Senate to lay aside many members’ concerns that the reductions would create future budget problems. The deal struck by House and Senate negotiators would drop individual income tax rates and eliminate income taxes for 191,000 partnerships, sole proprie t o r s h i p s LEGISLATURE and other businesses over six years. Senate President Steve Morris, a moderate Hugoton Republican, said he doesn’t like the plan because he sees it as too aggressive and believes it could lead to future budget problems. “It’s the same thing it’s been all session,” Morris said. Republican Gov. Sam Brownback has pushed the GOP-controlled Legislature to cut income taxes to stimulate economic growth. Lawmakers already have approved a plan containing the same elements but making the cuts in one year instead of over six years. Despite some of its provisions, Brownback has promised to sign it and make the numbers work. The Legislature’s research staff has projected that bill, which is on Brownback’s Please see TAX, page 2A

Wakarusa Drive closure to significantly affect traffic By Chad Lawhorn clawhorn@ljworld.com

Energy smart: The Journal-World makes the most of renewable resources. www.b-e-f.org

By John Hanna

West Lawrence motorists may want to begin planning their detour routes for this summer. City officials said a portion of Wakarusa Drive will be completely shut down to traffic during a multimonth project to rebuild a key section of the road. City Engineer Shoeb Uddin said plans call for Wakarusa Drive to be closed to all traffic for

ONE DAY ONLY!

several hundred feet both north and south of the Bob Billings Parkway intersection. “Traffic won’t be able to cross Bob Billings Parkway,” Uddin said. Crews are expected to begin total reconstruction of Wakarusa Drive in either late July or early August. The $1 million project is expected to last two to three months. During that time, one of west Lawrence’s busier northsouth corridors will be split into two sections.

Uddin said the city will post detours that allow motorists to navigate around the Bob Billings intersection. By keeping traffic out of the construction area — as opposed to keeping one lane of traffic open in each direction — the project is expected to be completed faster. Bob Billings Parkway will remain open during the entire project, but motorists on Bob Billings Parkway won’t be able to

Expect delays on Sixth Street Motorists should expect delays along stretches of Sixth Street west of Iowa beginning Monday. City officials announced a project to repave Sixth Street between Iowa and Monterey Way is set to begin Monday and last until early August. Construction crews

Please see DETOUR, page 2A

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will keep one lane of traffic open in each direction through the duration of the project, but city officials are projecting traffic may move slowly along portions of the route. In addition to the repaving, crews also will work to install right-turn lanes at the Sixth and Kasold intersection.


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Lawrence Journal-World 05-18-12 by Lawrence Journal-World - Issuu