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Chad Lawhorn clawhorn@ljworld.com
LMH knows how to recruit talent
A
ll different types of emergencies happen at Lawrence Memorial Hospital, as you might imagine. But perhaps one that hasn’t crossed your mind is when a staff member gets a call to go find a talking fish and take it to the hospital’s CEO. Don’t feel bad if that one slipped up on you. Chances are, you don’t know a thing about recruiting a doctor. Yes, come to find out, a talking fish can be quite helpful in the process. Yeah, we’re talking about the same type of talking fish. Those beautiful pieces of art where a plastic fish is mounted on a plaque. You push a button, the fish starts moving, and you find out that Billy the Bass is a baritone. Gene Meyer, president and CEO of LMH, recalls that he was helping recruit one particular physician a few years ago. Somehow Meyer gets the extremely helpful piece of information that this doctor really likes talking fish. Meyer, of course, does what any good administrator would do. He gets his people working Please see HOSPITAL, page 2A
By Chad Lawhorn clawhorn@ljworld.com
Richard Gwin/Journal-World Photos
MATTIE NEELY, OF LAWRENCE, HAS A PASSION for making people happy through helping brides and decorating weddings on a budget. Neely spends countless hours putting together flowers, beads, bows and other wedding decor. BELOW: Neely makes a ribbon. “I’ve always liked to create things,” Neely said. “I just do it for fun. There’s no pay in it. I’m blessed by it, just by watching the happiness people get.”
Woman helps make dream ceremonies a reality for cheap By Rebekka Schlichting rschlichting@ljworld.com
Lucille Stewart, of Lawrence, said she felt like royalty on her wedding day — despite spending only $1,000. Stewart’s purple-, forest green- and cream-colored wedding looked a lot more expensive than it was thanks to Mattie Neely, a Lawrence resident whose hobby is decorating and helping brides who are on a limited budget. “She takes this tiny, little, nothing building and turns it into a princess land,” said Jean Ann Pike, the store manager at the Social Service League in Lawrence, where Neely is a volunteer. “It is beautiful: incredible amounts of lace, flowers and ribbons. It just looks like every little
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his wife, Elaine Winn, helped Neely decorate the wedding. “Mattie and the pastor’s wife explained to me what a wedding was and what to expect,” Stewart said. “They helped me pick out a nicePlease see WEDDING, page 2A
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girl’s dream come true.” For Stewart, it was a dream come true and more. Her wedding was held at the Praise Temple Church of God, 315 E. Seventh St., in 2010. The Rev. Paul Winn married the Stewarts, while
Several Lawrence city commissioners have said they’re confident a majority of residents support a plan to build a $25 million regional recreation center in northwest Lawrence, even though the project won’t be put up for a citywide vote. The upcoming Lawrence City Commission election may provide a clue about whether their sentiment is correct. The Journal-World this week found that the field of City Commission candidates is fairly evenly divided on the project that would build a 181,000-squarefoot recreation center, lighted tennis courts and other amenities adjacent to the proposed Rock Chalk Park development that will house Kansas University track, soccer and softball facilities. Of the nine City Commission candidates interviewed by the Journal-World, four of them — Mike Amyx, Scott Criqui, Michael Rost and Leslie Soden — expressed significant reservations about the size, scope or financial aspects of the project. The remaining five — Judy Bellome, Rob Chestnut, Jeremy Farmer, Reese Hays and Terry Riordan — either expressed various levels of support or were noncommittal about the project. Candidates were fairly united on the idea that the city had a shortage of indoor recreation space but were split on whether the city should address those needs through a large regional recreation center or through a more traditional neighborhood center. Candidates also were divided on whether the recreation center issue will become a major issue in the upcoming City Commission campaign, which will have a Feb. 26 primary election to narrow the field from 11 to six. Three commissioners will be chosen by voters in the April 2 general election. Current city commissioners have indicated they may decide whether to Please see PARK, page 6A
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Schools have large cash reserve
Vol.155/No.27 36 pages
The Lawrence school district ended the last fiscal year with $55 million in unencumbered cash reserves. Page 3A
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