Lawrence Journal-World 11-27-13

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City gives Wakarusa roundabout thumbs up By Chad Lawhorn clawhorn@ljworld.com

his chance of getting there by car. So he walked, from near the Kansas Union to downtown in the snow. That practice would come in handy. In 2002, he began walking

Lawrence city commissioners peered into the future Tuesday night and agreed that it includes a roundabout on one of the busier streets in West Lawrence. On a 4-1 vote, commissioners approved plans for a dual-lane roundabout — a first in the city — at Wakarusa Drive and Inverness/Legends drive. Work is expected to begin in 2014. Commissioners agreed CITY that the intersection doesn’t COMMISSION currently meet the traffic volumes to require a roundabout, but a majority said they believe they can save money by building the roundabout today as part of a larger project to rebuild a portion of Wakarusa Drive. “Right now, we don’t need it, but in the future we are going to need it,� City Commissioner Terry Riordan said. “If we wait to build a roundabout later that will be one of the most expensive options we have.� City engineers recommended that the

Please see RETIRING, page 2A

Please see TRAFFIC, page 2A

Mike Yoder/Journal-World Photo

DOWNTOWN LAWRENCE MAIL CARRIER JERRY TOTTEN, left, informs Brit Kring, owner of Kring’s Interior Fashion Center, 634 Massachusetts St., that Totten will be retiring Friday from the U.S. Postal Service after 43 years.

Downtown mailman retiring ‘It won’t be the same without him’

By Giles Bruce gbruce@ljworld.com

Jerry Totten started saying his goodbyes Tuesday. The longtime downtown Lawrence mailman walked the route he has trekked thousands of times over the past 11 years, bidding adieu to many familiar faces.

Totten’s last day with the U.S. Postal Service is Friday, ending a career that almost didn’t start. In 1970, he was a Kansas University student when he had a carrier exam scheduled at the post office. Trouble was, a snowstorm wrecked

Lighting of 7-foot ice menorah among Hanukkah events By Sara Shepherd sshepherd@ljworld.com

The theme of this year’s community Hanukkah celebration is fire and ice, and the key feature will be a menorah made of ice that will be set alight.

The event, organized by Chabad Center for Jewish Life, is set for Sunday at the Lawrence Arts Center, 940 New Hampshire St. Outside, ice carvers will create a 7-foot ice menorah beginning at 2 p.m. City officials will light the menorah at 5 p.m. An indoor Hanukkah celebration

featuring food, music and entertainment will follow at 5:30 p.m. Hanukkah is a fitting holiday for a community celebration, Rabbi Zalman Tiechtel of Chabad Center said. “What’s unique about Hanukkah versus all other Jewish holidays is that its message is very universal,� he said. “Every

person has the right to express their beliefs.� The eight-day celebration of Hanukkah, known as the Festival of Lights, begins Wednesday evening this year and thus overlaps with Thanksgiving Day — an extremely rare calendar occurrence. The daily lighting of eight-

branched candelabras called menorahs symbolizes the triumph over religious oppression the Jews won when they recaptured their temple from the Syrian Greeks. The Hanukkah story says the enemy desecrated all but enough oil to burn for one Please see HANUKKAH, page 2A

Holiday season starts in earnest this week

T

he holidays kick off in a big way in Lawrence this week, so start planning now to fit it all in.

Thursday

Celebrations are the order of the day as families gather for Thanksgiving and the first day of Hanukkah. For those who can’t wait to start shopping, Wal-Mart (open all day), Best Buy (6 p.m.), Kohl’s, JCPenney and Target (8

p.m.) are among the stores willing to oblige. Don’t miss the JournalWorld, which will contain Holiday Happenings, the annual guide to local holiday events, plus 37 advertising circulars. The KU men’s basketball team takes on Wake Forest at 2:30 p.m. as the Battle 4 Atlantis tournament begins in the Bahamas.

Friday

Several stores open at 6

a.m. for the traditional shopping rush. Top off the day with a visit downtown, where Final Friday collides with Black Friday. At 6 p.m. the ceremonial switchflipping for holiday lights at Ninth and Massachusetts leads to the arrival of Santa Claus atop Weaver’s Department Store. Firefighters will climb up and fetch him so he’ll be available for visits and photos with his admirers. The Bizarre Bazaar celebrates 25 years of funky, eclectic arts and crafts

from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the Lawrence Arts Center; it continues Saturday.

Saturday

Head to locally owned small businesses on Small Business Saturday. Downtown Lawrence Inc. plans a kickoff party and “cash mob,� (see story, Page 2A). The popular Van Go Mobile Arts Inc. Adornment Sale begins at 7 p.m., 715 New Jersey St., then runs daily 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. through Dec. 23.

Check out our recipes for turkey and all the trimmings on pages 8-10B

INSIDE

Plenty of sun Business Classified Comics Deaths

High: 32

2A 1C-8C 9A 2A

Events listings Food Horoscope Movies

10A, 2B 8B-10B 7C 4A

Opinion Puzzles Sports Television

8A 7C 1B-7B 10A, 2B, 7C

Low: 18

Today’s forecast, page 10A

Competent to stand trial

Vol.155/No.331 36 pages

A 67-year-old Lawrence man charged with first-degree murder in the Nov. 5 shooting death of his wife has been found competent to stand trial. Page 3A

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