Scott Sewell directs the Kansas Main Street Program within the Kansas Department of Commerce. Focused on fostering local initiatives to preserve and promote local downtowns and other community assets, Sewell says that the Main Street Program is an excellent economic development tool. Initiatives aim to be comprehensive, high-quality, incremental self-help efforts, most often combining both public and private investment. Kansas Main Street provides technical assistance while community members do the envisioning, planning, and implementation.
Jim Peters died on September 4, 2023. Lawrence Central Rotary members mourned his death and celebrated his life at a recent meeting. Not only was Jim a dear friend to members, he was a consummate Rotarian. Although every Rotary club has members who personify the good will and friendship that Rotarians hold dear, Jim was one of the special people who played that role for our club.
Jim was the person who noticed when someone was sad or struggling and took time to give a hug and word of encouragement. He took time to form friendships that extended beyond the weekly meetings themselves. Known for telling jokes that aroused groans as well as a chuckle, he always had a new funny story to share at the end of the meeting.
As club members talked about Jim, many recalled his warm welcome. Because he served as chair of the program committee, Jim was the person who greeted speakers when they arrived with a smile and a handshake, ensuring a good impression of the warmth and energy in the club. Jim also took the next step to invite presenters to join the club, and many newer members said that his invitation was their reason for doing so.
Programs at Lawrence Central Rotary were rich with variety and deep with local history and current connections, reflecting Jim’s love of history and wide range of connections in the community. Jim himself was the presenter at the last meeting that he attended, telling the story of publishing the fourth edition of his book about Arlington National Cemetery.
Jim joined Rotary in March 2013, moving quickly into leadership and serving as President from 2016-2017. Beyond his time on the board, Jim was key to numerous club initiatives.
Jim was the cyclist who led the family ride during the annual community bike rides sponsored by the club.
He rang the bell for the Salvation Army on the day of the holiday parade downtown, singing carols to all passersby.
He showed up for work days at the Rotary Arboretum and was an unfailing advocate for the arboretum itself.
Since the inception of the club’s ownership of the Lawrence Kids Calendar, Jim was the key sales contact to solicit advertising for the website.
When the club took on the responsibility of running the “Santa Rescue” in downtown Lawrence each November, it was Jim who decided that the club should not only collect letters to Santa during the rescue event, but also send each child a response. The evening when club members gathered to write return postcards to those Santa letters was a jolly time for all.
Justine Burton told Rotarians about her life experiences she had in her life that inspired her to set up StopGap, Inc., a nonprofit that supports kids who are aging out of the state’s foster care program. Justine is its founder and CEO.
Sarah Bell spoke about the Kansas Museum of History where she has just taken the position of Director of Education and Museum. Although the museum is currently closed for a major renovation, she encourages everyone to plan a visit once the changes are complete in 2024.
Sarah showed images of the displays in the museum prior to the current renovation. The museum displays sought to provide information in chronological order. The focus was on key artifacts and used interactive elements intended to stimulate conversations about what is historically significant. The John Brown exhibit, for example, asked questions about whether Brown was a hero or a terrorist. A teepee and a grass lodge show the way that Native Americans lived. A locomotive positioned in the center of the museum underlines the key roll that the railroad played in Kansas history. William Allen White’s printing press was
These artifacts and many others will continue to be on display, but the new arrangement will emphasize themes over time rather than chronology.
Central Rotarian Scott Wagner assumed the role of manager of the Lawrence Regional Airport last fall in addition to his duties as a Management Analyst for the City. He clearly is an excellent cheerleader for the airport, able to tout statistics about operations and about the economic impact of the airport, well as describe the many aviation-related events that have taken place recently.
The airport sits on 492 acres north of Lawrence. Although it does not provide any commercial service, it is a base for charter services and repairs of charter planes. Hetrick Air Services and Eurotec are there, and LifeStar air ambulance keeps staff and a helicopter on site.
The airport was established in 1929, and its terminal was built in the 1980s. FAA grant money will soon allow improvements to the terminal and the parking area.
Scott reports that there have been a variety of tours and open houses at the airport during the past year, an Aviation Youth Camp sponsored by Parks and Rec, and fly-in events such as the Air Race Classic and the Kansas Air Tour. “Unite and Take Flight” offered airplane and helicopter rides as a fundraiser for United Way of Douglas County, bringing many residents to the airport for the first time.
Scott poses with his wife and fellow Central Rotarians in front of a Eurotec helicopter at the United Way event.
