Author: Fred Atchison

Rotary District Governor Tamara Jo Sevcik made her 23rd member club visit Wednesday and urged Rotarians to “tell your story”. She reported that the Rotary clubs in District 5710 are robust, creative, diverse and productive. Tamara is a member of the Leavenworth club where she has been an active member since 2010. She is a past club President and has served on numerous local and District projects. Tamara stressed the importance of club outreach and enhancing participation. Local Rotary clubs are doing good things in their communities and in the world and clubs need to be able to adapt to a changing world. Membership growth and maintaining members and supporting the Foundation are vital to Rotary success. She cited the impact of the District Anti Human Trafficking Committee and urged attendance at the October 24-26 District Conference.

City of Lawrence Parking Manager Bradley Harrell spoke about proposed changes to the present parking enforcement system. The rules for parking and the citation process would be largely unchanged but the current court and warrant system would be eliminated. Instead the City would rely on a boot system to immobilize a vehicle with three or more unpaid tickets in a 60 day period. The boot will be self releasable upon payment of the fine. The proposed system is seen as faster and more cost effective and work better for out of town visitors. The fine appeal process will be extended and easy to access. A month long 50% amnesty program is also proposed. Bradley spoke about the work of Downtown Ambassadors which is a volunteer program that conducts weekly maintenance and beautification in the downtown parking environment. Bradley stressed the importance of an efficient parking program that insures turnover of downtown parking. The proposed changes will be taken up at a future City Commission Meeting.

When Audrey Coleman goes to work at the Dole Center for Politics she confronts a huge stained glass American Flag flanked on either side by steel beams salvaged from the wreckage of the World Trade Center. The tragedy of that day, for her, is always close at hand. Audrey is Director of the Dole Center and a member of Lawrence Central Rotary. Audrey shared some thoughts on the events of 9/11 and lead a session of personal reflections by club members. 9/11 is one of those momentous events that are unforgettable for those old enough to have had the experience. Audrey reviewed the time line of events and asked people to share their memories of that day. Several people believed it was a terrible accident until the second tower was struck. Millions watched the drama unfold in real time and there was fear and uncertainty about the extent of the attacks. Some reflected on the sacrifice of first responders and the protracted retaliation of the United States. Audrey expressed the importance of personal agency and measured discourse in moving our country forward. She credited historian Rick Atkinson with the line “holding the cause of the dead in trust.”

Lawrence Central Rotary’s own Lynn O’Neal stepped in on short notice to talk about the impact of eye disease in the Western world. Lynn is a retired Doctor of Opthamology who loves history, literature, travel and the arts. Lynn spoke about different pathologies of the eye and mentioned several examples of historical figures who were impacted by eye problems. King Henry II of France lost an eye in a joust while author James Joyce suffered thirteen eye operations and had to dictate his work in later years. Artist Claude Monet was beset by cataracts and Lynn showed how cataracts impacted Monet’s work as he aged. James Thurber and John Muir suffered auto-immunes diseases of the eye. One of the more curios figures in the history of eye disease treatment was Dr. Albert C. Barnes who invented a treatment to prevent blindness in infants. Barnes made a fortune and amassed a remarkable collection of Impressionist art. Lynn and his wife Debbie had an opportunity to visit sites in France where various Impressionists lived and worked. He and Debbie also traveled through the Loire River Valley and to Brittany and the shared samples of one of their favorite French wines.

The Senior Resource Center of Douglas County (SRC) provides variety of resources for Seniors according to Executive Director Megan Poindexter. The SRC is a non profit that has served Seniors in Douglas since 1972. Megan explained that there are two categories of aging, healthy and unhealthy, and there are SRC resources for both. The transition to unhealthy aging can be sudden and can leave people scrambling to deal with the loss of income, mobility and health. So STC provides information on health insurance, living options, in-home care, support groups and transportation. Regardless of health status, Seniors need social engagement and SRC offers a variety of clubs, special events and life long learning opportunities. The county is the largest source of funding and SRC works with numerous partners. SRC services and activities are listed in Better Senior Living, a free newsletter.