Author: Fred Atchison

Rod Hofer is a retired Environmental Engineer who has made a study of his Hutterite heritage. Rod grew up in Freeman, South Dakota, the site of a Hutterite Community. Through the years his interest grew and was stimulated by work and travel in Europe. Rod went on to author “Hutterites in Romania” and to lead tours of the communities where they lived. The Hutterites were a branch of the Anabaptist movement of the 1600s which also included the Mennonites and Amish. Their beliefs put them at odds with the established church and governments, resulting in severe persecution. They were pacifists, and refused to make oaths, they believed in adult baptism and the separation of church and state. They were communal people, holding material goods in common. Some local princes offered shelter for the group who were famous for their clocks, pottery, wine, medical expertise and schools. However, their beliefs brought down devastation and a mere 78 members had to flee over the alps in 1716. After a stay in Russia they came to America, settling in South Dakota. Their pacifism caused trouble in World War I and many of the group resettled in Canada. Today there are some 50,000 Hutterites in North America.

Local Lawrence History was a passionate interest for retired Professor Dennis Domer, and retirement from Kansas University finally gave him time to launch an ambitious local history of the City of Lawrence. Embattled Lawrence: Conflict and Community (2001) was the first of a planned four volume history of a culturally and historically unique community. It focuses on settlement, The Border War and Civil War periods. The book was well received and a revised and reprinted copy will be available soon. Volume II, Embattled Lawrence: The Enduring Struggle for Freedom, is now available at the Raven Bookstore. It covers significant Lawrence institutions, civil rights and Haskell Indian Nations University. A third volume, Building the City, is planned with more articles by local experts and a fourth volume will be a compilation of historical photographs from various sources.

Dennis Domer believes history should not be “sugar coated” if we are truly to understand ourselves. He works with a team of experts who are committed to the project, which is funded primarily by donations. Profits go to support the work of Watkins Historical Museum.

Each year Rotary District 5710 sponsors Rotary Youth Leadership Awards (RYLA) for a week long summer camp on the campus of Kansas University. High school students are nominated and sponsored by District Rotary Clubs to attend RYLA for the purpose of developing leadership skills and an appreciation for civic engagement. Lawrence Central Rotary Club sponsored two students from Free State High School, sophomore Leah Anderson and senior Koree Shields. Leah and Koree shared their experiences from the June 2-6, 2024 RYLA week. They engaged in small group work on various topics and got to know student participants from Eastern Kansas and Western Missouri. They also worked on service projects like making improvements to area community gardens. Leah and Koree enjoyed the contact with students from other communities and have kept up with new made friends. They also described RYLA as a confidence booster and wished the program could be longer. Club member Leticia Cole was in charge of the club’s RYLA project.

The duo of Officer Kelsey Kemppainen and Civilian Investigator Megan Rubio represented the Blue Santa emergency fund. Blue Santa Program is affiliated with the Lawrence Police Department and is designed to provide emergency assistance to community members when police officers encounter a person in need. The program began as a Christmas gift program but has expanded to assist a variety of hardship situations throughout the year. Officers may for example make a request for assistance for an individual who is in need of groceries or a vehicle repair or has suffered a house fire. A volunteer Board approves the gifts and Blue Santa is totally donor financed. Since the programs inception in 2011, 1,576 families and 3,730 children have been served, $53,853 grocery gift cards awarded and $17,462 of other assistance provided.

Kevin Drewelow is the Director of the Combat Air Museum, located at Forbes Field in Topeka. Drewelow is retired from the Kansas National Guard, having served in Saudi Arabia and Iraq. The Combat Air Museum is a nonprofit educational institution that preserves and displays historical combat aircraft and related artifacts. The Museum contains forty-seven aircraft, numerous educational displays, a flight simulator, and educational programs for all ages. Young Aviator classes and Girls in Aviation Day are well attended annual programs. The location of the Museum at an active air field is a particular advantage as it allows participation in active flying events, including Air Force fighter aircraft and Army Kansas National Guard transports. The Combat Air Museum offers a unique opportunity to be immersed in aviation history.