Author: Fred Atchison

Jack Altman is in his 70’s and has no intention of slowing down. Ten months ago Altman took over the The Lawrence Public Library’s program for retirees which is intended to offer older citizens opportunities to socialize, meet new people and have fun. The program is sponsored by the library, funded by grants and schedules 12-18 events a month. The activities are free and boasts some 1,020 participants. Many of the programs are repeating, such as Stitch and Itch which involves a gathering of all manner of needle point enthusiasts at S and S Artisan Pub and Coffee House; Gray Anatomy, a session with a Lawrence Memorial Hospital presenter on a health topic of interest; Tech Club, which utilizes Library IT professionals who demystify technology; Dessert and a Movie is a popular discussion group for movie lovers, Coffee Break is for folks up for a coffee and a chat, and wine around the world is all about good wine and travel. Many of the offerings are available on Zoom or involve short day trips. Altman, a retired business man, clearly loves this work. More information is available at lplks.org/retirement.

Maddie Lockett is a social worker employed by the Lawrence Humane Society to assist people in retaining their pets due to a crisis situation. This represents a new role for the shelter, as keeping pets and owners together is good for the community. A Crisis Retention Fund was established that relies on donations to fund this important task. Maddie works with pet owners to provide emergency vet care, emergency boarding, essential pet supplies, pet deposits for rentals, and behavior consulting. LHS also sponsors low cost vaccine clinics, homeless outreach and a pet food pantry. People may apply for services as walk-ins or on line or may be referred by one of the LHS’s partner organizations. Partners include Just Food, Senior Resource Center, Bert Nash, rural communities and teachers. Preserving dignity and trust building are key good client service. Maddie is a graduate of Kansas University and worked domestic violence and human trafficking before joining the LHS. Maddie lives in Lawrence and has a “pirate” cat named Kelly.

Ryan Guirlinger, U.S. Department of State, visited Lawrence for several speaking engagements and spoke to LCR on the war in Ukraine. Guirlinger is uniquely qualified as he is head of the Office on Eastern European Affairs. His primary task is the day-to-day management of of the nation’s policy on Ukraine. Russia’s attack on Ukraine is actually an attack on the international order, and the Congressional aid response has been generous. Much of the military aid provided comes from existing military stockpiles. Significant Congressional funds are being used to rebuild those military stockpiles. NATO support is also strong for Ukraine and the alliance has added Finland as a new member with Sweden considering membership.

Guirlinger spoke about his career, noting that he speaks five languages and had postings in Morocco, Algeria, Turkey and Honduras. Istanbul was his most enjoyable posting. The State Department maintains a policy of rotating officers and periodically returning them for duty the the States. Guirlinger was raised in North Carolina and took degrees from the University of Maryland-College Park and Syracuse University. He was very complimentary of Rotary’s international work.

Dr. Frank Arpan provided an update on the operation and future plans for Haskell Indian Nations University. Arpan was promoted to the Presidency after serving as Vice President of Academics. He previously served as Dean of Academics at Sisseton Wahpeton College in South Dakota and is a tribal member of the Yankton Sioux. Presently, 879 students are enrolled at Haskell with 146 tribes represented. Tuition is free which makes a degree attainable at a very reasonable cost. Degrees are available in Social Work, Community Health, Communications, Elementary Teacher Education, American Indian Studies and Environmental Science.

Arpan expressed concerns about the road ahead. He noted that Haskell is directly under federal government control, which he believes has had a negative impact on the academic role of the university. While many tribes are represented in the student population, some 400 tribes are not. And no new degree program has been added for the last twenty five years. Accordingly, Haskell is exploring a cooperative agreement with Peaslee Tech. Arpan closed his remarks stating that the Haskell community is looking forward to celebrating a 140th anniversary.

Kansas has a history of the presence and contributions of Spanish speaking peoples. The city of Lawrence has La Yarda, a vanished community of Mexican American railroad workers and their families. Araceli Masterson-Algar, Associate Professor of Latinx Studies at Kansas University, spoke about La Yarda and the continuing quest of Mexican Americans to be accepted and appreciated in America. La Yarda was located in east Lawrence between the railroad tracks and the Kansas River. Families lived in a single room in a multi-unit wooden structure. There were no city services or improvements and a shared water pump was the only source of water. Residents made the best of their situation by sharing a sense of community. They also cultivated gardens and children played where they could. Residents experienced discrimination in the school system and in other public settings, like the local swimming pool. In 1951 a flood destroyed the community and it was not rebuilt.

Currently there are numerous efforts to document and honor the history of La Garda. Masterson-Algar also spoke of the larger impact of Spanish and Mexican American culture. She provided numerous examples of the problem of continuing discrimination in our country. Masterson-Algar earned her doctorate at the University of Arizona and her research work is on human mobility, urban culture, social movements and migrant communities.