Category: News

Burdett Loomis loves to talk politics.  As a professor in KU’s department of political science, he has made a career of doing just that.  In addition, his periodic editorials in the Lawrence Journal World provide a forum where he can display his opinions.

In a recent column in the LJW, Loomis expressed dismay over the priorities that are taking the time of the Kansas legislature during the 2021 session.  In particular, Loomis notes that they are failing to address the issue of expanding Medicaid coverage in the state.  He points out that Kansas is one of only a handful of states refusing federal money to expand Medicaid for the uninsured, a $250,000 loss of revenue to the state.  Instead, the Legislature is spending time on transgender athletes and other “false issues.”

Loomis declares that the Republican Party, state and national, has become the party of obstruction and grievance.  He notes the failure of the GOP to produce a party platform for the 2020 election as proof of his assessment.  The collapse of the moderate wing of the party is largely responsible for the current state of affairs, according to Loomis, and the situation is not likely to change any time soon in his opinion.  As a result, Loomis wonders if the United States has lost the ability to govern itself. 

Local government generally fares better than the state and national levels, according to Loomis, but City of Lawrence government has been somewhat “adrift” in recent years in his opinion.  A primary reason is the current election law that awards commissioners varied term lengths and a one-year mayoral appointment based on the size of the vote count.  He is pleased to hear about discussions to reform the system. 

In addition, Loomis believe that the loss of a locally-owned family newspaper has contributed to leadership decline.  Meanwhile, KU is suffering from a loss of state support and the administration’s focus on new building projects at the expense of maintaining quality faculty.

Sophie Tate began her job as market manager of the Lawrence Farmers’ Market in early 2021.  She grew up in Lawrence, graduating from Free State High School before pursing  a degree at Skidmore College.  She then earned an MA in Public Health and Environmental Health.  

With its origin in 1979, Lawrence Farmers’ Market is the oldest continuously running market in Kansas.  From the start, it was a “producers only” market.  All product inputs are grown, prepared, or crafted in Kansas within 50 miles of Lawrence.  Shoppers will find artisans as well as food producers among the 50 vendors who will begin the season this spring. 

Tate proudly explains that the Lawrence Farmers’ Market supports social, physical, and economic health in the Lawrence community. 

Social:  The Farmers’ Market is a place to gather and to meet friends, to eat and to buy.  The crowd is diverse and family-friendly.  Find music, share information, and exchange ideas.

Physical:  The Market is a destination for all ages and all abilities. Enjoy the outdoors and green space while finding nutritious foods.

Economic:  After shopping for premier goods at the Farmers’ Market, buyers can  then spend time in Downtown Lawrence.  The low cost to participate allows more vendors to sell, introduces new products, and makes businesses more sustainable.  Double Up food coupons support the SNAP program with fresh produce.   

The Saturday market will begin for the season on April 10, 2021, and conclude on November 20.   A Tuesday market will run from May 4 to October 26.  The markets will be open in all kinds of weather. 

On Saturday, markets are located downtown on New Hampshire Street from 7:30 to 11:30 a.m.  On Tuesday, shoppers can find the vendors in South Park from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m.  

Rural Forestry Coordinator Bob Atchison spoke on the mission and activities of the Kansas Forest Service, located in Manhattan on the Kansas State University Campus.  

The State Forest Service serves rural land owners, rural fire districts, communities, forest industries and citizens throughout the state.  The Forest Service is an independent agency within KSU Research and Extension.  Thirty specialists and seasonal workers address a variety of areas of specialization:  forest utilization and marketing, water quality, wild fire prevention and management, community forestry, GIS communication, and outreach.  Ten percent of Kansas is in woodlands, and these vital resources are under constant stress from clearing for agriculture and other development. 

Bob Atchison, brother of LCR member Fred Atchison, earned a degree in Forestry from the University of Missouri and is a second generation Forester.  Bob has received the President’s Award for Excellence from KSU, the National Association of State Forester’s Achievement Award for Resource Management, and was Kansas Wildlife Federation’s 2017 Conservationist of the year.   

Three years ago Bob received a Forestry Grant to attend a two-month course at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government.  Participants included a variety of people working in national and state government, including elected officials, city managers, mayors and agency heads.  Classes focused on the historical relationship between citizens and their government.  Bob cited numerous historical examples of contentious citizen interactions with government.  

Douglas County CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocate) is a non-profit organization that provides comprehensive advocacy for abused and neglected children who are in need of care and under the protection of the court system. Research has shown that kids assigned a CASA volunteer are more likely to do well in school and graduate and are less likely to reenter the court system. Contact with a supportive adult is the key element in improving circumstances.

Erick Vaughn, the new director of Douglas County CASA, noted that the pandemic has had a significant impact on an organization that relies heavily on volunteers. Presently, there are eighty active volunteers and volunteers in training. There is a pressing need for twenty-five additional volunteers as there is a large waiting list of children in need of assistance.

CASA volunteers are appointed by the court and meet regularly with the child. They review records and talk to family members and professionals involved in the case. Volunteers report information to the judge, make recommendations to promote the child’s best interest, and monitor compliance with court orders until the child has been placed in a safe and permanent home.

Volunteers must avoid further trauma for the child and help build resilience. Kids that have experienced neglect and abuse are especially vulnerable; sex trafficking is a particular threat to these kids. Unfortunately, the privatization of state child welfare services has contributed to the problem.

Volunteers are carefully vetted and undergo thirty hours of training and an additional twelve hours of advanced annual training. They come from all walks of life. They must be compassionate, culturally sensitive, and unbiased. Volunteers should be well-organized, and have good recordkeeping and computer skills. They must be reliable and make a good match with the child. A volunteer application form is available on the CASA website.

Dr.  Neela Sandal, founder of the Atma Clinic in Lawrence, discussed the COVID virus and the public health response.  Dr. Sandel says it is important to distinguish between facts and anecdotes when trying to understand COVID. While the public health response to COVID maximizes safety, he believes a more nuanced approach is sometimes needed.

For example, it is understood that advanced age is a significant risk factor for a serious reaction to COVID. However, there are many people over age seventy who have contracted COVID who have experienced relatively mild symptoms. The elderly who do experience serious or life-threatening symptoms exhibit one or more of the following: compromised exercise tolerance, metabolic fitness issues, vitamin D deficiency, cellular nutrition problems, or compromised immune function.

We have learned that COVID behaves like other viruses in its class and is spread primarily by aerosol transmission rather than by touching hard surfaces.  Ninety-nine per cent of cases are asymptomatic.  Children who contract COVID are largely asymptomatic and are not big spreaders.  Mask use, social distancing, and vaccination continue to be important tools in fighting viral spread. 

It is very hard to prove immunity at present.  Evidence suggests that antibodies persist after infection from six months to five years.  Therapies and treatments continue to develop to assist the medical community. 

In conclusion, Dr. Sandal says age is too general an indicator of vulnerability. He emphasizes that asymptomatic spread is rare and that natural infection provides robust immunity. 

Dr. Sandal received his Doctor of Medicine from the University of Kansas and did his Family Medicine Residency at the University of Arizona.  He took additional training in Interactive Medicine.  The Atma Clinic provides a personalized and holistic approach to medicine.