Lawrence Central Rotary

Category: What’s So Great About Lawrence

Live Well Lawrence Celebrates 5 Years!
You are cordially invited to the fifth anniversary celebration of LiveWell Lawrence. The celebration will be from 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 15, at Abe and Jake’s Landing, 8 E. Sixth St., in downtown Lawrence.

LiveWell Lawrence is a coalition of more than 100 community members who are working together to make it easier for Douglas County residents to eat healthy foods, be physically active and live tobacco free.

The celebration’s program begins at 5:15 p.m. and will include:
- Welcome — Hank Booth
- Bringing the vision of LiveWell to life — Marilyn Hull, of Douglas County Community Foundation
- LiveWell, today and tomorrow — Cindy Johnson, chair of LiveWell Lawrence
- LiveWell, a state leader — Jeff Usher, of Kansas Health Foundation, and Robert Moser, MD, secretary of the Kansas Department of Health and Environment
- Community impact — Douglas County Commissioner Mike Gaughan and Lawrence Mayor Michael Dever
- Special recognition of Marilyn Hull
We hope you can attend the event and celebrate our community’s successes, which include passage of a Complete Streets Policy in Lawrence, adoption of school marathon clubs and school gardens, and establishment of WorkWell Lawrence, a network of employers who are working together to create a culture of health in the workplace.

There will be free food and beverages along with information booths about community activities ranging from school gardens and bicycling to workplace wellness and transportation planning. It’s a great opportunity to network and learn about LiveWell!

Lawrence Central Rotary and Ride Lawrence will be set up with information about local biking and other exciting giveaways!

RSVP on Facebook here.

Help us promote the celebration. Download and share the event flyer here.
September 30, 2013
What’s so great about Lawrence? Ask Jim Peters about the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute

The Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at the University of Kansas offers short courses and special events specially developed for folks age 50 and over. This fall, Lawrence residents can enjoy 17 courses held at the KU Continuing Education Building, at 1515 St. Andrews Drive (near Kasold and Bob Billings Parkway) and Brandon Woods Retirement Community at 1501 Inverness Drive.

Courses are usually three weekly, two-hour sessions (e.g. three Tuesdays from 2-4 p.m.). Topics vary widely from the Vietnam War to Herman Melville and Walt Whitman; from digital photography to cowboys, Indians and homesteaders; and from the lost Gospels to Winston Churchill. For a full schedule of courses and descriptions or more information, please visit www.osher.ku.edu.

In addition to Lawrence, Osher Institute courses are also offered in 17 other cities in Kansas and Great Kansas City, including Topeka, Ottawa, Overland Park, Lenexa, and Olathe. For more information, contact Jim Peters at 785-864-9142 or jimpeters@ku.edu.

August 17, 2013
What’s so great about Lawrence? Ask Lawrence Central Rotary about the Community Bike ride.
“The old song says “The best things in life are free!” and this is true of one of the best things about summer in Lawrence, the Central Rotary Community Bike Ride, July 20 at the Rotary Arboretum by the YSC Soccer fields at Clinton Park. With no charge of any kind to participants, the Ride offers a morning of family fun and outdoor activity, as well as promoting safe cycling.

Cyclists have three rides to choose from, all traveling along the South Lawrence Trafficway bike path, a wide paved surface that is “car-free.”
- The first ride begins at 8 a.m. and is a 10-mile ride that travels near I-70 and back.
- A three-mile family ride begins at 8:30 a.m. and goes to the Clinton Lake Overlook and back.
- A one-mile easy loop is available between 8 a.m. and 11 a.m. and circles around the arboretum. It also accommodates those who’d just like a brisk walk.
Participants also receive, while supplies last, free t-shirts, helmets, drinks from McDonalds, healthy snacks from the Merc, and free bike tune-ups from on site mechanics. Jim Whittaker, who leads GP VeloTek which is staffing and supporting the Ride, is working on getting free chair massages for cyclists. Cycling experts will conduct “training wheel take-off,” helping the youngest riders learn to ride without training wheels when they’re ready. Safe Kids of Douglas County with Lawrence Memorial Hospital will provide cycling safety tips for kids of all ages.

Central Rotary member Stephen Lane, who has been Bike Ride chairman since its inception three years ago, said all riders will be well cared for, with mobile mechanics and volunteers stationed at the few street crossings. Those in the 10-mile ride will also get food at a SAG (Support and Gear) stop at the five mile point. The SAG stop, promoted by Lawrence Bicycle Club members Justin Graham and Craig Weinaug, will be manned by the Bicycle Club. He suggested riders bring, in addition to bikes in safe working order, water and sunblock. Release letters will be available at the event.

Scott Wagner, also a member of Central Rotary, said the Community Bike Ride was started by a two-year grant from LiveWell Lawrence in March of 2010 and included three parts: building bike racks, creating a website called RideLawrence and a community ride. The Central Rotary Club has funded the ride with a portion of the grant for 2011 and 2012 and is now funding it on its own, as well as installing bike racks in the city.

” We can’t think of a better way to involve families in a healthy, fun activity,” Lane said. “Last year we had 225 cyclists and walkers and we’re hoping to double that this year. We’ve had riders and walkers in their 80s and three year-olds riding on training wheels. Last year we even had a training wheel Superman, red cape and all. Costumes and decorated bikes are welcome. And we’re going to have several surprise guests.”

Riders may download the forms to preregister at www.ridelawrence.com.
July 8, 2013
Central Lawrence Rotary Unveils Another Bike Rack!

As a part of our biking initiative Lawrence Central Rotary identified bicycling as an avenue to a healthy lifestyle. To that end we sponsor the yearly Community Bike Ride, but we also have raised thousands of dollars to fabricate and install bike racks around Lawrence.

We’re happy to share that the latest creation was unveiled recently at the new Theatre Lawrence building on Lawrence’s west side.

Even the bicycle racks for the new Theatre Lawrence have a theatrical theme. The city requires bike racks to be installed for new construction. and rather than purchase generic racks for a very un-generic building. the theatre sought out Lawrence blacksmith artist Kate Dinneen to design something more appropriate for the theatre’s beautiful new building.

Kate Dinneen admiring her vision installed.

Kate, an artist both in a blacksmith forge and also in a symphony orchestra, graciously donated her time and talent to design and fabricate two metal bike racks for Theatre Lawrence.

One suggests actors holding hands and bending forward in a company bow at the end of a performance, and the other is a representation of theatrical spotlights on poles.

The Lawrence Central Rotary Club generously donated the materials, powder coating and installation for the project. Thanks to the interest and participation of Kate Dinneen and Lawrence Central Rotary, the theatre has pieces that not only are fully functional bicycle racks, but also are pieces of sculpture that add to the exterior beauty of the new building .

The backstage rack suggests actors holding
hands and bending downward in a company bow at the end of a performance.

Lawrence Central Rotary members (R-L) Lynn O’Neal, Eva Wagner, Scott Wagner, Carolyn DeSalvo, Steve Lane and his son Grant.

Scanned page from the event’s program talking about the building and the bike racks.

June 19, 2013
The Tour of Lawrence

If you think Kansas is all flat, think again! Enjoy bicycle racing at its best in beautiful and historic Lawrence. The Tour of Lawrence is a set of three separate USA Cycling Pro-AM competitive bicycle racing events. 5 years ago a really neat event had it’s inception. Some people wondered whether the city of Lawrence could sponsor and eventually sustain a mid-summer bike race (in and around the 4th of July)? The weekend of June 28th will mark the 5th anniversary and it’s still going strong.

The TOL actually consists of three competitive bicycle racing events and the weekend’s cash prize list totals over $20,000!

— on Friday night downtown are the Street Sprints sponsored this year by Laird Noller Automotive

— on Saturday, the challenging the KU Campus Circuit Race sponsored by Meadowbrook Apartments goes up and down the hills of Mt. Oread with over 400ft of climbing per lap and is this year’s KCA’s Kansas State Category Road Race Championships

— on Sunday, the Downtown Criterium sponsored by Free State Brewery is using the former two-time Collegiate National Championships course and this year’s KCA’s Kansas State Category Criterium Championships

If you’re not a competitive bike rider there’s lots of other opportunities.. You can volunteer to help at the TOL’s site http://www.touroflawrence.com/volunteers.php

Lawrence Central Rotary and one of our initiative’s Ride Lawrence is sponsoring the free Kid’s Zone on Friday night and Sunday. The fine folks from Lawrence’s Jump for Joy will have inflatables set up for the kids and it’s free! There’s also a host of other kids events that weekend. Click on the image below for more info, times & places!

June 18, 2013