Lawrence Central Rotary

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  • Oury Takes Pride in Lawrence-Douglas County Housing Authority

    There is so much that Shannon Oury, Executive Director of the Lawrence-Douglas County Housing Authority, is proud of in this community. She also knows how much work is left to do.

    LDCHA, which recently celebrated its 50 anniversary, serves 1,250 families monthly through owned and managed properties. 73 percent of people served are considered extremely low income, making $15,000 or less as a household. Programs are 99 percent full, with waiting lists.

    Oury shared that she has always been “pulled to this work.” While she taught at the University of Kansas Law School and worked as a practicing lawyer, she served on the board and as the attorney for LDCHA. When the previous Executive Director announced she was stepping down, Oury realized how much it mattered to her that the organization’s work continues.

    She’s especially proud of the Moving to Work (MTW) program, which provides a flexible structure for LDCHA to provide support and resources based on where the individual or family is at, whether that be rental assistance, job training, bikes and bike trailers, computer access, or counseling. The transitional program also has a wonderful success rate, with 83 percent of participants transitioning into stable housing after completing the 24-month program.

  • Open House with Brenners

    George Brenner, a longtime member of Lawrence Central Rotary, retains his membership in the club even though he and his wife Mary Ann now live in Richmond, VA.  When the Brenners visited Lawrence recently, club members met for a potluck meal to reconnect.

  • Driving to Keep Bicyclists Safe

    Be predictable!  Kirsten Yunuba Stephens underlines that advice to all bicyclists and to those who share the road with them.

    Stephens volunteers her time to teach “Bicycle Friendly Drivers” in Lawrence on behalf of the Lawrence Bicycle Club.  Based on a program developed by the City of Fort Collins, CO, the course briefs drivers of cars and other motorized vehicles about the rules of the road when they encounter bicyclists.  The hour-long interactive class is “aimed at educating all drivers on the best and safest ways to share the road with people on bicycles.”  Kirsten has incorporated photographs of Lawrence streets to help learners envision problem situations.

    Many drivers are surprised to learn that:

    • Bicyclists must follow the same rules of the road that cars and other vehicles do.
    • Bicyclists can legally “take the lane” and ride in the middle of road.
    • It’s okay for two bicyclists to ride side by side.
    • Cars should stay at least three feet away from bicyclists.
    • Many accidents occur when vehicle drivers making a right-hand turn don’t check for cyclists coming on their right.  

  • Helmet Fitting with a Chill

    Lawrence Central Rotarians braved the cold morning on Saturday, April 7, to fit bicycle helmets for children who attended the Joy Ride sponsored by Gravel Grinders.

  • Haitian and US History Entwined

    Cecile Accilien, Ph.D., is Associate Professor and Director of the Institute of Haitian Studies in the Department of African and African-American Studies at KU.  Although born in Haiti, she has lived in states all across the United States.  She urged Rotarians and political leaders to reject negative stereotypes about Haiti, learn about the country’s distinguished history and connection to the United States, and understand how that history has resulted in Haiti’s situation in the world today.

    Several hundred Haitians fought on the side of American revolutionaries in 1779 at the Battle of Savannah, Georgia. A statue was erected in 2010 in downtown Savannah commemorating the event.

    Haiti is the world’s first black republic.  Its slave revolution won independence from France in 1804, making it the second independent nation in the Western Hemisphere after the United States. The United States waited nearly 50 years to recognize Haiti’s independence, fearing a contagion that would inspire American slaves to rise up to an even greater degree.

    President Thomas Jefferson was able to buy the Louisiana Purchase from France in 1803 because Napoleon had lost control of Haiti (then known as Saint-Domingue) due to the courageous fight of the Haitian people.  The “gingerbread architecture” of homes in Louisiana, language, food, and religion all had roots in Haiti.

    For 19 years (1915-1934), the United States occupied Haiti, completely controlled the country, and rewrote its constitution to benefit American economic interests. Haiti was a powerhouse supplier of sugar, rum, and indigo to its northern neighbor.

    In Fall 2018, an art exhibition at the Spencer Museum of Art at KU will highlight “The Ties that Bind:  Haiti, the United States, and the Art of Ulrick Jean-Pierre in Comparative Perspective.”  The exhibition notes explain that “both the United States and Haiti were impacted by complex encounters among European colonizers, Indigenous populations, and enslaved peoples. These nations share common revolutions for independence and violent but ultimately successful attempts to abolish slavery. The ongoing migration of citizens between Haiti and the United States has led to hybrid forms of architecture, language, food, and religion.”

     

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