The phoenix rises again
This article is one in a series written by a Lawrencian and published by the Ostholsteiner Anzeiger on December 9, 2020. Read the article in German.
by Bob Schumm
German translation by Arne Scholz
The Lawrence City seal portrays a Phoenix bird rising from ashes to immortality. Our current conditions are just that.
In early March of 2020 Lawrence became aware that a very unusual alien force was about to wreck havoc with our city. Covid 19 started slowly throughout the month of March. The state and local governments issued shut down orders for all non- essential businesses. This order included all churches, social organizations, and sporting events. The downtown turned into a ghost town with very few people moving around. No bars or restaurants were open. Churches were closed. Dentist offices and similar type services were closed. This condition lasted throughout April and well into May. In June, because the infection rate was quite low in Douglas County, businesses and other organizations were allowed to partially reopen with strict conditions. Restaurants only served food for pickup to be eaten at home. Retail stores were only allowed five customers at a time in their stores. Churches could allow only a few people to attend services. As the summer progressed, with the Covid case count being fairly low, the city and county allowed more numbers of people to participate in activities and to visit retailers, bars, and restaurants. In the downtown, the city allowed restaurant owners and retailers the use of parking spaces directly adjacent to their operations. This afforded these businesses the additional space to operate and to provide customers with safe distances from one another. Many eateries built elaborate deck structures with special lighting, propane heaters, and an array of potted plants. The spaces are quite attractive.
Matt Hyde, general manager of 715 restaurant, said, “I was closed for six months and a day. It took us all that time to develop a plan that would take us through the next decade. We furloughed 48 employees; I have hired back 26. I spent $50,000 on two decks, one in front and the other behind the restaurant in order to facilitate enough seating for all of our guests”. When asked about the future he says, “I am very optimistic about the future of downtown. Look at all the creativity and responsiveness that was developed because of this infection being forced upon us. The end result is very impressive.”
Laura Klien, general manager of The Fish House restaurant, says, “My challenge is to keep our customers comfortable but safe. Safe conditions vary from person to person. What one person thinks is safe is not what the next person thinks is safe for them.” The Fish House also constructed an outdoor dining area in Massachusetts Street. “We were able to place 12 additional tables in this newly constructed area. My cost was more than $4,000. I was able to use a lot of volunteer labor.” When asked about her goal, she said “keeping people safe and try to realize a return on the investment to the owners.”
Our identity with our history has helped determine our behavior today. In 1863 a Confederate guerilla, William Clark Quantrill, raided, sacked, and burned the Free State strong hold of Lawrence. Over 200 citizens were massacred. Lawrence was resilient and worked through this tragic raid to become the fine city that it is today. The seal of the mythical Phoenix bird now symbolizes a similar type comeback after this alien invader once again tried to destroy our city. Lawrencians are strong, resilient people who will succeed because of their resourcefulness and pioneer spirit.
- Bob Schumm
Bob Schumm was a downtown restauranteur for 44 years. He was Mayor for three terms with 12 years of service to the city. As mayor in 1989 he signed the Sister City Agreement with Eutin. He has been a Sister City board member for more than 25 years and was also the chef for a “Kansas picnic’ at Eutin’s 750th anniversary celebration in 2007.