Briefly in Topeka

Topeka Capital-Journal, The, Jun 3, 2000 by Capital-Journal

- Briefly in Topeka

GUN BUYBACK SET FOR TODAY

- A gun buyback offer as part of Project Homesafe will be offered from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. today at the MTAA Police Station at Forbes Field. The program is co-sponsored by Majic 107.7 FM, Topeka Public Schools, Reebok and Outback Steakhouse. Gun owners will receive a $25 gift certificate from Reebok, redeemable at Asay's Sporting Goods, and dinner for two at Outback Steakhouse for each gun turned in. Those who don't want to give up their gun may get a free trigger lock as part of an effort to reduce gun accidents. However, there are only 2,000 trigger locks available.

BEEP BASEBALL TOURNAMENT TODAY

- The Topeka Gofors Classic Beep Baseball Tournament will be played out today on the KNI fields east of S.W. 20th and Oakley. The first game will begin at 8 a.m. The last game will begin at 5 p.m.

The tournament is the longest running annual beep baseball tournament in the world. The game is played by both visually- impaired and sighted players with a specially designed ball that emits beeps.

CHURCH to HONOR YOUNG WOMEN

- Melissa Erwin and Chelsea Thacher will receive the Young Womanhood Recognition Award on Sunday from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The award is the highest recognition given to young women in the LDS Church. The ceremonies will take place at 7 p.m. at the LDS meeting house, 3611 S.W. Jewell.

Erwin, 18, is the daughter of Ron and Mary Erwin. Thacher, 18, is the daughter of Terry and Diane Thacher. The recognition is awarded on the basis of spirituality, commitment to high moral standards, completion of a program of service, and spiritual and secular goal setting. Erwin and Thacher also had to choose and complete four special projects, each of which required at least 20 hours of work.

The two women are member of the LDS Colly Creek Ward, and one of their four projects involved the planning and organization of a Christmas party last December for children at the Topeka Rescue Mission. They also worked together to organize a food and clothing drive to benefit the rescue mission.

Erwin's other projects were writing her personal history, compiling scrapbooks, and increasing her volleyball knowledge and skills. She graduated from Topeka West High School in May, where she played on the girls volleyball team. She earlier attended Highland Park High School, where she also played on the volleyball team.

She plans to attend Allen County Community College in the fall to receive emergency medical technician training, and eventually become a firefighter.

Thacher moved to Topeka from San Diego a year ago. She completed three of her four projects in California, which included the planning and organization of a summer camp for women in her congregation 12 to 18 years old. She also founded and served as president of Charity Bound, a club at her high school that did community service projects. And she served as a trainer for the men's football and basketball teams at her high school.

She plans to study American Sign Language at Palomar College in San Diego, and later transfer to the Hawaii campus of Brigham Young University.

CONVERSATIONAL

SPANISH

- The Washburn University Division of Continuing Education will offer several Spanish classes beginning June 24. The classes will be taught by native Spanish instructors in Room 381 at Morgan Hall at Washburn. Class size is limited and registration will be open through the first day of class. The classes will be closed once the maximum enrollment has been reached. The scheduled classes are:

- Beginning Level I --- Introduction to Spanish phonetics and beginning conversational Spanish:

CE0211D, 10 a.m. to noon Saturdays, June 24 to Aug. 12.

CE0211E, noon to 2 p.m. Saturdays, June 24 to Aug. 12.

CE0211F, 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Mondays, June 26 to Aug. 14.

CE0211G, 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Wednesdays, June 28 to Aug. 16.

Enrollment is $99 for one eight-week session. Payment by check or money order may be made to Washburn University and sent to the Washburn University Division of Continuing Education, Benton Hall, Room 408, Topeka, 66621. Registration also may be made by calling (785) 231-1010, Ext. 1399.

TINMAN NEEDS HELP

- Shawnee County Parks and Recreation is looking for volunteers to help in the operations of the 20th Annual Topeka Tinman at Lake Shawnee June 17. All volunteers will receive a Tinman T-shirt. Anyone interested should call Randy Luebbe, 267-1156, Ext. 17, or Barbara Mah, 266-35304.