University Daily Kansan / Friday, April 7, 1989
9
Large windows on the south side of the house provide a passive solar system that heats the kitchen.
Halcyon House renovated hangout
by Steven Wolcott
Kansan staff writer
Winnie-the-Pooh, and Tigger too for that matter, would not recognize their old house on the south corner of 10th and Ohio streets.
What used to be known as the House at Pooh Corner, a student hangout in the 1970s, is now the Halcyon Bed Bed and Breakfast.
Gail Towle, co-owner of the four-year-old business, said that before renovation, the 104-year-old house had a hippie hangout.
"The house was named for a mural of the storybook character in the front hall." Towle said. "We were invited to dinner and wonderful parties thrown here."
Esther Wolfe, co-owner of the house, said there were still some wonderful parties thrown there, just of a different type.
"It's real difficult to tell someone about this place," Wolfe said. "But when our guests come here, they sigh and say, 'It's so peaceful' They say it feels good here, that it's a place to come and rejuvenate."
Hence the name. The dictionary defines "halcyon" as calm, peaceful, tranquil, idyllic and carefree; in the halcyon days of youth. In a solar-heated kitchen, guests are served breakfast complete with homemade biscuits and preserves, scrambled eggs and omelettes.
Towle said that nine times out of 10, guests came in the door, stood in the foyer, looked around, and exclaimed, "Isn't this gorgeous!!!"
She said several famous people had stayed in the house, most of them related to the University of Kansas.
"Al Oerter (four-time Olympic gold medalist) stayed here when he was a part of the KU RELAYs. A new medalist was here the next year.
"Kevin Bacon stayed here five days when he visited Kira Sedgwick while she was filming the movie 'Kansas.'"
Other famous guests include the Juilliard String Quartet; Harold Edgerton, the inventor of the strobe light; Gary Bender, a CBS sportscaster; and Bob Dotson, an NBC Nightly News correspondent.
Some of them have left gifts commemorating their stays at Halcyon House. Oerter signed a KU Relays poster, and Edgerton left a signed copy of his book on strobe light photography.
Bob Dotson also left a copy of his book, "In Pursuit of the American Dream," and wrote on its title page: "To the Halcyon House — and the lovely folks who run it. I know you've found your dream. You're now on top! 10 on a long, long road of wonderful ins."
Towle said many guests returned to the house, particularly parents of students.
"We've had some families for four years," she said. "The parents came and stayed here when their kids were freshmen.
and now we're getting them for graduation."
She said the house was booked for KU's graduation weekends through 1992.
Wolfe said the occupancy rate at the house was about 50 percent year round. April and October are its busiest months.
"Since we have so many KU-related guests, we kind of operate on its schedule." Wolfe said.
Haleyon House has eight bedrooms ranging in price from $40 to $70. They are named the Master Suite, the Chandelier Room, the Gambler's Room, Nooks & Crannies, the Butterfly Room, the Atrium, the Den and the Good Times Suite.
"We were driving back from Kansas City after buying some linens and we started thinking of what each room reminded us of," she said. "Suite, we just assumed that good times would occur down there."
E. Joseph Zurga/KANSAN
The living room, with its vaulted ceilings and tall windows,
provides an airy space for relaxation or conversation.
E. Joseph Zurga/KANSAN
The Halycon House Bed & Breakfast is situated at 10th and Ohio streets.
The suite has two double beds, a
private bath, a television and a fireplace. It costs $70 a night for two people — breakfast included, of course.
She said the Master Suite doubled as the honeymoon suite, with its circular bathtub, sky-lit ceiling and balcony overlooking the kitchen.
"We get lots of honeymooners, people wanting romantic weekends or celebrating aniversaries." Towle said. "It's a fun place
for a getaway weekend."
Towle said she and Wolf started the bed and breakfast as a profit-making operation — everything else was just a benefit.
"One of the benefits is we get to meet such a potourpi of people." Towle said. "There's always an interesting conversation going on."
"We both travel a great deal, but here the world comes to us. Everyday we meet somebody new; our vision is changing c constantly."
Senate passes bill that may decrease reappraisal
Kansan staff writer
bv Alan Morgan
TOPEKA — The Kansas Senate passed a school finance bill yesterday that would decrease the effects of reappraisal on large school districts, including Lawrence.
The bill, passed 39-0, would ease the tax burden on school districts that stand to lose revenue.
The amount of state aid for school districts is derived from an equalization formula
which is designed to help poorer districts. Districts with lower property taxes receive more state aid to finance public schools.
When approved by the House, the bill provided for two-year averaging of district valuation. The two-year average would ease the effects of increases in property values for residents in school districts with more than 1,000 students.
The Senate rejected its Education Committee's version of the bill that would have
required school districts to use the 1989 valuations. That would have resulted in reappraisal having an immediate affect on school enrollment. The provision in favor of the House version.
However, the Senate added an amendment not proposed by the House. The amendment, which would not include inventories in the 1988 valuations, was adopted because inventories
Another amendment to the bill was labeled.
as "hold harmless," and would ensure that districts would not lose as much money next year as they would under the equalization formula.
The Senate debated whether to make up for 100 percent or 75 percent of the state aid lost by Gov. Scott Walker.
The hold harmless amendment adopted by the Senate would make up 75 percent of the $120 million.
State Sen. Wint Winter Jr., R-Lawrence,
favored implementing 100 percent hold harmless.
State Sen. Joseph Harder, R-Mountridge,
said such an amendment would set a bad prison
"If you're going to use the hold harmless,
you never want to use it at 100 percent."
I look up.
He said schools would expect full financing in the future.
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