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Ottawa City Commission issues proclamations for Kansas Day, Black History Month and Human Trafficking Awareness; honors local officer
Summary
At its Jan. 29 meeting, the Ottawa City Commission issued three proclamations — marking Kansas Day, Black History Month and Human Trafficking Awareness Month — and recognized Master Police Officer Larry B. Alexander for work with Special Olympics.
The Ottawa City Commission on Wednesday, Jan. 29, proclaimed Jan. 29, 2025, as Kansas Day, February 2025 as Black History Month and January 2025 as Human Trafficking Awareness Month, and recognized Master Police Officer Larry B. Alexander with the Richard Lemunyan Hall of Fame Award for his fundraising and advocacy on behalf of Special Olympics.
The proclamations were read during the meeting and accepted by representatives or designees. Commissioner Koehler read the Kansas Day proclamation, which noted that 2025 marks the 164th anniversary of Kansas’ admission to the Union in 1861 and described early local public-health and sanitation challenges. Erin Christopher, identified in the meeting as a student at Ottawa University and president of the Black Student Union, accepted the Black History Month proclamation and said the month “is a call to action for unity, education, and justice,” adding the student group expects to publicize events planned on campus.
Margo Self, director of community services at the Willow Domestic Violence Center, accepted the human-trafficking proclamation via Zoom and thanked the commission for the recognition and the opportunity to highlight the center’s work, including shelter, court advocacy and case management. The human-trafficking proclamation referenced Kansas statutes that define commercial sexual exploitation of children and urged community collaboration on prevention and survivor-informed responses.
The commission also recognized Master Police Officer Larry B. Alexander for his long service raising funds for Special Olympics through events including the Polar Plunge, Tip-a-Cop and the Law Enforcement Torch Run. Master Police Officer Larry B. Alexander said he will travel to Athens and then carry the torch through Italy ahead of the 2025 World Winter Games and described the upcoming international events and additional fundraising activities he will participate in while abroad.
No formal votes were required to issue the proclamations or to present the recognition.
The meetings’ ceremonial items preceded a staff report and the formal consent agenda.
