Monday, March 9, 2009
A producer from “The Colbert Report“ will be in town to talk with Mayor Mike Dever and Judson King, the 11-year-old pioneer for hedgehog ownership in Lawrence, which was legalized in December.
Dever said a producer would be talking to him March 11. He said he hoped the city would receive a “Colbert Bump,” a term Colbert coined for the boost in popularity that subjects featured on his show often received, if the producer decided to report the story.
Judson King, 11, appeared before the Lawrence City Council Dec. 2, 2008, and successfully persuaded the council to reverse a city ordinance banning the sale of hedgehogs. After King and his African Pigme hedgehog, Little Luke, attracted national media attention, King’s family was contacted by representatives of Comedy Central’s “Colbert Report.” A producer of his show, is expected to travel to Lawrence to interview mayor Mike Dever and others on March 11.
The angle of the story is unknown, but the topic will be King’s successful campaign.
King spent three years researching hedgehogs and the law that made them illegal.
“It was one year of absolute, ‘Why did they do that?’” King said.
His first year of researching the law made him angry, but then he began to work with his mom, who is a lawyer, in constructing an argument in favor of hedgehog ownership.
King said he hated the law, but his hate was never directed at the city. He said it would be impossible to hate Lawrence; he just wanted to have his own hedgehog.
“I was just mad at the law,” King said. “I had done so much research that proves that there is no reason he (a hedgehog) should be banned from our beautiful city.”
He said the law was based on the misconception that domesticated hedgehogs, which are considered exotic animals, carried foot and mouth disease.
King sent a letter to the city about changing the law in January 2008 and the law changed on Dec. 30.
King said that a law concerning chickens and livestock was under review and slowed progress on his hedgehog project.
“It would have been a lot sooner,” King said. “but there was another priority.”
Bethony Blackmon, 2008 graduate, has owned three pet hedgehogs since she was 10 years old.
Blackmon lived with her hedgehog, Sunshine, in GSP-Corbin Hall and Jayhawker Towers during her time at the University even though they were illegal in Lawrence.
“She’s so quiet; she’s just in a glass aquarium,” Blackmon said. “It’s not like she’s going to wake anyone up or do anything bad. No one ever noticed.”
Inspired by Jackson King?
Do you have an issue you’d like the city to address?
• First, research your cause. Look up any existing rules or regulations on the city’s website.
• Did you know that there is a scheduled Public Comment time at the end of each meeting city commission meeting? At that time, you can address any regular agenda item or give public comment (meaning you can bring up an item not on the agenda). All you have to do is go to a meeting (held Tuesday evenings at 6:35 p.m. in the City Commission Meeting Room, First Floor, City Hall, 6 East 6th Street). When the Public Comment time begins, you go to the microphone, sign in, state your name and address and give a brief comment. Protocol can be found here.
• You can also request that an item be considered for a City Commission agenda. To do so, contact the City Manager's Office at (785) 832-3400.
Blackmon said hedgehogs were easy to care for and cheap to feed, but can cost more than $100 to purchase.
“She’s quiet and she doesn’t like make a mess or anything,” Blackmon said. “I buy a big bag of kitten chow and it lasts forever. I have to buy her food like once a year.”
Both Blackmon and King feed their hedgehogs cat food as well as some of their own food.
“She loves Cheetos,” Blackmon said.
Blackmon said she was glad King took the time to legalize hedgehogs.
“I think it’s really great,” Blackmon said. “I bet it took him a lot of work.”
King said he had learned from his experience changing the law.
“Lots of kids are very impatient and I’ll say I’m one of those kids,” King said. “One of the things I learned is it’s not going to be very fast. You have to wait for them. They’re running a big city.”
King said he also learned that by presenting the commission with well-researched information in favor of a cause, the laws are changeable.
— — Edited by Sonya English
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