Kirk Seminoff: Why 400 yard signs in Lori Lawrence’s home are just fine with her

Lori Lawrence saw the news. Kicked out of Tonganoxie by residents not wanting a poultry processing plant in the area, Tyson Foods was looking at three new Kansas sites – including Sedgwick County.

“I waited,” she said. “I waited about five days to see what happened. And nothing happened.

“I thought, ‘Oh no, I can’t possibly let this happen.’ ”

Lawrence’s background of activism, sowed by past work with the Sierra Club, kick-started an effort to try to influence local decision-makers not to lure Tyson and its plans for a $300 million, 1,600-job plant.

This week, the efforts of Lawrence and everyone with #NoTysonSedgwickCounty was on the winning side when county officials said they wouldn’t support pursuing Tyson with incentives. Tyson later said plans for a Kansas plant have been scrapped.

A new batch of “No Tyson in Sedgwick County” signs arrived last week, but Tyson ended its Kansas search before Lawrence and friends could get them planted in yards.

Lawrence will hang onto them, maybe in a room in her home dedicated to activism.

“It’s nice to see the little guys can win one,” said Jeff Zogleman, a Clearwater resident.

Grassroots efforts don’t often have success battling big business or government. The job is too massive. They’re disorganized or unfocused. They know the odds are long but aren’t willing to put in the time and effort.

So how did #NoTyson make so much noise?

It had a plan. Lawrence contacted those in Tonganoxie who successfully battled Tyson.

She created a Facebook page — which grew and grew in popularity — and on Oct. 28 held the first #NoTyson meeting with two experts on poultry processing and about 75 in attendance.

Zogleman was there, and he and his Clearwater neighbors became involved quickly once rumors grew of a plant being located near the town.

“Clearwater people already knew they were danger,” Lawrence said. “They knew the names of people who had options placed on their land. They jumped on almost immediately.”

An education and opposition campaign began. Emailed letters to the editor arrived daily. Emails, letters and phone calls to county commissioners, the Greater Wichita Partnership and the Clearwater City Council became the norm.

Lawrence described a sense of urgency in preventing construction of a plant with concerns for water pollution, smell, truck traffic and the slaughter of hundreds of millions of chickens annually.

“We all felt like we were being physically threatened,” she said.

The #NoTyson movement felt the emotion at the end of a two-month fight when announcements were made Wednesday and Thursday.

“Relief,” Lawrence said. “I don’t know that excitement is the right word because we’ve been excited for a while. I was relieved it might be over for a while.”

How about pride?

Long pause.

“I hadn’t considered that,” she said.

Maybe she should. A group of roughly 15 people, aided by everyone who wrote a letter, sent an email or made a phone call, were vocal enough to make local officials recognize the opposition.

Lawrence learned more about local government. She hadn’t heard of the Greater Wichita Partnership – the influential group charged with helping local government grow the economy – and had doubts about the Sedgwick County Commission.

“I’m assuming that we had that influence on them,” she said. “Most people have never tried to influence government. We the people have the power to do it.”

With Tyson squelched, Lawrence plans to renew her advocacy for Medicaid expansion in Kansas. She and her anti-Tyson colleagues are planning a celebration that may be large enough for the entire town of Clearwater.

“It’s nice to have it be done, and we don’t have to be scared right now,” Lawrence said. “Hopefully until I don’t know when.”

And if “when” returns, 400 yard signs will be ready.

“That’s for sure,” she said. “Lots and lots of signs.”

This story was originally published December 8, 2017 at 4:08 PM with the headline "Kirk Seminoff: Why 400 yard signs in Lori Lawrence’s home are just fine with her."