Tomorrow's weather
The University Daily Kansan
Cloudy and cooler with highs in the upper 50s and lows in the upper 30s.
THE STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF THE UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS
Sports: Texas stampeded Kansas 68-54 last night in Austin, Texas.
SEE PAGE 1B
Inside: Madeleine Albright said she would not seek the presidency in her native Czech Republic.
SEE PAGE 7A
(USPS 650-640) · VOL. 110 NO. 106
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 29, 2000
WWW.KANSAN.COM
day. Holman was born on Feb. 29, 1980, so this is only her fifth official birthday. Here friends celebrated with decorations appropriate for a typical 5-year-old. Photo by Aaron Lindberg/KANSAN
Sarah Lawrence, Prairie Village sophomore; Katie Holman, Prairie Village sophomore; Krista Winblad, Winfield sophomore; and Kalee Huston, Norman, Okla., sophomore, celebrate Holman's 20th birth-
Leap Year leaves some sans birth day
By Jessie Meyer
writer@kansan.com
Kansan staff writer
Katie Holman, Prairie Village sophomore,
can finally celebrate her fifth birthday.
Twenty years ago today, Feb. 29, 1980.
Holman was born a Leap Day baby. Today she will celebrate her birthday — on her actual birth date — for only the fifth time.
“It’s kind of different because the other three years are just kind of there,” Holman said. “When the fourth year comes along, it’s such a big deal that it is all worth it.”
The extra-day phenomenon is a built-in scientific device that keeps the seasons on track, said Adrian Melott, professor of physics and astronomy.
"It takes the earth about 365 and a quarter days to go around the sun," Melott said. "Over a long time, if we had no leap year, the calendar would get more and more advanced, and it would gradually end up being spring in December."
Thanks to the extra day added every four years, the seasons are on track, but things may still seem unusual to those celebrating Leap Day birthdays.
The theoretically 20-year-old Holman said she spent Sunday night with her parents, who brought party favors and decorations suitable for a 5-year-old's party. "It was kind of fun," Holman said. "People think it's really funny because they think they are the first to realize it's only my fifth birthday."
Because her birthday comes only once
every four years, Holman said she celebrated her birthday on either Feb. 28 or March 1 - whichever day was easier.
when I was little it seemed I couldn't wait so it was always the 28th. "Holman said, 'Now I celebrate whenever my friends can so out or when it's the weekend.'
There is a drawback to having such a rare birthday. Next year, when Holman turns 21, she will have to wait the extra day before she is of legal age.
"Since there is no day, the DMV changed my birthday on my driver's license to March 1," Holman said. "That is the biggest bummer — that I don't have 'a day' on my 21st birthday."
Despite the special occasion, Isabel Schmedemann, maternal-child director at Lawrence Memorial Hospital. 235 Maine, said she wasn't expecting any more babies than normal and there hadn't been more induced births scheduled than normal.
But for the babies who are born today, Holman said they had one thing to look forward to with having such a unique birthday.
Payroll check fee debated
"Even though I don't have a special day every year, hardly any of my friends ever forget my birthday," Holman said.
More information
For additional information about Leap
Year and possible computer glitches.
See page 7A
State may require postage fee at KU
By Doug Pacey
writer@kansan.com
Kansan staff writer
It's only February, and it's already not a good year for University budget officials.
The Kansas Department of Administration wants to charge the University of Kansas and all state agencies 35 cents for each payroll check it issues. The Kansas Legislature still must approve the plan.
The fee comes in what University and government officials are calling a tight-budget year.
Thirty-five cents may not seem like much, but the University issues about 225,000 payroll checks
a year, said Lindy Eakin, associate provost.
This equals a fee of about $79,290 for the University, said Duane Gossen, state budget director.
“It’s a budget cut of $80,000, pure and simple.” Eakin said. “We certainly hope it doesn’t happen, but it looks like it will. What we're being told is: ‘Shut up and take it.’”
Gossen said that the University of Kansas Medical Center also would pay $27,063 in fees, totaling $106,353 from the University.
Eakin said the University did not yet know where the money for the fee would come from.
ior postage," he said. "It would be like if we charged people to process enrollment."
Eakin said he was upset by the fee. "It's been in their budget to pay
"There are really two reasons why the fee is taking place," Gossen said. "The first is to take pressure off of the state general fund, and the second is to finance future upgrades for state agencies."
He said it was unfair for the department to pass its burden on to the University.
"It's really just so they don't have to go to the Legislature and ask for money for the upgrade," he said.
Until recently, the University had delivered payroll checks on campus, but when it began mailing them a few years ago, the state tried to assess a postage fee. However, that failed, Eakin said.
The proposed fee would take effect July 1,2000,and Gossen said he was confident the bill would pass.
"So far the Legislature has moved it right along," he said. "The legislative bodies that have looked at it in committees have agreed to it."
The department estimated the fee would generate $527,345 from all state agencies.
Campaigns start with beer, tunes
Coalitions organize casual kickoff parties
By Erinn R. Barcomb
writer@kansan.com
Kansas staff writer
Instead of buttons and flyers, the campaign season will start off with a beer or two for some as coalition kickoff parties take place this week.
the festivities will begin at 7 tonight when Delta Force throws a party at the Granada, 1020 Massachusetts St., with the bands The Suga Daddles, Rayguns and
The Hawk,
1340 Ohio St.,
the kickoff spot
for two coalitions.
Students
First will celebrate tomorrow night,
and
U n i t e d
Students will launch its campaign Thursday night.
Burtion: Will answer questions about his campaign tonight at kickoff
Candidates said the kickoff parties were a
parties were a chance for candidates to campaign and spread their coalition's message in a party-like atmosphere.
Bent Burton, student body president
candidate and Ocean, N.J., junior.
COALITION KICKOFFS
COALITION KICKOFFS
■ Force kickoff party
■ When: 7 tonight
■ Where: The Granada, 1020
 Massachusetts St.
■ Price: $5
Students First kickoff party
■ When: 9 p.m. tomorrow
■ Where: The Hawk, 1340 Ohio St
■ Price: $4 over 21, $5 under 21
United Students kickoff party
■ When: 9 p.m. Thursday
■ Where: The Hawk
■ Price: $4 over 21, $5 under 21
running mate Justin Mills, Lansing junior, said they expected to answer questions about the Delta Force c a m p i g n tonight, but that the focus of the party would be to have a good time and promote the coalition.
said that he and
"It's campaign-oriented
Walker: Will officially announce his candidacy at kick-off party
but it's on Leap Day, and it only happens every four years," Burton said. "The way it used to be was they had this stuff thing in the Kansas Union, and the leaders of
each of the coalitions said something. It was just boring."
Students First is hoping to fill the Hawk to capacity with supporters and the bar's regulars tomorrow night for its kickoff party.
"We think it's going to be a packed house." said Sam MacRoberts, student body presidential candidate and Leawood junior. "Everyone on the coalition is bringing all of their friends. We just thought it would be good so people who are under 21 could still get in there."
United Students had similar reasoning for picking The Hawk as the
location for its kickoff party on Thursday.
"We think it's a good location," said Ben Walker, student body presidential candidate and Hutchinson junior. "It's close to campus, and it's also close to a lot of living organizations.
MacRoberts: Wants students to learn more about his cam-paion at kickoff
And 18-year-olds can get in."
Walker said the party provided an opportunity for the coalition's candidates to officially announce running for office.
Jackson Morley, 15, Lawrence, winds his way along the lower portion of the Riverfront Park bike trail. The City Commission will consider beginning a volunteer bike patrol for the trail at tonight's meeting. Photo Jamie Roper/KANSAN
City Commission to discuss possible bike patrol for trail
By John Audlehelm
There may be no Mario Lopez the Pacific Blue actor of Saved by the Bell fame — but the Riverfront Park bike trail soon may have its own patrol.
kansan staff writer
writer@kansan.com
Pacific Blue comes to Lawrence?
move house Los Angeles
The City Commission will learn tonight what city employees think about a volunteer mountain bike patrol.
The patrol, which would consist of seven to 10 volunteer mountain bikers, would ride up and down the trail, rescuing injured bikers, repairing broken bikes and encouraging cyclists to follow proper trail etiquette.
The mountain bike trail is between the flood control levee and the Kansas River and runs from the boat ramp at Eighth and Oak streets to the Mud Creek levee area.
Fred DeVictor, director of parks and recreation for Lawrence, said the patrollers would not be enforcement officers but liaisons between the city and the trail's users.
Greg Schroeder, club captain of the Lawrence Mountain Bike Club and organizer of the proposed bike patrol said volunteers would be trained in first aid, CPR, trail maintenance and repair.
Schroeder said the patrollers, in addition to performing first aid and repair, would only encourage people to follow good biking practices. Such practices include wearing helmets, yielding to walkers and runners and not making ruts by riding in the mud, he said.
"We're not going to be down there trying to make people change the way they do things," Schroeder said.
"The trail has always been voluntarily maintained with minimal organization." Schroeder said.
He said most people thought the city took care of the trail, but the work actually was done by volunteers who met every third Sunday of the month.
He said the patrol also would work to directionalize the trail, which currently is a loop that can cause head-on collisions.
Mike Reading, president of Mtn Blk Lawrence, said the trail was popular because it was an easy ride, did not have any long climbs and was within riding distance of campus.
But because of its tight turns and repeated short climbs, he said, the trail was more technically challenging than the one used in the
1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta.
"The river trail is probably the most popular trail in the state of Kansas," he said. "The river trail is a very right single track. If you can ride off-road here, you can ride anywhere."
Riverfront Park bike trail
Maggie Curry/ KANSAN
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