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The University Daily Kansan is the student newspaper of the University of Kansas. The first copy is paid through the student activity fee. Additional copies of the Kansan are 50 cents. Subscriptions can be purchased at the Kansan business office, 2015A1 Dole Human Development Center, 1000 Sunnyside Avenue, Lawrence, KS, 66045.
The University Daily Kansan (ISSN 0745-4967) is published daily during the school year except Friday, Saturday, Sunday, fall break, spring break and exams and weekly during the summer session excluding holidays. Annual subscriptions by mail are $250 plus tax. Send address changes to The University Daily Kansan, 2051A Dole Human Development Center, 1000 Sunnyside Avenue.
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ANSAN.COM
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The photo illustration shows what the completed Irving Hill Road Bridge will look like. Construction on the bridge will begin on May 18 and is expected to take eight to 12 weeks. Gavin Young, assistant director of strategic communications for the University, said the project is being scheduled for summer so the University can close the bridge until construction is completed.
CONTRIBUTED PHOTO
Irving Hill Bridge construction delayed
RILEY MORTENSEN
@RileyMortensen
The construction and renovation of the Irving Hill Road bridge will begin on May 18. University officials confirmed.
The project is expected to take about eight to 12 weeks to complete and will conclude before the end of July, said Gavin Young, assistant director of strategic communications for the University. This is the third time the project has been delayed.
Complaints against the height of the railings on the bridge began last spring when the construction of the new Daisy Hill dorms forced
Young said closing the bridge altogether during the summer would lower costs. The summer would allow crews to work without interruption.
students to park at the Lied Center.
The predictability of the summer weather also helped with the decision to change construction dates. The summer construction will also help the University to cooperate with the city on lane closures on Iowa Street.
Young said there will never be more than one lane closed at a time. Also, the closures will be limited to the workday. Closures in that area will work better during the summer months as compared to the
regular school year, he said.
Improvements to the bridge will focus mainly on safety concerns. Current sidewalks on the bridge will be widened from 5 feet to 8 feet. This will allow 6 feet of walking space when considering the 3-foot-high crash barriers that will be added on the roadside. The current 30-inch-high tube raillings will be replaced with a 54-inch-high railing.
The streetlights will be upgraded to LED, as they already are on Jayhawk Boulevard, and both sides of the bridge will be landscaped to direct the walkways on both sides through to the bridge, said Young.
As previously reported by
the Kansan, the overpass will also sport a fresh coat of new KU blue paint on the girders of the bridge and railings. Additionally, the overpass will feature white lettering reading, "The University of Kansas" on the north side and, "Rock Chalk Jayhawk" on the south side. according to KU Today.
Young said the team at KU Design Construction Management saw limited options for new railings when looking at possible choices. This prompted the idea for the new signage.
"The idea just came about that, well, if were going to do this, what if we fixed it up, painted the whole thing KU blue and made it clear this is
University of Kansas campus that you're passing under," Young said.
Parking will be adjusted for groups who rotate in and out of the dorms during the summer months so that there's room for everyone to park on the east side of the bridge, Young said.
Young also said KU Endowment and DCM are looking for donors particularly to assist with the cost of the landscaping on the project.
Edited by Vicky Diaz-
Camacho
Uncork Kansas bill making its way to House
KELLY CORDINGLEY
@kellycordingley
Local liquor store owners and public officials are at odds whether the Uncork Kansas bill is beneficial for Kansans or not. Many public officials are on the fence.
If the bill is passed to the floor of the Kansas House of Representatives, liquor, wine and full-strength beer could be stocked on the shelves of local convenience and grocery stores.
The House bill was passed through the Committee on Commerce, Labor and Economic Development on Feb. 25. From there, the bill is eligible to be voted on by the House of Representatives. Rep. Mark Hutton (R-Wichita) is committee chair and said he wouldn't be surprised if the bill is brought to the floor within the next few weeks.
"There was a lot of testimony from the large retailers who want this product as to why they believe this would be good for Kansas," Hutton said. "Then, the small liquor store owners testified this would be a bad thing."
If the bill is-passed on the House floor, it will move to the Senate to be heard and possibly voted on. Right now the changes would take place in three years. If amended, it could become five or 10 years.
If it passes both chambers, without an amendment, these beverages would be on shelves in three years. Currently, 44 states allow some form of alcohol sales in their grocery stores, according to the National Alcohol Beverage Control Association.
"When it gets to the House floor and people ask how I'll vote, I don't know." Hutton said. "It is about where the bill ends up; amendments can be added on the floor that may totally change the makeup of the bill."
The controversy surrounding the bill is the possibility of the smaller, mom-and-pop liquor stores being forced out of business when and if the big box retailers, grocery stores and convenience stores begin carrying alcoholic beverages.
"This is, from day one, more of an issue of how do we fairly transition the industry towards more opportunity for both the large retailers and the small companies," he said.
"We like keeping Kansas money in Kansas," he said. "Independent store owners employ Kansas bookkeepers and Kansas lawyers and buy from Kansas companies, so the money circulates in the community. Just look what has happened when a big box store locates in small town America. Why do we want to duplicate that at small chain liquor stores?"
Trent Duncan, lobbyist for the Kansas Wine and Spirits Wholesale Association, supports the independent Kansas liquor stores. He said he worries with this bill, much of the profit will vanish out of state to where the larger retailers are headquartered.
Under current law, each person in a household may have one liquor license. The proposed law would create a cap on liquor licenses. In three years, a retailer wanting to sell liquor would have to purchase a permit from one of
the three closest liquor stores to their location.
"If this goes through, it would put over half of the liquor stores in Kansas out of business," Walter said. "We've been handcuffed the way the system is now. If we could have had 15 stores, we would have. But now I'm still paying off loans. Now they can have all these stores when 'they've kept us down."
Christian Walter, owner of Myers Retail Liquor on 23rd Street, and his wife both have owned liquor stores in the past, though now they own only one. Walter has spoken to numerous legislators and lobbyists, urging them to vote this bill down.
Stan Frownfelter (D-Wyandotte) is on the Committee on Commerce, Labor and Economic Development and said when the Uncork Kansas lobby began pushing this roughly five years ago, he made it a point to visit every liquor store in his district to learn the percentages of beer, wine and liquor sales. He said with nearly 70 percent of the sales being beer, he doubts a local liquor store could survive if this bill passes.
"If you're wanting to comeingle among two different industries, if you give away strong beer, you lose one industry," he said. "Seriously, in three years there will be four liquor stores left. They won't be able to survive."
In his district, Frownfelter said he's encountered numerous store owners who are worrying how they'll be able to make their future plans come true if this bill passes.
"I talked to one gentleman
Another issue raised is that underage individuals will be more exposed to liquor, both increasing theft and the rate at which underage people consume alcohol. Duncan cited the multiple thefts that took place in Washington after the state allowed liquor in grocery stores as a warning to Kansas. According' to KOMO News in Seattle, one theft ring made off with nearly $4,000 worth of liquor from an area grocery store.
who's a year older than me and he told me, I figured my mortgage would be paid off on the building when I'm 70, and I'd sell it and thatd be my retirement. I won't last a year if this goes through," Frownelter said.
"The state of Washington, several years ago, allowed the big box stores and grocers to start selling alcohol and liquor and the theft rate skyrocketed." Duncan said.
"It seems to be a questionable public policy," Duncan said. "Underage persons are easily identifiable in a liquor store. But in grocery stores, persons of all ages are there and access is more available.
"I think, you'd hope, [in] the long run the Kansas consumer would benefit from it," he said. "Clearly, the big box stores aren't going after this because it's just something they want to do, it's a profit potential for them. I know everyone says they're greedy. But then aren't the liquor stores in the business to make money too?"
While Frownfelter said he cautiously doubts the bill will pass, Hutton has higher hopes and sees it as beneficial for consumers.
Hutton said he anticipates
an amendment transitioning only beer into grocery stores instead of beer, liquor and wine.
"There's people that think to slow down the march to grocery, all they should get to sell is strong beer," he said. "I'm pretty sure someone will come with an amendment on that, and it may stand a decent chance of passing. I think, absolutely, it would make it easier for people to vote for it."
While no one is making a definitive statement whether it'll pass or not, Frownfelter said he believes the makeup of the House will work against the bill that he sees as a detriment to Kansas.
"You've got the liberals, moderates, conservatives and the nutballs out in right field," he said. "They're against anything alcohol-related. Then there are the ones that are for small business.
I don't think it's a good idea. I have third generation liquor stores in my area where I knew the grandfather, the father and the son right now, and I see no good that can come from this"
Edited by Vicky Diaz Camacho
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