THURSDAY, APRIL 18,2002
STATE NEWS
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
7A
First riverkeeper boat sets sail to patrol for pollution in river
The Associated Press
KANSAS CITY, Kan. — River advocate Robert Kennedy Jr. launched the first so-called Kansas Riverkeeper boat yesterday, which will be used to patrol the river for pollution.
As Kansas Riverkeeper, Dave Murphy will watch the river from Junction City to Kansas City, Kan., and will serve as an advocate trying to curb pollution by industry, agriculture and recreational users.
Laura Calwell, president of Friends of the Kaw, christened the boat on the riverbank in the city's Fairfax Industrial District, before Murphy and Kennedy drove off to survey a section of the river.
But before that, Kennedy, an environmental lawyer and president of the Waterkeeper Alliance,
described the river as an untapped economic and recreational resource.
"I look at this river and I see a waterfront with huge potential that's being squandered," Kennedysaid with the downtown Kansas City, Mo., skyline looming in the background.
The river, he said, should be surrounded by parkland and trails, and people should flock to fish, boat and play in it.
Carol Marinovich, mayor of the Unified Government of Wyandotte County and Kansas City, Kan., attended the event and agreed the community hadn't taken advantage of the waterway.
Friends of the Kaw, a local nonprofit group, hired Murphy—a longtime member,avid outdoorsman and former owner of a lawn-care service — to be the
riverkeeper. Though the group pays Murphy's salary, the position is officially licensed and loosely guided by the Waterkeeper Alliance.
The alliance is credited with cleaning up the Hudson River and several other water bodies in the eastern United States.
Kansas marks uncharted territory in the Waterkeeper Alliance program.
Kennedy said the biggest obstacles the Kansas River faced were the growth of corporate farming and urban sprawl.
The water preservation groups have no long-term plans for the river, he said, because that's the government's job. What Murphy and the groups will do is try to show the government why it's in its best interest to protect the river.
Lt. Governor drops out of race, plans to spend time with family
The Associated Press
TOPEKA — Lt. Gov. Gary Sherrer said yesterday that he would not seek the Republican nomination for governor because of family concerns.
Sherrer, the state's longestserving lieutenant governor, said last week he was considering running as speculation grew that Attorney General Carla Stovall would drop out of the GOP race. Stovall ended her campaign Monday and urged her running mate, House Speaker Kent Glasscock, to seek the Republican nomination.
Sherrer said he wouldn't run because his eight years in state government, including six as lieutenant governor, had consumed too much time.
Graves appointed Sherrer, 61, lieutenant governor in 1996, and Sherrer ran on Graves' re-election ticket in 1998. Sherrer has served as secretary of commerce and housing since Graves took office in January 1995.
"I found, to be honest with you,
too many days with my family that
I've missed," Sherrer told
reporters at a Statehouse news
conference. "There are too many
days gone by that I haven't seen
friends."
He added: "I owe my family some things."
Sherrer did not endorse any other candidate and said he would not run for lieutenant governor again. He also ruled out serving as a cabinet secretary in the next administration and said he won't become a lobbyist.
"You'll be hearing me say, 'Do you want fries with that?' before you hear me say. 'Will you vote for this bill?' " Sherrer told reporters.
Sherrer decided last year against running for governor and joined many GOP moderates in endorsing Stovall, whom many in the party considered the leading contender.
But he told reporters yesterday that he had received encouragement to enter the race after Stovall dropped out. He said he thought he could have won the race and been a strong governor but, "It is not in the best interest of either my family or myself."
Glasscock is expected to announce his plans by the end of the week, though his staff has said he is strongly inclined to re-enter the race.
4. 18/19.02