FEATURES: The temporary-iob market is growing — and eating away at permanent positions. Page 9
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
VOL.103.NO.12
THE STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF THE UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS
KANSAS STATE
HISTORICAL SOCIETY
TOPEKA KS 66612
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 7,1993
ADVERTISING: 864-4358
(0315 0600-040)
Finney's announcement surprises some
NEWS:864-4810
University officials react to decision not to run in '94
By Brian James and David Stewart Kansan staff writers
Governor Joan Finney's announcement Friday that she would not seek reelection in 1994 came as a surprise to some Lawrence legislators and Udi
issues. Finney,
she said, made
no indication
then of her decision
not to run.
State Sen. Sandy Praeger, R-
Lawrence, said she was in Finney's
office Aug 31 discussing health care
"In fact, she she said she had been on an 8-mile bike ride over the week end," Praeger said. "She chuckled and
Gov. Joan Finney
said. "Those who thought I was in poor health should take notice of that." I took that as a statement of letting people know she wanted to be there another term."
Lawrence, and director of the Emily Taylor Women's Resource Center, said she was very surprised by Finney's announcement.
State Rep. Barbara Ballard, D
Some University officials said they were not so surprised.
"I had every indication she would be working with us," she said. "This was a shock."
"It's been in the paper for the last week—'Will she or won't she'" said Lindy Eakin, associate vice chancellor of administration and finance.
Finney, whose term expires in January 1995, said in press conferences that she felt that a re-election campaign would interfere with her agenda for the 1994 Legislature.
STYLE: Regardless of her record as governor, Finney's style is unique and memorable. Page 7.
Ballard said she respected Finney's reasoning.
"I'm just speculating, but maybe she felt she didn't have anything else to prove — she's accomplished so much," Ballard said.
Leigh Smith, Tulsa, Okla., senior and coordinator of the KU College Republicans, said Finney made a "very mature decision."
Members of KU Democrats were
"Finney's right." Smith said. "She would not have accomplished very much in the next year."
not available for comment yesterday.
Ballard said Finney had supported the University of Kansas and higher education in Kansas during her term.
Ballard cited the few KU faculty lay-offs in the past three years and the funds provided for Hoch Auditorium as important accomplishments by Finney for the University.
"KU has been very fortunate compared to other universities," she said. "We're much better off than so many other states."
Finney supported the allocation in March 1902 of $18 million of an unexpected $185 million in federal Medicaid reimbursements for the reconstruction of Hoch.
"The likelihood of Hoch being rebuilt without that money was very small," said David Ambler, vice chancellor for student affairs.
But Praeger said funding for Hoch Auditorium should not be considered a big accomplishment. "She was in the right place at the right time with providing funding," Praeger said. "Politically, she had to support that."
Ambler and Eakin said that Finney had continually supported educational budgets above those approved by the Legislature.
Store is target of land dispute
"Finney has generally proposed better budgets for the University and the Regents system than the Legislature has passed," Eakin said.
By Traci Carl
Kansan staff write
Marsha Goff said she was tired of coming home to the fluorescent glare of the Kmart sign.
Goff and other residents of Nieder Acres, a small, residential area bordered by 31st, 33rd and Iowa streets, have been fighting commercial development for 25 years.
Now they want to sell their homes and property to Target, Inc.
Target wants to build on the land a 117,000-square-foot department store that would employ 200 people.
"What has really driven us out is the commercial development," Goff said. "There is no hope to even maintain any semblance of a neighborhood."
On Sept. 28, the City Commission is scheduled to make the final rezoning decision.
With a five-to-four vote, the Lawrence-Douglas County Planning Commission decided Wednesday to rezone 285 acres of land, including Nieder Acres, from agriculture and single-family residence land to planned commercial development.
The Lawrence-Douglas County Planning Commission is creating a plan for future development along the trafficway in order to avoid future controversy over development.
He said the rezoning would create a large area of commercial land that would negatively affect downtown area business.
Myles Schacter said he was concerned with the trend Target was setting toward commercial development. Schacter served on the planning commission when Plan 95, a comprehensive plan for the growth of Lawrence and Douglas County that was adopted in 1977, was being considered. Rezoning Nieder Acres and the surrounding land would violate Plan 95, he said.
Schafter said the planning commission should be consistent with the fact that they denied Wal-Mart's
"There was a flood plain and commercial development, so you couldn't put more homes around," Peaslee said. "They were an island."
Dwayne Peasele, who also served on the planning commission when Plan 95 was adopted, said that in 1977 the planning commission would have zoned the Nieder Acres land as commercial if houses were not there.
request in 1901 to rezone land south of Nieder Aesca as commercial.
Price Banks, director of Lawrence-Douglas County Planning Commission, said that if the Target plan were approved, the city could face a lawsuit from other companies who had been denied similar rezoning requests.
But Wint Winter, the attorney representing Target, said a lawsuit was not probable because the commission was within its rights to approve Target's plan.
Target chose the Nieder Acres spot after reviewing a computer analysis of factors such as traffic counts, competition and the number of houses in the area, Winter said.
Residents in areas outside the proposed commercial rezoning area are not in favor of Target locating near their neighborhood.
Harry Warren, an attorney for Charles and Alice Stone, owners of Easy Living Trailer Park, 3323 Iowa St., said the Stones were opposed to Target locating in the Nieder Acres area near their trailer park, where 217 families live.
Jack Hope, a Lawrence resident who moved to Lawrence from Oakland, Calif., said he did not want urban sprawl in Lawrence.
Warren said the Stones were worried that their trailer park would become an island in a sea of commercial development.
"When I look down 23rd Street from Iowa, it scares me because it looks like California," he said.
William Alix / KANSAN
The leader of the band
Drum Majer Jonathan Glauer, Lawrence sophomore, helps conduct the KU Marching Band at Memorial Stadium. The band performed for a crowd of 200 after Saturday's game against Western Carolina. For more on the football game, see page 11.
State's computers fall short of needs
By Christoph Fuhrmans Kansan staff writer
Kansan staff writer
Several KU schools that have been unable to use computers provided by the state have turned to companies outside the state's contract.
The computer contracts for Kansas provide adequate computer systems for most state agencies, but can be somewhat limited for the specific needs of the Regents schools, said Steven McCabe, associate professor of civil engineering.
"There are a number of limited possibilities for faculty and staff." McCabe said. "It's not necessarily one size fits all."
McCabe said each school at KU had
different projects and research programs that required specific computers and equipment.
Jack Shipman, state director for the division of purchases, said that it would be impossible to provide specialized computers for every division of an organization as diverse as a university.
"We try to buy configurations for everybody's needs," he said. "There will always be something that won't fit someone."
The computer contracts are awarded through a selective bidding process by the state division of purchases and the state division of information systems and communications. Both divisions consider the needs and requests of state agencies before the
contract is approved.
KU's academic computing and telecommunications committee monitors the computer services and tries to offer another set of options for the University during the contract's selection process, said McCabe, who headed the committee last year.
The state has many different computer contracts, but the two that affect KU the most are with Microtech Computers and ComputerLand of Kansas City, Mo. Microtech, based in Lawrence, deals with desktop microcomputers, and ComputerLand deals with Apple computers.
When a KU department needs a specific computer system that cannot be provided by the state contract, the department must prove that the contracted equipment is not adequate.
The department must submit a written justification to the state division of purchases that explains why the contracted system cannot be used, said Beverly Peasele, contracting officer of the state division of purchases.
If the purchase of a new system is approved, the department must go through a selective bidding process for the lowest bid that must be approved by the state.
Computer contracts are for short periods of time, usually about six months, because the technology and financial markets are always changing, said Jerry Niebaum, director of academic computing services for FD.
Volleyball losses
Nazi graffiti scars Jewish center
The Kansas volleyball team fell short in a match against Baylor yesterday and in the Northern Illinois Tournament during the weekend.
Page 11.
By Carlos Tejada
Kanpo staff writer
Kansan staff writer
Lois Schneider, president of the Jewish Community Center, said the neo-Nazi graffiti spray-painted on the center's metal walls Saturday night was easy to remove.
But the shock and the surprise will be more difficult to erase, she said.
"I didn't expect this kind of thing to happen in Lawrence," Schoeider said.
The center, 917 Highland Dr., was vandalized late Saturday night, Lawrence police said. Swastikas, German words and lightning bolts resembling the insignias worn by World War II SS soldiers in Nazi Germany were scrawled in black spray-paint. They covered the front door, the sign on the center's front lawn, the metal walls on the west side of the building, and the brick walls on the south and east sides of the building.
The police said yesterday that they had no information. One of the words painted on the bricks was "ZOG." David Katzman, head of KU's American Studies department and member of the center since 1960, said the word was an acronym for "Zionist Occupational Government." The title is a reference to what far-right-wing groups claim is a Jew.
The police said yesterday that they had no suspects
ish conspiracy to control the world, he said.
"These people weave fantasies that have nothing to do with reality," Katzman said.
with relativity. Warren Maurer, written in German, was barely understandable. Warren Maurer, professor of German languages and literatures, said the phrase might have been: "Wenn alle bruder schweigen," or "If all brothers are silent."
"It does seem like a slagon," he said. Schneider said the graffiti on the metal walls came off with cleaning chemicals, but it may take sandblasting to clear the brick walls.
She said the center had never been vandalized or attacked in the six years she had been a member.
attacked in the six years she is alive.
"We're surprised and shocked and disappointed that something like this would happen," Schneider said. "We think it's important to let people know how it can happen."
But Katzman said attacks such as the one this weekend were common to jewish centers and even to such places as the door of his Wescro Hall office. He said he was saddened but not surprised about the graffiti.
"I wish it didn't happen," he said. "We generally think of mid-America as tolerant toward minorities."
Schneider said that despite the attacks, members of the center were more disappointed than afraid. She said she
Swastikas and anti-Semitic graffiti were painted Saturday night on the Jewish Community Center, 917 Highland Dr., police reported.
wanted the community to know of the attack and to know such sentiments existed in Lawrence.
"I feel these kinds of things need to be taken seriously," she said.
Kansas staff writer Scott J. Anderson contributed information to this story.