Thursday, August 20, 1981 Vol. 92, No.1 USPS 650-640
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
University of Kansas Lawrence, Kansas
Section 4 County lifestyle
KU Sailing Club offers both lake training experience for novice and advanced sailors
By CHRIS TODD Staff Reporter
The Bounty. The Pequod. The Mayflower
Sound familiar? If they do, you might recognize them as the ships of Captain Bligh,
Captain Ahab and the Pilgrims.
How about the Liberty, the Fido and the HD? If those sound familiar, you're probably a member of the KU Sailing Club, and recognize them as three of the club's vessels. If they aren't familiar, but you're interested in sailing, learning how to sail or just meeting new people, then the KU Sailing Club might warrant further investigation.
The club, which usually has between 85 and 100 student and faculty members, meets every Wednesday night during the semester to discuss topics such as providing instruction on various aspects of sailing.
According to Thomas M. Welsh, club director, the club's fleet consists of 11 vessels. They were formed by the Student Union Activities and are docked at the Perry Lake Club on the northeast corner of Perry Lake.
On weekends, Welsh said, club members organize car pools to Perry Lake, where beginners are taught the elements of sailing. The more-experienced members sail on their own.
"The majority of our members are new to the sport of sailing, so teaching new sailors is one of
Besides offering instruction to beginners, Welsh said, the more experienced members can take advantage of sailing seminars, which are organized and presented by the club's expert sailors. The seminars usually take place after the weekly meeting.
our major concerns," Welsh said. "We offer a beginning course at the start of each semester. We about three weeks and concentrations on possible person out on the water as soon as possible."
"Most of us who instruct or present seminars," welsh said, "have been in the club for at least 10 years, and have had a lot of intensive training experience, so we're well qualified to teach."
Another attraction to more experienced sailors is the club's racing program. The club is a member of the Midwest College Sailing Association, which also includes the University of Wisconsin, Northwestern University, Southern University, University and the Universities of Iowa and Nebraska. In addition, the club holds inter-club regattas, or races, for all members during the semester.
But the KU Sailing Club is not just for sailing, but it offers a variety of social activities not exclusive to sailing.
"Every couple of weeks, we have something going," Welsh said. "During the winter, we have a lot of parties, and we sometimes go to play in Kansas City, or just go roll skating. We also
have potty dinners with some of the non-club members at the Perry Yacht Club. Some of our members get to know the Perry people pretty well and sail with them during the summer months."
In addition, the club sponsors and offers, at a reduced rate, ocean cruises once a year. Last year, the club flew to the Bahamas for the cruise. *attn:*
"We've had pretty good response on the ocean cruises," said Welsh. "The only problem is people don't have enough space in their luggage for all the coconut rum they want to bring."
To its members, the KU Sailing Club offers a variety of attractions and experiences.
Terry Lestovicka, a lab assistant in the botany department, said she enjoyed sharing sailing experiences with others who have similar interests.
Willard Remmers, Lawrence graduate of the University with several positive aspects in the KU Sailing Club.
"The sailing club is a varied experience" "
it can be explained in great depth just lightly.
"There is so much to learn about sailing. Just learning about physical phenomena like wind, weather and hydrodynamics can make sailing a lifelong endeavor."
The KU Sailing Club will hold its first meeting on Wednesday, Aug. 26. The following Saturday, the club will offer sailing and instruction at the Perry Yacht Club.
Flood led to Clinton Lake formation
Fishermen, water skiers and picnickers can be thankful for the 1951 flood of the Wakarau river.
Were it not for that flood, which devastated much of Lawrence and other Kansas cities and caused $1 billion in damages, Clinton Lake might never have been built.
However, the 7,000 acre Clinton Lake is now far more than just a safety valve for the dam.
The lake draws thousands of people to the area, and has increased property values for nearby residents.
although U.S. Army Corp of Engineers project
One problem was that the vast construction project faced long delays.
In 1971, the Corp planned to complete the lake
by 1985, but for completion was 1978,
except in late 1984.
Cost overruns were also a problem. The project was originally planned to cost about $45 million, but Counts said the final cost was $58 million.
However, Counts said that the project 'was one of the smoothest we have done, with a very
orderly transition from private to public property."
Now the lake has drawn more visitors than any lake in the area with the exception of Lake Stockton in Missouri, Counts said.
"We've had half a million visitors this year," he said.
Counts said that the lake was safe, with only the hazard of floating debris posing any problems.
The lake, which started as a simple reservoir for the large floodplain of the Wakarusa River valley, is a major recreational resource for the Lawrence area.
TRACY THOMPSON/Kansan staff
A sailboat is shadowed by its reflection as it crosses the path of sunlight on the water. The KU sailing club, which has 11 vessels in its fleet, sails on weekends at Lake Perry.
TRACEY HOMPANSONKHANSEN
KU land still awaits development
By MARC HERZFELD Staff Reporter
The land is not attractive to a farmer. Less than half of its thin, uneven soil is tillable.
But to a developer, the Kansas University Endowment Association's Adams Campus is beautiful because hide behind the fringe of walls. It's only a quarter of a mile away, is Clinton Lake.
Lester Flory, who has farmed the land for more than 10 years, said. "It's a average land, not a highland." He added that he is "always on the lookout."
However, a farmer's perspective and a developer's view of the land are quite different.
Executive Vice Chancellor Cobb said, "it is a very attractive spot and has a tremendous impact."
The property, leased as farmland, earned about $3,000 in 1978, a fraction of the several hundred thousand dollars Cobb said would be needed to develop the land.
Flory said he had no written lease and paid the Endowment Association on a share-cropping basis with the farmer keeping three-fifths of the return from crop sales.
"It sounds like we do a little development," Flory said, "but for now, the property is open."
The property could be used as a conference center, a faculty-student retreat or an ecological workshop, Cobb said, citing a 1976 study by KU graduate student Sandra Poland.
Martin Henry, property manager for the Endowment Association, said that plans for developing the property should come from the University and not the Endowment Association.
"We would hardy have the chutzpah," Henry said, "to go out there, build something and say, 'OK, University, here it is, we hope you can use it.'"
The property is called the Adams Campus after Kenneth Adams, a 1921 KU graduate and former board chairman of Phillips Petroleum, who died in 1975.
David VanParys, Student Senate treasurer,
said that the Senate had toyed with the idea of
using student fees to build a recreation center on
the property.
However, VanPansy said the idea to use student money to develop the land was rejected because of its distance from the Lawrence University campus. Another solution of already existing facilities at Clinton Lake.
"It would be much wise to spend money on improvements here rather than build a Shangri-La miles off campus, "VanPays said. "There is no real rationale for a private KU playground."