WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 19, 2001
NEWS
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN = 3A
Local agencies 'Remember the Fallen'
By Courtney Craigmile Kansan staff writer
The Douglas County Sheriff's Office and local fire stations are doing their part to raise money for firefighters and law enforcement officials in New York City.
CHRIS BURKET/KANSAN
ment officials in New York City. The two organizations are giving citizens several opportunities to donate money to a fund that will be sent to the families of firefighters and law enforcement officials who were injured, killed or are missing.
kinder of the military station
Lawrence Fire Station No. 3.
3708 W. Sixth St., sold ribbons
designed by firefighter Brian
Aeschliman yesterday. The ribbons
are black, red and blue and
are held together with a flag pin.
Lt. Doug Green of Lawrence Fire Station No. 3 talks to Danny Bristow, DJ for 105.9 the LAZER, about the ribbons that are being sold to raise money for the American Red Cross. Ribbons and pins were sold at fire stations around Lawrence on Tuesday and T-shirts are currently being printed.
Aeschliman said it was tradition for firefighters to wear a black ribbon around their badge as a sign of mourning for those hurt or killed in rescue efforts. The red, he said, represented the firefighters; the blue represented the law enforcement officers; and the flag represented the military and citizens who showed support in this time of tragedy.
"The ribbons are comprised of red, black and blue, but the flag pin, like citizens, is what holds the ribbons together," he said.
The fire stations ordered 864 flag pins, Aeschliman said. At
last count, some 700 were sold. Eight hundred more pins arrived yesterday.
The ribbons can be purchased at any fire station for $10. The flag pin can be purchased for $5.
Lt. Doug Green of Fire Station No. 3 teamed up with Sgt. Doug Woods of the sheriff's department to create a T-shirt commemorating the victims of the Sept. 11 attacks.
Woods designed the white shirts with black lettering. The front of the shirts says "Remember the Fallen," with a picture of an American flag. The back of the shirts contains a list of 21 fire, medical and police agencies in the area that have donated to the relief fund. Underneath the list of local agencies is part of Psalm 23.
Woods contacted Tom Wilkerson at Spirit Industries, 1021 E. 31st St., to print the shirts. Wilkerson's son is a volunteer firefighter in Eudora, so Woods said he agreed to print the shirts at a discount.
The shirt design was approved yesterday, Woods said, and printing would soon begin. The sheriff's department ordered 15,000 shirts and said more could be made if the demand was present.
'Half of the money will go to firefighters and half will go to the
police to distribute it to their people," Woods said.
The shirts cost $10. Extra extra-large shirts cost $12.
Once they are printed, Woods said, the departments would
organize a distribution point in a local parking lot where citizens could stop by and purchase shirts
fighters and law enforcement officers with immediate needs in New York City.
Green and Woods encouraged citizens to donate to the fund to help the families of fire-
Contact Craigmile at 864-4810
City Commission considers year-round shelter
By Courtney Craigmile Kansan staff writer
The City Commission was given a two-part proposal from Lawrence Open Shelter Inc., regarding a year-round shelter for the homeless at last night's City Commission meeting.
The proposal from LOS requested the use of city-owned buildings, specifically the old Lawrence Arts Center at Ninth and Vermont streets. Steve Guinn, representing LOS, said the city had no other plans for the building, so it would be an ideal site for a year-round shelter.
The LOS proposal also requested $45,000 from the city to establish a salaried coordinator for the new shelter.
"It is the mission of the Lawrence Open Shelter to provide year-round safe shelter, food, support services and an avenue to a positive future for all people in Douglas County who need our assistance," Guinn said.
Several people addressed the Commission with their concerns about the need for a year-round shelter.
Wanda Klaben, a Lawrence resident who was homeless at one time, expressed the need for a shelter for homeless people who had been drinking.
"If it wouldn't have been for the good graces of the city, I'd probably still be on the street," she said.
Buck, a homeless man, pleaded with the Commission to build a year-round
shelter and not leave the homeless out in the cold.
"It's not safe out there," he said as he told the Commission about a beating he recently received from a man with a twoby-four.
Some people were concerned about a year-round shelter that admitted people who had been drinking.
"If you create a shelter for people who have been drinking, it seems to me there should be some commitment on their part," said William Dunn, Lawrence resident.
The Commission added the issue of homeless concerns to the agenda after several people marched to City Hall following Rachel Conrad's memorial service Sept. 10. Conrad was a homeless woman who died Sept. 7. The cause of her death is under investigation
He suggested that those who enter the shelter should make some sort of agreement to fix their substance abuse problems.
Although no action was taken at last night's meeting, several commissioners requested that more information about year-round and wet shelters be gathered for review.
"I'm a person who believes that we should work hard to help people rehabilitate themselves to get out of their pit," Commissioner Jim Henry said.
Contact Craigmile at 864-4810
Study abroad participants not worried
Jeremy Clarkson Kansan staff writer
"I wrote to all students and asked them to be particularly cautious for the next period of time," Gronbeck-Tedesco said.
Last week's terrorist attacks have concerned some parents of KU students planning to study overseas, said Susan Gronbeck-Tedesco, interim director of Study Abroad, but there have been no safety problems.
She said she had informed parents that the office was concerned about students' safety. If there was a problem, she said accommodations would be made to get the students home.
Gronbeck-Tedesco also said no students were studying abroad in the Middle East, and that most students were in Europe, Japan and China.
She said if students currently abroad were concerned, the office would help them come back home, if they wanted.
"We would help them get into classes and find housing." Gronbeck-Tedesco said. "One of our concerns is we don't want students losing whole semesters."
Gronbeck-Tedesco also said no students had withdrawn from their study abroad programs for next semester.
Amanda Blue, Olathe senior said she wasn't concerned about studying abroad in Angers, France, next semester, despite the terrorist attacks.
attacks. "I don't feel what happened here will affect anything abroad on a large scale," Blue said.
Jim Breckenridge, Waterville junior, said the attacks weren't deterring him from studying in Spain next semester.
"The city where I am going to be studying isn't of any economic importance so I don't think it would be targeted for terrorist attacks," Breckenridge said.
Contact Clarkson at 864-4810