Friday
September 20, 2002
Vol. 113. Issue No. 22.
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Tonight: 51°
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KANSAS Jayhawks go claw-to-claw with Falcons tomorrow p. 1B
Anton Bubnovskiy/Kansan
Rows of grapes cover the land at the Davenport Winery. The winery has about 1,000 plants and will produce about 2,000 gallons of wine this year.
Local winemaker finds success
By Justin Henning
jhenning@kansan.com
kansan staff writer
At the end of a day's work, Greg Shipe's hands are black and his clothes turn purple.
Davenport Winery, 1394 E. 1900 Road in Eudora, grows its own grapes and wine, a trend that is creeping its way back into Kansas.
Greg Shipe, owner of Davenport Winery, started growing grapes on his farm in 1990. The crop yielded more grapes than he could sell, so he and his wife looked into the feasibility of starting a farm winery.
The hobby has grown into a commercial business, its vines covering more than 18 acres of farmland. This year, Shipe said, the winery will produce about 2,000 gallons of wine.
Before Prohibition, Kansas was one of the top 10 wine-producing states. According to a 1901 book of agriculture statistics, more than 5,500 acres of vineyards in Kansas produced more than 172,000 gallons of wine.
Currently, Kansas is home to eight wineries
and fewer than 100 acres of grapes.
A Kansas statute passed in 1986 allowed wineries back into Kansas. Having no wineries made it more of a challenge for Shipe and other wineries.
"A lot of this is trying to learn how to do it all over again," he said. "The people who used to do it here are all gone."
Shipe, his wife and anyone who wants to volunteer pick grapes Saturday mornings and convert the fruits of their labors into wine.
Shipe said the Davenport Winery had a growing customer base. Because he hardly advertised, he said, the growth had a lot to do with word of mouth.
Shipe said running a farm winery was a unique business, "You can take something from the soil, and you alone can grow, process, market and sell the crop."
Jason Cruce, Lansing senior, has a penchant for wine given the proper occasion.
"Wine is a better drink than beer for dinner and certain occasions," he said. "If I were taking my girlfriend on a date we'd have wine, not Bud Light."
— Edited by Amy Schmitz and Andrew Vaupel.
Greg Shipe, owner of Davenport Winery, pours wine he produced. He has been growing grapes on his farm since 1990.
Anton Bubnovskiy/Kansan
FDA will discuss Plan B pill availability
By Lindsay Hanson
Ihanson@kansan.com
Kansan staff writer
Soon, women may not have to wait until the next day to use the morning-after pill.
Manufacturers of Plan B, a version of emergency contraception, will begin the process of persuading the Food and Drug Administration to provide over-the-counter access to the drug next week.
The Women's Capital Corporation, Plan B's distributor, is meeting with FDA officials next week to present its initial proposal, which would allow women to bypass a doctor's consent and buy the drug after passing a pharmacist's quiz of the drug's necessity or urgency.
Right now, women outside California, Washington and Alaska have to solicit a prescription to access the pill, which is said to prevent pregnancy if used within 72 hours after sex. But proponents of the proposal say most condom ruptures and unprotected-sex scares occur on weekend nights when doctors are out of the office and inaccessible to sign off on a prescription.
Waiting on a prescription diminishes the drug's effectiveness, said Laura Lind, office manager for Women's Capital Corporation. She said Plan B could reduce the risk of pregnancy by 95 percent if taken within 24 hours of intercourse. The drug claims 61 percent effectiveness if taken in the 48- to 72-hour range.
"The number one barrier for women is access," she said.
Planned Parenthood of Mid-Missouri and Eastern Kansas, 1420 Kasold Dr., writes advanced prescriptions to patients to eliminate the waiting period for emergencies.
"Most people don't have unprotected sex from 9 to 5 Monday through Friday," said Karla Wilmot, director of quality management for the organization's Kansas City, Mo., branch. "We pretty much fill out a prescription for anyone who would like to use it."
Watkins Memorial Health Center pro
SEE PILL ON PAGE 3A
Concert celebrates art
Students display talents in music, dance and art at 'Collage Concert'
By Vonna Keomanyvong
vkeomanyvong@kansan.com
Kansan staff writer
Art, music and dance will blend together for the third annual "Collage Concert," starting at 7:30 tonight in the Lied Center.
"This is not your ordinary concert," said Timothy Oliver, technical director of the show and director of the Marching Jayhawks. He said unlike other concerts, all of the events would take place simultaneously in different parts of the Lied Center.
For more than six months, faculty and students in the School of Fine Arts have been preparing for this event.
Oliver said the concert was important because it was the first event of the year for the fine arts department.
SEE COLLAGE ON PAGE 6A
Anton Bubnovskiy/Kansan
Rachel Moses, Great Bend junior, practices for the "Collage Concert." She was preparing for the concert, which is at 7 tonight at the Lied Center, showcases simultaneous performances from School of Fine Arts.
Saferide drivers take pride in goal
By Lindsay Model
lhodel@kansan.com
Kansan staff writer
A week after Lisa Paar applied for a job as a Saferide driver, her friend died in a car accident while driving home late one night.
"I always knew Saferide was a good cause," she said, "but Tracy's death made me think more about the importance of getting people home safely late at night."
Paar, a former University of Kansas student, is one of nine drivers for Saferide. The program runs every night from 11 p.m. to 2:30 a.m. and offers free rides home for KU students, whether they have been drinking at a party or studying late at the library.
The program is managed by Student Senate and funded by student fees.
More than 25,000 passengers rode Saferide last school year, a record for
"When it's really busy on weekends, there isn't a break from about 11 to about 3:30," she said. "I constantly am picking up people and dropping them off."
Paar has worked for Saferide for almost a year. She said she liked the job, but the weekends were stressful.
Paar said she occasionally received tips, ranging from $1 to $5. Saferide drivers cannot ask for tips, but are allowed to accept them if offered. The drivers earn $6.25 an hour.
the program, said Mike Appleby, director of KU on Wheels. However, some Saferide drivers thought those 25,000 passengers might not realize what goes on behind the scenes of this service
"I get bigger tips with bigger groups because somebody in the group usually gets everybody to contribute," she said.
SEE SAFERIDE ON PAGE 6A
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