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BUSINESS
Commission delays Wal-Mart decision again
BY MARK VIERTHALER
It was another late night talking about Wal-Mart for the Lawrence City Commission without any tangible result.
The proposed rezoning authorization was tabled for further consideration for an undefined time.
The proposed development of the
128,000 square feet of area northwest of Sixth Street and Wakarusa Drive was denied by the commission 3-2 after three hours of discussion.
This denial effectively sent the proposal back to the city's Planning Commission for continued review.
Commissioner David Schauer said he was uncomfortable voting on the issue based on plans that
nad not been seen by the Planning Commission. He requested more public hearings be held on the subject.
Mayor Mike Amyx echoed this same discomfort and requested an increased study on the traffic around Wakarusa. He also requested a new traffic study be done on south Iowa near the existing Wal-Mart to have a
comparison available.
Todd Thompson, the attorney for Wal-Mart, said there was no need for more public hearings to be held on the subject.
"Are there a few new shrubberies? Yes?" he said. "Is there a new sidewalk or two? Yes. But that's the only difference."
Thompson said the commission
should consider passing the proposal because they have also reduced the original property request from 154,000 square feet two years ago, to the current 128,000 square feet.
Ray Frankenberg, a site engineer for Wal-Mart, presented the changes that have been made to the plan, including the increase in greenery and the ability to convert part of the
parking to a city street by placing the main store far back on the lot.
Concerns about traffic and the economic impact on Lawrence were the two main issues raised by citizens.
Kirk McClure, associate professor of urban planning, said the commis-
MEN'S BASKETBALL
Sanctions limit visits for recruits
Expense-paid trips for potential players reduced from 12 to 8 for next two years
BY C.J. MOORE
Bill Self likes to get recruits to visit campus, unless the recruit is someone like Julian Wright.
Wright told Self he wanted to be a Jayhawk before he had ever been on campus. Because the NCAA Committee on Infractions reduced the number of official visits for the men's basketball team from 12 to 8 for the next two seasons, Self may have to get more recruits to commit without visits to compensate for the reduction. The loss was a sanction for violations made in the program.
"You have to figure out who you
You have to figure out who you have a legitimate chance of sign-
img." Self said. "You can't just bring guys in for the sake of bringing guys in if you feel like you don't have a shot at them."
An official visit allows the team to pay for the transportation, lodging.
been speculation that sophomore guard Brandon Rush will turn pro after this season. The addition of Aldrich would mean that if Rush departed, Kansas could still sign only one more player. So far this year, Kansas has brought in three recruits on official visits and still has five remaining, although Self said he planned not to use all of them.
With five seniors on next year's roster - six if Giles returns - Self will have at least five spots to fill for the 2008-09 roster and only eight visits to fill them.
meats and entertainment for a prospect. The other option, an unofficial visit, can be made anytime during an athlete's high school career, but the recruit must pay his own way. The team can provide passes to a game to the recruit, though.
"It only takes four or five guys to bring in to say no, and now you're out of official visits."
"It only takes four or five guys to bring in to say no, and now you're
Self said he is not too worried about the reduction's effects this year. If junior C.J. Giles remains off the team, Kansas will have only one scholarship to offer next season, and high school senior Cole Aldrich from Jefferson High School in Bloomington, Minn., has already verbally committed to the team.
Self said there was a possibility that an underclassman would leave after this season. There has
BILL SELF
Basketball coach
out of official visits," Self said. "You work your butt off so you can get them to campus and then you've got to sell them when they get to campus."
With limited opportunities for official visits, Self could convince recruits next season to visit unofficially, which they can do an unlimited number of times. Self said there are typically 15 to 20 unofficial visits during the season; however, because most the recruits do not live close to Lawrence, it's difficult for them to drive in for a weekend.
Kansan staff writer C.J. Moore can be contacted at cjmoore@ kansan.com.
Self said that campus visits are a critical step in getting players to sign.
Edited by Mindy Ricketts
Dan Consolver, director of Academic Technology Services, solicits suggestions on improving the student experience at the University of Kansas from Terry Peterson, Overland Park senior, on Tuesday during Stop 'N Talk on Wescoe Beach. "Wescoe could be spruced up a bitt," Peterson said. "As a humanities major, I spend a lot of time there." The office of the Vice Provost for Student Success holds an event like Tuesday's once a month throughout the fall and spring seminars.
Ryan McGeeney/KANSAN
ADMINISTRATION
Students suggest changes
BY BEN SMITH
The Office of the Vice Provost for Student Success has one big question for students: What's the one thing you would change at KU if you had the opportunity?
Armed with free bottled water and clip boards, representatives from Student Success stopped students on Wesco Beach on Tuesday to ask their opinions.
Emilie Durgan, Lawrence sophomore, stopped to respond. "If you have asked me last year, I would have said parking tickets," Durgan said. "I guess maybe it seems like KU costs so much, what
with tuition and books. The cost of living is going up and wages don't
Matt Lindberg, Plano, Texas, junior, said one of the things he might have asked for was a better football team.
While some students just passed by the small table, others whom Tuttle approached answered seriously, and also not so seriously.
Kathryn Nemeth Tuttle, associate vice provost for student success, and directors from the KU Writing Center, Legal Services for Students and other departments initiated the informal survey as part of the monthly Stop 'N' Talk on Wescoe Beach.
Chris Harris, Pamona junior, said he would like a more comprehensive enrollment process with a more accessible timetable.
"Really I think I'd like to see some universal parking permits," Lindberg said.
"And instead of working to get more parking lots, why not work for fewer cars," Harris said.
Tuttle said Student Success started Stop 'N' Talk last year in an effort to reach out to students to let them know that 20 units and more than 900 employees of Student Success were available to assist them with their academic and personal goals.
"We will take many of the responses we get and post them on our Web site," Tuttle said. "We will allow discussions and let students know what referrals we made to some of the questions and responses."
The Student Success Web site is www.vps.ku.edu.
Lindberg said he thought it was good that the University was stepping out to talk to students.
"How else are you going to learn what students think if you don't ask them?" Lindberg said.
Kansan staff writer Ben Smith can be contacted at bsmith@kansan. com.
Edited by Mindy Ricketts
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3rd district candidates focus on national security, health care, debt
BY ERIN CASTANEDA
Rep. Dennis Moore is faced by challengers Republican Chuck Ahner and Robert Conroy, who is running on the reform ballot.
Candidates running for the 3rd district U.S. House of Representative
Moore, a Democrat from Lenexa, has served as the 3rd district congressman since 1998. Ahner is the senior vice-president and chief technology officer of Midland Loan Services in Overland Park. Repeated efforts to contact Conroy were unsuccessful.
seat are focusing on national security, debt and education.
Moore said he was a strong proponent for fiscal responsibility and balanced budgets. He said cutting programs and school budgets was "not only hurting our kids and our future, but our own economy"
He has seven grandchildren and is concerned with their future. He said the U.S. government was mortgaging the future of its children and attributed it to the nation's $8.5 trillion debt. Moore said he would reinstitute a pay-as-you-go program that would restore fiscal responsibility.
When it comes to financial aid for college, he said he disagreed with a bill President Bush enforced, which
set a maximum on the amount of aid students could receive. In 2003 Moore said Bush put in place a $4,050 limit on financial aid.
"I think it's the opposite of what we should be doing." Moore said.
Ahner, who recently turned 40 and has two children, said he recognized college students were looking to the future. He said he was trying to hit big issues that concerned them.
The economy is important for this age group he said, namely because "we are living in an increasingly global economy." To make the
United States more competitive, he said he would push a fair tax that would get rid of income tax and the payroll tax system. Ahner said this would be especially important to college graduates earning their first paychecks.
"We're seeing too many jobs go out of our country," he said.
Ahner is a former army intelligence officer. He said the war in Iraq was important to him and so was national security. He would like
SEE ELECTION ON PAGE 4A