THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
THURSDAY, AUGUST 16, 2007
HURSDAY, AUGUST 16, 2007
NEWS
3A
CONSTRUCTION
Crossing not to close immediately
BY MARK DENT mdent@kansan.com
Breathing room was the only thing in short supply at The Crossing Tuesday night. Students packed every square inch inside the barroom and on the outside porch.
Crowded nights like that occur regularly at The Crossing. And despite a proposal to build a hotel at 12th and Indiana on The Crossing's land, manager Phil Mears said the bar had four years remaining on its lease and the patron-packed nights would continue
"We don't have any future plans other than what we know," Mears said. "We fully anticipate being open for the entire school year and next."
The Crossing, along with Beat the Bookstore and the recently closed Yello Sub, could be demolished to make room for Eldridge on the Hill, a hotel proposed by developer Gene Fritzel Construction and designer Paul W尔恩 Architects. The group submitted an application to City Hall in July. The proposal will likely be up for a public hearing in September.
The Crossing, Eldridge on the Hill is not.
The seven-story, brick and stone structure would include five floors of hotel rooms and two floors for extended stays. A restaurant and bar would be on the first floor.
The proposed design also calls for a traffic circle between the current site of The Crossing and the Docking Family Gateway north of the Kansas Union. It would be similar to the circle around the Chi Omega fountain.
Mears said none of three people behind the project, Thomas Fritzel, Paul Werner and Robert Patroff, owner of The Crossing's land, had spoken with him or Dave Boulter, The Crossing's owner.
He said The Crossing re-negotiated a five-year lease with Patroff last year. Mears said the only way the developers could demolish the bar was if they bought it out through an option in the lease.
Beat the Bookstore is another business that would be demolished if the proposal passes. The store, which has been open since May, is one of 27 franchises across the country that specialize in buving and selling used books
Dan Keating, co-owner, said that since its opening, his store has been more successful at buying back books than any other franchise. That success makes the possible demolition harder to face.
"We really like this location," Keating said, "but if we have to go, we have to go. Wed still like to find a new place in town somewhere."
They will only need to do that if the proposal passes, which may not happen easily. Two factors are necessary for it to pass: compliance with historic zones and approval from the Oread Neighborhood Association.
The proposed structure would be surrounded by the Oread and Hancock Historic Districts. Werner said the Eldridge on the Hill plan called for a facade similar to houses in the area and renovation of the nearby Oread Apartments. The developers hope those steps will solidify the proposal's chances for approval. They might not be enough.
A proposal last year for condominiums at the same location failed, largely because the high-rise structure did not meet historical standards. Despite Eldridge on the Hill's designers' steps to historicize it, the hotel's large size is similar to that of the failed condominiums.
"This new building might not fare any better," said Sandra Day, Lawrence city planner. "It could still ultimately have a recommendation for denial."
But Eldridge on the Hill does have neighborhood support. Day and Werner said that, unlike last year's failed proposal, the Oread Neighborhood Association endorsed this new structure.
The developers are unlikely to please students though. Although Beat the Bookstore is a new business, The Crossing has been a popular hangout of students for years. Diana Hall, Horton senior, said she would miss the bar if it were demolished.
"The Crossing is all about tradition," she said. "It's part of the KU experience. When I'm here, it's like I'm in my hometown."
—Edited by Tara Smith
》 CRIME
Trial date set for January in Kelsey Smith abduction case
BY MARIA SUDEKUM FISHER
ASSOCIATED PRESS
ASSOCIATED PRESS
OLATHE — A judge on Wednesday set a trial date for the man accused of kidnapping, raping and strangling an 18-year-old woman, whose apparent abduction from a Target store parking lot was captured on videotape.
Johnson County District Judge Peter Ruddick set edwin R. Hall's capital murder trial for Jan. 14. Ruddick also heard arguments from both sides about how DNA evidence in the case should be provided to the defense.
Hall, 26, Olathe, is charged with
capital murder, kidnapping, rape and
aggravated sodomy in the slaying of Kelsey Smith, of Overland Park. He has pleaded not guilty.
Hall is accused of abducting Smith on June 2 from the Target parking lot in suburban Kansas City. Grainy surveillance video from the store appeared to show Smith being confronted and pushed into her car.
Her body was found four days later in a park about 20 miles away in Missouri. Hall was interviewed and arrested June 6, after he saw himself on television in surveillance video and contacted a lawyer, who contacted police.
At the hearing Wednesday, one of Hall's lawyers, Paul Cramm, said
defense experts would need to view the DNA that had been collected and processed by the state in an "unlocked" electronic format. That would give defense experts "the freedom to analyze the material," Cramm said.
“Particularly now, where there’s a request with the death penalty on the table, I cannot imagine not having the evidence in the same format as the state, even with far less jeopardy at stake,” Cramm said.
But Johnson County District Attorney Phill Kline argued the unlocked format was unnecessary.
"The science of DNA is firmly based on credibility and accreditation."
tion of laboratory protocol established through validation testing. If you alter those protocols, you eliminate the science," Kline said.
But Ruddick ordered prosecutors to turn over to the defense in an unlocked format any DNA that was destroyed or significantly reduced in testing. DNA analyses that were not destroyed in testing would be provided in the locked format, but the defense would have access to that DNA for its own testing.
Cramm has also requested that prosecutors provide the defense with all copies of files on Hall maintained by the Kansas Department of Social and Rehabilitative Services.
>> SELF-DEFENSE
Workshops teach women to handle violent situations
BY ERIN SOMMER
esommer@kansan.com
The Emily Taylor Women's Resource Center hosts the first of several self-defense workshops for women tonight from 7 to 8:30 p.m. at Rec Fest in the Student Recreation and Fitness Center.
Kathy Rose-Mockry, program director of the Emily Taylor Women's Resource Center, said the workshops would teach women how to hit, kick and yell properly if they find themselves in a violent situation.
"Self-defense is a mindset of believing in your ability to handle these situations," Rose-Mockry said. "The instruction will cover a range of physical moves that have been known to be good self-defense techniques."
The workshops are taught by Susan and Do Booth, who own Premier Martial Arts in Lawrence. The Women's Resource Center's Sexual Violence Prevention Services will sponsor the workshops,
"People who know these techniques handle themselves confidently" she said.
Confidence is the best way to avoid violent confrontations, Booth said.
Susan Booth said the workshops are hands-on and will teach practical ways to avoid confrontations and defense moves to use should a woman be faced with a violent situation.
Safety Resources
Booth said that women faced with a predator should be assertive.
University Public Safety Office
University students will receive priority for the workshops in the
"Predators are looking for people who appear weak or seem like an easy target," Booth said. "Tell them you're not the one."
In addition to the workshop tonight, workshops will be held from 7 to 8:30 p.m. Monday in Hashinger Hall, and on Oct. 17 in the Student Recreation and Fitness Center.
Women's Transitional Care Services Inc.
(785) 843-3333
(785) 864-9500
GaDuGi SafeCenter (785) 841-2345
Watkins Memorial Health Center
(785) 864-3552
Emily Taylor Women's Resource Center (704) 561-2555
recreation center, and students who live in residence halls will receive priority for the workshop in Hashinger. The workshops are free for University students and $5 for non-students.
Those interested in participating must contact the Women's Resource Center to sign up, Rose-Mockry said. Space is limited.
Rose-Mockry said she hopes to offer self-defense workshops frequently throughout the year and plans to schedule more workshops this academic year.
"It does raise awareness of the importance of doing something like this," Rose-Mockry said.
The workshops are only for women, but Rose-Mockry said that men interested in learning self-defense should contact the Emily Taylor Women's Resource Center.
To sign up for the self-defense workshops, contact the Emily Taylor Women's Resource Center at (785) 864-3552 or etwrc@ku.edu.
THIS WEEK ON CAMPUS
ABWA
American Business Women's Association Leadership Education Networking Service Recognition
ATTENTION!
Come find out if ABWA is right for you! All majors & years in school welcome.
Please join us at our Informational Meeting & Ice Cream Social:
August 16,2007
Tuesday, August 28 @ 7pm Kansas Union, Jayhawk Room Get a jump start on your career and get involved at KU!
Visit our website at http://groups.ku.edu/-kuabwa/
KU Freshman:
Freshman Elections are fast Approaching!
If you think you might be interested, you should stop by the Senate office on the 4th floor of the Kansas Union in the
Every fall, freshman elect 5 of their peers to represent them in Student Senate, and this year's election is just around the corner!
Student Involvement and Leadership Center.
Applications to get on the ballot are due Friday,August 24th and the election will be the 4th and 5th of
24th and the election will be the 4th and 36th of September. Student Senate is eager to get new people with new ideas who want to leave a
new ideas who want to leave a lasting impression on KU, so don't hesitate to run for a freshman seat!
Questions? Contact Adam McGonigle, Elections Commissioner at amcgonigle87@yahoo.com
PAID FOR BY KU
STUDENT LEGISLATIVE AWARENESS BOARD
MAKE IT YOUR MISSION. Interested in politics?
Get involved with the leading political advocacy organization on campus, the Student Legislative
Awareness Board. Officer applications are now available in the Student Senate office located in room 410 of the Kansas Union. Positions available include: Special Events Coordinator Press/
Public Relations Coordinator
Legislative and Policy Assistant Deputy Community Affairs Director Deputy Legislative Director
Applications are due by 5:00 pm on Friday, September 7 in the Student Senate office in the Kansas Union.
DANCE
Want to meet people and learn to move your body at the same time?
Dancing lessons are a great opportunity! No more remaining seated when you go out to clubs or parties!
No experience, no partner and no special shoes required. Just come and enjoy yourself.
Ballroom Dance Lessons on Sundays from 3-5pm in the Kansas Union Ballroom. and Salsa Lessons on Fridays from 7-9pm in Hashinger Hall.
Check out our website for more information:
http://groups.ku.edu/~kubdc/
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