University Daily Kansan / Wednesday, May 3, 1989
Campus/Area
3
Five more local cases of measles confirmed
by Jennifer Corser Kansan staff writer
Douglas County has had 20 confirmed measles cases since Jan.1, an increase of five since last week, a health officer said yesterday.
In addition, Douglas County has 28 probable cases and 30 suspected cases, said Kay Kent, administrator/health officer of the Lawrence-Douglas County Health Department. Nine of the confirmed cases and 20 of the suspected cases are from Lawrence. There also are 21 suspected cases from Lawrence.
Charles Yockey, Watkins Memorial Health Center chief of staff, said that in addition to three confirmed measles cases at KU, there were now four more suspected cases on campus. Results from the four blood tests should be available either Friday or the following Friday.
A probable case has the symptoms of measles, which are a rash and fever. cough and watery discharge are also possible in suspected case has a rash and fever.
Kent said the measles outbreak, which began in the county in December, was costing the health department much time and money.
"It is a large outbreak and is requiring a tremendous amount of staff resources," she said.
The health department must call anyone who has had contact with a suspected or confirmed measles case, she said. It also must set up clinics to immunize those who need it.
Measles vaccines cost $9. If a person needs a measles-mumps-rubella vaccine, it costs about $16.
Kent said she expected the number of reported measles cases to decrease when school let out for the summer.
Measles, which is highly contagious, spreads more rapidly in areas containing many people, such as schools, she said.
Students at Central Junior High School were reimmunized last week because of a probable case reported there March 25. Students at Lawrence High School, Schweiger, Hillierest and Kennedy elementary schools also have been reimmunized this year.
It takes three to four weeks for results of tests of suspected measles cases. Kent said.
Yockey said KU had not had any suspected measles cases in the last week and a half.
"I really think we're going to make it through the semester without a big epidemic." Yockey said.
He said students' stress during finals would not affect their chances of catching measles. Measles is not contracted by poor sleep habits or stress but rather through contact with infected persons, disease or by not being immune to it.
Regents Center construction to be delayed
by Candy Niemann
Construction of the new $6 million Regents Center in Overland Park will begin about two months later than originally planned. KU officials said yesterday.
Kansan staff writer
David Schaecher, assistant director of facilities planning, and Jim Sealy, assistant to the chancellor, said that construction of the center would probably begin in June 1990.
"The Legislature didn't act on funding for the center until late in the session." Schaecher said. "It put us a little behind schedule."
Financing for the center was approved April 8. The state will finance $2 million during a two-year period, with the additional $4 million coming from student fees and private dorms.
"Right now it is early for us to have (private financial) commitments," Seally said. "We
have approached a number of individuals and corporations in the Kansas City area, but it is not appropriate at this time to make any announcements."
The new center, to be located at 127th Street and Quivira Road, will replace the center at 120th Street.
"Right now we are in one of the oldest elementary schools in the area," said Mary Gersh, assistant vice chancellor for the Regents Center. "The new building will be much larger and it will be much better suited for using telecommunications and electronics."
About 1,500 graduate students take classes taught by about 100 full-time KU faculty.
The center is owned and operated by the University of Kansas, although Pittsburg State University is a member.
use the building.
One new center will be located on 35 acres of land donated by Clayton Blair, a KU alumnus. Although only 15 acres of the donated land will be used, there were no plans for future development.
"That concern was a real problem in passing financing through the Legislature," Schaeher said. "We're not master-planning a whole new campus here."
Roger Peterson, director of planning and resources for the city of Overland Park, said a 1,000-unit apartment complex and a 50,000-square-foot shopping center would be built near the city's highways. But they were not related to the Regents Center but were a part of developing the whole area.
Alan Sims, assistant to the Overland Park city manager, said the expansion of the city park would help increase property taxes.
to the area.
Sims said that many Kansas City businesses wanted to provide advance training for their employees.
"In the Kansas City area the amount of graduate coursework offered is very limited," he said. "The old center has outgrown itself. The new one will allow room for expansion."
Schaecher said the new center would have about 47,000 square feet of usable space. The new center would also cost $138 million.
"It's not really bigger but the space is more flexible." Gersh said. "Right now we have wires and wires running all over the building, and it still isn't enough. In the new building, telecommunications and electronics will be built right in."
Plans for the center include a telecommunications network that would allow students to communicate electronically.
Joseph Kobuszewski, a Valley Falls large-animal veterinarian, works with clients' calves on a farm near Effingham, northwest of Lawrence. Kobuszewski vaccinated and castrated the calves for the spring season yesterday.
No bulls
Because a bull's horns can cause injury, Kobuszewski must remove them with a special tool. Kobuszewski and his wife, Denise, also a veterinarian, are co-owners of the Countryside Veterinary Clinic in Valley Falls.
Kohuszewski's hands are worn from the daily life of a large-animal veterinarian.
City discusses Business Improvement District's future
by Carrie Harper
Kansan staff writer
The Lawrence City Commission discussed the future of the Business Improvement District for downtown Lawrence last night.
Although the commission took no action, it set a schedule for discussion of further possibilities. The commission will decide this月 later whether to discontinue the BID as of June 30 or wait until the end of the year.
mended that the city dissolve the BID at the end of 1899 because it had been a divisive issue among downtown merchants. The question of whether to collect assessment fees from those who have not paid this year or for 1890 has fueled the controversy.
Kelly, Arnold, city management analyst, said that 148 of the 365 downtown businesses that were billed for 1989 had not paid yet. The city has received full payments from 24 businesses and the rest have made partial payments. Of the $84,000 BID budget for nine
$26.276 has been collected, he said.
The city has taken legal action to collect from those who have made no payment for the service.
Boyd, owner of Boys Cans and Antiques, 731 New Hampshire Street, and chairman of the ProDowntown Committee, said he was not sure if any of the would continue only if the BID were allowed to continue through the end of the year. He asked that all collection lawsuits be dropped.
that too much work needed to be done to change the BID to a voluntary contribution program by July 1, as had been suggested
Downtown Lawrence  A Kansas Corporation, which administers the BID funds, had community projects scheduled for the rest of the year that also would suffer. Rundle said.
The BID Advisory Board in April recom
assured that an correct response would be Commiserator Mike Rundle, however, said
Boyd said that he did not believe that the bid to BID tundra would end projects that had
"Christmas is going to come this year
whether the RID finances the lights or not."
he said.
Eugene Riling, a downtown attorney and a member of the Pro-Downtown Committee, suggested that the city return BID money for expenses this year on a prorated basis.
Commissioner David Penny said the city was not good at being in the retail business because of the high cost of products.
Mayor Bob Schumann said the worst thing the commission could do was prolong some time.
---
---
Best Excuse Contest
Deadline: 5 n.m., May 9 in the SUA Office
Prizes: 1st=$25 KU Bookstore gift certificate, 2nd=Two Worlds of Fun tickets, 3rd=Lunch for 2 in the Pain Room & 1b of MMs
Good Luck from the Kansas and Burge Unions
---
815 New Hampshire