THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
PUBLISHED SINCE 1889 BY THE STUDENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS
(USPS 650-640)
THURSDAY, MARCH 2, 1989
Despite protests cottonwoods cut
VOL. 99, NO. 104
by Angela Clark and Candy Niemann Kansan staff writers
In an emotion-filled scene at the Riverfront project yesterday morning, four protesters were arrested after a futile attempt to buy a little more time for 100-year-old cotton-wood trees.
"They are native to Kansas, they are old, they are history and part of this land. Anything part of this land is sacred," said Dierdre Goldfarb, Frankfort junior and one of four juniors arrested by Lawrence police.
Goldfarb was one of many people concerned that the removal of 15 cottonwood trees in the way of construction of the Riverfront project would endanger the habitat of bald eagles that used the area for feeding.
The concern prompted a citizen's group, Protect Our Eagles' Trees, to file a law against the city of
Lawrence and developers of the Riverfront project. After the suit was dismissed Tuesday, the trees were scheduled to be cut down.
The four people arrested were not a part of POET, but they shared the group's concerns for the eagles and the trees.
"The first thing I heard was trees being ripped out, like bones being broken. I changed from witness to participant."
"My first feeling was to be a witness," said Keith Abrams, Lawrence resident and another of the protesters who was arrested.
Thirteen people gathered just before a 6 a.m. yesterday to try to stop the demolition by climbing to the eagles' perches.
"Me and that tree were one," Goldfarb said. "We could work together to save it."
See FIGHT, p. 6, col. 3
Construction workers uproot trees and load them onto trucks at the Riverfront project site. The trees were felled yesterday morning despite a public protest at the site.
Protesting in an attempt to stop the destruction of 15 cottonwood trees along the Kansas River is John Swift, Lawrence resident. Four protesters were arrested yesterday morning at the construction site of the Riverfront project. Swift was not one of those arrested.
Worker arrested in threat
City manager possible target
by a Kansan reporter
A disgruntled Lawrence city employee was arrested Tuesday on charges of making terroristic threats against his supervisor and Buford Lawrence city manager, according to Lawrence police records.
The employee, Claude Joseph Edwards, 25, a Lawrence sanitation worker, was booked Tuesday morning into the Douglas County jail. Police records showed he had made statements to fellow employees expressing his displeasure with the sanitation department.
Edwards, Route 2, Box 390, said he would place pipe bombs in his supervisor's and Watson's cars, according to the records. The statements were made during a span of two weeks, the records showed.
Chris Mulvenon, Lawrence police spokesman, said police searched Awards' home Tuesday morning.
"A pipe was taken into evidence and other items that could possibly be used to construct a bomb," Mulvenon said.
Watson said that he was unaware of any threats against him.
Qualified admissions may flunk out in Senate committee
Edwards was being held last night in Douglas County Jail in lieu of $5,000 bond.
"I have no information regarding this," he said.
by Alan Morgan
Kansan staff writer
TOPEKA — Qualified admissions for Regents schools may not qualify for the Senate floor. State Sen. Jim Allen, R-Ottawa, said yesterday.
Allen, a member of the Senate education committee, heard testimony from those opposed to qualified admissions during a hearing yesterday.
"I don't think there is enough support to recommend it to the Senate," Allen said. "I haven't polled the rest of the committee, but from the comments I have heard from them today. I don't think it has the support it needs."
Craig Grant, representative of the Kansas National Education Association, testified in openings for the position.
*The taxpayers of Kansas have come to accept this long tradition of our high school graduates being able to try our university system," Grant said. "Senate bill 265 would allow the Board of Regents to establish any type of admissions standards they wished.
"They could establish two or three elite entry systems, require an extremely high GPA for certain students, or basically do what they wanted."
After hearing testimony from those in opposition to the bill, the committee questioned both sides on aspects of their testimony.
Stanley Kopilik, executive director of the Regents, was asked by the committee if the Regents proposed requirements would be put in place. The team, led by Koipilik, said that the Regents preferred to
set the guidelines, and not have the guide lines included in law.
"We would prefer you trust us with the responsibility, and then we would report to you annually," Koplik said.
Koplik said that if putting the regulations into law would be necessary for qualified admissions to be accepted, the Regents would do so.
State Sen. Don Montgomery, R-Sabetha, said that he was opposed to allowing the Regents the power to control the guidelines for admissions.
"If you repeal that statute, you give the legouts complete control over high school campus."
The Regents proposal would require incoming freshmen to have an ACT score of 23 or higher, to rank in the top one-third of
their high school class, or to complete preparatory college courses with at least a 2.0 grade point average.
The preparatory courses would include four units of English, three units of mathematics, three units of social studies, three units of natural sciences and two units of foreign language.
Koplik told the committee that remedial courses taught at Regents schools cost the taxpayers $700,000 each year. He said that they would eliminate this cost to the taxpayers.
Sen. Eugene Anderson, D-Wichita, said he was unsure whether qualified admissions would favorably affect the dropout rate. "If I had a bait, undercoverd of the
breakdown of statistics on dropouts. I might have more sympathy for what you're trying to do." Anderson told Koplik. "I don't think that dropouts be lumped together provides a very good barometer for what you're trying to do."
"If I had a better understanding of the
Anderson said he thought many dropouts might have other reasons than poor academic performance for quitting school. He said that marriage, entering the military or financial problems might be factors involved in the dropout rate.
Committee chairman Joseph Harder, R.Moundridge, said the committee would continue discussion of qualified admissions if there was time after other scheduled issues.
Tower vows fight but prospects dim
The Associated Press
WASHINGTON — John Tower, his nomination as defense secretary in grave trouble, made an extraordinary public admission of marital infidelity yesterday but vowed to keep fighting for Senate confirmation. His prospects were dimmed further, however, by the Senate majority leader's opposition.
The president said his appeal to senators had been, "Look, do what you've got to do, but remember fair play, remember decency and honor and then remember also historically the concept of advise and consent where reasonable doubt is given historically to the president of the United States who, after all, is responsible for the executive branch of this government."
President Bush continued to court Democrats in a last-ditch effort to save the appointment, and *spokesman Marlin Fitzwater* asserted, "We'll just keep up the good fight."
Bush dispatched Quayle to Capitol Hill to lobby for the nomination.
But Senate Majority Leader George Mitchell further damped Tower's chances by declaring his opposition, even as Vice President Obama declared that the administration still needed votes for Senate approval.
"We hope the prospects improve. We don't have 50 votes
The administration is trying to bring all 45 Republicans and sway five of the 55 Democrats to get a vote. Your bleed could break in favor of Tower
See SENATE, p. 6, col. 1
yet. But we're moving in that direction, "Quayle said at a White House photo session.
Tower showed flashes of grit and humor as he fielded questions at the National Press Club about allegations of excessive drinking, and lucrative consulting fees he received from defense contractors.
His speech addressed defense policy issues, matters Tower said "normally occupy the mind of the nominee of secretary of defense." He asked questions from his audience about his personal behavior.
Tower said he regarded his vow to quit drinking if he won confirmation as "sacred . . . and I can assure you I will abide by it."
Asked whether he had ever broken his wedding vows, the twice-divorced Tower said. "As a matter of fact, I have broken wedding vows. I think I am probably not alone in that connection."
Republicans were trying to decide whether to seek a delay in the beginning of the debate on the nomination, which has drawn widespread opposition from Democrats.
Medical service decreasing in counties
Med center says underserved areas tend to be rural
by Jennifer Corser Kansan staff writer
Satisfactory service is defined as 67.5 primary health care physicians for 100,000 people. Underserved areas have 37.1 to 33.4 physicians to 100,000 people and critically underserved areas have 33.3 physicians or fewer, said Ronald Spangler, author of the report.
The number of Kansas counties medically underserved increased from 57 in 1987 to 60 in 1988, according to the University of Kansas Medical Center.
In addition, the Kansas Medically Underserved Areas Report said the number of critically underserved counties increased from 46 in 1987 to 58 in 1988. There are 105 counties in Kansas.
Primary health care includes family practice, general practice, internal medicine and pediatrics.
Although Douglas County is not listed as underserved or critically underserved, Jefferson, Franklin and Osage counties, which border Douglas County, were cited as critically underserved. Miami County, southeast of Douglas County, was also listed as critically underserved.
"The purpose of this list of underserved areas is to identify the areas of greatest need." Spangler said.
During 1988, 65 counties were underserved in primary care, compared with 57 in 1987.
Kansas counties that are medically underserved
A total of 65 Kansas counties were medically underserved in primary health care during 1988, an increase of eight counties from 1987. Primary health care includes family practice, general practice, internal medicine and pediatrics.
Critically underserved areas
Underserved areas
Source: Office of Institutional Research and Planning
Although Douglas County was not listed as underserved or critically underserved, Jefferson, Franklin and Osage counties, which border Douglas County, were cited as critically underserved.
At the same time, the number of
Dave Earnes/KANSAN
Of the 65 currently listed as underserved, 58 are critically underserved, according to the report. That is up from 40 in 1987 and as critically underserved in 1987.
"There is a tendency for some of the rural physicians to close their practices and move to a city or urban area." Spanner said.
Spangler, director of the office of institutional research and planning at the Med Center, said the underserved areas tended to be rural areas. Therefore, although there was an increase in practicing physicians, the distribution of physicians is still uneven.
physicians practicing in Kansas increased by 9 percent in 1988.
The purpose of the study is to identify the underserved areas in Kansas for the Kansas Medical Scholarship Program, Spangler said. The scholarship program, started in 1978 by Kansas legislation, pays one
year's tuition for a medical student if the student agrees to work in Kansas for one year after graduation and serves his residency in an underserved or critically underserved area.
Spangler said the legislation was passed to get more physicians in areas lacking in primary health care.
The scholarships are limited to a certain number of incoming medical students, said Billie Jo Hamilton, director of student financial aid.
Although the initial financing was provided by the state, the program now needs more students' materials from students who did not honor the agreement. Hamilton said.
Student interest in the program has declined since 1986.