Turnpike toll increase probably painless
The recently announced toll increase for the Kansas Turpike will not upset many motorists, according to two East Lawrence toll booth operators, who related that they are charged with thousands of tolls from their own opinion.
The increase, which will average 7 percent, was the first in more than three years, turpike chairman H.J. Barr said recently. Barr announced two weeks ago that the increase would be put into effect Aug.1.
Dick Huk, a tollbooth operator for eight months,
said yesterday that the rate would not "bother
"a lot of them have asked about it, but it’s only a five-cent increase on 85 cents for here and there."
Barr had said that short-trip rates on the turnpike would increase only from five to ten cents. For example, the toll from West Lawrence to East Topeka would increase from 15% to 60 cents. He said the increases were required by the trust agreement with turnpike bondholders.
A NEW YORK consulting engineers' report said
current rates and decreased traffic made it impossible to both maintain the turnippe and meet the
Ray Barland, a booth operator for five years, said yesterday he thought the turnip authority deserved the increase. Barland spoke while collecting fares. In the other booth Hook passed out turnip tickets.
"I think the increase is a minimal enough amount that the authority is entitled to it." Barland said.
He said that few people would complain about the increase unless they were against tolls in the first quarter.
"There are a lot of people who think the turpentine and all federal roads should be free; Berard said, "I don't think it would be good."
BARLAND SAID he could make a good prediction he would respond to calls from their license plan.
"Most states are congenial," he said. "But I can tell you the two worst: California and Missouri."
having everything given to them. Missourians, because they resent support Kansas."
As a car approached to pay its toll, Barland gave an obscene description of the typical Californian.
"Californians, because they are so damned used to
"Just practicing my French," he told the curious driver.
On the other side of the road Hauk said motorists were wrong to resent paying tolls and to believe that the police are too strict.
THERE ARE NO taxes to pay for the road now," he said. "If the state took over right now, they would have to raise Kansas citizens' taxes, including the little old lady who doesn't even have a car."
Houk said that the bondholders were due to be paid off by either 1984 or 1984, but that he didn't know how the state could ever take it over because of the expense of maintenance, fuel and operations.
HOUK SAID THE wages and benefits for the operators, who were non-union, were fair.
Barland said that the toll booth operators had recently received a state cost-of-live increase but that that was a small part of the turnpike's rising costs.
operators, who were not union, were cait.
"We're not overpaid, though," he said.
Both Houk and Barland agreed the turpike increase was needed because of increased mainland ice.
"The turnippe has experienced a slowdown, overall," he said. "But traffic to Clinton Lake and truck traffic has kept East Lawrence about the same."
Burland said that tourist traffic had reduced by about one-third since last Memorial Day but that traffic through the East Lawrence interchange had not dropped off.
Burland said to save all westbound trucks got off at that exchange to save toll money on route to Topeka or Salina. He said they could then take either U.S. Highway 24 or U.S. Highway 40.
STUDENT TRAFFIC to and from KU also maintained the level of toll receipts, he said, although long
"It used to be that one day after school was out,
students would be loaded up and coming here from all over," he said.
However, both Houk and Barland said KU students were the major source of their problems.
Barland said the students dared each other to go past the toll booth without paying or pickup their phones.
"There was one blah van rewiring his engine up." Barland said. "I knew he was going to run the booth."
both shoulders to a yellow pole. The construction cone outside the booth said, and I could have let him have it in the windshield with that, but hell, his toll was probably only about 15 cents."
Barland said another student had defiantly thrown his ticket out of the window after getting on the turnippe in West Lawrence. He said the student was in distress, and after Barland asked him where he got on the turnippe.
"You should have seen the rampage he went on when I said 'That!' be five dollars." People who turnpike tickets are charged the rate from the most distant exchange, he said.
Pier work finished on Mass. St. bridge
The firm building the Massachusetts Street Bridge across the Kansas River has completed work on the two remaining support piers and will begin laying structural steel tomorrow, a vice president of the firm said yesterday.
Ron Anderson, vice-president of Anderson Construction Co. Holton, said he could not understand the reasoning of this case.
Now that the piers have been completed, he said, the steel beams will be hoisted into place and attached to the piers. Because cranes must lift the steel to the top of the piers, the firm will continue to work from a causeway that has been built into the river.
Earlier this month construction was delayed slightly when rising water in the river began to wash away some areas of the causeway. But Anderson said he did not anticipate any more problems with the causeway.
As long as the water level doesn't wash across the causeway again, Anderson said, work in the river could be completed without a boat. The water will be built, which will take about a month.
However, Anderson said he was still unable to make a prediction about when the project will be completed. The firm is being charged $420 each working day for the project and $180 per hour for the project's June 12 deadline. So far, the charges have cost the company $14,280.
"The amount of water in the river is the criteria for our progress on the bridge," he said.
Mike Dooley, Douglas County public works director, said the county had requested an updated progress schedule. The firm is now preparing the report, he said.
In addition to the construction of the new bridge, Dooley said, the firm still must remove a pier that remains from the old bridge. Then the rock and dirt causeway that the firm is working from in the river will have to be removed.
Satellite Union gets once-over
The board members toured the new structure before the meeting.
The board of directors of the University of Kansas Memorial Union Corporation met last week to discuss the Satellite Union on the west side of campus. This was the first time most members of the board had been inside the new building, for which they first began planning nearly 10 years ago.
The air conditioning had been turned on and set to 78 degrees, for the first time only hours before the meeting began. Rolls of unlaid carpet and stacks of ceiling panels silently attested to the interior finishing work still in progress.
"The contractors still assure me that this work will be finished in time for the scheduled August 19th opening date," said Frank Burke, director of the Kansas Union.
"The BUILDING you are seeing tonight for the first time actually began with the Student Senate Spring Election of 1976, with an incumbent who has a very high majority." Burge said.
He said the successful sale of $2 million in 20-year revenue bonds at 5.16 percent interest, and a lower than estimated condition did account for an investment surplus.
"With wise investment counsel from the KU Comptroller and the Business Affairs Department, our interest has been earned on the unused portion of the construction fund, resulting in nearly $200,000 to apply on furnishings and the basement of the Satellite Union, now owned by Dana."
CONSTRUCTION MONEY raised by the sale of the revenue bonds was used for short term investments until it was needed to pay the contractors.
It was initially planned to leave the basement unfinished to save money, rather than cutting back on the overall scope of the project. In reality, the level will not be completed when the
building opens in August, the contract for its completion has been awarded and it is expected to be ready for occupancy sometime during the coming semester.
Warner Ferguson, associate director of the Union, reported that the Union Corporation had a total income of $7,245,361 for fiscal year 1979. This was compared with a total income of $8,810,588 for fiscal year 1978; an increase of 6.4 percent.
DESPITE THIS increase, Ferguson said that he expected the Union corporation would show a $10,000-15,000 deficit for the year, after all expenses had been tabulated.
"The Kansas Union is a non-profit corporation," Ferguson said, "and always operates on a marginal basis." He said he had not paid expenses for fiscal year 1979 within two weeks.
Burge reported on the progress on several remodeling projects in the Union during the summer. Work on the south half of the main bookstore had been completed, he said. Remodeling o₁, the north half of the bookstore was completed last year.
IN ADDITION, a new copying center is being constructed in the south entrance area to the Union on level 3; the area formerly occupied by the equipment rental service. Wilderness Discovery will occupy new space in the basement of the Satellite Union, once the basement is finished. The copy building is located at the base by the start of the fall semester. Burge said.
Other Union remodeling includes heating and cooling improvements for the darkrooms, cafeteria bakery and student lounge. The kitchen decor for the EiR Eicht and Jawkah rooms.
| | FY 1979 | FY 1978 | % Change |
| :--- | :--- | :--- | ---: |
| Food Service | $1,095,712 | $ 912,538 | +20.0 |
| KU Concessions | 1,358,102 | 1,141,564 | +19.0 |
| Jay Bowl | 32,438 | 61,247 | -14.0 |
| Blgd. & Admin. | 781,877 | 740,734 | +6.0 |
| Bookstore | 3,560,735 | 3,617,266 | -1.6 |
| SUA | 396,397 | 337,239 | +17.0 |
| | $7,245,261 | $6,810,588 | +6.4 |
The Board also elected a new president for the coming year. Reggie Robinson, who was graduated from KU this spring, and will enter the school of law this fall, was elected resulted in a tie-vote between Robinson and board member Martin Springer.
THE SUMMER SESSION
KANSAN
Vol. 89, No. 162
The University of Kansas—Lawrence, Kansas
free on campus Monday. July 23. 1979
Hiah roller
John Flaskman 19 Independence. Me "hits air" on his way to winning the Rondo-Rolling Magic Skateboard Competition held in Lenexa last night
Bowl run thrills skateboarders
By GREG SACKUVICH
Staff Reporter
LENXA-Imaagine yourself eight feet in the air parallel to the ground with a 20-foot canopy.
Sound exciting? If it does, then you're ready for the bowl run.
the trow run is a hole 13-foot deep with concrete floors and walls designed for skateboarding. Skateboarders risk cuts, falls and forraise from fellow performers.
THE MEET WAS held in the Rolling Magic Skateboard Park, which has been open since Memorial Day. The park has been attracting roller skaters as well as skateboards to its collection of five "bowl."
Last night 14 boys ranging in age from eight to 19 competed in Lenexa for up to $100 in prize money in the Rondo—Rolling Magic Skateboard Competition.
The winner of the competition was John Fleshman, 19, of Independence, Mo.
The bowls are large concrete holes of different shapes in which skateboards can perform various maneuvers guaranteed to frighten spectators.
Skateboarders need to defy gravity as they come out of the bowl and jump in the air, lift off their boards, twirl, climb the slope, lift and lift their skateboards off the ground.
The skateboarders are a young bunch, the oldest competitor being 19, and they have an elite edge.
MOST OF THEM have been riding less than two years and for many this was the first competition. If any are good enough, they might make it to the professional tour, the Henry Hester Series, where the too prize money is $1,500.
But the area skateboarders like to ride just for enjoyment. According to the skateboarders, the prize money isn't high enough to watch the moves of other competitors.
Skateboarding is just a lot of fun. More
unian snow skiing, and you don't need
Baker University. Kurt Deltaz, a freshman at Baker University.
The threat of injury, he said, doesn't bother the riders. They have all suffered at least scrapes and bruises and many have broken ankle, wrist or elbow bones.
"IF YOU DON'T fall you're doing something wrong. The fun is in trying to do a better move, and you're bound to fall at least once try it," said Scott Johnson, a senior at Shawnee Mission West High School.
Many of the spectators said they wouldn't let their children skateboard, but they enjoyed watching the event. But the parents of contestants said they thought the sport was no more dangerous than football.
"These kids know what they're doing. They may get hurt once in a while, but I don't think the risk is great," said one of his mother, Pearl Brees of Wichita.
"We've only had two broken bones in the six weeks we've been open," said Greg Fitzmaria, owner of Rolling Magic. Fitzmaria said injuries in other sports, that's not so bad."
ROLLING MAGIC is the first real skateboard park in the area, he said. There are about 100 parks around the city, but Pike is rolling Magic is probably the best.
In order to obtain a membership at Rolling Magic you have to have a physician's approval. Helmets, elbow and knee pads and wrist supporters are required as well. Free three lessons are available to anyone. Fitzmaurice said.
A professional tournament is scheduled for next spring at Rolling Magic and more local competitions are planned for this summer.
If you're interested in a little adventure, try skateboarding. You may find yourself defying gravity, or at least proving it.
New corporation promotes trees as alternate fuel
From Start and Wire Repair
The formation of a nonprofit corporation to promote the use of trees to combat the energy crisis was announced last week. William P. Smith, KU professor of electrical engineering, is one of the incororators.
From Staff and Wire Reports
Smith, who has been involved in developing wood as an alternate source of energy for the University of Kansas, said last week that the purpose of the corrugated lumber fine, he would get word out in the state about using wood as an alternative source of fuel.
Although he said that investigating the possibilities of wood as a source of fuel would be the "prime thrust" of the organization, wood as a source of paper, cattle feed and building materials would also be explored.
The president of the corporation, McDill "Huck" Boyd, Phillipsburg publisher and member of the Republican National Committee, said other purposes of the corporation would be to collect research data and technological developments on the use of timber and to stage symposiums and workshops to disseminate information.
OTHER INCORPORATORS of Renewable Resources are former governor Alf M. Landon, Topeka, who will be honorary chairman; Harry Littin, Wichita, vice president; Harold Galleher, Manhattan, secretary; W.H. Reece, Scandia construction company owner; and Oliver Hughes, Topeka banker.
Boyd said the incorporators would serve without salary and would derive no profit
Besides serving on this statewide organization to promote timber, Smith has been an active member of the Forest Stewardship Council.
an alternative fuel to supplement the heating oil it now uses. He has proposed a woodburning boiler next to or in the existing power plant.
rie said this project would cost $243 million and could generate 50,000 pounds of steam an hour, which is enough to handle KU's energy needs for nine months of the year.
He said the future price of gas and oil
SMITH SAID THE price per BTU of heat using wood was lower than the price using heating oil and natural gas, the fuels KU currently uses.
He said there were estimates that the amount of wood now going to waste in the
would rise more quickly, and its supply
would be more questionable, than that of
"So much of it is going to waste now, and it has been proved there are practical ways to do it."
"Nearly one half of the timber resources of this nation are going to waste. Diseased, mishapen, overcrowded, fallen and rotten trees along the streams and in the forests are not being utilized, increasing the threat of damage from flood and forest fire."
United States was the equivalent in energy to a 68 billion barrel oil field.
"FORESTRY SURVEYS indicate that if the wood waste now available could be harvested, it would heat all the homes in this country, and that, by the year 2000, there would be more timber, more good trees than are there now," Boyd said.
"Environmental harvesting would improve native stands as waste was channeled into suitable uses and, coupled with a program, would assure a continuing supply."