Wednesday June 8,1988
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
Published since 1889 by the students of the University of Kansas
Vol. 98, No. 146 (USPS 650-640)
Frat may be charged for violating fire code
By Karen Boring
Kansan staff writer
City Prosecutor Jerry Little said yesterday he would file charges against the Triangle fraternity next week for failure to comply with city fire codes.
Jim McSain, Lawrence fire chief,
said in a video-taped press conference
on May 5 that after the April 26, 1987,
fire at the Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity
house, the Lawrence Fire
Department developed a program to
bring all KU greek houses into compliance with the fire code.
The department inspected the 37 active Greek houses in June and July 1987, said Fire Marshal Rich Barr. The corporation board of each house was given a list of violations and was required to turn in plans of compliance, including a schedule for completion, by January 1988. A corporation board is a group of alumni that acts as landlord of the house.
The Triangle board turned in a statement to Barr, asserting that all required changes had been made, Little said. However, when the fire broke at the house on May 2, he found that none of the changes had been made.
The only course of action that the
fire department is interested in with the Triangle house is prosecution." Little said. "The next step is filing charges against that fraternity."
Ron Gast, Triangle corporation board president, said a new board, including himself, was elected in February and that the original plan of compliance had been submitted by the former board. Gast said he and other board members learned of the fire-code problems from the house's student officers after the May inspection.
The board is taking bids so it can make a new plan of compliance, Gast said. He anticipated no problems when meeting the December deadline.
"We want to get costs in mind first," he said. "I think we will have a firm plan by this summer and have some of the work completed by September."
Five other greek houses also are under investigation by the city prosecutor's office, Barr said.
The Alpha Kappa Lambda andLambda Chi Alpha fraternities and theAlpha Chi Omega sorority have not come to agreement with the fire department on plans of compliance with the fire code, Little said. The
Tau Kappa Epsilon and Phi Kappa Tau fraternities also have been submitted for investigation.
"They either have not submitted plans of compliance or the compliance time frame is not acceptable." Little said. "What I'm trying to do is to open the lines of communication."
The project involves obliterating grandfather clauses, under which older structures do not to have to comply with fire codes enacted after they were built, he said.
Normally, the fire department inspects greek houses twice a year to ensure that existing fire equipment is working properly. Barr said. The present fire-code project, however, involves seeing that the existing equipment adequately complies with today's fire code.
"If they do not involve sprinkler systems, because sprinkler systems are a very large project from a structural standpoint, we are requiring those plans of compliance to be completed by December 1988." Barr said at the press conference. "If they involved sprinkler systems, then we extended that deadline by one year."
Give it a twirl
Dave Niebergall/KANSAN
Terri Maness, Lawrence resident, twirls batons with glow sticks attached to the ends. Maness entertained golfers during the Moonshine Night Golf Tournament on Saturday night at the Orchards Executive Golf Course. The tournament was a benefit for the Achievement Place Boys' Home.
Water safe, tests indicate
Official reverses Hoch ruling
Cancer-causing chemical no longer present at Lindley
Kansan staff writer
By Monica Hayde
For two weeks, signs were posted inside and outside Lindley Hall warning people not to drink the water in the building. On Friday, they were removed.
Warning notices were posted in the building on May 20 after state and University inspectors found high levels of a cancer-causing chemical in the water in Room 107. But the latest tests have shown that no health hazard exists, a University statement released Saturday said.
Bearse said it was unlikely the water in any other campus buildings was contaminated.
"Tests have not been run campus-wide, but they are in the process of being run," he said. "However, the water coming into Lindley Hall is of acceptable quality, so the tests have not been run of acceptable quality going into all the other buildings."
Steve Cater, University environment, health and safety officer, said one knew by such an elevated level of exposure that he was not at risk.
By Paula Messbarger
A state fire official who said in April that Hoch Auditorium might have to be closed because of fire hazards now says it is a safe building.
Kansan staff writer
But Markley said Monday Hoch is
Paul Markley, who is chief of the fire prevention division for the state fire marshal's office, said after his April inspection of Hoch that the 61-year-old building was too dangerous to use because of fire-code violations.
-- Paul Markley
state fire marshal's office
ENTERTAINMENT
emergency rights are in operation.
main concerns when inspecting a building; fire alarms, clear exits and emergency lighting that comes on after the alarm off. Hoc has all three. Markley said.
"There is an emergency lighting system, and its been there for at least 15 years," he said. "The problem was, no one asked the right person."
Hoch Auditorium once was used as the home court for the Jayhawks basketball team until Allen Field House was dedicated in 1955. Hoch has had a long history of safety and athleticism, which University's decision to build a new performing arts center within the next few years.
ally existed? Is there any Egyptian or Babylonian reference to Moses?
'Hoch is safe as is. The
CF: There was never any doubt in my mind, Jer.
DR: a burnish ...
**DB:** They found footprints on the bottom of the Red Sea ...
TW: They found remains in the desert that were Neanderthal and that are the direct ancestors of the Jewish tribe.
TW: You know, that really is fascinating that it dates that far back.
DB: . they have these two big tablets down at Encot Center . .
DB. I read that Neanderthals had a larger brain capacity than we do now. By all accounts, they were actually sharper and smarter because they had to survive by their wits ...
**BB:** . . and as we became more sedentary and agrarian, we didn't need to be as smart. Our heyday was years ago.
**IH:** keenly?
**TW:** Uh-huh.
**JH:** Bay, I never heard . .
**TW:** When I went to Barnard.
**CF:** Those were the days.
**Neoendebals were such**
JH: Tina, really, where did you learn that the
were descended from Neandertals?
JH: It's all been downhill since then
TW: It's not that. Neandertal man had a larger frontal lobe, which is considered the seat of logic. Neandertal man relied on a much greater amount of intuition.
TW: The Neanderthals were such a remarkable
TW: In anthropology at Columbia.
He said not having a sprinkler system above the stage would not make it necessary to close Hoch.
Part of what keeps us together all this time is the friendship thing, says Frantz. We're all still good friends'.
Group portrait (1988):
James Modig, campus director of facilities planning, said his office and a committee appointed by Judith Ramaley, executive vice chancellor, are reviewing possibilities for using Hoch once the new performing arts building is completed. Modig said some suggestions were offices, classrooms or an addition to the new science library.
race, but they were defeated by Cro-Magnon—who, of course, was deposed by Homo sapiens. Cro-Magnon was a more logical, strategic fighter.
JH: Then how come . . . well, there's a counter-argument there.
TW: Well, of course, because it's all theory, like whether we are going to tour or not. It's all theory. It all is theory.
Cappuccinos: Jerry Harrison, Tina Weymouth, David Byrne.
double espresso: Chris Frantz. No dessert
Touring, or rather, the lack of it, seems to be the only source of tension within the band at the moment. Friction over the increased media attention that it's usually given to Byrne seems to have been taken care of. It's been four years since Talking Heads last performed live, and everyone would like to goofer the band, but they can find the time. "Can't be in two places at the same time." says Byrne. Maybe later in the summer, after Harrison's solo tour is over and the Tom Tom Club album is finished, but Byrne's movie work might be in the way, and there's a chance that Tom Tom Club might tour. Still, this logjam of activity should not be interpreted as a sign that the group is pulling apart into separate orbits. "Talking Heads is clearly everybody's main loyalty," says Frantz. "It's Talking Heads that enables us to do outside things."
**TW:** This is kind of mushy. I'm married to Chris, so we're obviously friends. But Jerry and David—the they're still my best friends. They know where I'm coming from and they understand me. And I understand them, in a way that other people just don't. I'm lucky to have some wonderful friends, but I really haven't made any better friends since them. I imagine that's why we held together for so long. Because we have a lot of interesting, stimulating relationships with other people. (Sigh.) It's very sentimental. But I love David and Jerry and Chris. And I love what they do. I till love it after all this time. I guess we'll still love each other when we are 90. Even if we don't agree all the time, because we're like our chefs now in one kitchen. But there's still that love and respect that brought us together in the first place. It's very mushy. You better change the subject.
JH: There's also an ease to it. You can play with really, really great players. But there's something hard to define about what it's like to play with someone you've played with for years. You have these shared assumptions. I mean, the idea that we wrote the basis for this whole album in 10 days. I've spent a lot of 10 days with other musicians and you have heard music for this whole album. And a lot of that has to do with not having to learn how to work together. You just kind of start.
CF: Part of what keeps us together after all this time is the friendship thing. That we get back together. It's the one thing that we all have in common these days. Fortunately, we're all good friends, and it confirms it when we get together. We still manage to come up with, to my way of thinking, really good stuff.
Such good friends
ited the lack of a of sprinkle area. Marko be closed corrected the ser. However, ersity officials informed there at Hoch, en, that con- emergency
MAY 1988
Markley said. are in opera-
NEWSWEEK ON CAMPUS
"The sprinklers are there to protect the buildings," he said. "We care about the buildings, but our main concern is getting the people out."
Tom Anderson, director of facilities operations, said the problem with the original inspection probably was a result of a KU Facilities and Operations employee who was sent with Markley on the inspection. Anderson said it was common practice for KU employees to assist the fire marshals during inspections. He said the employee probably was not familiar with Hoch and its lighting system.
ffice has three
"We looking for the general needs of the campus." Modie said.
played during
o delete this ther, because an alternative
As for the near future, not much will be done to Hoch, he said. Some of the stonework will be repaired this year under the fiscal year 1988 budget. But there will be no projects for the fiscal year of 1989 because the Board of Regents did not approve the requests.
is it another
nior and disc she was not excision would
v no potential
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t person, I've
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'm concerned,
HK. I have no
14
Dukakis finishes with nomination
Michael Dukakis clinched the Democratic presidential nomination with a four-state flourish Tuesday night and forecast a "golden opportunity" to win the White House in 1988. Republican George Bush labeled himself the underdog heading into the fall campaign but said, "I'm fighting back."
The Associated Press
Dukakis dominated Jesse Jackson coast to coast on the final night of a grueling Democratic primary marathon. He was winning primaries in New Jersey, Montana, New Mexico and California by margins of 2-1 to or more.
The three-term Massachusetts governor began the night needing about 150 delegates to achieve a mathematical lock on the nomination. He was winning more than 131 in New Jersey, Montana and New Mexico combined, and early returns from California showed him ahead for more than 200 delegates.
Dukakis emerged as the winner of the Democratic primary marathon and owner of a lead over Bush in the nationwide public opinion polls. But Bush, who wrapped up the GOP nomination six weeks ago, holds formidable Electoral College advantages in the South and West, and Republicans have won four of the last five presidential elections.
Thus, the prospect is for a close general election, and Bush and Dukakis seemed to share an eagerness to begin.
"My friends, what a golden opportunity this is for us," Dukatis said as he savored his nominating triumph in a speech in California. He pledged to use his campaign to stand up for factory workers thrown out of their jobs with no warning, to ease the burden of families hit by medical bills and to "share the rage" of those living in neighborhoods threatened by drugs.
"Every day between now and November, the American people will want to hear how we intend to build a strong and vibrant future for our country," he said. "They aren't interested in slashing attacks: They want to judge our positive ideas for change."
Bush pushed uncontested primary victories in all four states and said, "I think I can overcome this deficit (in the polls)," he said.
In a television interview, he likened Dukakis to Walter Mondale, the landslide Democratic loser in 1984, for refusing to rule out a tax increase. "I'll rule it out," Bush said in an interview with CBS, and rely on a spending freeze to reduce the deficit.
He decried the "gloom and doom" that he said was emanating from the Democrats and said the polls would change as he began to establish his own political identity. "When we get through in the fall talking about opportunity and peace and numbers of jobs and how much better things are and what I'll do to keep it that way, I think I can overcome that deficit," he said.