12B
Friday, January 15, 1988 / University Daily Kansan
New plates less costly, officials say
By Julie Adam
By Julie Adam
Kansan staff writer
Three times in the last 10 years, Kansas has changed the design of its license plates. Now, the state has changed its system of identifying motor vehicles.
A bill passed by the Kansas Legislature in 1984 went into effect Jan. 1 when Kansas joined nearly 40 states that have the "SAM 123" system of license plate classification.
The SAM 123 system displays three random letters and three numbers instead of the old Kansas system of county abbreviations, a last-name initial and a number series.
Along with the new system, the Kansas license plates have a new look. The new plates have blue embossed letters and numbers against an off-white background. At the top, "KANSAS" is displayed in stencil-type letters. A decal in the upper left-hand corner designates the county, and the year of the tag's expiration appears in the upper right-hand corner. A brown sock of wheat separates the three letters and three numbers.
Dale Fulkerson/KANSAN
Decal stickers will be added to the plates
The new Kansas license plate.
The change was made primarily for
economic reasons, said Ken Clark, spokesman for the Division of Motor Vehicles.
The SAM 123 system will save the state money because the license plates are not as specialized as the old ones. The new plates can be issued on a statewide basis rather than by counties. And, because the new plates are now transferrable to any county in the state, inventories and surpluses are decreased, Clark said.
He said that by using the new plates, Kansas would be able to combine some vehicle classifications and cut those different classes from 17 to seven or eight. A decal will be used to distinguish between different classifications.
Under the old system, the 17 classifications included such things as personalized
tags and tags for disabled veterans, handicapped persons, and ex-prisoners of war.
Another reason for the change is that the letter and number combinations are easier for people to read and remember, which is especially important for law enforcement officials, Clark said.
Clark said that Kansas had obtained lists from other states that contain three-letter license plate combinations that might be offensive, undesirable or derogatory. The state will not issue word formations that appear on the "delete users."
"We have deleted anything that could possibly have a meaning relating to ethnic origins, animals or derogatory titles. We have taken great pains to avoid that.
Snow Hall renovation should be done by July
Phase one of the $7.23 million renovation of Snow Hall is on schedule and expected to be finished in July, said Larry Kietzman, owner of Kietzman Co. construction of Topeka.
By a Kansan reporter
Kietzman Co. is working on phase one of the project, which has a $1.2 million budget.
Keitzmian said the project would be finished during the first week in July, despite a two-week delay last fall. Before the construction company could start demolition, it had to remove asbestos from Snow.
Phase one of the two-phase plan involves installing a new elevator shaft and entry on the southwest side of the building and con- trols in the turbofan airwell and fire escape on the northeast side.
on rebuilding Snow's newer wing, which was built in 1961. The demolition and remodeling of the old wing, which was built in 1929, will take place in phase two.
That phase of the renovation concentrates
The renovations will allow Snow to house the mathematics and computer science departments. The biological sciences division, which now has some departments in Snow, will be moved to Haworth Hall.
Bidding for phase two of the project will begin early next fall, said Jim Modig, KU director of facilities planning.
"Funding has not changed." Modig said.
"We are still on a five-year, financial plan."
Phase two will involve demolition and remodeling of the first three floors in Snow,
Kietzmansaid his company planned to bid on phase two
Gift to boost geography studies
The Associated Press
WASHINGTON — The National Geographic Society celebrated its 100th birthday Wednesday by announcing its centennial gift to the nation: $20 million to help teach children about the planet Earth.
"Our kids don't know where they are. And if you don't know where you are, you're nowhere," said Gilbert M. Grosvenor, the society's president.
The money will go into a new foundation, and the society promised to kick in another $20 million if it can raise an equal amount in outside contributions for its cause of combating geographic illiteracy.
The president of the 10.5 million-member society said, "There is no more fitting way to begin our second century than by providing a permanent base of support for our geography activities.
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