thursday, february 19,2004
news
the university daily kansan
5A
Rick's faces challenges
By Dave Nobles
dnboles@kansan.com
Kansan ntaff writer
Rick's Place has hit a bump on the road to move west.
The city commission approved the move from 623 Vermont St. in November, but has yet to approve site plans for the new location at 846 Illinois St., where Dodson's Liquor and Keg used to be.
The need to move the bar came after a developer had plans for the building that Rick's Place occupies now.
The commission's decision in November was to grant a waiver so that the bar could retain their liquor license considering the new location was less than 400 feet from St. Sophia's Orthodox Church.
Now, concerns about the building plans and the number of parking spots have put a halt to owner Rick Younger's bar relocation again.
Younger said that his bar had to move out of its present location no later than April 20.
"The clock is ticking." Younger said. "I'm going to try to get in there as soon as damn possible."
The city planner's office held a meeting about the concerns of different city departments on Friday, and the issue has been pushed to Tuesday's city commission meeting.
Sandra Day, City/County planner, said that all the zoning requirements of the move had to be satisfied before the planner's office could submit a recommendation for approval.
Younger's site plan included some vague descriptions and mismatched dimensions. Day said.
"These are all little things," she said.
Day said that she expected to be drafting the recommendation for approval, but that after that, she didn't know what would happen.
"I don't even try to predict how the city commission will react on an item." Day said.
The city requested that Younger add five additional parking spots to the 40-spot lot.
Younger said that he also had to build two new bathrooms in the building, put in new air conditioners and rewire the electrical system.
it." Younger said, "It's just a matter of the city saving 'OK.'"
"We've got the layout and everything just the way we want
Once the city approves the bar's site plans, Younger can start the building process. After he finishes, the bar will be subject to city approval once again.
The whole moving process was taking a lot longer than expected, Younger said.
"It's like an obstacle course," Younger said. "We've got to jump through a lot of hoops."
younger said that the new Rick's Place would seem smaller because of lower ceilings,but that the atmosphere would be the same.
Many of the old elements of the old bar will carry over like the actual bar top, darts room and a popular gaming accessory.
"I know I'd have a riot on my hands if I didn't bring the shuffleboard table." Younger said.
Younger said that the table would be more of a centerpiece in the new bar, pulled away from the wall with stools put around it.
But not until the city says so.
— Edited by Ashley Arnold
Primaries down to four, Kerry still front-runner
The Associated Press
For Edwards, second place in
Dean planned to oversee a new effort to keep his issues alive and his supporters organized on behalf of Democratic causes, party officials told the AP on condition of anonymity. Dean would eventually support the Democratic Party's nominee, they said, and he was considering whether to endorse one of his rivals.
MIDDLETON, Wis. —The race for the Democratic nomination narrowed to a two-man contest between front-runner John Kerry and plucky rival John Edwards yesterday after Howard Dean ended his bid before the campaign spread to the 10 crucial "Super Tuesday" states.
Kerry won the primary with about 40 percent of the vote while Edwards finished a close second with 34 percent. Dean, who had banked his future on a strong showing in Wisconsin, drew just 18 percent. The former Vermont governor then decided to end his campaign, two party officials told The Associated Press.
"The voters in Wisconsin sent a clear message. The message was this: Objects in your mirror may be closer than they appear."
Wisconsin was a boon to a campaign that was not expected to survive a weak finish. He promised to campaign across the country and contended his organization was in strong shape financially.
"The voters of Wisconsin sent a clear message," Edwards said Tuesday night. "The message was this: Objects in your mirror may be closer than they appear."
John Edwards Democratic nominee
Kerry gave no indication he was fazed by the Edwards surge in Wisconsin. "We're going to win the nomination," Kerry told the AP.
Kerry's advisers pointed out that even though Edwards closed the gap in Wisconsin, Kerry still
has won 15 of 17 contests.
Edwards has only one, South
Carolina, where he was born.
"We play everywhere, unlike John Edwards and Howard Dean and anyone else in the race," said Steve Elmendorf, Kerry's deputy campaign manager. "The problem these other candidates have is they are not competing in a serious way to get enough delegates to get the nomination."
The Mar. 2 contests are in California, New York, Ohio, Minnesota, Vermont, Georgia, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Connecticut and Maryland. At stake will be 1,51 delegates, more than half the total needed to claim the nomination.
Utah, Idaho and Hawaiian will vote next Feb. 24, but with only 61 delegates up for grabs total, those states will not be a focus of the campaign.
Aides said Edwards' populist message would resonate in Ohio and upstate New York,areas hard hit by job losses.
The Southern-bred candidate also should do well in Georgia. California is by far the day's biggest prize, with 370 delegates, followed by New York with 236.
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