Wednesday, May 2, 2001
The University Daily Kansan
Section A • Page 5
Judicial center under renovation
Construction workers tie rebar that will be used in the piers under the addition to the Douglas County Law and Judicial Enforcement Center. Photo by J. E. Wilson / KANSAN
$4 million project to take about a year
By Lauren Brandenburg
writer@kansan.com
Kansan staff writer
The sheriff's department and district court will have more space after the renovation of the Douglas County Law and Judicial Enforcement Center.
The 14-month, $4 million construction project is expected to be finished March 25 of next year, said Craig Weinaug, county administrator. It includes the renovation of the jail that occupied one-third of the building's top floor and will add 12,000 square feet to the building.
The project also includes small renovations to the old courthouse that is adjacent to the law enforcement center, 111 E. 11th St.
Two courtrooms, one finished and one that can be finished at any time, will be added to the five existing courtrooms. Weinau said. He said the extra courtrooms were
needed because Douglas County had one of the highest caseloads for a Kansas district court, and he anticipated another division would be added.
Although the project has hit a few bumps along the way — such as having to redraw some plans after a large water tank was discovered where the new foundation was to be laid — it is mostly going according to plan, Weinaug said.
"Any time there's a renovation of an existing building with as many functions as that building, you run into some problems," Weinaug said.
So far, the demolition of the old jail is complete and the space for the basement expansion has been excavated, Weinaug said. The construction team is working on the form work for the foundation's steel reinforcement structures and expects to start on the foundation late next week.
The police department, which is also housed in the building, is moving part of its department into a second location later this month. Sgt. Mike Pattrick said.
Weinaug said the city and county initially considered increasing the addition's size to give the police department more space, but it turned out to be cheaper for the department to move into a satellite location.
Captain Ken McGovern of the Douglas County Sheriff's Department said the department was looking forward to the project's completion.
"Everyone will gain some more room," he said.
Meanwhile, the police and sheriff's departments are making accommodations to function normally during the renovation.
McGovern said the patrol officers had been moved to the new Douglas County Jail, 3601 E. 25th St., because there was not enough room to park the patrol cars downtown.
The other major change is that the entrance open to the public after hours and on weekends is no longer accessible. Instead, Sgt. Patrick said, people need to use the phone near the South entrance to request service, and an officer will escort them in and out of the building.
Edited by Leita Schultes
Panel tackles religion
By Laurie Harrison
Special to the Kansan
About 130 people packed Alderson Auditorium to hear KU professors, a KU student and an Ottawa University professor debate the American religious culture at "Religiously Incorrect," a panel discussion on current religious issues. They discussed such topics as the execution of Timothy McVeigh, government funding religious organizations and how the University of Kansas teaches religion.
Panels discussed how politics and relation often intersect.
"Religions are subsidized," Minor said. "It's property is free and untaxed. Businesses have to really work to get that type of subsidy."
Robert Minor, professor of religious studies, said that religions in the United States were favored by the government. They have special privileges that other entities do not, be said.
Paul Mirecki, associate professor of religious studies, said government funding the Christian churches was nothing new.
Mirecki also said that the department of religious studies taught about religion as a subject, not as way to be.
"The Bible has come down to us with government money," Mirecki said. "There has been enormous political and financial support of the church throughout the centuries."
"We don't teach how to be religious,how to be pious,"he said."That is for the churches,and the synagogues and the mosques."
"There has been enormous political and financial support of the church throughout the centuries." Paul Mirecki associate professor of religious studies
During the discussion of McVeigh's upcoming execution, Adrian Melott, professor of physics and astronomy, discussed whether it was hypocritical for people to favor the death penalty while being anti-abortion advocates.
"It's completely consistent if you believe that humans have rights until they're born." Melott said, causing much of the audience to laugh. Melott said the issue of abortion couldn't be discussed without talking about birth control.
"The earth has a cancer, and it's called people," Melott said. The world's population is multiplying too rapidly and the overpopulation is a major problem, he said.
"It may be the most important issue facing the human race," Melott said.
The panel was sponsored by the Society of Open-Minded Atheists and Student Union Activities. - Edited for instruction in Dearborns
—Edited by Joshua Richards
New street signs reflect history
Rv Eric Taylor
Special to the Kansas
Historic-looking street signs are slowly replacing the traditional green street signs on corners in the two neighborhoods, which together comprise the area between Sixth and 17th streets and Massachusetts and Michigan streets.
It's out with the new and in with the old in the Oread and Old West Lawrence neighborhoods.
The new signs are the brainchild of Angela Candela, who said she was intrigued by the old signs she noticed while researching her Old West Lawrence home.
"I noticed in an old photograph that the signs were black with white, block letters," Candela said.
"I was interested in old maps of Lawrence, and I noticed the numbered streets used to have names," she said.
Candela designed the signs to look a little older and classier. On the numbered streets, Candela placed a small box with the original street name below the number.
Many of the numbered streets were originally named after Revolutionary War heroes, Candela said.
"Warren Street, which is now Ninth Street, was named after Joseph Warren, who was killed at the Battle of Bunker Hill," she said. Candela said she was satisfied
"I'm not a graphic designer, so I was a little reluctant," she said.
Candela said she was satisfied with the design of the signs.
"But I made them how I thought the signs should look, and others seemed to like it. It's a nice way to educate people about history."
Janet Gerstner, treasurer and secretary of the Oread Neighborhood Association, said the signs were financed as part of $2,500 city grant. The neighborhood associations proposed the idea to the city when applying for the grant, and the city accepted.
"The city street department is making the signs and installing them, which is really great of them, and they're really excited about the project," Gerstner said.
While the city grant will be able to cover all of Old West Lawrence with new signs, there will not be enough money to cover every street corner in the much larger Oread Neighborhood.
"Hopefully, in the future, we can find more funds to expand the area fully," Gerstner said.
Charlie Goff, coordinator and editor for the Oread Neighborhood Association Newsletter, said the Association was looking for other funding sources.
"It's very possible the Oread Neighborhood Association might use its own money to finish the project," Goff said.
Candela and others in the neighborhood associations hope the project will be completed by Lawrence's sesquicentennial the city's 15th birthday, in 2004.
— Edited by Matt Daugherty
Historic-looking street signs, like the ones pictured at top, are replacing the traditional green signs in the Oread and Old West neighborhoods. The new signs were paid for with part of a $2,500 city grant. Photo by Selena Jabara/KANSAN
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The University of Kansas School of Fine Arts Department of Music and Dance presents
UNIVERSITY DANCE COMPANY at the Lied Center with guest choreographer Tom Rolabate
May 3 & 4
8:00 P.M.
Tickets on sale at the Lied Center, Murphy Hall, and SUA box offices,
$7 public, $5 students and senior citizens. Call 864-ARTS for tickets.
Funded in part by KU Student Senate activity fee.