VOL.101.No.139
THE UNIVERSITY DAIL KANSAN
KANSAS STATE HISTORICAL
SOCIETY
TOPEKA; KS 66612
THE STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF THE UNIVERSITY OF KANSA
ADVERTISING:864-4358
THURSDAY, APRIL 25, 1991
(USPS 650-640)
NEWS: 864-4810
Documents show that studio was unsafe
Officials knew about problems in Fall 1989 but didn't close glass-blowing barn until now
By Nedra Beth Randolph
Kansan staff writer.
KU officials knew about safety concerns at the glass-blowing studio one and a half years before closing the barn temporarily for safety inspections, according to KU documents.
Channee Barn, situated on West Campus, was shut down Tuesday to glass-blowing until results from an inspection yesterday could be analyzed, said Joe Zeller, chairperson of the department of design.
In Fall 1989, Zeller requested a safety report on Chamney Barn from the KU Environmental Health and Safety Service.
Steven Cater, environmental health and safety officer, complied with
The four-page report, which cited safety concerns such as poor ventilation of carbon dioxide and unprotected live wires, recommended several repairs for the equipment and the building.
The document was distributed to
the department of design, facilities planning and University safety officials
Jim Modig, campus director of facilities planning, said he did not think the barn had been inspected since Cater's evaluation.
Modig said that although he
thought the barn was not entirely safe for glass-blowing operations, repairs at other University buildings had higher priority.
About 30 students used the glass blowing barn this semester.
The decision to repair particular buildings and equipment is based on how the facility benefits the student population, he said. If many students use a building, then it has a better chance of getting part of the repair budget.
Modig said the barn was 42nd or 43rd on a list of about 200 buildings needing major repairs for fiscal 1992, which begins July 1. He expected that only the first 30 projects would be financed by the Board of Regents.
We don't have enough money to
repair everything that needs repairing." he said.
The Legislature needs to allocate more financing for repairs because repair requests are so backlogged, he said.
Modig said that if 25 percent of a building was remodeled, the entire building would have to be brought up to current code. If a building is not remodeled, it falls under the safety规定 that were in force when it was built.
Bringing the barn up to current codes for a glass-blowing studio would cost more than the repair budget could allow. he said.
Chamney Barn has not been remodeled since it was built and still feels like a farmhouse.
rather than the codes for a laboratory, he said.
"As a barn, it's fine. But as a glass-blowing barn, it's probably not." Modig said.
The studio should have been brought up to current codes when the glass-blowing program moved in, he said. The wooden barn, which contains furnaces that operate at temperatures between 2,200 and 2,550 degrees Fahrenheit, opened as a glass-blowing studio in the early 1970s.
Bob Porter, associate director of facilities operations, said he inspected the barn yesterday, but he did not comment on the evaluation.
Julie Jacobson/KANSAN
Boulevard browser
Mei Rinzieni, Lawrence senior, studies caricatures drawn by Alex Hami, Prairie Village junior. Works of art were displayed in front of Stauffer-Flint Hall yesterday for Arts on the Boulevard, an exhibition by art and design students. The display is sponsored annually by Student Senate to promote culture on campus.
JRP resident assistant dies from breathing difficulties
Kansan staff writer
By Michael Christie
A KU student died last night at Lawrence Memorial Hospital after experiencing breathing difficulties, KU police said.
Brian Meliah, 22, was leaving Joseph R. Pearson Hall, where he was a first-floor resident assistant, about 8:30 p.m., when he what appeared to be an asthma attack, said KU police L1. John Mullens.
A friend encountered Meilah just outside the building and helped him into the hall cafeteria. KU police were called, and when they arrived at 8:33 p.m., residents were administering CPR. Mullens said.
Police took over the CPR until an ambulance arrived. Mullens said that he did not know when the ambulance arrived but that the normal response time for ambulances was four to five minutes.
At 9:08 p.m., Lawrence Memorial Hospital was notified that the ambulance was on its way.
'He had a very powerful impact on that floor and with the students on that floor.'
About 11 last night, first-floor JRP residents met in the floor's lounge with hall personnel, members of the law department, Center and the Rev. Victoria Krische
A hospital representative said Meilahn was pronounced dead at 9:33 p.m.
An autopsy is scheduled for today.
Dave Platt JRP hall director
"He had a very powerful impact on that floor and with the students on that floor," he said.
Meilahn was a senior from Greee
He enjoyed working with computers and was instrumental in upgrading the computer room at JRP, Platt said.
ley, Colo., who was studying architecture.
Dave Piatt, hall director, said the hawk residents were in shock after the attack.
Mellahn also was responsible for the construction of a sand volleyball court outside the hall.
Meihla had just been inducted into the National Residence Hall Honorarium, an honor society for the college's residence hall residents. Platt said.
"He did an incredible service for our building." Platt said.
Rodger Woods, Hutchinson freshman, said he had lived next to Meilah last year.
"He was really always helpful with people who lived on the floor," he said.
Senate begins debate on bill to raise taxes
A memorial service for Melihah is scheduled for 8 tonight at the St. Lawrence Catholic Center, 1631 Crescent Road, Platt said.
Kansan staff writer
TOPEKA — The Senate will begin debate on a tax bill this afternoon that would increase State General and revenues by almost $120 million.
The bill would raise the sales tax 14 percent to 4.75 percent and increase corporate and personal income-tax rates.
However, a mistake by Democrats revealed in the House yesterday may adversely affect the outcome of the election and money to the Board of Resenis budget.
The House rejected an amendment that would have corrected a technical flaw in the school finance for reform. John Finney signed into law April 13.
The flaw allows local school districts to increase their budget lids by three times more than the amount they might have were voting on originally.
But State Rep. Bill Bowden, D-Godard, chairperson of the House Education Committee, and Speaker of the House Marvin Barkis, D-Louis
burg, said they were aware of the flaw when the House approved the bill almost one month ago but the Senate did not intend to avoid a slowdown in the session.
The revelation angered Republicans, who responded by voting down the correction that took the form of an amendment on a different education bill. The amendment to correct the flaw now will be part of a trailer and could reopen debate on the entire school-finance formula.
Because of that, there is concern that Republicans will push to freeze school-district budgets and kill any kind of tax increase, giving them a large victory in the Democrat-controlled Statehouse.
Even though they were deceived,
Republicans tried to downplay the
event.
"I was one of four Republicans that went in with a group of Democrats to talk to the governor to convince her to sign the bill," said State Rep. Sandy Praeger, R-Lawrence. "Now I feel kind of foolish for having been a part of that. Especially if the governor knew, as we have been told.
Bowden said, "We were trying to get something resolved in the body early on so we could have a focus to our discussion."
"We're talking about a pretty significant event in terms of the whole session. Let's hope cooler heads prevail and we correct the bill."
State Sen. Wint Winter Jr., R-Lawrence, who is pushing for a tax increase, said the event in the House could kill the Senate sales and would end any hope of restoring financing to the Regents budget.
"Right now, I've gone from being relatively optimistic to pessimistic," he said. "It hurts the chances of the tax bill."
But State Sen. Gus Bogina, R-Shawnee, said he thought there was a 50-50 chance that the tax bill would pass
"it's close," he said. "I don't know if it will pass or not, but if it does it will be a 21-19 vote.
If I will pass of the test, but if I does not
will be a 21-19 vote.
"But I will debate against it, and I
But I won't debate it will vote against it."
The Associated Press contributed information to this story.
Fighter jet contract promises to fuel demand for engineers
By Nedra Beth Randolph Kansan staff writer
A $12.1 billion contract awarded to Lockheed Corp. on Tuesday could be a boon to KU aerospace engineering graduates.
The Pentagon selected the Marietta, Ga., company to build the Air Force's new advanced tactical fighter jet.
David Downing, chairperson of the department of aerospace engineering, said the Pentagon contract could provide opportunities for aerospace graduates.
The contract is expected to generate about 2,000 new jobs for Lockheed's Marietta plant during the next three years.
The Lockheed plant in Calabasas, Calif., is expected to add 4,000 jobs under the development contract. Some parts for the jet will be built in Fort Worth, Texas, and Seattle plants.
"We're all very excited about it," he said.
Not all of the new jobs would be filled by recent graduates, Downing said. According to Lockheed, 5,000 students have recall rights on their jobs.
Downing said more jobs would have been available to KU graduates if the contract had been awarded to McDonnell Douglas in St. Louis.
About 30 KU students graduate each year with aerospace engineering degrees. Downing said.
Dwayne DeSylva, Windsor, Colo. senior, said he was pleased to see Lockheed get the contract because he had applied with Boeing Co. Lockheed's partners on the project are General Dynamics Corp. and Boeing.
"I'm hoping the contract for Lock-heed will up my chances for getting the job with Boeing." he said.
"I applied for an internship at McDonnell, but I probably won't get it now." he said.
But Steve Smith, St. Louis sophomore, was not pleased with the Pentagon's choice. He wanted McDonnell Douglas to get the concession.
The Associated Press contributed information to this story.
Speed with efficiency
Cruises at 1,200 mph without using fuel-hungry afterburners
More agile than current jets
Computer-controlled nozzle can point engine exhaust up or down
How YF-22 sneaks up on enemy Angular shape, hidden engines, partly plastic surfaces deflect radar, make it difficult for enemy to detect with radar, infrared, other sensors
Knight-Ridder Tribune News/BILL BAKER