Campus/Area
University Daily Kansan / Monday, November 20, 1989
3
Special Olympics rewarding for participants
Staff, volunteers showered with enthusiasm, affection
By Holly Lawton Kansan staff writer
When the Kansas Special Olympics ended Saturday, the staff and volunteers that assisted during the weekend agreed that their experience was just that — special.
"It's been so rewarding," said Steve Cassity, Lawrence senior, who has been a volunteer with the Special Olympics for three years. "The people really keep you coming back. They remember your name and different things about you. You always know they're going to be looking for you every year. This is a great way to contribute to the community."
Clarence Brunk of Eudora said the affection and enthusiasm of the participants made the experience worthwhile.
"This is my job," he said. "I'd rather be here than at my real job. At work it's so stressful, but out there people have fun no matter what, whether they win or lose. There are some awfully loving people out here, and they need us."
The Kansas Special Olympics were conducted in Lawrence on Friday and Saturday, and 1,200 participants from the eastern half of the state attended, said chairman Gary Scott. Activities began Friday morning with bowling at Royal Crest Lanes, Ninth and Iowa
streets, and volleyball at Robinson Center.
“It’s not real team competition,” Scott said. “They’re just getting their medals and ribbons and having fun. That’s what it’s all about.”
The participants also were able to watch movies, roller skate and play games in their spare time.
On Friday night the participants attended a banquet and dance at the Kansas Union Ballroom. The Special Olympics received donations at the banquet from Hall-Kimbrell Environmental Services, its primary sponsor, and the Wellness Center. Hall-Kimbrell presented $2,000 to the Olympics and the Wellness Center donated $6,750 to help pay for Special Olympics activity costs.
"They really get a big kick out of that," he said. "That's what they look forward to. They eat it up."
The dance, however, was the highlight of the evening, said Doug McCauley. Lawrence graduate student.
Bowling activities resumed Saturday as 675 participants enjoyed the day. Larry Caster, who came from Burlington to bowl, said he loved the Special Olympics.
"I'm having fun," he said. "I came with lots of friends. I'm making lots of friends, too. I like everyone here."
Of 600 volunteers, about 300 were KU students, said Lesley Oburn, Wichita senior.
she said. "This is something that will last them the rest of their lives."
"They have been wonderful,"
McCauley stressed that the volunteers were of utmost importance to the Special Olympics.
Left, Susan Hadi, Lawrence police detective, and Jim Mulholland, KU police officer, carry the Special Olympics torch from Royal Crest Lanes to Robinson Gymnasium. Above, Artie Tillman of Lawrence is enthusiastic after winning his division in the Special Olympics bowling tournament.
"The volunteers are the backbone of this event," he said. "We
couldn't have done all this without them. I wish I'd had the opportunity when I was young to do this kind of thing."
William found guilty of murder Jury out for 90 minutes, convicts transient in Settlemyre death
By Jim Petterson
Kansan staff writer
A jury deliberated for 90 minutes Friday and found John William guilty of first-degree murder for the killing of a 9-year-old loganess boy.
William, a 28-year-old transient, sat motionless and was surrounded by law enforcement officers as the courtroom to deliver the verdict.
"Lord, if you're with me, be with me now." William muttered as the jury foreman handed the verdict to me. "This is a nightmare that never ends."
Friday would have been the 11th day of the victim. Richard D. Sittler.
William stared at the jury and furiously wrote on a small yellow pad of paper as the court clerk read the guilty verdict.
First-degree murder is a Class A felony, punishable by life in prison. William would be eligible for parole after 15 years.
Following the completion of closing arguments a few hours earlier, William became agitated and began
yelling and threw a wad of notebook paper in the direction of Jim Flory, Douglas County district attorney.
"Damn it, I did not do it." William told his defense attorney, Ed Colliser Jr. "I did not do it. I know in my heart and soul I did not do it."
"Here, you look at the killers," William yellled as he threw the papers. "The them are the bastards that did it. God will send you to hulk mister and misses for accusing the wrong person."
As police officers escorted William from the courtroom, he continued to vociferously proclaim his innocence. William could be heard yelling and pounding as officers took him to his cell in the Douglas County jail.
After the verdict was read, Judge James Paddock thanked the jurors for enduring the "long and difficult trial" and dismissed them.
Paddock set a Dec. 21 bearing for sentencing and post-trial motions.
Roscoe Willoughby, the jury foreman, said the jury had little trouble arriving at the guilty verdict.
"There was such substantial evidence that he was aware of the crime, and he obviously committed it." Willoughby said. " insanity was the only real issue at stake.
"Flory said that Kansas laws stipulate that for a person to be insane he must not know the difference between right and wrong. It was pretty obvious that Mr. William knew he did it and knew it was wrong. Under the criteria of insanity, it was easy to determine."
William a attorneys, Collister and Margie Wakefield-Green, left the judicial building immediately after the trial. A spokesman at their law firm said they would have no comment about the outcome of the case.
Flory said he was glad to be able to put much of the William case behind
"It was a long and difficult process," Flory said. "It's a tremendous weight off my shoulders."
Flory had been involved with the case since July 1988 when Settlemyre's mutilated body was discovered floating in the Kansas River.
"I've had three murder cases since I've been district attorney," Flory said. "I can assure you that none of
them have been what I considered easy. Any time you are dealing with the death of a human being, it's a difficult situation.
"This was particularly difficult because of the nature and circumstances of the crime, which was apparent through the evidence."
Flory said the case was a challenge and had been a lot of work. He complimented local law enforcement agencies for conducting a thorough investigation into Settlemyre's death.
"It's just what's typical in Douglas County," he said. "It was just a good unified effort that I think culminated today in a very just result."
Closing arguments were punctuated by Flory's emotion-filled recap of the state's evidence presented in the trial and Colliser's detailed overview of William's lifelong history of mental problems.
To back up his assertion that the crime was premeditated, Flory pointed to the nature of the crime, the secluded area where the crime was committed, the fact that a knife was used and statements William made to police and others admitting to the murder of Settiemyre.
Judge sets Grissom hearing for Jan.15
In a court hearing Friday, a Johnson County judge scheduled Richard Grissom's preliminary hearing for Jan. 15.
Christine Rusch, 22, Theresa Brown, 22, both of Lenexa, and Joan Butler, 24, a 1987 KU graduate from Overland Park, have been missing since June.
bad checks, forgerv and thefts.
connection with the disappearances of three Johnson County women.
Grissom is being held in the Johnson County jail on bonds totaling $1.3 million.
By Rich Cornell Kansan staff writer
During the preliminary hearing, Judge Robert Jones will determine if prosecutors have probable cause to try Grissom on the charges, Jones said. Evidence related to the case will be made public for the first time
ACLU plans to educate students about big issues
Also Friday, investigators searched a 100-acre area east of Clinton Lake for the bodies of the missing women and anything else that may help the prosecution. Nothing related to the case was found.
Grissom also must appear in court Dec. 13 for another preliminary hearing, Jones said. That hearing concerns relations relating to a series of
By Bryan Swan Kansan staff writer
$\triangleright$ The Associated Press contributed information to this story.
Hoping to motivate students to become more aware of their constitutional rights, the KU chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union convened the first ACLU student conference Saturday at Alderson Auditorium in the Kansas Union.
About 25 people attended the conference, which focused on three workshop led by speakers who discussed civil rights, censorship and abortion rights.
Grissom, 29, was charged Nov. 13 with three counts of first degree murder and nine related charges in
Tom McMorris, a member of the board of directors of the ACLU of Western Missouri, led the civil rights workshop.
He was involved in a race discrimination case against basketball coach Dan Pratt at Kansas City Kansas Community College and was president of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People in Bonner Springs.
McMorris said that sometimes a situation could be so devoid of human decency that people did not believe in and that people who worked for justice must learn to overcome such disbelief in others.
He said that the legacy of the Reagan years was the former president's appointments to the U.S. Supreme Court and that those appointments had been granted overwhelmingly to politically conservative white men and women at the expense of progress in civil rights.
However, McMorris said, the ACLU was a force to be reckoned with.
"You mention the ACLU and they damn well run for cover," he said.
Patrick R. Nichols, a member of the leal nanel of the ACLU of
He was the lawyer who successfully settled the censorship case that involved the student newspaper at Haskell Indian Junior College.
Erika Fox, a member of the board of directors of the ACLU of Western Missouri, led the abortion rights workshop.
Kansas, led the censorship workshop.
Nichols said that 1988 was not a good year for student free press and that a Supreme Court decision that allowed school officials to control the newspaper could also run student run newspaper possibly could spread to the collateist press.
She is the director of public affairs for Planned Parenthood of Greater Kansas City and a women's rights activist.
Fox said that anti-abortion forces in Missouri and Kansas were strong and that pro-choice students must become involved.
"Florida was the opening shot," she said, referring to Florida governor Bob Martinez's recent attempt to convene a special session of the Legislature to implement restrictions on abortion. "That did not get out of committee, but we do know what happened in Pennsylvania when these proposals got on the floor of a conservative legislature. We're not going to have the same protection of these laws that we've enjoyed for the last 16 years."
Pennsylvania became the first state to enact restrictions on abortion under the Supreme Court decision in Webster vs. Reproductive Health Services.
Eddie Lorenzo, president of the KU chapter, said the conference went well but he wished the attendance had been better.
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