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THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
******************3-DIGIT 620
KS STATE HISTORICAL SOCIETY
PO BOX 5247
TOPEKA, KS 66201-2205
THE STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF THE UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS
NEWS 864-4810
WEDNESDAY. JANUARY 15, 1997
ADVERTISING 864-4358
SECTION A VOL. 103, NO. 77
(USPS 650-640)
Student's car recovered undamaged in Kansas City
Yesterday police recovered a KU student's stolen vehicle that was abandoned on a street in Kansas City, Kan.
SOURCE: The National Weather Service
Chris Keary, a KU police sergeant,
said that the 1995 Honda Passport
was undamaged and remains in driv-
able condition.
Police notified owner Jason Hoeft, Kirkwood, Mo., freshman, shortly after vehicle's recovery.
The car was stolen from the faculty parking lot east of McColum Hall Sunday evening after 8 p.m. When Heeft and his girlfriend returned to the lot around 11:30 p.m., they found only an empty parking space.
Though the car will be returned to its owner, the purse and CDs also stolen with the vehicle are still reported missing.
Police are still investigating the incident, and there are no known suspects at this time.
Kansan Staff Report
Democratic proposals defy custom, call for cuts
Angie Kuhn/KANSAN
WASHINGTON — In an unexpected move, Senate Democratic leader Tom Daschle intends to propose modest capital gains tax cuts as part of a party agenda for the new Congress, officials said Tuesday.
In addition to those cuts — for investors in small businesses and for small farmers approaching retirement age — Daschle is expected to announce support for steps to make Individual Retirement Accounts available to more taxpayers.
So Republicans will let Clinton make the first move. Even as they promise to work with Democrats on any serious balanced-budget efforts, Republicans welcome the prospect of Clinton sweating Medicare and Medicaid cuts.
Clinton is forced by political reality to introduce a balanced budget and, aides say, bound by economic forces to cut Medicare and Medicaid to do it.
The tax measure is one of 10 pieces of legislation that Daschle will introduce later this month in a package designed to showcase Senate Democratic priorities. The bills were outlined in a document marked "working draft" and distributed to Democratic senators at a private caucus last week as "works in progress."
Daschle was traveling in his home state of South Dakota during the day and not available for comment.
-The Associated Press
Daschle's predecessor as Democratic leader, former Sen. George Mitchell of Maine, successfully led a filibuster several years ago against a far costlier and less targeted capital gains tax cut from the Bush administration than Daschle is expected to recommend.
The tax proposals are politically significant. When it comes to capital gains cuts, it is customarily Republicans in favor and Democrats resisting them as unwarranted breaks for the wealthy.
Medicare, Medicaid cuts required for budget
ICE STATION LAWRENCE
WASHINGTON — After Republican plans to hold back Medicare and Medicaid, President Clinton is taking his own scalpel to the programs.
The president proposed similar reductions in 1995 and 1996, but deeper cuts offered by GOP lawmakers allowed Clinton to declare himself the election-year champion of health care.
"Mediscare! Mediscare! Mediscare!" Republican rival Bob Dole said in his campaign. Few people realized that Clinton wanted to cut the health care programs, Republicans said.
The harsh chill of winter all but vanished after a freak snowstorm in October. But just as students settled into the mild December weather, temperatures plummeted from the 60's to the single digits. The Arctic blast has forced many to change the way they live their lives.
Amy Martin (left), Manhattan sophomore, and Jeff Johnson, Louisburg senior, bundle up to brave the bitter cold.
Laurie Fletchall / KANSAN
Winter weather chills checkbooks
By Harumi Kogarimal
Kansan staff writer
It's cold outside and those students living off campus may pay for it with higher gas bills this month.
Gas bills for typical household customers could increase by 10 to 12 percent in the Lawrence area, said Mike Driscoll, customer service director for Kansas Public Service.
In Kansas City and Topeka, natural gas users will see an increase of approximately 7 percent, said Robin Lampe, Kansas Power and Light spokeswoman.
The unusually cold weather in October and November created a high demand for natural gas nationwide and a shorter supply of the gas yanked up the prices in the market, Driscoll said.
The impact of the price increase could be serious since users are already using more gas due to the weather. The increase in gas bills
was particularly significant from November to December.
Sara Nissen, Overland Park
senior, said that her gas bill for
December was $56, a $10 increase
since November.
Driscoll said that KPS customers sometimes did not recognize they used more gas because of the colder weather.
"I am definitely not happy about it, but you cannot do anything about it. You just have to pay," Nissen said.
"If your bill for December has increased by $10 from the bill for November, I think that's pretty good," Driscoll said. "We have other customers who have to pay $40 more in December and $100 more in January."
But why did the bills go so high when residents were out for vacation?
Driscoll explained that gas was
still being used every day to keep the water pipes and furnaces from freezing, even when residents were not in their apartments.
"Even if you set the temperature 5 degrees lower, you won't see a huge decrease in your gas bill," he said.
Driscoll said that KPS had no control over the price increase. The only cost the company can pass along to its customers is the cost for maintenance. Usage plays a major part in the bills.
Driscoll and Lampe recommended that students consult with service assistants if they have problems with their payments. The companies offer a variety of payment plans by which users can reduce the impact of increases.
"The earlier you consult with our customer services, the more options we have," Driscoll said. "We recommend you to call us as soon as possible if you have any problem with payment."
Local gyms provide more indoor hoop space
By Paul Eakins
Kansan staff writer
As temperatures drop and people head inside, physical fitness options are reduced.
There are fewer exercising options in Lawrence during the winter months when outside games like football, soccer and tennis become uncomfortable and difficult to play.
Many people turn to basketball for indoor exercise, but at Robinson Center, where many students go to play, the courts can become crowded and the wait can be long.
"The lines go from one team waiting, to five or six during the winter," Pat O'Brien, Western Springs, Ill., senior said.
Bob Lockwood, Robinson Center facilities director, said that he did what he could to provide more playing opportunities by using many of the courts for half-court games.
O'Brien said that he went to Robinson to play basketball two or three times a week when the weather was cold, but that during the spring and summer, when the temperatures are higher, he and other basketball players usually play on outside courts to enjoy the weather.
"We open the courts mainly for the adult population of Lawrence to use and get some exercise."
Ernie Shaw
superintendent of facilities maintenance for Lawrence Parks and Recreation.
Luckily for these basketball maniacs, the City of Lawrence Parks and Recreation Department, in cooperation with U.S.D. 497
"Basketball is basketball mania here in Kansas," he said.
However, he said that it was normal for the number of players on the courts to increase during the winter, especially because of the popularity of basketball.
"We get a lot of use out of the courts we have," he said.
provides a relief for these problems.
In addition to the daytime open gyms offered all week at the Community Building, 115 W. 11th St., and the Holcom Park Recreation Center, 2700 W. 27th St., five local public elementary schools provide evening open gyms for the public from Jan. 13 to March 22, Monday through Thursday.
He said he did not know when the tradition of open courts started, but that it had been around for at least the 21 years he has worked for the Parks and Recreation Department.
"We open the courts mainly for the adult population of Lawrence to use and to get some exercise," said Ernie Shaw, superintendent of facilities maintenance for Lawrence Parks and Recreation.
Usually there are enough people at the courts for a good basketball game, he said.
Shaw said that the Holcom center and the Community Building were not open at night because city basketball leagues used the courts.
"This is something we do every year, so there are people out there who expect it to happen," Shaw said.
Warming up out of the cold
■ Kennedy School, 1605 Davis Rd.: Mondays and Wednesdays, 8:30 to 10 p.m. (excluding Jan. 20).
Winter Open Gym Free Play Schedule:
Sunflower School, 2621 Inverness Dr.: Tuesdays and Wednesdays; 8:30-10 p.m. (excluding Feb. 5, Feb. 26, March 5, and March 19).
Cordley Elementary, 1837 Vermont St.: Volleyball-Tuesdays and Thursdays, 8-10 p.m. (excluding Jan, 16).
Community Building, 115 W. 11th St.: Monday through Friday, 1:30-5 p.m.
Beginning Saturday, Jan 18, weekend times will be Sundays, 10 a.m.-6 p.m.
cross court only; Sundays, 12:30-2:30
p.m., cross court only and 2:30-4:30
p.m., full court only.
Holcom Park Recreation Center, 2700 W. 27th St.: Monday, Wednesday and Friday, 11:30 a.m.-5 p.m.; Tuesday and Thursday, 11 a.m.-5 p.m.; Saturday, 2:30-6 p.m.; Sunday, 1:4-30 p.m.
Center expands to find grants for departments
y Mark McMaster
Kansan staff writer
A planned expansion of the University of Kansas' research foundation may help departments find more funding for research.
The foundation, called the Center for Research, Inc. (CRINC), currently helps secure and administer grants and contracts in the natural sciences. However, its role will soon expand to serve all of the University's research departments.
Previously, departments in the humanities and the social sciences did not benefit from the assistance of a foundation.
A foundation is useful in gaining funding because it helps departments to apply for grants and contracts, and to handle administrative duties after those grants and contracts are received.
Barbara Armbrister, the associate director of the center, said that having a comprehensive foundation for all of the University would be beneficial to research programs.
"It can stimulate collaboration between departments and schools that hadn't cooperated before," she said.
Howard Mossberg, interim vice chancellor of research and public service, said that over the next 20 to 50 years, the expanded foundation will help increase the amount of research done at the University.
The advantage of channeling research funds through a foundation is that money earned for research can be reinvested to allow for additional projects.
"When we receive contracts and grants, we get some overhead to compensate us for the administration of the grant," Mossberg said. "A lot of that can be retained by the institution, so we have developed mechanisms to reinvest this and provide capital to begin new projects which will, in turn, lead to proposals and more support."
In addition to taking over CRINC's role, Armbrister said that the foundation will assume some of the functions of the Office of Research and Public Service and of
the Research Support and Grants Administration.
The foundation, which will receive no University funding, is scheduled to begin operating by January 1,1998.
The foundation will be led by Chancellor Robert Hemenway, who acts as chief executive officer. The role of president and chief operating officer will be filled by the vice chancellor of research and public service. The chancellor is currently searching to fill this position.
Armbrister said that no jobs would be lost in the transition. However, there is a possibility that new positions may be needed within the foundation.
TODAY
INDEX
Television...2A
Opinion...4A
National News...6A
Features...8A
World News...7A
Scoreboard...2B
Classifieds...7B
CHANCE OF SNOW