SPORTS: Three Kansas baseball players turn down pro contracts and return to school. Page 9.
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
THE STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF THE UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS
VOL.103, NO.19
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 16, 1993
ADVERTISING: 864-4358
（USPS650-640）
Police warn campus of escapee
NEWS: 864-4810
Ex-Kansas player Drayton breaks out of Arizona jail
By Scott J. Anderson Kansan staff writer
He escaped from an Arizona prison Sunday evening with three other convicts.
KU police are asking students to be on the lookout for former Kansas football player Kenny Dravton.
KU police have posted fliers in residence and scholarship halls and other buildings on campus to warn students that Drayton may be on his way to Lawrence. Sgt. Mark Warren of
Lawrence Police said Drayton still may have friends in town.
Drayton was in the Cochise County Jail in Bisbee, Ariz., awaiting transportation to the Arizona State Penitentiary. He had been sentenced to 305 years in prison after being convicted Friday of 14 felony charges. Those charges included armed robbery, kidnapping and rape, stemming from the abduction of three Bisbee women in June.
Kenny Drayton
"We put the fliers out because officials in Arizona said he may be on his
way here," said Officer Burdel Welsh of KU police. "We also put them out because of the inherent danger and the nature of the crimes involved."
All four convicts were in maximum security cells, said Carol Capas, public information officer for the Cochise County Sheriff's Department. Capas said one of the inmates overpowered a guard and took his keys and radio. The inmate then released the other three men.
The fliers describe Drayton as 23 years old, six feet tall and 175 pounds with short black hair and brown eyes. They also say he should be considered armed and dangerous.
Drayton was a wide receiver on the Jayhawk football team from 1988 through 1991. In 1991, he was named an honorable mention to the All-Big Eight offensive team.
The four went to the jail's garage, pried open one of the doors and escaped on foot, Capas said. The inmates took $2,500 from the jail's booking room before leaving.
Arizona authorities said the jail was unsafe because of a shortage of officers and structural and design flaws in the building.
One of the men, Floyd Thornton,
was caught Tuesday. Capas said a
fugitive task force is searching for
the three other men in Tucson and in
the area around Bisbee, which is five
miles from the Mexican border.
Anyone with information about Drayton should call 911, KU police at 864-5572 or KU Crimestoppers at 864-8888.
The Associated Press contributed information to this story.
Fifteen years ago, a certain disappearance caused quite a stir on campus.
...
JaYNAPPED!
By Shan Schwartz
Kansan staff writer
This week marks the 15th anniversary of one of the most notorious kidnappings in KU history.
The victim was missing for more than six weeks. Although KU police closed the case soon after she was recovered, the kidnappers never were caught, and their identities remain a mystery.
The victim was 3 feet 6 inches tall with a furry blue body and a yellow beak, and her name was Baby Jay.
On Sept. 9, 1978, Baby Jay was being cleaned with the BigJay mascot at the former Burk Awning and Canvas Goods, 706 Massachusetts St.
Robert Burk, son of the store owner,
said that he, his wife and his son had been working on the mascot costumes late that evening when two men entered the store.
"They were walking by and saw the birds in the window, and they came in and started asking a lot of questions," Burk said. "They were kind of suspicious-acting, and we thought something might be up."
Burk said the men had continued looking at the birds while he worked on the Big Jay.
Then, when Burk was not looking,
one of the men grabbed Baby Jay. The
two men took off running.
"By the time I got to the front door, they were gone," Burk said.
He saw a car zoom off, and he reported the incident to the Lawrence police, Burk said. The police caught up with the car, but the kidnappers and the mascot were not in it.
For six weeks, no news came as to the whereabouts of the mascot. Baby Jay missed the beginning of the football season for the first time in her seven-year life. The Athletic Department flashed messages on the scoreboard, and the University of Kansas Alumni Association made posters and T-shirts that asked, "Where are you, Baby Jay?"
Then, on Oct. 20, a campus mail package arrived in the Kansan newsroom. It contained a note and two photographs that showed a blindfolded Baby Jay with a bound beak. One
photo showed two people disguised in sheets and paper bags. One capter held a knife, and the other pointed a gun to the bird's head.
The unsigned note demanded no ransom. It confirmed that Baby Jay had been kidnapped but offered no clues about where the mascot was or who had taken it.
Steve Frazier, the Kansan editor at the time, said this week that no one had much of an idea who had kidnapped Baby Jay.
"Students assumed it was a prankster or the usual suspect, K-State," he said.
But both the KU and Lawrence police, Frazier said, were suspicious of the Kansan.
"The cops got all over us because they thought we cooked this up as a public stunt," he said.
Frazier said their suspicions could have been related to the Kansan's role in the recovery of Baby Jay.
On the night of Oct. 26, two days before homecoming, the phone rang in the newsroom. An anonymous caller said Baby Jay was at Wells Overlook, about five miles south of town.
Frazier sent a reporter and photographer to Wells Overlook to verify the call before notifying police.
"They were suspicious of us, and we figured if we just called it to in them, they'd beat us there and take it away before we could see it," Frazier said. "So after the reporter and photographer told us it was there, then we called the police."
"To them, I guess it looked like a setup," Frazier said. "The police came back to the newsroom and questioned me for a while. It was 2 or 3 in the morning.
Frazier said the reporter and photographer had waited with the bird until the police showed up.
"At one point, one of them said,
'You're lucky we didn't take you downtown,' and then I realized they were serious about it.
And to this date, no one knows who did.
"But we didn't do it."
Except the kidnappers.
Kansan file photo
BABY JAY
"Here's the word, about The bird, that dePARTED. JUST TO say, THAT it's SAFE!y PUT away, SO don't BE, broken HEARTED. The J was nabbed! and ALMOST stabBeD, you all seemed to BURN, But your bird, WE will RETURN. WE'RE REGULAR FOLK, WITH A flare FOR A JOKE, and WE'd like to SAY AIDOS MOTHERf—."
Whoever took off with Baby Jay left this note to the University Daily Kansan:
The Note
Renovation spending breakdown
The Board of Regents has appropriated $47 million to KU for remodeling and other expenses around campus. The figures are in millions of dollars.
Renovation of campus buildings $16
Maintenance $13.7
New construction $10
Fire code compliance $4.2
American Disabilities Act compliance $2
Improving classrooms $1.1
Source: Kansas Board of Regents
Dave Campbell / KANSAN
KU could receive renovation funds
Top needs include larger classrooms
By Christoph Fuhrmans Kansan staff writer
The University of Kansas could receive a $47 million face-lift as part of a $292.5 million plan for renovations all the Regents schools.
Warren Corman, interim executive director for the Regents, presented the plan to the Legislature's Joint Building Construction Committee on Tuesday.
KU would receive its $47 million portion if the plan passed the Legislature intact.
Corman said the plan would probably be phased-in over five years.
The proposed plan would allow KU to improve its campus, although the Kansas Union was recently renovated, the Lied Center completed and construction begun on Hoch Auditorium.
Ed Meyen, executive vice chancelor, said KU needed more work done.
We have many renovation needs because of the American Disabilities Act.
Meyen said KU needed to renovate some classrooms to increase space.
Corman said Murphy Hall would be expanded and Joseph R. Pearson and Spooner hall would be renovated.
"Those are the highest points on
KU's request list." he said.
The Regents now must decide how much money it will ask the Legislature for and how much it can obtain through other means, such as private donations.
"$292.5 million is a lot more than we have funds for." Corman said.
He said all of the money would not come from the Legislature when it convenes in January 1994.
"Our hope would be that they would fund this, but that's not realistic," he said.
Although the Legislature probably would not finance the entire plan, Corman said, the plan probably would pass.
"The legislators were very receptive toward the request," he said. "There won't be any resistance, but there will be a struggle on how to fund it."
State Rep. Betty Jo Charlton, D-
Lawrence, a member of the appropriations committee, said the Legislature could finance the plan by a one-half increase in the mill property tax levy. A mill is $1 in tax for every $1,000 of assessed property value.
"I realize the maintenance on campuses is badly underfunded," she said.
Charlton said raising the mill level would be the best way to pay for the Regents $292.5 million plan.
By David Stewar Kansan staff writer
Education school again searching for new dean
Entering its second fall semester without a permanent dean, the School of Education is once again attempting to find a replacement, said Carole Ross, acting associate vice chancellor for academic affairs and dean search committee member.
The search committee narrowed its search to three candidates last year, but did not hire any of them.
"They just didn't meet the qualifications that we needed for the school," Ross said. "A match was not made."
Ross said the current 12-member committee probably would have a list of three to five new finalists by the end of October or early November.
Richard Whelan, professor of special education, has served as interim dean of the School of Education since Summer 1992 when Ed Meyen, former dean of the school, replaced Judith Ramaley as executive vice chancellor.
The committee plans to name the new dean from the final list of candidates by the first of the year, with a projected starting date of July 1, 1994.
Ross said the new dean should have a vision of where the school is headed academically, locate financial resources for the school, and have strong evidence of leadership and administrative expertise.
Ross said the committee would get input from students.
Student representatives say priorities for the new dean should include finding someone who will stay in touch with students and improve academic advising and scheduling.
Caroline Elton, Overland Park senior and the student member of the current search committee, said the new dean should be accessible.
"I'd like to see someone who will listen to the student voice." Ellen said.
ten to the student voice," Eton said. In meeting she attended yesterday, Kristina Abel, Englewood, Colo. senior, and School of Education representative for Student Senate, said along with academic advising and scheduling, the education school needed a dean who could explain school policy to the education students.
"If he or she shows an effort to show interest in the students, both parties will benefit," Abel said.
This man is wearing tights. He also wears diapers. Why? He performs with the New Renaissance Festival Acting Company every weekend in Kansas City.
Page 7.
Renaissance Festival
Fire awareness program working
Bv Brian James
Kansan staff writer
The Lawrence fire department has begun its annual campus fire awareness programs, hoping to keep any would-be pranksters from pulling fire alarms.
Barr said that since the department began making presentations 10 years ago, the number of maliciously pulled false alarms — alarms pulled as a joke or a prank — has decreased dramatically in KU housing.
Rich Barr, Lawrence fire marshal, and other Lawrence firefighters are presenting the programs at all KU residence and scholarship halls this month. The first one was held Tuesday at Pearson Scholarship Hall.
"All of the halls have really promoted this program well and that has helped," he said.
Barr said there were two purposes
for making the presentations. One is to teach residents about the proper procedures for exiting a burning building, he said.
The other purpose is to tell students the cost of pulling a fire alarm.
"When we roll out of the station to answer a call at a hall, we're taking those trucks away from other parts of the city," he said. "If it's a false alarm, that is a wasted resource for other citizens."
idents to learn about fire safety.
Barr said sending the trucks across town to answer an alarm posed a risk for other drivers as well.
Fire department records show there have been no fire alarms maliciously pulled in KU halls this semester. But compared to the 21 maliciously pulled alarms answered by the Lawrence fire department last school year, he said there was a need for res-
"We just want them to know that there is a social cost as well as a monetary cost for us to answer false alarms," he said.
"They need to realize what the results of crying wolf are," he said. "It's a pretty deadly game."
McElheneil said students who are caught pulling an alarm could face expulsion from the residence halls or even the University.
Fred McElhene, associate director of student housing, said sometimes students did not realize the danger in pulling alarms as a joke.
Michele Kessler, staff attorney for Legal Services for Students, said the penalties for maliciously pulling a fire alarm were up to 180 days in jail and a $100-$500 fine.
Oops, false alarm!
The Lawrence fire department responded to 74 fire alarms in KU residence and scholarship halls in the 1992-93 school year.
Top causes of false alarms:
1. Maliciously pulled false alarms: 21
2. Fire alarm system malfunction; 17
3. Unintentional alarm (cigarettes, etc.): 16
4. Alarm sensed smoke or odor, no real fire: 6
5. Fire in the building: 4
5. Fire in the building: 1
6. Other reasons: 10
6. Other reasons: 10
ections of alarms pulled maliciously:
1. Oliver Hall: 12
2. Hashinger Hall: 4
3. Simplin Hall: 3
JSP: 1
Corbin: 1
Source: Lawrence fire department
Dave Campbell / KANBAN