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Private group files suit to protect Wilderness Park
By Mike Schmoldt
A private group, Citizens to Preserve Wilderness Park,
Inc. will file suit Monday in Federal District Court to
block construction of the Lincoln West by -pass, according
to the group's attorney, Karen Flowers. The by-pass
would link U.S. Highway 77 and Interstate 80 overtaking
20 acres of park land.
The citizens are suing the Nebraska State Department
of Roads and U.S. Secretary of Transportation Brock
Adams, The suit will ask that all progress on the project
be halted until the matter can be resolved. This includes a
road design hearing to get community input scheduled
for Nov. 21 by the roads department.
Flowers, said the suit will seek to prove that Secre
tary Adams violated a provision of the 1969 National
Environmental Protection Act when he approved
construction of the road, The law saysthe secretary shall
not approve the use of public lands for any project unless
there are no "prudent and feasible alternatives or unless
all possible steps to minimize harm" to the park have
been taken.
Secretary Adams based his decision on an environ
mental impact statement and testimony at hearings to
determine the location of the by-pass, Flowers said. The
information he used does not support his decision to
approve construction, she said.
Lawyers for the citizens will try to prove Adams had
insufficient information and also will provide possible
"prudent and feasible alternatives." These include con
struction of the by-pass further west than is now
proposed, she said.
Engineer didn't know
Charles Nutter, deputy state engineer, said he did not
'know until Wednesday afternoon that the suit would be
filed Monday against the department.
"They've threatened to do that for a long time,"
Nutter said. He said he did not want to comment on the
suit until he had talked to attorneys for the roads depart
ment. Two other organizations and three individuals are join
ing Citizens to Preserve Wilderness Park, Inc. as plaintiffs
in the case. The organizations are Citizens for Environ
mental Improvement and the Bluestem Sierra Club.
One of the individuals is Marge Schlitt, 2600 C St.,
i i n
friday, October 14, 1977 vol. 101 no. 25 lincoln, nebraska
a Girl Scout leader, who also is secretary of Citizens to
Preserve Wilderness Park, Inc. She said she is concerned
about what the highway will do to the day camp at
Wilderness Park. She said proposals are to take 200 feet
from the west edge of the day camp and erect a sound
barrier wall to reduce noise.
. Unique experience
"I believe in the unique experience of day camping,"
she said. "It is too valuable to be lost needlessly."
She said the camp is used heavily by scouts, city
recreation groups, UNL classes and public schools.
Other individuals filing suit are a homeowner whose
house would be near the proposed road and Doug McCal
lum, a UNL physical education instructor who uses the
camp for outdoor classes.
Dr. Paul Stoesz, chairman of Citizens to Preserve Wil
derness Park, Inc., said he expects to win the suit.
"We want a permanent restraint to their ever doing this
in the Wilderness Park area again," Stoesz said.
He said the citizens met with the City Parks and Re
creation Department and the Chamber of Commerce to
inform them of their view. He said the department of
roads showed them a courtesy meeting last week exactly
where the proposed road would go.
According to Schlitt, the citizens learned at that
meeting that the roads department was planning to take
more acreage from the park hari originally was proposed.
"It's appalling-their lack of concern about how much
land they're taking out there," Schlitt said.
She t expressed confidence1 in the soundness of the
citizens' legal case. She said copies of the suit would be
handed out at a press conference on the west steps of the
Federal Building when the suit is filed Mdnday. .
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The 1 1 NU regents meet today, for the second time this semester. They will discuss graduate tuition at their 1 p.m. meeting.
Photo by Tad Kirk
Regents to discuss alternative graduate tuition rates
A report examining alternatives for graduate
tuition payments will be discussed by the NU Board of
Regents at their monthly meeting j'pjii,. today in
Regents Hall.
The report presents three alternatives to the existing
graduate tuition rate, according to William Erskine,
NU executive vice president.
Currently, NU graduate students pay $21 per credit
hour, the same rate as undergraduate students. The report
examines the imoact increases of 25. 30 and 35 percent
($26.25, $26.30 or $28.35) would have on the univer
sity's financial status, Erskine said.
Depending on which alternative is used, UNL could
gain from $300,000 to $400,000 yearly from an increase
in graduate tuition, Erskine said. The University of Neb
raska at Omaha and the University of Nebraska Medicai
Center also would have substantial increases, according to
Erskine.
Statements list needs, expectations
By Anne Carothers
The Union Advisory Board is letting ASUN know ex
actly what they expect from a fees allocation body, re
gardless of the structure of that body.
The Union Board Wednesday night approved a state
ment to be joined with statements from both Union
program councils stating their "needs and exuviations"
from a fees allocation body.
The statement is a reaction to an ASUN proposal to
change the structure of a fees allocation body,
A Union Board opinion on a structure for a fees
allocation body is not included in the statement although
the board has discussed the possibility of including such a
statement. , ,
Union Director Al Bennett also reviewed and approved
the statement, according to Union Board President Dave
Roehr, '
According to the statement, the Union expects the fees
body to "produce ncn-political and rational recommenda
tions." The Union also requests equal representation on a
fees body if other major fee users are represented on that
body,
Also requested is an ample amount of time for the
Union to prepare a workable budget and review of the
budget to present to the fees allocation body.
The Union stated that they need "sufficient notice of
any public hearings or actions to be taken by the fee
review and recommending body on its proposed budget."
Although the statement does not specify any requests
about membership of a fees body, it does state that the
Union thinks there should be student participation in the
allocation process, and that "an intellectual and experi
ence base be established as the criteria for membership."
Roehr explained that the Union is concerned with the
basis on which the members of the fees body are picked,
rather than who the individual board members are.
Also included in the statement are various "items of
understanding" between the Union and the fees body.
The Union agrees to supply any relevant financial data
to the fees body to aid them in their allocations, accord
ing to the statement.
The Union also wants a new tees body to understand
that the Union budget is not "padded" and accurately
reflects the Union's needs.
Erskine said the report reviewed differentiated
graduate tuition rates at other Big 8 schools and land
grant universities.
"The report has been presented to the regents and will
be discussed at the meeting today, Erskine said. He said
he did not know if a vote would be taken.
Other items on the regents agenda include an expected
vote, on improving communications between college deans
and department chairmen concerning staff appointments.
Omaha Regent Kermit Hansen said the board will dis
cuss how to spend the surplus from the bonds used to
fund the residence halls and Nebraska Unions. Hansen
said there is a yearly planned surplus from the bonds that
is used to make improvements in the residence halls and
the unions. He added that he did not know the amount of
the surplus.
Discussion on Memorial Stadium expansion is not sche
duled, but Hansen said the topic could arise. At the last
regents meeting, stadium expansion plans were Ecnt back
to Hansen's business affairs committee, but the Omaha
regent said his committee lias not discussed the issue.
inside friday
The ice men cometh and goeth: UNL Antarctic
experts go south for the winter p. 6
You might as well dance: Qoud seeding probably
is a waste of time in Nebraska .p. 7
Blues is his news: Carey Dell is a blucsman who
is living the message of his music. p. 8
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