Editorial
What others think
Changing U.S. coins waste of money
Does Abraham Lincoln need a 'facelift?’
The image of Mr. Lincoln, as well as of other former
presidents who appear on the obverse of U.S. coins, will
be revamped if Congress nas its way. The flip side of the coins
will be completely changed.
The director of the U S. Mint, Donna Pope, testified before a
House committee that she hasn’t heard any demand from the
public that the coins be aUercd, In fact, she said the only people
who seem to be calling for new coins are coin collectors.
Regardless, Congress appears ready to go ahead with the
redesign ..
Congressional supporters of the change have pointed out that
other Western countries alter their coinage every few years. In
contrast, Mr. Lincoln’s face on the penny has been the same
since 1909.
Well, so what? With the United States falling behind some
nations in vital areas such as the production and export of
technology, should Congress be worrying about keeping up on
pocket chance?
In the end, the legislative debates promise to be time con
suming and the redesign procedure costly.
To recoin a phrase: The penny’s image saved is a penny
earned,”
*• The Ltaf-Chrmidt, Cfawkjvilk, Tern.
Drug programs should include Alice
Don’t ask Alice.
School officials in Ottumwa (Iowa) arc considering re
moving the book ‘Go Ask Alice’ from its junior high
drug education program because of what several parents deem
as offensive and sexually explicit language.
The book is an anonymous diary of a young woman whose
life is shattered, and finally ended, by substance abuse.
What Ottumwans realty need is a major dose of reality.
. Although many parents may deny it, the average junior high
school student’s language is filled with profanity.
Such common forms of entertainment as movies arc laced
with sexually exfgidt scenes along with scores of films,
complete with heightened sexual content, (which) are just rs
easily picked up from the local video store.
Banning one piece of literature will not remove the students
from such types of influence.
Besides, the novel presents a much better example of the
dangers of drug use than cutesy anti-drug messages such as the
“just Say No” slogan initiated by Nancy Reagan. Reading the
diary would provide first-hand information about the horrors of
drug abuse.’
- The Iowa Slate Daily
OU student gives pets second chance
About 200 stray pets have found new homes in Norman,
Okla., since March thanks to Second Chance.
Jamie Harrington, a junior at Oklahoma University,
directs the organization which boasts 300 volunteer members.
The organization receives about 13 calls each day informing
members of the whereabouts of abandoned animals.
Harrington said these animals often are seriously injured or
have acquired diseases. Second Chance accepts donations and
charges adoption fees, which offset some of the medical costs.
The group’s most recent venture was the establishment of an
animal sanctuary in the country.
-- Tk* Oklahoma Daily
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Downtown need not be a ghosttown
Recently, Mayor Bill Harris
proposed a retail develop
ment study that would cost
Lincoln and Lancaster County about
$100,000.
The city-council apparently is
being bombarded with retail devel
opment proposals and is seeking
some guidance. Where should retail
ers be allowed to expand?
This study may be needed to avoid
construction of retail structures that
later will be abandoned. If the study
instead suggests bombarding down
town with new and improved retail
stores, the money will have been
wasted and downtown redevelop
ment plans will ultimately fail.
The retail base is declining down
town. Major department stores have
balked when asked to be part of the
downtown redevelopment plan.
These retailers want to locate near
consumers who have cash and want
to convert it into goods.
Although many students reside in
the downtown area, most Lincoln
residents don’t live downtown. Resi
dents will shop where it is most con
venient. Convenient includes loca
tions near home, the availability of
parking and the ease at which traffic
can be maneuvered. Downtown sim
ply can’t compete in these areas.
Downtown can remain viable if
city planners accept this retail reality
and look at what continues to bring
pecmle downtown.
Special events: Flatwatcr Festival
and the Star City Parade are events
which bring carloads of people into
downtown. These events are “mem
ory makers” rather than strong
money makers. Events featuring both
adult and family entertainment will
keep downtown alive and bring Lin
colnites together periodically:
These gatherings are economic
boosts for food vendors. The city
should continue to accommodate
events that provide good entertain
ment and let retailers cash in on the
crowds that follow. However, if the
planning of events ever shifts from
what interests the public to what will
open the public’s pocketbooks, those
events will fall flat.
—
■- - mmmJ
Night life: After 7 p.m. on any
weekend people begin to congregate
at street comers downtown. Most of
the comer-hangers are junior high
students wailing for a ride home after
catching a movie. As the evening
progresses the street crowd gets a
little older and bar hopping begins.
Those celebrating that rite of passage
known as marriage usually can be
found at the Hilton or Comhusker
Hotel, where wedding receptions
spill into the lobbies on most Satur
day nights.
UNL: The university is here to
stay. The cash llow from 17,(XX) stu
dents can always be counted on,
along with the income generated by
Nebraska football.
The Lied Performing Arts Center
should be a successful venture, both
for the university and downtown. An
evening at Lied will give one the
opportunity to pull out the formal
wear and take in several class acts.
New development: Developing
condominiums downtown was an
*<LRipr
inspired idea and has been realized
through Centerstone and Georgian
Place. Investors in these condomini
ums tapped into the local version of
“yuppiedom.” For some rising pro
fessionals, the American dream
doesn’t include a house with a lawn to
mow. Some retiring business people
want to have neighbors that still di
vide and conquer each day to swap
stories with after dinner. These
downtown dwellers will bring steady
business to downtown merchants.
This line of development should
continue, and might include apart
ment complexes that cater to stu
dents.
Office buildings: The NBC build
ing houses many businesses that are
likely to be here tomorrow. These
employees join those from state and
federal office buildings at lunchtime
and overrun the crosswalks down
town. These businesses will keep
food vendors smiling and maintain a
retail base downtown.
The above summation of down
town’s strong points contains nothing
new or revealing. The whole message
coming from this column tocily plan
ners is — let downtown redevelop
itself. Downtown is naturally moving
into a new era and reflecting a few
new trends. Fighting these trends to
avoid a downtown without people,
will bring about that void.
Downtown is where the smallness
of a city as large as Lincoln is still re
flected. This is what makes Lincoln
appealing.
Downtown isn’t dead yet. Let’s
not kill it with too much money and
not enough common sense.
Chris Carroll is a senior news-editorial
major and editor for the Summer Daily Ne
braskan. ,
