UNL, Lincoln
hope to invest
in Block 35
DEVELOPMENT from page 1
• Changing one-way streets down
town to two-way and changing traffic
flow.
• Establishing 12th Street from O
to R streets as a center for entertain
ment.
• Strengthening downtown movie
theaters.
• Rebuilding Centennial Mall and
making an effective link between UNL
City Campus and downtown.
The mayor’s office has received
five proposals for development of the
parking lot.
Embassy Suites Hotel could open
up a 250-room facility.
United Missouri Bank wants to
open shop.
Other developers have proposed a
parking garage, plaza and retail spaces
with housing on top, a 13-floor dual
tower for offices and a hotel with un
derground parking and an indoor gar
den, or another parking garage and
more office spaces.
UNL uses two terms when talking
about downtown development. They
are “beacon” and “zipper.”
Todd said “beacon” refers to the
site’s potential to attract visitors.
“If we have architecture that stands
out against the skyline, it will invite
attention and get people to stop,”
Todd said.
The “zipper” refers to the block’s
ability to link together downtown and
campus, she said.
“Rather than being an our-side-of
the-fence and your-side-of-the-fence
thing, we work together in that zone
in between and develop things of mu
tual interest,” Todd said.
The city and UNL want to put the
block to better use than parking.
“The block is a real opportunity,”
McMullen said, “for both the city,
downtown and UNL to come up with a
wonderful project.”
The city’s Selection Committee will
interview prospective developers this
week. It will forward a recommenda
tion to the City Council and mayor,
which will select the developer the week
of Jan. 13. Construction is scheduled to
begin next summer. ^ ^
Man tries to fix brother’s misdeeds
OMAHA (AP) — David Sullivan
finds himself trying to set things right
between insurance companies and
people his brother is accused of swin
dling.
“My brother’s still my brother,”
Sullivan said. “But my main concern
at this point is the clients.” _
Timothy Sullivan, 37, is a fugitive,
charged in a Saline County warrant
with four counts of felony theft by&
ception. Heis accused of talcing mofttey
from David and Linda Razabeck of
Dorchester that was supposed to go
into an annuity account.
David Sullivan, who is a Lincoln
Mutual Life Insurance Co. agent in
Omaha, said his brother may have been
having financial problems. The
Sullivans’ father also was in the insur
ance business. David Sullivan said he
was concerned in part about the
family’s reputation.
“It was represented to them that
they would have their money in these
accounts,” David Sullivan said, “and
if somebody in the insurance indus
try deceived them, well, they should
be made whole.”
Jeanette Smith, counsel for the
Nebraska Insurance Department, said
Timothy Sullivan’s insurance license
was revoked in November. She said
Sullivan was listed as an agent |or
Jackson National, Principal Mutual
Life Insurance Co. of Iowa, Metro
politan Life Insurance Co. of New
York, Lafayette Life Insurance Co. of
Indiana and Metraheal Insurance Co.
of Connecticut.
Smith said as reports of misused
money are investigated, it could
prove difficult to sort out which com
panies Sullivan said he was represent
ing. The Omaha World-Herald re
ported that so far, more than a dozen
Nebraskans reported losses Of at least
$112,000, with others possibly in Iowa
and Arizona.
Omaha Police Detective Rhonda
Gustafson said Sullivan knew many of
his clients for years.
“They were like second parents to
him,” Gustafson said. “He called them
Mom and Dad.”
The Razabecks said Sullivan was
very friendly and always checked up
with them on their policies.
“He knew us and the kids,” Linda
Razabeck said. “He was just an ordi
nary guy.”
But after moving to Arizona he was
reprimanded by one of the companies
he represented, Lincoln Mutual, for los
ing his temper with clients. Then com
plaints about checks started, and last
spring Lincoln Mutual fired Sullivan.
State regulators and police began inves
tigating.
Postmarks with holiday themes add Christmas touch
From Staff Reports
For those who want to give their
holiday mail a little added Christmas
touch, the United States Postal Service
will help send mail from Bethlehem
— Bethlehem, Conn., that is. The ZIP
Code there is 06751.
To obtain a postmark from any city
with a name that invokes thoughts of
the holidays, simply apply the neces
sary first-class postage to cards or let
ters, enclose them in an outer enve
lope and mail them to the Postmaster
of the desired city. A note requesting
the postmark should also be included.
These are some of the cities that
in all likelihood will receive the most
requests for surrogate postmarks.
• Christmas FL 32709-9998
• North Pole NY 12946-9998
• Santa Claus IN 47579-9998
• Mistletoe KY 41351-9998
• Rudolph OH 43462-9998
• Hollytree AL 35751-9998
•Snow OK 74567-9998
• Angels Camp CA 95222-9998
• North Pole AK 99705-9998
• Holiday FL 34690-9998
• Noel MO 64845-9998
• Snowflake AZ 85937-9998
• Bethlehem KY 40007-9998
• Snow Hill AZ 85937-9998
• Joy IL 61260-9998
r
Rhodes winner says
love of learning helps
RHODES from page 1
of his personality motivated him to
ward academic excellence.
As a freshman, Vetter didn’t plan
to major in six subjects at UNL, he
said.
He started majoring in physics but
his interests in political science, phi
losophy, history, economics and psy
chology developed into additional
majors.
Each interest led to another, Vetter
said. He wanted to keep his education
balanced; but most importantly, Vetter
wanted to challenge himself.
His strategy to academic success
isn’t a secret, he said. It’s all in his at
titude.
“I think if you take an attitude that
you want to learn as much as you can,
the grades will always follow,” Vetter
said.
Instead of viewing studying as
working for a grade, as most students
do, Vetter said he prefers studying be
cause he wants to and because he’s
fascinated by it.
Although the Rhodes Scholarship
is the highest academic honor a stu
dent can receive, Vetter is most excited
about studying at the University of
Oxford in England for two years.
There he wants to earn a master’s
degree in history of science of philpso
phy of science, he said. He then will
return fr> the United States to earn a
doctorate at a top-notcfi graduate
school.
The Rhodes trustees may grant
scholars a third year at Oxford if they
need it to complete their degree. Vetter
may use that third year to finish his
doctorate in philosophy before com
ing home.
Despite his impressive academic
record and high ambitions, Vetter said
he didn’t need to go to an Ivy League
school or expensive private university.
He has everything he needs at UNL,
ii
Being a Rhodes
Scholar is the aca
demic equivalent of
winning the
Heisman Trophy”
James Moeser
UNL Chancellor
he said.
The reputable faculty, libraries,
scholarships and debt-free financing
attracted him, he said.
The university wants to use Vetter’s
example to attract other honors stu
dents, and UNL Chancellor James
Moeser. He compared Vetter’s schol
arship to another prestigious student
honor.
“Being a Rhodes Scholar is the aca
demic equivalent of winning the
Heisman Trophy,” Moeser said.
Moeser said the award showed
UNL’s academic quality not only at
tracted high-caliber students, but also
cultivated them for such a high honor.
“It’s definitely a jewel in the crown
of the honors program,” Moeser said.
The honor proved that UNL stu
dents could compete academically
with students from more prestigious
and expensive private colleges, he said.
Other universities with 1997 Rhodes
Scholars included Yale, Harvard,
Stanford and Notre Dame. \5 .
James Griesen, vice chancellor for
student affairs, said at least 19 Rhodes
Scholars preceded Vetter at UNL. The
last Rhodes Scholar at UNL was
named more than 20 years ago,
Griesen said.
Law & Order
ASSAULT
lice officer was as
evening while ar
tiis home for a pro
' ^uuicnjcurey Weinmaster, 29,
went to* bouse on the 700 block of
S. 20th Stg^fbout 10:00 p.m. Sun
day, ^gtJpp^Heermann said.
Weiapmaster had an arrest war
■ - rant Q£f|jjpj|^her Wagy for vio
lating apipteetion order, Heermann
said.
Wagy resisted when
Weinmaster tried to arrest him,
Heermann said. On the way out the
door, a woman started yelling at
Weinmaster and physically
struggled with him, Heermann said.
While Weinmaster was dis
tracted, Wagy punched him in the
right cheek and kicked him in the
abdomen, Heermann said.
Weinmaster got Wagy back un
der control and took him into cus
tody. Wagy was later booked for
violating a protection order and
third-degree assault on an officer.
ATTEMPTED
ROBBERY
A man walking in north Lincoln
Sunday night was attacked by a
man who tried to take his money.
The 20-year-old man was walk
ing on 46th Street, between Garland
and Leighton streets at about 2:20
a.m. when the suspect approached
him, demanded money, then hit him
in the face, Heermann said.
After the man went down, the
suspect fled without taking any
thing, Heermann said. The man was
unable to give a description.
VANDALISM
Five cars in the same parking lot
had their tires slashed sometime
Saturday night.
The cars were in an apartment
parking lot just north of Vine Street
between 26th and 27th streets, ac
cording to police reports. Witnesses
told police the tires were slashed
between 10 p.m. and 12:30 a.m.
On four cars, only one tire was
slashed. On the fifth, two tires were
slashed, Heermann said. The own
ers reported a total of $300 dam
age. ‘
NARCOTICS
UNL police arrested a freshman
for possession of marijuana in
Schramm Residence Hall Sunday
night.
Acting on an anonymous tip,
University of Nebraska-Lincoln
police went to the sixth floor of j
Schramm Hall at 6:58 p.m. Sunday,
Sgt. Mylo Bushing said.
The officer smelled burning
marijuana near the suspect’s room,
Bushing said. Inside the room, the
officer found less than an ounce of
marijuana, Bushing said.
Richard Coomer, of Riverside,
Calif., was arrested for possession > j
of marijuana and paraphernalia.
