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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 14, 1997)
—smuj— *11- TUESDAY Developing depth Rocky Mountain low October 14,1997 * After being outscored 14-7 in the second half of John Denver, known worldwide for fusing folk, | its 49-21 victory over Baylor, NU will work on country and pop music, died Sunday evening in a SHOOTIN’ the play of its second units. PAGE 7 plane crash off Monterey, Calif. PAGE 9 Mostly sunny, high 60. tonight, low 38. I VOL. 97 COVERING THE UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA-LINCOLN SINCE 1901 NO. 36 1 Johanns’ refusal disappoints gays ■ The mayor said his Catholic faith prevented him from declaring a Lincoln Coming Out Day. — By Ted Taylor Senior Reporter 3 - He is a Catholic. And from Lincoln Mayor Mike i Johanns’ point of view, that should f be the only explanation necessary to * those who ask why he refused to & sign a proclamation last week 1 declaring Saturday as Lincoln | Coming Out Day. . -'r “As a matter of personal choice, 4 I could not sign that proclamation,” i he said Monday after a morning 3 hews conference launching his gubernatorial television ad cam paign, wlpch specifically points out that his 19-year-old son graduated from a Christian high school. Johanns alsd did not sign a proclamation for agay event in June. “I hoped they would appreciate that I have my o$m personal views and values just asNhey do,” he said. But that isn’t enough for mem bers of Lincoln’s gay and lesbian community, who are still looking for a better explanation as to why the leader of their ci|y - and potential leader of the stat<f— sent a message of nonacceptance by not saying any thing at all. “It sends a message that gays and lesbians are not valued in this city,” said Alison Knudsen, president of the UNL’s Gay Lesbian Bisexual Transgender Resource Center. “I understand and respect his religious beliefs,” she said, “but he might have to - in a society founded on the separation of church and state - leave religion out of his job as a public servant.” Saturday was recognized across the country as National Coming Out Day, commemorating a 1987 march on Washington, D.C., which cele brated lesbian and gay rights and promoted honesty about being gay, lesbian or bisexual. Matt LeMieux, executive direc tor of American Civil Liberties Union in Nebraska, agreed it was Johanns’ responsibility as the leader of a community to be accepting of all its citizens. “Obviously we aren’t asking him Please see JOHANNS on 3 Mayor officially starts television ad campaign By Ted Taylor Senior Reporter He’s not officially a candidate for governor, but Mayor Mike Johanns officially launched a statewide television ad campaign Monday aimed at helping him get dectedto the state’s top job in 1998. Standing in front of a “Johanns for Governor” sign in his south Lincoln “Johanns for Governor” headquarters, flanked by members of his “Johanns for Governor” staff, the mayor, without making a formal announcement of his gubernatorial intentions, said the media cam paign would help put any wonder ing minds to rest. “Let there be no doubt,” he said looking into six television cameras, “that I will be a candidate for the Please see ADS on 3 j Nebraska V-' I f restrictions By Brian Carlson Assignment Reporter Nebraska won’t be among the 22 states bound by new restrictions on air emissions, the Environmental Protection Agency announced ~X recently. The restrictions would have forced the state to reduce emissions of nitrogen oxides, which contribute to air pollution such as smog. But the EPA ruled Nebraska did not contribute sig nificantly to air pollution in the eastern half of the United States. Gov. Ben Nelson lauded the decision Monday, saying he was pleased that the state would not face additional federal regulations. t The ruling will help keep energy costs low in Nebraska, he said. “But even more important than that is what t this means to our citizens,” he said. “It con firms once again that the air they breathe is * safe and of high quality.” The EPA’s announcement followed a two year study of ozone transport in the 37 eastern most states. Several eastern states had com plained that polluted air from other states was blowing into their skies, making it difficult for them to control air pollution. Randy Wood, director of the Nebraska Department of Environmental Control, said the study not only showed Nebraska was not responsible for pollution problems on the east ern seaboard, but also that it has not con tributed significantly to pollution problems in cities such as Chicago, St. Louis and Kansas City, Mo. “It’s been a long, hard-fought battle,” Wood said. “It was like pulling teeth to get some of these other states to agree with us.” The EPA project used a complex modeling system to study the sources and destinations of air pollution. The air pollution that was studied stemmed mostly from coal- and gas-powered plants, but the project also measured emissions Please see ET ZHHONS on 6 Photo Illustration by Ryan Soderlin/DN Informed consumers can avoid leaving used lot with a lemon By Brice Sullivan Staff Reporter Craig Patak was eager to buy a new used car. When he found a 1992 Pontiac Lemans, he thought he had found a quality automo bile. Patak, a senior broadcasting major, took the car for a test drive and purchased it the same day. The car did not include a warranty. Within a month, he discovered some mechanical problems. First, the seat belts did not work properly. Then the starter broke. “I don’t know if I’d call it a lemon,” Patak said, “but there were Please see USED CARS on 6 Read the Daily Nebraskan on the World Wide Web at http:/ lwww.unl.edu/DailyNeb