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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 6, 1999)
VOL. 99 COVERING THE UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA-LINCOLN SINCE 1901 NO. 33 SUITS Secondary First As a senior, he’s getting thrown at less, but NU coraerback Ralph Brown knows he can’t let his guard down - or he’ll get beat. PAGE 11 A&E Nebraska, Plain and Full In his book “Plainsong,” Kent Haruf explores the stories of northeastern Coloradoans and the beauty of the Midwest. PAGE 13 WEDNESDAY October 6, 1999 y Run Days are Chance of showers, high 77. tonight, low 55. f NateWagner/DN MARIE BOUGGER READS AND REFLECTS on the inscription written about her grand daughter Laura Cockson at Cockson's memorial dedication at Campus Rec on Tuesday. Laura Cockson was killed by a drunken driver March 4,1998. Campus Rec memorial dedicated to Cockson By Kelli Lacey Staff writer The lavender ribbons worn in honor of the late University of Nebraska Lincoln student Laura Cockson by stu dents, faculty and staff over the past 18 months have served as a symbol of remembrance for her life. That symbol turned into one of hope on Tuesday at the Laura Cockson Memorial Dedication Ceremony, which was held in the Campus Recreation Center atrium, where the memorial was installed. The memorial consists of a plaque, including a picture of Laura along with her name and an inscription dedicated to the facility by employees of Campus rec, where Laura used to work. The inscription written on the plaque now hanging in the atrium is hardly long enough to fully relay the message it intended. It states, “This plaque serves as a memorial and reminder that Laura Marie Please see COCKSON on 8 Lincoln voters say yes to new schools By JoshKnaub Staff writer Lincoln residents on Tuesday voted to raise their property taxes in order to build two new high schools. Unofficial final results Tuesday showed 52.45 percent of voters approved of the bond while 47.55 percent opposed it. The Lancaster County Election Commission reported 38,392 ballots were cast. The bond will raise taxes 8.33 cents per $100 of property value to fund construction. It will cost the owner of an $80,000 home about $67 annually. Construction on the schools, to be located at 14th Street and Pine Lake Road and 33 rd Street and Fletcher Avenue, is expected to be completed before the 2002 school year. Richard Hoppe, spokesman for Yes! On Schools, a pro-bond group, said he had anticipated the elec tion to be close. “(The final vote) was about what we expected it to be,” he said. Hoppe said Yes! On Schools had worked with Hudson Bay and Foot in the Door, two telemarketing services, to make 40,000 phone calls in the last six days urging residents to vote for the bond. “(The calls) are what swung this,” Hoppe said. “They carried the day for us.” Hoppe said early results showed a much closer margin for the bond than the final count. Early counts showed a less than 1 percent margin. He said the reason for the tighter margin was that elderly voters, traditionally more affected by proper ty taxes and less in favor of school bonds, had voted early in the day. “By the afternoon, teachers, parents and those closer to school issues had made their voices heard,” Hoppe said. Mayor Don Wesely said Tuesday night that the vote turned out the way he had expected it to. “I had high hopes it would pass, and it did,” Wesely said. “I thought it might be close, and it was.” i Wesely said passage of the bond was a key ingre dient in maintaining Lincoln’s quality of life. “We have a very high quality of life here, and part of the reason for that is the very high quality of schools,” Wesely said. He said the new schools would relieve the pre sent overcrowding in Lincoln schools. Wesely said the school board will now work out the final designs for the new buildings. “The details are in the hands of the school board,” Wesely said. The school board must pick floor plans for the ' new schools and obtain final cost estimates from^ contractors before construction can begin. Hoppe said even those who had opposed the bond would have input during the planning stages. He said the design stage, which will last one to two years, would be a time for the community to mold the new schools. “We now move to a public process to determine the final design of the schools,” Hoppe said. Wesely said the city would work with the school board on issues relating to roads and other infra structure for the schools but that the majority of the planning would be done by the school board. He said the school board and the community still had quite a bit of work to do before the schools were complete. “All of the detail work must get done now,” Wesely said. “But this first step is huge.” Lincoln area to get new look By Jamie Suhr Staff writer For the next 15 years, the North 27th Street area will be undergoing a major, much-needed facelift. The Lincoln Urban Development Department is working with the city and community members to revi talize and redevelop the North 27th Street Corridor. The area located between O Street and Comhusker Highway is targeted for improvements to enhance its appearance. The Nebraska Department of Economic Development is providing some funding for the pro ject. The city council approved the North 27th Street Redevelopment Plan in March of 1998. Wynn Hjermstad, community development pro gram specialist, said many businesses in die corridor approached the city and voiced their concerns. “The North 27th Street Business Association said, ‘We don’t like what we see,”’ Hjermstad said. “The perception of the neighborhood is that it’s not friendly and that it’s not a safe place. It kind of snowballed, and people moved away.” The project plans include a new, extended MoPac Trail, street signs designating the area, renovated build fcfc There s a good feeling about the neighborhood. People are proud of where they live.” Delores Lintel Clinton Organization Board member ings and a new police center. The plan will be funded by property taxes generat ed from the area - so far, $5 million has been funded this year. Other funding sources include fund raising efforts coordinated by the development department. A new police team station should be finished by March next year at 27th and Holdrege streets. The team station will be full service, but without a holding cell. A community center is also to be built just north of the team station. Hjermstad said it is important to get rid of the per ception of the area not being safe. Please see DEVELOPMENT on 8 Read the Daily Nebraskan on the World Wide Web at dailyneb.com