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
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