Company says weather
conditions spurred blaze
■ Misjudgment of the
wind-may have contributed
to fire at Embassy Suites.
By Jake Bleed
Senior staff writer
Workers on the roof of the
Embassy Suites Hotel may have mis
judged how powerful winds would
affect a heated asphalt kettle, causing
Thursday’s fire, Boone Brother’s
Roofing President Allan Boone said
Tuesday.
“We probably misjudged the wind
a little bit,” Boone said.
The Omaha-based roofing com
pany was contracted to work on the
roof of the hotel, 10th and P streets, by
Killian Construction, a company in
charge of building the hotel.
Ron Barrett, construction manag
er for Killian Construction, refused to
comment on any aspect of the fire.
Boone said the asphalt in the ket
tle became starved for oxygen while
melting in the heated steel container.
Workers then poured the melted
asphalt into buckets from the kettle to
spread across the building’s roof but,
Boone said, when one bucket was
being filled, oxygen-rich wind blow
ing across the roof caused the asphalt
to ignite.
Boone said the asphalt “flashed”
when struck by the wind and that
such an effect was a regular hazard.
“It’s not uncommon,” Boone said.
“It’s just this time it got away from
us.”
Boone said workers were unable
to cover the burning bucket and extin
guish the fire before it spread to the
still-hot asphalt covering the hotel’s
roof.
Winds then pushed the flames
across much of the roof, Lincoln Fire
Inspector Bill Moody said.
Monitoring the asphalt’s tempera
ture to avoid flashes was difficult
because flash points varied in differ
ent conditions, Boone said.
“The circumstances were too
many things happening at once,”
Boone said.
The Boone Brothers will continue
to work on the construction of the
hotel and did not fire any employee as
a result of the fire, Boone said.
The Lincoln Fire Department was
able to extinguish the fire before it
caused extensive structural damage
to the hotel, Moody said.
“There basically was nothing
combustible underneath,” Moody
said, adding that some water damage
has been found in the hotel’s lower
levels.
The Embassy Suites is owned by
John Q. Hammons, of Springfield,
Mo. Representatives from the com
pany could not be reached for com
ment Tuesday.
Neither Moody nor Boone could
estimate the damage caused by the
fire.
Joint effort brought Green
GREEN from page 1
“Personally I’ve watched his show
a couple times,” Linder said. “In no way
did I think he would sexually harass
anyone.”
But Adam Vehe, a UNL sopho
more, disagreed.
“I think it was made pretty clear it
was made for mature audiences,” Vehe
said. “Based on his TV show, you knew
what to expect.”
During the performance, Green
looked like he was touching the Scarlet
dancers’ butts and coerced Rick
Schwieger, HuskerVision production
specialist, to lay down while Green -
inside the Lil’ Red suit - laid on top of
him and made sexual noises and
motions. Green also led the crowd in
chanting, “Rick’s an ass.”
“I didn’t think for college students it
was inappropriate,” said Alissa Axford,
a UNL freshman. “But for the younger"
kids and older adults - they wouldn’t
understand the humor of it.”
David Woll, vice president of sales
and marketing for Pepsi bottling com
pany of Lincoln, said Pepsi was con
tacted by the Athletic Department con
cerning Green’s appearance at the pep
rally.
“We made a contact on the Athletic
Department’s behalf to see if Green
makes appearances,” Woll said. “It
wasn’t our decision or our advice to
have Tom Green appear.”
No one contacted could comment
as to where the money came from to
pay for Green’s appearance or if a con
tract was involved in die event.
66
Nothing under our contract with the
university was involved in his performance!’
Steve Ford
general manager of Pepsi bottling company of Lincoln
Swanson said the Athletic
Department didn’t pay for Green and
said he was not at liberty to discuss a
contract.
Woll said Green was not paid by
Pepsi and added that Green does not
represent the company.
“Nothing under our contract with
the university was involved in his per
formance,” said Steve Ford, general
manager of Pepsi bottling company of
Lincoln.
Woll did recognize the Athletic
Department’s efforts.
“I think that the Athletic
Department was trying to do some
thing nice for the student body. It’s
unfortunate that Tom went the direction
he did,” Woll said.
Both ASUN and the Athletic
Department have responded to com
plaints made by faculty, staff and stu
dents.
NU Athletic Director Bill Byrne
and Linder sent a campuswide e-mail
Friday concerning Thursday’s events.
Tlie e-mail said the planners of the
event advertised it as a show directed
toward a mature collegiate audience,
“We did not anticipate a performance
of this nature.”
Academic Senate President Gail
Latta sent out a second campuswide e
mail regarding Green’s appearance
Tuesday morning.
; Latta said she was offended by
Green’s antics concerning the Scarlet
dancers and said he violated the univer
sity policy on sexual harassment.
“In the interest of restoring the dig
nity, equality and respect of those
exploited by this event, I encourage
others to work with me to provide
appropriate follow-up, consultation
and education,” Latta said in the e-mail.
An edited version of Latta’s state
ments appeared in the Daily Nebraskan
Letters on Monday. The full text of the
message also appeared Monday on the
Daily Nebraskan Web site at www.
dailyneb.com.
Byrne and Athletic Marketing
Director Heidi Cuca were unavailable
for comment Tuesday. Green’s press
secretary was also unavailable for com
ment.
Linder said although the show
offended some, it didn’t offend all.
“If there are some students that
don’t think (the show was) a problem,
then great,” Linder said. “(But) an apol
ogy doesn’t hurt anyone.”
Event examines population concerns
POPULATION from page 1
Aryls Reitan, the founder of the.
Wachiska Audubon Society, each
human’s actions affect everyone.
“No matter where one lives, the
activities of all humans will ultimate
ly determine the well being of every
one, each of us, as well as all other
living things,” said Reitan.
Every 20 minutes the world adds
another 3,500 humans but loses one
or more entire species of animal or
plant life, Reitlan said.
Reitlan is concerned that even
though Nebraska’s growth rate is less
than 1 percent a year, there are still
issues to solve.
An example she used was that
unplanned growth in Lincoln and
Omaha is causing the degradation of
parks, wetlands and wooded areas.
Reitlan suggested that the United
States find a way to balance the
needs of its growing population with
the necessity of conserving the
Earth’s resources.
www.dailyneb.com
The Real X-Files!
^Come see and hear of the
Real X-Files as Robert Hastings
reveals once classified
government information.
jts Ms
I ms presentation, wmcn includes actual
photos, will disclose information once
hidden in the secret files of the CIA, the
Defense Intelligence Agency, the FBI and
the U.S. Air Force.
October 13th
: Nebraska Union Auditorium
: 7:30 p.m.
For more information contact
.. the University Program Council at 472-8146.
Faculty, Staff and Students am arrested for mock DWIs...
and bailed out by youl
6 the University Health Center, Project
7 CARE, Party Smart and these community
businesses:
->niT^ 0 w|mP«^9m|S|S9h2
Bruegger's
Cal 472-7440 far more information.
BAIL CUT THESE CAMEL* NOTABLES*:
10:10 Janet Crawford 1125 Eddie Brown"" 12:30 Kristy Jacobberger
Barb Wright-Chollet Andy Schuerman Judy O’Brien
Andy Long TonyArit 1:00 Rachette Winkle
Brad Reynolds 11:40 StephShatta Vernon Mitter
Rosemary Blum Nathan Fuerst 125 Summer Spivey
1025 Patti Lacquement Dana Novak
Brian Franz 1220 AnryHonum ‘These idoas” will not be released
Josh Hingst 1225 Natalie Hoover i mtil a ha< twp m
Kristina Nevius Shefoy Pridie their none to bail ten out
11:10 Stacey Duncan 1225 PatMcinteer Money may *o be donated to teep
Meissa AHmand Ryan Stowe them in tail!
Julie Rezac Jennifer Wagner
Shelly Stall Dr. William Glider_ -
Discover Oxford University - Earn 6 Credit Hours
ALL MAJORS WELCOME!!!
Attend an information session:
Mon. Oct. 11
Tues. Oct. 12
Wed. Oct. 13
Thurs. Oct. 14
Fri
3-4pm CBA 222
11 am-12pm CBA 125
2-3pm CBA 138
11 am-12pm CBA 125
2- 3pm CBA 138
3- 4pm NE Union
Contact CBA 138, contact Mindy Nowa^47^^M0 tf you have
questions.
I
Pulliam Journalism Fellowships
Graduating college seniors are invited to apply for the 27th
annual Pulliam Journalism Fellowships. We will grant 10-week
summer internships to 20 journalism or liberal arts majors in the
August 1999-June 2000 graduating classes.
Previous internship or part-time experience at a newspaper is
desired. Winners will receive a $5,500 stipend and will work at
either The Indianapolis Star or The Arizona Republic.
Early-admissions application postmark deadline is Nov. 15, 1999.
By Dec. 15,1999, up to five early-admissions winners will be
notified. All other entries must be postmarked by March 1, 2000.
To request an application packet, visit our Web site, e-mail us or
write: Russell B. Pulliam
Fellowships Director
Indianapolis Newspapers
P.0. Box 145
Indianapolis, IN 46206
Data ports are now available in the City Union for your laptop connection.
Conveniently located near the Computer Lab, you will find detailed instructions on how to successfully make your connection.
"I 11* ■
