The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current, December 07, 1999, Page 2, Image 2
City Council to vote on bar permits By Sarah Fox Staffwriter Lincoln residents may be able to appreciate the year 2000 - but not only because it’s a new century. They may be able to dance at bars and dance chibs for two extra hours into Jan. 1,2000. The City Council held a public hearing Monday about giving dance permits that would last until 3 a.m. on Jan.l. The council will vote next Monday on the ordinance. Demetrios and Kimbe Meares, owners ofYiayia’s Pizza Beer & Wine, 1423 O St., said they were planning a party with $80 tickets on New Year’s Eve. They said the extended dance per mit would let their customers eat a spe cial meal before they left Yiayia’s. “That will give our customers two hours to relax and dance before they go out on the streets,” the Meareses said. “We’re not going to let anyone in after 1 a.m.” Richard Hoppe, a friend of the Meareses, told die council thatYiayia’s was a responsible restaurant. For exam ple, he said he and his wife had come to eat pizza at Yiayia’s, but his wife had forgotten her ID. They wouldn’t serve her alcohol, he said. Hoppe also said the permits could only be given to applicants who already had regular dance permits, and the applicants could not have any liquor violations during 1998 and 1999. Applicants would also have to pay $100 for die permit Council chairwoman Coleen Seng asked John Becket, assistant chief of police for the Lincoln Police Department, how extended dance per mits would affect die number of police officers on duty on New Year’s Eve. Becket said he didn’t think the extended dance hours would affect the police much; the police department had been planning to triple the officers on duty compared to last year’s New Year’s Eve. “We’re preparing for just about any thing,” Becket said. “The last New Year’s Eve, we were still taking wild party calls at 6 ajn.” Becket said about 100 police offi cers will be working on NewYear’s Eve. The police department plans to hold its second shift later, bring in its third shift early and keep its first shift on standby. In other business, the council also voted 7-0 to approve a conservation area near S.W. 40th and West Van Dorn streets. Die 82.5-acre conservation area would be near a 50-home site built by Long View Estates Inc. Lynn Darling said the area would preserve farmland and that building conservation areas near homes is becoming more common. Darling is the president of the Audobon Society in southeast Nebraska. “It’s easier to do business as usual - level (the land) and put up Lego hous es,” she said. “I strongly advise you to take this as the venture that is being done all over the country. We’re just a little slow.” Darling said many developers plant a few trees to replace the land they’ve used for houses. “A tree - a bird doesn’t say, ‘Oh, wow, guys, there’s a tree. Let’s go build a nest.’ Birds need dead trees, high trees, low trees,” she said. The conservation area would include space for woodlands, prairie, open space and wetlands, said Nicole'* Fleck-Tooze, a Lincoln-Lancaster County planner. However, other neighbors were worried about sewage drainage from the wetland. Irma Sarata lives north of the pro posed development. She said she thought the wetland would drain onto her property because she already receives a 3- to 4-inch runoff during heavy rains. Sarata was also worried that the new houses’ wells would strain the area’s aquifer. System to inform victims of releases VINE from page 1 track an inmate’s whereabouts with out VINE. For example, state employees contact victims when cer tain inmates are released. But others, like police officers, judges, neighbors and the media, find it difficult to obtain information about prisoners. — _ — .... . The VINE system will ensure any person can have accurate infor mation about the location of state prisoners. “This is an improvement over the current situation, even for victims we would normally notify,” Clarke said. “Using VINE, victims are notified when an inmate is moved within the prison system. Otherwise, they would not be notified until an inmate’s release.” Clarke said people using the sys tem could remain anonymous. Victims do not even need to provide their names, only a phone number where they can be reached. The VINE call center will call victims every time an inmate is moved. Staff at the call center, in Louisville, Ky., will call every half hour until the victim answers and provides an identification number. The system cost $500,000 to implement, Clarke said. Money to maintain the service will come from state funds. ’ But, Clarke said, the system will free state corrections officers from the time-consuming task of record ing who to notify when an inmate is released. Allen Curtis, director of the Nebraska Crime Commission, said VINE was an essential tool in pro tecting victims. “Having this type of information readily available and accessible, day or night, is critical not only for the victim’s peace of mind, but also per sonal safety,” he said. “(VINE) allows for necessary precautions to be taken by law enforcement and the victim.” - --^ Special Holiday Discount i : % i with faculty or student ID I David’s Nail Care for ladies and gentlemen. Manicures, Pedicures, acrylic/silk wraps and more. | 31st &“0” 475.5454 J n. n •' Questions? Comments? Editor: Josh Funk Ask for the appropriate section editor at Managing Editor: Sarah Baker (402)472-2588 Associate News Editor: Lindsay Young or e^nail dn@unl.edu. Associate News Editor: Jessica Fargen Opinion Editor: MarkBaldridge General Manager- Daniel Shattil Sports Editor: Sam McKewon Publications Board Jessica Hofmann, A&E Editor: Liza Holtmeier Chairwoman: (402) 477-0527 Copy Desk Chief: Diane Broderick Professional Adviser: Don Walton, Photo Chief: Lane HickenboOom (402) 473-7248 Design Chief: Melanie Falk Advertising Manager: Nick Partsch, Art Director: Matt Haney (402) 472-2589 Web Editor: Gregg Steams Asst Ad Manager: Jamie Yeager Asst Web Editor: Jennifer Walker ClassifleJd Ad Manager: Mary Johnson Fax number (402) 472-1761 World Wide Web: www.daUyneb.oom The Daily Nebraskan (USPS144-080) is published by the UNL Publications Board, Nebraska Union 20,1400 RSt, Lincoln, NE 68588-0448, Monday through Friday during the academic year; weekly during the summer sessions.The public has access to the Publications Board. Readers are encouraged to submit story ideas and comments to fte Daily Nebraskan by calling (402) 472-2588. Subscriptions are $60 for one year. Postmaster: Send address changes to the Daily Nebraskan, Nebraska Union 20,1400 R St., Lincoln NE 68588-0448. Periodical postage paid at Lincoln, NE. ALL MATERIAL COPYRtGHT1999 THE DAILY NEBRASKAN Not all bar owners sure about year-end permits BARS from page 1 pop and water from 1 a.m. to 3 a.m. “The older people will be tired by 1, and if they can’t consume alcohol, they’ll leave,” she said. “Young people will continue to party until 3, (but) I’ll lose a big part of my crowd.” » Vanek also said people might leave the downtown bars when they stop serving alcohol at 1 a.m. She said they Could come to her sports bar if it were still open until 3 a.m. Then she would have intoxicated people in her bar. Lincoln Police Chief Tom Casady said he didn’t think many dance clubs and bars would apply for the special permits because not many would want to pay $ 100. And most have had at least one liquor violation in the past two years. “If it passes the way it’s written, it will have little or no impact on us,” Casady said. Casady said the police department would be affected if the council ever allowed a dance club that served alco hol to be open after the bars closed. He said these clubs would be used by peo I-1 Better Ingredients. * Better Pizza. !!!Need Cash!!! Delivery Drivers Earn $8.00 to $12.00 Per Hour Take Home Cash Every Night Flexible Hours Vacation Insurance Available Apply in Person At Any Papa John’s Pizza Or Call 476-6262 « Young people will continue to party until 3, (but) I'll lose a big part of my crowd.” Sherry Vanek • Sherry’s Dining Dancing & Sports Bar owner pie who were irresponsible. “When you get that kind of group together, it’s going to have a higher per centage of people who are ill-behaved, with too much alcohol, too much testosterone and too much bad judg ment,” Casady said. Shaun Williams, a University of Nebraska-Lincoln sophomore finance major, said he thought the special dance permits could decrease drunken driving. Williams is the vice president of Party Smart “It you stop drinking at 1 and stay up until 3, it gives you a little more time to sober up,” Williams said. Joyce Durand, owner of The Sidetrack, 935 O St., said she wasn’t sure if she’d apply for the permit if she couldn’t serve alcohol during that extra time. But she might use the extra time for her employees, Durand said. She said some of her employees were grumbling because they didn’t want to spend New Year’s Eve working. “Maybe I should keep it open so they can dance afterwards,” she said Dailyneb.com The real thing. police they were robbed at 5631 S. 48th St. at about 7:30 p.m. by two white men wearing black clothing and - bandannas over their faces, Ofc. Katherine Finnell said. The boys said the men showed them a knife, then took die drugs and a jack-knife. Losses totaled $25. Finnell said police are looking for the man who sold the boys die LSD. Man arrested for trying to shoplift steaks Lincoln police arrested a shoplifter Saturday evening, charging him with felony shoplifting after he tried to steal five packaged steaks, Finnell said. Police arrested Stanley Smith, 50, in the Albertson’s Supermarket, 4615 Vine St, after he was seen stuffing the steaks in his pants, Finnell said. Finnell said police arrested Smith for the felony charge because he had been convicted of similar crimes in the past and had recently finished a term in prison for shoplifting. Man arrested for burglary Lincoln police arrested a burglar early Monday morning after finding him inside Priscilla’s, an adult novelty store at 2029 O St., with a bag of pornography and sexual toys. Police arrested Mark E. Neal, 30, 2903 Randolph St., for burglary at 1:13 a.m., Finnell said. Finnell said Neal was found with a bag containing 12 magazines, 18 mis cellaneous pornographic videotapes, two inflatable sex dolls and a plastic vibrating vagina, all apparently stolen from inside the store. The goods were worth $748.80. Break-in damages were $ 150. Clerk arrested for theft, four patrons cited for theft A checker at Russ’s IGA, 66th and O streets, was arrested for theft early Monday morning after her roommate and three men tried to walk out of die supermarket with $937.40 in food they did not pay for. Finnell said Melissa Ohlman, 21, told her roommate, Ashley Hammond, 22, she could bring food items through her check-out line and not have to pay for them. Hammond and three men, Jerry Norris, 28, Jonathan Slaga, 22, and Joshua Swan, 21, brought four shop ping carts of food and other items through Ohlman’s check-out line at 2:29 a.m., Finnell said. Ohlman pre tended to scan the items, Finnell said. Hammond and the men were stopped and could not show store employees a receipt for the food. All four were cited for theft by deception. Compiled by senior staff writer Jake Bleed 3 FREE Christmas Greetings While Space Lasts....published Dec. 14, the final issue I Free Personals if you follow the ^ > rules: ^ ) 1. Personals MUST be emailed C/)r/s^e sonfe' 5*® dn«iu»l.edu only. ^4* ^ j Z. First come, Hrst served. „ ^ 3. Runs Dec. 14th Only ^ te 4* Deadline is December 3 pm, Dec. 10th j, f The Fine Print: j The Daily Nebraskan has the right to reject or edit any personal ad chosen for publication. Brought to you by your friends at the Daily Nebraskan. D _... _ A__ af'v _ ^_^ jae. jS