The Salina Journal from Salina, Kansas • Page 3

The Salina Journal Tuesday, August 29,1995 A3 BRIEFLY Hospital library offers cancer information A new library at St. Mary Hospital is providing information about cancer to patients and their families. "The Molly Rickel Cancer Re- sjftrch Library was named after a Manhattan woman who died year of pancreatic cancer, family helped raise about $40,000 from memorials and donations to build the library, family member Mark iWtcMillin said. library, which opened last tyeek, offers informational videos, Internet access and more tfian 100 pamphlets and books. Tijuch of the information answers common questions about chemotherapy, radiation, drugs and surgical processes.

our mom was diag- nojsed, we weren't getting many ajffewers," said Teresa Rickel- IVjjeMillin, "The answers we were getting we weren't feeling comfortable with." 82 percent of kids nave been immunized 4TOPEKA Kansas has an estimated 82 percent of its children between 19 and 35 months of age immunized for childhood diseases, the Department of Health and En-" yfronment reported Monday. IThe agency said results of a sijrvey by the U.S. Centers of Disease Control and Prevention WAS made public in a weeky report on morbidity and mortality rates. The national immunization is 90 percent. fit is the first survey since the state began its highly-publicized Operation Immunize campaign in 1992.

A Health and Environment study completed earlier this year placed the percentage of Kansas children 24 months old who had been immunized before the campaign at 57 percent. Motorists reminded of fine for passing buses TOPEKA Highway Patrol Superintendent Lonnie McCollum has reminded state motorists that a new law doubles the fine for passing a stopped school bus that is loading or unloading students, from $30 to $60. The 1995 Legislature passed a bill doubling the fine. McCollum said state law requires drivers meeting or overtaking a stopped school bus with lights flashing and a stop signal arm in position to come to a complete stop and not pass the bus until it removes the signals. The stop requirement does not apply when the bus is on a side road and the approaching vehicle is on a controlled access highway such as an interstate.

K-State student dies of heart ailment MANHATTAN A Kansas State University student has died of a heart ailment. Nicholas Goedeker, 19, St. Lotus, collapsed early Sunday in his dormitory room. He was taken to a hospital where he died that afternoon. Goedeker was a 1994 graduate of pishop Dubourg High School in Louis, and transferred to Kansas State from St.

Louis Community College at Meramec. He was a freshman majoring in architecture, the university said. Funeral arrangements were pending. Phelps to picket Dole at Iowa Statehouse TOPEKA Topeka anti-homosexual minister Fred W. Phelps says he and members of his Westboro Baptist Church will go to Des Moines on Saturday to picket at the Iowa Statehouse.

The target will be Kansas Sen. Bob Dole, a Republican presidential candidate, Phelps said in a fax distributed Monday to Topeka hews media. Phelps is a former attorney whp was disbarred by the Kansas Supreme Court. that defeat, he began picketing churches, businesses and government buildings in Topeka, attacking what he called a sympathetic attitude toward homosexuals. Phelps criticized Dole for not intervening last week to help Phelps get a federal investigation into a small explosion at his family's residential complex in west- central Topeka.

The explosion caused no injuries and only minor damage. From Wire Reports TOMORROW'S HEADLINES Sparks fly over rooming house appeal City denies Pricks' appeal for permit for Flamingo By DAN ENGLAND The Salina Journal In a room thick with tension and anger, the Salina City Commission rejected an appeal to use the former Flamingo Motel as apartments and a rooming house. The rejection came after almost an hour of debate about the nature of the application, filed by Ben and LaVelle Frick, 120 Overhill. It was unclear if the application was for 33 commercial motel rooms and 10 apartments, or for 33 rooming house units and 10 apartments. The Salina Planning Commission previously denied the Fricks' application for a conditional use permit for the Flamingo.

The Fricks Monday appealed to the city commission. Roy Dudark, director of planning and development, spoke about the application for the rooming house and apartments because that's what went before the planning commission. He said the idea of a rooming house bothered him and that the planning commission rejected the application based on the idea of rooming house. "There is no kitchen, so you don't have a place to prepare food, and that creates a fire hazard and unsanitary conditions," Dudark said. That's in contrast to a nonprofit rehabilitation center, which has a central kitchen, rules, supervision and a manager.

The Flamingo wouldn't have that, Dudark said. But LaVelle Frick said the application for a rooming house or for motel rooms is the same under state law. "We were not aware that the city took it in its own hands to change a state law," Frick said. The Fricks' attorney, Dick Blackwell, also pressed that point, saying there is no definition stating the difference between motel rooms and a rooming house. "No, you're wrong," Dudark said.

"It's in the statute. Read the statute." "I have read it," Blackwell said. "And the only apartments used in this place is Section 8 housing set up by the Salina Housing Authority and used by their daughter, who is handicapped." Under Section 8, tenants receive vouchers to pay rent to private landlords. The landlords turn the vouchers into the government to receive payment. Housing used in the program must meet quality standards.

Commissioner Abner Perney, former director of the authority, took exception to Blackwell's statement. "The authority didn't set it up," Perney said. "I was forced to approve it by HUD (the Department of Housing and Urban Development) because of a discrimination complaint filed by the Fricks. "One of the reasons I'm no longer with the authority is because of the fact that HUD didn't follow its own rules, and I was disgusted with the whole thing. It doesn't meet Section 8 standards, and I didn't approve it as Section 8." City Attorney Greg Bengtson then spoke: "I dare say that Dudark's action in this matter would have been much different had this application been for 33 motel rooms." After the commission rejected their appeal, the Fricks said they may apply to the state for a motel license.

825-6OOO Category 6006 Better letter Tom Journal Dan McMillan, an employee of Hedges Neon Sales in Salina, replaces a letter on the Big Lots store sign at the corner of Ninth and Cloud Monday morning after installing a new transformer. Bids on juvenile center over budget County may use contingency funds By SHARON MONTAGUE Salina Journal The apparent low bid for remodeling and expansion of the Saline County Juvenile Detention Center is $55,000 higher than budgeted. But that's not surprising, officials said, because it's been more than two years since officials began planning the project and allocated the money. Saline County commissioners will consider awarding a bid next week. The apparent low bidder was Harbin Construction of Salina at $341,400.

Commissioners agreed two years ago to commit $120,000 to the project and had requested a state grant for $166,000, for a total budget of $286,000. Getting the money from the state took time and caused headaches, Undersheriff Cal John- son said. Several times county officials were told the money would be coming, but the check didn't arrive until several months ago. Commissioner Gary Hindman said if the state grant had been awarded when it was requested, the project probably could have been completed within budget. But because construction costs have increased, the county will have to find more money.

County Administrator David Criswell said the money could be taken from the commission's contingency fund, which held $69,000 July 31. Jeff Gillam of Jones-Gillam Architects and Engineers, 730 N. Ninth, said Harbin Construction estimated it could complete the project in 150 days. Officials don't know where they'll house juvenile offenders while the building is being remodeled. Johnson said federal statutes forbid housing juvenile offenders in adult jails.

Workers are remodeling the former Saline County Jail, which is adjacent to the new jail addition. The old jail ultimately will house inmates who are on a work release program. Johnson said he would check with federal authorities to see if juveniles could be housed in the old part of the jail while the juvenile center is being remodeled. If that doesn't work, Johnson said the county might be able to lease a portion of the former Tradewinds Motel at Interstate 70 and North Ninth Street. While the jail addition was being constructed, some adult inmates were held in a secure portion of the former motel.

The county rented the space for about $4,500 a month and performed yard work. The motel has since been sold to the Church of Christ. Johnson said he's working with church officials to see if it would be possible to rent a few rooms for juveniles. The juvenile detention center is housed in a former gasoline service station. It is licensed to hold five people at a time, but the county has special permission to house up to seven for short periods.

Johnson said it has housed as many as 10 juveniles. The facility will be expanded to 10 beds. Johnson said three rooms will house two people each, and the other four rooms will be individual. Each room will have a bathroom, so juveniles don't have to be let out of their rooms at night. Others who bid on the juvenile detention center remodeling were: Busboom Rauh Construction, 145 S.

Santa Fe, $358,700. Lancaster Construction, 1934 Ruskin Road, $400,686. Porter Construction, 736 N. Eighth, $350,190. Rapp Construction, P.O.

Box 885, $363,644. New program to screen juvenile offenders By SHARON MONTAGUE The Salina Journal Officials hope they can better place juvenile offenders and reduce the population of the Saline County Juvenile Detention Center with an intake screening program set to begin Friday. Undersheriff Cal Johnson said the intake program is state-ordered and state-funded. St. Francis Academy will provide the intake service through contracts with the 28th Judicial District, which includes Salina and Ottawa counties, and the 12th Judicial District, which includes Cloud, Jewell, Lincoln, Mitchell, Republic and Washington counties.

It's funded through two six- month state grants that total $62,081. Johnson and Cory Rathbun, op- erations manager for St. Francis of Salina, said the intake program will work this way: When a law enforcement officer takes a juvenile offender into custody, an intake worker will be called. The law enforcement officer and the intake worker will discuss the juvenile and decide whether the juvenile should be incarcerated, sent home with parents or a relative or placed in foster care. The law enforcement officer will have the final say.

After a decision is made, the intake worker will make the necessary arrangements for placement. An intake worker will be on call 24 hours, seven days a week. Previously, it was the responsibility of the law enforcement officer to decide on the placement of a juvenile. If the officer decided foster care would be the best option, the officer worked with the Kansas Department of Social and Rehabilitation Services to find a foster home. That sometimes meant spending hours in the office trying to find a foster home, or trying to reach a relative.

"This will free the officers up much more quickly," Johnson said. Johnson said any juvenile who is a danger to society still will be placed in custody. But by exploring the option of foster care or a return home with parents, the intake officer can find the best placement for every juvenile. "We want to do what's best for the youth, but protect society at the same time," Johnson said. Rathbun said the intake officers also will be trained in mediation.

If a child is not getting along with his or her parents, the intake officer will get the family together to try to resolve the dispute. Rathbun said it was natural for St. Francis to become involved with the intake program because keeping children out of jail has been the organization's mission since it was founded 50 years ago. Johnson said the Juvenile Detention Advisory Board has looked at initiating an intake program for juveniles for some time, but funding was never available. The Kansas Supreme Court ordered intake programs for all juvenile detention centers, and the Kansas Legislature allocated money for the programs, Johnson said.

Pollution tests to be required Groundwater tests approved by city By DAN ENGLAND The Salina Journal A proposal requiring that certain property owners test their land for groundwater contamination to be released from liability was passed Monday by the Salina City Commission. The requirement is in response to the few property owners in a contaminated area who have refused to have their property tested before they sell. It modifies the city's current groundwater policy, which gave a release to the innocent buyer when the sale was completed, regardless of whether the property was tested for contamination. The city was concerned about testing the property itself, finding out it was contaminated and then having to track down the property owner for compensation. This policy shouldn't prevent innocent buyers from obtaining releases as long as the property owners get their land tested.

The buyer still is eligible for a release after the property has been tested. The commission Feb. 14 approved the policy for release, which requires that property owners in a defined area fill out a property history form. The contamination area affects about 825 residents and 92 commercial properties. It runs from Walnut and Seventh, down Santa Fe to Claflin Street.

Dry cleaners, auto shops and printing services are among those most likely to be partly responsible for the contamination. The materials used in their businesses, such as solvent, can stay in soil for years and contaminate groundwater that runs through it. Most of the residents will be released as a group in a couple of months, except for the 12 or so homes that may have had businesses on the land before a home was built there. Other business Also Monday, the commission: Passed an amendment that allows businesses in a commercial zoning district to have off- street parking and loading areas that cover 50 percent of the front yard. Authorized the city to condemn properties in the path of the planned interchange at Interstate 135 and Magnolia Road.

Authorized the purchase of 4.095 acres of property in the path of the interchange for almost $194,000. The owner of the land was Ken Nordboe, who is the landlord of the mobile home park that 22 residents are being moved from. Awarded a $9,988 contract for the Smoky Hill Museum ulterior wall remodeling project to Bill Medina Construction. Directed staff to attempt to change the public hearing date for dangerous structures from Sept. 18 to Sept.

25. United Way to kick off $977,000 fund drive with luncheon Call after 7:30 p.m. Organization sets its sights high, director says By DAN ENGLAND Salina Journal To get to her office these days, Ruth Ascher must walk around paper bags, dodge a presentation notepad the size of a Yugo and wade through posters, pink labels and flyers. It's days before the start of this year's campaign drive at the Salina Area United Way, and Ascher, the executive director, feels the crunch. "Everything is such a mess over here," she said.

The kickoff will begin with a luncheon at 11:45 a.m. Thursday at the Salina Bicentennial Center. Capt. Carol Lemirand of the Salvation Army will speak and Mayor John Divine will officially start the campaign. This year's goal is $977,000, less than last year's goal of $1 million.

Even so, it represents a $20,000 increase from the $957,000 the United Way raised last year. "We're still setting our sights high. Last year was the most money we've raised anywhere. Hopefully, it's attainable," said Ast cher while knocking on a wooden table. The United Way wants to raise $21,302 as a part of its goal for a new Community Impact Fund.

The organization is in the middle of a community assessment that it should finish by this fall. The extra money will be distributed based on what the assessment tells them. "We want to make allocations based on the freshest information possible," Ascher said. The United Way divides the money raised into 18 human service categories, such as youth development, which has a goal of $147,711 this year. It then gives out money to different programs that fall under the hu- man service agencies division.

So Big Brothers-Big Sisters of Salina would receive money under the youth development category. The United Way hopes to educate businesses better than ever by bringing company representatives together for training sessions. This along with stuffing paper bags with campaign flyers and sheets to go to different companies has Ascher's hopes raised that the organization will reach its goal. "We just want to get the message out that you're pretty rare if you don't know someone who hasn't been helped by the organizations we serve," Ascher said..