The Des Moines Register from Des Moines, Iowa • Page 13

Pastor Leaving For Work In El Salvador Faith values, Page 6b 1 i DM Saturday September 29, 2001 OxTheWeb Find daily obituaries from around Iowa at: DesMoinesReglster.com obituaries GAGE CHURCH, Iowa News. 515-284-8054 RANDY ESSEX, Metro News, 515-284-8461 Tl)f UrsWolnrcSrgisfrr TT METRO eJOWA Iowa News Girls' donation makes a point tote Jorgeasen, was upset by the attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon. "She followed me around the house for two hours saying, 'I want to do something," Theresa Jor-gensen said. "When I couldn't come up with a good idea of what a 10-year-old girl could do, she said she was going to call Ashley." Ashley suggested they make and sell lapel pins, and give the money to the American Red Cross. Ashley's grandmother, Wanda Hunter See PINS, Page 4B IV.

Pinned-up donation: Two man and April Jorgensen, victims of terror attacks by 71 By TOM SUK REGISTER SIAFF WHITER Carlisle, la. Two CarlLsle girls have turned a few boxes of safety pins and handfuls of tiny red, white and blue beads into $2,000 in donations for victims of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. Fifth-graders Ashley Moorman and April Jor-geasen, both 10, spent hours and suffered more than a few thumb punctures making 700 American flag lapel pins. Each creation coasists of 13 safety pins and 108 beads.

April, the daughter of Bruce and Theresa 7 Say, who was that bearded guy? A bearded nian traveling alone in his car with a cellular phone and a map of Iowa was the talk of eastern Iowa on Friday. The lone traveler was Al Gore, former vice president sans motorcade. He stopped in Davenport for lunch with Jerry Messer and other lowans who supported him during his unsuccessful campaign for president in 2000. "We had a very good visit with them. He was in real good spirits.

We had a lot of laughs," said Messer, president of the Quad Cities Federation of Labor. "We discussed the beard. I think he's keeping it." Gore is the featured speaker tonight at the Iowa Democratic Party's Jefferson-Jackson Day Dinner in Des Moines. Messer said his lunch mates encouraged Gore to run for president again. Gore told them he hadn't decided yet what he'll do.

An aide said Gore was spending the day catching up with friends that he made during the campaign. Jennifer Dukes Lee Man convicted in father's death A man is convicted in the death of his 79-year-old father. More in Dateline Iowa. Page 2B Request For Help The Des Moines Register is seeking your help in compiling a list of lowans in the military who might be involved in the U.S. fight against terrorism.

The information is not for publication, but for use in reporting future stories. If you have a relative in the military, please provide the following information to Metro Editor Randy Essex at ressexdmreg.com or (515) 284-8461: Name, rank and branch of service of person in military. The person's Iowa hometown. His or her unit, base or ship. Officials say raising money still possible By JENNIFER DUKES LEE REGISTER STAFF WRITER The lead developer of a racetrack near Newton has backed out of the project, but local officials say they can still raise money to build the mile-long speedway.

Jerry Lowrie left the Iowa Motor Speedway project to focus on development of the Yosemite Motor Speedway in California, said Luanne O'Shea, a Des Moines consultant for the Newton project. Lowrie's involvement generated controversy among Newton residents who didn't believe he had the experience or financial backing to make the project go. Fort Dodge businessman Larry Clement, a race car owner, has stepped in to lead the $52 million project. Project organizers are asking for a $20 million grant from Vision Iowa, a community attractions grant program. "We have made a Reflective States: A man springs upward in a moment of levitation as another meditation, as part of their morning activity Friday at the Maharishi University of Meditators seek to create cycle of world peace Two in L.A.

gang had roles in heists A i '-Hi DOUQ WEUSTME REGISTER Carlisle girls, Ashley Moor raised more than $2,000 for making flag lapel pins. RODNEY WHITETHE REGISTER practices transcendental Management in Fairfield. come," said Dawson, who has practiced transcendental meditation for 29 years. "There's a very strong feeling that we're creating an influence that can be felt in the world." Renie Praver, 53, of Palm Beach Gardens, is originally from Long Island, N.Y. "It not only makes me feel better, but we could See MEDITATE, Page 7B Johnston with five (including one home schooler), Hoover and Adel with three, and Urbandale and Indianola with two.

A bunch, including North and Lincoln, as well as Dowling, had one. The state leader appears to be Iowa City West with 20. The finalists, all seniors who took the test a year ago, will be named in February. JEC for AIB: Jimmy Carter has hopped aboard the preservationist bandwagon. He's with the crowd that wants to save the ATE Building.

A few weeks ago, architect Todd Hotchkiss wrote Carter a letter. The building that served as Carter's Iowa headquarters for the 1976 (and '80) presidential race, he said, was in danger. Carter wrote back: "Although I dont know enough about the AIB Building controversy to get involved personally, I hope that the City Council will Unity: More than 1,000 people have joined to meditate at Maharishi University since the Sept. 11 attacks. commitment that if Vision Iowa steps up to the plate, we will raise the money," Clement said.

Some investors are already on line. Other investors are interested but are waiting to see whether Vision Iowa gives money, Clement said. Project backers will appear before the Vision Iowa board Oct. 10, but opponents plan a presentation of their own. The opponents will try to convince the board that the speedway doesn't deserve state money.

It would be the first time any organized opposition has made its case before the Vision Iowa board. "I don't know why Vision Iowa keeps putting up with them. They don't have the money" to build the project, said opponent Marvin Woods of Newton. "It reeks of something underhanded." The speedway could eventually attract Indy-car and minor-league NASCAR events. Lowrie is the second developer to leave the project.

Cincinnati developer Jerry Carroll backed out earlier to focus on a similar development in Kentucky. Kenneth Frowner, no age available, and Booker Simmons, 34, admitted in federal court earlier this week that they were involved in robberies at US Bank in West Des Moines and Tradesmen Community Credit Union and West Bank in Des Moines within three months in 1997. No one was hurt, and each time the men got away with an undisclosed amount of cash. Simmons also pleaded guilty of robbing the Bank of America in Des Moines in August of the same year. In the three robberies that involved both men, police See BANKS, Page 5B producer of the "Morning Line" show and announcer at all-sports station KJJC after being let go a few months back.

He replaces Ric Silves-trini, who'll concentrate on his pizza business. Die Youngs, who celebrates his 60th birthday Sunday, is headed for the hospital again after falling and hurting his back. "Youngsy," as his fans call him, or the "Youngster," or you get the idea, has been playing oldies at KIOA for 35 years. Youngs has had a rough go lately. Last year, he was out nearly six months after neck surgery and a staph infection landed him on a respirator for six days.

Until he has surgery, Youngs is getting around with the help of a walker. Rock 'n' roll might be here to stay, but nobody said the same about veteran rock 'n' rollers. Columnist Marc Hansen can be reached at (515) 284-8534 or hansenmnewt.dnireg.com By KATE K0MPAS REGISTER STAFF WRITER Donations are wonderful, but the solution to the world's pain and problems after terrorist attacks is intense meditation, officials at the Maharishi University of Management say. More than 1,000 people from across the country have converged on the Fairfield campus to practice transcendental meditation and what they call yogic flying, or levitation. "Only peace can generate peace," school spokesman John Revolinski said.

He said school officials want to around the world will feel it, he said. "It's a very, very effective technique to create peace within one's self," Revolinski said. "With that unified field, if everyone was stirring that feeling, it would be a tremendous change." Steve Dawson, 53, of Littleton, cleared his schedule for a week to come to Fairfield. "It seemed almost to be an obligation on my part to fV w-w attract as many followers of transcendental meditation as possible to create a peaceful feeling around the world. They sent e-mails to like-minded groups and communities across the nation and in Canada, asking them to come to Fairfield.

"The idea is that there's a shared level of awareness, and when you have that many people, it creates a stir, and then peace and harmony that will get woken up everywhere," Revolinski said. The more people gather to meditate, the more people Marc Hansen scapegoat for the millions of dollars in overruns caused by the litigation delay, that's fine with us." Bowers wins this one. He comes across as a reasonable fellow willing to compromise rather than an anti-arena spoilsport who wants only what's best for the community. In comparison, the supervisors seem unyielding and undemocratic. "I think they know they'd lose," Bowers says.

I get the feeling most people in Polk County are in Game of Events Center is advantage for Bowers By DAVE R0EPKE REGISTER STAFF WRITER Two members of a Los Angeles street gang have pleaded guilty to charges related to four "highly orga nized" Des Moines-area bank robberies in 1997. Law enforcement authori ties say the case spotlights what could be a growing problem: big-city gangs preying on banks in smaller Midwestern cities. "They came into town, they robbed the banks and then they went home," said Kevin Curran, supervisor of the Federal Bureau of Investigation's Des Moines office. This made the case extremely difficult for us." seriously consider the issues that you have raised. "It is an historic site, and could be a real asset if developed properly." The preservationists are pulling out all the stops to save the circa-1923 building.

They even have a Web site (www.saveaib.com) that features a petition. Like the structure they're trying to save, they're going down. But not without a fight. Etc. Stephanie Heft is leaving Channel 5 after four years at the station.

Like those who went before her, she says she wants to try something new. Her last day as "Good Morning Iowa" and "News 5 Midday" anchor for WOI is Friday. When her two-year contract was up, she says, management offered her a new deal, but she declined. The "91 Iowa grad says the newscasts will soon have a new look. I guess.

Scott Pierce is back as Contact information for Iowa relatives. Living Here Waukee tops area in census growth Waukee grew 104 percent from 1990 to 2000, according to the 2000 census. That's more than any of the larger cities in Polk, Dallas and Warren counties. Grimes was second with 92 percent growth and Johnston was third with almost 84 percent growth. The aerial view above shows some of the new development of the past decade.

Index Dateline Iowa 2B Metro Record 3B Obituaries 7B Weather 8B favor of a simple-majority vote on this. It would tell us exactly where we stand as a community. Are we really Death Moines? It would be good to know so we can plan our lives accordingly. Scholastic Bowl: Dowi- ing thumped Valley on the football field a week ago, but here's some consolation for Tiger backers. The numbers are out for the National Merit semifinal-ists, the high scorers on the Preliminary Scholastic Aptitude Test.

And the scoreboard favors Valley, 10-1. Roosevelt, winless on the football field heading into Friday night's game against North, is the big metro winner academically with 13 semifinalists unless you stretch a little farther and count Ames, which rang up 17. After Valley for the Des Moines-area schools are Smart public relations move by Frank Bowers, whacking the Iowa Events Center ball back to the Polk County Board of Supervisors. "You moaned about having to produce a 60 percent super majority to pass a referendum for the new arena," he's telling them in so many words. "OK, let's make it a simple majority, then.

Agree to that, and I drop my lawsuit." The supervisors, of course, are whacking it right back, with extra topspin. "Get that weak stuff out of here," they're telling him. "We acted in good faith. You needed a certain number of votes to force a referendum. You came up short.

Nice try, but those were the ground rules. Even if we did accept your proposal, we're not sure it's legal. Go ahead and sue. We think we have the better case. If you want to be the.