Stevens Point Journal from Stevens Point, Wisconsin • Page 5

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2004 Steuena Point journal PAGEA5 STORY TIME LAUGHS Freed man awarded $25K, lawyers fees State cites 88 places on lead list i. IT WISCONSIN FIRST LADY Thursday as fourth-graders Green Bay read to celebrate They read together for 2,005 vX Project, a group of UW-Madi-son law students headed by Findley, pushed for DNA that exonerated Avery and linked the crime to a man imprisoned for another rape. The award includes attorney fees Avery accumulated as he tried to overturn his conviction. But the board declined to give him an additional $15,000 for costs the Innocence Project incurred while seeking Avery's release. Lee would not say why.

Findley joined Avery in appearing before the board Thursday morning to answer questions about the claim for $1.1 million. Afterward, Avery said he needed the money for essentials like food and transportation. He said he has been working sporadically in a salvage yard owned by his family while living in a trailer on a friend's property in Manitowoc County. "I'm doing better, but I've still got problems," Avery said "My life is on hold." Separate from the state claim, Avery has filed a federal lawsuit seeking $36 million in damages from Manitowoc County, arguing officials there ignored evidence that pointed to the real attacker. Attorney Walt Kelly, who represents Avery in that suit, did not immediately return a phone call from The Associated Press seeking comment Thurs day be just compensation.

"Because of the length of incarceration, it points out very starkly the shortcomings of the statute," Lee said. University of Wisconsin-Madison Professor Keith Find-ley, who led the effort to free Avery, said he was pleased the board left the door open to Avery seeking additional money to make up for the 18 years he lost behind bars. Still, he said the board's decision was confusing because the Avery Task Force is not addressing the $25,000 cap on compensation, nor is it expected to make a recommendation on increasing the limits on such awards. Findley said he would continue to push for legislation that would fairly compensate Avery. He also hoped the claims board would do more to address additional compensation when it issues its formal written opinion awarding the money within three weeks.

"The Legislature and the state of Wisconsin really owes it to Steven to do much better than that," Findley. said. Avery was a 23-year-old car mechanic in 1985 when he was 'sentenced to 32 years in prison for raping a woman on a Lake Michigan beach. He was convicted largely on the woman's eyewitness testimony, despite testimony from 16 alibi witnesses. He was released last year after the Wisconsin Innocence MADISON A state registry promoting rental properties safe from lead paint lists just 88 such locations, nearly three years after the program started.

The online registry could potentially list thousands of Wisconsin rental properties certified as safe or free from lead paint. "The hope was, the expectation was, that property owners would want to get their properties into this registry and make them lead safe to protect themselves from lawsuits. That has not been the case," said Al Guyant, an environmental health specialist with the state Department of Health and Family Services, which operates the registry. Participation is voluntary on the registry, which started in early 2002 at the directive of a 1999 law. The registry can be found online at dhfs.wis-consin.govwaldoregistry.

Elizabeth Slusser and her 1-year-old son live in one of four apartment buildings in Appleton that are certified as part of the state's program. She said landlords should participate in the registry because tenants want to know whether their buildings are safe. "I think it should be mandatory," Slusser said. Lead poisoning has been associated with many health problems, including learning disabilities. Lead paint was banned from interiors in 1978, but many homes still have it.

Wisconsin has nearly a half million rental units built in 1979 or earlier, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. More than half of the 88 buildings on the state's registry are in Milwaukee. "Virtually any community has the potential of having lead-based paint present," saidTim Mirkes, an environmental- supervisor with the.Appleton Health Depart; mentv Guyant has traveled all the state to promote the registry. He said his department now is considering ways to make it easier fof landlords to participate.

"That was the hope, that people would demand lead-safe properties and be able to look for them," Guyant said. "It's not over, but we are trying to find out how to make this work better." semfi pelf Green Bay priest ordered to trial cleanup group begins work 'S The Associated Prase JESSICA DOYLE reacts at Danz Elementary in Scholastic Read For 2005. seconds. because he was having trouble making, friends after transferring from another Green Bay school during the previous school year. He said he had been an altar boy and was teased by other children for wanting to be a priest.

He said Buzanowski inappropriately touched him over his clothes during two sessions. Once he was spanked and at the end of a third session Buzanowski hugged him and kissed him on the lips, he said. He also said friends to' two of the'counsel-ing sessions, and Buzanowski never touched him inappropriately while his schoolmates were in the same room. fantastic Sams Haircuts Coloring Perms Waxing 1820 Plover Rd. Plover Plaza (next to Copps) 343-0546 BY JR ROSS The Associated Press MADISON A man who spent 18 years in prison for a rape he didn't commit will get a damage award of $25,000 plus attorneys fees from the state the maximum the law allows but only a fraction of what he requested.

In making it3 decision Thursday, the Wisconsin Claims Board took no position on whether Steven Avery should get the entire amount he is seeking as compensation for his time behind bars more than $1.1 million. Avery, who appeared before the board, said he needs money for essentials and feels his life is still on hold despite his release more than a year ago. Claims Board chairman Alan Lee said he believes Avery deserves more than state law currently allows $5,000 for each year wrongly incarcerated with a cap at $25,000, plus attorneys fees. In Avery's case, that means a total of $48,791.61. But Lee said members wanted to wait on deciding whether to ask lawmakers to write legisla--.

tion that would give Avery more than the caps allow until 'a task force finishes its work on possible changes in state law to better prevent wrongful convictions. Avery can then come back to the board to request the rest of the money he believes would Great Lakes CHICAGO Dozens of government officials and tribal leaders, including Wisconsin's governor, plan to meet in Chicago on Friday to pledge to work together to protect, improve and restore the Great Lakes. In May, President Bush named a 10-member Cabinet-level task force, led by Envi-. ronmental Protection Agency 11 chief Mike Leavitt, to co6rdi- 1 -nate' 'Great 11 Lakes cleanup 4M Ma, GREEN BAY A witness testified Thursday that he was molested as a 10-year-old boy by a priest who counseled children at a Catholic school in Green Bay. The testimony came at the preliminary hearing in Brown County Circuit Court for Donald Buzanowski, 61, who served as a priest at Ss.

Peter and Paul School at the time of the alleged offenses in fall of 1988. er After testimony, from -the witness, "a court ctfmmissioher" ordered that the case proceed to arraignment Jan! 10," when Buzanowski could enter a plea to the charges against him two counts of first-degree sexual assault of a child. The alleged victim, David Schauer, of Marshfield, also has filed a civil lawsuit against Buzanowski and the Green Bay Diocese. Schauer testified Thursday that he was in an office alone with Buzanowski six times during counseling sessions efforts among states, federal agencies and Canada. The General Accounting Office found last year that 33 federal and 17 state programs have spent more than $1.7 billion on the environmental restoration of the Great Lakes.

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