The Capital Times from Madison, Wisconsin • 1

Friday, Sept. 16, 1994 The Capital Times 4 City editor Charles D. Sherman 252-6419 Assistant city editor Judy Ettenhofer 252-6430 Assistant city editor Jonathan D. Silver 252-6448 Psssst! Kraiidd flips, favors death penalty hie ing lan 3S. ut.

)Ut ey fi- lat ed A. he of to nt ed is- ee iy de st es tie te trick de Felice, Kunickis press secretary. Opponents of the death penalty in both parties were upset by Kunickis proposal. Im opposed to it. People have moral and ethical beliefs, said Sen.

Peggy Ros-enzweig, R-Wauwatosa. I dont agree with it. Rep. Tammy Baldwin, D-Madison, said the announcement took her off guard. I knew of the speakers long term opposition to the death penalty, so I was very surprised to see him come forward even supporting a very narrow death penalty bill, she said.

Baldwin, chairwoman of the Assembly committee that oversees consititutional law and corrections, said she would not let a death penalty bill pass her committee if she is reappointed as its head in January. Appleton Republican David Prosser, the Assemblys minority leader, took the opportunity to criticize Kunicki for election-year rhetoric. His flip-flop on the issue gives the inevitable appearance of trying to capital siders say, had been instrumental in keeping the death penalty from the floor for years. Prosser produced a list of more than a dozen Assembly bills that failed to see the light of day since 1985. Last year, after the Republicans took control of the Senate, a broader bill failed 20-12 in the Senate, with several Republican senators, such as Rosenzweig, voting it down.

Kunicki has now focused importance on the issue, a move that could hurt the partys showing in the general elections, according to even Democratic insiders. They contend that the party, whose candidates traditionally oppose the death penalty, might be forced to deal with a hot-button issue during a time of strong anti-crime sentiment among the public. Some, however, downplayed the potential impact. It generally isnt an issue that makes or breaks campaigns, Baldwin said. Ones entire strategy toward crime is more important.

ize on a tragedy for political gain, Prosser said in a statement. Im not certain where I come out on the issue because my views range from intense desire for retribution in specific areas to doubt about the death penaltys value as a deterrent in general, the statement read. Rep. John Gard, R-Peshtigo, who had opposed the death penalty because of his pro-life stance, now believes the issue should be put on a referendum for the voters to decide. I think its an appropriate punishment in some cases, he said.

I havent always felt that way. Gard admitted that in the past he was very undecided, had never taken a vote on it, and I shied away from it. In making the proposal, Kunicki brought up an issue that many politicians have preferred to avoid. Wisconsin repealed the death penalty in 1853; the Assembly has not taken a floor vote on the issue since 1949. Kunicki, Republican and Democratic in By Dave Ncwbart The Capital Tunes The latest call to reinstate the death penalty in Wisconsin is coming from one of the unlikeliest of sources, surprising both Democrats and Republicans.

On Thursday, state Assembly Speaker Walter Kunicki, D-Milwaukee, announced a plan that would invoke the death penalty in cases where a police officer or kidnapping victim is killed. Kunicki has previously opposed the death penalty. Kunickis announcement came on the heels of his narrow primary victory Tuesday. A spokesman for Kunicki, who campaigned heavily, said crime and fear were among the most prevalent messages he heard from the voters in his district. What happened is that Wally has been talking on an almost daily basis to residents in his district.

There have been a number of shootings, a drive-by His residents have told him pretty clearly that enough is enough, said David Pa Yl Compiled by The Capital Times staff At this weeks dedication of the new Dane County Public Safety Building, there were few kind words for County Executive Sick Phelps, who resisted construction of the jail for years and then worked to hold down its staffing. Phelps, in his remarks to a crowd of more than 300 local officials, was unrepentent. He said building the jail was no victory. The county should continue to concentrate its efforts on prevention programs to eliminate the need for future jails, he said. "We cant view this as a monument to the success of our law enforcement efforts, Phelps intoned.

If this building is all we do (to stop crime), we have failed. If we build this building and prevent the need for future buildings, we should be proud. He received mild applause. The star of the day was Sheriff Rick Raemisch, who, along with other top Sheriffs Office brass, bore the 85-degree heat in one of the departments seldom-seen brown wool military-style dress uniforms. When introduced, Raemisch, who crossed swords with Phelps repeatedly over the need to build the new facility and get it fully staffed, was warmly applauded.

He, too, was unapologetic for his public stance. "Ive heard many times that if you build it, they (the inmates) will come. But theyre coming anyway, folks, he said, noting that the jail population reached a record this week. Judge Daniel Moeser, the chief judge of the Dane County Circuit Court, didnt mention the county exec at all in his comments, but lavished praise on Raemisch. You and your staff have done a wonderful job of keeping the powder keg in the old building from exploding, he said.

I think we were all a little surprised that it hasnt blown up. Moeser, who has been one of the judges fighting for a new courthouse, took a subtle jab at Phelps, who opposes the project. Taking the dais in the red-and-white tent where the opening reception was held, he quipped, When I saw that the tent was up, I thought wed finally solved our courthouse space problems. City: Corps will OK center By Joe Schoenmann The Capita Times As city officials consider raising the room tax, word comes that a boon for local hotels, the Monona Terrace convention center, is about to leap its final hurdle. John Urich, of the city Planning Department, said Thursday the U.S.

Army Corps of Engineers is drafting the permit for the project and will sign it before the middle of October. The permit is the projects last formal potential barrier, aside from any lawsuits filed by opponents to the convention center. The ice-breaking for Monona Terrace could take place shortly after Jan. 1. -J 3 tv MIKE DeVRIESTHE CAPITAL TIMES Bob Moeller, owner of Zippy Lube on North Sherman Avenue, says a proposed reconfiguration of the street will prolong motorists travel time.

Bicyclists, motorists face off over Sherman Are. proposal By Pamela Cotant COUR1STAT he ut to id, ut iy im a rl I '4 1 I used to live in the city of Chicago. If I got stuck behind a bus, I found a different route, said Moeller, who circulated petitions against the proposal Thursday. Moeller and other opponents of the idea say mixing a turn lane with a two-lane route for city buses and bikes is a recipe for disaster. John Mattson, owner of Busses Midway Tavern, said traffic would get more tied up when beer trucks stop in front of his business to make their deliveries.

Although the proposal is aimed at improving the safety of travel by bike or car, the debate over its merit has narrowed, said Dave Wallner, District 2 alderman. Its become kind of a bike vs. car debate, and I think thats quite unfortunate, Wallner said. Safety for bikes and also the turn lane for cars will be a better deal. He is proposing that the reconfiguration be tested for a year.

Wallner said the current lanes on North Sherman are substandard, or narrower than Continued on Page 6A The Capital Times Its a classic Madison square-off bicyclists pitted against motorists for the right to rule North Sherman Avenue. The battle is being waged over a proposal by the city to change the lane configuration of North Sherman Avenue over a stretch of less than two miles. The proposal would change the four-lane thoroughfare into two wider lanes, a left-turn lane down the middle and a narrow lane along each curb for bicyclists. Some think the proposal, which will be considered Tuesday by the Madison City Council, would make their travel miserable by snarling traffic. Some businesses are concerned that driving on North Sherman would become so frustrating, people would seek alternative routes and be more likely to patronize businesses in those directions.

Bob Moeller, who owns the Zippy Lube on North Sherman, said he believes the proposal would add five to 10 minutes to peoples travel on the street. In August, 184 people were convicted of drunken driving in Dane County, including 13 under the legal drinking age of 21. The average age of drunken drivers was 32 years. One driver was convicted of two drunken driving offenses. The oldest convicted driver was 63; the youngest, 18.

Twenty-seven drivers were from outside Dane County, and two drivers were from outside Wisconsin. SOURCE: Wisconsin Department of Transportation, Bureau of Driver Licensing, Sept. 1, 1994. From staff, news service reports A town of Madison man with past sexual assault convictions was questioned and his apartment was searched as part of a series of such investigatiions by authorities trying to find the man who abducted and murdered 12-year-old Cora Jones. As of this morning, however, the Langlade County Sheriffs Department said no arrests had been made in the case.

The 48-year-old man, who lives in the Colonial Heights apartments on Skyview Place, was released after investigators questioned him extensively. Investigators also towed two cars and took items from the mans apartment Larry Shadick, chief deputy sheriff in Langlade County, where Coras body was found last weekend, said no one has been eliminated as a suspect, but also said that if investigators believed the man was a solid suspect they would have arrested him. 1 I have been cleared," the man told reporters outside his apartment after he was questioned. "I am upset by a lot of this." He said he had a pickup truck similar to one sought in the Jones case, but I sold it in August." Authorities have been looking for a man seen in a small gray or light blue pickup in connection with Coras death. Investigators indicated that they had no direct evidence linking the town of Madison man to the death o( Cora, who disappeared Sept.

5 while riding a bicycle near her grandmothers home southwest of Waupaca. They said the investigation of the man was part of their strategy of chasing down every lead in any similar type of case in the hopes finding the killer. The town of Madison man was a suspect in an attempted abduction July 3 in Waupaca County, FBI agent Brian Manganello said. In that case, an Illinois woman told authorities a man tried to force her into his vehicle at gunpoint while she was bicycling. 2 That woman picked the mans picture out of a photo line-up.

The man also is a suspect in the attempted enticements of two girls in Dodgeville and two in Platteville in late August, investigators said. The mans record includes convictions for sexual assaults in Dane County in 1978 and 1984. He also was convicted of rape in 1970 and spent three years in Central State Hospital as a result. 2 On Aug. 27, the man was arrested on charged of drunken driving in Iowa County after a Platteville service station attendant reported seeing a man offering two youngsters money.

2 On the same day, two sisters in Dodgeville gave police a description of a man who approached them in a pickup truck while they were bicycling. They were offered $10 to guide him to their school where he said he had papers to deliver, Dodgeville assistant police chief David Meudt said. "2 Luckily for the girls a neighbor man across the street over- Continued on Page 6A REHEDGIBCE I'W ylt a SK. Relief due from weeks rain, heat The corps, Urich said, is putting the final touches on plans to create a landscaped buffer between the center and a nearby historic landmark, the Bellevue Apartments, and to mitigate damage to Pinckney Street, which will be widened eight feet. Thats the last thing that needs to be resolved, said Urich.

Monona Terrace, a $63 million project based on designs by renowned architect Frank Lloyd Wright, will be partially constructed on Lake Monona. That's why it requires Corps of Engineers approval. Urich said the ice-breaking for the project should take place shortly after Jan. 1. With the convention center closing in on reality, the room tax increase, from 7 percent to 8 percent, might shortly thereafter be implemented.

The increase would raise $500,000 a year. We're still looking at it," said Comptroller Paul Reilly. The tax, first proposed two years ago as a way to lessen property taxes, is being sold as both a way to offset the citys expected $1.2 million annual subsidy of the convention center, and as a way to offset property tax increases. The subsidy will be needed because the center will not make enough money to cover its expenses, said Reilly. Its fair, because the people making most of the money off this are the hotel owners, said Aid.

Wayne Bigelow, District 1, who is proposing the hike. Two years ago, the room tax hike was scuttled after hoteliers voiced their anger. They dont like it this time around, either. Cal Worrell, president of the Madison chapter of the Wisconsin Innkeepers Association, said today hes still not happy with the proposal. He thinks its premature, since the center hasnt even incurred an operating debt yet.

They promised it would go toward the operating debt, not for anything before then, said Worrell, general manager of the Concourse Hotel. When its up and running, its a different thing; but dont put us at a competitive disadvantage now." U) X' This is no place for a playful kitten. Im a very young orange tabby who deserves better. Will you take me home? Im 6210 and available for adoption at the Dane County Humane Society, 2250 Pennsylvania below the Musser Dam on the Elk River and advised people on the Wilson Flowage to seek higher ground," Greenwood said. An estimated 1 1 inches of rain since last weekend caught the dam during a maintenance project that temporarily left some of its six spillway gates inoperable.

In Burnett County, a small dam on Glen Denning Creek gave way, washing out Wisconsin 35 seven miles north of Danbury. The washout caused the St. Croix River to rise more than a foot, the National Weather Service said. Matters were hectic in Ladysmith where the Flambeau River temporarily blocked roads leading into town and the Rusk County sheriffs office investigated reports that a tornado touched down near town late Thursday afternoon. With access roads flooded, schools were closed in Phillips for about 1,300 students and in Winter in Sawyer County, where there are two schools and 550 students.

An emergency shelter was established at a Phillips school to accommodate families moving from homes. ing evacuation of about 100 homes and vacation cottages. The National Guard and the Wisconsin Conservation Corps sent personnel and sandbags to Musser Dam east of Phillips where officials feared a washout would flood basements and add to the burden of other reservoirs downstream. But the dam held overnight and the water level was falling this morning, according to Deputy Howard Blackwell of the Price County Sheriffs Department. The National Weather Service canceled its flash-flood watch for the northern third of the state Thursday night, and the sheriffs department said this morning that the rain had stopped.

A chance of more showers was in the forecast today in northern Wisconsin, but dry weather is expected for the weekend. Deputy Sheriff Dan Greenwood said there were scores of calls from people worried whether a washout by the Musser Dams 580-acre reservoir would sweep away other dams downstream. We evacuated everything From staff, news service reports The hot, rainy, muggy weather will move out today, bringing a sunny weekend with seasonal temperatures. The downpours dropped 1.9 inches of rain on the Madison area over the past three days. The recent storms pushed September rainfall, to date, to 4.53 inches for the month, topping the monthly average of 3.37 inches.

Humidity was high and temperatures soared to 87, 85 and 88 degrees Tuesday through Thursday, respectively, well above the normal of 72 for the period. Lows were just as bad, 66, 67, and 72 for Tuesday through Thursday, with 49 the normal average low for those days. In fact, said meteorologist Margaret Mooney, the Thursday low, 72, equaled the normal high for Sept. 15. Autumn officially arrives a week from today, Sept.

23, at 12:19 a.m. Meanwhile, in other parts of the state, the rain has caused serious problems. Three days of downpours filled a reservoir in Price County to overflowing and threatened to wash away its earth dam, forc DUNAGINISIBEOPLE WE'VE PROVEN 10 CASTRO THAT OWES ENEMIES P0ESNT WORK. NEVER GET POLE A RAFT." I.