1998-09-23; Central Michigan Life

              Central Michigan LIFE
Volume 81, Number 11
Mt. Pleasant, MI 48859
©1998 CM LIFE
79 years of serving the community
Wednesday
September 23, 1998
14 pages
Library expansion, renovation plans approved by state
COURTESY PHOTO
This artist's rendition shows how Park Library may look from the east
side in a few years after a renovation and expansion.
By Joy Mygrants
LIFE Staff Writer
An important approval for CMU came
from the state on Thursday when the
university began to process documents
involving construction ofthe library renovation and expansion project.
According to Jerry Edgar, manager of
Library Business Services, CMU has
basically been given authorization to
begin construction.
"The legislature wants to be sure that
the planning is adequately taking
place," Edgar said, explaining why CMU
continued to return to the state for
approval.
"Permission from the legislating committee came Thursday. We basically
have the authority to go into construction."
Out of the $50 million project, the
state will pay $37.5 million while CMU
will pay the remaining $12.5 million,
Edgar said.
Construction   is   expected   to  begin   in
early summer, Edgar said.
"We are developing the construction
documents and eventually going into
construction. The construction documents are the working documents the
contractors will use. They are
used to solicit bids," Edgar
said. "The construction documents will be completed by
next March."
Although CMU has been
involved in the project for close
to 15 months, according to
Edgar, the project will not be
completed for about three
years.
"Our biggest challenge is going to be
trying to provide library services while
construction is going on. We have been
working real hard on that. We are
exploring several options," Edgar said,
stating that he could not comment on
what the options entailed.
"However, when we decide to do it, we
have to be in place to do it when the con-
Inside
See page 2 for
more about
where CMU will
store Its library
books during
the expansion.
struction starts," Edgar said. "We hope
to have a plan of what we Ye going to do
by the end of the semester."
Use ofthe library will become inconvenient,   Edgar   said,   with   the   extensive
changes   occurring   with   the
renovations.
The sculpture located behind
the library will be relocated on
campus, Edgar said. The parking lots near the library will
go, also, and the area around
the pond will become a park
for students to study.
Other changes include the
complete demolition of Preston
Apartments, said John Fisher, director
of Residence and Auxiliary Services.
"This year everyone is OK," Fisher
said. "They will be given priority" as
space becomes available.
According to Joan Schmidt, assistant
director  of Residence  Life,   all   Preston
See LIBRARY Page 2	
CMU,
union
bargain
By Renee Lutz
LIFE Assistant News Editor
A recent fact-finding report
will go into question next week
as CMU's Supervisory-
Technical Association Union
and university administrators
head back to the bargaining
table to determine the union's
new contract.
Issues including sick leave,
retirement and benefit packages for union members will be
bargained Sept. 29 and 30, said
Duane Barclay, computer systems operator and union member.
The union, consisting of
approximately 115 members,
has been without a contract
with the university since July
1, 1997, and is still in negotiation over several other issues,
Barclay said.
Issues brought up by the
state-appointed attorney in
charge of fact-finding in July
were released to both groups
Sept. 2, said Maxine Tubbs,
director of Staff Personnel
Services.
Barclay said while recommendations made concerning
retirement benefits and wages
in the fact-finder's report may
appeal to union members, the
university might not be as
pleased with the report.
"This is not what they were
hoping to see," Barclay said.
"We will take his recommendations and fine tune them, or
whatever  it  takes.   I'm  hoping
See UNION Page 6	
i n s i d r
Twins Jeremy and Jason Gold
| anchor CMU's defensive
power. For details, see page 8.
Classified 13
Crossword
13
Et cetera
10-11
Sports
8-9
Voices
4-5
To rrac h CM LIFE
Phonr  1517) 774-3493
E-Mail  CMMFE9cmuvm.cftv.cmich.edu
Fax number <517l 774-7805
Central Michigan LIFE Online
Internet address
http-V/w ww.cmltfe.cmkh.edu
Fire destroys wood shop Monday afternoon
A rainbow casts its peaceful glow on the remains of a wood shop at 868 S. Mission Road, which, just minutes before, was raging with fire.
LEI ZHENG • CM LIFE
'I got there too late; It's just one of those deals'
By Kelly Taylor
LIFE Staff Writer
A Mount Pleasant freshman stood
solemnly by her grandfather Monday
afternoon, as his home was threatened
and the wood shop behind the house was
devoured by flames.
Mount Pleasant firefighters were dispatched to the home of Lyle Keller, north
ofthe city at 868 S. Mission Road, at 12:45
p.m. and arrived five minutes later, said
fire department equipment operator
Michael Dunham.
Captain Andy Theisen of the Mount
Pleasant Fire Department said the build
ing was completely consumed by fire
when firefighters arrived on the scene.
Keller's granddaughter Brenda Riste
said said she saw smoke coming from the
direction of her grandfather's house while
she was dropping her son off at day care,
and drove out there to make sure Keller
was OK
Riste, who is a freshman at CMU,
arrived to find her fears where substantiated.
"The end of the house was on fire and
the building was halfway down when I got
here. It was just in total blaze," she said.
Riste  also  has   an   investment  in  the
wood shop that burned. She earns money
there by making and selling crafts with
her grandfather.
Although the loss of the shop will effect
her financially, it wasn't something Riste
worried about during the fire.
"I was scared that he was still inside. I
was just happy to see him standing out by
the bushes," she said about her grandfather.
Riste's mother, Barb Clark, said her
daughter will not suffer much financially
because she holds another part time job in
a tae kwon do school.
"Both (Riste and Keller) more or less do
it as a hobby," Clark said.
Before the firefighters arrived, Keller
did attempt to take care of the problem
himself.
Despite efforts to control the flames
with a garden hose, he had no choice but
to stand back and watch his business
burn to the ground.
His only condolence was that his house,
which sat only six feet from the shed, was
spared, save some fire damage to the back
of the house.
Keller, who was dining in the Dinner
See FIRE Page 2	
First of America, National City still mum about merger
By Angie Fenton
LIFE Staff Writer
A second update about the
merger of First of America and
National City has been sent
out and received by many, but
students are asking what
exactly was the reason for the
update.
Tony  Thompson,   senior  vice
president of public and media
relations for First of America,
told CM LIFE in a July 29 article that the merger would be
complete on Oct. 31, and "there
may or may not be changes."
He said in July that account
holders would be notified of
any changes in August.
However, the recently-mailed
update from First of America
stated "You will be mailed
detailed information about the
conversion of your accounts
and services to similar ones at
National City" in late
September.
Under a section heading in
the mailing titled "What's
Changing,"    it    states,    "The
names of your checking and
savings accounts may change,
as well as some pricing features."
On the back of the mailing a
phone number to call for
answers to any questions is
listed.
When CM LIFE placed a
phone call to ask about the spe
cific changes and to find out
why Thompson, in July, said
the changes would be made
public in August, but the
recent mailing said late
September, the customer relations representative who
answered    the    phone    didn't
See MERGER Page 6	
First aid left without running water
By Kelly Taylor
LIFE Staff Writer
The renovated Kelly/Shorts stadium has 10,000 new seats, a new
"crystal clear" sound system, and
better concession stands, but
designers forgot one integral
thing. There's no running water in
the first aid station.
Jay Lanctot, associate director
of Athletics, said the omission of
running water was something
that was simply left out ofthe stadium plans.
Originally, the first aid station
was scheduled to be located at the
south end of the stadium, and
when it was moved to the north
end, planners forgot to include a
sink in the plans.
"It was just an oversight,"
Lanctot said. "Plans change a lot.
All the utilities and all the amenities don't always go from one spot
to the next spot. Lots of different
things happen when you're building a project that get left out."
Director of University Health
Services Sarah Campbell said
water in portable storage containers was sufficient during the first
home game, but having running
water would be preferable for
patient care.
"We had enough water to meet
our needs for that event," she said.
The lack of running water could
cause a problem during a very hot
day if a large number of people get
heat exhaustion, she said.
Since the first game was held on
a very hot day and the first aid
station did not run out of water,
Campbell does not anticipate
problems during future games.
Campus Planner Peter Gorton
said even if the first aid station
runs out of water, running water is
available in the bathrooms a few
feet away
Getting the water is a priority,
and Gorton anticipates it happening by the end ofthe season.
"By the time the next game
comes along at the end of October,
I see us having a sink there," he
said.
Plachta bans alcohol
in presidential suite
By Lfe Wishaw
L*F6 Editor
University President Leonard
Plachta says he needs to set the
standard for CMU athletics
events, even when it comes to
alcohol.
Plachta announced Tuesday
he would no longer serve alcohol io his presidential suite in
the newly remodeled and
expanded Kelly/Shorts
Stadium. The presidential
suite, and the other new suite
holders* were able to have and
consume alcohol in their suites
for the first time this year.
"After further reflection, Fve
decided that if s important that
the president set the tone and
standard for athletics events,"
Plachta said Tuesday in a prepared statement.
"I don't believe that alcohol is
either mn expected er necessary
part    of   hosting    university
See PLACHTA
Page
6