THE BG NEWS ESTABLISHED 1920 | An independent student press serving the campus and surrounding community
VOLUME 93, ISSUE 107
BG Craves Kabob It
FIRE DRILLS
The Bowling Green Fire Department uses Greek housing for training. Page 3
Wednesday, July 9, 2014
WWW.BGNEWS.COM
City Council considers complaints about energy expenses Alternative sources will prove cheaper, resident says
Family owned restaurant takes off by offering Mediterranean cuisine
By Seth Weber Web Editor
By Brittany Bauer Reporter
The city’s contract with Prairie State Energy Campus and its cost for the city and its residents was discussed at yesterday’s city council meeting. The city entered into a 50-year contract with Prairie State in 2007, which is operated under American Municipal Power and gives much of the city’s power through coal, as well as some hydroelectric energy. Resident and University chemistry professor Neocles Leontis voiced his concern with the city’s contract with Prairie State in May and said the city is paying too much to Prairie State for energy, and wishes it would renegotiate or break contract and look elsewhere. Leontis thinks the city needs to “show some backbone” and renegotiate or attempt to break contract with Prairie State. He thinks looking to other sources for fuel will be cheaper because of competition, and alternative energies such as solar and wind are going down in price. He spoke again yesterday to try to paint a clearer picture for city council. “[I] gave a bunch of big numbers and didn’t give context,” Leontis said. Leontis presented a report which he hoped would make the issue more clear. He requested the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis, a nonprofit organization, to do the report. While Leontis agreed with the report in that Prairie State was costing the city money, he did not completely agree with the numbers. “These numbers are really lowball numbers,” he said. According to the report, the city will be paying an extra $118 million between 2012 and 2021 than if they looked to other suppliers, and Leontis thinks that number could be larger. The report also stated that city residents will be paying an average of $1,870 more between 2012 and 2021 and the University will pay $17.6 million more during that time. Leontis asked the council what they are going to do about these costs. At-large council member Robert McComber said he hopes Prairie State will improve the cost of operation, but does not see breaking contract with them as a good option. Council president Michael Aspacher said it was not fair to ask the council such a question and expect an
Bowling Green visitors and residents can taste a variety of Lebanese food dishes at Kabob It Mediterranean Restaurant, located near the corner of Main and Wooster Streets. Kabob It is managed by four brothers and owned by their father, Bill Baroudi. The Baroudi brothers live in Bowling Green and attend the University. Restaurant employee and University senior Alex Baroudi said that his family has also owned Kabob It’s other location at Franklin Park Mall in Toledo for the last four years. They opened up the new location during the second week of February. Baroudi also said that the location was more convenient and that is only a five-minute commute instead of a 35-minute commute from the Franklin Park location. “I was in the Falcon Hatchery and I wanted to do a food truck in Bowling Green and that didn’t pan out, so we jumped on this location,” Baroudi said. “I like that it’s walking distance from downtown and the University.” Baroudi also said that the newer location has helped to make Kabob It another popular restaurant. Moreover, Kabob It is open until 3 a.m. on Friday and Saturday nights during the school year. However, the hours have changed slightly for the summertime because of a decrease in students who are in town.
See KABOB | Page 8
See ENERGY | Page 2
University faculty perform downtown on weekly jazz night
BOOMIN’ IN BG
Quartet members use music to teach and entertain By Blake Howell Reporter
There’s nothing quite like listening to a jazz quartet. The sounds of the saxophone and the heavy tones of the double bass resonate within the body, and the tranquil onlooker enjoys the groovy serenity that can only be produced by roughly three decades of experience. Originally one of the University’s faculty resident ensembles, the Faculty Jazz Quartet has been playing together for roughly 30 years. According to double bass player and professor of Jazz Studies Jeff Halsey, the University has implemented
PULSE Reporter Brittany Bauer explores the city of Bowling Green via a tour of the town. | PAGE 5
some type of faculty group since he started teaching 32 years ago. Guitarist Chris Buzzelli added his talents to the group 30 years ago and percussionist Roger Schupp joined roughly 10 years later. The quartet added their new saxophone player David Bixler seven years ago. All four members of the quartet, as their name suggests, are part of the University’s music faculty and play at One49 North for Jazz Night frequently. Although they all play with other people and at other venues, Halsey said Jazz night is their main gig
See JAZZ | Page 7
BG
RONALD ZEISLOFT | THE BG NEWS
BEAUTIFUL COLORS filled the air over the University campus on Thursday evening as part of the city’s Independence Day festivities.
See more photos | Page 7
IF YOU COULD SPEAK ANOTHER LANGUAGE, WHAT WOULD IT BE AND WHY?
FORUM Blake Howell addresses the fans of Lebron James.
“German, because I could pick up the language quicky and its interesting .”
PAGE 4
Joey Kujawski Senior, Political Science
has MOVED to a new location. Wood County Hospital’s ReadyCare service has moved to the Falcon Health Center, 838 E. Wooster Street.
To learn more, visit falconhealth.org, or call 419-372-2271.
EXTENDED HOURS for BGSU students, faculty and staff, and area residents (treating adults and children 6 months and older)
Monday–Friday 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday & Sunday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. CLOSED HOLIDAYS