Lawrence Journal-World 04-11-12

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Santorum ends ‘improbable’ presidential campaign The Philadelphia Inquirer

GETTYSBURG, PA. — Bowing to the math of the moment, Rick Santorum suspended his ailing presidential campaign Tuesday, ensuring Mitt Romney will be the Republican nominee in November. “We made a decision over the weekend, that while this presidential race for us is over, for me, and

A few clouds

we will suspend our campaign today, we are not done fighting,” the former U.S. senator from Pennsylvania announced in a speech here. Santorum’s surprise move came one day after his daughter Bella was released from a hospital in Virginia, where Santorum now lives. Bella, who suffers from a rare genetic condition called Trisomy 18, had been hospitalized over

Easter weekend. After much “prayer and thought” at home, Santorum said, he and his wife, Karen, and children decided it was time to end the campaign. Saying he had enabled “conservatives to have a voice” in the GOP nominating process, Santorum marveled at the long-shot nature of his campaign, in which he rose to become the strongest remaining challenger to Romney.

“Miracle after miracle, this race was as improbable as any you will ever see for president,” he said. “We are not done fighting.” In a statement, Romney said: “Senator Santorum is an able and worthy competitor, and I congratulate him on the campaign he ran. He has proven himself to be an important voice in our party and in the nation.”

Camper parking law OK’d

Low: 38

High: 64

Today’s forecast, page 8A

INSIDE Firebirds win city tennis showdown Free State High School’s domination over Lawrence High continued Tuesday, as the Firebirds took a 6-3 dual victory. With the win, Free State is now 15-0 all-time in duals against LHS. Page 1B

QUOTABLE

The House Republican budget not only slashes funding to the states, it would decimate health coverage for seniors, people with disabilities, children and middle class families.” — Ron Pollack, executive director of Families USA, a nonpartisan national consumer health group, talking about reports saying the Republican budget plan that recently passed in the U.S. House would decimate health care funding in states across the country. Kansas would stand to lose $18.8 billion under the plan. Page 3A

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INDEX Business Classified Comics Deaths Events listings Horoscope Movies Opinion Puzzles Sports Television Vol.154/No.102

4A 1C-8C 7A 2A 8A, 2B 7C 4A 6A 7C 1B-5B 3A, 2B, 7C 24 pages

Energy smart: The Journal-World makes the most of renewable resources. www.b-e-f.org

City may create pond for dogs By Chad Lawhorn clawhorn@ljworld.com

The city’s Parks and Recreation Department has begun studying ways to improve the city’s offleash dog park below Clinton Lake Dam, and department leaders said building a canine swimming pond is high on their list. Department leaders told the city’s Parks and Recreation Advisory Board on Tuesday that a recent survey Nick Krug/Journal-World Photo of dog-park users indicated MICHAEL TANNER, A LAWRENCE RESIDENT WHO LIVES IN A SHACK built upon a trailer that is pulled by van, providing easier access to explains his opposition to a city ordinance that would prohibit the parking of large vehicles like his along the water was an important Massachusetts Street by South Park on Monday. On Tuesday, city commissioners passed the ordinance item for dog owners. with a 5-0 vote. Tanner, who is a street performer, is wearing a Goofy hat to go along with a song he Many users of the park wrote about the ordinance called, “Goofy Needs a Dressing Room, Too.” have been taking their dogs to a small waterfall area on the Wakarusa River that is adjacent to the park. But the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has expressed concern about the practice. The Corps of Engineers owns the property below the Clinton Lake Dam but leases much of By Chad Lawhorn City commissioners sion’s motives were City commissioners, clawhorn@ljworld.com were told by their assis- much more about re- as they must with all orit to the city of Lawrence. But Mark Hecker, the tant city attorney that moving individuals they dinances, are required to An ordinance to ban city’s parks superintendent, the city had received found objectionable. approve the ordinance camping trailers and said there does appear to complaints about two “City workers should on “second reading” at other large vehicles be an opportunity to build a large, camperlike ve- just be doing their jobs an upcoming meeting from parking on public small pond along one of the hicles that are routinely and not worrying about before the law will take streets near South Park drainage ways that travels parked on the west side us and our pursuit of effect. Tanner asked won unanimous apthrough the dog park. of Massachusetts Street freedom,” said Tanner, commissioners to hold proval from Lawrence “How large it can be is still near South Park. Spe- who is a street musi- another public hearing city commissioners something we need to discifically, residents had cian who frequently per- on the ordinance at next Tuesday night, despite cuss, but it could be around raised concerns about forms downtown. week’s meeting before accusations the city was a quarter of an acre,” Hecker the large vehicles blockTanner accused city giving final approval to unfairly targeting a pair said. ing the lines of sight for workers and officials of the parking prohibition. of long-term campers. Plans for the pond would pedestrians trying to harassing him while he Tanner was late to Tues“This is a public safety need to win approval from use a nearby crosswalk. slept in his homemade day’s meeting, and he did issue in my mind,” said the Corps of Engineers, and But Michael Tanner, camper by driving by not make his comments City Commissioner Mike the city would need to finalone of two individuals and honking their horns to commissioners until Amyx. “Staff should be ize its funding source for the who routinely parks or directing sprinklers after they already had commended for coming improvements. a camper along South in the park to spray his up with a solution.” Please see PARKING, page 2A The survey of dog park Park, said the commis- camper on the street. users also has parks and recreation leaders considering several other improvements to the approximately 80 acre park. They include:

Improved markings for trails; By Chad Lawhorn 5 more homes declared unfit for habitation clawhorn@ljworld.com

A dog wash station;

Small fenced area of GERALD THOMAS, a Another five mobile homes maintenance work- about a half-acre that would at the Riverview Trailer Park in er at the Riverview allow dog owners a place to North Lawrence were declared to run their dogs without worTrailer Park wheels rying they will escape into be unfit for habitation Tuesday, away old furniture the countryside. and city inspectors said the posand trash from a sibility exists the entire park may Hecker said some of the be closed. condemned prop- work to improve trails would “I think we will get to the point erty as city inspec- likely begin soon, while other improvements would not where we have to figure out tors tape a “conbegin until later this sumwhether this park stays open or demned dwelling” mer. not,” said Brian Jimenez, city code notice to the front enforcement manager. — City reporter Chad Lawhorn can be But on Tuesday city inspectors of a mobile home reached at 832-6362. Follow him were focusing on individual units. on Tuesday.

City votes in favor of banning large vehicles from spots near South Park

Entire trailer park may be shut down

Please see TRAILER, page 2A

Nick Krug/Journal-World Photo

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