Prestigious?
Stepping up
Baseball team ready for season opener/Sports/Page 10
Warm cup o’ Joe
Find out what the coffee shops in town have to offer/Trends/Page 9
You can take the SWT out, but that doesn’t make us better/Opinions/Page 6
WEDNESDAY
VOLUME 93, ISSUE 45 www.universitystar.com
JANUARY 28, 2003
CONSTRUCTING THE FUTURE
T E X A S S TAT E U N I V E R S I T Y- S A N M A R C O S
Treatment plant causes big stink for residents City officials acknowledge bad odor
By Anna Lisa Moreno News Reporter The San Marcos wastewater treatment plant on River Road has caused quite a stink for residents living in the area for the last few years. Since the plant underwent a redesign in 1998 to facilitate a more efficient treatment of waste and solids, city officials acknowledge that the odor from the plant has increased noticeably. Melissa Millecam, city communications manager, said the reconstruction of the plant was designed as a high quality treatment plant of waste and water through the use of stateof-the-art equipment that
would turn solids into a material that could be recycled and reused. However this process has created an odor problem in the area. “The reason we smell it in San Marcos is because its processors and containers at the plant are not covered,” said Laurie Anderson, environment and engineering director. “We did not install covers ... when we did the construction.” In reaction to the odor problem, Tom Taggert, director of water waste utilities, stated that the city has covered two tanks, reducing the odor by half. Anderson said that before the construction of the plant, the city did not plan on the area surrounding the plant to be developed. Apartment complexes and real estate in the area have suffered financial losses as a
result of the odor. Robert Devereaux, River Place Apartments owner, has encountered such losses because of the smell. “I’m losing the entire complex,” Devereaux said.” My losses are up to $500,000.” Devereaux explained that potential residents are immediately turned away from signing a lease because of the odor. Colony Square Condos have also been financially affected. “We have lowered our rent, which has hurt the owners financially,” said Rachel Bond, manager of Colony Square Condos. “It is so hard to lease because people think that the strong odor outside will be a problem inside the apartments.” Colony Square Condos rent has gone from $650 to $575 for a two-bedroom.
director. The grant was awarded in partnership with the Mathematics Curriculum and Instruction departments, Mathworks and San Marcos Consolidated Independent School District. The program has several goals to meet during the next three years. The first is to double the number of students who graduate as certified math teachers. Currently, 80 students annually graduate with teaching certificates in mathematics, but the goal is to reach 160 students annually by the year 2007. The university and San Marcos CISD will also work together to develop “Math
Inquiry Groups” at Hernandez Intermediate School. These groups will include a faculty member from the mathematics department, three to four teachers from Hernandez and three to four university undergraduates. “It’s a small learning community that would work with students,” Warshauer said. “This would give our own students first-hand experience working with (children) and hopefully a very pleasant and enjoyable time in teaching using discovery learning, and at the same time raise the level of mathematics for the students in the schools.”
g See PLANT, page 4
Philanthropic foundation awards $244,000 grant to university
By Jennifer Warner Senior Reporter
Andy Ellis/Star photo Children’s librarian Ashley Schimelman helps Zachary Tipps, 5, of San Marcos construct a birthday hat like the one she is wearing. The children’s crafts were one of a handful of events celebrating the San Marcos Public Library’s 10th anniversary last Sunday.
Residents attend library birthday celebration By Chris Boehm News Reporter On Sunday, the community celebrated the 10th birthday of San Marcos Public Library’s current
building. Among those attending the event was San Marcos Mayor Bob Habingreither, library director Stephanie Langenkamp, 1994 City Council members and mem-
bers of Friends of the Library who were instrumental in pushing for a new building at its present location on Hopkins Street. g See LIBRARY, page 4
Texas State recently became the recipient of a $244,000 grant that was awarded in an effort to increase the numbers of certified math teachers and help fifth- and sixth-grade students become stronger in math. The award was presented in January by the Meadow’s Foundation, a private institution that awards grants to institutions around the state. “The Meadow’s Foundation is a philanthropic organization that tries to improve the lives of citizens,” said Max Warshauer, math professor and Texas State’s Mathworks program
g See GRANT, page 4
Kerry wins New Hampshire primary By James Kuhnhenn Knight Ridder Newspapers MANCHESTER, N.H. — Sen. John Kerry of Massachusetts won New Hampshire's first-in-the-nation presidential primary on Tuesday, securing his status as the Democratic Party's front-runner and rocketing his candidacy into next week's frenzied round of cross-country contests. Former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean was far behind in second place, enough to keep his hopes alive but far short of the close finish his aides said he needed to rebound from last week's weak third place in Iowa.
Far behind Dean, retired Army Gen. Wesley Clark, who'd staked much of his campaign on a strong showing in New Hampshire, was battling for third place against Sen. John Edwards of North Carolina. Sen. Joseph Lieberman of Connecticut, the third New Englander in the race, struggled to keep pace with them. With 75 percent of the vote counted, Kerry led with 38 percent and Dean had 26 percent. Kerry greeted uproarious supporters in a ballroom of the Holiday Inn in downtown Manchester and aimed directly at Bush: “I have a message for the
influence peddlers, for the polluters, the HMOs, the drug companies, big oil and all the special interests who now call the White House home: We're coming. You're going. And don't let the door hit you on the way out.” Kerry's robust victory, coming off last week's impressive win in the Iowa caucuses, means he's reinvigorated his campaign and has history on his side as the man to beat. Since 1976, every candidate who won both the Iowa caucuses and the New Hampshire primary has won his party's nomination. Kerry's campaign was all but given up for dead by many pundits, pollsters and analysts last
fall after he failed to register well in early polls, his campaign contributions declined and he fired the head of his campaign staff. But since mid-December, he's sharpened his message and worked tirelessly to sell himself as the candidate most likely to beat George W. Bush in November. With few issues separating the Democratic candidates, voters increasingly responded to Kerry's message. In New Hampshire he drew support from practically every voting group — the young, the old, working-class voters as well as higher income professionals. It wasn't always enthusiastic, however.
“Campaign Corps is exactly the kind of organization we encourage our members to participate in,” said Tim Small, Texas State College Democrats president and public administration senior. The Texas State College Democrats plan on sending seven to 10 members to the session and is awaiting official
acceptance. The recruitment program at UT will be a mini-camp, intended to give students an idea of what Campaign Corps is about while learning critical aspects of campaigning. The smaller session will also give Campaign Corps directors the opportunity to evaluate 2004 candidates. The more extensive cam-
paign school will be at the end of July in Washington, D.C., in July. It focuses on what organization considers the essential in political campaigning: voter targeting, field organization, press strategy and fund raising. Small group projects in realistic campaign circumstances will follow
Campaign Corps recruits student Democrats
By Amelia Jackson News Reporter
Campaign Corps is launching its 2004 campus recruitment program on Feb. 7-8 at the University of Texas campus. The organization trains recent graduates and college seniors and places them on Democratic campaigns.
g See CAMPAIGN, page 4
Chuck Kennedy/KRT Presidential hopeful Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., stops motorists, including this fireman to ask for support in downtown Manchester, N.H. Democratic presidential candidates made last-minute pitches to New Hampshire voters on the day of the state’s primary vote.
I N S I D E
Classifieds...............11 Crossword...............10 Music.......................10 News......................2-5 Opinions....................6 Sports......................12 Trends................7,9,10 Arts............................8 Film.........................8,9
Today’s Weather
High: 57 Lo w : 47
AM Clouds/PM Rain
Wind: From SE at 12 mph Precipitation: 0% Max. Humidity: 51% UV Index: 5 Moderate Thursday’s Forecast Rain and Cloudy 63/45