The Optimist (Abilene, Tex.), Vol. 92, No. 48, Ed. 1, Friday, April 16, 2004 Page: 4 of 8
eight pages : illus. ; page 13 x 8 in. Digitized from 35 mm. microfilm.View a full description of this newspaper.
- Highlighting
- Highlighting On/Off
- Color:
- Adjust Image
- Rotate Left
- Rotate Right
- Brightness, Contrast, etc. (Experimental)
- Cropping Tool
- Download Sizes
- Preview all sizes/dimensions or...
- Download Thumbnail
- Download Small
- Download Medium
- Download Large
- High Resolution Files
- IIIF Image JSON
- IIIF Image URL
- Accessibility
- View Extracted Text
Extracted Text
The following text was automatically extracted from the image on this page using optical character recognition software:
Page 4 TU Optimist
CAMPUS NEWS
Friday April 18 2004
City: Wal-Mart Supercenter first step in north-side plans
CoaUatied fam Page 1
"urban fringe" the outskirts
of the city limits.
"Doing this can be a costly
venture when the city has to
keep adding to its public serv-
ices and utilities" Gertson
said.
The plan which has been
In the works since August
2001 and received final
approval about a year ago
acknowledges that fringe
development will continue
but the focus will be on
unused land inside the city.
Gertson said 56 percent of all
land inside the city limits is
vacant.
Gertson said some of that
land cannot be developed but
making use or it will be cheap
er In the long run than contin
uing to develop solely on the
outskirts of town.
"In many of those cases
that vacant land already has in
place water lines sewer lines
adequate streets" Gertson
said. "Those are assets that are
underutilized at this point."
What the plan means for
ACU Gertson said is that the
city will be working with the
universities in town to help
enhance the neighborhoods
for the schools.
"The plan calls for the city
to work with the universities
to help accomplish their plans
for growth and transition into
the neighborhood adjacent to
it" he said.
Gertson acknowledged this
plan Is not "an overnight solu-
tion" with some of Its effects
not fully felt for 10 or IS years.
Tim MMvRy Cootm
One thing many students
have noted is how few busi-
nesses and restaurants are near
the university.
"It's just that the develop-
ment really Isn't over here
which is kind of interesting
especially with 1-20 and that
corridor I think that should
be built up a lot more than it
is" Rich said.
And with the city's compre-
hensive plan it will be. The
plan calls for a major business
activity center to be located at
the Intersection of Interstate 20
and State Highway 351 which
becomes Ambler Avenue.
Gertson said the center
would be a concentration of
high-density employment op-
portunities and commercial
and retail stores. The plan lists
possible uses as major shop-
ping centers corporate head-
quarters major hotels and cul-
tural or entertainment venues.
"We want to direct or target
commercial growth on the
northeast side at that location"
Gertson said.
The first step In doing so will
be the construction of a new
Wal-Mart Supercenter.
Gertson said he believes
once the Wal-Mart Is built it
could affect land usage all the
way to the university.
"The nature of a develop-
ment like Wal-Mart Is that It's
going to spin off other types of
retail development there" he
said. "It's kind of a good start
for the commercial activity
center that we're locating
there."
The Supercenter is not slat-
ed to open until late 2006
according to the Abilene Reporter-News
but once it does the
smaller Wal-Mart on Judge Ely
Boulevard will close.
Ambler Avenue which runs
north of the university has also
been designated as a "commu-
nity enhancement corridor."
These corridors are major
streets that connect different
activity centers around town.
Ambler which will connect
the future center east of the
university to the center that
includes Hendrick Medical
Center and Hardln-Simmons
University will receive several
of what Gertson calls aesthetic
changes.
"That could be anything
from improving the use of that
corridor for traffic pedestrian
use bicycle use transit use" he
said.
Although the plan contains
several pages of strategies for
development around the
city much of which students
might never realize some
recognize the parts that will
affect them. If nothing else
they likely will be thankful for
one- or two-minute drives to
Super Wal-Mart instead of 15.
"I already go to the Wal-Mart
over here a lot anyway but I
think It'd be easier to go to the
store at midnight or buy gro-
ceries" Rich said. "It'll just be a
lot easier."
E-mail JoutkM Smith it:
jn02aSuu rdu
UP: University warns against avoiding scholarship rule
Coattaued from Page 1
weeks so now is the time to
issue a warning about dishon-
esty." The requirements for Pres-
idential Scholar awards state
that students who are not
married must live "full-time in
a campus residence hall (or
UP if you are a junior or sen-
ior)" and Willerton said the
awarded students have had
this requirement since the
scholarship was founded.
"The rule is not ours to
change" Willerton said.
Erin Sedwick Presidential
Scholar and senior education
major from Fort Worth said
living in UP is "not that big of a
deal."
She said she does not see
the point in paying for both a
room in UP and an outside
house or apartment.
"Personally that seems like
wasting money" Sedwick said.
"We kind of joked about doing
that before I moved into UP
but I didn't know someone
would go to that much effort."
Sedwick said that at first
she had wanted to live in a
house with her best friend but
she ended up liking UP.
Michael Lockridge senior
marketing finance and ac-
counting major from San An-
tonio said he and a friend had
considered going around the
system themselves.
He said he does not want a
roommate and his friend does
not want to live in UP so their
solution was for the friend to
pay rent but live off campus.
Lockridge said he was un-
aware of the e-mail sent to
Scholars and does not know if
his friend read it or not.
"Maybe the e-mall Is why
I haven't heard back from
him" Lockridge said.
Lockridge said he likes liv-
ing in UP now because it is
close to places on campus
and if his roommate does not
pay his rent it does not affect
him.
However he also said the
rent is high and is one of the
reasons most Scholars want to
live off campus.
Lockridge said he does not
see a problem with paying for
the room but living off cam-
pus. "I see their concern" Lock-
ridge said. "They give us a
scholarship and expect us to
be leaders. But if you are a jun-
ior or senior at this point if
you're involved it has nothing
to do with living on campus."
Lockridge said he was
aware of the requirement
when he signed the contract
for the scholarship but he was
not aware at the time how he
would eventually feel about
living on campus for four
years.
"In reality there Is no pur-
pose for forcing us to live in
UP" Lockridge said. "I think it
hurts the program as a whole."
The problem deals with ac-
ademic Integrity Willerton
said a "major sore point" for
the PresidentialNational
Merit Finalist Scholarship
Board.
"If somebody lies to the
university then that's a prob-
lem" Willerton said.
He said the rule was created
to get ACU's "best and bright-
est" to influence the residence
halls and UP.
"If you don't want to influ
ence UP give up the scholar-
ship and you'll be free to
move off campus" Willerton
said in the e-mail. "You can fall
back on your Trustee scholar-
ship and you'll have a clear
conscience."
Lockridge said he thinks
living in UP should no longer
be a requirement for Presi-
dential Scholars.
"If they untied our hands
on that part they would have a
much happier group" Lock-
ridge said. "It's the bane of
every Presidential Scholar."
E-biH Sumh Cuttoa t:
citmltfuu edu
We don't just rent tuxedos..
...eve twit 6clcL
tx m6e fxci
TOecLcLtKf Tcm
cme ttuef
Caring staff to assist coordinating styles & colors
Personal attention at Final Fittings
Quality Designer Tuxedos
Well established National Company
Fax available for out of town attendants
Alterations on site
FREE Groom Program
We've been serving customers since 1941
'ormalfar
Located in the Mall of Abilene - 695-2380
SBtinq ifiU ad in to xcoltlcx youx lu.xe.doi.
'and xtqtivt out Wtddlnq HSUoounti on:
' -' Wtdalnq iJnoitation oxdixt
&o4JCii Cfuxtdoi. & SHourzxqltC ffcxeius.
' v ?Jiww$B$jjk
. Tf .t1"? v"jS2
i r&tu. .iMvj&rMM
W
- s-yi i .... s?vr rAJ '. imk
fev' 1SS8H
"Natalie K
FINE JEWELERS
Visit our ONLY location at
3214 North 1st Abilene TX
(325) 677-7234
m
Upcoming Pages
Here’s what’s next.
Search Inside
This issue can be searched. Note: Results may vary based on the legibility of text within the document.
Tools / Downloads
Get a copy of this page or view the extracted text.
Citing and Sharing
Basic information for referencing this web page. We also provide extended guidance on usage rights, references, copying or embedding.
Reference the current page of this Newspaper.
The Optimist (Abilene, Tex.), Vol. 92, No. 48, Ed. 1, Friday, April 16, 2004, newspaper, April 16, 2004; Abilene, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth101875/m1/4/?q=%22Student+publications+--+Texas+--+Abilene.%22: accessed June 11, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Abilene Christian University Library.