By Alan Melson staff reporter A proposed $233 million north-south tollway that would cross Fort Worth is being championed by some members of the Fort Worth City Council, but some community leaders said the plan will cause more harm than good for the city. The proposed project would include an eight-mile toll road stretching from Interstate 30 and Forest Park Boulevard to Bryant-Irvin Road. The road would continue south from there as a free highway that would eventually reach Cleburne. The Southwest Parkway Citizens Advisory Committee, a group of Fort Worth citizens assembled by the Fort Worth City Council to study the proposed tollway, went before the council last week and presented its plans, which include structural elements designed to keep the road from intruding too much on the areas it will affect. The committee has asked officials to preserve as much green space as possible and keep the route from affecting existing roads. These proposed changes include a plan to route the freeway underneath the Hulen Street bridge that runs over the railroad tracks leading to the Union Pacific rail yard. Louise Appleman, chairwoman of the committee, said the road is greatly needed and will make life easier for people commuting from southwest Fort Worth. "It will make it much easier to get from the Bryant-Irvin/Cityview area and beyond to downtown," Appleman said. "This road will also relieve congestion from Hulen Street. It will make driving in this part of the city much easier." Fort Worth City Council member Chuck Silcox, who has been a major proponent of what is being called the Southwest Parkway, said the road is necessary to help ease traffic congestion. "The southwest part of Fort Worth is projected to grow by 80,000 to 120,000 people in the next 20 years," Silcox said. "One of the things that I have been expressing very strongly is that I don't want to see us not update our roads to keep pace with the growth pattern. This project has been on the books since 1963, and finally something is being done about it." Several TCU students who live in the Stonegate Villas apartments near the proposed route said they are not sure how it will affect them. "I haven't really thought much about it, honestly," said Jennifer Pritchard, a junior music education major. "I'll probably be out of here before it is finished, so it won't affect me directly, but if it helps ease congestion along Hulen, I guess it's a good thing. I do think it may make the Stonegate area a less desirable place to live, though." The project's cost is projected to increase as property must be purchased for right-of-way. Dan Walsh, engineering manager for the City of Fort Worth Transportation and Public Works Department, said much of the right-of-way probably won't cost the city anything. "I can tell you that the owners of the large properties along the route south of Hulen Street will probably dedicate (donate) the right-of-way because they own the property on both sides of the proposed road," Walsh said. The city is working with the Texas Department of Transportation and the North Texas Tollway Authority (NTTA) to plan the tollway. Jerry Hiebert, executive director of the NTTA, said the majority of property purchases will be at the northern end of the roadway, near Vickery Boulevard and Forest Park Avenue, where most of the right-of-way cuts across pieces of private property. Proponents of the Southwest Parkway agree that the necessity outweighs the large price tag. However, leaders of the renewal movement in the central part of the city have criticized the planned tollway, saying the growing cost will take money away from the efforts to revitalize older areas such as Berry Street. Carol Misfeldt, co-chairwoman of the Hemphill Corridor Redevelopment Effort, said this project has been "railroaded" through without many citizens knowing about it. "There's a fairly sizable group in this community that thinks this is a really bad idea," she said. "So many people think it's already a done deal, but it isn't. Few people know about this now, but if those people were to see statistics, they'd be shocked. It's going to have a really negative impact on the way the city looks, on the air quality and on our pocketbooks and will probably drain so much money out of the city budget that if we think we have potholes now, we haven't seen anything yet." Greg Hughes, vice chairman of the University West Neighborhood Association, which represents the residential area directly northwest of the TCU campus, said he also is concerned about how the road will affect the area. "By building that freeway so that it runs just south of I-30 in this part of town, it will create basically a solid roof of overpasses over University Drive from the interstate to the railroad bridge," Hughes said. "That intersection is a major gateway to the TCU campus It needs help already, and I think this added overpass would make it even worse." Linda Clark, president of the Berry Street Initiative, the group that helped plan the Berry Street redevelopment, said the group expressed concerns about the tollway's impact on the city at a City Council meeting last year, but she said those concerns have not been addressed as far as she is aware. Silcox said critics of the plan simply need to check the facts. "This roadway and the businesses it will generate will help create property and sales taxes that will help the city pay for other activities," Silcox said. "I have told the critics of Highway 121 that I could easily work to kill the revitalization projects they want so badly to happen, but I believe they are needed, too. Instead of fighting as 'yours vs. mine,' why don't we fight for both of ours together? That's what ought to be done." Hiebert said public hearings about the final plan for the tollway will be held early next year before it is submitted to federal officials for approval. In the meantime, residents of the older neighborhoods in central Fort Worth said all they can do is continue to let people know they think the plan is not in the best interests of the city. "I've heard a lot of people who have a lot of knowledge about city development and growth patterns say that if this tollway is built, it will be the death knell for the older, central part of Fort Worth," Misfeldt said. "People will just bypass all of it to get to the new developments in southwest Fort Worth. They try to justify the road by saying it's been on the books for 30 years, but the world's a very different place than it was 30 years ago. "There's got to be a smarter, more cost-effective solution to the problem."
Alan Melson
By Tealy Dippel staff reporter Tuesday's presidential and vice presidential candidate forum in Reed/Sadler Mall drew a crowd of about 70 students as candidates introduced issues pertaining to their campaign platforms. The forum, organized by Student Government Association members, was an informal question-and-answer session. A more formal debate will be held at 12:30 p.m. today in the Reed/Sadler Mall. The four out of five presidential candidates who attended the forum were the first group to begin the discussion. Some of the topics brought up by candidates were communication, safety, intramural field's lighting and diversity. Although each candidate had a different focal point, most discussed possible improvements to communication between individual students and organizations. "Communication is key; a lot of people think we don't have enough," said Ben Jenkins, a presidential candidate. Jenkins also said recent technology advances are steps in the right direction. "We need technology to work for the students, not have the students work for technology," Jenkins said. Since the passage of the student referendum containing changes to the SGA constitution, the duties of the vice president and president have been altered. Walker Moody, a presidential candidate, said he thinks the changes have made the presidential duties more defined. "Now the SGA president will be working equally with both branches, not just House," Moody said. The idea of more communication carried on into the vice presidential discussion. Kenny Oubre, a vice presidential candidate, said students at TCU have a lack of unity. "I would like to have a place for students to come and share ideas," Oubre said. "SGA has a two-fold goal to help students get an education and to have fun, so House should be a place to express views." Sara Donaldson, another vice presidential candidate, said she thinks student concerns should be SGA concerns. "I want people and their organizations to feel good about themselves so they can reach out to everyone else," Donaldson said. Clay Stauffer, a vice presidential candidate, said he thinks he understands what it would take to make SGA better. "Students have to be encouraged to get involved, we need to listen to students first and act later," Stauffer said. Ryan Shoemake, a vice presidential candidate, said he thinks the answer is unity without boundaries. "Students need at least a semester to be TCU students before they become anything else, for instance, Greek students," he said. University Relations Committee Chairman Paul Kanitra said he thinks the decision to hold the forum outside was a better decision than having it indoors because he said more people attended. "I think the forum ran smoothly, but I hope people paid attention," Kanitra said. Kanitra said although several topics were discussed at the forum, there was no open debate among the candidates. "Thursday's debate will be set up to allow more debate and back-and-forth answers," Kanitra said.
Tealy Dippel
By Justin Roche staff reporter A semester has passed without incident since Michelle Lessin took the Rape Aggression Defense class from TCU Police, but the lack of opportunity does not mean the lessons she learned were futile. "I've been lucky enough not to have to use it," said Lessin, a junior psychology major. "But knowing what I learned, it makes me feel safer." The RAD program, now in its third year, teaches women self-defense techniques that enable them to escape from aggravated assault situations while building their level of confidence. Provided by TCU Police for free, the RAD classes are 12-hour sessions in which women of all age groups learn how attacks usually occur and how to handle those situations. Participants also practice techniques in live scenarios against instructors in padded RAD suits. Officer Mark McGuire co-coordinates the program with Sgt. John Pacheco. He said the entire program is focused around equipping women to handle an assault situation if it arises. "The purpose is to give you knowledge so if you get into certain situations, you'll have the weapons to get out," he said. "It does teach self-defense, but the main objective is for the female to get away." Knowledge and self-esteem are the keys to self-defense, McGuire said. "One goal for me is to build self-esteem into females so that if they got in a situation with an attacker, they would be equipped to handle it," he said. "In some classes you can just see it. Their confidence is not as high because they don't have the knowledge. But when they're done with the program, you can see a whole 100 percent change in them." This gain in self-assurance is the benefit Lessin said she felt was the most impacting. "I would say (the greatest benefit is) the confidence that you can escape it and you don't just have to fall victim to it," she said. McGuire said the physical application stage is very realistic and the most effective way for the women to learn what the class is all about. "When you go into simulation, it's 100 percent," McGuire said. "They punch, they kick. We want to put them into a situation they're uncomfortable in and make them get out. That's the main goal: to escape." To increase the number of classes, three people were sent to Rice University last week for a three-day, 30-hour training RAD conference. The addition of these instructors gives the program five officially trained instructors capable of teaching the class. Gary Payton, assistant safety director of risk management, was one of the three trained and said the personal experience he gained will help him better understand and help the women in the program. "I think they tried to make (the men) feel how a female does in those situations," Payton said. "We were attacked by these huge guys. I don't even know where they found them. They were huge. "They wanted to show us what it feels like to be intimidated, and they did a great job. I was scared, but I got out." Payton said the confidence and hope he gained is what the program is trying to give the women who participate. "'I will survive' - that's the attitude they're trying to instill in the females," he said. "They feel like they can do something." Payton said he wants to see more female faculty and staff members take advantage of the classes. "We have safety training for employees on almost everything," he said. "We want to implement more programs that people don't have to do but want to do." Along with Payton, Officer Walker Johnson and Hoa Brown, workers' compensation coordinator, were also trained for the RAD program. Brown is the only female instructor. With more instructors, McGuire said he hopes more students will take the course but warns the class does is not an assurance that nothing will ever happen. "It builds up self-esteem, but the class is not going to guarantee your safety," he said. Lessin said the knowledge she gained helped her feel more secure, but she is content with never trying out her skills in real life. "I don't know how effective I'd be if I had to use it, but I hope I never have to find out," she said. McGuire said there will be a RAD program within the next two weeks. Anyone interested can contact TCU Police at 257-7777 or McGuire via e-mail at (macnavy@yahoo.com).
Justin Roche
By Carey Hix staff reporter Audience members at the Fall Faculty Dance Concert will have the opportunity to see dance styles ranging from ballet to modern to historical. The concerts - which are set for 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday in Ed Landreth Hall Auditorium - will feature the work of Fernando Bujones, choreographer-in-residence, and several faculty members, including Li-Chou Cheng, ballet master-in-residence, Kerry Kreiman, lecturer in dance, Ellen Page Garrison, professor of ballet, and Keitha Manning, theoretician for ballet and modern dance. The works will be performed by dance students. Bujones, who recently celebrated the 25th anniversary of his recognition as the first American male dancer to win the Gold Medal in dance at the VII International Ballet Competition in Varna, Bulgaria, said the event will be one everyone can enjoy. "When the music is good or appealing, and the dance has energy, and the choreography has energy, you don't need to understand about dance to get excited and to get captivated by what is going on on that stage," he said. "The music and the dance itself blends and captivates you if the energy is there on both sides." Kelli Connelly, a senior ballet and modern dance major who will perform in the show, said it will benefit audience members as well as the dance department. "It's an opportunity for students to be cultured and support one of the departments here on campus, and I think what you gain from it is just a good experience," she said. "I hope people will go to be enlightened and to appreciate and support the arts." Kreiman said the diversity of the pieces will make the performance especially interesting. "The show should be a lot of fun because the music is very diverse," she said. "There will be a live performance by the Amistad Chamber Players, a group that performs classical Latin American music." The show will appeal to the senses, said Manning, whose work, titled "A Passage of Time: From Clashing Swords to Powdered Wigs," will feature two historically accurate reconstructed dances with authentic costumes and three dances choreographed in the style of the Baroque period. "It is a visual spectacle," she said. Cheng said he chose music from a French composer for his choreography. "The first movement is very peaceful and very graceful," he said. "It is a slow, pleasant adagio, which (portrays) slow motion. The second movement is very passionate, fast and warm." Bujones will end the show with his Arabian classical-style ballet performed to Alexander Borodin's music of the "Polovtzian Dances" from the opera "Prince Igor." The musical composition for Bujones' piece is from a famous opera, he said. "It's known worldwide, so when people hear it they identify immediately with the music," he said. "That's one of the reasons that I chose the music It's a very appealing and very energetic music." Audience members need to understand the hard work and effort put forth by the dancers to make this a special event, Bujones said. "I hope (the audience) understands the incredible energy that's being put into this work, from every single step I've choreographed to every single step they dance," he said.
Carey Hix |
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