opinions editorial opinion Berner, Wiser, McManis and Wallace for State College Borough Council With four days to borough council elec tions, six of the seven candidates have clearly outlined their concerns and demon strated their ability to hold public office. The seventh, a University senior majoring in political science, officially entered the race on Wednesday, but his record in stu dent government speaks for itself. R. Thomas Berner (Republican) and Gary A. Wiser (Republican) are separated from the other candidates by four years of experience in an elected office and a keen understanding of the issues confronting the council. Berner, the only incumbent in the race, has served as chairman of the Centre Re gion Code Committee and as a member of the Council of Government's Executive Committee. In his first term of office, he was instrumental in providing more space for senior citizens at the Fraser Street Plaza, creating a government-education TV channel and passing legislation requiring sprinkler systems in high-rise buildings. He has a sensible approach to the bo rough's parking problem and he is sensitive to the dangers of unchecked random devel opment of the area, minority concerns and the borough's revenue problems. He also has demonstrated a willingness to cross party lines in order to represent his constit uents. Wiser, a council member from 1982-85, served as the 1980 chairman of the Inters cholastic Advisory Committee to the State College Area School Board, a member of the Centre County Solid Waste Authority and a member of the St. Paul's United Vote 'yes' to save state farmland When voters go to the polls Tuesday they will be asked to settle a 25-year battle to save Pennsylvania's farmland. A referendum on the ballot asks voters if the state should float a $lOO million bond issue, providing local counties with match ing funds to purchase development rights to state farmland. A "yes" vote on the referendum is needed to forestall the development of farmland into commercial and residential use. During the past 20 years, the development of farmland into high-rises, shopping malls and housing complexes has plowed under farmers and their land. In 1965, Pennsylva nia had 11.3 million acres of farmland. In 1979 that figure fell to 8.7 million acres. The commonwealth lost 2.6 million acres in those 14 years. Between 1975 and 1985, it lost 900,000 acres to development. Pennsylvania Agriculture Secretary Boyd Wolff said the state loses an area of farmland larger than Pittsburgh every six months. Earlier efforts to protect the state's har vest have failed. Of all the solutions the dn; Collegian Friday, Oct. 30, 1987 1987 Collegian Inc. Editor Chris Raymond Business Manager Glenn B. Rougier The Daily Collegian's editorial opin ion is determined by its Board of Opinion, with the editor holding final responsibility. Opinions ex pressed on the editorial pages are not necessarily those of The Daily Collegian, Collegian Inc. or The Pennsylvania State University. Collegian Inc., publishers of The Daily Collegian and related publica tions, is a separate corporate insti tution from Penn State. Board of Editors Managing Editor Megan O'Matz Opinion Editor Jim Higgins Assistant Opinion Editor Jeannette Gibson News Editors Eric Schmidt. James A Stewart Copy/Wire Editors Jill Bedford. Mike Carlin Beth Anne Gidlund. Jill Graham Celeste McCauley Town Editor Jane Kopacki Assistant Town Editor Shelly Napoli Campus Editor Carolyn Sorisio Assistant Campus Editor Lauren Young Sports Editor Bob Williams Assistant Sports Editors Stacey Jacobson, Megan Culhane Magazine Editor Mark Ashenfelter Assistant Magazine Editor Dave Sottile Arts Editor Ron Swegman Assistant Arts Editor Amy Raskovsky Science Editor Christine Kilgore Graphics Editor Andy Capitos The The Daily Collegian's Board of Opin ion, therefore, endorses R. Thomas Berner, Gary A. Wiser, Jean McManis and Daniel Wallace for the borough council. Peter E. Lang and D. Jolene West are viable candidates but they have not demon strated sufficient knowledge of the issues confronting the council and the mech anisms of borough government. Write-in candidate Patrick Paul, North Halls presi dent, has failed to address many of the campaign issues and his controversial re cord as a student representative casts doubt on his campaign. state has considered, this measure is the most promising. Here's how it works: Farmers in agricul tural security districts areas in which farmers with 500 acres or more receive protected zoning status can sell the county their rights to develop the land for non-farm purposes. But the farmers retain all rights to use the land as they'd like. Farmers who decide to sell their devel opment rights can do so for 25 years or forever. Those who sell for 25 years will receive 10 percent of the land's assessed development value and permanent sellers will receive the full development value for their farm. As more and more young people elect to leave family farms to pursue occupations away from the fields, this proposal stands as an answer to farmers who thought they would be forced to develop their land to provide for retirement. It stands as an acknowledgement of the importance of preserving the Keystone State's lush farmlands for posterity. Photo Editor Cristy Rickard Assistant Photo Editor Dan Oleski Board of Managers Assistant Business Manager Lori Sposs Accounting Manager Aire Constantine Office Manager Kel, Moffatt Assistant Office Manager Jan Miller Sales Manager Walter R Dewees Assistant Sales Manager Harvey J. Shapiro Layout Manager Michele Morrison Marketing Manager Dante Orazzi 111 Assistant Marketing Manager Kellee J. Kurtz Complaints: News and editorial com plaints should be presented to the editor. Business and advertising complaints should be presented to the business manager. If a complaint is not satisfacto rily resolved, grievances may be filed with the Accuracy and Fair Play Commit tee of Collegian Inc Information on filing grievances is available from Gerry Lynn Hamilton, executive secretary. Collegian Inc Letters Policy: The Daily Collegian en courages comments on news coverage. editorial policy and University affairs. Letters must be typewritten, double spaced and no longer than one and one half pages. Forums must also be type written. double-spaced and no longer than three pages. Students' letters should include se mester standing, major and campus of the writer. Letters from alumni should include the major and year of graduation of the writer. All writers should provide their address and phone number for verification of the letter. Letters should be signed by no more than two people. Names may be withheld on request. The Collegian reserves the right to edit letters for length and to reject letters if they are libelous or do not conform to standards of good taste. Because of the nurn'. - , , ?s of letters received, the Collegian cannot guarantee publication of all the letters it receives. Letters may also be selected for publication in The Weekly Collegian. All letters received become the property of Collegian Inc Methodist Church Administrative Board and Finance Committee. He is interested in finding new sources of revenue for the borough and in concentrat ing on health and safety issues including the disposal of solid waste, expansion of the borough's sewer system and preserving the quality of drinking water. Of the remaining candidates, Jean Mc- Manis (Democrat) and Daniel Wallace (Democrat) are best qualified to hold bo rough council seats. McManis, recently retired director of publications and university editor for Penn State, is sensitive to University concerns and student issues. She offers a fresh out look for local government. Wallace, director of real estate for Uni- Marts Inc., may not have the experience of Berner or Wiser, but he has compensated for that deficiency with an awareness of the borough's problems and an understanding of the proposed solutions. Halloween Do not go gentle into that good night! Beware, kids. No, the moon will not be full, but tomorrow night is Halloween nonetheless. And as you're out there, traipsing around in full costume and partial sobriety, watch out. Campus is larg er, scarier, and infinitely more evil than we realize . . . especially at night. So take heed what really goes on when the sun goes down! In the sub-basement of the Human Devel opment building, in a small, forgotten storage room, the stirrings of life begin. Rotkiv F. was once an aspiring grad in human development before he lost his grant in a pile of red tape at Shields and was kicked out of the University. He now stands hunched over the human he is trying desperately to develop part by part in that basement, looking for the final spark of life to send his vengeant creation loose on campus. And not far from there. but far above the ground, the most frightening presence on cam pus lurks in the shadows. Hundreds of bats swarm in the chill air, circling and hovering about the belfry of Old Main. A tall man-like figure, hair slicked back. appears within the bell tower. With his face to the wind and his sharp jaw jutting ahead, he closes his eyes in smug contem plation. He has been, no doubt, devising ways to raise tuition costs and stiffen alcohol policies. With a loud, throaty laugh, a sinister toothy grin and a flourish of his cape, he disappears into the night. The wind rises: leaves rustle and crawl along the streets and sidewalks. Noises seem half heard, half-real. Very faint, barely perceptible organ strains are carried on the night wind to whatever ears may care to listen and follow. Closer, and the eerie music grows louder. It is coming from Schwab. The doors are all locked, Beastums, devils, demons and other scary things that go bump in the night reader opinion Racist propaganda True Penn Staters I write this letter in reference to racist propaganda that appeared on University property Sunday, Oct. 25, and that was featured in an article in Monday's Daily Colle gian. As elected representative for Penn State's undergrad uates, I would hope I speak for all of them when I say that any group that discriminates against an individual due to race, religion, sex or sexual orientation cannot in any form or fashion be tolerated. I encourage students to join with me in encouraging the University administration to investigate this action. Fur ther, in the event that any University student or student group proves to be involved. I would advocate the harshest penalty nothing short of expulsion from the University be administered. On a related note, I must comment on the Collegian's coverage of the incident. For a paper whose policies include not accepting racially discriminating advertise ments, providing a graphic representation of the propa ganda that included the address of the group advocating such values and ideals was, putting it mildly, insensitive as well as an affront to minorities on campus. I believe an apology is in order. the curtains all drawn, and the Phantom of the Auditorium plays wicked songs to his evil de light. .... to ft/A t IP IP. t Nestled away in the corner of campus. the Walker Building seems innocuous enough. But lights are on tonight in Walker on the sixth floor to be precise. In fact, they're always on up there. Beasties and boogums with I D tags hanging from their shirts are toiling dancing their gleeful research dance until v,ee hours of the morning. Steam wisps its way out of the ground vents all over campus, but one in particular is special. From this one, like an apparition from the grave. the vent man rises up out of the warm mist. He shudders, looks up to the midnight blue sky and laughs his whiskey laugh. He flexes his arms. shoulders and chest to remove the stiffness from them. He draws out his foot-long dagger. licks clean the icy blade, and sets off on his nightly rounds. A lab assistant works diligently into the wee hours of the morning at the Old Botany, poring over his papers and books with a pizza and a six pack alongside him. He glances up from his paper, reaches for the beer he has cracked open. It's gone. So is the pizza. HALLowEEN wing "ME REA4ANS LIKE MY MASK 7 " Todd Sloan USG president The Daily Collegia Friday, Oct. 30, 1987 OMIRY 10000 Crowded streets The number of complaints I continue to get each week relative to bicycles and skateboards on the downtown streets increases. The fact is the sidewalks are already crowded with pedestrians. Another fact is that there is an ordinance prohibiting both forms of transportation from the sidewalks downtown. The reasons should be quite obvious. Bicycles are subject to the State Motor Vehicle Code. This means they must remain in the street and must be operated in accordance with local ordinances governing directional requirements such as those relating to one way streets and the proper lanes for movement. Bicyclists will be cited for being on sidewalks, moving in the wrong direction on one-way streets, and for being in the wrong traffic lane. Skateboard enthusiasts must stay out of the business district at all times. There are an abundance of sidewalks in the other areas of the community. Just remember that skaters must yield to the pedestrian at all times any where. Cooperation from both groups is requested so as to eliminate the costly citations that are covered by these ordinances. He spins wildly around, trying to clear his head. He is all alone except for the the viny plants growing in the room. a full 15 feet behind him. It can't be. he thinks, as he steps cautiously toward the plant. The glimmer of metal catches his eye an empty Bud Light can the plant is clutching. No one hears his cries as the vine engulfs him, squeezing the life out of him. And he had left the window open a crack. Right across the street, a growing commotion goes unnoticed. The earth tremors, hushes are uprooted. steam rises from the cracks in the earth. A low rumbling grows loud and intense until in a violent paroxysm Atherton's grave is torn asunder, marble and granite flying every which way. Rising slowly from the tomb, his rotted suit falling off of him in patches. is the University's first president. perhaps come to reclaim his position. Walking home very late and very unstable, a hapless student decides to use the underpass at the intersection of Pollock and Shortlidge Roads. Mistake number one. As she descends the steps into the graffiti abyss she is unaware of just where she is going. As she stumbles along the day-glow walls, a door springs open out of one of the walls, loosing a barrage of demons. devils and fiends upon her They pummel her, chew her clothes. tie her hands and feet. and drag her mercilessly down a seemingly endless tunnel, a fiery rat-cellar. the very gateway to hell: here, she will have manda tory attendance eight-o'clock classes for the rest of her pathetic miserable stay. So let's be careful out there. huh? Todd S. Christopher is a pit fiend majoring in English and is a columnist for The Daily Colle gian. His column appears every Friday. Arnold Addison State College mayor
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