Page 12/The Battalion/Monday, March 23, 1987
Street people find ‘homes’
in skyscraper office lobbies
Warped
by Scott McCil
NEW YORK (AP) — The city’s
homeless people have found new
homes in the sculpture- and plant-
filled lobbies of some of Manhattan’s
most luxurious midtown office skys
crapers.
The atriums, designed to be oases
for office workers and passersby,
have come in the last few years to
shelter growing numbers of home
less, especially during the winter.
While commuters rush past
“street people” who dwell in the
city’s subway stops, bus stations and
train terminals, the presence of
homeless in the glass and steel sym
bols of corporate America seems
harder to ignore.
“People have a deep sense of dis
comfort when they’re driven by capi
talism and what gets left over is sit
ting right in front of them,” said tax
lawyer Gary Kaplan as he walked
past such a scene.
The lobbies are located in private
buildings but are defined as public
spaces by a provision in the city’s
zoning laws. That means no one can
be kicked out.
“The public spaces are intended
to be used by all members of the
public . . . regardless of their eco
nomic status,” said Tucker Ash
worth, a spokesman for the Depart
ment of City Planning. “We’ve
received few complaints about the
homeless being there.”
Homeless people claim metal
chairs and tables in the lobby of Park
Avenue Plaza, north of Grand Cen-
“Those spaces were de
signed for the public —
that means the poor peo
ple too. ”
—John Croft
tral Station, from 8 a.m. till the
atrium closes at 10 p.m.
John Croft, 50, became homeless
two years ago when he lost his job
and a fire destroyed his Staten Is
land apartment. He sleeps in an
abandoned building and spends his
days drawing in various midtown
atriums. He washes and shaves in
the pink-marbled bathroom in the
elegant Trump Tower on Fifth Ave
nue.
“Those spaces were designed for
the public — that means the poor
people too,” he said.
The juxtaposition of wealth and
poverty is striking in the lobby of
Park Avenue Plaza, a 45-story build
ing between 52nd and 53rd streets
off Park Avenue whose prime tenant
is First Boston, the investment bank
ing firm.
Under a waterfall and a forest of
ficus trees, professionals in pin
striped suits eat $7.95 tortellini salad
at an open-air cafe, while nearby
dozens of ragged homeless men and
women sleep, play cards or stare
aimlessly into space.
“They throw you out in some
buildings, but here, if you’re a rea
sonable person, they’re reasonable
with you,” said a bearded man with
straggly shoulder-length hair who
gave his name as Ken.
But the homeless often are kicked
out, said Robert Hayes, a lawyer for
the Coalition for the Homeless.
“The homeless people are not liv
ing in atriums because it’s a lot of
fun. There’s no choice,” he said.
.82
Waldo
by Kevin Thai
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Developers sue Sunnyvale for right
to build high-density housing units
SUNNYVALE (AP) — A legal
battle is brewing that could turn
the Shelbys’ country dream home
into an urbanized nightmare.
Bill and Judy Shelby’s place,
just 20 minutes east of Dallas, has
a sprawling lawn and a few ducks
in a pond, as well as room for
horses and a swimming pool.
From the living room of the
three-bedroom brick home, you
see nothing but land, dotted by a
few cattle and farmhouses.
“This is something we
dreamed of,” said Mrs. Shelby,
36, who moved her family here
three years ago from Garland, a
suburb closer to Dallas. “I just fig
ured this was the way it was al
ways going to be.”
But for nearly two years, a
Sunnyvale developer has been
neighborhood of at least 3,600
housing units on a 1,196-acre site
in the middle of the community.
Today, there are fewer than 700
homes in the town.
The development — which
would include townhouses, cot
tage homes, larger homes and a
retail center — would surround
the Shelbys’ 6-acre plot on three
sides.
The Town Council in January
turned down the request for the
planned development, which
would have increased the popula
tion at least fivefold in 20 years,
according to the developer’s esti
mates.
In response, the developer,
Sunnyvale Properties Ltd., filed a
$15 million lawsuit against the
town, three council members and
one former council member who
opposed the project.
The developers claim the town
is purposefully excluding minori
ties and lower-income people
who might live in the proposed
neighborhood. In addition, they
charged that Sunnyvale’s strict
zoning policy severely limits the
potential value of their land.
“There aren’t any driving rea
sons to artificially limit the
growth of this town,” said James
L. (Chip) Northrup, who owns
the land — known as Mayhew
Ranch — in a partnership with
Charles Mayhew Sr., a former
mayor of Sunnyvale, and May-
hew’s son, Charles Jr.
At the center of the dispute is a
14-year-old city ordinance requir
ing that any new home be on a
plot of at least one acre. Accord
ing to plans submitted to the
Town Council, the Mayhew prop
erty would average more than
three housing units per acre.
The one-acre ordinance was
approved in 1973 to allow for the
use of septic tanks, before parts
of Sunnyvale were hooked up to
Garland’s municipal sewage sys
tem, according to city records.
Current Mayor Robert Wil
liams denies charges of discrimi
nation, saying the ordinance is
designed only to maintain the
town’ character.
“I don’t think that’s the feeling
of anyone in the community, to
keep anybody out,” Williams told
the Dallas Morning News.
Alloy
(Continued from page 1)
tricity at 98 degrees Kelv
the temperature of liquid nitrogen, a
temperature considered unreacha
ble for more than 75 years.
Nitrogen becomes liquid at 321
degrees below zero Fahrenheit, or
77 degrees above absolute zero on
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Students
(Continued from page 1)
agement plan. That is expected to
include a permanent executive com
mittee of 12 voting members, with
the presidents of the student body
and alumni association serving as
non-voting members.
The NCAA on Feb. 25 abolished
football at SMU in 1987 because of a
booster slush fund that paid $61,000
to 13 players after the school was
placed on its sixth probation in Au
gust 1985.
Pearlman had praise fonl
live decision to add a studeH BEIR
on the panel with full votnsHfni kidr
and privileges. That reprsBostagc
will Ik* the student bodyprs:f»> e with
Kevin St lempke. a memlie*F rec l to
Student Senate, says, “IfsiHii P ressul(
ter than the way it was.” Brisonei
“It will be better for usifl-fil A hai
run, because we just couldj:B e l' vere
the way we were,” Stremkes;: P ews P a I
Stremke says other studt
support the decision to
SMU’s f orm of management
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MCDONALD’S
INTRAMURAL HIGHLIGHTS
DRIVE-THRU
SERVICE
University Drive
Hwy 21
Texas and S.W. Parkway
Manor East Mall
McDonalt
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BREAKFAST EVERY
MORNING
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TRACK MEET: ENTRIES OPEN: Monday, March 23. ENTRIES
CLOSE: Tuesday, March 31. SCRATCH AND INFORMATION MEET
ING: Thursday, April 2, 6:00 PM, 164 Read Building. RUNNING
EVENTS: Preliminary and Divisionals: Corps and Fish - Thursday,
April 2, 7 PM, Kyle Field. Dorm and Ind. - Saturday, April 4, 2 PM, An
derson Track. All University - Sunday, April 5, 3 PM, Anderson Track.
FIELD EVENTS: Preliminary and Divisionals: Corps and Fish - Friday,
April 3, 4 PM, Anderson Track. Dorm and Ind. - Saturday, April 4, Men
- 12 Noon, Women - 1 PM. All University - Sunday, April 5, 1 PM. Or
der of running events available in the IM-Rec Sports Office, 159 Read
Building.
PENBERTHY DOUBLE ELIMINATION SOFTBALL TOURNAMENT:
Entries are still open for this tournament which will be held April 3-5.
Entry fee is $40.00. Softball turf shoes will be awarded to all Class A
Champions while Class B Champions will receive batbags. T-shirts
will go to champions and runnerups in all classes. All homerun hitters
receive free food coupons compliments of McDonald’s Restaurants.
MVP of each game will receive a Penberthy Player of the Game Koo-
zie, compliments of C.C. Creations. Thanks go to the tournament
sponsors: C.C. Creations, Legends Sports Shop and McDonald’s
Restaurants.
HANDBALL DOUBLES: ENTRIES OPEN: Mon., March 23. ENTRIES
CLOSE: Tues., March 31. PLAY BEGINS: Tues., April 17. EQUIP
MENT: Each participant must supply a new can of balls. The winners
keep the unopened can, the losers keep the used cans. ELIGIBILITY:
All TAMU students, faculty, staff, and their spouses may play.
CLASSES: A, B, C, AND D. SCHEDULES: Will be posted on the Intra
mural Bulletin Board after 3 PM on Thurs., April 2. RULES: USHA
Rules will apply. Entry forms are available in the IM-Rec Sports Office,
RM 159 Read Building.
SUPERSTARS: ENTRIES OPEN: Mon., March 23. ENTRIES
CLOSE: Thurs., April 2. Entries will be taken at the participant’s meet
ing on an availability basis only. DIVISIONS: Individual - Men and
Women Team - Men, Women and CoRec. ELIGIBILITY: Superstars
competition is oen to all TAMU students, Faculty and their spouses.
COMPETITION: Participants must choose 10 of the 12 events. Every
one must participate in the obstacle course. MEETING: There will be
a meeting for all participants at 11:00 AM Sat., April 4 in 164 Read to
discuss rules for the competition. This meeting is mandatory.
PICKLEBALL DOUBLES: ENTRIES OPEN: Mon., March 23. EN
TRIES CLOSE: Tues., March 31. PRACTICE TIMES: Watch the IM
Bulletin Board for practice/instructional sessions. ELIGIBILITY: All
TAMU students, Faculty and Staff may enter if they meet the require
ments in the Intramural calendar. CLASSES: A, B, C, and D. PLAY
BEGINS: Tuesday, April 7, Schedules will be posted after 3:00 PM on
Thursday, April 2. Check the Bulletin Board outside the Intramural Of
fice to see when you play. Equipment will be furnished.
■p" „ following outdoor trips have
_»een planned. For more informa
tion contact Patsy Greiner, 845-
7826.
CLIMB A ROCK! Intermediate
Rock Climbing/Rappelling Trip,
April 3-5, Enchanted Rock State
Natural Area.
BACKPACKING! at Enchanted
Rock State Natural Area, April 3-
5, for beginning and intermediate
backpackers.
MOUNTAIN BIKERS! Trip to
Lake Sommerville State Park, 13
mile day trip, Saturday, April 11.
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Be a superstar! Enter the Superstar Competition which opens TODAY!
AGGIELAND SOCCER
CLASSIC
WRESTLING ALL-UNIVERSITf
CHAMPIONS
Congratulations to the winners of the Intramural Wrestling Toumam
The Men’s TAMU Soccer Club will be hosting a 19 and
under Aggieland Soccer Classic on Saturday and Sun
day, March 28-29. Teams are expected from Austin,
Houston, Dallas, and Louisiana. The tournament is open
to teams in which all members of the team are under 19
years of age. For more information about the tourna
ment, contact John Baldwin at 696-9219.
Class A
Class B
134 lbs
Ricky Ward
142 lbs
Greg Burns
Jerry Marshalle
150 lbs
Douglas Stabler
158 lbs
Wesley Garrod
167 lbs
John Byrne
177 lbs
David Schmidt
Stanley Wright
190 lbs
Jeffrey Walter
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SOFTBALL PLAYOFF!
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Softball playoffs will be posted after 3 Pm on April 2 on the bulletin t
outside racquetball courts 3 and 4. Play begins on April 6.
McDonald’s Intramural Highlights is sponsored in the Battalion by
your local McDonald’s Restaurants at University Drive, Manor East
Mall on Hwy 21 and on Texas Avenue. Stories are written by Genni
Miller, graphics are by Mike Cantrell and photos are by Mark Figart
and Brian Crosby.
FOOTNOTES
- Volleyball Triples and Innertube Water Polo regular season play
tonight, March 23. Team Captains who did not attend the TeamCapla
Meeting may pick up their schedules in Room 159, Read Building.
- Wallyball Finals are scheduled for Thursday, March 26 beginrintl
5:45 PM in DeWare.
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