Recently by Allan Schoof

by Adam Schoof

Jeff Neumann said he has Obama's presidential win to thank for doubling sales at his shooting range and firearms store, The Bullet Hole.

He said he is nearly sold out of AK-47s, SKS and AR-15s; guns that have faced regulation in the past when the Democratic Party has had power. Neumann said most of the buyers had never owned a gun before.

Since Obama won the presidency, background checks for gun sales have increased nationwide. 

"It's not a phenomenon that's just here," Neumann said. 

The rush for guns is in large part due to the election of Obama. The last Democratic administration enacted many gun regulations, including the Federal Assault Weapons Ban and the Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act. Gun buyers, Neumann said, are fearful that despite Obama's claims, he will enact gun regulation like his Democratic predecessor Bill Clinton.

"The paranoia is that the last time the Democrats were in power, the Brady Bunch took over," Corey Pederson, an employee at The Bullet Hole, said.

by Adam Schoof

White Owl was chewing on the rattlesnake's tail and his cat, Buddy, was chewing on the rattlesnake's head when his mother found them in the backyard.

His mother, Elizabeth Tucker, sank to her knees and praised God for having saved her child. She had originally thought White Owl was having his first fight with the cat when in fact Buddy was saving her son's life. By the time she stood up, Buddy had eaten so much of the rattlesnake that he and White Owl were almost kissing.

The believability of this story does not concern White Owl because he is used to strange things happening to him. The manner in which the experiences affect him are more important than the truth, he said.

"[My mother] swore it was real," White Owl said. "How did [the snake] get there that fast? I don't know."

White Owl, 61, has become a celebrity at the University of Kansas. He is known for his dancing, his eccentric clothing, his attendance at sporting events and his preaching outside Wescoe Hall. Because he is over 60, he can attend classes for free. While at KU, he has garnered a reputation for ever-happy and boisterous attitude towards life.

"He's a freer person than the average person," Darrell Edwards, who worked with White Owl said. "He's not confined by the standards by everyday people."

White Owl can often be seen outside Wescoe hall fraternizing with college students.

"He annoys the hell out of me," freshman Young Han Lester said. "White Owl seems like [a hippie] who has never grown up."

White Owl disagrees.

"I'm not a hippie, I take a shower every day," White Owl said. "I take care of myself. I eat well." However, White Owl recognizes that he can be seen as an oddity.

Besides his eccentricity, White Owl is also known for his immense kindness and he said that his bizarre experiences have influenced his life.

"He can tell when something is bothering you," Nikki Hill, Johnson County Community College junior, said. "He always makes me feel better when I'm in a negative
mood."

"He would give you the shirt off his back," Edwards said.

"Whenever he does something for himself, it's only because he is doing something for someone else," Jacob Bigus, a close friend of White Owl, said.

White Owl's journey through life has given him many unique experiences, he said, and they have influenced his manner of kindness. He met the Grateful Dead before they were called the Grateful Dead. He had a hand in starting Garth Brooks' and Dwight Yoakam's careers. He claimed to have pulled a man's throat out during his tour of duty in Vietnam. He has taught courses at the University of Kansas and the University of Kansas at Berkeley and he does not have a degree.

Bigus said to take White Owl's stories with a grain of salt and open them to interpretation. Even White Owl himself said he sometimes doubts if what he has experienced is real or in his head. However, he said the experiences have inspired his faith in God and other people.

White Owl's life story began in Globe, Ariz. where he was born Jimmy Neil Tucker. He was the middle child after two boys and before two girls. His father was a minister in the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). White Owl was also involved with his church and preached from a young age.

His family moved a lot because of his father's work, and White Owl enlisted in the Air Force and went to Vietnam, making his way up to Sergeant. During his tour, White Owl was exposed to Agent Orange, a powerful herbicide used to kill jungle. He has had many bouts with cancer because of his exposure, and he has begun working on a book about the dangers of Agent Orange. White Owl said he also suffers from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.

"Everybody who went, even if they didn't fight, they still got the horror of war because you know what's going on. I still live with a lot of that. It's a service-related injury."

White Owl said that the dangers he faced in Vietnam showed him how lucky he was to be alive, and he said he has never taken life for granted since. White Owl said he is happy to help people, and anything else is "peaches and cream."

When White Owl returned from Vietnam, he immersed himself in the 1960s music scene. He said he hung out with Jerry Garcia of the Grateful Dead in the Haight-Ashbury in San Francisco.

White Owl then moved to Kansas City and worked at a record store called Penny Lane. He said he broke out many artists, such as Garth Brooks, Dwight Yoakam, the Cocteau Twins and many other music groups.

After his house in Kansas City burned, White Owl moved to Lawrence to work on his book about Agent Orange. He brought with him his enthusiasm and fell in love with the University's culture. He quickly became popular for his vivacity, but he did not expect the massive celebrity he would receive for his passion about the University's sports games. He was featured on many television networks as the University's most fanatic fan.

It would culminate at a football game when the Jayhawk mascot came out dressed in White Owl's torn up Army Pants and tie-dye shirt and 51,000 people cheered for him.

"I got KU everywhere, even on my house slippers."

However, his fame has declined this year. White Owl said he does not want to control his fame, and knew from the beginning it would probably not last forever.
"Sometimes people expect more from me than what I am. I don't want fame. I don't want notoriety. I just want to help people."

Julia Lee, a close friend, said White Owl's fame often gets in the way of their close relationship.

"Julia says, 'It's almost like White Owl is better than what he is,'" White Owl said.

However, White Owl said he believes that he will live on through his tales even after he dies so he does not view his fame as all bad.

Lawrence Considering Mandatory Tamper-resistant Electrical Outlets
by Adam Schoof

When they bought their house, Catrina Lootens and her husband could not have afforded a $500 increase in the total price.

However, a change in Lawrence electrical code could have kept them from buying their house.

The Lawrence Electrical Appeals Board is considering requiring tamper-resistant receptacles, or electrical outlets, for new single-family homes. The tamper-resistant outlets would help prevent people, namely children, from electrocuting themselves and starting fires. Annually, almost 4,000 injuries are associated with electrical outlets and are involved an estimated 5,300 fires which kill 40 people and injure 110, according the Consumer Product Safety Commission. But, tamper-resistant outlets come at a price.

At the last Board meeting, the price of installing tamper-resistant outlets for an average Lawrence home was estimated to be $3000 to $3500 by an outside electrical contractor.
This caused concern for Mel Lisher, a Board member and owner of an electrical company. 

"My basic income comes from wiring residential homes," Lisher said. "Tamper-resistant receptacles add to the price of a home that's not needed. ... I don't think our city is ready for the cost increase." 

Lisher cited the poor economy as a factor in his opinion. Furthermore, he said that people should have a choice in the matter and that the government should not mandate personal responsibility. However, other Board members disagreed.

"Everyone's only complaint is money. Give me a figure for everyone who dies in a fire," Board member Larry Frost said. "Nobody talks about the death and loss [associated with this issue]."

Fire Lt. Russel Brickell, also a member of the Board, stated that cost should not affect the Board's decision. Tamper-resistant outlets are the minimal national requirement for the IRC, or International Residential Code, Brickell said.

"I have a lot of trouble [going below the national standard] and I don't want to take a stand should something happen," Brickell said. 

B.J. LaBounty, a Board member and sales representative for Western Extralite Company, echoed Brickell's opinion.

"When we buy a car, we don't go with cost and go from there," LaBounty said. He added that the Board knew tamper-resistant outlets were going to be required eventually, and said that the Board should not waste time "dragging its feet."

Fire Lt. Russell Brickell said that the $3000 to $3500 per-household estimate was not accurate and that a tamper-resistant outlet would cost between one and three dollars.

Phil Burke, the Board's City Liaison, said that tamper-resistant outlets would only increase the total cost of a house by a few hundred dollars. He said that the requirement would not affect electricians because they would pass all cost along to the homeowner.


The National Electrical Manufacturers Association estimated that the total cost for installing tamper-resistant outlets would be less than $50. 

Price is a major issue for many recent buyers of new homes. Along with the poor economy, buyers would also have to take on the added cost of tamper-resistant outlets, whatever the price may be.

"It seems reasonable to me to require the tamper-resistant plug-in sockets in all newly constructed homes," Lootens said, but said she does not plan on having children with her husband while she is in her current house. 

Another recent homebuyer, Basak Efe, disagreed.

"I don't think [tamper-resistant outlets] are necessary. It's the responsibility of the parents," Efe said. "If we don't have kids, why should we have to put them in our house?"

Another issue was whether or not home insurance rates would drop once tamper-resistant outlets were installed. Professor Doug Houston, Director of Finance, Economics, and Decision Sciences, said that there would need to be a "demonstrable reduction in the number of children" being injured in homes with tamper-proof outlets. Since most houses do not have tamper-resistant outlets, most home insurance rate reductions would probably be slight.

Another option for parents besides tamper-proof outlets are plastic safety caps that can be inserted in the sockets and prevent children from inserting objects. However, according to a Temple University study, many children can easily remove them.

If the Board passes the requirement for tamper-resistant outlets, it will go before the City Commission and an open meeting for the public. If passed, the requirement would be immediatly enforced, Burke said. Tamper-resistant outlets would be required for new construction and when older homes' outlets are serviced, Brickell said. The requirement for tamper-resistant outlets can be amended out of the code. The issue will be discussed again at the next Board meeting on November 5th. Lawrence is currently on the 2006 code, Brickell said.

Weak Dollar Drives Away Imports
by Adam Schoof

When Mark Swanson flew to New York City to negotiate with European vendors for his clothing and accessory business, he couldn't buy half of what he had the previous year.

"It was cool stuff, but it was way too expensive," Swanson said.


Since the value of the U.S. dollar has decreased, the price of importing goods has increased. This has affected many local businesses that import products like Swanson's store, Hobbs. Swanson said he imports 60 to 70 percent of his inventory, and that European lines have increased by about 30 percent in price over the past year.

"There's no way we're buying like we did," he said.


Geri Riekhof, owner of the kitchen accessory store The Bay Leaf, said she has also had to cut back on her imports.


"[The value of the dollar has] really impacted us from bringing in beautiful pieces," she said. "For the past two buying seasons, I haven't bought any Italian ceramics."


Her brother is an importer in Chicago, so she can buy directly from the manufacturer instead of depending on a wholesale distributor. However, even with this advantage "the Euro is out of reach."


She said she believes that customers wouldn't pay for the more expensive products while the economy is at its lowest. This is detrimental because it gives customers fewer choices and less competition to lower prices.


Riekhof said she has looked for products made in America and Canada first since prices have risen so that she can make the most of her money.


Perhaps the most affected business would be the European food market Au Marché, owned by Lora Wiley.


"Ninety-nine percent of what we sell is imported," she said. Prices have gone up for her across the board, and she has had to raise her mark-up. She said has reservations about rising her prices and bruising her customers' wallets, but she is worried about the future of her business.

"I can't keep the prices we had a year ago and pay our bills," she said. "This could be a long run. I don't know when this economic crisis will end."


Regular customers at Au Marché have been affected, and are feeling the crunch.


"I come in every month or so just to look at prices," Jessie Johnson, a customer of Au Marché, said. "I've been buying less foreign stuff because it's so expensive. You have to be choosy now, and think, 'Do I really need this?'"


Johnson said the chief concern of her recent purchases has been price.


"The more specialized the good, the more the mark-up," Associate Professor of Economics John Keating said. He said that people will continue to buy imported goods as long as they have the money because there is no alternative.


Keating said that there are signs the market is turning that could make the dollar rise. He cited Warren Buffett's $5 billion purchase of Goldman Sachs as a sign that confidence in the market is turning. This would bring the value of the dollar back to past levels and make imported goods more affordable.


Keating also said that having a wholesale distributor could help keep prices from fluctuating rapidly. Essentially, this means using a middleman that can absorb some of the price change. Research suggests that the closer a purchase is to the original manufacturer, the more turbulent the price will be, Keating said.


Wiley uses a distributor to get her imported goods and agrees with Keating that it is better to have a middleman in the mix.


"The problem with trying to work with the manufacturer is the shipping," she said. She mentioned the cost and the fact that some of her past shipments have gone mysteriously missing.