THE INDEPENDENT DAILY NEWSPAPER FOR THE UNIVERSITY OF IOWA COMMUNITY SINCE 1868 The Daily Iowan WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 2006 WWW.DAILYIOWAN.COM 50¢ Pulkrabek LETTING THE PROJECT SUNSHINE IN draws fire A UI alum pairs with a New York nonprofit to pamper those who need it most from GOP After Lonny Pulkrabek proposed reforms, including changing the penalties for possessing small amounts of marijuana, Republicans have lashed out at the Johnson County sheriff BY JASON PULLIAM THE DAILY IOWAN Two weeks after proposing a series of reforms to state lawmakers aimed at reining in jail overcrowding and budget problems, Johnson County Sheriff Lonny Pulkrabek continues to draw fire from critics who argue his approaches are soft on crime. Johnson County Republi- cans have lashed out at Nick Loomis/The Daily Iowan Pulkrabek, arguing that his Pulkrabek Gloria Kauffman (background) gets a massage from UIHC employee Michelle Greif during the Origins Oasis mini-spa program for the parents of advocacy of changing the Johnson County patients Tuesday night at the UIHC 8th floor East Room. The program is sponsored by Project Sunshine, a non-profit organization in New York penalty for having small sherrif City, and facilitated by UI business graduate and Project Sunshine Employee Emily Daman. amounts of marijuana from a serious to simple misdemeanor is reckless. “It’s a very irresponsible position to take,” said BY MEGHAN V. MALLOY and robbed her daughter of her yourself, when Daman moved to New York Johnson County Republicans head Todd Ver- AND DANNY VALENTINE right leg. you are always after graduation to work in sales. steegh of Oxford. “If he wants to be sheriff, he taking care of a THE DAILY IOWAN But for two hours Tuesday Project Sunshine was a client of needs to enforce the laws on the books.” sick child. Com- Pulkrabek made six recommendations in testi- night, she was granted a few hers and soon became her passion. Joanne Tompkins has been ing down here mony before legislators, but two in particular gener- moments of rest. “It’s such an amazing organiza- sleeping in a fold-out hospital Parents of ailing children at has helped me ated the most interest and, in some cases, outrage. find myself.” tion,” she said. “I knew I wanted Some people also took exception with chair since her 9-year old daugh- UIHC all had the chance to relax to be involved right away.” ter, Josie, entered the UI Hospi- Emily Daman, a Pulkrabek’s suggestion to consider diverting because of a first-ever mini-spa Project Sunshine, which tals and Clinics to begin her can- program called Origins Oasis. 2003 UI business select public-intoxication offenders to a detox Daman assists terminally ill children’s cer treatment in May 2005. “I felt like I was carrying rocks graduate, facilitat- facility, asserting that a comparable center locat- families through a variety of pro- She worries all the time, trying around on my back, and, now, the ed the program, which is sponsored ed in the county in the 1980s was ineffective. grams in more than 120 medical to ease the burden of the cancer rocks are gone,” Tompkins said. by Project Sunshine, a nonprofit SEE PULKRABEK, PAGE 8A that has already metastasized “You know, it’s really easy to lose organization in New York City. SEE OASIS, PAGE 5A UISG ELECTIONS AFRICAN-AMERICAN ISSUES UI enrollment In an effort to help you, the voter, familiarize yourself with the UI Student Government This week, The Daily Iowan will look at issues candidates this campaign season, The Daily Iowan has asked each ticket to articulate its platforms affecting black students, faculty, and staff on the for a series of stories. This is the second in the five-part series. UI campus and around Iowa City. This is the Candidates all push youth vote third in the five-part series. BY BRYCE BAUER At times, UI THE DAILY IOWAN CANDIDATE VITALS: UI Student Government pres- • Shannon Thomas (IC Party): idential parties may differ on Republican shockingly white many issues, but they all agree • Flip Akulary (King Kong Party): Independent (worked for that get-out-the-vote — or BY MARGARET POE GOTV, in classy politico speak Kerry/Edward campaign) — efforts are important. • Atul Nakhasi (Big Awesome THE DAILY IOWAN Thomas Arkulary That rhetoric, however, has Nakhasi McElligott Party): Independent For one UI graduate stu- only partially embedded itself IC Party King Kong Party Big Awesome Party Does a Student • Peter McElligot (Got dent, every in the minds of some of this Body Good Party McElligott/Stark): Democrat stroll across year’s presidential candidates. campus is a Peter McElligott, who has The Big Awesome Party’s Atul satellite voting to help the UISG ISSUE SERIES reminder of championed the voting cause, Nakhasi, registered here as a younger voters better align just how few Friday: Alcohol has just one notch on his voting Democrat, has an excuse for his themselves with rapper Diddy’s other blacks Feb. 28: Budget allocations belt — the 2004 presidential lackluster voting record — he’s 18. 2004 vote-drive cause. are at the UI. March 2: UISG diversity election. He said it was a shame Despite the mixed record, all Shannon Thomas, the presi- “Visually, it he didn’t vote in last Novem- continued to tout the impor- dential candidate for the IC Party, can be over- ber’s Iowa City City Council tance of getting 18- to 24-year- had one of the highest voting Nakhasi, an electoral ama- whelming to Ortega elections, saying he wasn’t olds inside the ballot booth. records, casting her ballots in the teur, said get-out-the-vote efforts not see peo- informed enough. “Everyone has a voice,” Arku- last three November elections. would be a priority for his party. ple of color,” “[My voting record] is some- lary said, adding that he contin- She said her party will promote “I definitely think we need to said mathematics graduate thing I need to work on,” the ues to vote in his hometown of voting through word-of-mouth stress the importance of voting,” student Omayra Ortega. “It University Democrats events Duluth, Minn., where he’s regis- campaigns — a method she says he said. can be daunting.” coordinator said. tered as an independent. “We works best to recruit students. Nakhasi said “diverse” groups, According to fall 2005 fig- King Kong party candidate are going to have another [get- “Our strategy is helping them including non-political-science ures from the Registrar’s Flip Arkulary, while espousing out-the-vote] campaign.” understand why they need to Office, black students such as majors, Asian Americans, and a state in which 2.1 percent of the importance of local involve- The UI junior said he’d like to vote,” the registered Republican Ortega make up 2.3 percent of athletes, all needed to hear more residents are black — yet it ment, has yet to cast a ballot in see a get-out-the-vote ground said. “We not only encourage the school’s enrollment. about the importance of voting. does not reflect the United Iowa City since moving here crew, door-to-door and phone voting here but also for guber- The UI’s percentage of three years ago. campaigns, and an increase in natorial and national elections.” SEE UISG, PAGE 5A blacks mirrors that of Iowa — SEE BLACK HISTORY MONTH, PAGE 8A DAREDEVIL ROCK STAR SEX-OFFENDER INDEX 41 5 C Eldon Miller will go anywhere, For Amos Patrick, rockin’ out STRAINS Arts 7A © © 4B do anything, despite not being means scrambling up a sheer New sex-offender laws mean shifting Classifieds Crossword 6B 25 -4 C able to see exactly where cliff face. 3A Partly sunny, personnel around in the Sheriff’s Opinions 6A windy he’s going. 1B Office. 8A Sports 1B 2A - The Daily Iowan - Iowa City, Iowa - Wednesday, February 22, 2006 NEWS The Daily Iowan Police patrols up on Broadway Volume 137 Issue 148 BREAKING NEWS STAFF Phone: (319) 335-6063 Publisher: “We have a real nice neigh- Police would be willing to BY COLIN BURKE ‘We have a real nice E-mail: [email protected] William Casey. 335-5788 THE DAILY IOWAN borhood down here, and we attend neighborhood meet- Fax: 335-6184 Editor: don’t want any wrong ings, and residents should neighborhood down here, CORRECTIONS Jennifer Sturm. .335-6030 A recent e-mail from a local impressions,” he said. report any behavior they Managing Editor: Call: 335-6030 neighborhood association and we don’t want any Police Capt. Matt Johnson deem “unusual or atypical Alex Lang. 335-5855 leader asked Iowa City Police wrong impressions.’ responded to the pair’s for the normal conduct of the Policy: The Daily Iowan strives for Metro Editors: Chief Sam Hargadine to request, saying the depart- neighborhood,” Johnson said. accuracy and fairness in the reporting Drew Kerr. 335-6063 of news. If a report is wrong or mis- increase the number of ment has increased the num- E-mail DI reporter Colin Burke at: Jane Slusark. .335-6063 — Don Anciaux, co-president leading, a request for a correction or a patrols around the Broadway ber of uniform patrol watches [email protected] Danielle Stratton-Coulter . 335-6063 neighborhood, in the south- of the Wetherby Friends and clarification may be made. Opinions Editor: Neighbors and street crime officers in eastern part of the city. And the area. PUBLISHING INFO Erik Owomoyela. .335-5863 the police have followed the He said he wasn’t sure how The Daily Iowan (USPS 143.360)is Sports Editor: Jason Brummond. 335-5848 woman’s wishes.