University of Montana ScholarWorks at University of Montana Associated Students of the University of Montana Montana Kaimin, 1898-present (ASUM) 9-15-2006 Montana Kaimin, September 15, 2006 Students of The niU versity of Montana, Missoula Let us know how access to this document benefits ouy . Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.umt.edu/studentnewspaper Recommended Citation Students of The nivU ersity of Montana, Missoula, "Montana Kaimin, September 15, 2006" (2006). Montana Kaimin, 1898-present. 4922. https://scholarworks.umt.edu/studentnewspaper/4922 This Newspaper is brought to you for free and open access by the Associated Students of the University of Montana (ASUM) at ScholarWorks at University of Montana. It has been accepted for inclusion in Montana Kaimin, 1898-present by an authorized administrator of ScholarWorks at University of Montana. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Sports Arts Leap Griz set to MONTANA of skin the Cats faith Page 10 Page 8 Friday, September 15, 2006 Volume CIV, Issue 11 Public SafeKty AIMIN Director Willett looking forward to retirement TY HAMPTON MONTANA KAIMIN “An officer behind tinted win- dows with dark sunglasses on isn’t On Wednesday afternoon, Ken really public-friendly or Willett’s bright yellow screen- approachable and the Segway and saver scrolled horizontally across motorcycle break down those bar- his computer monitor reading, riers,” Willett said. “A lot of our “9/13 — 54 working days remain- community responsibility is to ing, but who’s counting???” have a student be comfortable Willett will be retiring in talking to an officer and vice November after 30 years of being versa.” University of Montana’s director Willett will tell anyone stories of Public Safety and, despite the about his experiences in campus Amanda Determan/Montana Kaimin screensaver, he is one to count. He safety for hours on end. Soon-to-be-retired Director of Public Safety Kenneth Willett points out some of the different badges worn by Public Safety officers on both this campus and names off his starting date at the Funny stories about him waste- many others around the country while reminiscing on his 30 years of service. job, July 11, 1977, and his ending deep in flood water from broken date, Nov. 30, 2006, in the wink of pipes in the Adams Center rac- an eye. quetball courts on Christmas day, “My last day is a Thursday, so I or the time when pre-game sky- Group criticizes airspace policy will take an extended three-day divers and an army helicopter weekend for good,” Willett said. nearly had a catastrophic colli- His desk is cluttered with piles sion. SEAN BRESLIN of papers soon to find the trashcan Sad stories about the two offi- MONTANA KAIMIN prevent us from operating over the ly pushing the envelope” on those as he jokingly says, “A clean desk cers who died on his watch from a university,” Cunningham said. restrictions, he said. is a sign of an idle mind.” car accident and surgery compli- “We’re coming back to your town According to Ed Warmoth, an A large plastic trashcan sits in cations. An anti-abortion group has and we’re going to make an exam- aviation safety inspector at Flight the back of his office just as the But then there are the uplifting accused the University of ple out of your university.” Standards District Office in dumpster sat outside his office stories like when he recovered a Montana of blocking its right to But Bob Duringer, UM vice Helena, the group’s plane was fol- three decades ago when he first stolen bike for a young student free speech by using a govern- president for administration and lowing the restrictions around stepped in the room. Willett does and the tears in her eyes as she ment agency to call off an airplane finance, said UM’s concerns have UM, but that air traffic control not keep extra junk around. He identified it on its return. towing an anti-abortion banner. nothing to do with the group’s requested them to fly an addition- never has, since his first days on “That’s what makes it all worth Gregg Cunningham of the message. al 500 feet higher than required, the job when he threw away tons it and job satisfaction can make up Center for Bio-Ethical Reform “We support all types of speech; and the pilot complied. This of outdated papers to his last days for a lot,” Willett said. said administrators at UM con- that’s what the university is request was confirmed on a on the job as he does the same. Willett said he will miss work- tacted the Federal Aviation about,” Duringer said. But, he recording of Missoula When Willett started out, the ing with people every day and Administration on Aug. 30 and added, “When somebody is in our International Airport’s contact Office of Public Safety was just a helping students more than the asked that the group’s plane return airspace, we’ll call the FAA to with the flight. dusty old warehouse with a recep- bad times, but he will still miss to the airport in an attempt to find out what’s going on.” Cunningham said the plane’s tion room, one office, a bulletin both. silence the group. However, UM Ken Willett, director of Public banner, which depicted the hand board for handwritten reports and “This has been my life’s blood officials said the plane was flying Safety at UM, agreed. of an aborted fetus next to a dime, five security officers. Now Public for a long time,” Willett said. “But too close to the campus, causing “I don’t care what their message would not be visible at the Safety has 14 professional officers after 30 years of law enforcement concern about the safety of the is,” Willett said. “I’m a pilot requested height of 1,500 feet. with degrees in law enforcement — I think that’s enough.” flight. myself, and if your engine kicks Cunningham vowed to continue as well as a standard building, When questioned if he would Calling UM administrators out, Newton’s laws take over.” his group’s strong and vivid anti- automatic report technology and stay in Missoula, Willett “thugs,” Cunningham’s group will A plane near UM must be 1,000 abortion message at UM. brand new vehicles on the lot. answered, “I’m going to live step up campaigning against abor- feet above the highest structure “You are picking on the wrong “He’s developed the department wherever my wife will let me.” tion at UM, he said. and at least 2,000 feet horizontal- people, because you’re picking a from a couple of security guys to a The Willetts plan on traveling in “They have attempted to ly from the campus, Willett said. fight you cannot win,” he said. full-scale professional police their retirement with South Africa improperly use a federal agency to The anti-abortion flight was “real- force,” Capt. Jim Lemcke of and Japan being places of interest Public Safety said of Willett. as Willett points to his samurai Lemcke added that Willett was sword atop his desk shelf. responsible for the parking “I’ve always been interested in Wronged renters receive refunds garage, both Park’n Ride buses, the Orient and Japanese culture campus emergency phones, the but never been to that part of the Griz Personal Safety escort pro- world, so that will be neat to expe- HANNAH HEIMBUCH “Some landlords, my clients and others, have chosen gram and the use of Automatic rience,” Willet said. MONTANA KAIMIN to refund the deposits,” said David Cotner, an attorney External Defibulators on campus. Willett said if there’s one lesson from Missoula law firm Datsopoulos, MacDonald and “Ken has always been a guy to he could leave for future Public Lind. Cotner is representing some of the property own- care about people and his job and Safety officers it would be, “Don’t Most if not all of Apartment Store Inc.’s former ers. every aspect of it and I think that knock the students because we are renters have collected their deposits after the compa- Judy Spannagal at the ASUM Renter Center said most has made campus safer over the being paid to be here and they are ny’s bankruptcy hassle, but property owners are still former renters got their money back. years,” Lemcke said. Lemcke will the hand that feeds.” waiting for word on their missing money. “I don’t know of any who did not,“ she said. “I think be promoted to the director posi- As a lesson to UM students, After the property management company filed for that got straightened out pretty fast.” tion upon Willett’s departure. Willett remembered what his Chapter 7 bankruptcy in March, both property owners But whether landlords will see any money returned A lot of Willett’s mission as mother once said to him about and renters – many of whom were students – were out is yet to be seen. One Apartment Store account still director has been to make a con- “tact,” which by her definition of luck. contains almost $200,000, but to whom that money nection between the students and means “looking at someone and Fifteen months after buying the company from belongs is up for debate. Public Safety officers. The new telling them to go to hell and them Maris Mills, Kari Kimball discovered nearly $321,000 “According to testimony, it consisted of two kinds of Public Safety vehicles such as the saying ‘thank you’ in return.” was missing from Apartment Store accounts, which money,” said ASUM Legal Services attorney Tom Segway, and the possibility of the Life is all about tact, Willett included renter security deposits and landlord reserve Trigg.