CAMPUS BRIEFS: Thursday, June 25, 1998

Book Center looking at latest U. lease offer With the clock ticking on the store's August 14 move-out deadline from the Bookstore building at 38th Street and Locust Walk, the Book Center is considering the latest lease offer from the University, according to owner Achilles Nickles. Nickles' lawyers are reviewing the offer, which came as a result of a meeting two weeks ago between the two parties, though no final decision has been made. After the Book Center had already signed a non-binding letter of intent for a site on the 3900 block of Walnut Street in January, discussion shifted in April to the former location of Sam Goody in the 3401 Walnut Street complex, for which the 35-year-old store signed another letter two months ago. University Managing Director for Real Estate Tom Lussenhop proclaimed himself "very optimistic" that a deal would be struck soon. "Reasonable compromises were made on both sides," he said. Price, was just one of several issues dividing the two sides. -- Edward Sherwin Second man to be tried for Palestra shootings A second man was ordered last week to stand trial for the March 1 shooting spree outside the Palestra in an incident that left one man dead and injured three others, including a University student. Nathaniel Ortiz, of South Philadelphia, was arrested for allegedly being one of the two gunmen to kill Anthony Davis, 22, of North Philadelphia. Kyle McLemore, 21, of Grays Ferry, was arrested shortly after the shootings and had his hearing several weeks ago. Ortiz's attorney, Fortunato Perri, denied that his client was responsible for the killing. "There's certainly not enough evidence to convict," Perri said, "although it may be questionable about whether there's enough for a preliminary hearing." And he noted that the two eyewitnesses' testimony conflicted with each other. While one said he saw Ortiz with a "dark object" that could have been a gun, Perri said, the other witness said he only saw Ortiz fleeing the scene. The second witness claimed it wasMcLemore that had the gun. Assistant District Attorney Roger King told The Philadelphia Daily News last Friday that Ortiz was among the five youths who had an "altercation within the Palestra," and then they "waited outside" for Davis and his friends. "Even though the dead guy had a gun, he ran out of the car and was running away when he was shot," King said. -- Ginny Dorsey Vendors to get word on food plazas tomorrow Progress is being made in the construction of the University's fresh-air food plazas, according to Jack Shannon, the University's top economic development official. Shannon said that construction had begun at three of the locations -- on 40th Street between Walnut and Locust streets, between Gimbel Gymnasium and the parking garage on the 3700 block of Walnut Street and at 34th and Spruce streets by the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. He added that construction on the remaining two sites -- by Franklin Field at 33rd and South streets and behind Meyerson Hall at 34th and Walnut streets -- is scheduled to begin next week. The University is building the five food plazas on its property to house vendors displaced by the City Council ordinance passed on April 23 that bans them from most streets and sidewalks in the area. According to Shannon, the plazas will hold a total of 47 vendors -- 11 trucks, 24 carts and 12 stands. The plazas will provide vendors with electrical hook-ups, sewage, water lines and improved lighting at a cost of $1 a month. According to Shannon, vendors that submitted applications to be relocated to the food plazas will receive letters tomorrow notifying them of their new locations, while the city's Department of Licenses and Inspections is accepting applications for positions on the streets where vending will still be permitted. Shannon added that all of the plazas will be completed "in time for the effective date of the ordinance." The vendors will have to move from their current locations on August 4, 90 days from the date Mayor Ed Rendell signed the unanimously approved Council legislation into law. -- E.S.