Game, Set, Match
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Thursday, February 18, 2010
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Volume 95 | Issue 19
Cloudy 60° / 41°
ntdaily.com
The Student Newspaper of the University of North Texas
Jackson dodges questions Bataille resignation still unanswered
The audience reacts
BY LISA GARZA & SHEA YARBOROUGH Senior Staff Writers
Chancellor Lee Jackson danced around direct questions during Wednesday’s Faculty Senate me et i ng a b out Gr e t c hen Bataille’s sudden resignation as university president. PHOTO BY RYAN BIBB/PHOTOGRAPHER The Board of Regents has Chancellor Lee Jackson speaks to the North Texas community about what not d isclosed t he reasons the university is going to do in the coming months with the recent resignabehind previous administration changes, and this is an tion of UNT President Gretchen Bataille. “unusual, unscheduled transition,” he said. Jackson did not go into specifics. He said that internal issues are not uncommon for a n orga n i zat ion of UN T’s size. “Our ef for ts to improve work ing relat ionships a nd communication have been under way for more than a year,” Jackson said. T he end resu lt was t he mutua l decision to accept Bat a i l le’s resig nat ion, he said. Despite multiple requests for an explanation, Jackson would not comment on why Bataille resigned or the reason he could not elaborate on it. “I have said what I can and will say about Dr. Bataille’s resignation,” he said. PHOTO BY RYAN BIBB/PHOTOGRAPHER Under the terms of the tranPhil C. Diebel, who will serve as interim president, answers questions asked sit ion ag reement, Bata i l le by members of the UNT community and the media Wednesday. was allotted up to $20,000 for legal fees. Jackson refused to comment on the reason such To see multimedia for this story, visit ntdaily.com a large amount was needed if she had not been fired. “To me, when I think of Doelling, a music education T he Boa rd a nd Bata i l le a re d isappoi nted but a re the university, the teachers senior. “To put it behind us “attempting to look towards and the students ma ke up would be shoving it under the the university,” said Dustin rug.” the future,” Jackson said.
Fa c u lt y mem b er s a nd students voiced their opinions on the Board’s refusal to disclose the circumstances surrounding Bataille’s resignation. Shane Meck lenburger of the art faculty described his recent experience to Jackson at a national conference for art educators in Chicago. The genera l react ion to Bata i lle’s sudden resig nation among the conference’s educators was embarrassment for the university and fa ilure on t he pa rt of t he board, Mecklenburger said. He paused before adding “and with all due respect, on the part of the chancellor.” In response to the reaction Mecklenburger encountered at the conference, he said he has neither read nor heard an acknowledgement of the failure or embarrassment from anyone in leadership. “Will anyone take responsibi l it y ? ” Me ck lenbu r ger asked. Jackson would not accept responsibility but said, “theoretically that it could have been done better.” Phil Diebel, who will begin his term as interim president on March 1, said he really shouldn’t talk about when he was first approached with the offer. Diebel sa id he in it ia l ly declined the offer but reconsidered under the strict agreement that his service would only be for 90 days. “If you’re going to ask me a lot of details, I really don’t k now a lot of deta i ls,” he said.
See CARTER on Page 2
PHOTO BY MELISSA BOUGHTON/ASSIGNING EDITOR
The Crooked Crust at 101 Ave. A. is scheduled to open around March 15.
Pizza returns to Fry BY A LEX CHEATHAM
of the day. Plus, there aren’t many food offerings available,” There’s a new addition Walker said. When he began his restaurant coming to Fry Street this spring. Crooked Crust Pizza, set to open ventures, he surrounded himself in mid-March, is within walking with a group of successful distance of classes and bars and restaurateurs who all looked will offer students and Denton into different concepts, Claymer said. residents a new hangout. “We knew we wanted to do a “This won’t be a gourmet, sit-down restaurant, but we’re pizza concept, and the number still going to offer the best- one place to do pizza is on a tasting pizza possible,” owner college campus,” he said. Claymer, a UNT alumnus, Kelly Claymer said. “We’ll also have TVs and the coldest beer said Fry Street is the perfect location for his restaurant around.” Crooked Crust Pizza is aiming because Denton was such a big to cater toward students, who part of his life, with some of the Claymer said, have limited time greatest times being spent on to eat. The menu will consist of Fry Street. “I like going to the bars on pizza and a few sandwiches. “Fry gets really busy, mostly Fry because of the atmosphere with students, and especially on and the convenience,” said Chaz the weekends,” said Scott Mayer, Gober, a mathematics junior. “Plus, if it’s a 23-year-old a ba r a nd a Jimmy John’s pizzeria, there’s employee. nothing better,” “A new pizza added Andrew place sounds Vannerson, a like a great Spa n ish a nd idea.” emergency The space ma nagement for the restaujunior. rant, located UNT has next to the been involved C a m p u s —Scott Mayer with Crooked Bookstore, is Jimmy John’s employee Crust from the u nder goi ng beginning. a complete “W hen we renov at ion, costing close to $500,000, but were deciding on a name for the the owner says the construc- restaurant, we ran focus groups,” tion won’t affect Fry’s distinctive Claymer said. “The students at UNT picked the name.” urban look and atmosphere. Chef Michael Abruzese was “We’re going to spruce it up while maintaining Fry Street’s hired by Crooked Crust to create f lavor,” Claymer said. “Our pizza recipes for the restaugoal is to stay within the style rant. Abruzese is one of the creators of UNT. We want to be shaped of pizza recipes at Coal Vines and by them.” Everyone always goes to Fry, Fireside restaurants in Dallas, and it’s so close to campus, both acclaimed by D Magazine Jessica Walker, a merchan- as “The Best of Big D.” “We found the best guy we dising senior said, because of the atmosphere and traditions could,” Claymer said. “He’s arguably the best pizza chef in the involved. Fry Street used to be much U.S.” But, the owner assures that busier before some buildings were demolished, Tim Raiet, the big taste doesn’t come with a the 35-year-old Pita Pit owner, big price. Although prices haven’t said. Adding more restaurant been set just yet, Claymer said options might increase busi- the cost would be acceptable to the student crowd because they ness, he said. “A new restaurant will be are the target consumer. “Maybe [Crooked Crust] will good for Fry. There’s lots of traffic from classes, and there be the next Tomato in 25 years,” are people there at all times Mayer said. Staff Writer
“Maybe [Crooked Crust] will be the next Tomato in 25 years.”
PHOTO BY CLINTON LYNCH/FILE
Dinerstein, the Houston-based company that proposed the Fry Street student housing project, returned to Denton to present a new version of the project. The plans total 9,700 square feet of retail on the corner of Hickory Street and Fry Street.
Dinerstein representatives submit new plans for Fry Street project BY MORGAN WALKER Senior Staff Writer
Representat ives f rom Dinerstein, t he Houstonbased company that proposed the Fry Street student housing project, returned to Denton to present a new version of the project Wednesday. After hearing from several residents at the last neighborhood meeting in January, the company devised a new plan
considering the residents’ requests. Dinerstein created six different site plans before ma k ing t he current pla n which puts a 4,200 squarefoot retail pad at the corner of Hickor y Street a nd Fr y Street and 5,500 square feet of retail parallel to Hickory Street, totaling 9,700 square feet. Josh Vasbinder and Brian Di nerstei n presented t he
To read the NT Daily editorial on this issue, see Page 6 or ig i na l site pla n, wh ich contained more residential space than retail. It also had plans to move the cell phone tower from the middle of the empty lot to the top of the parking garage, but in the second site plan, the tower was placed in its original position.
The new plan would also implement a 15-foot sidewalk providing a pedestrianfriendly area. “We w a nt to g ive t he project a h istor ic feel to match the rest of the city,” Vasbinder said.
See FRY on Page 2