The Week in Brief

New developers eye mall after Cordish suit

PATRICK MCGARVEY/YH Three parties have entered the picture and expressed interest in Chapel Square

Sampoli explained that Cordish had 90 days to exercise his option to buy the mall, and did so on Mon., Jan. 19. But instead of closing the deal, Cordish filed a lawsuit against the city alleging that the original agreement allowed him to buy the property at $700,000. The city currently asks for $2.5 million, claiming that Cordish should pay for renovations of the property. "We've been jilted at the altar," Chamber of Commerce President Matthew Nemerson said.

Prospective buyers of the Chapel Square mall include Bob Matthews of Matthews Ventures, which owns One Long Wharf Drive and other major local buildings; the Fusco family; and merchant banker Stanford Phelps, who owns the Wyatt Oil Company off of New Haven harbor.

Despite this interest, Nemerson said, "[The Chamber is] working to continue to manage the building and there are a lot of changes to make. [Currently] we have a responsibility to the tenants and the community" to make changes to the building. "Our first priority is to stabilize the building," he added.

-Sangeetha Ramaswamy

Kascon XII descends on New Haven

Program Director Tae Kwak, BK '00, expressed dissatisfaction with past Kascons. "Past Kascons have been described as `meat markets' and as `overly social,'" she said. This year, the speakers will be emphasized as well as "starting things back at your own college campus."

Delegates will meet to discuss issues such as religion and politics in a large assembly as well as in smaller discussion seminars. Keynote speakers include K.W. Lee, president of the Korean-American Journalists Association, Steve Park, an actor, and Pyong Gap Min, professor of sociology at Queens College. Other scheduled events include a cultural show, an Asian-American career fair, and a dance.

--Anika Singh

Students to take part in UFW march in New York

Event organizer Terra Lawson-Remer, MC '00, predicted that around 100 students and 50 New Haven residents will participate in the rally. She credited the support of groups such as YHHAP, SLAC, and MEChA for raising community interest in the event. "The student awareness level seems to be really high," she said. "We knew there was a lot of student interest out there."

The group will load buses Saturday morning and assemble on New York's Upper West Side. Dolores Huerta, co-founder and secretary-treasurer of the UFW, will lead the march of prominent labor leaders, women's rights activists, public officials, and students.

The march, which will be replicated in cities across the country, seeks to call attention to the mistreatment of strawberry pickers in California who suffer from low wages, sexual harassment, a lack of health insurance, and dangerous working conditions. The event will spotlight the plight of female workers, who Lawson-Remer said face more adverse conditions than males.

--Sumit De

Oprah's co-defendant discusses ordeal at Tea

After many profitable years as a Montana cattle rancher, Lyman became a vegan activist and lobbied in Washington, D.C., against industrial farming practices. There he learned a vital rule of politics: "Them that have the gold make the rules." Lyman is currently an Executive Director for the United States Humane Society.

After Lyman stated on Winfrey's television show that mad-cow disease could enter the U.S., Texan cattlemen sued him and Winfrey for over $12 million. "That was the most grueling six weeks of my life," he said. Lyman said they actually expected to lose, and prepared their appeal during the trial.

He listed some grisly ingredients in animal feed, including sludge, cyanide, and live-ground chickens, that disturbed many in the audience. He also urged vegans to gently encourage diet changes, and to not exclude others.

--Drew Swan

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