The Michigan Daily-Wednesday, September 13, 1978-Page City Manager Murray selects, Minnesotan for city clerk City budget ruled void BY DAN OBERDORFER After a search lasting nearly four months, a City Clerk from a small town in Minnesota has been selected by City Administrator Sylvester Murray to fill the vacated City Clerk post here. The appointment of Eldor Vollbrecht, now the city clerk in Albert Lea, Minnesota, must be approved by City Council before he fills the post left open by Jerome Weiss; who was demoted last July. WEISS' REASSIGNMENT to a less important city hall position came following repeated criticism of his handling of the 1977 mayoral election which former Democratic Mayor Albert Wheeler won by one vote over Republican Mayor Louis Belcher. It was discovered that due to the use of faulty street guides by Weiss' staff, 20 Ann Arbor township residents had voted illegally in that election. After a ten-month court battle, a second election was held this spring in which Belcher defeated Wheeler by 179 votes. Murray said yesterday that he foresees no opposition from Council to his recommendation of the 36-year-old, former newspaper reporter. "I AM CONFIDENT he will provide the leadership and management needed in our Clerk's office. The City Manager of Albert Lea has characterized him as being very thorough, perceptive and knowledgeable of governmental processes, including good judicial sensitivity to the partisan political atmosphere," Murray said. Murray added that Vollbrecht is expected to take over the reins on October 16, just three weeks before the November election. "I am looking forward to coming to Ann Arbor as soon as possible," Vollbrecht said. "I understand that there has been a history of close elections in Ann Arbor and I feel it's a situation I can deal with properly." VOLLBRECHT has five years experience as the city clerk of the small town of 20,000. However, he has no experience with punch card voting, the computerized system of balloting which the city has decided to switch to next year. Vollbrecht said the process of conversion "is just a matter of education and preparation" and that he foresees "no difficulties making the change." Democratic and Republican council members alike seemed pleased by the selection of Vollbrecht. "It had been narrowed to three very qualified candidates, 'but he (Vollbrecht) seemed the best," said Councilwoman Susan Greenberg (D-First Ward). Mayor Pro-Tem Gerald Bell, (R-Fifth Ward) echoed Greenberg. "None of the applicants had experience with punch card voting, but Vollbrecht seemed competent to make the switch," he said. (Continued from Page 1), in Murray's budget. BUT ACCORDING to Murray no changes in allocation will be made. "We will revert to my budget," he said, "but I don't plan to make any changes in the'budget that the council passed." Murray explained that a major portion of the money that was reapportioned has already been spent; specifically, $225,000 for street repairs. "The work has already been done and the contractors have been paid," said Murray. Two of the other "Republican" projects-$50,000 each for a fall leaf pickup program and matching funds for a tornado warning system-haven't been implemented. He said he expects the council to meet in October, and that he'll "leave it status quo" until then. Democratic Council member Leslie Morris (2nd Ward), a plaintiff in the case, felt that the ruling could have a definite effect on the eventual budget that is approved, even though the Republican majority could conceivably approve the same budget next time around. "BASED ON THE publicity that was generated, I'm not certain that the result would be the same," said Morris. "The Republicans must follow the procedures of the (Open Meetings) act, and the public is guaranteed the right to voice their opinions." Mayor Louis Belcher could not be reached for comment. Mayor Pro Tem Gerald Bell (R-Fifth Ward) said he believed the Republicans would appeal the decision. "There are still some Constitutional questions such as freedom of assembly and freedom of speech that haven't been addressed by the ruling," Bell said. ATTORNEY JEROLD LAX, counsel for the plaintiffs, said he was very hap- py with the decision but pointed out that legislation can't guarantee that the public will take part in the decision making process, or that the legislature would listen. "It remains to be seen if the legislators will be responsive (to the public) or go off on their own," said Lax of the budget negotiations. City Attorney Bruce Laidlaw, who represented the defendants, w noticably annoyed by the decisic "I'd be very surprised if it was not a pealed," he said, adding that t judge's budget invalidation "leaves to the imagination" what steps mig be taken. Meanwhile, officials in Lansi agreed that the ruling will not affect t legislature unless it is sustained on a peal. "GENERALLY A COURT decision only binding on somebody who is a p ty to it," said Chief Assistant Attorn General Stanley Steinborn. "If the case goes up on appeal and c get an appellate court decision, th becomes a clear statement of the law t rms of statewide application," said. A spokesman for House Speak Bobby Grim (D-Davison) said t ruling will not affect Democral meetins in the lower chamber, but noted the House has approved a b which would repeal the legislature controversial exception. If the Sena goes along, he said, the question wot be moot. White parents in L.A. keep kt LOS ANGELES (AP)-Thousands of, white parents kept their children away from city schools yesterday, as the first day of a massive integration program got rolling in the nation's second- largest school district. Early attendance reports showed that many students assigned to travel from the predominantly white San Fer- nando Valley to inner-city schools avoided clases. LEADERS OF AN anti-busing boycott, who staged a rally attended by 4,000 persons Monday night, hope to force cancellation of mandatory parts of the plan by stripping the district of white students. The otherwise smooth start of school Eastern 's staffgoes on strike; talks end (Continued from Page 1) week that "if it was just a matter of money, we (the union) wouldn't be headed for a strike." Hawks said EMU "is going to try and operate as normally as possible for as long as possible," with the professors who do report for classes. The professors, whose contract expired on Sept. 1, have held classes for the 19,000 EMU students for the last week. McCracken said union and university negotiators won't get back to the bargaining table until at least tomorrow. "I think both sides have to adjust and come to grips with the issues," McCracken said. At the same time, however, she .insisted the union wouldn't budge on the question of codetermination. "Both sides bend a little. But certain issues are more important to one side or the other, and those are the issues you don't bend on," shesaid. Hawks said the university will stand strong behind their power of decision- making: "I think we (EMU bargainers) are going to be very firm," Hawks said. IMAGES OF f HAIQnCOMfPANY 4 Precision Cuts " All types of Perms " Press & Curls * All types of Waves * Complete salon care. 9 FuIll nail crviepsc 4 dsfro~m was marred by scattered picketing, a bomb threat, four minor bus accidents and a bus lost in traffic for four hours. Early figures from schools receiving youngsters from the inner city and East Side indicated that black and Mexican- American parents did not heavily par- ticipate in a boycott of classes. AT SEQUOIA Junior High School in the Valley, for example, about 400 black and Hispanic students arrived at school. But of the 398 white students scheduled to travel the other direction from the Valley to Stevenson Junior High School on the East Side, only 85 showed up. Board of Education member Bobbi Fiedler, a busing foe said 15 percent to 25 percent of the white pupils scheduled for busing went to school Tuesday and most of the no-shows will not return. "I don't think what you're seeing is a boycott," said Mrs. Fiedler. "It's a withdrawal from the school system." BUT SCHOOL officials stressed that some schools had received phone calls from parents who planned to' keep their children home only the first day to see how the busing plan worked out. "WE WILL BE announcing that school opened uneventfully, peacefully and well," said school board president Howard Miller. Despite the high white absentee rate, Miller and Mayor Tom Bradley said the start of integration in the 711-square mile district was a success. "I'M MOST PLEASED by the response of the people of Los Angeles," said Bradley. "I'm very pleased at the way this has all come together, the way the community has come together." Asked about some buses running near-empty, he said, "I don't anticipate any significant boycott. I think the overwhelming majority of people in this city are going to obey the law whether or not they like it." Most of the partially filled buses were those which left the predominantly white San Fernando Valley for inner- city minority schools. Attendance was heavier for students going in the other direction. Only 13 of 62 students scheduled to ride one bus from the Valley were aboard when the vehicle. buses, made its last stop and headed for the freeway. IN THE OUTER reaches of the San Fernando Valley, youngsters and parents had to wait for up to an hour at assigned stops. Some parents just gave up and took their children home. Compounding the delays was heavy rush-hour traffic on the freeways. Four minor traffic accidents involving buses were reported, but police said no one was injured. Of the district's 570,000 students, 35 percent are Hispanic, 34 percent white, 24 percent black and 7 percent Asian. The busing plan cover 62,000 students in the fourth through eighth grades-30,000 of whom volunteered to be bused. WHILE THE district began its in- tegration program, parents and youngsters who were not on the buses began classes at neighborhood tutoring sessions and new private schools. At Bonnie Shuben's home in Canoga Park, a Valley community, six sixth- graders were tested by a tutor to determine their competency. In another part of the house, parents discussed the three-hour sessions, in which more than 400 youngsters were enrolled as a legal alternative to busing. Dorothy Swift, two of whose five children were to be bused, kept all of them home, hoping a boycott would for- ce the board to reconsider its plan. "WE'RE NOT JUST fighting for education, we're fighting for our freedom," said Swift, who plans to teach her children at home. - . The busing resulted from a suit filed in 1963 by the American Civil Liberties Union. Legal confusion surrounding the case reached a peak during the last 10 days when a state appeals court issued a stay of the plan but was overruled later by the state Supreme Court. Two appeals to U.S. Supreme Court justices failed to stop the plan. Ir~anian journalists and Moslem jailed restrictions on the sale of alcoholic The shah has said "Islami TEHRAN, Iran (AP) - A hardline beverages and a relaxation of religious Marxists" have taken advantage of th Moslem leader and several journalists censorship of movies and television. unrest and are organizing the riots. were among scores of persons arrested yesterday in the sweeping clampdown on opposition groups ordered by Shah Mohammed Reza Pahlavi. They were seized under provisions of Free-FILM SERIES-Free the martial law decreed after more than 100 persons were killed during new anti-government protests that erupted Tuesday 4:15 pm- MLB Aud 3 Friday in Tehran and other cities. The Moslem leader picked up in the latest wave of arrests was identified as Sheik Yahya Nasiri Noorim. Police WdRe gin sources said agents found documents in -a series of BBC Documentaries his home advocating the burning of theaters, banks and liquor stores. Journalists arrested included three Wednesday 4:15 pm- MLB Aud 3 reporters for a local newspaper. Friends said they were not charged but t9R01 were accused of writing "provocative" ROOTS articles. h T An estimated 1,000 persons have been -the TV Documentary series killed in eight months of disturbances These two series of hour long films will be shown led by conservative Moslems opposed to reform programs ordered by the every Tues. and Wed. during the fall term. shah. They include transfer of land Sponsored by the formerly owned by religious groups to Office of Ethics and Religion peasants, more freedom for women - including an end to segregation in universities - removing some STexc COLLEGE is Instruments TI PROGRAM- MABLE 57 TI-PROGRAMMABLES 58 AND 59 TI-58 TI-57 TI-59 TI-1750 T1-1750 A personal or business calculator with elegant "wallet thin" styling. Easy-to-read liquid crystal display. Weighs less than 2% oz. Fits in the palm of your hand. 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