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Vol. LXXXVIII, No. 108
Ann Arbor, Michigan-Thursday, February 9, 1978
Ten Cents
10 Pages
WHEELER, BELCHER ON APRIL 3 BALLOT
Mayoral
oes
OK
new
election
By JULIE ROVNER
If you're a registered voter in Ann
Arbor, get ready to vote for a mayor in
the next few weeks.
After 10 months of legal proceedings,
including some required intervention
by the Michigan Supreme Court, in-
cumbent Mayor Albert Wheeler and
Councilman Louis Belcher signed an
agreement yesterday to add their
names to the city's April 3 general city
election ballot to decide who will be Ann
Arbor's Mayor.
The agreement, which is expected to
be made official today by visiting
judge James Kelley, would in effect end
a suit by -Republican Belcher which
claims that Democrat Wheeler is
holding the mayor's post illegally after
his one-vote victory last April.
UNDER THE TERMS of the
agreement, Wheeler will remain Mayor
until the winner of the April 3 contest is
certified by Ann Arbor Board of Can-
vassers. The winner of the election will
serve until the next scheduled mayoral
election, in April 1979. Both sides also
agreed not to appeal the judge's ruling
for a new election.
Belcher's suit was filed last May af-
ter two recounts verified the closest
election in the city's history. The
Republican claimed that a number of
votes, both paper and from machines,
were improperly credited to Wheeler
and that more Belcher votes should
have been counted.
In July, the city issued a report in-
dicating that through the use of faulty
street guides over 150 township residen-
ts were mistakenly registered to vote in
the city elections. Twenty of those
registered actually voted.
WHEN THE TRIAL resumed in Oc-
tober, Belcher's attorney, former
Councilman Robert Henry, asked for
and received permission from Kelley to
ask the voters to reveal for whom they
had cast their ballots.
University Junior Susan VanHattum
refused to reveal her vote, claiming
constitutional protection: She was cited
for contempt, handcuffed, and held
briefly in Kelley's chambers. Later,
another University student, Diane
Lazinsky, also refused to tell and was
also cited for contempt.
The trial adjourned as lawyers for
VanHuttum and Lazinsky took their
case to the Michigan Court of Appeals.
In November the court ruled that illegal
voters had no right to keep their votes
secret.
THE LAWYERS appealed to the
"I'm not satisfied at all
with the decision. I think
the judge shoulfl have
declared a winner...,
-Wheeler
Michigan Supreme Court, which ruled
two weeks ago that the Constitution
does protect vote secrecy unless voter
fraud can be proven. The court then
sent the case back to Kelley's court an'd
yesterday's compromise was ham-
mered out.
"I'm delighted with the decision,"
said Belcher last night. "It's the only
fair thing for both the electorate and the
candidates."
"Our intent was to settle this thing
fairly without costing the taxpayers a
lot of money and I think that's what
we've done," said Belcher.-
WHEELER, however, was. not
pleased with the final outcome,
although he did say that he felt it was
the best proposal of the alternatives,
which included having the election
voided or possibly waiting months
before a new election.
"I'm not satisfied at all with the
decision," Wheeler said. "I think the
judge should have declared a winner
from the information and testimony he
was presented with. But if this makes
the citizenry happy and gets rid of all
the confusion, I'd just as soon do it."
"I'm under a handicap," he said,
"because the Republicans can raise
campaign funds faster and better than I
can, and because there's no race in the
Second (highly Democratic) Ward this
year. Our real problem is going to be
"I'm delighted with the
decision. It's the only
fair thing for both the
electorate and the can-
didates."
-Belcher
arter aid plan could
provide
$1.2 billion to
some students
how to get the people registered and out
to vote in so little time."
BOTH WHEELER and Belcher said
they had no real campaign plans yet,
but would begin working on them later
this week.
"I'm sure that this race will be a lot
lower key t an last year's," said
Belcher.
Wheeler, however, was not so sure.
"Just think," he said, "If we come up
with another one or two vote loss, we
may have to go through this whole
thing all over again."
WASHINGTON (AP) - President
Carter called upon Congress yesterday
to provide a record of $1.2 billion in new
aid to college students, including $250
grants to at least two million students
from families with gross income bet-
ween $16,000 and $25,000.
"No one should be denied the oppor-
tunity for a college education for finan-
cial .reasons alone," the President
declared as he unveiled an aid package
designed to head off moves in Congress
to provide tax credits of $250 or more to
parents of all college students, regar-
dless of income.
IN ADDITION to making two million
students from middle-income families
eligible for direct federal grants for the
first time, the Carter plan also would
provide subsidized loans to students
with family incomes as high as $45,000
before taxes, and expand federally sub-
sidized work-study programs.
The extra money would be available
for the school year starting in the fall of
1979. Students in families with incomes
below $25,000 would apply individually
to the government for the grants as part
of the Basic Educational Opportunity
Grant Program. Grants are credited
directly to students' accounts at the
colleges.
Carter wants to add $1 billion to the
$2.16 billion basic grant program,
which now aids 2.2 million students
primarily from low-income families.
THE PRESIDENT already proposed
$250 million in extra student aid last
month. The entire $1.46 billion package
would boost federal spending on college
student aid programs in fiscal 1979 to
$5.2 billion, an increase of almost 40 per
cent.'
Carter said more than five million
college students eould get federal aid in
the school year starting in the fall of
1979, and increase of at least two
million.
Rep. William Ford (D-Mich.), who.
heads the House Education and Labor
subcommittee on higher education,
called it "the biggest single infusion of
funding for middle-income college
students since the adoption of the GI bill
at the end of World War II."
FIVE OTHER leaders of House and
Senate committees that handle
education legislation joined Carter and
Health, Education and Welfare
Secretary Joseph Califano Jr. at the
White House for the announcement of
the program.
The six lawmakers all hailed the ad-
ministration's proposal, but some later
expressed reservation about limiting
the grants to $250 for all students in the
$16,000-$25,000 range.
On Capitol Hill, Sen. William Roth
(R-Del. ), author of the $250 college
tuition tax credit bill, said the Carter
proposal was "a desperate, last ditch
attempt to derail the college tax credit,
but it won't work."
THE SENATE has passed Roth's bill
by wide margins three times in the past
18 months, but House Democratic
leaders have blocked it from coming to
a vote in their chamber.
Roth said the administration was
more interested in seizing a good
political issue than in helping middle-
income families. He released the first
page of an undated Califano memo in
which the secretary wrote:
"We must move quickly if we are to
seize the initiative on this very hot
issue. . . . The congressional
educational committees are so fearful
of losing jurisdiction over education
finances that they will - go without
us-and at a very high price."
ROTH'S BILL would cost $1.2 billion
in its first year and $2 billion in four
years, when his credit would rise to
$500. The American Council on
Education has estimated that 32 per
cent of the benefits would go to students
from families with income above
$25,000.
Carter warned that Congress must
choose between the tax credit and his
increased aid package. "This nation
cannot afford the tax credit and I will
not accept both," he said.
The council also has estimated that
only 12 per cent of federal aid now goes
to college students from families with
income above $15,000.
THE COUNCIL president, J.W
Peltason, sent Carter a telegram sup-
porting Carter's aid package as an
alternative to, tax credits, and endor-
sing his plan to funnel the aid through
existing aid programs.
City-County sewage:
dispute may result
in health emergency
By KEITH RICHBURG
The sludge may be ready to hit the
fan in the city's ongoing dispute with
the townships over what to do with
the thick, brown waste.
Specifically, Washtenaw County
public health officials are pleading
for the city to help the townships
handle their problem with septic
disposal. The city, however, is wait-
ing for the townships to offer to dis-
pose of some of the Ann Arbor
sewage treatment plant's sludge.
Officeals propose Union revival;
U' ass Regents to step aside
By BRIAN BLANCHARD In a memo dated February 3, building.
President Robben Fleming noted that At the January Regents meeting the
In an effort to revive what was once "students are dissatisfied with the Alumni Association head Robert For-
considered the model for campus present status of the Union" and man proposed construction of a new
meeting-places, the University will ask recommended three changes: alumni activities center behind Lydia
the Regents next week to relinquish " Shifting control from the Union Mendelssohn Theatre with money from
control of the Union. Board to a University vice-president, several large donations. The Alumni
If the Regents agree to rescind one "probably in this case Student Ser- Association now has an office in the
section of their bylaws when they meet vices," with a new Director and Union.
net Thursday, the University's vice Executive Committee. "IT MAKES VERY little difference
presidents will take responsibility for e Adapting the Union Station to a 'whether you take pot-shots at the
reorganizing operations in the four "rathskeller-type operation" similar to present system or not," said Henry
story building at the foot of South the food service that has been suc- Johnson, vice-president for student
University. cessful at the University of Wisconsin. services.
THE UNION'S ten-member Board of . Converting all four floors of hotel "I've always thought we should have
Directors now reports directly to the space, or just two of the four floors, into a central meeting place where students
Regents. Seven faculty and alumni dorm rooms for students in the fall of could sit and relax, drink a soda and
members and three students sit on the 1978 open a book and pretend to study, or to
Board. Moving alumni activities to a new study."
Johnson recalled that when he came.
sf1"'to the University 15 years ago there was
B such a place on the ground floor of the
Union that was "student-oriented."
In his general criticism of the Union,
.. Fleming, on behalf of the University
vice-presidents, said the University
Club "has not drawn enough interest
from most faculty or community mem-
bers to be financially viable and there is
" h no reason to think it will be."
JOEL BERGER, President of the
Board of Directors of the U Club admit-
ted that "the Club has not been in a
break-even situation in a long, long
time," but he went on to say that the
menu has been changed and prices
dropped over the last few months to
£ 31 A i4"lure new members. Because of a state
liquor law, the U Club can only serve
Club members and guests.
Berger said he was "a bit surprised
when I saw (the memo)" because of the
U Club "has begun to appeal more to
" students."
Union Manager Stanfield Wells said
.-' " t hat t hprpwpnn ninr hniprc to t he
IT IS a situation of "We won't
their septic disposal until they
take
take
Sadat departs
without fighters
WASHINGTON (AP)-Egyptian
President Anwar Sadat ended his talks
here yesterday without an immediate
decision by President Carter to sell
him jet fighters. But Sadat said the
United States would step up its drive for
an Arab-Israeli peace settlement.
"The United States is not an obser-
ver, or a go-between, or a mediator,"
Sadat said. "No, the role of the United
States now is complete partnership."
WITH THAT statement to reporters,
Sadat claimed success in one of the two
principal objectives of his 5-and-one-
half-day visit-more direct in-
volvement by Washington in the on-
again, off-again peace talks.
However, disappointment loomed for
Sadat as he prepared to take his lob-
bying campaign to Europe when ad-
ministration officials said no decision
was imminent on selling him jet
fighters and other weapons.
Sadat's request, made to Carter on an
urgent basis, "is under review and until
the President has made up his mind
there will be no announcement,".said
one key U.S. official who declined to be
identified. "It'll be a little bit longer,"
he said.
CARTER, IN A brief farewell on the
White House lawn, called Sadat the
world's foremost peacemaker" and
said that while the way to a settlement
members of congress, Sadat had said
he would "raise hell" if they did not ap-
prove a weapons sale. "I am speaking
as a partner apd I am threatening," he
said.
After a final talk with Secretary of
State Cyrus Vance and following his
visit to the White House, Sadat stressed
the diplomatic aspect of his mission and
pledged "much more perseverance for
reaching peace.
"I came really disheartened and
discouraged, but I shall return with
much more perseverance so that we
can attain our goal," he said.
SADAT SAID he could make a
greater effort now that the United
States was enlarging its role. In effect,
he wants the administration to push
Israel into concessions.
Sadat planned to fly to New York and
then on to London after a brief courtesy
call on Carter.
In asking for arms, Sadat specifically
requested 12 F-5Es, a short-range jet
fighter, and expressed interest in more
sophisticated F-15s and F-16s, a second
U.S official said.
THE BEST BET is that he'll get some
F-5Es," said the official, who also
preferred to remain anonymous. But
the official said he doubted that
Congress, which can block arms sales,
would approve supplying Egypt with
our sludge." According to health
officials, unless the townships find
someplace, preferably Ann Arbor, to
dispose of their septic waste, a health
emergency could develop.
Sludge is the thick brown mixture,
made up mostly of human waste, that
remains after the solid matter is
removed from wastewater during
treatment.
There are few methods of disposing
of sludge. Dumping the material into
the ocean and burning are the most
often-used methods. Neither of these
can be used in the city.
DR. JOHN ATWATER of the
Health Department placed the sep-
tage dumping dilemma before City
Council Monday night, describing
what he called "a very acute prob-
lem.
"It's not an emergency as of today,
but it could become one," Atwater
said. "More than one-fifth of the
homes in Washtenaw County use
septic tanks."
Atwater told Council that the
county, which must pump the tanks
periodically, is currently hauling up
to forty loads of the septic waste
every day. If the waste is not
removed, disease-causing bacteria.
can multiply rapidly.
"WHAT WE require from you is a
willingness to return to a policy of
accepting limited number of loads,"
Atwater said.
Atwater suggestel that the City
take two loads of the waste every
day, instead of the previous six loads
a day.
The city had a policy of accepting
septic disposal from anybody, any-
where. A U.S. District Judge, how-
ever, ruled last year that the city's
local sewage treatment plant was
violating its Environmental Protec-
tion Agency license by dumping
improperly treated sewage into the
Huron River.
AT THAT TIME, the city admitted
to having dumped up to two million
gallons of septic sewage into the
river daily because of inability to
dispose of it in other ways. Follow
ing the court's order to make a good
faith effort at limiting the daily
dumpings. City Council voted unani-
mously to prohibit commercial septic
tank cleaners from dumping in the