The Michigan Daily-Thursday, October 6, 1977-Page' Blind mother gets provisional custody of kids Sen. Rie By DENISE FOX Linda Gill, the blind mother whose children were removed from her custody almost two years ago can get them back if she proves she really, wants and can care for them, an. Ingham County Probate Court judge ruled yesterday afternoon. Judge Donald Owens gave Gill 90 days to demonstrate she can be a good mother: to her three children, two of whom are also blind. IN 1975, the court attempted to sever Gill's parental rights after she. divorced her husband, and moved to California, leaving her three sons with her mother, who is blind as well. Gill, 26, said she intended to send for her children as soon as she was settled. The mother had claimed she was being discriminated against because she was female, poor and blind. Her supporters included the American Civil Liberties Union, the Black Panther Party and the Center for - Independent Living, an organization for the physically disabled. "LINDA GILL sgriously neglected her children both physically and emotionally," Owens said during yesterday's trial. "She left them in improper custody, in effect abandon- ing them when she left for California in 1975." OWENS made the children per- manent wards of the court, but delayed that order for 90 days to give Gill a final chance to prove herself. "If she wants to gain custody," Judge Owens said, "Mrs. Gill will GILL SAID she considers the decision a victory, in spite of the 90-day trial period. "We feel like we've won because they're not putting the kids up for adoption," she said. _.......... .... . w +:« i« -:-i.'.ii . « s' ssssy s'' ss:i: . s: s :... :. . .:: : :: :: ::: :: :.. . 'The judge felt there was serious neglect in the past, and although 17lladmit I've made some mistakes, children.' I've never neiglected -Linda Gili . m i~:. .::. .:::. .:.::--:::--::---:-. .::-.::--::--.:.--::--:-.-------:-. During the five-day hearing, social workers said Gill's children now aged seven, six and four, were in poor physical and emotional health when they were taken from their r grandmother and placed in foster homes. Other witnesses testified that Gill l kept a filthy house, left her children alone when she went to bars and failed to meet their health needs. Court records show Gill showed up for only one of many court hearings held over the past two years on the custody matter. In January of 1977, Gill's ex- husband, Whitney Codling Jr. was given custody of the children, but a month later, gave them back. Cod- ling, who was also blind, had remarried a sighted woman. check ess (Continued from Page 1) The bill would shift the burden of liability from the consumer to the bank. Siegal said that banks do not presen- tly have to document each transaction on EFT as they do with checks. The Riegle bill would require full disclo sure from all institutions using the sys- tem. PERHAPS THE most important measure in the bill, scheduled for Sen- ate action in March would limit a con- sumer's liability for unauthorized EFT's and protect the consumer's right to privacy by placing strict limitations on who may receive account activity data, according to Riegle's office. Since a single number is assigned to the buyer in an EFT, there is concern among consumer advocates that com- panies will trade lists and make them+ public information. Michigan statutes make EFT sys- tems unprofitable here, but banking in- terests are currently lobbying to make the expensive computer set-up worth- while, according to State Chief Deputy Commissioner of Banking Russell Kropschot.Jh "THERE JUST ISN'T the legislation gle's bill et r Susers of g..~ banking"'. there to provide for it," Kropschot said. Laws now prohibit banks from branch- ing out more than 25 miles. Since the system is only profitable if you have a lot of activity, he said, the banks a trying to exempt EFT outlets from A Kropschot added that one of his of- fice's concerns is the invation of .prbi vacy. "It's a whole new philosophy- in banking to take the people out of -the, banks and into the stores," said Ja Aldrich, assistant vice presiden Huron Valley National Bank. Aldi' said that the "total teller" at Hur; Valley "quite possibly" could be treir, formed into an EFT system. THREE ANN ARBOR banks hhve electronic tellers: Huron Valley, Aid Arbor Bank and Trust, and National' Bank and Trust Co. of Ann Arbor. But don't expect these three banksto_ be issuing the "ultimate numbers",' the near future. On Tuesday afternoons a Huron Valley employe, loaded dowp; with papers, rushed up to Aldrich to tell him that both automatic tellers were out of order.. Gill said she was very glad to be given the chance to regain custody of her children, but questioned why she had to prove she was a fit mother. "The judge felt there was serious neglect in the past, and although I'll admit I've made some mistakes, I've never neglected my children," Gill said. 'have to move back to Michigan, finish high school, seek therapy, take 'parenting' classes and gradually help care for her sons." "If she does these things, the children will be returnedito her," Owens said. "If not. they will be made permanent wards. It's up to her." City officials shaken up in investment crisis (Continued from Page1) police review of the scandal by Police Chief Walter Krasney, concluded that the June 30-July 1 transactions "may be considered a cover-up action." LEVIN REACTED to his firing angrily, calling it "a bum rap." "I think I've been the low man on the totem pole who has gotten saddled with this thing by Mr. Murray," he said, "because he had to show City Council that he's done something about the investments." City Councilman Jamie Kenworthy (D-Fourth Ward) last week called for careful scrutiny of the city's finan- cial system and the actions of city officials in the debacle. "I was told by the city administra- tion not to talk to the press," Levin said. "I thought they were looking out for my best interests, but obviously they were looking for a scapegoat.:. "BUT THIS THING is far from over. There is an appeal procedure and some other recourses," he continued. "I expect to be reinstat- ed." Jedele will begin a hedical leave on October 10 and will retire after his accumulated leave time has expired. Jedele, who had a heart attack 10 years ago, said the entire affair was "more than I can stand physically." City Treasurer John Bentley will temporarily replace Jedele. Hendel's demotion, essentially a cut in pay, was necessary because of his "participation in the arbitrage transactions by initialing journal en- tries, and showing concern depart- mentally about the propriety of such transactions, but failing to assume effective action to compel his super- ior (Jedele) to respond to his concern," according to Murray. MURRAY'S OWN assistant Pat- rick Kenney also has been given a written reprimand for his "lack of effective responsiveness" to the cris- is. In addition, Murray has asked the city's outside auditing firm, Icer- man, Johnson and Hoffman, to replace their present representative to the city, Donald Booth. Murray disputed Booth's claims made in a meeting on Sept. 14. According to Murray, Booth said, "Sometime last spring that the city may be engaging in arbitrages, and he cautioned the controller's office on the the prudence of such invest- ments." However, Murray said, Booth conveyed no such caution to his office. 'U' seems indifferent to guidelines ICERMAN, JOHNSON and Hoff- man is presently completing an audit of the city's accounts. That audit will be followed by a handful of investigations by various agencies. The Hawkins report will be passed on to City Council Monday night as well as to the Municipal Finance Commission (MFC), which will con- duct a probe. Officials from the U.S. Postal Service visited City Hall on Tuesday and also announced that they are making an investigation to "deter- mine if the mail service was used im- properly," Murray said. HE ADDED he was "completely surprised" by the Postal Service visit. "I asked them what evidence they had that the mail was used im- properly, and they said they had none, but they were going to look into it anyway," Murray said. It was also reported yesterday that the Securities and Exchange Com- mission (SEC) has begun an investi- gation into Merrill Lynch's conduct in the affair. The SEC will apparently decide whether Carroll was properly supervised while he was handling the City's account: The SEC will also decide if the $180 million arbitrage account was an ap- propriate investment for the city to make. Under state law, no commun- ity can borrow in order to invest. * SIGN UP NOWT * UM Bowling S s Team for Women * * Qualifying Round: Sunday, Oct. 9th " 100,m. ! Union Lanes 0 preventing (Continued from Panel1) Harvard adopted the report's recommendations. Fleming said he"supported the guidelines as have other University of- ficials. "THE GUIDELINES seemed reasonable,"LSA Dean Billy Frye said. "I have no objections to them." "I'm against anybody engaging in ;something like (the CIA, research) when the University is not aware of it," School of Education Dean Wilbur Cohen added. Bruce Friedman, chairman of the .SACUA Civil Liberties Board which would play a role in adopting spy- curbing guidelines here, said yesterday that he had not yet been approached to consider the Washington organization's appeal but that "(the board) would be ;happy to review it." MICHIGAN Student Assembly President Scott Kellman also said he would support some guidelines, but ad- ded that he didn't think the issue would see its w" on to the assembly's agen- 'da. campus CIA activities "I personally don't have the time or for Research Charles) Overberger, the inclination to the address the and he never got a letter. We've talked issue," Kellman said, about it before. It was common for members of the "It's conceivable we still will receive University community to question the something from the CIA," the need to prevent secret CIA activities, if President added. none had actually been reported here. BUT HAL KANDEE, spokesman for "AS I UNDERSTAND it," SACUA the Campaign, says that officials "adninistrative associate Janice Downs should not delude themselves by poin- id,h administrativeass anie D se ting out that they have not heard from said, "the administration did some the CIA. The agency is not anxious checking around, and they didn't think to reveal their past activities, and must /~we had that problem on campus." be forced to legally, Kandee said. SACUA Chairman Fritz Lehmann "gapiy, also expressed doubt that the CIA had . "Even though a president might say ever operated at the University. "If in good faith that he is aware of no CIA that weren't the case, I'm sure there activities, it still might be going on." would be some real concern," he said. "Many university people say that if According to Fleming, the intelligen- there is no evidence, there is no issue," ce agency has been notifying those Kandee noted. "We encourage them to universities where it conducted secret use the Freedom of Information Act activities, as the result of a Freedom of anyway. The notifications are a day-by- Information suit. day thing. "OTHER (university) presidents have simply gotten a letter from the CIA" telling them that secret activities n*.*.*.......*.. had taken place, Fleming said. .,...*. .... "We've never had such a letter. I've checked for a letter with (Vice-Presidnt . $ EARN EXTRA CASH CASH PAID FOR YOUR BLOOD PLASMA NOW DONORS EARN $50.00-100.00 MONTHLY OCTOBER BONUS DRAWINGS: 10-SPEED BIKES If you donate twice a week throughout October you will have 4 chances to win! 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