Page 4-Tuesday, June 12, 1979-The Michigan Daily
HMichigan Daily
Eighty-nine Years of Editorial Freedom
420 Maynard St., Ann Arbor, M. 48109
Vol. LXXXIX, No. 29-S News Phone: 764-0552
Edited and managed by students
at the University of Michigan
Assist day Care
NN ARBOR boasts a national reputatio
A for being a progressive city that keel
abreast with social change. Therefore, it is ala
ming that the University refuses to help reloca
University-affiliated Child Care Action Cent
(CCAC) in order to continue its operation.
The Center has less than a year to secu
another spot, before it must evacuate the thir
floor of the Education School building due to fi
code violations.
Day care is a fixture of modern society due
the dynamic lifestyle of women who work and a
tend school. While demand for it is increasing
more women join the work force, Ann Arbor
supply is strained already. In the 28 full-tim
facilities that care for 2 to six-year-olds, fe
vacancies exist and six month to year-long wai
on extensive lists encumber most centers.
The aftermath of permanent closing of CCA
could have debilitating effects on many caree:
and educations due to day care shortages.
The University absolves responsibility in th
area, claiming lack of culpability for CCAC
displacement. Excessive expense required1
bring available central campus buildings up
code is Vice-President for Student Services Hem
Johnson's excuse for preventing CCAC from usi
them.
There is an office space shortage on camp
and in town, and CCAC is willing to exchange i
2,700 square feet in the Ed school for a place it c
use. As the controller of more property than a
other entity in town, the University could overs
such a trade-off.
Johnson admits day care is a low priority. f
justifies unwillingness to assist CCAC with ti
policy of not spending general fund money (
child care. But many University buildings mu
be brought up to code before they assume the us
for which they are planned anyway. CCAC
limited to ground floor facilities., whereas offi
users are more flexible.
Aside from the practicalities, the Universi
should respond to its communities' needs. It is u
fair for this service shortage to force students a
employees to disrupt their careers a
educations. In lieu of taxes, the University shou
fulfill its responsibilities to the community 1
helping to provide a service necessitated by t
University's presence.
CCAC is not solely a service provider either.
also functions as a laboratory for Educati
School students and provides research subjects.
CCAC deserves the University's attention a
assistance. Providing quality da y care
beneficial to children, parents, and their e
ployers. Converting day care from a source
stress to one of pleasure is a cause the Universi
could promote rather than impede.
SPORTS STAFF
GEOFF LARCOM.... . .. ............ Sports Editor
BILLY SAHN ........................ Executive Sports Editor
. LY NE FF ..... .. ...... . Maagg Sp re Edt r
Potawatomis, first 2 tenants
The earliest known dwellings By Patricia Theiler munity sharing of the land rather
on the land we call Ann Arbor station, Ann Arbor was laid out than private ownership of real
were dome-shaped wigwams deliberately by Allen and Rum- estate, and to bring about a
made from bark and mats by the sey as a business proposition, and careful and judicious land use.
Potawatomi Indians. These In- had it not been for Rumsey's un- The Ann Arbor Alternative
dians created "farm villages" in timely death three years later, he Holding Company will buy a
the summer along the Huron would probably have become a building once. When it is bought,
River and its tributaries, wealthy real estate speculator full control and title will be
Today, over 50 per cent of Ann like Allen." Ten years after Allen vested, in perpetuity, in the
Arbor residents are tenants; they claimed 480 acres of land at $1.25 Holding Company. As more
live in whatever dwelling they per acre as the start of the city of property is put in trust, more
can find in a town with an almost Ann Arbor, he owned stores, people will enjoy stable housing
zero per cent vacancy rate. The mills, houses, and thousands of costs because a leaseholder will
land they use provides profit for acres of Michigan land. Allen pay a monthly fee that contains
some landlord. Before the inven- held several local political offices no expense for profits. Users of
tion of the lease as a means of en- and was elected to the Michigan trust property will be able to par-
)n suring returns on the land for the Senate. At his death, a local ticipate in decisions which
PS landlord, a more direct covenant paper cited Allen as "the first benefit everyone, such as in-
r- existed between the land and the proprietor of the land upon which sulation of houses and conversion
te users of the land. our flourishing city is now built, to solar hot water heating.
THE POTAWATOMI Indians and Allen may, therefore, be Rather than having to live with
er viewed the land in the tradition of regarded as the pioneer of our decisions made by a landlord,
most Native Americans as a city... users of trust property will havea
re resource available for all people. Since the days of John Allen, strong voice in how their house is
d In 1789, the Potawatomi Indians twenty-story apartment com- run.
re singed the first treaty with the plexes have replaced the log THE LAND TRUST can benefit
U.S. in 1807, they joined several cabins, but real estate growing families, students who
tribes in the "signing" of the speculators continue to use mush know they will be here for longer
to treaty of Detroit and "sold" what of Ann Arbor land primarily to than a year, cooperative living
t- remainder of their land in acquire profits in the same way groups, community
as Washtenaw, Monroe, Wagne, that Allen gained his fortune. organizations, and others.
'S Livingston, and other counties. More than half of Ann Arbor aIn order to regain the use of
One hundred and seventy years residents are tenants. Landlords land as a resource held in trust,
e later, at the first federal trial realize the the Holding Company needs
w aimed at establishing treaty housing not through high rents money to buy up property in the
ts rights for American Indians, Dr. brought in each month but current market and members
Helen Tanner, Ann Arbor through speculation profit that who support the views of the
LC historian, testified that even comes from continuously buying organization. Membership is
rsthough the Indians signed this and reselling property at higher open to all residents of
rs treaty ceding land, they never in- prices. The value of real estate Washtenaw County who agree
tended to leave it nor give up continues to rise in Ann Arbor with the purposes of the Holding
is their fishing and hunting rights, because of low-vacancy rate, Company.
'S Tanner explained that the In- lack of regulations such as rent There are two kinds of mem-
to dianslooked at land possessions control, and lack of choices in bership: community support
to differently than the federal housing. member-receives mailing,
to government. She testified that WHEN THE Potawatomi In- voting member-eligible for
ry the Indians thought of themselves dians used the land along the Board of Directors and to become
ag more as caretakers of an area Huron River, there was no a leaseholder; dues are $2 and $10
rather than the owners of land speculation market. It was not a year respectively.
us with exclusive rights, possible for any one Indian to Helping to build the land trust
ts There were no historians or at- make moneyon land at the ex- promotes policies which benefit
torneys to explain property law to pense of others or the environ- those who currently suffer in the
an the Indians in 1789, however. ment. Their concept of holding housing market and future
ny Treaties signed by the the land in stewardship for all residents. It is a way of tran-
ee Potawatomi Indians paved the people is a model that can be ap- sforming some of the traditions of
way for log cabins to replace plied to today's housing problems the first residents along the
wigwams along the Huron River. in order to implement land use Huron River-the Potawatomi
In 1824, John Allen and his par- for common purposes, not Indians-into practices of
he tner, Elisha Rumsey, founded private profits. modern society.
on Ann Arbor. (The "Ann" was in In 1978, four Ann Arbor Interested persons can contact
ist appreciation of Allen's wife; the residents formed the Ann Arbor the Ann Arbor Holding Company,
es "arbor" due to his observations Alternative Holding Company as 840 Brookwood, 761-2274.
. of the landscape). a community land trust. The
is ACCORDING TO Wystan groups came together out of a
ce Stevens, local historian, "Unlike concern to take land off the Patricia Theiler is media coordi-
many towns that grow up by speculative market, educate nator of the Michigan Student
ty chance at the intersection of two people about the need for com- Assembly Housing Law Reform
roadsor-neara millorratrosdPoict
n-
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nd
ild
by
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roads or near a mill or railroad
LettersA
To The Daily:
Glancing back through some of
the previous week's Dailys I
found an article in the May 15
edition that greatly interested
me.
Judging it relative to the
Daily's pursuit in recent years of
clear, objective journalism that
brings all the important matters
concerning the University to the
foreground and leaves subjec-
tive, reactionary journalism
where it ought to be, in all those
communist brochures passed out
around campus, I was astoun-
ded to see a superficial, short-
sighted review of a drama com-
pany in the Arts section of the
Daily.,No words can express the.
-jibilarit feelin'g'. rgot froa
garish delight
reading this article, perhaps
ignorant journalism isn't
"irresurrectably dead" after all.
jective journalism would have
required him to report,
specifically, what point thecom-
piany had in putting on the
How iceit as t se narow ruurniiA I--new succeutu'
How nice it was to see narrow- produto ntnwscesu
minded Joshus Peck carry his they were in getting this point
critique of The Theatre Company , across to the audience. Instead,
of Ann Arbor's production of Mr. Peck implies that no theatre
Taking It From the Top no fur- company deserves to be reviewed
ther than was necessary to allow unless they subscribe to the time-
him to express his opinion of the tried tradition of Stanislav-
black art murals of the Library skian theatre.
for Afro-American studies. How It was garish delight to see a
pleasant indeed, was it to read critique so wonderfully ignorant
such definitive definitions of as Mr. Joshua Peck's. My only
(art?) thrust menacingly into the concern is that wasn't even
foreground of the reader's remotely written in the style of
thoughts. Yes, it truly boggles the Kenneth Muir or J. L. Styan as all
mind.how so deftly avoided sub- (art?) reviews should be.
jects'that ":That ever elusive''db. .' .' -'m1& lascliffe