Page 10-Friday, July 6, 1979-The Michigan Daily Traffic By TIM YAGLE and PATRICIA HAGEN Despite traffic congestion and chilly weather, the Fourth of July Ann Arbor fireworks prompted the traditional ooohs and aaahs from an estimated 40,000 spectators at the Ann Arbor Air- port. Officials from the airport, police, and Jaycees said they were generally pleased with the staging of the state's second largest display of fireworks, held for the first time at the airport. Ways to improve next year's show and solve the traffic problems already are being discussed. OVERALL, "WE'RE really pleased," said Ann Arbor Jaycee Gary Stripp, who coordinated the display. He attributed the traffic congestion to the "larger than expected" crowd, which he estimated at 40,000 "at least." "One of the major problems was get- ting people in and out," Stripp ex- plained. This resulted in an "halacious traffic snarl," he added. Cars were backed up for miles on State St. and other roads leading to the airport before and after the show Wed- nesday night. "WE RAN OUT of (parking) space at the airport," said airport director John Rinehart. After the 11 acres planned for parking were filled, about seven more acres on the airport grounds were filled with cars. snarls fireworks According to Rinehart, the fireworks were delayed to allow more people to park at the airport. He said parking lots at nearby Research Park and Briar- wood Mall also were filled, further compounding the traffic problems when the show ended. Impatient groupe, clustered on the grass with coolers of pop and beer, began clapping and chanting when the display failed to begin as scheduled at 10 p.m. PITTSFIELD TOWNSHIP Police Chief William Holifield said some drivers of the estimated 15,000 cars grew impatient while waiting to park and tried to turn around. The resulting bottlenecks caused further congestion on State St. The 40-minute display ended at about 11:15 p.m. but exiting traffic was tied up for over an hour, Pittsfield Police LI. Frank Pesta said. "I understand a lot of people were up- set" about the traffic problems, said Stripp. He said he hoped people would be understanding, since this was the first year the airport hosted the display. "We're trying to get the bugs out," he added. THE INDEPENDENCE Day display was moved to the airport because of traffic and crowd problems at Buhr Park in past years. Some spectators complained that the fireworks were launched too far away from the viewing area. Stripp said this was done for safety reasons, but added next year the firing would be moved closer to the crowd. Funding the show is a major problem the Jaycees face every year in putting on the display, but money was tighter than usual this year, Stripp said. "We're about $3,000 short," Stripp said. The show usually costs between $11,000 and $12,000. He said the remaining funds probably would be made up from additional corporate donations. BETWEEN $1,800 and $2,000 was earned by charging $1 per car to park at the airport, Stripp said. "We wanted it to remain a free show," he explained, but the shortage of funds necessitated the parking fee for the first time. Stripp said the Jaycees hope the parking fee will not be needed next year. No injuries or arrests were reported at the event. According to Pesta, 20 of- ficers directed traffic and patrolled the crowds. Between $50 and $60 worth of fireworks were confiscated from in- dividuals, Pesta estimated. DESPITE COMPLAINTS about the distance of the display and the length of time between launchings, most spec- tators seemed to enjoy the night- display illuminating flashes and resounding booms. One spectator, LSA junior Harold Bidlack, said he was pleased with the display. "Imthought they were neat," he ex- claimed. "We were in a good position (to see them)." Bidlack and four frien- ds sat a few hundred feet south of the airport. COMPARING Wednesday's show to previous displays at Buhr Park, Bidlack said there was less of a traffic problem and more open space around the airport. Duane Gall, a recent University graduate, agreed with Bidlack on the quality of the display but said he did not like the tremendous crowds. "It (the display) was neat but it was a real mob scene," he explained. "The most prominent feature of the display was the crowd, not the fireworks. It was so crowded," Gall continued, "that I would not want to go again." The dazzling rapid-fire finale drowned out even the enthusiastic cheers and applause from the somewhat restless audience, as 20 per cent of the fireworks were set off at the end. The Ann Arbor Film Cooperative Presents at MLB FRIDAY, JULY 6 INTERIORS (Woody Allen, 1978) 7.8:40, 10:20-MLB 3 Often compared to the works of Ingmar Bergman and Eugene O'Neill, INTERIORS is Woody Allen's look at the turbulent interrelationships be- tween an artistic domineering mother, her estranged husband and their three daughters. Stars DIANE KEATON, GERALDINE PAGE, and MAUREEN STAPLETON. Tomorrow: RETURN OF THE DRAGON and CHINESE CONNECTION CINEMA II PRESENTS THE HARDER THEY COME PERRY MENZELL, 1973 An exotic glimpse of Jamaican life in this first film from the isle of reefer. A violent tale of a young innocent who comes to seek his fortune as a pop star and ends up as a renegade desperado. Based on a true story. Reggae music by Jimmy Cliff, Toots and the Maytals, the Slickers, and others throbs with vitality throughout the film. "The Harder They Come" has more guts, humor, and sheer exuberance than most movies you'll see in any one year of moviegoing."- Vincent Canby. (100 min) 7:30 & 9:30 Aud A AngeLHall $1.50 i 1 1 i i Bill may guarantee state input on new power plants LANSING (UPI) - Legislation "The decisions result from a costly giving the state a better grip on the con- non-system, a crazy-quilt mixture of of- struction of power plants and increased ten redundant permits and hearings input into determining whether new which take years to complete but work plants are needed was introduced against sound decision making," he yesterday in the state House. said. "At the present time, about the only "If you pay utility bills you have a decisions on behalf of the public made stake in whether a multi-million dollar by a public agency about public utilities plant is needed or, for example, are how high the rates must be," said whether the same energy need can be the bill's sponsor, Rep. H. Lynn Jondahl met by a program of energy conser- (D-East Lansing). vation. Today, such an alternative is "The original decisions concerning a not reviewed." plant, such as is it necessary, how large Currently, he said, the public has lit- it should be, what fuel it should use and tle input in site selection and there is no where it should be located, to a large mechanism to review the combined ef- degree determine what electricity price fects of power piant construction - consumers will be charged once the such as environmental and economic plant is operating. aspects. ONCE IT IS operating or even once the construction has begun, however, A (I I mistakes previously made in the sACLU es decision process are enormously dif- ficult - sometimes impossible - and F B I . v always very expensive to rectify." er Jondahl said utility plant construc- tion decisions - for which every elec- trical user pays - now are made "in a variety of places by a variety of people with no cohesive nor coherent con- sideration of need or of possible alter- natives." w±1 I ~ :~ :] :~Dustiniloffinan 5th Avenue'st LibertySt. 761-9700o Formerly Fifth Forum Theater Vanessa Redgrave 3rd and FINAL WEEK! "AGATHA' is a good movie, very slick, very stylish entertainment'" -Ann Arbor News Friday 6:00-8:00-10:00 Friday, $1.50 til 6:30 Sat-Sun 1:50 3:50 6:00 8:00 10:00 Adults $1.50 til 2:15 -L activist's slaying 'Continued fromwPage 3) the killing and is slated to stand trial in Alabama this fall. ACLU attorney Jack Novik said the statute of limitations has not run out on the case because "the FBI concealed evidence." Simon said FBI documents released under the Freedom of Information Act at the ACLU's request showed Rowe was hired to infiltrate the Klan in 1959 and also played a major role in assaults on Freedom Riders in 1961 and the bombing of a black church in Bir- mingham, Ala., in 1963. THE DOCUMENTS also included in- ternal memos from Hoover instructing FBI investigators to make Liuzzo's in- volvment with her black passenger "look like a necking party" and or- dering sperm and drug tests as part of her autopsy.