Saturday, May 14, 1977

THE MICHIGAN DAILY

/age Three



Adiinistritor Murray:
Behind-the-scenes power
By GREGG KRUPA
"He's the smartest politician at the table and I don't mean
that in a derogatory sense." said Councilman Jamie Kenworthy
of the Fourth Ward. "It takes a special person for him to have
survived this long with a council closely divided on party lines."
'He' is City Administrator Sylvester Murray.
"I AM THE MOST powerful person in city government in the
sense of how people look at powe," said Murray. "The mayor's
power of veto is much greater than any of my powers, except
his chances to give a veto are not that great. Ile can only veto
legislation. I sit here daily and make those sorts of decisions.
'I am the most powerful person in city gov-
ernment in the sense of how people look at
power'-Sylvester Murray
"But that's not necessarily negative," Murray continued. "The
framers of the city charter recognize this power simply by the pay
provided for the city administrator.
Murray is paid $35,700, the highest salary the city pays any
employe.
CITY COUNCIL is expected to approve the $23 million general
city budget on May 23. Murray plays a key role in the formulation
and approval of that budget.
"You do not start off from ground zero. You begin from a
point of reference - last year's budget," he said. "In addition I
make particular notes of Council comments, throughout the year.
I also review the complaints which come into my office. Although
I may not receive them personally, my staff does. All of this is
within my psyche at the time I make those budget decisions."
Murray says he believes every department looks at the budget
requisitions from the point of view of the citizen's need.
"When the police department says they need 15 more officers,
they do, because if you've got 15 more officers you can use them.
And, when the recreation department comes and says we need a
posthole digger, they need that too.
"SO, I MAKE my decisions from the position that all depart-
ments are being honest when they come to me," he added.

Uaily Photo li y iCRt ISNA SCNEtUtK
Cement blocks, just like humans, like to laze around in hot summer weather. These blocks,
lying on the banks of the Huron River in theArb, have but a few days of vacation left. Then,
they will be used to shore up the embankment to keep the Arb from washing away.
tackles Arb erosion site

By RON DeKETT
Each year, despite meticulous care, human
visitors with a little help from nature, inflict
extensive damage upon the University-owned
Nichols Arboretum. Nowhere is that damage
more evident than along the lower entrance
road to the Arb which parallels the Huron
River.
In several locations the river has washed
out the bank area, uprooted trees and small
brush and, in some cases, threatens the road.
BUT THE biggest eyesores are the huge
mounds of gravel and concrete slabs dumped

along the river bank. These unsightly heaps
are part of a preliminary effort by University
engineers to halt the severe erosion along the
river bank.
"A couple of years ago Gallop Lake Park
was Tinder con truction. There was extensive
work done on the Dixboro Roads and Geddes
Road Dam, so they had .to close the dam,"
explained Gil Jaeger, the Arb supervisor.
Gallup Lake Park is located approximately
one and a halt miles downstream of the Arb.
"IT BACKED up the water three and four
See 'U', Page 9

Energetically speaking of hope
By LORI CARRUTHERS prefer not to tell their sur- or inspiration," Carl said. greeted with a cheery -message,
names, are three members of often with an offbeat twist. Gie
"Energy Line" caller might this extended "f a m i I y that THEY DECIDED to name message this week used Lady
expect a lecture to dim their cares." - their service "Energy Line" be- Godiva as an illustration of
lights or lower their thermo- Personal traumatic experi- cause they hope their phone someone g a i n i n g "happiness
stats. Instead, a catchy message ences drew these people togeth- blurbs give listeners energy. through helping others." She
offering spiritual energy and en- er. From private experience He said there are telephone rode naked through the town in
couragement greets them. they knew the need of a 24-hour numbers telling the time, the order to convince her husband,
"Everybody needs the sense counseling service. weather and even what to plant the Earl of Coventry, to lower
everything adds up," said Carl, "I don't believe there is any in a garden, but none to call and taxes.
one of the organizers behind other telephone n u m b e r in talk with someone at any hour
'Energy Line." Washtenaw County with a mes- of the day. OTHER MESSAGES use re-
CARL, CRAIG and Ruth, who sage of hope, cheer, friendship, "Energy Line" callers are See ENERGY, Page 10

Murray said all departmentA
request more money than is
feasible to give thems.Ie and
his satff stake some ects and
then torn to City C:ouncil for
some gtidance.
"Before I make my final de-
cisions I have a Council retreat
session. I go to them and say
'Aright fellows, it's budget
time, now give me your input.
What is it you ant to have in
the city budget.
"THEN I GO to the mayor,
or at least I offer to go to the
mayor, and I put the budget
before him, outlime the major
changes t have made."
Murray also supervises all
See MURRAY, Page 10

Lucky Sox
Chicago White Sox owner Bill Veeck, a showman
in all things, decided yesterday to cash in on the
glamour potential of Friday the 13th. He arranged
a meeting of the Anti-Superstition Society at Co-
miskey Park, which was renamed "Complex 13"
for the day. Veeck also honored 13 "men of the
day" and gave Sox manager Bob Lemon the dubious
chore of smashing a mirror with a baseball bat
over home plate at 13 seconds past 7:30 - moments
before a game against the Cleveland Indians. Veeck
had better watch his step. So far this year his Sox
- an almost-unanimous pick for last place in the
American League's Western Division - have been
winning at a .621 clip and are in second place.
A penny spent...
Some people just don't like to be pressured. Rob-
ert Monroe, of Virginia Beach, Va., is one of them.
Monroe owed some $1,006.01 to a national finance
company, and felt like taking his time settling the
debt. But reportedly pressured by the company's
lawyers, Monroe, annoyed, came up with the loot.
If you think he was annoyed, put yourselves in the

-TODAY-
shoes of those who had to count the debt. Monroe
brought it in in 20 pags of pennies, weighing 35
pounds. A centsible man,, he, and also true to his
profession-he works for J. C. Penney Co.
Happenings ...
get up early this morning and register for
the Jazz Revisi'ed Colloquium, which will run all
day in Rackham. Registration is at 8:30 a.m...*.
then go from librettos to lobs at 9 a.m. as the State
Women's Tennis Championships are "g4d on the
Varsity Courts . . . The Wolverine track team at-
tempts to outrun Indiana's Hoosiers at the outdoor
track, 12:30 p.m. . . the model U. N. conference
continues with two speeches - one at 12 noon by
Dr. Ali Mazrui of tne University Political Science
Department on "The Third World, the U.N., and
the Search for Global Democracy", and the other
at 7:30 by Tapson Mawere, Representative of the
Zimbabwe African INational Union to the U.N., on
"Southern Africa" . . . and wrap up today the way
it started -.with jazz. The Roots Trio will be at
the University Club from 9:30 to 1:30 a.m., featuring
Vincent York on alto sax ... tomorrow is the day
of the Ecology Center's Bike-A-Thon, along Huron
River Drive from noon to 5 p.m. ...the SOS Com-

munity Crisis Center will hold an orientation pro-
gram for prospective workers from 7 to 10 p.m.
at the Center, 114 N. River in Ypsilanti . . . and a
discussion of "Single Adults and the Law" will be
held at 8 p.m. at the Wesley -Foundation, Corner of
State and Huron . . . Monday marks the start of a
three-day conference on "Land-Commodity or Nat-
ural Resource; The Face of America in the Year
2000", in the Rackham Building. Registration is at
8 a.m. A documentary in conjunction with the con-
ference, "Arizona, Here We Come", will be shown
at 4 p.m.; William H. Whyte, author if The Organiz-
ation Man, will speak on "The Open City: Potentials
in Urban Space" in Rackham Lecture Hall at 8 p.m.
. and at noon in EMU's Goodison Hall, former
Indonesian political prisoner Carmel Budiardjo will
speak on "Human Rights Violations: Indonesia/
East Timor." Enjoy the weekend!
On the outside
Perfect for a day off. The forecast calls for a high
in the upper 70s, with only a slight chance of sprink-
les. Tonight's low will be in the mid 50s. It should
be nearly the same on Sunday, but slightly cooler,
highs in the low 70s.

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