ITuesdoy, July 19, 1911f
THE WCHGAN DAILY
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iuesdayiisly 19, 19ff THE MICHIGAN DAILY "oge Thre
City cable TV faces trouble
By GREGG KRUPA
Ann Arbor Cablevision Inc. is facing
several financial and legal difficulties
that threaten to obstruct the city's
awarding of a franchise to the company,
Presently Ann Arbor Cablevision is a
subsidiary of the cablevision holding
company, the Irvine Cable Company of
Irvine, California. The parent company
is being reorganized in federal bank-
ruptcy court. As a part of the reorgan-
ization Ann Arbor Cablevision will be-
come anindependent company.
BUT TIlE BANKRUPTCY proceedings
have delayed Ann Arbor Cablevision's
15 year enfranchisement with the city of
Ann Arbor. The company must be en-
franchised by the city because the com-
pany has a monopoly on the cable ser-
vice to more than 7.000 local subscribers.
In addition, local attorney Elmer
White has filed a law suit that may force
the city to revise the terms of the pend-
ing 15 year franchise.
In the suite White charged that be-
cause the company is a public utility,
the city's franchise must either be re-
voked at the will of the city, or the city
must seek approval of three fifths of
the city's voters before the city can
grant the company a franchise.
DISTRICT COURT Judge William
Ager. ruled the company was a public
utility. Although the city is appealing the
decision, City Attorney Bruce Laidlaw
saws that if the decision holds, the fran-
chise will be revised.
"Council merely has to pass a resolu-
tion adding a provision to the franchise
saying it is revokable at the wiHl of the
city," Laidlaw said.
Tom Ridley of Ann Arbor Cablevision
Inc. is confident that the franchise will
soon be awarded. "I don't think there's
any danger that we won't eventually be
awarded the 15 year contract. The bank-
ruptcy thing will be finalized by the end
of the year and the plant exists and
someone is going to have to operate it."
CHARLIE LADD of the Ann Arbor
Cable Commission, a division of city
government that overlooks the opera-,
tion of the company, also said she was
in favor of granting the franchise to
the company.
"We are standing behind the com-
pany and would like very much to
award the contract because we think
they would do a good job," ILadd said,
But attorney White has a different
perception of the entire entanglement
"WE SIOULD control this thing
through city hall." he said. "We
should-t hand this thing to a bunch of
bankrupts on a silver platter."
White says he is concerned about the
changes improving television technology
is having on society and that the city
should be hesitant to release any of the
power that it holds over the company.
"J.ooking at where society is going
with television we have to look at the
changes that will be happening. Tele-
vision has the ability to homogenize hu-
man culture. Cable has the ability to
communicate two ways. I don't think
the city should surrender control over
that much potential power."
Hundreds'support VA
nurses at hospital rally
By LORI CARRUTHERS
Nearly a thousand chanting,
singing demonstrators gathered
on the lower lawn of the Veter-
ans Administration (VA) hos-
pital Sunday afternoon to pro-
test last Wednesday's convic-
tion of nurses Filipina Narciso
and Leonora Perez,
Narciso and Perez, both for-
mer VA nurses, were found
guilty of one count of conspir-
acy and three counts of poison-
ing each in a series of breath-
ing failures at the VA hospital
daring the summer of 1975.
VA NURSES on their lunch
break, young children carrying
crayon covered placards, and
University students participat-
ed in the rally. People in the
crowd often broke into song or
rhythmic clapping as they
marched in the picket line and
listened to us-er a dozen speak-
ers.
Both Narciso and Perez,
along with their parents and
relatives attended the rally
held in their behalf. Perez'
young son, Christopher, walked
in the picket line with a poster
that read, "Mommie and
Auntie P.1. are Innocent."
"I don't know what happen-
ed . . . I still have high hopes
we will win the case, very high
hopes," an emotional Perez told
the crowd. "Troth will prevail
in this country,"
"ON THE 13TIi day of\JuTy,
Belcher suit names city
clerk, ce-unty canvassers
1977 justice died. I hate to see
the day when it could happen
to one of you," Narciso sagd.
Kathy Robinson, an alternate
juror, also expressed dismay
at the outcome of the trial.
"I sat in that jury box during
three months of testimony,
three days of final arguments
and 46 pages of legal instruc-
tion - I will never understand
how 12 people could have come
to that verdict.
"I talked to one of the jurors
afterwards and they said, 'No
one who had not been present
in the deliberation room would
be able to understand the ver-
dict'---I agree with that," Rob-
inson said.
S P E A K I N G TO Narciso
and Perez she said, "I'm sorry
the system didn't work for
Many VA ptients were also
convinced if the two nurses'
innocence.
.I don't tfeel the nurse did
it," VA patient Roy Beau said.
"At first I maybe thought yes
hut I kept asking myself why.
I've cone some research on this
shec dmnd I have talked to
gMy wh hehavelived through
it. 'they don' think the trses
are guilty."
"THE IHOSPITAL should
have stood behind them fand
the administration should have
made a heltva effort to stand
behind them. They hired them,
(Narciso and Perez), and plac-
ed them in those positions s
Bean continued.
Bean said the impact of the
verdict:; could have a wide-
spread effect. "This will affect
nurses and patients in VA hos-
pitals all over the country," he
said. "There will be a rebellion,
maybe not as violent as the six-
See VA, Page 6
By RON DeKETT
A Monroe County Circuit
Judge yesterday named the
Ann Arbor City Clerk and the
Washtenaw County Board of
Canvassers parties in a civil
suit, filed against Democratic
Mayor Albert Wheeler disput-
ing the outcome of last April's
mayoral election.
In action favorable to a mo-
tion filed by Wheeler's lawyer,
Robert Grace, Judge James
Kelly said the positions of city
clerk and board of canvassers,
not the individuals holding the
offices, will be named parties
in the suit. Kelly denied a por-
tion of Grace's motion asking
that the City of Ann Arbor be
included as an additional party.
LO UIS FEtF. C H E R
(R - Fifth Ward) is suing
Wheeler to gain the mapor's
position. Belcher lost the April
election by one vote. His suit
alleges the board of canvassers
erred in certifying the elec-
tion. It also contends non-city
residents voted in the election
and affected the outcome of the
race. Because of these alleged
errors the suit claims Wheeler
assumed the office of mayor
illegally.
Bruce Benz, acting for Grace,,
argued that the City of Ann Ar-
bor, the Ann Arbor City Clerk
and the Washtenaw County
Board of Canvassers should be
named parties in the suit.
Benz said Wheeler should not
See BELCHER, Page 5
A CROWD of 500 to 800 rallied at the Ann Arbor Veteran's
Administration Hospital Sunday to demonstrate support for
nurses Leonora Perez (left) and Filipina Narciso (right) who
were convicted last week of poisoning five patients at the hos-
pital in 1975.
Billboard bride
Michael Block; of New York City, believes in
marriage, and he is willing to go to almost any
lengths to make sure he finds a spouse. The 35-
year-old advertisting executive has spent $2,600 to
put his picture and a brief message in eight loca-
tions on the Lexinton Ave subway line. The ads
urge women interested in marriage to send him
a picture and a short at his New York City post
office box. "I believe in marriage," Block said. "I
believe in children. I'm romantic. I decided to do
TODAY
something different, and this is it." So far, Block
says the response has been good, and he recom-
mends his method to lonely persons everywhere.
But, if you can't afford $2,500, there's always Daily
personals.
Happenings . .
our advise is to fin4 a nice, air-conditioned
bedroom, and sleep all day today, because nothing
is happening until 7:30, when there will be a free
showing of the film Hurry Tomorrow, in Aud. 3,
MLB.
On the outside ...
Go find your smart-alek, no-it-all friend who
said yesterday's rain would cool things off, and
punch him or her in the nose, because today's go-
ing to be worse than yesterday. You'll be about
as comfortable as a potato in a crock pot, as
the temperature and the humidity will race to see
who can reach 100 the fastest. Jimmy the Greek
gives the nod to temperature by 3 to 2 odds, but
if it rains in the morning (there is a chance) the
odds will change. Skies will be partly sunny, and
tonight's low will be in the upper 70s.