Friday, July Z, 1976 THE MICHIGAN DAILY Page Three Baker finishes bike ride for Sena te bid By JIM TrOBIN Regent lDeane Baker (R-Ann Arbor), w id elIy regarded in party circles as a right-winger in his bid for the U.S. Senate, last weekend finished np a cam- paign tour tinged with more populism than Harry Truman's whistle-stops of the Nineteen- Forties. He did it on a bicycle. Calling himself "the only non- politician in the race," Baker, 53, rode his slick, ten-speed Schwinn Paramount ("I wanted to ride an American product") from Saul) St. Marie to Detroit to Grand Rapids to Ann Arbor in a series of jaunts which he began in May. BAKER dreamed up the two- wheeled gimmnick as part of his effort to get ac-ros.- to Michigan voters a msessage of fiscal re- straint, free enterprise, and support for ''the las--abiding cit- zen-all in a way that would emphasize his non-Washington, 'independent" status. "'re nev-er held national po- litiral office," Baker s a y s 'Same people call that a wek niess. I call it a strength." Ridinsg with Baker on the forty-mile stretch from Jackson to Ann Arbor, one is imnpressedl with his stamina. The long miles throughout the state have gotten him into good shape, and he is able to carry on an easy conversation oo his background and thte issues while maintain- ing a steady 13-15 mile per hour clip. HE WORE khaki pants antd a light bltue sport shirt, hardly standard attire for a U.S. Sen- ate candidate. Hut people lie pattses to talk to at a McI~on- ald's are only taken aback ftor a moment when he says, "My name's Baker, rtmning for Phil Hart's Senate seat" Then they smile and say hello, glance at his bike in amusement. While Baker claims he talked to many people along his aetnal rote, the benefits of the jour- ney were evidently reaped more fronm the media coverage it gen- erated than from acttual voter ctntact. Along the road to Ann Arbor, B-ker passed only at .youlsgstcr selling strawllberrIiest at ca rtxmd-ide stand and a stray farmer or two plowving the fields. But upon entering Ann Arbor, he stopped ait the Ann Arbor News- for pictures and questins front reporters andi was able tom report that he had rolled in from ,Jackson in uttder four hours. That sort of non-po- litical feat gained Baker allen- tion at TV stations and news- papers throughout the slate. A definite underdog in the Atugust 3 primary rare, Baker has had tto battle thse better ttame-recognition of Ihis three Republican opponents - U.S. Reipresentative Marvin Etch of Ann Arbor, formter stale Sn- prense (Court Justice Tlhomas Brennan, and TIroyindustrialist Rort Huber, a fortue U.S. congressman. A recent D~etroit News poll showved Baker tIra it- tng his clssely-butsclted oppo-i nents by about ten percentagte pointts,.bhtl zppro ximately lhalf of tte votters said they were un- decided. It is 111pon this block that Baker places his hopes. See BIAKER, Page 10 Protesting Detroit police may be fired D)ETRIT1 (UPI) - Police Chief Phillip Tan- nian, his department already crippled by sweep- ing layoffs, yesterday threatened to fire hun- dreds of officers involved in a "blue flu" protest of the staff reductions. Tannian, who termed the absences "juvenile," told a new.- conference he considered the work slowdon an tunlawful strike. MOST OFFICERS in the nation's fifthm largest city apparently heeded Tannian's Itreat of dis- missal. Absenteeism for the 4 p.m. shift drop- ped to an averaage 2 per cent, compared to 60 prcent in tome precincts earlier in fhe day. .Hundreds of officers started catting in sick IaaIn Wednesday before almost 1,000 police em- ployes, many of them low-neniority patrol offic- Dtattl-'hotoLev0 STEVE KAGAN LIKE MOST 'POLITICAL candidates, University Regent and U, S, Senate hopeful Deane Baker (R-Ann Arbor) is busy campaigning throughout the slate for next mouth's primary. But while his opponents are driving sod jelling around the state, Baker takes his cause to the voters via his leo-speed bicycle,.lie is shoswn here returning to Ann Arhor alter a 40- mile trip to Jacksn. ers, 'ae Hoytr police problem $30 mi' $100 to ABSI precist ministt forms Lions. Thec of prol+ strikes, down. Tans: Fighting the hand that bleeds you A two-page letter from a group claim- ing responsibility for mailing 18 letter bombs during June was sent to a tele- vision station and a newspaper in Shreve- port, La. Wednesday. "We are sure the letter bombs served notice that we have no objection to blowing off a few :cor- porate hands - the ones they steal with, preferably," the letter said. The letter, signed "B. A. Fox and Associates," was mailed from Las Vegas Monday and was believed to be authentic, according to an FBI spokesman in New Orleans. Happenings... .today is a good day for catching up on your reading, or taking a lang walk, or just sitting around and wasting time because nothing, absolutely, positively nothing is happening. Weather or not The cold and rainy weather will leave use, as skies will be sunny today with highs in the upper 70's. The evening will be warm- and pleasant with, lows in the low 60's. And best of all, NO RAtN! CA USE OF CRASH UNKNOWN: Balloonist found alive after crash *in Atlanti1c NEW YORE fUPI)- - Sola balloonist know "hte was fine and in good spirits" Earl. Thomas was "fine and in, good a spokesman, Walter Clayton, said. The spinits" yesterday aboard a Soviet mer- Ir.ansmission ended before they could chant ship, his dream of being the first ask Thomas what went wrong. man to cross the Atlantic dashed when his craft was forced into the water. WORD OF the rescue was radioed by the Russian ship at 10:47 a.m. yester- Thomas' red, white and blue "Spirit of day to the Canadian Rescue Coordinat- '76" balloon splashed into the Atlantic ing Center at Halifax, N. S., and was about 55 miles southeast of New York relayed to the Coa.stGuard in New Sunday, but the Coast Guard was not York. notified until yesterday of his plight or The Coast Guard said 'Thomas' medi- his rescue. cal condition wa- reported satisfactory. THE 27-YEAR-OLD German-born dare-_ "Details of his balloon failure are not devi frm TnyMich, w puted known at the present time," a Coast aboard the steamer Dekabrist at shot) Gurd spokesman said. 11 p.m. ROY Wednesday night five days after he look off from Lakehurst, N. J. IN MOSCOW, the Tass news agency tHe was reported in goo condition, said Thomas was in a life raft when spot- ted by the 423-foot ship and the crew ft was the 13th attempt to crass the rendered him the necessary aid." Atlantic by balloon. All have ended in failre.Sixhavedie inthe ttept. The Taos report said, "He feels well," failre.Sixhavedie inthe ttept. but did not elaborate. Thomas spoke by radio-telephone Thomas' balloon was equipped with a hookups yesterday to bin flight head- floatable, 14 by 71/ foot gondola. It was quarters, located in a midtown apart- unclear if the Tass report :referred to men) building, to let his wife and friends the gondola or a separate life raft. erc laid sff aI t idtmighlt. or Coleman Young ordered am fifths of the staff lopped off to ease the city's financial no. 'The decision was expected ts save ilion in the budget projected to have a illion deficit this fiscal year. ENTEEISM averaged SS per cent in the 13 cts throulgh thse day shift yesterday. Ad- rators anti detectives wrere handed uni- and manned patrol cars at precinct sta- dlepartment allowed the "blue fint," a form test to circumvent laws prohibiting police -to continume 24 houirs before cracking 15ian acused Detroit Police tOfficers. As- sociation fDPOA) leaders, his most vo- cat and biting critics, of authorizing the w4}rk stoppage. "NUMEROUS witnesses tare ,advised thsat youir onion stewards have orches- trated this work stoppage amrong the rank and file," Tannian sanid in a letter to Dl tA President Ronm Sexton. "Accordingly, we are compelled to proceed in a mtanner the couirts have attthorized in su~ch emergencies." The chrief said any officer callintg in sick would be replaced by one who was laid off. TANNIAN also said Ite officers ap- ptarently- were protesting not otnly the layoffs, hot also recent :suspension of officers not living in the city and a fed- eral coumrt order banning the layoff of women officers. The chief repeated earlier statements that despite the manpower shortages, the city was adeqtmately protected. Sexton was unavailable for comment. But union officials denied organizing the protest and said they would fight any new dismissals in cotu't. They even de- nied the existence of the protest. "THIERE IS no blume flu," a D)POA sptnkesman said, "It violates the con- tract. Officers are entitled to be sick, aren't they? " In Lansing, Guy. William Milliken said he was watching the situation in the state's largest city but he did not plan to order state police troopers or National Guard troops into the city for additional protection .