Ninety-One Years
of
Editorial Freedom
C I
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Bittan
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SUNNY SUNDAY
It will be clear today with a
high in the 40s.
*Vol. XCI, No. 117
Copyright 1981, The Michigan Daily
Ann Arbor, Michigan-Sunday, February 15, 1981
Ten Cents
Ten Pages
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Prunaries mn
four council
wards held
tomorrow
By DEBI DAVIS
Primaries in four of the city's five wards will be held
tomorrow to determine contestants for the April City Council
elections.
Democratic run-offs will be held in the traditionally
Democratic wards one and two, both of which have large
student populations.
REPUBLICAN PRIMARIES will be held in the primarily
residential Third and Fifth Wards.
The primary in the Second Ward, which includes Bursley
and the Hill area dormitories, will probably be the most hotly
Democrats and Republicans competing for spots
in Arpil's City Council elections have similar
thoughts about the problems facing the city. See
stories, Page 7.
contested race. Two-term incumbent Leslie Morris, a
homemaker who devotes most of her time to the job, is op.
posed by Robert Ewing, co-owner of Wilderness Outfitters
camping goods store.
Ewing contends the part-timecouncil position, which pays
an annual salary of $5,000, is for formulating policy-not
trying to oversee city administration, as he says Morris often
does.
MORRIS COUNTERED the charge. "A housewife who is
wringing her hands on the outside may be able to do a better
job-it's not that I'm selfless, I'm just interested," she said.
In the traditionally Democratic First Ward, which includes
South Quad and West Quad dormitories, 22-year-old Lowell
Peterson said he will work to improve housing, police, and
city development issues. His opponent, Clinton Smith, owner
of Blacksmith Enterprises, agreed, although he said he con-
sidered better street maintenance important, too.
In the Third Ward primary, there is no contest for all prac-
tical purposes. One of the Republican contenders, Kenneth
Newbly, dropped out of the race. His name, however, is still
on the ballot because he withdrew his candidacy after a state
deadline had passed.
Newble has thrown his support behind Virginia Johansen, a
15-year Republican party member. He said that Johansen, a
long-time party activist, deserved the nomination.
IN THE FIFTH Ward, two previously unsuccessful can-
didates are running again this year. A.J. Lalonde, an Ann
Arbor cab driver and seven-time candidate, is facing Louis
Velker, station manager of an Ypsilanti contemporary
Christian radio station, WYFC.
Both the Democrats and Republicans in the four wards
agree on one issue: their opposition to the proposed halfway
house correctional institution at 1700 Broadway. The con-
troversial proposal has united many of the city's officials and
citizen activists.
ONLY TWO OF five incumbents on City Council are
seeking re-election, this term-Morris (D-2d Ward) and Ed-
ward Hood (R-4th Ward), who is running unopposed for the
Republican nomination in his ward. Incumbents Kenneth
Latta (D-1st Ward), Louis Senunas (R-3rd Ward), and
Gerald Bell (R-5th Ward) have decided to step down this
year.
Latta said recently he doesn't believe anyone should sit on
City Council for more than two terms. "Besides," he said, "I
have a lot of competing demands on my time. I've had three
years of 60-hour weeks."
Senunas' wife, Sherry, said her husband has enjoyed City
Council but feels someone else should have a chance.
Besides, she laughed, "His family would like him home
more."
Bell's wife, Judy, echoed the others' sentiments, but added
that her husband has gotten another job that requires him to
be out of town more often.
City Council, the city's highest governing body, is com-
prised of 11 members-two representing each ward and elec-
ted on alternating years-plus the mayor, who presides over
City Council proceedings.
Polls will be open tomorrow from 7a.m. to 8p.m.
49 die in Dublin
fire, 138 injured
NORTH
IRELANDS
Bel ast
IRELAND * IN
Dublin
0800
M~tEo
DUBLIN, Ireland (AP) - An early
morning flash fire that swept through
Dublin's biggest nightclub at a Valen-
tine's disco dance took the lives of 49
young people and injured at least 138
others, according to police.
Authorities searched through the
charred building yesterday for clues to
the cause of one of Ireland's worst
disasters. r
DESPERATE PARENTS of missing
youngsters descended on the city's
seven hospitals yesterday morning,
searching the wards for their children.
Some then went in despair to the city
morgue.
The morgue was not big enough to
contain all the dead, and Irish soldiers
put up a tent in the yard to lay out the
bodies.
Witnesses at the Stardust Cabaret
said the fire erupted just before 2 a.m.,
knocking out the electricity and
plunging the 700 to 800 young patrons in-
to darkness and panic. Some witnesses
said windows were barred, preventing
escape from the intense smoke and fire.
"WE WERE TRYING to get out by
the exits but they were all closed," said
an injured youth who survived because
another boy hauled him through a
broken window.
Survivors said hundreds of youths
were crowded into the former food
processing plant in suburban Artane for
a disco dancing championship.
Police said they were checking
rumors of arson but did not know the
cause of the blaze.
MOST SURVIVORS who saw the fire
as it began said it burst from behind a
partition near the stage, setting ablaze
a curtain which flamed upward and
started the ceiling burning.
Then the power failed and the teen-
agers swarmed for the front entrance,
groping for other unlighted exits, wit-
nesses said.
The ceiling smoked and then flared
into a fireball, showering the dancers
with molten material, witnesses said.
Some patrons were burned or
asphyxiated as they struggled to open
locked doors or tore vainly at windows
covered on the outside with vandal-
proof iron bars according to the wit-
nesses.
THE IRISH GOVERNMENT said a
thorough investigation would be made.
And they announced that Tuesday
would be an official day of mourning for
the victims.
Liam Butterly, owner of the night-
club, refused to speak to reporters
about the blaze. A barman said 775
meals were served before the fire and
that the Stardust had a capacity for
1,500 but was partitioned off.
Dublin coroner Patrick Bofin, a
pathologist, told reporters the bodies of
the dead were so badly charred "it will
be days" before positive identification
is complete. He said that 90 percent of
the dead were burned beyond
recognition.
AT THE SCENE, detectives probed
the debris throughout the day. Police
said they were looking for remnants of
a polystyrene-type material which
made up the ceiling.
"I saw all the back seats on fire, then
the roof started coming down and the
carpets were on fire," said 17-year-old
Tommy Wade.
AP Photo
4 TWISTED GIRDERS and charred rubble are the only remains of the Stardust Discotheque in Dublin, Ireland. At least
49 people were killed and 130 injured in a Friday night fire that destroyed the nightclub.
The cost of mailing a
MSA to meet
students through
:free blue books
first
class letter
over
the
Letter postage may cost
20 cents by March;
board to vote Thursday
past century:
1885-1917:
1917-1919:
1919-1932:
2 cents.
3 cents.
2 cents.
By BETH ALLEN
If you just haven't had the time to
pick up a blue book for your midterm,
the Michigan Student Assembly might
be able to help. In an effort to meet
their constituents, MSA members will
be stationed at key points on campus
tomorrow to pass out 6,000 free blue
books.
According to Bernard Edelman, MSA
Vice President of Special Projects, the
reason behind the program is not so
much to provide free blue books as to
get out and talk to students. "The blue
books are just the medium through
which we can meet our constituency,"
Edelman said.
IN MSA MEETINGS last month,
Edelman told fellow MSA members that
the distribution of free blue books would
promote MSA name recognition and
would give students tangible proof of
MSA's service to its constituency.
MSA members will be available to
talk with interested students about
MSA's role in the University and will
contain information on services and
opportunities MSA offers, Edelman
said. Each blue book will contain a
promotional flyer with this information
and where to call if someone wants to
participate in some of MSA's activities.
The six-page blue books will be han-
ded out at the Fishbowl from 10 a.m. to
4 p.m. and at the Engineering Arch, the
Undergraduate Library, the business
school, and Angell Hall from 10 a.m. to
1 p.m. In addition, students can pick up
blue books at the MSA office in the
Michigan Union.
1932-1958: 3 cents.
1958-1963: 4 cents.
1963-1968:
5 cents.
WASHINGTON (UPI)-For the fifth time in 10
years, Americans face a possible hike in tie cost
of mailing a letter.
The independent Postal Rate Commission is
expected to decide Thursday whether to approve
the Postal Service's request to increase the cost
of mailing a one-ounce first class letter a nickel,
to 20 cents.
IF THE COMMISSION recommends the 33
percent hike-the first price increase in three
years-the service's Board of Governors will ap-
prove it and it would become effective in March,
according to a spokesperson.
The Postal Service said it will lose $12 million a
day if the rate hike isn't approved.
Postmaster General William Bolger said the
hike is needed to keep up with soaring inflation
and to maintain the postal service's financial
stability.
"THE INDISPUTABLE fact is that today's 15-.
cent first class rate is lower than the letter rate
of any comparable nation," Bolger said. "And
the ironic fact is that, even with a raise to 20 cen-
ts, it will remain so."
The Board of Governors can accept a com-
mission recommendation and put it into prac
tice; put it into practice under protest; or send it
back for further action.
The commission also is considering a counter-
proposal for an 18-cent first class stamp which
has been opposed by the postal officials.
BOLGER WARNED in a speech last week the
public could face an even greater cost of mailing
letters if the 20-cent stamp is not approved.
"If the commission were to accept this ap-
proach (the 18-cent stamp), it might have some
popular appeal, but not for long. A loss of
business in other classes would come quickly,
and the entire financial structure of the Postal
Service would be threatened," Bolger said.
Bolger said Congress should not rule out
deregulating the Postal Service if the rate com-
mission rejects the rate hike. If deregulated, the
Postal Service would have the power to raise and
lower rates without outside approval.
If the postal service wins the commission
recommendation, the cost of mailing a 10-cent
postcard would increaseby three cents, second
class mail would increase by 1.9 percent and
regular third class bulk mail rates would go up
17.7 percent.I
1968-1971: 6 cents.
1971-1974: 8 cents.
1974-1975: 10 cents.
1975-1978: 13 cents.
1978-present: 15 cents.
TODAY-
"Land of fruits and nuts
VER WONDER why California is called the
"Land of fruits and nuts?" Well, at least one
senator from that state is trying to help Cali-
fornia live up to its name. When asked last
week at a news conference to list his first-term
accomplishments, Republican Senator S. I. Hayakawa
renlied. "I have increased the quota of shelled walnuts and
K
She screamed and fainted. Other villagers heard the
scream and rushed to her aid, carrying her home and put-
ting her to bed. Maybe he should try a more subtle ap-
proach next time.
Why go to school?
When a bridge across the Mississippi River is closed, and
the nearest alternative bridge is 30 miles away, how do you
get across? No problem, says Nathan Hendon, "I think you
and jump the cars across," wrote Matt Rahn. Maybe the
Engineering department should send the youngsters an ap-
plication. rn
Talking tombs?
You've heard of voices from the dead right? Well, an
engineer in Sunnyvale, Calif. is capitalizing on that phrase.
Stanley Zelazny, a 36-year-old manufacturing engineer, has
invented the first "electronic tombstone," which runs on
solar power: The stone, a plexiglass enclosure with a solar
onltpnt, tranmits muted reonrdings of the voice of the
Musical mice
Disco music causes homosexuality in mice and may
make no exception where men are concerned, a study at a
University in Turkey maintains. A Turkish newspaper said
yesterday that researchers at Agean University
"discovered that high level noises - such as that frequently
found in discos - causes homosexuality in mice and deaf-
ness among pigs." The researchers claim that there is a
caveat in these studies for human beings as well; the paper
said. Of course, the paper did not offer any explanation as
to how mice were judged resistant to deafness or why pigs
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