Ninety-One Years of Editorial Freedom C I hr Bittan i43aiIli 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 n...............m...o:................ .:,. .. r r. :° ..,h.,, *a ..................... <.. . ....t................. . .... ..)............... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . s .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . ....... ...... ... ... .... ..... , ... ............... ...... ....... ...... .... . . ... .. ...... .... ... 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 r I i .