The Michigan Daily-Sunday, February 15, 1981-Page 7
Council candidates vie for nomination
0
Crime, housing issues
for 1st Ward Dems
"a ._
y \
Two Democrats are vying for their
party's nomination in the traditionally
Democratic First Ward. The First
Ward includes South Quad and West
Quad dormitories.
Lowell Peterson, 22, has been endor-
sed by the Michigan Student Assembly
and many First Ward politicos. He has
concentrated his campaign on issues of
planning, housing, and assault preven-
tion.
HIS OPPONENT, Clinton Smith,
owner of a maintenance contracting
firm, has addressed his candidacy to
what he calls poor street conditions, lax
housing inspection standards, and
inadequate police protection - par-
ticularly in campus and downtown
areas.
Peterson said he would encourage
housing rehabilitation grant and loan
programs and, like Smith, he favors
"beefing up" housing inspections. Two
problems with the present inspection
system, he said, are overworked of-
ficers and lenient fines.
Both Democrats agree that crime is a
major issue in the First Ward. Smith
advocates "more visible" foot, bike and
moped patrols. Peterson, however, has
argued in favor of a proposed late-night
public transportation service to deter
crimes, especially assault and rape.
Smith said he would change the way
the city repairs its streets. "If the city
used quality street repair materials in
the first place, we wouldn't have a
Morris Ewing
.. involvement key issue ... environmental issues important
2d Ward Dem c aims
incumbent too involve
Smith Peterson
.. . would improve street repair ... endorsed by MSA
pothole problem," he said.
Smith, a 14-year city resident, served
in the Navy four-and-a-half years and is
former president of the Ann Arbor
Jaycees.
Peterson, a Yale graduate, has lived
in Ann Arbor two years.
-DebitDavis
Democratic incumbent Leslie Morris
is being challenged in the Second Ward
primary by Robert Ewing, co-owner of
Wilderness Outfitters camping goods
store.
Morris said the key issue in the
primary is her degree of involvement in
city government. "My opponent seems
to think I am too involved," she said.
A homemaker, Morris said she spen-
ds more than half her time on council
duties. "I don't see how this could be a
bad thing," she said.
Ewing accused Morris of not getting
along with others on City Council. "I'm
politically not up on things as she is, but
I'm very willing to work with people,"
he said.
Rental housing, crime, and transpor-
tation are the campaign's substantive
issues, the 41-year-old Morris said.
EWING, 25, SAID he considers en-
vironmental aqd economic issues most
important.
To relieve citizens' tax burdens,
Ewing said, the city should attract
more light industry to the area. He said
he would like to see redevelopment of
'the city's downtown core and have
outlying areas left as open spaces.
Johansen,.
i11 Third
Ward
w i
Republican Virginia Johansen is
unopposed in the Third Ward. But,
because of a state law, a primary will
still be held. A previous opponent, Ken-
neth Newble, withdrew from the race.
WL Newble's na'ive will still appear on
the ballot because he announced his
withdrawal after a state deadline had
passed. Newble said he "fully suppor-
ts" Johansen's candidacy.
NEWBLE, A Ford Motor Company
engineer, said he decided to support
Johansen to avoid "chopping up, the
party." Her platform is similar to his
own, Newble added.
High taxes are an important issue in
the Third Ward, Johansen said,
because that area bears a large portion
of the city's tax burden.
She said she would like to see more
development to broaden the tax base
and relieve homeowners' property tax
burden. Johansen also said she would
like to see skilled, technological in-
dustries enticed to locate within the
city.
-Debi Davis
-"We already have a downtown that is
toally concrete, asphalt, and
buildings," Ewing said. "Why not let it
continue? We should use our already
used spaces."
Morris said she is working with a
committee to revise city planning
procedures to attract more downtown
development.
In addition, Morris suggested in-
stalling more street lights and
establishing night bus service to deter
crime, which she says is a bigger issue
this year than ever.
Morris said she has been working on
forming a pedestrian committee to deal
with problems encountered by students
and others who do not have cars, or
prefer to walk.
Ewing said he would like the city to
encourage the demise of the automobile
in the central city. He said he would like
to see bicycling encouraged through
improvements in bike lanes and other
bike facilites.
An Ann Arbor resident for eight
years, Ewing said he recently got in-
volved in city politics because of his op-
position to the proposed "halfway"
corrections center at 1700 Broadway.
' -Debi Daris
Velker Lalonde
... wants to help people.makes seventh bid
TUESDAY LUNCH 12 NOON
at the INTERNATIONAL CENTER
603E. Madison Street
"U.S. -SOVIET RELATIONS IN INE 80's"
Speaker: DR. WILLIAM ZIMMERMAN,
Professor of Political Science and Former Director,
Center for Russian and East European Studies
Lunch $1.00 Sponsored by. THE ECUMENICAL CAMPUS CENTER
THE INTERNATIONAL CENTER
CHURCH WOMEN UNITED IN A.A.
M/CHIGAN
STUDENT
ASSEMBLY
IS NOW ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS
FOR THE POSITIONS OF:
ELECTION DIRECTOR
Responsible for management and organization of campus-
wide MSA General Election for April 7 & 8,1981.
SALARY-$500
4 ASSISTANT ELECTION DIRECTORS
Responsible for assisting the Election Director with the fol
lowing:
" Ballot preparation and counting.
* Hiring and scheduling poll workers.
" Preparing facilities and equipment.
" Preparing and distributing publicity.
SALARY-$100-$150 (each).
Interested students should complete iapplications at the
MICHIGAN STUDENT ASSEMBLY, 3909 Michigan Union.
Velker, Lalonde meet
again in 5th Ward
Republicans Lou -Velker and A.J.
Lalonde will oppose each other in the
residential Fifth Ward primary.
Lalonde - making his seventh bid for
the Republican nomination - said he
would continue to run for city council
until he wins. The 56-year-old cab
driver, who said he received only 12
votes in last year's primary, blamed his
poor showing on an Ann Arbor News
editorial - which he said forgot to men-
tion him.
LALONDE, EDUCATED "in the
school of hard knocks," admitted his
campaign is oftennot taken seriously.
"The Republicans are afraid of me,"
Lalonde said. "They're afraid that if I
get into office I'll step on some toes."
"As a Christian I have a responsibility
to care about people," Velker said.
"This is one way I can do it."
Dei aris
FREE !!
FREE!!
Velker, 31, is trying to capture a Fifth
Ward seat for the second time. He said
the big issue in that ward is high taxes.
Station manager of Ypsilanti's
Johansen WYFC, a contemporary Christian radio
...would relieve tax burden station, said he wants to become in-
volved in government to help people.
American
Cancer Society(
T his space contnbueI by the pulisher
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