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Page 2. - The Michigan Daily - Thursday, February 6, 1986

Daily Photo by PETE ROSS

MichCon
may give
credit to
customers
By MELISSA BIRKS
MichCon officials filed a request
with the Michigan Public Service
Commission Monday, seeking per-
mission to give customers a $55.7
million credit this winter.
If approved, the plan could affect
the heating bills of students in off-
campus housing, since MichCon ser-
vices all of Ann Arbor. The typical
residential customer could receive a
savings of about $30.
ACCORDING TO utilities engineer
Greg Matz, the University uses
2,800,000 cubic feet of gas a year from
its central power plant. With a mon-
thly gas bill thattotals a little over $1
million, the University could save ap-
proximately $267,400.
"In the very remotest sense, this
could affect student tuition," Matz
said. "They would probably get
maybe $1 lower."
"The total amount represents a one-
time gain for Mich Con from the sale of
our former headquarters building,
and two years of experiencing lower-
than-normal levels of gas losses from
our operations," said MichCon
Chairman Alfred Glancy.
THE APPLICATION was submit-
ted a day before the service com-
mission received a report stating that
Michigan's three utility companies,
MichCon, Consumer Power Co., and
Michigan Gas Utilities, consistently
overcharge their customers.
The report, compiled by the
Residential Ratepayer Consortium,
indicated that the three gas com-
panies overcharged their customers
almost $130 million in the first three
months of every year since 1983.

IN BRIEF
COMPILED FROM ASSOCIATED PRESS AND
UNITED PRESS INTERNATIONAL REPORTS
Bomb explodes in Paris mall
PARIS - A bomb exploded yesterday evening at a popular sporting
goods store and injured nine people, fire officials said.
The bombing was the third in Paris in 48 hours. A fourth bomb was
found Tuesday on the top observation floor of the Eiffel Tower but was
defused.
Yesterday's bombing took place a 6:05 p.m. in FNAC-Sport, three
levels underground in the vast Forum des Halles shopping complex, fire
officials said.
It said the bombings were designed to pressure the French government
during negotiations for the release of four Frenchmen held hostage in
Lebanon.
On Tuesday night, a bomb exploded at the popular Left Bank bookstore
Gilbert Jeunes, injuring four people and setting a fire. A bombing Mon-
day night at a shopping arcade on the Champs Elysees injured eight
people, three of them seriously.
A group calling itself the Committee of Solidarity with Arab and Middle
East Political Prisoners claimed responsibility for the bombing at the
shopping arcade on the Champs Elysees, but there has been no claim for
the bookstore or FNAC bombings, or for the bomb defused in the Eiffel
Tower.
Marcos wages final attack
MANILA, Philippines - President Ferdinand E, Marcos, at his last
raly before the election, yesterday accused his opponents of sowing
hatred and revolution during the bitter presidential campaign. Op-
position candidate Corazon Aquino called him an old dictator whose time
has passed.
Speaking in a Manila park during a heavy rain, Marcos addressed
these remarks to Aquino and her supporters: "Slow down, you children of
little brains, you're no match for the administration.
Aquino said in a final campaign message issued by her headquarters
that her campaign of "people power" had won, "and as the old dictator
lurks in his palace with his dwindling band of cronies...I warn him: Do
not cheat the people on Friday."
The president's party projected that he would win with 56 percent of the
vote. Aquino has said she needs 65 percent to provide a cushion against
vote fraud she predicts will occur.
Police said Tuesday that 50,000 people attended Aquino's rally while
reporters had estimated 500,000. Yesterday police said 1 million turned
out for Marcos.
UN loses chopper in Lebanon
BEIRUT, Lebanon - A United Nations helicopter with six people aboard
disappeared in south Lebanon yesterday, and the U.N. reported it made a
forced landing because of bad weather. But a Moslem militia claimed to
have shot it down "by mistake."
A communique from the Islamic Coalition Movement, a fundamentalist
Sunni Moslem militia, said its fighters shot down the helicopter near
south Lebanon's port city of Sidon, provincial capital of south Lebanon.
U.N. spokesman Timur Goksel had said contact with the craft was lost
during the afternoon and it appeared the helicopter was forced to land
because of stormy weather.
Speaking by telephone from the U.N. headquarters in south Lebanon,
Goksel said the helicoper was on a regular flight from Beirut to the U.N.
force's headquarters at Naqoura.
The Islamic Coalition is part of a Syrian-backed alliance of leftist and
Moslem factions fighting the Israeli-sponsored South Lebanon Army, a
predominantly Christian militia, in the hills east of Sidon.
Israel vows to keep fighting
terrorism despite mishap
TEL AVIV, Israel - Israel yesterday conceded that it botched a plan to
capture Palestinian guerrillas when it seized a planeload of Syrian
politicans but made no apologies and vowed to continue doing what it
deems necessary against terrorists.
Israeli leaders closed ranks in support of the operation, in which jet
fighters intercepted a Libyan executive jet Tuesday on a flight from
Tripoli to Damascus.
Israel radio said Prime Minister Shimon Peres told a Parliament
committee the operation was a mistake, but the decision to intercept had
to be made "in a matter of minutes." He said he hoped the United States
would appreciate Israel's motives, as it had in the past.
A defense official said privately there were no plans for a formal in-
vestigation, but "I assume the intelligence community will check to see
what happened."
Oil prices make mild rebound
UNDATED - Oil prices rose yesterday in a mild rebound from the
recent slide in world oil markets amid reports three OPEC members
have cut their official prices and the 13-nation cartel may hold a summit
in March.
"This is just a technical rally, which is to be expected since prices can't
go straight down," said William Randol, analyst at First Boston Corp. in
New York.
"The only thing that will stabilize the oil market is for some producers
to cut back production."
Iran denied oil industry reports that it had agreed to slash its official

crude oil prices by $4 a barrel in concert with fellow OPEC members
Libya and Algeria.
Since early December oil on the spot and futures markets has
nosedived by more than $10 to the lowest level since the first stages of the
Iranian revolution in early 1979.
On the New York Mercantile Exchange, crude oil for immediate
delivery was up 96 cents to $16.40 a barrel at mid-afternoon yesterday.

Nei e. y 1 ' k : &.
Daily Photo by PETE ROSS
PIRGIM rpember Annette Bowman stops LSA senior Jim Gutting for his signature on a PIRGIM petition
(above). Bowman looks on while Gutting adds one more signature to the list (below).
3h3 4 'WIA-0 0 1

Bruce Maughan,

executive

F IR IM pettc
(Continued from Page 1)
Such a precaution would make it difficult for the Univer-
sity's regents to question the validity of the signatures, he
said. PIRGIM's proposal requires regental approval to be
implemented.
THE PETITION reads, "The University should enter
into an agreement so that PIRGIM may continue its
educational, research and advocacy activities at the
University of Michigan. The PIRGIM fee should be
assessed by each student who then has the option of not
paying by refusing or waiving the fee."

)ns for support
Although the petition clearly said that PIRGIM was im-
plementing a refusable fee, some students, such as LSA
sophomore Faith Newman, signed the petition without
understanding that PIRGIM was changing to an automatic
fee system from a donation system.
"I just agree with the programs they're doing, and I'm
going to give money to them," she said.
"WE'VE GOTTEN very few negative reactions," said
Buchsbaum, adding that all of the 140 people he ap-
proached stopped to read the petition. Most of the people
who didn't sign didn't take the time to listen or to read the
proposal, he said..
New hospi
(Continued from Page 1)
emergency stations along the route
"just in case of an emergency."
Every intensive-care patient will be
accompanied by a physician, Craig
said.
"THE UPCOMING move is the last
step of an ongoing process," Kirk-
. wood said, explaining that the tran-
sfer of material and equipment from

secretary
said that:
more thai
couple of y
Howeve
ship betw(
and MichC
"The C
them to
Maughan
"There
Paul G
relations
times wh
'ordered't
the utility,
!1 _

of the service commission,
MichCon "has been earning
n their allowed return for a
years and they know it."
r, he added that a relation-
een the report's publication
Con's request is doubtful.
ommission did not order
file the application,"
said.
is no relationship," said
-nz, MichCon's media
representative. "A lot of
en you read that a utility is
to give a refund, it's usually
who asked."

WINTER WOOLEN SALE
*/it one per customer
n S1
One week only. w
Feb. 7 -Feb. 14}
Fine South American Imports
lower level Bivouac
330 S. STATE 662-1998

FOR HEALTHY
BABIES ...
0 0
build a strong
foundation with
good prenatal care.
March of Dimes
BIRTH DEFECTS FOUNDATION

iai opens
the old to the new hospital began in
November.
Sam Anbuthnot, the equipment
transfer manager, said the entire
processewill require 3,000 truck loads.
Dr. George Zuidema, vice provost
for medical affairs, said that the
hospital is "equipped with the very
latest in technology."
One of these technological advances
is the "robo-carriers."
THE HOSPITAL is the first in the
United States to use the rectangular
robots that will perform maintenance
tasks such as collecting trash or dirty
linen, and delivering pharmaceuticals
or food to the staff..
The robots contain sensors on the
bottom that will follow a cabled path
inserted in the floor.
When they need to be recharged, the
robots will sense it and automatically
plug themselves into a recharger said
Laurita Thomas, a hospital manager.
The robots can also detect if they
become "soiled" and will im-
mediately clean themselves off in
what Thomas called a "car wash."
The high-tech robots ride talking
elevators that they share with the
staff to deliver supplies to various
levels of the hospital. They remain in
a restricted area; "the patients will
never see them," Thomas said.
THE HOSPITAL is also equipped
with some of the most sophisticated
medical equipment, such as a
lithotripter - a device that will crush
kidney stones with sonar. Thomas
said the lithotripter pulverizes kidney
stones in a half hour and is "much less
costly than an operation."
In the operating rooms doctors will
have the advantage of kryptonite
lighting. Thomas said the light is "the
brightest, whitest, most precise light
available." She said it will allow the
doctors to see better while operating.
Doctors may also wear fiber optic
lights that are mounted on head
visors. The pin point light focuses on
the exact area where the doctor is
operating, Thomas said.

Vol XCVI - No.90
The Michigan Daily (ISSN 0745-967 X) is published Monday through
Friday during the fall and winter terms. Subscription rates: September
through April-$18 in Ann Arbor; $35 outside the city. One term-$10 in
town; $20 outside the city.
The Michigan Daily is a member of The Associated Press and subscribes
to United Press International, Pacific News Service, Los Angeles Times

01

_______________________________ I

Syndicate, and College Press Service.
Editor in Chief ............:. ERIC MATTSON
Managing Editor ......... RACHEL GOTTLIEB
News Editor ............... JERRY MARKON
Features Editor ............ CHRISTY RIEDEL
NEWS STAFF: Eve Becker, Melissa Birks, Laura
Bischoff, Rebecca Blumenstein, Marc Carrel, Dov
Cohen. Laura Coughlin, Tim Daly, Nancy
Driscoll, Rob Earle. Amy Goldstein, Susan Grant.
Stephen Gregory, Steve Herz, Linda Holler, Mary
Chris Jaklevic, Philip Levy, Michael Lustig, Amy
Mindell, Caroline Muller, Kery Murakami, Jill
Oserowsky, Joe Pigott, Kurt Serbus, Martha Sevet-
son, Cheryl Wistrom, Jackie Young.
Opinion PageEditor..........KKAREN KLEIN
Associate Opinion Page Editor ... HENRY PARK
OPINION PAGE STAFF: Gayle Kirshenbaum,
Peter Ephross, David Lewis, Peter Mooney,
Susanne Skubik.

Sports Editor............... BARB McQUADE
Associate Sports Editors ...... DAVE ARETHA,
MARK BOROWSKY, RICK KAPLAN,
ADAM MARTIN, PHIL NUSSEL.
SPORTS STAFF: Emily Bridgham, Debbie
deFrances, Liam Flaherty, Jon Hartmann, Darren
Jasey, Christian Martin, Scott Miller, Greg
Molzon, Jerry Muth, Adam Ochlis, Duane Roose,
Jeff Rush, Adam Schefter, Scott Shaffer, Pete
Steinert, Douglas Volan.
Business Manager........ DAWN WILLACKER
Display Sales Manger. CYNTHIA NIXON
Assistant Sales Manager. KATHLEEN O'BRIEN
Classified Manager. GAYLA BROCKMAN
Finance Manager.......... MIKE BAUGHMAN
Marketing Manager----------..IAKECAC.NON

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