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Page 2 - The Michigan Daily - Tuesday, April 22, 1986
RESIDENTS PETITION FOR STA TUS QUO
City council requests zoning proposal study
By STEPHEN GREGORY
The Ann Arbor City Council last
night asked the city planning com-
mission to consider a proposal that
would halt the expansion of frater-
nities, sororities, and cooperatives
west of Washtenaw Avenue and south
of Hill Street.
A resolution asks the commission to
review a zoning plan that would make
it illegal to turn 44 homes in the area
from being used by large groups.
A petition signed by nearly 70
residents of the area was included
with the resolution proposal ex-
pressing support for rezoning.
NEIGHBORS in the past have op-
posed the establishment of Collegiate
Sorosis sorority on Lincoln Avenue,
saying it would upset the balance
between students and residents in the
area. The fight over Collegiate Sorosis
is still being waged in the courts.
Area residents expressed in the
resolution their desire "that the stock
of family housing in this area be
preserved for that use."
Andrea Van Houweling, a resident.
of the area, said the rezoning would
give the residents the same zoning
terms they had prior to 1984 whereby
no home smaller than 5,000 square
feet could legally be converted into a
group home.
Although none of the petitioners'
homes are currently larger than 5,000
square feet, Van Houweling said the
zoning terms changed in 1984,
allowing the homes to be added onto
until they met the requirement.
Julie Casa, another resident of the
area, said she hoped the resolution
would "restore the stability of the
balance that we have of neighbors and
students."
Abbate says U.S. should aid Sandinistas
(Continued from Page 1)
the war zones in central Nicaragua
and near the Atlantic coast.
"ONCE THE WAR is over,
everyone will be amazed at what they
(the Sandinistas) will do," she said.
She added that even though 50 percent
of their budget goes to fight the war
with the Contras, they are still
"paving the roads between cities and
making great stides in health."
Abbate says she doesn't understand
where Reagan get his information
about the Sandinistas. Reagan has
called them "an outlaw regime" of
Marxists-Leninists that kill and tor-
ture civilians.
"The Sandinistas do not kill
people," she says. "They are the
people."
Unlike former President Anastasio
Samoza's National Guard, which went
unpunished for its "abuses against the
people," the Sandinistas ae punished
for their crimes by serving time in
jail, Abbate said.
ABBATE SAYS she felt much more
comfortable in Nicaragua than in
Honduras and Guatemala. In Hon-
duras, for example, the military stop-
ped the bus Abbate was on, searched
the luggage, and checked for passpor-
ts. She had similar experiences in
Guatemala.
"There was the most police that
I've ever seen," she said. "I felt like I
was being watched."
"They had checkpoints and come on
the bus and look at everybody," she
added.
"In Nicaragua, there were men in
.uniform, the Sandinistas. But there
was a different feeling. They were
friendly and approachable," she said.
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ABBATE BECAME interested in
Nicaragua as a high school senior in
Rochester, Mich. when a nun spoke to
her class about Nicaragua.
Last September, she joined the
Latin American Solidarity Committee
(LASC). This heightened her interest
in Central America, leading her to
decide before Thanksgiving that "it
would be fun to go down."
Her visit was affiliated with an in-
dependent program, Casa
Nicaraguence de Espanol.
The program required four hours of
Spanishnclasses every weekday mor-
ning and two hours of political
meetings in the afternoon.
ABBATE WAS apprehensive at first
because she didn't know what to ex-
pectin Nicaragua. On the plane there,
for instance, a man next to her leaned
over and said in a thick accent, "you
going to get undressed? "It took Ab-
bate a moment to realize he had asked
her if she was "going to Honduras."
Abbate lived in Managua with an
older woman and her two gran-
dchildren. The house wheregshe
stayed had a tile floor and walls that
didn't quite reach the ground. The
family had a broken refrigerator, a
broken television set, and running
water except for one day a week when
it was shut off for conservation pur-
poses.
ABBATE SAID that most of the
people "support the Sandinistas and
their policy and what they are trying
to do. No one I spoke to liked the Con-
tras. There is definitely not support
for the Contras."
Abbate described the Contras as "a
band of bandits. They are losing
strength," she said, "and are small
groups that are trapped without any
territory.
Abbate's younger sister Mandy has
trouble with some of the stories she
hears because they contradict what
the Reagan Administration says.
"It's hard for me to understand
because of all the stuff I hear from
Reagan," she says.
Her sister's attitude is "very
representative of how we've been in-
doctrinated by the administration,"
said Abbate's friend Kim Clum, an
LSA sophomore and a member of
LASC. "The Reagan administration
propaganda against Nicaragua is so
strong that it's almost impossible not
to get sucked in by it," she said.
Yet Abbate strongly emphasizes
that Nicaragua is not communist. She
said that there is Cuban influence, but
the Cubans helped out on a literacy
campaign.
"THERE WAS over 50 percent
illiteracy and now there is less than 12
percent," she said. "I asked the
people about the Cubans and they said
that they asked for help. They needed
teachers, and advisors. They (Cuba)
were the only ones that responded."
Abbate had the support of her
parents throughout the trip. Her
father, Dominick, felt that it would be
an educational experience for her.
Her mother, Kathy, who agrees with
Abbate on political issues, was very
happy that her daughter wanted to see
for herself what was going on in
Nicaragua,' but both' parents were
worried for their daughter's safety.
"She is the kind of person that
would need to see for herself," said
Abbate's friend Lisa Roberts, an
engineering sophomore. "She didn't
just accept what she read about it. She
wanted to know for herself exactly
what it was like."
Abbate was at first apprehensive
about how she would be treated. She
said "at times it was embarrassing to
be an American." She told a story
about attending a funeral for two men
who were killed by Contras. "I felt so
bad being there since my government
killed them. But people made it a
point to come up and say, 'You're not
responsible for this. You're being
down here represents that you're dif-
ferent from your government.''s
EVEN AFTER seeing what goes on
in Nicaragua, Abbate's view of
America did not drastically change.
"I don't hate our country. The
political situation isn't good, but I do
have the option to try to change it,"
Abbate said.
Abbate feels that the experience has
changed her somewhat. "Just seeing
the Nicaraguans, being with them and
their incredible spirit and their accep-
tance of us and what our government
does, is just a whole new perspective.
I feel incredibly lucky that I had the
opportunity to go down there and see
and learn what I did. And I'm glad
that I'm coming back and speaking
and people are listening."
IN BRIEF
COMPILED FROM ASSOCIATED PRESS AND
UNITED PRESS INTERNATIONAL REPORTS
Terrorists could enter U.S.
EL PASO, Texas - Determined, sophisticated terrorists could easily
cross the border into the United States, according to federal officials
whose agencies are on alert after the bombing of Libya.
The vast, open spaces of the 1,952-mile border between the United
States and Mexico, coupled with limited manpower of federal agencies,
has made it relatively easy for illegal aliens to slip in, officials said
yesterday.
It would be just as easy for a professional terrorist, they said.
Authorities along the 4,139-mile border between the United States and
Canada also are on the watch for imposters and false passports that could
give away a potential terrorist.
"The best we can do is to be alert to the possibility of terrorist activity,"
said Larry Richardson, the chief Border Patrol agent for the El Paso
district. "An unarmed terrorist, someone handled routinely, would have
a lot of odds in his favor."
"The most damaging thing a terrorist can carry (across a border) is
his armament," Richardson said.
"But if you provide it in the country, and mix him in with the
population," the actual crossing of the border would be a relatively minor
problem, he said.
Allies wanted stronger strike
against Libya, Reagan says
WASHINGTON - President Reagan said yesterday that after he
decided to launch a limited military strike against Libya, some U.S. allies
suggested a coordinated, "all-out" attack to force a change in Moammar
Khadafy's policy of exporting terrorism.
In an interview with The Associated Press and other news agencies, the
president said the suggestions were "that we look seriously together at
real major action" against Libya.
He did not name the nations or the leaders who offered that advice.
But the Washington Times, in a report published yesterday, quoted a
senior administration official as saying French President Francois Mit-
terand told U.S. envoy Vernon Walters he would support the mission only
if it were strong enough to be aimed at overthrowing Khadafy.
High court rules news media
need not verify slander
WASHINGTON - The news media do not have to prove the truth of
defamatory statements that prompt libel lawsuits, the Supreme Court
ruled yesterday.
By a 5-4 vote in a case involving The Philadelphia Inquirer, the justices
said the Constitution requires people who sue the news media to prove
that the defamatory statement about them is false.
Past rulings had established that public officials and public figures who
sue for libel have the burden of proving the allegedly libelous statements
were untrue. But until yesterday, state laws varied over who - a plaintiff
or defendant - has the burden of proof when a private citizen sues the
news media.
In other action, the court:
Agreed to decide in a Florida case whether all recipients of federal aid,
including virtually all public schools, are barred from discriminiating
against people with contagious diseases, including'AIDS.
Dollar fals: Consumers to pay
NEW YORK - The dollar skidded to new lows against the Japanese yen
yesterday, and economists said the latest plunge would give an extra
boost to American manufacturers while costing consumers money.
Japan's central bank, concerned that the dollar's fall is hurting
Japanese exporters, reportedly tried but failed to prop up the dollar by
buying roughly $1 billion on the open market.
The dollar slid to 171.90 yen in Tokyo and then to 171.05 yen in New
York. The rates in both cities were the lowest closes of the post-World
War II period. The dollar's previous lows were 174.90 yen on March 18 in
Tokyo and 172.30 yen Friday in New York.
A lower dollar helps U.S. companies compete with the Japanese at
home and abroad. But it makes American consumers have to pay more
for Japanese imports such as cars and electronic equipment.
Marcos says Aquino will fall
MANILA, Philippines - Battles between soldiers and communist
rebels have taken nearly 100 lives in three days, and Ferdinand Marcos
predicted yesterday that the insurgents will oust President Corazon
Aquino within a month.
Marcos, who fled the country Feb. 26 for Hawaii, accused Mrs. Aquino
and members of her Cabinet of being sympathetic to the communists.
The official Philippine News Agency said 23 guerrillas, 17 soldiers and a
civilian were killed in the latest clash, which occurred yesterday in
Cagayan province on the northeastern coast of Luzon Island. The death
toll in five actions since Friday is 61 soldiers, 30 New People's Army in-
surgents and the civilian.
Marcos claimed in a videotaped interview released here yesterday that
what he called Mrs. Aquino's lack of leadership had strengthened the
rebels and weakened the military.
He predicted that opposition to Mrs. Aquino will grow, her government
will fall within a month and instability will spread through Asia.
"The moment the Philippines goes under, the country is taken over by
the communists, then we have a problem in the entire Asian Pacific," the
former president said. "It may end up with the entire Asian Pacific star-
ting a serious war, and it may be a third world war. This is what I'm
worried about." Recent statements by Marcos have been increasingly
strident and onimous. His supporters have begun demonstrating in the
streets and he urges them on.
Vol. XCVI- No. 138
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
Syndicate, and College Press Service.
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Students sue under weatherization law
(Continued from Page 1)
Andrew Komblevitz, an attorney for
Spears and Woltersom, declined to
comment, saying he had not resear-
ched the students' claim and the
weatherization law. The company has
28 days to respond to the suit.
"The point we're trying to make is
the way that housing is in Ann Arbor,
students can't afford to not speak up,"
said Dotson.
"They just weren't giving us any
response. They think students are
going to roll over and play dead," she
said.
Before the students signed the
lease, Dotson said, they were not
given a written summary of utility
cost history for the house. "I think
what a lot of students don't realize is
that landlords are required to get a
copy of the utility cost history" said
Dotson, adding that students are often
MEDIATRICSunaware of their rights as tenants.
PRESENTS G
-.. Group faults
safety dept
'destruction
(Continued from Page 1)
down," he said.
Linzie said the attacks on the shanty
were racially motivated, but the
University has only responded as if it
were commonplace vandalism.
"I think it's clear that we need a
multi-racial movement to combat
apartheid and racist violence on this
campus," he said. "It's clear that the
administration should prioritize cam-
pus safety. The tearing down of the
shanty illustrates both of these poin-
ts."
UNIVERSITY President Harold
Shapiro last week approved the shan-
ty's continued existence on the Diag
as long as it serves an educational
purpose, but Linzie questioned the
University's commitment to the sym-
bol of black suffering.
"I think their actions speak louder
than words," he said. "Why is the
University going to allow these racist
attacks to continue?" he said.
Despite the repeated attacks, Pifer
said the Safety Department has no
suspects. "We've interviewed one guy
who saw someone tearing it down, but
he said he didn't know who it was,"
said Pifer. He added that he didn't
know if the same person was respon-
sible for the attacks, but said, "I sup-
pose if they keep doing it we're going
to catch them."
Linzie charged that the repeated at-
tacks on the shanty point out how
dangerous it could be for people on the
Diag. "What if a woman was attacked
on the Diag at the same place as the
shanty stands on three consecutive
weekends? If it's possible for the
shanty to be destroyed without any
kind of security check in two hours,
it's also possible for a woman to be at-
tacked," he said. "That area is un-
I
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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, Adam Cort, Laura Coughlin, Tim Daly,
Nancy Driscoll, Rob Earle, Ellen Fiedelholtz, Amy
Goldstein, Susan Grant, Stephen Gregory, Steve
Herz, Mary Chris Jaklevic, Philip Levy, Michael
Lustig, Amy Mindell, Caroline Muller, Kery Mura-
kami, Jill Oserowsky, Joe Pigott, Kurt Serbus,
Martha Sevetson, Wendy Sharp, Cheryl Wistrom.
Opinion Page Editor..........KAREN KLEIN
Associate Opinion Page Editor. .. HENRY PARK
OPINION PAGE STAFF: Rosemary Chinnock,
Peter Ephross, Leslie Eringaard, Gayle Kirshen-
baum, Peter Mooney, Susanne Skubik, Caleb
Southworth.
Arts Editor............... NOELLE BROWER
Associate Arts Editor..........BETH FERTIG
Books................REBECCA CHUNG
Film ..................... SETH FLICKER
Sports Editor ............... BARB McQUADE
Associate Sports Editors ...... DAVE ARETHA,
MARK BOROWSKY, RICK KAPLAN,
ADAM MARTIN, PHIL NUSSEL
SPORTS STAFF: Emily Bridgham, Debbie
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Molzon, Jerry Muth, Adam Ochlis, Duane Roose,
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Steinert, Douglas Volan.
Business Manager.........DAWN WILLACKER
Display Sales Manager ...... CYNTHIA NIXON
Assistant Sales Manager.. KATHLEEN O'BRIEN
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