q
Page 2 - The Michigan Daily - Wednesday, February 22, 1989
I
Plane
crash
lawsult
begins
DETROIT (AP) - A federal
judge yesterday dismissed the U.S.
government and two companies from
lawsuits filed by relatives of the
victims of the nation's second-worst
air disaster.
,U.S. District Judge Julian Cook
ruled that Texas Instruments Inc.,
National Car Rental System Ins.,
and the government couldn't be in-
cluded in the legal complaints and
ordered attorneys to speed up their
reviews to ensure that a trial begins
in July, Court Administrator John
Mayer said.
Dallas-based Texas instruments
had been included as a third-party de-
fendant after attorneys for Northwest
Airlines charged that a component in
the cockpit warning system of
Northwest Flight 255 failed to warn
crew members that the aircraft's
wing flaps were improperly set.
The jet crashed seconds after
takeoff on Aug. 16, 1987 at Detroit
Metropolitan Airport in Romulus,
killing 156 people.
Minneapolis-based National Car
Rental later was included in lawsuits
alleging that a utility pole erected in
one of the company's airport parking
lots contributed to the crash, Mayer
said.
Investigators of the disaster have
said a tip of one of the plane's wings
apparently struck the pole before it
crashed.
The government was included in
litigation because it certified the pi-
lot, crew and aircraft, Mayer said.
Over 100 lawsuits have been filed
by families of crash victims seeking
settlements, Mayer said.
I If no agreements concerning the
arp made by the end of the week,
Northwest must provide a list of all
outstanding crash settlement claims
by Feb. 28, he said
IN BRIEF
Compiled from Associated Press and staff reports
Senate to vote on Tower tomorrow
r
t
r t
I
Associated Press
Egyptian Prime Minister Dr. Atel Sedki greets Soviet Foreign Minister Eduard Shevardnadze at the
Prime Ministry in Cairo yesterday. The Soviet Foreign Minister is scheduled to see Israel's Foreign
minister the morning and PLO Chairman Yasser Arafat later this evening.
Soviets ask Israel to talk with PLO
CAIRO, Egypt (AP) - Soviet Foreign
Minister Eduard Shevardnadze, on the eve of
separate talks with Israeli and PLO officials, said
yesterday he would try to persuade Israel to
negotiate with PLO chief Yasser Arafat.
Shevardnadze's 10-day Middle East initiative
faces its toughest test today when he meets Israeli
Foreign Minister Moshe Arens in an effort to sell
Israel on his peace plan.
"Peacemaking in the Middle East is a very
difficult exercise. It is a painfully slow process,
but we are both convinced that intensive efforts
have to be made to move the process forward,"
Arens said.
Egypt's Foreign Minister Esmat Abdel-
Meguid, speaking to reporters after a meeting also
indicated that preparatory moves might take a long
time.
"We will keep on discussing and talking and
having a dialogue, even if the dialogue takes a
long time," he said.
Israel is adamantly opposed to talks with the
PLO, which it views as a terrorist group. It also
has serious reservations about the Soviet concept
of an international conference including the PLO.
"We are trying to persuade Israel" to enter
negotiations with the PLO, Shevardnadze told
reporters after meeting with Egyptian Prime Min-
ister Anmed Sidol.
Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Shamir re-
sponded negatively to the Soviet proposal of a
U.N.-sponsored Middle East peace conference.
"We don't believe the international conference
can serve the cause of peace, but it was their (the
Soviets') idea, so it is not surprising they should
raise it," Shamir said.
He did not, however, rule out further discus-
sions, and Israeli officials have hinted some
compromise might ultimately be possible to
overcome Israel's fears that the conference would
be biased against the Jewish state.
Yasser Abed-Rabbo, head of the PLO's in-
formation department and a member of the or-
ganization's 15-member Executive Committee,
said the Soviets should not renew relations unless
Israel accepted an international conference.
WASHINGTON - President Bush yesterday denounced allegations
against Defense Secretary-designate John Tower as "vicious rumor" and
declared they had been "gunned down" by a thorough FBI report. A com-
mittee vote on the emhattled nominee is scheduled for tomorrow.
Urging the Senate to move "forthrightly" on the nomination, Bush
said at a news conference the report produced nothing to substantiate alle-
gations of excessive drinking, philandering and financial improprieties.
Members of the Senate Armed Services Committee scrutinized the re-
port, which the White House forwarded to committee chair Sen. Sam
Nunn (D-Ga.), and and ranking Republican John Warner (R-Va.) late
Monday.
Meanwhile, Rep. Mickey Edwards (R-Okla.), a prominent conserva-
tive, said Tower should withdraw his nomination because he has lost the
credibility needed to promote Bush's defense agenda.
Jury hears opening of North trial
WASHINGTON - Oliver North's criminal trial opened yesterday
with the prosecutor calling him a liar who "places himself above the law"
but North's lawyer defended him as a patriotic Marine who obeyed the or-
ders of the nation's highest officials.
North, now retired from the service, listened intently as prosecutor
John Keker told the jury the defendant had lied time and again to his pres-
ident and to Congress about the Iran-Contra affair.
. Chief defense lawyer Brendan Sullivan countered that North, a former
top National Security Council aide, worked in a secret world where "he
always acted with the approval of his superiors... he acted always with the
best interests of his country."
Thus the two sides squared off for the oft-delayed first trial to come out
of the Iran-Contra affair, a trial that may take as long as five months to
complete.
Prisoner shoots police officer
DETROIT - A Detroit police officer was shot yesterday at his
precinct with his own service revolver by a prisoner who then turned the
gun on himself, officials said.
Officer Frank Hutchins, a two and a half year veteran of the
department, was taken to Mount Carmel Mercy Hospital in Detroit with a
bullet wound to the elbow, police spokesperson Fred Zanaroff said.
His alleged assailant, a Detroit man, was listed in temporarily serious
condition at the same hospital with an abdominal wound, Zanaroff said.
The suspect, whose identity was withheld, allegedly grabbed Hutchins'
holstered gun yesterday as he was being released.
The man had been arrested Monday night on an assault and battery
complaint and held overnight but was being released because the victim
refused to press charges, he said.
Investigators hadn't decided late yesterday whether to charge the
gunman, Zanaroff said.
Bush pushes budget negotiations
WASHINGTON - President Bush and his budget director yesterday
prodded congressional leaders to join them in budget negotiations, but
Democrats responded by chiding them for withholding their views on
where spending cuts should be made.
Talk of more talks was put on hold while, with Bush heading for
Japan, Congress began budget hearings amid efforts to extract more de-
tailed information from the White House.
"We've got an administration here that wants to embrace the concept
of a line-item veto but won't give us a line-item budget," said Sen. Jim
Sasser (D-Tenn.) chair of the Senate Budget Committee.
Lawmakers said they told the president that before negotiations could
begin they needed more detail, especially on how he would pay for the
new programs he wants for education, the environment, child care and
other areas.
I
Health & Fitnessj
Poliee
Continued from Page 1
The students asked the officers to
contact the police department or the
University if they had any questions,
but the officers ignored the request
and told them to leave the area, Neal
said.
The two students said they are
"seeking legal counsel" concerning
the incident and have not ruled out
future legal action.
During the press conference,
Clark and Neal said racially-moti-
vated harassment occurs on a daily
basis in areas besides Allen Park.
"Little attention is given to these
incidents when powerful institutions
like the University of Michigan are
not involved," Clark said.
Angered students and faculty met
with University administrators last
Friday, and urged that Duderstadt
write a letter to Richards asking for a
formal response by him concerning
the harassment, Clark said.
United Coalition Against Racism
spokesperson Barbara Ransby, a
Rackham graduate student, said
UCAR applauds Clark and Neal's
"courage and determination" in
bringing the incident to public
attention.
"Unfortunately, however, while
some University administrators self-
righteously condemn this act of
racism 30 miles away, they remain
quite reluctant to confront racism in
their own institution and commu-
nity," Ransby said.
University Vice Provost for Mi-
nority Affairs Charles Moody said,
"If this University is going to be
number one, like it likes to brag
about, then it has to to be number
one in social justice."
r -
The University of Michigan Department of Recreational Sports
EXTRAS
'Entreprenerds' cash in on style
NASHVILLE, Tenn. - From his Alfalfa-style cowlick to his toes
well below his high-water pants, Hornby K. Fletcher is everything a nerd
should be.
But he wouldn't change a thing, not evep his plastic pocket protector
or his tape-reinforced horn-rimmed glasses.
"I'm just happy to be a nerd," whines Hornby.
The "entreprenerd" should be - he had a paid engagement to crash a
convention on Monday at the Opryland Hotel.
Hornby is the creation of Mike MacDonald, who founded Rent-a-Nerd
Inc. after being laid off as a computer programmer two years ago.
McDonald-Hornby will be paid about $500, plus airfare, for showing
up and acting goofy at the convention here for the National Association
for Campus Activities.
"C'mon," he insisted, "even the most macho guy breaks down around
his wife or girlfriend and acts silly and insensitive. And that's a big part
of being a nerd."
The Michigan Daily (ISSN 0745-967) is published Monday through Friday during the fall and winter
terms by students at the University of Michigan. Subscription rates: for fall and winter (2 semesters)
$25.00 in-town and $35 out-of-town, for fall only $15.00 in-town and $20.00 out-of-town.
The Michigan Daily is a member of The Associated Press and the Student News Service.
ADDRESS: The Michigan Daily, 420 Maynard, Ann Arbor, MI 48109.
PHONE NUMBERS: News (313) 764-0552, Opinion 747-2814, Arts 763-0379, Sports 747-3336, Cir-
culation 764-0558, Classified advertsing 764-0557, Display advertising 764-0554, Billing 764-0550
Sbo
presents
SUMMER
SOFTBALL
0
0
Classics
Adult
iw-Pitch Leagues
Mass Meeting March 1-7:00 p.m.
Main Gym
Intramural Sports Building
606 E. Hoover
Learn how to get the job you
want with these 3 proven
bestselling books!
$
*KNOCK 'EM DEAD - Great
Answers to Tough Interview
Questions
*THE DAMN GOOD RESUME
GUIDE
"1989 WHAT COLOR IS YOUR
PARACHUTE? - THE Job
Hunters Manual & Career Guide
EDITOFIAL STAFF:
Editor in Chief
News Editors
Opinion Page Editors
Associate Opinion Editors
Photo Editors
Weekend Editor
Associate Weekend Editor
List Editor
Adam Schrager
Victoria Bauer, Miguel Cruz,
Donna ladipaclo, Steve Knopper,
Lisa Pollak, David Schwartz
Elizabeth Esch, Amy Harmon
Phiip Cohen, Elizabeth Paige
Robin Loznak, David Lubliner
Alyssa Lustigman
Andrew Mills
Angela Michaels
Sports Editor
Associate Sports Editors
Arts Editors
Books
Film
Theatre
Music
Graphics Coordinator
Mike Gil
Adam Benson, Steve Blonder,
Rich Eisen, Jue Holkinan,
Lory Knapp
Andrea Gacki, Jim Poniewozik
Marie Wesaw
Mark Shaiman
Cherie Curry
Mark Swartz
Kevin Woodson
I
CHOICE
CHOICE
CHOICE
playing fields
location/lights/parking
umpires
News Staff: Laura Cohn, Diane Cook, Laura Couns, Marion Davis, Noah Finkel, Lisa Fromm, Alex Gordon, Stacey Gray, Tara
Gruzen, Mark Kolar, Scott Lahde, Kristine LaLonde, Michael Lustig, Jennifer Miler, Josh Minic, Fran Obeid, GI Renberg, Jonathan
Scott, Anna Senkevitch, Noelle Shadwick, Nicole Shaw, Monica Smith, Vera Songwe, Patrick Staiger, Jessica Strick, Jody Weinberg.
Opinion Staff: David Austin, Bill Gladstone, Susan Harvey, Marc Klein, Daniel Kohn, David Levin, Karen Miller, Rebecca Novicd,
Marcia Ochoa, Hiary Shadroui, Gus Teschke.
Sports Staff: Steve Cohen, Andy Gottesman, David Hyman, Mark Katz, Jodi Leichtman, Eric Lemont, Taylor Lincoln, Jay Moses,
Miachael Salinsky, John Samnick, Adam Schefter, Jeff Sheran, Doug Volan, Peter Zellen.
Arts Staff: Greg Baise, Mary Beth Barber, Ian Campbell, Beth Colquitt, Sheala Durant, Brent Edwards, Greg Ferland,
Michael Paul Fischer, Mice Fischer, Robert Flaggert, Forrest Green, Liam Flaherty, Margie Heinien, Brian Jarvinen, Alyssa Katz, Leah
Lagios, D. Mara Lowenstein, Lisa Magnino, Kim Mc Ginnis, Kristin Palm, Jay Pinka, Ji Pisoni, Mike Rubin, Lauren Shapiro, Tony
Siber, Chuck Skarsaune, Usha Tummala, Pam Warshay, Nabeel Zuberi.
Photo Staff: Alexandra Brez, Jessica Greene, Jule Holman, Jose Juarez, Ellen Levy, Lindsay Morris, Liz Steketee, John Weise.
I......" I.-k ww - rn QCr r 0 r n