A Page 2-The Michigan Daily - Tuesday, December 12, 1989 Mountain bikes may endanger Arb by Beth Johnson The Arb, that peaceful retreat .from the pressures of college life, lias been invaded by bicycles - specifically mountain bikes. With little other terrain to ride on, many students have turned to the Arb, for off-road riding. Traditionally, bijkgrs have been encouraged to use the Arb, but as the popularity of mountain biking has grown, the fo- liage and soil there have been dam- Harrison Morton, Arboretum di- rector and professor of forestry in the School of Natural Resources, said the damage is not serious yet, but because bicycles are tearing plants eot.of the ground and causing ero- sion, it may get worse. As long as the riders stay on the main paths and keep the bikes under control, they are "more than wel- come," Morton said. Bikes are permitted on the Arb's :four major roads. Morton said mountain bikers "inherently want to go to the steep- est, slopes possible," but steep slopes are the most erosion-prone ar- les f Bikers have run over valuable collections planted specifically to stop erosion, Morton said. About 10 University classes are now using the Arb for research and some projects have been torn up because of bikers, the said. However, Jim LaFleur, an em- ployee of Great Lakes Cycling and Fitness on South Main Street and an avid mountain-biker, said he doesn't think mountain bikes are causing the Arb damage. "The only time that any erosion would occur is when people skid their tires, and this does not happen enough to cause serious damage," he said. Morton said several "Keep Off' signs are posted throughout the Arb, but LaFleur said he has never seen one. Lisa Warren, an LSA junior, rides her mountain bike frequently through the Arb, but said she "rides on the designated trails because the terrain is too uneven and dangerous." She said the erosion might stem from other sources, and she sug- gested that research sites be more clearly posted. Erosion from mountain bikes is not exclusively a problem at the Ar- boretum; many public parks and re- treats have had to place restrictions on mountain bikers. Ron Olson, superintendent of Ann Arbor's Department of Parks and Recreation, said the Ann Arbor City Council "was seriously consid- ering banning bicycles completely from city parks, although no mea- sures have been taken as of yet." My what a big tree you have First Lady Barbara Bush appears dwarfed by the White House Christmas tree in the Blue Room as she shows off its ornaments. Mrs. Bush gave a tour of the White House decorations yesterday. ALLIES Continued from page 1 portant meeting. We (the Soviets) underlined the need for stability." jhose attending were Vernon Walters, Christopher Mallaby and Serge Boidevaix, the U.S., British, and French ambassadors to West Germany, and Vyacheslav Kochemasov, the Soviet ambassador to East Germany. They made no comment, but posed for cameras under the flags of tbeir countries, which hung side by PROPOSAL Continued from Page 1 gdemand that the University imple- ment a mandatory class on racism to improve campus race relations. ;'Currently the LSA curriculum 'committee is working on a new pro- posal and is expected to present their .finlings to the faculty next semester. Railton said he hoped the com- mission's recommendation would show people that the curriculum committee has been on the right track and help speed up the discus- sions. "I do not know how the fac- ulty would respond to such a rec- ommendation," he said. "They are concerned to make up their own minds." However, Railton said the com- mission's action will not necessarily make the University community more open towards the idea of such a requirement. Many people have side from a balcony of the ornate former courthouse that serves as the Allied Control Authority. In their statement, the ambas- sadors said the Soviet Union had "expressed favorable interest" in an initiative on Berlin former President Ronald Reagan outlined in 1987. Reagan invited President Mikhail Gorbachev of the Soviet Union to "work to bring the Eastern and West parts of the city closer together." His proposal also called for im- proved air service to Berlin, making the city the site of youth exchanges and international conferences, and holding a future Olympics there. Further meetings of the four powers may be held, the statement said. A French diplomat would not give a timetable, but said the level of future sessions would depend on the issues to be addressed. East Germany opened the Berlin Wall and its other borders a month ago to halt a flood of emigration and huge pro-democracy protests at trouble making up their minds be- cause the issues surrounding the re- quirement are complex, he said. "The idea was that there will be a certain criteria that would make a course fit the requirements... the graduation requirement could be sat- isfied by a vide variety of classes, not a particular one," he said. After last year's faculty vote, University English Prof. Leo Mc- Namara, one of the professors who objected to a mandatory class, said "clearly the proposal aims at a moral effect," and didn't have an intellec- tual purpose. Other professors argued that im- plementation of such a class would only lead to the passage of other re- quired courses on political issues. UCAR member Pam Nadasen, however, said, "On a campus like the University of Michigan that is predominantly white, many students are very ignorant of the kind of racist atmosphere that exists here and the impact it has on others. I do not think the courses would eradicate racism on this campus but I do think it will help alleviate it." Nadesen added that while she wasn't familiar with the commis- sion's recommendations yesterday, she thought it was a step in the right direction. "We (UCAR) want a course that deals specifically with racism and not about ethnics diver- sity," she said. Racial incidents, such as racist jokes being aired on a University of Michigan radio station, prompted the commission to get involved in pre- venting racism. There are seven Universities across the nation that already require students take a class dealing with race relations. - The Associated Press con- tributed to this story home. Since then, public demand for reform has become so great the en- tire Communist Party leadership re- signed. Such West German politicians as Chancellor Helmut Kohl and Willy Brandt, former chancellor and West Berlin mayor, have made a point of visiting the city. Kohl says Germany will be re- united one day, but not now. The Daily Advice Column is coming. Write to: Help Me! d/o Daily 420 Maynard Ann Arbor, Ml 48109 IN BRIEF Compiled from Associated Press and staff reports Bush defends China relations WASHINGTON - President Bush yesterday defended his decision to renew contacts with China, saying relations with Beijing are still strained by the Tiananmen Square crackdown but "I don't want to make it any worse." He pledged to "keep looking for ways to find common ground" despite the Chinese army's killing of hundreds of pro-democracy demonstrators last June. "I don't want to see that China remains totally isolated," the president said. However, he said his initiative toward China was "not a signal of total normalization" of relations. Acknowledging that China remains unapologetic for the crackdown, Bush said, "We have contacts with the countries that have egregious records on human rights. Even as Bush spoke, Senate Majority Leader George Mitchell condemned the U.S. overture as "embarrassing kowtowing to the Chinese government." Capt.: Iowa was sabotaged WASHINGTON - The captain of the USS Iowa said yesterday that he doesn't "agree or disagree" with the Navy's conclusion that gunner's mate Clayton Hartwig likely caused an explosion that left 47 sailors dead, but he did say he thought the ship had been sabotaged. "I embraced that it was an intentional act," Capt. Fred Moosally told reporters after his appearance before the Senate Armed Services Committee. "I cannot make the jump that it was absolutely Petty Officer Hartwig. ..I don't think I can say that a definite individual did it. He was a good gunner's mate." Moosally, testifying publically for the first time since the April 19 blast in the Caribbean, also softened previous statements, made under oath to Navy investigators, that were sharply critical of the Iowa crew's gun- firing capabilities. Moosally, however, said he thought the ship had been sabotaged because he didn't believe there could be any other explanations. Court aids age-bias victims WASHINGTON - The Supreme Court yesterday made employers easier targets for class action age-bias lawsuits by allowing federal judges to lend a hand in alerting possible victims of discrimination. In a 7-2 ruling, the court let judges help plaintiffs in such suits locate other possible victims and seek their participation. The decision is a boost to workers suing Hoffman-La Rouche, Inc., which is accused of bias against older workers in laying off or demoting some 1,200 employees at New Jersey plants. The court said federal law permits judges to help plaintiffs locate other possible victims of discrimination, who may be unaware of the lawsuit, and solicit their participation. Senator calls for delay in vote on parental consent bill LANSING - The senate probably should postpone a vote on a parental consent abortion bill until after the first of the year, Senate Majority Leader John Engler (R-Mount Pleasant) said yesterday. The House approved the measure on a 65-39 vote last Wednesday and sent it over to the Senate, which approved a similar bill earlier this year. However, Engler said the House bill has enough different provisions that he believes it should be considered by a committee first, then come up for a vote after the first of the year. One provision he cited is one that abortion opponents fear could become a giant loophole in the bill, which calls for minors to receive parental permission before obtaining an abortion. EXTRAS Looking back at the 1970s Do you realize that you are holding in your hand the last Michigan Daily of the 1980's? It's true. In commemoration of the decade, we have reprinted a column printed in the December 10, 1979 Daily offering a look ahead at the 80s... some of the predictions were right on target, and some were not as close. "Well, they're over at last. Yes, today is the last issue of the '70s, the end of the 'me' generation. We've seen the rise of disco, the Bicentennial, countless episodes of Fantasy Island, the Watergate scandal, and President Carter being attacked by a killer rabbit. But let's not look back. No matter how much we reminisce, nothing will bring Elvis back. He's dead. After all, he's not going to just show up at the Burger King in Kalamazoo, Michigan one day. So what do we see for the '80s? We see a liberal political tide sweeping over the nation; in fact by 1988 we see incumbent and newly converted socialist John Anderson - after the repeal of 22nd Constitutional amendment - returning for a third term in office. Just as JFK had his Cuban Missile Crisis, Anderson will have to delicately deal with the mounting communist presence in Greneda. So put on your Reeboks hightops, pop a Loverboy tape in your Walkman, pull out that Batman t-shirt, and donate to Jim Baker's PTL ministry... it'll be the 80s way." - by Alex Cruz and Miguel Gordon k * Bui}s CLASSIFIED ADS! Call 764-0557 , .. ....- ---- . . . _ . . . . ---- ---- . _ .: __ ; . :- .- . . r _ _ - ' F « i^7. ^ ' ' 7 7-1 * 4 T TOWIN A $5,000* PC Package In Zenith Data Systems' MASTERS OF MOVATION II COMPETIION The Michigan Daily (ISSN 0745-967) is published Monday through Friday during ite fall and winter terms by students at the University of Michigan. Subscripton rates: for fall and winter (2 semesters) $28.00 in-town and $39 out-of-town, for fall only $18.00 in-town and $22.00 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 advertising 764-0557, Display advertising 764-0554, Billing 764-0550 EDITORIAL STAFF: '. Editor in Chief Managing Editor News Editors Adam Schrager Steve Knopper Miguel Cruz, Alex Gordan, David Schwartz Sports Editor Associate Sports Editors ike Gill Adam Benson, Steve Blonder, Richard Eisen, Loy Knapp, Taylor Lincoln JOSTENS A M E R I C A S C O L L E G E R I N G " Opinion Page Editors Elizabeth Esch, Amy Harmon Arts Editors Andrea Gacki, Alyssa Katz Associate Opinion Editors Philip Cohen, Camile Cdatost Rim Tony Silber Sharon Holland Music Nabed Zuberi Letters Editor David Levin Books Mark Swartz Weekend Editors Alyssa Lusigman, Theatre Jay Pekala Andrew Mills Photo Editor David Lubliner Weekend Staff Jim Poniewozik Graphics Coordinator Kevin Woodson News: Karen Akedof, Joanna Broder, Jason Carter, Diane Cook, Laura Counts, Marion Davis, Heather Fee, Noah Finkel, Tara Gruzen, Jennifer Hil, Ian Hoffman, Britt Isaly, Terri Jackson, Mark Katz, Christine loostra, Krisine LaLonde, Jennifer Miller, Josh Mitnick, Dan Poux, Amy Ouick, Gi Renberg, Taraneh Shafi, Mike Sobel, Vera Songwe, Noelle Vance, Ken Waker, Donna Woodwel. Opinion: Jonathan Fink, Christina Fong, Deyar Jamil, Fran Obeid, Liz Paige, Henry Park, Greg Rowe, Kathryn Savoie, Kim Springer, Rashid Taher, Luis Vazquez, Dima Zaladimo. Sports: Jamie Burgess, Steve Cohen, Theodore Cox, Jeni Durst, Scott Erskine, Andy Gottesman, Phil Green, Aaron Hinkin, David Hyman, Bethany Khpec, Eric Lemont, John Niyo, Sarah Osbvrn, Matt Rennie, Jonathan Samnick, David Schechter, Ryan Schreiber, Jeff Sheran, Peter Zellen, Dan Zoch. Arts: Greg Baise, Sherrill L. Bennett, Jen Blik, Mark Binell, Kenneth Chow, Sheala Durant, Brent Edwards, Mike Fischer, Forrest Green, Sharon Grimberg, Brian Jarvinen, Mike Kuniavsky, Ami Mehta, Mike Molitor, Carolyn Pajor, Kristin Palm, Annette Petusso, Jay Pinka, Gregodi Roach, Peter Shapiro, Rona Sheramy. Photo: Jennifer Dunetz. Amy Feldman, Julie Hllman. Jose Juarez. Jonathan Liss. Josh Moore. Samantha Sanders. Kenneth Smoller. 4 A 4{ 4' ' .4.A For Your Entry Form, Visit This Campus Location Now: Stop by and see a Jostens representative, December 13-15 11 a m fi" A n m .4