f ,.. ry, ,.ry ;:. t :: OPINION 4 ARTS Register to vote 5 SPORTS 7 Defense budget perpetuates the deficit Women gymnasts face Gophers he iriirnl ail Ninety-nine years of editorial freedom Vol. C, No. 104 Ann Arbor, Michigan -Thursday, March 1, 1990 eMichiganD Ortega calls .halt to attacks Hoard senior skips on Contras MANAGUA, Nicaragua (AP) - President Daniel Ortega declared a halt to attacks on the Contras yester- day and called again on the United States to help dismantle the rebel * force. President-elect Violeta Barrios de Chamorro, who joined Ortega on Tuesday in asking the U.S.-backed Contras to put down their arms, praised his move as a step forward. "The causes of civil war in Nicaragua have disappeared," Chamorro told a news conference. "There is no reason for war." She said the Contras, most of 1 them based in neighboring Hon- duras, "must lay down their weapons and come home to work for the re- construction of Nicaragua." Ortega said in a statement that he ordered all offensive military opera- tions against the Contras to halt. He said the United States should help pay for demobilizing and relocating the rebels. Chamorro upset Ortega in an election Sunday that he agreed to as part of a Central American plan for ending the war and which he clearly expected to win. Demobilizing the Contras is the trickiest issue in transition talks that began Tuesday between Chamorro's 14-part coalition, the United Na- tional Opposition, and 'the stunned Sandinistas, who have been in power for over 10 years. Sandinista officials say they can- not give up control of the armed forces and police, both party organs, as long as the 10,000-person Contra army force is intact. Chamorro made it clear she ex- pects Ortega to keep his promise to turn over power and that her gov- ernment plans to run the army and security forces. "I'm the one who is going to give orders," said the silver-haired widow, who was chosen to run against Ortega because of her power- ful symbolic value. The 1978 death of her husband, opposition publisher Pedro Joaquin Chamorro, touched off the revolu- tion that overthrew dictator Anasta- sio Somoza and put the Sandinistas in power. She said the Sandinistas "have to turn over everything," including the armed forces - the traditional source of real power in Latin America. "The minister of defense will be a civilian," she declared. The current minister, Gen. Hum- berto Ortega, the president's brother, leads the Sandinista transition team. Chamorro's son-in-law and cam- paign manager, Antonio Lacayo, heads the United National Opposi- tion team. goes tc by Phil Green Daily Sports Writer In November of last year, Michigan lost starting running back Tony Boles against Minnesota with a serious knee injury. Yesterday, the Wolverines suffered another blow as they lost the other half of their starting backfield, Leroy Hoard. Hoard, who had 1706 career yards rushing on 314 attempts (5.4 average) and 19 touchdowns, decided to pass up his final year of eligibility to enter this spring's National Football League draft. "It was a lot of different little things. The best decision for me was to leave," Hoard said. "I wanted to do something to make me happy. It's{ not like I've been unhappy, but everything's been the same. I haven't done anything spectacular. I was ready for a change. By making this decision, I've taken a stride." Michigan head coach Gary Moeller, however, was disappointed when he heard Hoard had elected to enter the draft. "I do not think this decision is in the best interest of Leroy Hoard. However, this is his option (fifth) year, and he must make the decision. We wish him the best," Moeller said. year, NFL One of the many contributing factors for Hoard leaving was the chance that his football career could suddenly end were he to get hit the wrong way. "I thought about getting hurt," he said, "and if this was my last year of playing football had I done everything I wanted to do. The answer was no - I wanted to play professional football." Hoard added that Michigan's recent coaching change played no part in his decision to turn professional. "It would have been the same had coach Schembechler been here," he said. After this semester, Hoard will be one class shy of graduation, and if he is unable to attend the spring semester he "will definitely come back to graduate." Whether or not he returns for the spring semester this year will depend heavily on where he begins his professional career. For now, the 1989 Rose Bowl MVP is unsure of where the upcoming draft will send him. "I didn't even consider that (where he would be picked in the draft) in my decision. I'd like to play in a See HOARD, Page 8 DAVID LUBLINER/Daily Ft Leroy Hoard, pictured above, decided to pass up his final year of eligibility and enter the professional draft this spring. Michigan-MSU to battle for sho .. ._ - by Mike Gill Daily Basketball Writer It all comes down to this. Tonight and Sunday afternoon will decide whether the eighth-ranked Michigan Wolverines will have a chance to hoist a Big Ten Champ- ionhip banner in Crisler Arena representing the 1990 season. The Wolverines trail league-leading Pur- due by a game and a half and 14th ranked Michigan State by a game. House ,bill cuts, property taxes LANSING (AP) - The House r narrowly passed a property tax cut plan yesterday that has enraged the business community because it takes money that corporations used to get in tax breaks and gives it to home- owners. The 58-43 vote was along party lines except for the approval of two Republicans, Rep. Mickey Knight of Muskegon and Rep. D. Roman Kulchitsky of Warren. The two bills that actually pro- vide the property tax relief were ap- proved unanimously. The measure that takes $344 mil- lion in business taxes to pay for the package is the one in dispute. A Court of Claims judge recently threw out a deduction to the Single Business Tax for businesses. Rather than giving the money back to businesses with some other tax break, as businesses claim the state should do, the money would go toward property tax relief, which all This evening they travel to East Lansing and will be introduced to the new Breslin Center as they begin their final chase for the Big Ten crown. Sunday they travel to West Lafayette to face Purdue. * If the Wolverines win these two crucial road games, they will almost certainly be assured at least a co- championship in the conference. Their remaining games are at Crisler Arena against lowly Wisconsin and Iowa. "This is our run for the Big Ten title," Terry Mills said simply. we're in a world of hurt." The ball is in the Wolverines court - as will Sean Higgins, who 'They're looking more to an inside attack so we're going to have play great inside defense.' -Michigan center Terry Mills on MSU Michigan coach Steve Fisher returned to limited action last said, "If we don't win these four, Saturday against Northwestern and is t at Big expected to log significant time in tonight's game (8 p.m.; Channel 7, WJR (760), WPZA (1050), WXYT (1270)). While Michigan (10-4 Big Ten, 20-5 overall) gains its three-point threat back, the Spartans (11-3, 22- 5) lose the league's top long bomb threat, Kirk Manns, who is out two to three weeks with a stress fracture to his right foot. When these two teams hooked up Ten title a few weeks ago it took a running hook by Rumeal Robinson as time ran out to lift Michigan to a 65-63 win over their intra-state rivals. The action and excitement was fierce, and one noticed the competition even before the tipoff. Last season, the Michigan- Michigan State game started without the two teams meeting at center court for traditional pre-game See MSU, Page 8 Bush, Gorbachev converse by phone NEW YORK (AP) - President Bush telephoned Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev yesterday for a "very conservative" and frank discus- sion on the political shakeup in Nicaragua, where the Kremlin is credited with helping promote an honest election. In what was believed to be only their third telephone conversation, the two leaders also discussed issues of European security, including German reunification, and prepara- tions for a superpower summit this summer, according to U.S. accounts and the Soviet news agency Tass. Bush said he assured Gorbachev he was committed to moving ahead on arms control negotiations under a timetable set up by Secretary of State James Baker and Soviet For- eign Minister Eduard Shevardnadze. The administration hopes for ma- jor progress this year on treaties dealing with strategic nuclear weapons, conventional arms in Eu- rope and chemical weapons. Both sides have raised the possibility that the strategic weapons treaty can be signed at the two leaders' summit in June. The talks came three days after honest election. The U.S. description of the So- viet role was a substantial change from past complaints about Soviet arms being passed along by Nicaragua to revolutionaries in El Salvador. Bush said he was very pleased by the Soviet willingness to recognize the election winners. He said it was largely due to the willingness of re- gional leaders to ensure a peaceful transition in Nicaragua. The president characterized the conversation with Gorbachev as "very good, forthright." "And where we differ, we can spell out the differences without ran- 'Where we differ, we can spell out the differences without rancor and I think that is important in the Soviet-U.S. relationship' -President Bush cor andI think that is important in the Soviet-U.S. relationship," he Sign him up Former graduate student Luis Vasquez (left) registers LSA sophomore Brian Ersdstein to vote in the upcoming Ann Arbor elections. Students promote peer voter registration for city elections i