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One hundred and one years of editorial freedom
Notes From
Underground
debuts.
See ARTS
Page 5.
Vol. CII, No. 7 Ann Arbor, Michigan - Tuesday, October 8, 1991 copygt 199
She Michg an Daily
Court to
*replace
. .
Haitian
president
PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti
(AP) - Soldiers opened fire on the
Legislative Palace yesterday and
state-run radio reported about one
hour later that lawmakers had de-
cided to replace exiled President
Jean-Bertrand Aristide.
About 150 soldiers sealed off
the palace and a man who identified
himself as a deputy said from inside
that the building was under siege.
"Soldiers are occupying the
palace," said the man, who refused
to give his name. He said the sol-
diers had attacked the palace with
tanks and gunfire at about 4:30 p.m.
No one was wounded by gunfire, but
soldiers struck some lawmakers
with gun butts, he said.
About an hour later, state-run
radio reported that the National
Assembly had decided to invoke Ar-
ticle 149 of the constitution provid-
ing for a Supreme Court judge to re-
place Aristide.
Earlier, about 70 soldiers burst
into the waiting room of the inter-
national airport while a nine-mem-
ber mission from the Organization
of American States was meeting
Haitian leaders to press for the re-
turn of Aristide. The OAS meeting
took place on a floor above the
waiting room.
The soldiers grabbed Aristide's
former campaign manager, Evans
Paul, roughed him up and dragged
him away. Paul told reporters he
was being sent to Venezuela, where
Aristide first flew into exile.
See HAITI, Page 2
Council OKs
recognition of
gay couples
Target: Zagreb
Jets from the Yugoslavian federal air force attack the heart of Croatia's government yesterday, rocketing
the headquarters of its president, shown here, in a bid to end the republic's rebellion. See story, page 3.
EMU moves to protect the
rights of students with HIV
by David Rheingold
Daily Staff Reporter
Same-sex couples in the city of
Ann Arbor may soon be able to reg-
ister their relationship with the city
clerk.
The City Council gave prelimi-
nary approval last night to a pro-
posal that would formally recognize
two adults living together -
whether they are heterosexual or
homosexual - as domestic partners.
The ordinance, which the council
passed unanimously, still needs a
second reading before it can go into
effect.
The ordinance would grant do-
mestic partnership to any couples
who "declare that they are in a rela-
tionship of mutual support, caring,
and commitment."
Councilmember Ann Marie
Coleman (D-1st Ward), sponsor of
the ordinance, said she sees the ordi-
nance as recognition of a broader def-
inition of the word "family."
"I see this as an affirmation of
family, that our definition of family
in this country has been far too nar-
row ... that families exist across all
kinds of lines, and that people that
care for one another have the right to
be named as a family," she said.
The ordinance does not, however,
require employers to legally treat
homosexual couples the same way
they treat married couples.
City Council members said they
see the ordinance rather as a small
step toward preventing
discrimination.
"I think this is just something
by Gwen Shaffer
Daily Higher Education Reporter-
A new communicable disease
policy has been drafted at Eastern
Michigan University, to prevent
discrimination against students who
carry the AIDS-causing HIV
(human immunodeficiency) virus.
In order to promote proper pre-
cautions to slow further spread of
diseases such as AIDS and hepatitis
on campus, the policy recommends a
comprehensive education program
be designed for faculty, staff, and
students.
"The policy is a joint effort de-
signed to go beyond AIDS, but to
deal with communicable diseases as
a whole. It was written by a task
force made up of anyone I thought
would have an interest in or would
be faced with dealing with the issue
in the future," said Director of
Health Services Ellen Gold, who
chaired the task force.
Members of the task force in-
cluded students, health educators, a
housing director, an affirmative ac-
tion office representative, and the
-See AIDS, Page 2
Homeless rally at City Hall,
say city ignores their plight
by Joshua Meckler
Daily Staff Reporter
Ann Arbor's homeless had
nowhere to go yesterday but up to
City Hall, where they gathered on
the lawn to protest a lack of day-
time shelter, the governor's recent
aid cutbacks, and the city's failure
to provide adequate low-income
housing.
The Homeless Action Com-
mittee (HAC) organized the rally,
which was held in conjunction
with last night's City Council
meeting where HAC members
spoke out on homelessness.
Many of the homeless said the
day shelter on Ashley Street,
which has been closed since August
for renovation, has not been
worked on yet. Without a place to
go in the day, some said, they have
been forced into city stores and
onto University grounds, where
that's not set up to make a large dif-
ference, but just as a small step to-
wards a final goal," said Council-
member Kurt Zimmer (D-4th Ward).
Mayor Liz Brater said she has not
heard of any other Michigan cities
adopting similar ordinances.
"I think it's very fortunate that
the city of Ann Arbor can take a pi-
oneering role in the state of
Michigan," Brater said. "I think this
will send a message to the county
and state that this kind of legislation
is needed by our constituents."
Although the council approved
the ordinance unanimously, Council-
member Kirk Dodge (R-2nd Ward)
said he has reservations about
allowing civil rights issues to be-
come politicized.
"In the long term, I worry that
(the ordinance) would get twisted.
Community values change, and the
council composition changes, and
for people who have had information
certified, that information could be
used against (them)," he said.
The council also agreed to delete
a section of the ordinance establish-
ing benefits and privileges for city
employees in domestic partnerships,
similar to those it provides for mar-
ried couples.
Coleman said that technically,
the portion should have been pro-
posed as a resolution. She added that
she will propose such a resolution at
the council's next meeting on Oct.
21.
Abrams
cops plea
in Contra
scan dal
WASHINGTON (AP) - For-
mer Assistant Secretary of State El-
liott Abrams pleaded guilty yester-
day to two misdemeanors in the
Iran-Contra scandal and agreed to
cooperate in the continuing probe of
top officials from the Reagan ad-
ministration.
Abrams, 43, appeared in U.S. Dis-
trict Court, where he admitted
withholding information from the
Senate Foreign Relations Commit-
tee on Oct. 10, 1986. He concealed
Oliver North's involvement with a
secret network to supply the
Nicaraguan Contra rebels with
guns, he admitted.
Abrams felt that "disclosure of
Lieutenant Colonel North's activi-
ties in the resupply of the Con tras
would jeopardize final enactment"
of a $100 million congressional ap-
propriation for the Contras, Iran-
Contra prosecutors said in an eight-
page statement of facts filed in U.S.
District Court.
Congress was pressing the Rea-
gan administration for answers
about the mysterious Contra resup-
ply network after one of the North
operation's planes was shot down
over Nicaragua on Oct. 5, 1986.
Abrams was the State Depart-
ment's assistant secretary for inter-
American affairs at the time.
"How do you plead?" U.S. Dis-
trict Court Judge Aubrey Robinson
asked Abrams twice.
"I plead guilty," Abrams
replied each time in a clear voice.
Robinson set sentencing for Nov.
15. Abrams could face up to a year in
jail and $100,000 in fines on each of
twn rl Ptltq_
they are often sent back to the
streets.
"Now, they're even starting to
kick us off the Diag," said Ken
Gregory, a homeless man from Ann
Arbor. Gregory added that several
times he had been told by
University police officers to pick
up trash on the Diag or be forced to
leave.
"It's so tight in Ann Arbor,
even the (public) library isn't safe
for homeless people," Gregory
said.
"There's really nowhere for
people to go during the day," said
HAC member Jen Rubin. "The
whole new Union policy is proba-
bly very related to keeping out
people who are homeless."
Rubin said the timing of the
renovations to the Ashley Street
shelter was unfortunate because
winter is almost here. She said the
city had said it would finish the
construction as soon as possible.
But, she added, "I guess it's never
clear what 'as soon as possible'
means."
A speaker at the rally, Gene
Bell, of the Interfaith Council for
Peace and Justice, criticized Gover-
nor John Engler's cuts to the
state's General Assistance fund.
"The average person who needs
housing will suffer - are suffer-
ing from these cuts."
HAC member Paul Lambert,
who formerly lived on the streets,
added, "It's indescribably miser-
able because even in the best of
weather, you get cold and wet
sooner or later."
Roy Cartwright, who said he
has been homeless for eight
See HOMELESS, Page 2
Four of Ann Arbor's homeless pass the time outside City Hall as the
Homeless Action Committee holds a rally yesterday afternoon.
'U': Out-of-state residency
requirements will not change
Attorney General's
by Stefanie Vines
Daily Government Reporter
Administrators said an opinion
released by Attorney General Frank
Kelley last week giving universities
autonomy to establish state resi-
dency requirements will not have a
profound effect on the University.
Kelley said it is legal for a state
university to advise applicants that
they could acquire in-state residence
status if they worked full-time for
12 months in Michigan while at-
tending school part-time.
"He based his opinion on the
same requirements we base our resi-
-.... -_......_,..,,__, 1
decision may not affect students here
am confused because he defined what
constitutes residency on the one
hand, but on the other hand his opin-
ion reaffirms the University's right
to decide requirements."
University General Counsel Elsa
Cole said the opinion will have a
bigger impact at Michigan State
University than here.
"The Attorney General has re-
stated what we already do. The opin-
ion was released in response to a
student at MSU," she said.
Kelley noted that the U.S.
Supreme Court ruled in 1973 that a
university couldn't restrict a stu-
to provide clear proof that they had
acquired residency, such as evidence
that they had stayed in Michigan
when classes weren't in session.
Chris DeWitt, a spokesperson
for Kelley, agreed with Harrison.
"This will have little, if any,
impact on universities. It is a prac-
tice that probably is not new,"
DeWitt said.
But DeWitt did say the opinion
will reaffirm the University's right
to make residency decisions.
"The question was raised by Sen.
Conroy on the issue of the state hav-
ing criteria for residency
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