The Michigan Daily - Wednesday, November 27, 1991 - Page 7 Charities struck by economic pressures Associated Press The economic slump has charities struggling to cope with increased umbers of people seeking aid this anksgiving, including a "new class of poor" who were the donors of past years, officials say. A Connecticut church group is turning people away in what its di- rector calls "the most heart- wrenching decision I've ever had to make." In Michigan, which abolished welfare for 83,000 adults last *onth, a soup kitchen is facing astronomical" demand. In Burlington, Vt., the emer- gency food service is trying to serve up to 20 percent more people with only a tiny increase in donations. "Don't tell me that the recession is over," said Ruth Shecter, execu- tive director of the Housing Infor- mation Center in Kansas City, Mo. "President Bush needs to walk with #e people and find out what it re- ally means." Capt. Phil Murphy of the Salva- tion Army in Raleigh, N.C., said do- nations to his unit are off $18,000 from last year for the Christmas and winter reliefrdrives, but the number of people seeking help has been rising. "There are more people living xom paycheck to paycheck than ever fere," he said. "This is awhole different strata of people, and it's going to happen for some time." In Bridgeport, Conn., hard-hit by economic troubles, a coalition of churches known as Area Congrega- tions Together, or ACT, is turning away about 100 families who_ sought Thanksgiving food, out of about 250 who applied. "It's unbelievable, it's tragic, O's the most heart-wrenching deci- sion I've ever had to make," said ex- ecutive director Kathleen Samla. Donations to fund the holiday meal program are down so sharply that "we don't know if we can feed. the families we've accepted, nevert mind the ones we've had to turn away," Samela said. k "In our annual mailing asking Or donations, we've receivedsa lot of letters from people who havel been big donors in the past saying I just lost my job. here's $2," shel said. "These are people who might have given $10, $25 or more last year." Kay Wallick, executive director of the Mid-America Assistancel Coalition in Kansas City, Mo., de-c scribed the ranks of new applicantsl or aid "a new class of poor, newc clientele who have never used assis- tance before. These are people who used to give to the United Way." Americans clear out of Filipino base CLARK AIR BASE, Philippines (AP) - The American flag was lowered for the last time at Clark Air Base today as the United States abandoned one of its oldest and largest overseas installations, damaged by a volcano, in June. About 1,000 people watched as an Air Force honor guard handed the flag to U.S. Ambassador Frank Wisner. U.S. officials said about 250 American troops remained at the base, but plan to leave later today for new as- signments. "The longstanding U.S. military presence is ending," said Maj. Gen. William Studer, commander of the 13th Air Force, which will move its headquarters from Clark to Guam. Filipino base employees embraced depart- ing Americans and many in the crowd wept during the two-hour ceremony, marking the end of nearly a century of American military presence at the base about 50 miles north of Manila. U.S. sources, speaking on condition anonymity, said looters quickly swarmed over the base, taking appliances and other materials. In February, looters stripped another U.S. fa- cility, Camp O'Donnell, of nearly everything Americans left behind. In recent years, the United States stationed about 20,000 troops, military dependents and defense department personal at Clark, a major transit and training facility for U.S. and allied forces in the Pacific region. The 130,000-acre base was heavily damaged in June when Mt. Pinatubo erupted, spreading tons of volcanic debris. U.S. officials decided to abandon Clark and try to negotiate an agreement to remain to at the Subic Bay naval base, which was less severely damaged by the volcano. In September, the Philippine Senate re- jected an agreement that would have given the $250 million in aid in exchange for a 10-year lease. Talks are expected soon on a schedule for withdrawal from Subic. "I think the general mood is probably ex- citement about going home, being back with your families again, sadness at leaving your friends here, all mixed up with some fatigue from working the way we have for the last four or five months," said the Clark Base Spokeperson Lt. Col. Ron Rand. A 1990 Philippine government report sug- gested turning the base into an international airport and agricultural business center. But the volcano damage has apparently put the plans on hold, and it was not immediately clear what the Filipinos plan for the site. "It's sad," said Sgt. Harry Sharp, 27, of Canton, Ohio, a member of the honor guard as- signed to Clark in May. "It's a goodbye to your friends and move on." The closing of the base is expected to fur- ther damage the local economy, which is still I think the general mood is probably excitement about going home, being back with your families again, sadness at leaving your friends here, all mixed up with some fatigue from working the way we have for the last four or five months' - Ron Rand Clark Base Spokeperson suffering from the effects of the volcano. Antonio Abad Santos, mayor of nearby Angeles, said about 30 percent of the city's 250,000 people have moved away in search of jobs elsewhere. He said at least 15,000 people had lost their jobs when the base closed and only about 400 have found new employment. Placards placed near the base praise the Americans and express regret that they were leaving. "No country can replace you in our hearts," one of the signs read. Makin' Doris Tseng, copies a Business School senior, makes color photocopies in the Union yesterday. New York public schools begin y condom-on-demand program NEW YORK (AP) - Students weeks and continue through 1992 roles. But we face a life-and-death , lined up for condoms yesterday as until it covers all 260,000 high crisis," said Dewey's principal, the nation's largest public school school students in the city. William Sigelakis. ,° system started handing out the con- traceptives on demand. "They have all the cool teachers giving them out," Helene Patterson, 17, a senior at John Dewey High School in Brooklyn, said enthusiastically. Dewey, with 3,000 students, and an 850-student alternative high school, City-as-School in Manhattan, were the first of the city's 120 public high schools to begin distributing condoms to stu- dents without any requirement of parental consent. The program will be phased in at 14 more schools in the next few Aimed at stemming the spread of AIDS, the program was adopted by the Board of Education in February over strong objections by the Roman Catholic Church and some parents. Objectors said condom giveaways condoned teen- age sex. New York City has more AIDS cases than any other city nationwide. It is home to about 3 percent of the nation's 13- to 21- year-olds, but accounts for 20 percent of all AIDS cases in that age group. "We can debate philosophy and we can debate methodology and we can debate The condoms were handed out in the school's resource room by spe- cially trained teachers and coun- selors. Sex education counseling is optional. The package includes instruc- tions for use and literature on the risks and benefits of condom use and misuse. An accompanying card notes abstinence is the only sure way to avoid sexually transmitted diseases. "It's healthy. I'm not having sex without one," said Jermaine Cummings, 16, a sophomore at Dewey. Helene Patterson and her boyfriend Joe Temperino display a condom they received from a distribution program at John Dewey High School in New York. Japan agrees to ban on drift-net fishing IVI /- / r -- U ~ll- - k-; .- p 8- f/L% Present at both and closing roll >ngineering Aaron Williams Law. Michael Warren ;LSA Ken Bartlette Tom Cunningham David Englander Me an Landers Joel Martinez Jeff Muir Natural Resources Nena Shaw Nursing Nicole Shupe Pharmacy Ian Nordan- Rackham Tim Darr Max Ochoa Amy Polk opening calls' Absent at both opening and closing roll calls _ Art Cheryl Hanba Business Andrew Kanfer Antonio Vernon Engineering Alexia Fink Brian Kight John Vandenberg LSA JMark Bernstein Julie Davies Scott Gast Jong Han Heather Johnston Kevin Killian - Johnathan Line Priti Marwah Anitra Nolte Andrew Petrella Melissa Saari Kim Watson Rackhamn Sean Herlihy Jeff Hinte Ben Witherell Maria Yen Social Work Colleen Crossey WASHINGTON (AP) - Japan's agreement to stop fishing with drift nets paves the way for an international ban on the high-seas "curtains of death," environmental- ists said yesterday. The world's biggest drift-net- ting country reluctantly , agreed Monday night to support a United Nations resolution banning the nets without exception at the end of next year. That could mean an end world- wide is nearing for the practice - fought by environmentalists for a decade - that critics say can indis- criminately sweep thousands of ma- rine animals to their deaths in swaths as wide as 30 miles. Members of Congress said a Environmentalists forsee possibility of international agreement on nets combination of international pres- this summer mandating sanctions sure and U.S. threats of trade sanc- against drift-net violators. tions caused Japan to reverse its Greenpeace spokesperson Blair position. Palese said, "We still have to clear "The world has grown sick and the hurdle in the U.N., but in terms tired of this fishery and I think of a success story for drift nets, 'We still have to clear the hurdle in the U.N., but in terms of a success story for drift nets, we've got the champagne on ice' - Blair Palese Greenpeace spokesperson bers, Greenpeace said. The Asian nation's fleet of about 450 drift-net vessels fish primarily for squid in the northern Pacific Ocean. But critics say the nets trap and kill all marine life in their path. In 1990, just 10 percent of Japan's fleet killed 1,758 whales and dolphins, 253,288 tuna, 81,956 blue sharks, 30,464 sea birds and more than 3 million other non-tar- get fish, the U.S. National Marine Fisheries Service has said. After Japan, South Korea and Taiwan are the world's next largest drift-netting nations with about 150 vessels each. Taiwan, under di- rect threat of U.S. trade sanctions, has already promised to stop the practice. Japan knows when to give -up," said Sen. Bob Packwood (R-Ore.), who sponsored a bill the Senate approved we've got the champagne on ice." Japan's decision will carry a lot of weight with other U.N. mem- ama ra a/a m a a- w IM IMPLAME a AR A L ! d: 141 1', 1rol :1[ :1: )MAIIVA ww[ \s an .UJos I14 t r [Qf s -w-m- I I I waIIIL* I THE MICHIGAN DAILY 764-0552 | a ~I %OW * TpAI l__.. - ~ - - -- m - - -- - 9 99 99 Dinersty Thanksgiving Special CcONEKECSISTNE COOKIESYoung Turkey Roasted in elDON'T BE A TURKEY D 4 .Twas the month before Christmas at the University of9Michigan. students were excited about the - thought of returning home again. . ' . 'People were studying as finals drew near. ... litte to their knowledge, they could bringfriendsgoodcheer.