The Michigan Daity - Tuesday, October 19, 1993 - 3
*W. Quad
water safe
despite
brown tint
By RONNIE GLASSBERG
DAILY STAFF REPORTER
On coldMichigan mornings many
students enjoy drinking a warm cup
of tea to help them wake up. Unfortu-
nately for students in the Rumsey and
Cambridge Houses of West Quad,
their warm water may be brown even
before they add a tea bag.
Thomas Rodriguez, agraduate stu-
dent who lives in Cambridge House,
said he has been calling University
officials about the problem of brown
water for a month and a half.
Eventually he called the Occupa-
tional Safety and Health Administra-
tion (OSHA) to test the water, he said.
Rodriguez said the test revealed
iron levels at two parts per million
(ppm).
* . Iron levels of .5 ppm stain clothes,
he added.
OSHA representatives would not
confirm these results.
Rodriguez said he couldn't seethe
bottom of his bathtub afterhe filled it.
"The iron itself is not supposed to
be a health hazard, but this is really a
nuisance," he said.
Bill Verge, a utilities engineer for
The University Plant Department, said
this condition is not unusual.
"Periodically, (high iron levels
have) always been a problem," he
said, adding that the problem has been
more persistent during the past weeks.
West Quad facilities manager
Mike Gonzales said residence hall
employees plan to install a water fil-
terwithin the next two to three weeks.
He said this will fix the iron problem.
The iron problem only occurs in
the houses of Rumsey and Cambridge
because the other areas of West Quad
already have a functioning water fil-
ler.
Additionally, the problem is only
"ccurring with warm water.
Gonzales said the OSHA test re-
yealed that the water is safe to drink.
SEARCHING FOR BOBBY FISCHER?
Jury acquits two
in beating trial
LOS ANGELES (AP)-The jury
in the Reginald Denny beating trial
acquitted the two defendants yester-
day of several serious charges but
found them guilty of some- lesser
charges.
The jury deadlocked on some
counts, including the charge that de-
fendant Damian Williams attempted
to murder Denny. Co-defendant
Henry Watson was found innocent of
that charge. After polling jurors on
whether they thought further delib-
erations would be worthwhile, Supe-
rior Court Judge John Ouderkirk or-
dered them to resume after a lunch
break.
After 2 1/2 days of deliberations,
the jurors had said Saturday they had
partial verdicts but were deadlocked
on some of the most serious charges
against Williams, 20, and Watson,
29. They deliberated for another
couple of hours yesterday morning,
deciding a few more counts before
partial verdicts were announced.
Watson was found innocent of at-
tempted murder on Denny, a white
truck driver whose savage televised
beating in the first moments of the
April 1992 riots shocked the nation.
But Watson was found guilty of one
count, a misdemeanor assault on
Denny. Williams was found innocent
of aggravated mayhem against Denny
but found guilty of the lesser felony
charge of mayhem, and of four mis-
demeanor assault counts on people
other than Denny.
The jury did not reach averdict on
the attempted murder charge involv-
ing Williams. The attempted murder
and aggravated mayhem charges both
would have carried a potential life
sentence.
The other charges on which thejurors
did not reach a verdict were assault with a
deadly weapon against Watson, in an
attackon anothertmkdriver the same day
as the attack on Denny, and a count of
robbery against Williams.
A coalition of protesters including
groups called Free the LA4, Radical
Women and the Young Communists
League demonstrated outside the
courthouse yesterday, chanting "No
justice in the courtroom, no peace in
the streets." On the streets, police had
beefed up patrols as a precaution but
officials had said they expected no
trouble.
Hours later, the panel announced
it had decided that Williams was in-
nocent of a robbery charge. Superior
Court Judge John Ouderkirk then
asked the jury to deliberate the final
two counts.
Accepting the defense argument
that Williams and co-defendant Henry
Watson were caught up in mob vio-
lence after the state Rodney King
beating trial, the jurors acquitted them
of most charges that required specific
intent.
Defense psychologists testified
that Williams and his co-defendant
acted in the heat of the moment and
couldn't have planned their actions.
Williams and Watson sat calmly
as the verdicts were read, except when
the clerk announced "Not Guilty" on
an aggravated mayhem charge against
Williams, which could have brought
him life in prison. Williams clapped
his hands over his eyes, reared back in
his seat and hugged his attorney.
The jury convicted Williams on
simple mayhem, with a maximum
penalty of up to eight years in prison.
In the charges decided againsthim,
Watson was acquitted of all but simple
assault on Denny, a lesser related
offense that carries only a year in
county jail rather than prison. The
jury rejected the charge that Watsori
tried to kill Denny, the count that
could have brought him life in prison;
Williams was acquitted of eight
counts.
Former Police Chief Daryl Gates:
now a radio personality, denounced
the verdicts as unjust.
"We know they're guilty. But l
understand this is our system," Gates
said.
The new police chief, Willie Wil-.
Hams, said he was pleased with com-
munity response.
MARK FRIEDMAN/Daily
Sophomores Jason Fryer and Sean Hoffman play chess near the Cube yesterday.
City hears proposal to compensate tax cuts
By JAMES NASH
FOR THE DAILY
Ann Arbor budget officials are
looking at ways to plug a budget gap
that may widen to more than $10
million by 1995.
The gap - a measurement of ex-
penses minus revenues -was pegged
at $1.6 million for fiscal 1994-95.
Under a statewide school finance
plan that will drastically reduce prop-
erty taxes, the city may be facing a
fiscal shortfall that could dwarf that
estimate.
In July, the Michigan Legislature
voted to eliminate property tax fund-
ing of public schools.
That body has not yet determined
a source to replace the lost funds. The
Legislature's action will cut the flow
of industrial taxes to municipalities
like Ann Arbor.
In a report presented to the City
Council last night, Ann Arbor City
Administrator Alfred Gatta projected
a $10.7 million shortfall at the end of
fiscal 1995.
Gatta attributed most of the loss to
an expected cut in the $10.6 million
the city receives from the state in the
form of revenue sharing.
To patch up the earlier projected
$1.6 million gap, members of a city
budget committee recommended a
mix of cuts and freezes.
Among the proposals of the Bud-
get Process/Policy Committee were a
yearlong freeze in city employee
wages, cutbacks in Ann Arbor'srecy-
cling program and an initiative to tow
away vehicles that have accumulated
four parking tickets.
The so-called "Towing at 4 Tick-
ets" program would be preceded by
an amnesty period, Gatta said.
The committee also proposed that
Ann Arbor's fund balance - a "rainy
day" savings account -- be drained
by $300,000. City officials would use
this money to substitute for part of the
state funding cuts.
*Rhodes strives to achieve despite adversity 1.
City Council candidate turns from life of crime with education, earns college degree, vows to help others
By ARI ROTENBERG
FOR THE DAILY
Success, integrity, and opportu-
nity; achievement from the challenge
of adversity. This is the fiber from
which Martin Rhodes is made.
Rhodes is running as an indepen-
dent candidate for the First Ward in
this November's Ann Arbor City
Council elections.
Although Rhodes has been a citi-
zen of Washtenaw County for four
decades, the character of his past
makes his candidacy for political of-
fice both shocking and unique.
Afterhe droppedoutofhigh school
in 10th grade, Rhodes embraced a life
defined by drugs, crime, and incar-
ceration - a cycle that continued to
revolve for the better part of 20 years.
In 1966, Rhodes was arrested on
charges of armed robbery - a viola-
tion that earned him three years in
prison. In the decade and a half that
followed, Rhodes was convicted three
times. He spent 15 years behind bars.
But, in 1979, Rhodes decided to
change.
During his final prison sentence at
Jackson State Prison, Rhodes turned
to education as the vehicle for his
climb toward respectability.
He enrolled in a program from
Jackson Community College, and af-
ter being paroled in 1983, Rhodes
entered society armed with three
weapons: aGED, self-confidence, and
a renewed vigor to succeed.
Encouraged by the prospect of
empowerment, Rhodes enrolled in the
University in 1987 and graduated three
years later with a Bachelor's Degree
in General Studies.
Now, Rhodes is poised to make an
impact on his community.
Rhodes called his decision to run
for City Council the next step in his
metamorphosis.
"It's anatural progression. Ididn't
come to U-M and graduate to regress
now. It's just time to showcase some
of my skills."
Rhodes said he believes he is quali-
fied for the position because he is,
"academically credentialed, a prob-
lem solver, and someone who pos-
sesses vast life experience."
Since his release from prison in
1983, Rhodes has been politically
active and involved in volunteer work.
Currently, he works at New Alter-
natives, a program that finds commu-
nity jobs for those who need work.
Rhodes has met substantial resis-
tance in his campaign efforts. He said
much of the struggle has been with
African American civic leaders.
"The greatest opposition," he said,
"comes from the Black leadership in
the First Ward. They don't seem to
want to accept the fact that I'm quali-
fied and can be effective since I've
been incarcerated."
And while he said he is not dis-
couraged, Rhodes said he is frustrated.
"People just don't understand there is
a line called rehabilitation."
Rhodes identified many factors in
his decision to campaign.
"As much as I'm running to win,
I'm running for all those who came
before me who were afraid to run
because they had criminal records,
and for all those who come afterme so
they know that they can."
Bob Hodder, Rhodes' parole of-
ficer since 1975, marvels at the suc-
cess of the man he describes as having
once been, "a street thug."
Hodder said Rhodes possesses a
unique ability to mobilize people to
act positively. "He has a feeling for
people and people listen to him," he
said. "His ability to communicate with
people is surprising."
Perhaps Rhodes' greatest value as
a candidate rests in his potential to
identify with those otherwise left out
of political discourse, Hodder said.
"If the issue is representative gov-
ernment," Hodder said, "Martin rep-
resents a large part of our population
who aren't understood. Martin un-
derstands the problems of drugs and
discrimination. He has suffered from
them, and he has a great deal of in-
sight."
Nobody knows whether Martin
Rhodes will become a member of
City Council. But he wants to destroy
the stereotypes about ex-convicts.
"If you can go to school, you might
be able to stand up straight. It might
not erase the record, but my U-M
degree is my most prized jewel," he
said.
MARK FRIEPMAN/Dai ,
Ann Arbor City Council candidate Martin Rhodes in his kitchen/office.
Student groups
U Adult Daughters of Alcoholics
and other Trauma, meeting,
Michigan Union, Room 320,
7:30 p.m.
O American Movement for Is-
rael, meeting, Hillel, 7 p.m.
D Anthropology Club, movie,
Mysteries of Mankind LS&A
Building, Room 2553, 7 p.m.
U Arab-American Students As-
sociation, Arabic conversation
hour, Arabic House, Oxford, 7
p.m.
O Chinese Cultural Assocation,
general meeting, Mosher-Jor-
dan, Multi-purpose Lounge,
7:30 p.m.
" Christian Science Organiza-
tion. weekly. meeting. Michi-
boathouse, men 3,4 and5p.m.; Languages Building, Room
women 3:30, 4:30, 5:30 p.m. B 122, 7 p.m.
Events
U AIDS awareness week, Simply
Safe: A safer sex workshop with
June Washington, Michigan
Union, Anderson Room, 7 p.m.
U Brown Bag Lunch Series, spon-
sored by the Center for Chinese
Studies, The Common Woman
and Man in Chinese History,
Shelley Hsueh-lun Chang, Lane
Hall, Commons Room, 12 noon
U Electronic Resouces in the
Humanities, resource demon-
strations, Harlan Hatcher
Graduate Library, Room 203, 3
p.m., call 763-1539 to register
U Research on Politics and the
Student services
U Career Planning & Placement,
Guided tours, 3:10 p.m., On-
Campus Recruiting Program
information session, 4:10 p.m.,
Generating Career ideas, 4:10
p.m., CP&P, Student Activities
Building, Room 3200; North-
western Mutual Life/Beckley
Agency presentation, Michigan
Union, Wolverine Room, 7
p.m.; SEI Corporation presen-
tation, Michigan Union, Ander-
son Room, 7:30 p.m.
U Practical Trainng for Interna-
tional Students, International
Good. Cheap. Fast.I
Magic Wok Dinner Deal
-GIC
*MA tn-N
**#& aofti A -W AJ6.
Any Entree
5:00-10:00 pm
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