LOCAL/STATE
The Michigan Daily - Thursday, September 12, 1996 - 3A
Total eclipse
comes to state's
kies this month
Michigan sky-watchers will get a
autiful view of a total eclipse of the
harvest moon on Sept. 26, says
"University astronomer Richard Teske.
"Lunar eclipses occur when the sun,
Earth and moon all line up with the
fhion hidden in the shadow cast behind
the Earth," Teske said.
-The moon - traveling at a speed of
a2,300 miles per hour - will enter the
Earth's shadow at 9:12 p.m., will be
completely covered by the shadow by
1:54 p.m. and will emerge fully illu-
minated at 12:36 a.m. on Sept. 27.
"As the moon darkens, faint stars and
constellations around it become visi-
ble,' Teske said. "Observers will see
Saturn below the moon and a bit to its
Aight."
'Observers should watch for color
d'anges on the moon. The rim of the
4Earth's shadow usually has a reddish
Ant because as sunlight grazes the
arth's edge, passing through the
atmosphere, the air filters out all colors
except reds.
This is the same effect that makes the
rising or setting sun appear to be red,
said Teske.
"Although the eclipse will be enjoy-
' Lable for onlookers, lunar eclipses no
A6ofger have important scientific value
'Ahdr are not intensively observed by
astronomers, Teske said.
%tudy examines
1 ursing process
University researchers have deter-
'rined the mechanism that moves calci-
Ifm and phosphate from a nursing
-tiother's bones to her breast milk so
:that her nursing infant has the minerals
,''build strong bones.
* The mechanism is PTHrP (parathy-
roid-hormone-related peptide), a pep-
.4ide previously known to be associated
oly with the buildup of excess calcium
irtthe lymph systems of cancer patients.
"Our study shows that the peptide,
typically associated with hypercal-
cemia in malignancy, has a normal -
:'nid very important - physiological
I fiinction," said epidemiology Prof.
MaryFran Sowers, of the University
ehool of Public Health, lead investiga-
r of the study to be published in the
Aug. 21 issue of the Journal of the
?American Medical Association.
:hlThe study reports elevated PTHrP
levels are associated with elevated lev-
els of prolactin, the hormone stimulat-
ing milk production, and lower levels
of-estradiol - a hormone related to
ntnstruation. The peptide was also
strongly associated with declining lev-
s of bone mass density, but
earchers said bone mass density is
,:stored as PTHrP diminishes and
nursing tapers off.
.'The study included 115 nursing
:mothers participating in a series of
Wine mass density measurements and
VTfHrP analyses from two to 18 months
after the birth of the infant.
X41%-On average, a nursing mother pro-
':duces about 600 milliliters of milk and
'.168 milligrams of calcium per day three
onths after the infant's birth, and a
iter of milk and 280 milligrams of cal-
cium per day six months after birth.
U' web page
loks at animals
Howling wolves, croaking frogs and
' tlor images of more than 1,000 ani-
"als from sponges to skunks can be
und on the Animal Diversity Web -
a multimedia database on the World
Wide Web created and maintained by
the University.
Originally developed by University
,,}ojogy Prof. Philip Myers as a text for
A first-year course, "An Introduction
Jo Animal Diversity," the Animal
D1iversity Web is now used by students
all over the world.
The URL is http://www.oit.itd
&mich.edu/projects/ADW.
Students can access complete, up-to-
date information on just one animal,
randomly browse through more than
1,000 species organized by class and
phylum, or search the database for ani-
mals with specific food habits or a geo-
graphic range.
- Compiled by Daily Staff'Reporter
Brian Campbell.
I
Commuter bus
links Cental,
North campuses
APHOTO
Log jam
Workers from Central Michigan Railway break up a Saginaw River log jammed under a railroad bridge in Saginaw on
Tuesday afternoon.
earning in Retirement
Progrram educates seniors
By Prachish Chakravorty
For the Daily
Students using University bus routes
to and from North and Central campus
returned this semester to find a new,
streamlined service.
In early May, a new route combined
the old Commuter and North
Commuter routes to form a single ser-
vice running from Crisler Arena to
Glazier Way.
"We wanted to do an experiment'
said Bitsy Lamb, a bus supervisor. "It
was a hit right away."
The old routes were "very hectic" on
drivers during peak hours, Lamb said.
"During certain times of the day, a
15-minute route was very stressful for
drivers," she said. "There wasn't a way
to relieve it - a down time when dri-
vers weren't under pressure," Lamb
said.
Especially during rush hours, when
many commuters rode the route to get
their cars, the routes were slow due to
busy roads.
Lamb said that by combining the two
routes, Transportation Services could
eliminate duplicate serivce around the
medical center.
This saved about 10 minutes from
the new route and was a relief to dri-
vers, Lamb added.
LSA junior Dan Mueller, who has
been driving buses for almost two
years, agreed.
"I like it a lot," he said. "The old (ser-
vices) used to be really time-con-
strained and we'd run late a lot. The new
one is longer and not as hectic." The
service has been received well, accord-
ing to Lamb.
"It seems to be providing at least the
same quality of service as before, if not
better, and cut down the pressure on dri-
vers," Lamb said. "We are very pleased."
"Most people really like it," Mueller
agreed. "You can ride it from the Union
all the way to the ECCS building,
which you couldn't do before."
Engineering junior Geo Hsu, who
New rute
The former North Commuter and
Commuter routes combined this
summer to form one route, now
known as Commuter.
The new route takes passengers
from as far south on South Campus
as Crisler Arena to as far north on
North Campus as Hubbard Drive
and west to Glazier Way.
The route ends at the Crisler Arena
and Glazier Way commuter parking
lots.
uses the service daily, said that the new
route is popular among people on
Central campus.
But Hsu also criticized the new ser.
vice.
"The idea is good but the number of
buses they have running is bad," Hsu
said. "It seems like they combined the
route but they haven't increased the
number of buses" TI
According to Transportation
Services officials, the new route has
attracted almost 7,000 passengers on
peak days.
Hsu said that he believes that a trial
run of the route over the summer has
helped avoid confusion about the
change.
Mueller also said that there has been
little confusion.
"There are little white signs in the
front and side windows of every bus,"
Mueller said. The signs explain how to
avoid getting on the wrong bus.
"There's some confusion but that
always happens in the first month or so.
People aren't used to the buses and it's
usually the new people who get con-
fused," Mueller said.
Lamb said that in many cases stu-
dents didn't know how they were get-
ting to their destinations but recognized
where they wanted to go - and that's
all that mattered.
"In a lot of circumstances students
don't notice any difference, Lamb
said.
By Jenni Yachnin
For the Daily
After nine years of educating senior
citizens with low-cost programs, the
Turner Geriatric Clinic's Learning in
Retirement Program showcased its
instructors yesterday in an open house.
New and returning members came by
the open house to select and register for
classes in the program..
"Last year I took a few classes, one
on Thoreau and another on physics of
the universe. They were both quite
good," said member Cliff Johnson, 60.
"What I would like to see happen is for
the University ... to find a way to make
mainstream classes available to senior
citizens."
In 1987, Ruth Campbell, director of
social work for the geriatric clinic at the
Kellogg Eye Center, needed to fill a
void - no other programs involving
intellectual activities were readily avail-
able at that time to seniors.
The program is open to anyone over
the age of 55 and is not restricted to res-
idents of Ann Arbor. It has four aspects:
mini-courses, study groups and two dif-
ferent styles of lectures.
"I think all the programs are pretty
well organized," said Elza Bryan, who
volunteers at Turner. "Most of the
instructors know what they're doing
pretty well."
Some courses are taught by former
University professors, including Harm
Buning, professor emeritus of aero-
space engineering.
"I've done it for about a year," said
philosophy instructor Fred Anderson.
"I'm confident (the program) does a
good job. It's more interesting' than
teaching kids."
The programs are set up by the cen-
ter's curriculum committee and its sub-
committee for study groups - both
consist entirely of volunteers and meet
once a month.
Besides setting up programs, the
committees find instructors and lectur-
ers. All teachers are volunteers recruit-
ed by word-of-mouth, by other mem-
bers or through the University.
Eighteen mini-courses and study
groups range from six to 30 mem-
bers, with lectures having up to 220
attendees.
Courses are offered in various topics,
ranging from health to languages and
beyond.
Ford launches tiny Ka to cash in on European market
LONDON (AP) - Ford Motor Co. yesterday
launched its littlest car - the Ka - in a bid for a
piece of a growing market in Europe's congested
cities.
But narrow roads and cramped parking spaces
are already filling up with tiny cars. Analysts say
they're not sure how the Ka will do against such
established pint-sized rivals as Renault's Twingo or
Nissan's Micra.
"It's going into a pretty competitive sector of the
market," said Philip Ayton, who follows the
European automotive industry for the London bro-
kerage Barclays de Zoete Wedd Ltd.
Ford is getting into what automakers call the
"B segment" market. These smallest of the
small cars are enjoying the fastest sales growth
of any vehicles in Britain and have potential
elsewhere.
about 7,500 pounds, or about S 11,665 at current
"It signals a change in direction for Ford design, exchange rates, timed to gain maximum publicity
particularly in Europe," from exposure at auto
said Fritz Mayhew, Ford's shows in Birmingham and
director of design for its harder to Paris.
Europe.
At just over 12 feet in
length, the four-passenger
Ka is shorter than Ford's
Fiesta.
But Ford touts its Ka as
having many optional fea-
tures of big cars, such as
power steering, air condi-
make a small car
look elegant."
-Fritz Mayhew
Ford director of design
The concept was floated
at the Geneva Motor Show
in 1994 and Ford spent the
next two years designing
the car now being produced
in Valencia, Spain.
The Ka will be intro-
duced later into the
Gdrman, French and
as Brazil, where Italy's Fiat is making a big push
with its budget model, the Palio.
Ford executives declined to provide any produg-
tion estimates for the Ka - but they say the
European small car market should grow by 1 mIl-
lion vehicles a year to 4.5 million later in the
decade.
They said the "B segment" should make up a
third of these sales.
Ford has designed the Ka with sharper edges
and a lean muscular look unseen on many of the
jelly bean-shaped cars now on the road.
As Mayhew sees it, other small cars such as the
Twingo, look "cute" but, "it's harder to make a
small car look elegant."
Mayhew hinted Ford's new angular look could
be replicated in some, but not all, new Fords.
tioning and CD players. Ford says the basic model Spanish markets and elsewhere in western Europe.
gets 47.9 miles per gallon. Ford has no immediate plans to market the vehicle
The Ka goes on sale next month in Britnin at in the United States or in developing markets such
Convicted murderer
escapes deputy in L.A.
PONTIAC (AP) - A man being
returned to Michigan to serve a murder
sentence overpowered an Oakland
County sheriff's deputy at Los Angeles
International Airport, then outran a sec-
ond deputy, sheriff's officials said.
Danielle Scott, remained at large yes-
terday afternoon. The deputies stayed in
California to help in the search.
The officers were bringing Scott
back to Michigan when he fled Tuesday
morning, Sheriff John Nichols said.
One of them had handcuffed Scott's
wrist to a metal bar in a handicapped
stall in an airport bathroom after Scott
said he needed to use it, Nichols said.
When the officer tried to put the hand-
cuff back on his free wrist, Scott struck
him in the face, knocked him down,
took the handcuff keys and kicked him,
sheriff's officials said.
The second officer chased Scott
through the terminal but fell down some
stairs and lost the convict. Scott report-
edly was seen getting on a bus.
The officer who was attacked
received stitches in his face. His partner
was not injured. Sheriff's officials did
not identify them.
"You can't deny somebody the privi-
lege, right, necessity to go to the bath-
room," said Lt. William Kucyk.
"You've got to juggle the rights of the
individual and security."
The officers picked up Scott at a fed-
eral prison in Lompoc, Calif., where he
had served time for robbing a South
Bend, Ind., bank. They took a com-
muter plane from Santa Barbara to the
Los Angeles airport, where they were to
have taken a commercial flight to
Detroit Metropolitan Airport.
Scott was to have been transferred to
the Michigan Department of
Corrections for placement in a state
prison for the 1991 shooting of Herbert
Bowman of Pontiac over a drug debt.
The officers involved in Tuesday's
incident remained in Los Angeles to aid
local police in the investigation, sher-
iff's Capt. Barnett Jones said.
"You probably couldn't drag them
back here," Jones said. "They have a lot
of pride. Many of our other officers
would like to be on the next plane to
help them. It's personal now."
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