Onehwz dceven yearr ofedndfiedom Y NEWS: 76-DAILY CLASSIFIED: 764-0557 wwwmichigandally.com Wednesday February 13, 2002 - - --- --------------- Motorists hit hard by parking restriction By Rob Goodspeed Daily Staff Reporter A new parking restriction took many students by surprise last week when 1,012 motorists received $125 tickets for violating the city of Ann Arbor's new emergency snow parking ordi- nance. The rule prohibits parking during a snow emergency on the side of the street with odd addresses on odd numbered days and the even side on even numbered days to accommodate for snow removal. "From the point of view of having fewer cars on the streets, we were successful," said Bill Wheeler, director of the city of Ann Arbor's Department of Public Services. Wheeler said he anticipates fewer students will be ticketed as more people learn about the law. Some students were upset by the high fine. "There's no way that it should be that much," said LSA senior Scott Behnan. "I think it's excessive'." Some students were able to get the fine reduced after challenging the fine through the city of Ann Arbor's ticket referee. "They reduced mine to $85," Behnan said. "But I'm still challenging it in court." He said the city could have done more to advertise the new law. He added that in addition to a press release sent to local radio stations and newspapers, the city worked with the University to communi- cate to students. "We went through a lot of processes to make sure everyone heard," Wheeler said. The University sent one e-mail in December to students describing the new parking restric- tions and another on Jan. 30 during the snow- storm. "We are hoping that every fall the University will send out the mass e-mail," said Wheeler, who added the city is working with the University to provide incoming students with See RESTRICTION, Page 7 Anti -U.s. sentiments high in Iran LAUHIL EBESCULL/Daily Elyse Kammerer, a Neuroscience graduate student, pays her ticket to cashier Tracy Williams at Ann Arbor City Hall. Due to the implementation of a system allowing citizens to pay tickets online, Kammerer will no longer have to make the trek to city hall to take care of fines for moving offenses. A2 allows offienders to pay tickets online Iranians irate over being tagged as part of 'axis of terror' By Loule Melzlish Daily Staff Reporter President Bush's inclusion of Iran as a member of an "axis of terror," along with North Korea and Iraq, was at least partially caused by a renewal of anti-U.S. sentiment expressed on the streets of Tehran this past week, sever- al Middle East and U.S. foreign policy scholars said yesterday. The protests occurred during the 23rd annual celebration of the Islamic Revolution. In 1979, Shiite Muslim mullahs and a populace fed up with the U.S.-backed government of Shah Muhammad Reza Pahlavi rose up and overthrew Pahlavi, installing a theo- cratic government under Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini. During Monday's protest, according to The New York Times' account of the event, protesters chanted "Death to America" and, occasionally, "Death to Bush." The size of the crowd this year was reportedly in the millions. In con- trast, demonstrations in recent years Rate of were smaller and saw more subdued condemnations of the United States. There had been an appearance of a detente between the country Khomeini had pronounced the "Great Satan" and the country the U.S. blames for kid- napping its citizens and for supporting terrorist organizations such as Hezbollah, a Lebanon-based group that has claimed responsibility for numerous attacks against Israel. The U.S. blames the Iranians for an arms shipment to the Palestinian Authority seized by the Israeli government last month. In 1997, reformist Iranian President Mohammed Khatami told CNN he wanted to begin a dialog with the U.S. Since that time, Khatami has not only been re-elected, but his allies, who favor improved ties with the U.S., have also taken control of the Iranian par- liament. But conservative hardliners still control the armed forces, police, judiciary and intelligence agencies. The conservative and unelected Council of Guardians also has the power to shut down reformist newspa- pers and to prevent candidates it does not approve of from seeking elected office. See PROTEST, Page 7 gay hate By Annie Gleason Daily Staff Reporter Residents can avoid the hassle of the county court system the next time they have to pay a moving vio- lation ticket. The Washtenaw County Court system created an online payment system for residents last June in order to make the process of paying tickets less of a hassle. "It's a service the court wanted to provide to all residents. We wanted to make it convenient for folks, so that they don't have to come down here and find a parking spot. ... It's a lot easier," said Scot Cannell, systems manager for the Washtenaw County Court. Residents are only allowed to pay their tickets online for traffic civil infraction tickets within 20 days of the offense. Such offenses include speeding tickets, pedestrian violations and other specific vio- lations that fall under the jurisdiction of the county courts. The system is available to all residents through the Washtenaw County website, http://www.co.washte- nawmi.us. Residents must be able to provide the amount of the ticket, a description of the offense and the citation number in order to process the payment. Users are notified by c-mail when the payments is See PAYMENT, Page 7 crimes continue upward trend Practice makes perfect New lunar year marks start of year of h orse By Shannon Pettypiece Daily Staff Reporter insisted alone o him," C Just as many University students watched Ericl the ball drop in Times Square on New Year's Student Eve to celebrate the new year, other students who are will be celebrating the lunar new year, also ly find known as Chinese New Year, this week by wel- this hol coming in the year 4699. "Wha Those celebrating the Chinese New Year red env will not be pouring champagne, watching fire- money, works or counting down the seconds. Instead, Chinese they will spend time with family and friends student in a solemn celebration. "I thi "Traditionally it is a very family-orientated today a event and there is a lot of traveling going on this said. time of year in China," said Administrative Acco Associate for the Center for Chinese Studies Pat year of O'Connell-Young. "You go into a big city and it this yea j will be really quiet during the day.... There is no well-lik big deal like in Times Square." Whil When O'Connell-Young was in the province horse a of Shanxi in China during the Chinese New are kn LAURIE BRESCOLL/Daily Year, she got a firsthand experience with the Famous Sophie Shyu, a Taiwanese Aborigine dancer for the Huaren generosity and strong family connection asso- include Cultural Association, prepares for a performance. ciated with the celebration. The C "The man who spoke English at the hotel days un Students ignore, adapt to new housing security standards d that he could not stand that I would be n New Year's so he took me home with O'Connell Young said. Haung, vice president of the Chinese .s Association, said Chinese students away from their families would usual- some way to get in touch with them on iday. at is tradition is that the elders send out elopes and they are usually filled with and that is one way that they celebrate e New Year," said Haung, a Rackham nk also they typically call their parents nd wish them a happy new year," he rding to the Chinese Zodiac, this is the f the horse, meaning that people born ar will be very popular, cheerful and ked. e those born under the sign of the re also very intelligent and wise, they own to work as hard as they play. people born in the year of the horse Aretha Franklin and Clint Eastwood. Chinese New Year will continue for 15 atil the next full moon. By Maa Sprow Daily Staff Reporter When anti-gay members of Westboro Baptist Church protested at last year's Queer Visibility Week Kiss-In rally on the Diag, University students were able to use the protesters to gain ground for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered community awareness and prove that hate can - and does - generate support for those being targeted. "The attempt of the Westboro Baptist church to disrupt last year's Kiss-In was greeted with a proactive response in sup- port of queer rights," said James Toy, a consultant for the University's Office of Equity and Diversity Services. "To me, that is not ignoring what (the church) did, that is taking what (they) did and making a positive statement about queer con- cerns." But a recent early morning wake-up call at the University of Montana in Missoula County, where the home of two University of Michigan graduates was burned to the ground at 3 a.m. Friday, showed that hate and hate crimes do not always end in community triumph. Police are speculating that arsonists targeted the house because Carla Grayson and Adrianne Neff, the women who lived in the now-ruined home, are openly gay. Neff and Grayson are in the process of suing the University of Montana, where Grayson is a psycholo- gy professor, for same-sex benefits. The women's lawyers, from the American Civil Liberties Union, have also cited the lawsuit and the women's sexual orienta- tion as reasons why their home was torched. The ACLU also told The Associated Press they believe the attack's intention was not arson, but murder because it happened while the women were sleep- ing in the house. The fire spread rapidly throughout the house and the women escaped with their two-year-old child by jumping out a window. The cause of the fire is still under investigation. University of Michigan Social Work Prof. Beth Reed, a close friend of the women, said the crime had numerous effects on Neff and Grayson. "I think they are distraught about it, and you know, frightened. They barely managed to get out with their lives," said Reed, who has known Neff for 15 years. She said the incident happened shortly after the women - as well as another couple involved in the lawsuit - received threatening letters saying they contained anthrax. The letters have been tested and no traces of anthrax were found, Reed said. She added that the arson, though the See HATE, Page 7 By Karen Schwartz Daily Staff Reporter Until two weeks ago, it seemed per- fectly normal to LSA junior Jennifer Dimovski to leave her apartment door unlocked when she was home and per- fectly safe to yell "come in" when someone knocked. Following two recent home invasion incidents in East Quad and West Quad Residence Halls, Dimovski said she has changed her ways. w *9 * **.r Quad resident with a gun Feb. 2 and on Feb. 6 an uninvited man was discovered in a West Quad resident's room. Dimovski said she and other University students feel differently walking around Ann Arbor follow- ing the incidents. She said she now feels their safety has been compro- mised. Students had mixed views concern- ing campus safety and whether or not that level of safety has changed since last week. we lock the door," she said. "I think any time it's brought to your attention it makes you think ... (I'm not) so naive to think 'it's not going to happen - 1