LOCAL/STATE
The Michigan Daily - Tuesday, December 9, 2003 - 3
CAMPUS
Protesting management
Hundreds join in lawsuit
against chemical company
The Associated Press
Last installment of
'Lord of the Rings'
series to be shown
"The Lord of the Rings: The Return
of the King" begins playing in Ann
Arbor Dec. 17. The much-anticipated
third movie in the trilogy, filmed in the
New Zealand, is based on J.R.R.
Tolkien's series of novels. Tolkien was
professor of Anglo-Saxon studies at the
University of Oxford in England, and he
is known also for his literary series "The
Hobbit." The film will show at Michi-
gan Theater at 603 E. Liberty St. The
first showing will be at 12:01 a.m. Tick-
ets are $6.25 for students, $8 in general.
Prof discusses
women scientists
Sociology Prof. Yu Xie will speak
about a new book he co-authored, titled
"Women in Science: Career Processes
and Outcomes." Xie will focus on
social stratifaction, demography and
statistical methods. Sponsored by the
UM ADVANCE Project, the Depart-
ment of Sociology and the Institute for
Social Research, the event is 4 p.m.
tomorrow in the Alumni Center
Founders Room.
Indian paintings,
sculptures to be
exhibited
The art museum will present 80
paintings and sculptures that exemplify
Indian art from different regions of the
subcontinent. Sponsored by the Uni-
versity of Michigan Museum of Art,
the exhibit is open from 10 a.m. to 9
p.m. Thursday in the museum's Alumni
Memorial Hall.
Influence of play
'A Doll's House'
will be discussed
Kate Mendeloff, director of produc-
tion of the Residential College drama
concentration, will moderate a discus-
sion about the impact of Henrik Ibsen's
"A Doll's House" on its original audi-
ence and its relevance to modern day
gender issues. Panelists include Eng-
lish Prof. Kirsten Fogh; Residential
College Production Dramaturge
Leonora Ivanitsky, English Prof.
Martha Vicinus and German studies
and comparative literature Prof. Silke-
Maria Weineck. The discussion is
sponsored by the Institute for Research
on Women and Gender and will be
held from 1 to 3 p.m. Thursday in 126
Tyler East Quad. The Residential Col-
lege drama concentration will present a
production of "A Doll's House" at 7:30
p.m. on Friday and Saturday, and at 2
p.m. on Saturday and Sunday in the
Residential College Auditorium.
Three-dimensional
artwork displays
many media
Undergraduates in the School of Art
and Design will exhibit three-dimen-
sional work in a variety of media.
Sponsored by Art and Design, the
exhibit is open at 11 a.m. every day
until Dec. 21, except on Monday, at
306 S. State St.
Job-seeking int'l
students may find
e info at meeting
An information session titled "Prac-
tical Training" will explain how inter-
national students can receive
permission to work up to a year in the
United States. Students planning to
apply for Optional Practical Training
work authorization must attend the ses-
sion. Sponsored by the International
Center, the event begins at 3 p.m.
tomorrow in room 9 of the Internation-
al Center.
Musician lectures
on understanding
Arab music
Arab musician and teacher Simon
Shaheen will lead a lecture on the basic
understanding of Arab music. The
event is sponsored by the University
Musical Society and is from 7 p.m. to
10 p.m. tomorrow in the Hussey Room
of the Michigan League.
Mozart symphony
to be played at
Power Center
The University Symphony Orchestra
and the University Philharmonia
Orchestra will play Mozart's 35th sym-
phony tomorrow at the Power Center
The more than 300 plaintiffs suing
Dow Chemical Co. over contamination
along the Tittabawassee River, where
high levels of dioxin have been found,
say the Midland-based company is try-
ing to delay the case.
In an amended complaint, attorney
Jan Helder is asking that the 26 original
plaintiffs be made class representatives
because he says Dow is using its efforts
to acquire background information on
all of the plaintiffs - under a court
process called discovery - to stall a
ruling on class-action certification.
"I think that what Dow is trying to
do is use the fact that we have so many
people as part of a delay tactic, getting
every little piece of paper these people
have," said Helder, who is based in
Kansas. "By reducing the representa-
tives down to 26, we are trying to end
that process."
Another amended complaint filed
"I think that what Dow is trying to do is use
the fact that we have so many people as part
of a delay tactic:'
-Jan Helder
Attorney
BRENDAN O'DONNELU'Daily
Former Del Rio Bar employees Niveen Fawzy and Sid Chait
protest the new management in front of the Del Rio Bar on
Washington Street yesterday.
Bill that makes way
for '.racinos' ready to
pass in Mi~ch. Senate
last week lists 310 plaintiffs, up from
179 in a previous complaint and 26 in
the original filing. Saginaw County
Circuit Court Judge Leopold Borrello
will hold a hearing on certifying the
lawsuit as a class action on Feb. 24.
The lawsuit seeks damages for lost
property value and seeks establishment
of a medical monitoring trust fund to
pay for residents' dioxin poisoning
testing and treatment, if necessary.
Dioxins are highly toxic byproducts
of manufacturing and incineration sys-
tems and may cause cancer, birth defects
and other health problems in humans.
Dow spokesman Scot Wheeler said
the company is not trying to delay the
lawsuit, but has a right to information
about the plaintiffs.
"Asking for the original 26 to be
representatives of the class is in my
mind a highly unorthodox move by Mr.
Helder," Wheeler said. "It seems the
reason they're doing this is to try to
limit discovery."
Dow will file a response to the
amended complaint this week. A hear-
ing is scheduled for Dec. 15.
Plaintiff Kathy Henry, who lives in
Freeland, said Dow had previously
asked for "a huge list of documents.
"At one time they wanted to know
every chemical we've ever been
exposed to," Henry said.
REMEMBER THE MOMENT
HELP COMMEMORATE THE WOLVERINES'
BIG TEN CHAMPIONSHIP.
LANSING (AP) - The leader of
the Michigan Senate said yesterday he
won't stand in the way of legislation
that would allow horse race tracks to
install slot machines.
Senate Majority Leader Ken Sikkema
(R-Wyoming) sees no reason to hold up
a vote on the four-bill package if there
is support for it in the 38-member Sen-
ate, spokesman Bill Nowling said.
The comments came after a group of
Republican state representatives and
horse breeders held a news conference
calling for a Senate vote on the legisla-
tion. A few dozen people attended
Monday's event outside the state Capi-
tol, gathering between bales of hay and
two trailers carrying horses.
The package has been awaiting a
hearing from the Senate Commerce
and Labor Committee since it won
approval from the House in May.
Committee Chairman Jason Allen
(R-Traverse City) doesn't expect to
hold a hearing on the package before
lawmakers begin their winter recess in
two weeks, Allen's chief of staff, Jamie
Callahan, said yesterday.
"We need to re-examine what's
going on," Callahan said.
The main bill in the package would
allow each of the state's seven horse
race tracks to install at least 500 slot
machines and other gaming devices
which would be tied into the state lot-
tery system. Each track could install
up to 2,000 machines with approval
from the state lottery.
The new gaming machines could
generate between $197 million and
$400 million statewide if each of the
tracks installs the maximum 2,000 ter-
minals, according to the nonpartisan
House Fiscal Agency. The money
would be split between the race tracks,
the state general and school aid funds,
state agriculture needs and the city of
Detroit.
Rep. Larry Julian, a Republican
from Lennon who sponsored the main
bill in the package, said he wants the
Senate to give it a fair hearing.
"I don't believe Senator Sikkema in
his heart supports this package at all.
I'm not asking him to support it," Julian
said. "All I'm asking him to do ... is
allow for it to come up for its day."
. Supporters of the legislation, includ-
ing Republican House Speaker Rick
Johnson of LeRoy, said it will help the
struggling horse racing industry com-
pete for gambling revenue.
Even if the bills win approval in the
Senate, it's unclear how Democratic
Gov. Jennifer Granholm will handle
them. Granholm spokeswoman Liz
Boyd said yesterday the package of
bills is one of the many gaming issues
being considered by the administration.
Opponents of the bills include the
three Detroit casinos and those who
don't want to see more gambling
opportunities in Michigan.
U.S. Rep. Mike Rogers of Brighton,
former Lt. Gov. Dick Posthumus of
Alto, both Republicans, and Democrat-
ic state Sen. Buzz Thomas of Detroit
are scheduled to have a news confer-
ence opposing the legislation tomor-
row in the state Capitol.
"The 'racino' legislation sets up ...
new casinos but does not put them
under the same laws governing the
Detroit gambling facilities," Rogers
said. "This sets up the potential for
abuse and creates bad public policy
that returns little and costs much more
in the long run."
The Detroit casinos - Greektown,
MotorCity and MGM Grand Detroit
- have said the legislation would hurt
their revenue stream by taking away
gamblers.
Roger Martin, spokesman for the
Greektown Casino in Detroit, said the
Detroit casinos may sue to prevent the
bills from taking effect if they are
signed into law.
Available beginning Thursday: full-size
posters of the Daily's Nov. 24 front
ae, just after Michigan vanquished
Ohio State in their 100th matchup.
A steal at only $3, these posters will be
on sale at the Student Publications
Building on Maynard Street (behind the
LSA Building).
Special holiday offer: Buy five
and get the sixth one free.
E-mail osters@michigandaly.com or
call 763-2459 for more
information.
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