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June 16, 1981 - Image 9

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Publication:
Michigan Daily, 1981-06-16

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The Michigan Daily-Tuesday, June 16, 1981-Page 9
Cuts finalized at 'U'
Botanical Gardens

(Continued from Page 1)
Collins said. The remainder will come
from several other sources. They plan
to ask for a 75c donation from visitors
as well as a fee from organizations that
hold meetings at the Gardens, he said.
ABOUT $20,000 of the deficit will
hopefully be made up by charging
researchers for space used at the Gar-
dens, Henry said. Collins added that
they 'will also be charged for any
materials and staff time used.
Henry said the Gardens area most
jeopardized will be the section open to
the public, because with the reduction
in the number of groundkeepers, the
staff will be unable to keep it up.
Collins said that since the main fun-
ction of the Gardens is teaching and
research, there will not be as much out-
side maintenance needed, which con-
sumes considerable staff time.
FORMER GARDENS Director Erich'
Steiner said, however, that the gardens
were never fully utilized because they
never had a research staff. "If the
Botanical Gardens had a research
staff," he said, "there would be,
perhaps, a greater interest in keeping
(the facility) at a maximum level."
Dean Knott said there have been ef-
forts to have more researchers at the
Gardens in the past, but that they
haven't worked out "for one reason or
another."
Collins said some of the areas which
cannot be tended to will be "let go into
natural areas." He added that some of
the outside-maintenance will be done by
volunteers, particularly from the
Friends of the Botanical Gardens.
HENRY CAUTIONED that volun-
teers don't always work out. They need
a lot of supervision, he said, "tying up
our personnel" and often can only do
fairly simple things just because they
don't know how to do more involved
work.
The Friends also sell some of the
plants grown on the grounds, giving a
portion of the money made back to the
Gardens. This portion amounts to bet-
ween $7,000 and $10,000 annually, Henry
said.I

Two groundskeepers were among the
three full-time positions eliminated.
Anna Tobias has been transferred to
central campus and another has
decided to retire.
THE THIRD full-time employee to be
terminated is horticulturist Roger
Keller. Keller, said he believes the
reason he was terminated was because
he is the only person in his pay grade
without a college degree. Keller, who
has been with the University for three
years, said he has been in the
profession for 15 years.
Keller said he knew for a long time
that there were going to be positions
eliminated, but "each person always
thinks it's gonna be someone else, some
other position."
The University is "trying to help me
find another position within the Univer-
sity system," he said, but they are not
legally bound to do it because he is a
non-union worker.
HE ADDED that the cuts that are
being made to the Gardens will "very
significantly diminish the ability of the
Gardens to produce material for class
and diminish the quality of the Gardens
as a public education resource."
Collins denied that the reason for
Keller's dismissal was lack of a degree,
saying "No, that's not the case at all."
He added that the position termination
has had nothing to do with personality.
Henry said he believed it was the
positions that were eliminated, not the
people in them, and that it had nothing
to do with job performance.
The two part-time positions that have
been eliminated are two weekend
-groundskeepers. Henry said thi$ also
concerns him because, now the regular
workers will have to work some
weekends, making the staff short-
handed during the week.
Greenhouse 3, which holds mostly
personal collections and class material,
is slated to be closed to save ap-
proximately $1,000 in heating costs,
Henry said.

,,, . l I Y il Z l n..w
FOUR CHILDREN PEER into a pool at the University's Botanical Gardens,
about five miles north of central campus. The Gardens' budget is slated to be
cut 36 percent by July 1.
Reagan draws more sharp
critism om mayors

From AP and UPI
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - President
Reagan sent a qualified peace overture
to the nation's rebellious mayors
yesterday, but found himself accused of
an "unprovoked attack" on the cities
because of his economic policies.
After two days of criticism from the
annual convention of the U.S. Con-
ference of Mayors, Reagan sent an
open letter to the city leaders, saying he
sympathizes with their problems but in-
tends to push ahead with his economic
programs anyway.
AT THE SAME time, Housing and
Urban Development Secretary Samuel
Pierce said the mayors are beingunfair
to the administration and asked them to
consider both sides of the budget debate
"before concluding, that this ad-
ministration is abandoning the cities."
Mayor Richard Hatcher of Gary,
bid., president of the mayors' group.

and a vocal critic of the Reagan
proposals, criticized budget cuts he
said would force cities to lay off
workers, limit housing programs and
reduce public transit services.
"We are the primary victims - in-
deed, almost the only victims - of the
budget-cutter's indiscriminate and in-
sensitive acts," Hatcher said. "Cities
are being asked to volunteer as guinea
pigs for an economic experiment that is
untested, unproven and - I fear - un-.
sound."
REAGAN WAS asked to appear at the
conference but chose instead to send a
letter in which he said the historical
flow of tax dollars'to Washington must
be reversed.
"I am committed to decentralizing
the power and authority in Washington,
and returning it to local and state
governments where it belongs,"
Reagan's letter said.

I'm planning a Father's Day treat
By taking my dad out to eat:
No gimmicks, no deals,
No kiddie appeals, Lunch 11:30 to 1:15
Just League food that no onetcan beat. Dinner 5:00 to 7:15
SPECIAL LOW PRICES FOR
STUDENTS
Send your League Limerick to:
TheMichigan Manager, Michigan League
227 South Ingalls
Next to Hill Auditorium You will receive 2 free dinner
Located in the heart of the campus. tickets if your limerick is used in
it is the heart of the campus . one of our ads.

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