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The Michigan Daily -Tuesday, March 5, 1991 - Page 3
Council
approves
Kline's
garage
by Lynne Cohn
Daily City Reporter
After three long years of de-
bate, frustration, and anxiety, Ann
rbor city councilmembers passed
solution D-4 at last night's coun-
cil meeting, approving an $8.69
million bond to build a parking
structure for Kline's department
store.
The resolution, coupled with a
plea for more affordable housing,
passed by an 8-3 vote. Those
against the parking structure cited
a need for minimizing automobile
liution and maximizing afford-
le housing. Those in favor of the
proposal agreed that pleasing mer-
chants with a parking structure was
more important, and that there are
cheaper areas in which to build
affordable housing.
"There are 15,000 working peo-
ple within walking distance from
Briarwood - downtown is losing
business from the lack of parking,"
id Dennis Serras, a Main Street
usinessman.
Councilmember Larry Hunter
(D-First Ward) responded by call-
igng Briarwood, "Bummerwood."
Hunter claimed the city would be
entering into a partnership with
downtown merchants and creating
a subsidy through more parking
structures.
"We've done a great deal for
wntown," he said. "It's time now
to do something for the people. Af-
fordable housing and parking come
hand in hand."
Despite hecklers' comments,
several merchants advocated mak-
ing downtown more accessible.
tu"There are not many down-
tbwns left in Michigan," said Jim
Hart, a Main Street businessman.
"Keep Ann Arbor's downtown
*ive."
i Many councilmembers ex-
pressed concern over placing the
current housing problem beside the
need for more and easier parking.
"The merchants have been
telling us for a long time that they
need a parking structure," Mayor
Jerry Jernigan said. "It would be
tragic if we don't respond to it.
"Tetime frame on this is an
4 rassment to council, the
money we've spent getting this far
has been wasted," he said. "It's
not fair to tie housing and parking
Together."
Councilmember Thais Anne Pe-
terson (D-Fifth Ward) said, "There
are more creative things we can do
to make Ann Arbor's downtown vi-
tal - improve the looks, increase
Wcurity - not just build parking
structures," she said.
Council repeatedly referred to
an Ann Arbor News poll which in-
dicated 58 percent of those polled
in favor of more dowtown parking.
"42 percent, 42 percent, 42
percent don't perceive a need for
more parking," Councilmember
Anne Marie Coleman (D-First
Ward) said. She mentioned the
*nportance of communicating with
downtown merchants and said, "It
is important to send a message to
the homeless that we care about
them."
Groups sponsor
women's week
activities at 'U'
by Purvi Shah
Daily Staff Reporter
Drumming and chants from the
Rhythm Women and a lecture by
Rev. Ann Marie Coleman on
"Women and Spirituality" Sunday
started this year's International
Women's Week.
The week is an expansion of
the 10th annual International
Women's Day, Friday, March 8.
The celebration stemmed from the
struggles for the rights of women
workers in the first decade of this
century, according to organizers.
"Feminism is so often consti-
tuted as a Western phenomenon -
we need to emphasize what
women's liberation means to all
women," said Cecelia Ober, orga-
nizer of International Women's
Week and a co-founder of the
Feminist Women's Union.
Paquetta Palmer, a member of
the Women's International League
for Peace and Freedom, added,
"People here are so ignorant be-
cause they don't realize that in
other cultures they don't burn bras.
They have their own ways of deal-
ing with their problems in their
own communities."
In order for the women's
movement to succeed, Ober said,
people need to be aware of the di-
versity of problems which affect
women. "If we're going to talk
about feminism and liberation, we
need to take that seriously and
support the struggle of women
around the world," she said.
Palmer said, "It's an incredible
holiday all over the world, but it's
rarely seen in the U.S. It's
celebrated in the West Bank,
Europe, and Central America."
Although the women's rights
movement in the United States is
not necessarily more advanced
than movements elsewhere, it is
influenced by different forces,
Ober said.
"We have a different political
and economic context in which
this movement is taking place,
which means that certain problems
will be more salient for us than
they might be for a woman in Iraq
or anywhere," she said.
This year's theme - Survival,
Recovery, and Resistance - high-
lights the path women take to
cope.
"It encompasses a process
whereby women gain control of
ourselves and learn how to speak
for ourselves and to resist those
forces that work against us," Ober
added. "It touches on .the way
women learn to cope in our society
- the basic things we have to.
deal with - AIDS and unwanted
pregnancy and rape and domestic
violence."
Current events will be dis-
cussed, including how the reces-
sion and war affect women, along
with perennial issues like parental
consent for abortions, rape culture,
and domestic violence.
Offshoots from the core issue of~
women's rights will also be in-r
cluded, such as how women use
creative expression to break their
silence.
"We're also including issues on
the far side of the issue. Spiritual-
ity and art are ways that women,
learn to sustain themselves," Ober
said. "We can take sustenance
from that to cope with these other
issues that are so pressing and so
vital to our survival."
Melissa Rathbun-Nealy, the first American female POW since World War II, was released by the Iraqis
yesterday after being in captivity for six weeks.
Michigan woman released
in first U.S.-Iraq POW swap
NEWAYGO, Mich. (AP) -
Winnie Weatherford was in the
kitchen of the Sportsman tavern
when she heard the crowd at the
bar begin hollering.
"They were watching a golf
tournament on TV (Sunday) and I
thought someone made a hole-in-
one," the tavern owner said Mon-
day. "Then I heard it was
Melissa."
It was the first word the closely
knit community of 1,800 had re-
ceived since the end of January
that Army Spec. Melissa Rath-
bun-Nealy, the only female pris-
oner of war in the Persian Gulf,
might be all right.
By Monday morning,
Melissa's parents, who live about
three miles away, had seen
pictures of her on television,
confirming she was one of the 10
allied prisoners of war released in
Baghdad.
All of the prisoners seemed in
good health and were whisked
away to a military airport near
Amman after crossing the Jor-
danian border.
Leo and Joan Rathbun, who
have been in seclusion since their
20-year-old daughter was captured
by Iraqis Jan. 30, celebrated with
family and friends.
"We've been waiting and wait-
ing to see her. This is so unreal,"
Mrs. Rathbun told The Grand
Rapids Press. "You don't know
how I feel - we don't need any-
one official telling us anything."
The Rathbuns said they hope
to be reunited with their daughter
in the coming days. Once in Jor-
dan, the former POWs are expected
to be flown to a U.S. medical fa-
cility in the Persian Gulf region.
"We're going to have one heck
of a 21st birthday party for her
when she's home," Mrs. Rathbun
said. Rathbun-Nealy's birthday is
Saturday.
Though the retired schoolteach-
ers moved to Newaygo from Grand
Rapids only three years ago, the
town has adopted their daughter as
one of their own.
Former Gov. Blanchard to
join Mich
LANSING, Mich. (AP) - For-
mer Gov. James Blanchard has
landed positions with two law firms
and said Monday he plans to split
his time between Washington and
the Detroit area.
The two-term Democratic
governor will become a partner in
the law firm of Verner, Liipfert,
Bernard, McPherson and Hand in
Washington.
Blanchard also will be affiliated
with the Michigan law firm of Jaffe,
Snider, Raitt and Heuer. Former
Michigan Democratic Party chair
Tom Lewand, a longtime Blanchard
friend, is a partner in the firm.
Blanchard, 48, who narrowly lost
a re-election bid last November, said
he will focus on international law
igan, D.C.
and advising clients on public policy
strategies.
"It'll be more like when I was in
Congress, when I spent a certain
amount of time in Washington and a
certain amount of time in Michi-
gan," he said.
Blanchard left office Jan. 1 when
Republican John Engler was sworn
in to replace him.
The Washington firm, which also
has offices in northern Virginia and
Houston, represents local, national
and international companies, trade
associations, not-for-profit organiza-
tions, public bodies and individuals.
It specializes in international
trade, communications, energy, avia-
tion, transportation, environment,
employment, corporate and finance
law firms
law.
Senior partners include Harry
McPherson, who served as special
counsel to President Lyndon John-
son.
Blanchard's responsibilities will
include a trip to Berlin in April for a
German-American conference and
another to Toronto, he said, adding
most of his clients will be not-for-
profit organizations or international
corporations.
"It won't be radically different,"
he said.
"The nice thing is I will have
more time to myself, Janet and I
will have more time to ourselves.
We don't be dealing with Lansing
matters. We'll be dealing with the
whole world.
WTHE LIST
,4What's happening in Ann Arbor today
Tension in Yugoslavia
mounts as Serbs rally
L
Meetings
kecycle U-M, weekly mtg. 1040
bana, 7 p.m.
Kaffeestunde, weekly German con-
Versations. MLB third floor conference
room, 4:30-6.
German Club, weekly mtg. MLB,
Ram. 2004, 7:00.
Anthropology Club, weekly mtg.
Dominick's, 7:30.
ker & Relative Dimensions in
Ann Arbor, weekly mtg. Call 971-
2072 for info. 2439 Mason Hall, 8:00.
Students Concerned about Animal
Rights,weekly mtg. Dominick's, 7:30.
Ultimate Frisbee Club, weekly mtg.
Coliseum, 4-6.
Festival Meeting, weekly mtg. In Fo-
cus Filmworks, MUG, 6 p.m.
Take Back the Night, weekly mtg.
League, Rm. C, 7:30-9:30.
Speakers
teEumenicl ampus Cenr. n
ternational Center, noon.
Furthermore
Safewalk , nighttime safety walking
service. Functions 8-1:30 a.m. Sun.-
Thurs. Call 936-1000 or stop by 102
UGL.
Northwalk, North Campus nighttime
walking service. Functions 8-11:30
Sun. -Thurs. Call 763-WALK or stop
by 2333 Bursley.
ECB Peer Writing Tutors available
Sunday-Thursday, Angell/Haven
Computing Center, 7-11; 611 Church
Computing Center 7-11.
U of M Women's Rugby Club,
Tuesday practice. Call 995-0129 for
more info. Sports Coliseum, 8-10 p.m.
Candlelight Vigil, to mourn those
who died in the Gulf War. Diag, 10
p.m.
Society of Minority Engineering
PAKRAC, Yugoslavia (AP) -
The leaders of the Croatians and
Serbs, Yugoslavia's two largest eth-
nic groups, are clashing about the
future of Yugoslavia's 25 million
citizens. Their dispute threatens to
plunge the federation of six republics
and two provinces into civil war.
Croatian special police began
withdrawing from the ethnically
mixed town Sunday but sealed off
another town, hoping to prevent pro-
Serbian supporters from staging ral-
lies there.
The special Croatian forces began
to withdraw from Pakrac before a
midnight deadline set by the federal
government for "all external forces"
to leave the city, the state news
agency Tanjug said.
Serbia, the largest republic, is
Communist-ruled and wants to keep
jek, a town of about 35,000 people,
where they planned to rally in front
of a People's Army building, said
local Police Chief Josip Reihl-Kir.
He said tear gas was used when
the crowd "behaved aggressively"
against bystanders.
About 300 other Serbs from the
town and a similar number of Croat-
ians had gathered in separate groups
near the military building, shouting
nationalist slogans, Tanjug said.
Tanjug quoted a federal Interior
Ministry statement as saying about
100 special police who took up po-
sitions in Pakrac early Saturday had
by Sunday evening left the town, 60
miles southeast of Croatia's capital
Zagreb.
New place in town
LSA students Joseph Black and his cousin Mo check out the new
Burger King on S. University.
Business -
COUNCIL TRAVEL ANNOUNCES THE
OPENING OF OUR NEWEST OFFICE
IN-vANN ..RBOR
America's oldest andlargest studentlbudget travel
organization can now offer MICHIGAN the following:
" The BEST in budget/studentlteacher airfares
anwbtere!
" Budget/stUdent advetntu r ttours w~orldwde.
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